DiamondCentric

Vince Velasquez's comeback has reached the majors. Again. The Chicago Cubs called up the right-handed starter, who hasn't appeared in an MLB game since 2023, from Triple-A Iowa on Friday. He replaces left-handed reliever Caleb Thielbar, who sustained a strained left hamstring in Thursday's 8-7 walk-off win over the Philadelphia Phillies. The Cubs also called up from Triple-A infielder Nicky Lopez, acquired via trade Thursday from the Colorado Rockies. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Velasquez and Lopez, infielder Scott Kingery was designated for assignment and right-handed reliever Porter Hodge was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL. Velasquez is the latest addition to a beleaguered pitching staff. He last pitched in the majors in 2023 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, before undergoing Tommy John surgery on his 31st birthday in June of that year. He latched on with the Cleveland Guardians in 2024, signing a minor-league contract and even got a call-up last year for a couple days in May, but did not pitch. He figures to get a chance to pitch for the Cubs, who have 10 pitchers on the IL, including four who are now on the 60-day IL. Velasquez had made four appearances, all but one a start, for Iowa this season, with a 3.71 ERA, walking nine and striking out 17 in 17 innings. Lopez had a slash line of .333/.387/.519 with one homer and eight RBIs in 15 games for the Rockies' Triple-A team before being acquired for cash Thursday. Kingery made the Cubs' Opening Day roster, but appeared in just eight games, going 1-for-4. View the full article

The Blue Jays acquired catcher Willie MacIver from the Rangers today in exchange for cash considerations. MacIver will report to Triple-A Buffalo; he has two minor league option years remaining. MacIver, 29, appeared in 33 games for the Athletics last season, including 31 behind the plate. He hit .186 with three home runs and a 58 wRC+. The rookie backstop earned negative grades in most defensive metrics in that small sample. With Alejandro Kirk on the injured list and Tyler Heineman having dealt with back spasms this year, it makes sense that the Blue Jays wanted to add a little more catching depth. To make room for MacIver on the 40-man roster, the Jays designated utility player Tyler Fitzgerald for assignment. They acquired Fitzgerald from the Giants earlier this month. While he spent some time on Toronto's active roster, he never made it into a game. In six games for Triple-A Buffalo, he went 3-for-20 with a double and two runs. View the full article

The Luis Matos experiment is over. It is now Tyler Black's opportunity. The Milwaukee Brewers called up Black, a first baseman, and left-hander Shane Drohan from Triple-A Nashville on Friday. Matos, an outfielder, was designated for assignment for the second time this season, while right-hander Carlos Rodriguez was optioned to Triple-A. The 25-year-old Black was one of the Crew's top hitters during spring training, posting a crazy .550/.522/1.000 slash line with one homer and 14 RBIs in six Cactus League games. The trouble for Black, who is known for his bat and not his glove with a .270/.399/.441 career minor-league slash line, is hitting when given the chance at the MLB level. In 23 games with the Brewers, Black has a .211/.357/.263 slash line with no homers and three RBIs over 70 plate appearances. At Nashville this season, Black has a .282/.378/.410 slash line with one homer and six RBIs. The addition of Black, a left-handed hitter like Jake Bauers, could mean that Bauers sees more time in left field with Black getting chances at first base. The Brewers have been looking for ways to get more out of their offense with three starting position players, outfielder Jackson Chourio, designated hitter Christian Yelich and first baseman Andrew Vaughn, on the injured list and this could be a way. This is Black's first call-up this season after not making the Opening Day roster due to the presence of Bauers and Vaughn at first base. Matos was a possible solution for a bit of offense when Chourio began the season on the IL. The Brewers picked Matos up in a March 30 trade after he was DFA'd by the San Francisco Giants after not making the Opening Day roster there. But in nine games with the Crew, Matos had a slash line of .200/.238/.200 with no homers or RBIs and seven strikeouts in 20 at-bats. If Matos goes unclaimed on the waiver wire, he could be assigned to Nashville or released. Drohan is back for his second stint with the Brewers after getting a spot start April 8 vs. the Boston Red Sox, his previous team. Acquired in the six-player Caleb Durbin trade, Drohan lasted just 2⅔ innings, allowing three hits and four walks with two strikeouts. Barring a rotation move, Drohan is likely to fill Rodriguez's spot as a long man out of the bullpen. Rodriguez did well in his two relief appearances since being called up last weekend. He pitched two innings in mopup duty against the Miami Marlins on Sunday and the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday, allowing one run on five hits and no walks with five strikeouts. View the full article

Needing a fresh arm for the bullpen, the New York Mets are calling up right-hander Carl Edwards Jr. from Triple-A Syracuse, according to multiple reports Friday. Right-hander Christian Scott, who was promoted to make a spot start Thursday in the series finale vs. the Minnesota Twins, has been sent back to Syracuse. Edwards, who signed a minor-league deal with the Mets in the offseason, will need to be added to the 40-man roster before Friday's game at Citi Field against the Colorado Rockies. Edwards has allowed 13 runs, 10 earned, in 17 innings at Syracuse this season, with 11 walks and 13 strikeouts for a 5.29 ERA. But the veteran of 11 seasons has a career 3.56 ERA. He appeared in four games last year, two each with the Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers, allowing three runs in six innings. Scott, who made nine starts for the Mets in 2024, returned for his 10th career start Thursday. That did not go well as he lasted just 1⅓ innings, walking five despite not allowing a hit, which led to a run. His short start forced manager Carlos Mendoza to use five relievers in a 10-8 win over the Twins. View the full article

As expected, the initial Kendry Rojas era was a brief one. The 23-year-old, Twins Daily's No. 8 prospect, was returned to Triple-A St. Paul as fellow left-hander Kody Funderburk returned from paternity leave. Rojas was called up Tuesday and made his MLB debut in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the New York Mets. He pitched two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and three walks with no strikeouts. Overall, a solid outing, especially for a debut. Rojas was part of the package the Twins got from the Toronto Blue Jays for right-handed reliever Louis Varland and first baseman Ty France. Funderburk's wife, Alicia, gave birth to the couple's first child, a daughter, Monday, a day off for the team. View the full article

At Twins Daily, there are a lot of interesting articles on the front page, but we encourage you to dig into the other pages on this site. Check out the Blogs page to see more Twins content. You can even start your own Twins blog there. And then there are some great discussions in the Twins Daily forums as well Here are just a few of the topics from this week. Mick Abel to the IL Mick Abel looked the part of big-league starter through 20 innings pitched this season, before being sidelined with an injury. Matthew Trueblood wrote an excellent piece with tons of great info, leading to lots of good takes by the TD faithful...you should be adding yours! Luke Keaschall and Sophomore Slump Small sample size, of course, but Luke Keaschall looked the part of polished big league hitter last year--in between injuries at least. This year has been a struggle, to put it kindly. Cody Christie takes a look at the "sophomore slump." What do you think? History of MLB #3 Picks I'm not much of a prospect work, but I know many of you are. TD always does a fantastic job covering the MLB draft. Here's Jamie Cameron's stab at who might the Twins select with the third overall pick this summer. Agree? Disagree? Lots of great info and opinions here. View the full article

You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, GleemanAndTheGeek.com, click this link or you can listen to it or watch it below. View the full article

It feels like the long-term outlook for the Minnesota Twins outfield was already foggy heading into the season, and somehow it’s only gotten more complicated. With Byron Buxton around for a few more years, the real question is how a farm system with prospects like Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Gabriel Gonzalez actually fits together over the long term. View the full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report: Cubs Transactions Colorado Rockies traded 3B Nicky Lopez to Chicago Cubs for cash. Iowa Cubs Held Scoreless In 1-0 Home Loss The Iowa Cubs fell 1-0 at home to the Louisville Bats, managing only three hits across nine innings. Ty Blach took the loss, pitching 5 1/3 innings while allowing five hits, one earned run, one walk, and one strikeout. Starter Jordan Wicks worked 2 2/3 innings, giving up five hits and a walk but keeping Louisville off the board while striking out two. Tyler Beede closed out the game with one inning of scoreless work, striking out two without allowing a hit. Louisville scored the game's only run in the top of the sixth. Blach allowed a leadoff single and followed with a walk, before Owen Miller, Pedro Ramírez, and Jonathon Long turned a 6-4-3 double play that moved the lead runner to third base. A two-out double to center field then drove in the run. Iowa's offense was quiet across the board. Cleanup hitter Dylan Carlson finished 1-for-3 with a walk, Pedro Ramírez went 1-for-3 with a walk, and Brett Bateman added a single and a walk. The team drew four walks, struck out four times, grounded into a double play, and stranded five runners on base. Iowa also committed two errors behind the pitching staff. Player AB R H RBI BB K BJ Murray 4 0 0 0 0 1 Jonathon Long 4 0 0 0 0 0 Pedro Ramírez 3 0 1 0 1 1 Dylan Carlson 3 0 1 0 1 1 Christian Bethancourt 4 0 0 0 0 0 Owen Miller 3 0 0 0 0 0 Justin Dean 2 0 0 0 1 1 Brett Bateman 2 0 1 0 1 0 Hayden Cantrelle 3 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jordan Wicks 2 2/3 5 0 0 1 2 0 Ty Blach (L, 1-1) 5 1/3 5 1 1 1 1 0 Tyler Beede 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Garriola's Two Home Runs Not Enough In Smokies' 6-4 Loss The Knoxville Smokies dropped a 6-4 home decision to the Chattanooga Lookouts despite a big afternoon from cleanup hitter Andy Garriola, who hit two home runs and drove in three of Knoxville's four runs. Grant Kipp took the loss after a five-inning start in which he allowed six hits and five earned runs, walking four and striking out seven. A three-run home run in the top of the second and a two-run triple in the third accounted for the bulk of the damage. Frankie Scalzo Jr. followed with two scoreless innings and two strikeouts. Tyler Ras allowed one run over the final two innings. Knoxville drew first blood in the bottom of the second when Garriola took a pitch out to left-center field for a solo home run. The Smokies then pieced together three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Karson Simas led off with a triple and scored on an Alex Ramírez groundout. With two outs, Owen Ayers singled to right field, and Garriola followed with a two-run homer to left that trimmed the deficit to 5-4. Garriola finished 2-for-3 with a walk, two home runs, and three RBI. Simas added a single, a triple, a run scored, and a pair of strikeouts. Ayers reached base twice with a single, a walk, and a run scored. Knoxville drew four walks, struck out 10 times, and left five runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alex Ramírez 4 0 0 1 0 2 Jordan Nwogu 4 0 0 0 0 0 Owen Ayers 3 1 1 0 1 1 Andy Garriola 3 2 2 3 1 1 Carter Trice 3 0 0 0 1 0 Edgar Alvarez 4 0 0 0 0 3 Ariel Armas 3 0 1 0 1 0 Devin Ortiz 4 0 0 0 0 1 Karson Simas 4 1 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Grant Kipp (L, 1-1) 5 6 5 5 4 7 1 Frankie Scalzo Jr. 2 2 0 0 2 2 0 Tyler Ras 2 2 1 1 3 1 0 Halbach's Three Doubles Lead South Bend To 10-4 Win The South Bend Cubs cruised to a 10-4 road win over the Dayton Dragons, collecting 11 hits and five doubles while drawing six walks. Starter Cole Reynolds worked 3 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and two earned runs on five walks with six strikeouts. Nate Williams picked up the win with 1 1/3 innings of relief, surrendering one hit, one earned run, one walk, and a home run while striking out three. JP Wheat followed with two innings in which he gave up two hits, one earned run, and five walks. Adam Stone closed out the final two scoreless innings with a hit, a strikeout, and no walks. South Bend broke through with three runs in the top of the third. Justin Stransky, Christian Olivo, and leadoff man Kane Kepley drew three consecutive walks to load the bases. Two wild pitches then plated a pair of runs during the next at-bat, and Kade Snell's sacrifice fly brought Kepley home. The Cubs blew it open with four runs in the top of the fifth. Kepley walked and Cole Mathis singled to put two on. After Snell moved the runners up on a groundout, cleanup man Matt Halbach ripped a two-run double to right field. Cameron Sisneros followed with a double that scored Halbach, Reginald Preciado singled, and Drew Bowser added an RBI single before being thrown out at second. Halbach finished 3-for-5 with three doubles, two runs, and two RBI. Sisneros went 2-for-5 with a double, two runs, and two RBI. Snell added a solo home run in the top of the ninth and drove in two. Preciado contributed two hits and a walk, and Kepley reached three times with two walks and scored twice. South Bend struck out nine times and left six runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley 3 2 0 0 2 1 Cole Mathis 5 1 1 0 0 2 Kade Snell 3 1 1 2 1 0 Matt Halbach 5 2 3 2 0 0 Cameron Sisneros 5 2 2 2 0 2 Reginald Preciado 4 0 2 0 1 2 Drew Bowser 5 0 1 2 0 1 Justin Stransky 3 1 1 0 1 1 Christian Olivo 3 1 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Cole Reynolds 3 2/3 2 2 2 5 6 0 Nate Williams (W, 1-0) 1 1/3 1 1 1 1 3 1 JP Wheat 2 2 1 1 5 1 0 Adam Stone 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 Brockett's Long Relief Can't Salvage Pelicans' 7-1 Loss The Myrtle Beach Pelicans fell 7-1 to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, managing only three hits and one walk across nine innings. Starter Kevin Camacho was charged with the loss after a disastrous bottom of the first. He issued four walks and allowed a hit while recording just two outs, giving up four runs, only one earned. A Pelicans error during the frame allowed two additional runners to score. David Bracho took over and worked 2 1/3 innings, giving up three hits, three earned runs, two walks, and four strikeouts while allowing a solo home run in the third. Jackson Brockett was the bright spot, tossing five scoreless innings of relief with one hit allowed, one walk, and four strikeouts. The Pelicans pushed across their only run in the top of the fifth. With one out, Derniche Valdez singled, then moved to third when Edward Vargas reached on a throwing error. Leadoff hitter Ty Southisene followed with a single to center that brought Valdez home. Valdez finished 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored. Southisene went 1-for-4 with the team's lone RBI. Josiah Hartshorn drew the team's only walk. The Pelicans struck out 13 times and left four runners on base, and each team committed one error. Player AB R H RBI BB K Ty Southisene 4 0 1 1 0 0 Alexey Lumpuy 4 0 0 0 0 3 Josiah Hartshorn 3 0 0 0 1 2 Jose Escobar 4 0 0 0 0 1 Alexis Hernandez 4 0 0 0 0 3 Jairo Diaz 3 0 0 0 0 2 Derniche Valdez 3 1 2 0 0 1 Derik Alcantara 3 0 0 0 0 1 Edward Vargas 3 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kevin Camacho (L, 0-1) 2/3 1 4 1 4 1 0 David Bracho 2 1/3 3 3 3 2 4 1 Jackson Brockett 5 1 0 0 1 4 0 Cubs Top-20 Prospect Performance Moises Ballesteros: DNP Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Jefferson Rojas: DNP Kevin Alcantara: DNP Jonathon Long: 0-for-4 Ethan Conrad: DNP Pedro Ramirez: 1-for-3, BB, K Kane Kepley: 0-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, K Josiah Hartshorn: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K James Triantos: DNP Brandon Birdsell: DNP Cole Mathis: 1-for-5, R, 2 K Angel Cepeda: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP Will Sanders: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Jostin Florentino: DNP Dominick Reid: DNP Ty Southisene: 1-for-4, RBI Erian Rodriguez: DNP View the full article

According to ESPN's Jesse Rogers, the Cubs have acquired Nicky Lopez from the Colorado organization: Lopez has played this season for the Rockies' Triple-A squad, batting .333 with a home run in 54 at=bats. Last season, Lopez did play for the Cubs, but was ineffective at the plate with just one hit in 18 at-bats. The Cubs are looking for infield depth and a late-inning defensive replacement. There hasn't been a corresponding move, so it seems as if Lopez will start his time with the Iowa Cubs, not the big-league squad. He can play across the infield. Given the ineffectiveness Scott Kingery has displayed thus far, manager Craig Counsell may opt for Lopez going forward to improve the team's defensive depth. View the full article

Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap (April 21 - April 23) Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Season Record: 13-10 Series Opponent: Syracuse Mets (New York Mets) Series Record: 2-1 April 21: Worcester suffered a blowout loss, 12-3, to Syracuse. The WooSox bats continued to struggle with RISP as they were 3-for-11 and had 10 LOB. Nick Sogard had a 3-for-4 day at the plate, including a walk and two runs. Mickey Gasper had a multi-hit day as well, hitting two of the three WooSox runs in this game. Other than the troublesome 4th inning, Isaac Coffey pitched well, throwing 3.2 innings and striking out six. Angel Bastardo made his season debut and had some trouble finding the zone, especially with his breaking pitches. He showed off his fastball, topping out at 97.6 MPH, and showed he can miss barrels. April 22: The WooSox walked it off to defeat the Mets 7-6. Mickey Gasper gave Worcester an early lead as he brought in two runs with a double. Anthony Seigler scored one more run with an RBI groundout. The Sox lost the lead in the 6th, but Vinny Capra made it a one-run game in the 7th with an RBI single. In the 8th, Syracuse scored another run, and Seigler cut it down to a one-run deficit once again. Down one run in the 9th, Nate Eaton hit a double that tied the game, but Nick Sogard was gunned down at home as he tried to end the game. With two outs, Kristian Campbell roped a single to bring in Eaton to walk it off for the WooSox 7-6. Jake Bennett continued to look great this season, this time against his former franchise. He threw 4.2 innings, giving up one run on four hits, and struck out three to put his ERA at 0.86. Key Performances: Jake Bennett: 4.2 IP, 4 H, ER, 3 K Nick Sogard: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB Kristian Campbell: 2-for-4, RBI, BB April 23: Worcester won the third game of the series against Syracuse with a 10-4 victory. The WooSox were down three runs in the 3rd inning, but walked in a run on back-to-back at-bats to make it a 3-2 game. With the score at 4-2 entering the 5th, the WooSox got a hold of the lead thanks to Matt Thaiss hitting an RBI single while Vinny Capra and Nathan Hickey hit a pair of doubles to get a 6-4 lead. Worcester never looked back as they scored two more runs from Sogard and Gasper, and Tsung-Che Cheng scored on a wild pitch in the 9th. Key Performances: Tayron Guerrero: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 K Nate Eaton: 2-for-3, 3B, R, RBI, BB Vinny Capra: 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Season Record: 9-8 Series Opponent: Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies) Series Record: 1-2 April 21: The Portland Sea Dogs lost the first game of the series to the Hartford Yard Goats 9-7. Franklin Arias continued his outstanding streak by hitting his 4th home run in 11 games. The added weight in the offseason seems to be clearly working, hitting 8 homers in 116 games in 2025. Max Ferguson stayed hot, going 2-for-4, hitting a double, a two-run homer, and a stolen base. Tyler McDonough’s first homer of the year was a game-tying solo shot in the 6th. Erik Rivera looked impressive again as he struck out four batters in 2.1 innings to lower his ERA to 1.00. Key Performances: Erik Rivera: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4 K Franklin Arias: HR, 2 RBI Max Ferguson: 2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB April 22: The Sea Dogs lost a high-scoring game against the Yard Goats 13-8. In back-to-back games, Franklin Arias homered and knocked on the door to Worcester. Portland got off to an early 3-1 lead in the 1st, back-to-back home runs coming from Arias and Tyler McDonough; meanwhile, Brooks Brannon doubled to bring in another run. The Sea Dogs' pitching got knocked around this game, but the bats showed out. Down 8-3 entering the 6th, Ronald Rosario hit an RBI single, Nelly Taylor roped an RBI double, Ahbram Liendo brought in another run with a ground out, and Arias made his 2nd hit of the day count with an RBI double to make it a one-run game. The short deficit went out of the Sea Dogs' reach as the Yard Goats scored five more runs. Key Performances: Franklin Arias: HR, 2B, 2 RBI, R Ronald Rosario: 2-for-4: 2 R, RBI April 23: Portland walked it off in extra innings 5-4, against Hartford. Franklin Arias has been on an incredible stretch, hitting his 3rd homer in three games and his 6th of the year. Ahbram Liendo tied up the game in the 4th with a sacrifice fly. Down 2-1, the Sea Dogs tied it up again due to an RBI groundout from Johanfran Garcia in the 5th inning. In the bottom of the 9th with the Yard Goats up 4-2 and a runner on 1st base, Franklin Arias hammered a two-run homer to tie it up 4-4. With the bases loaded and two outs in the 10th, Max Ferguson roped a single to center field to walk it off for the Sea Dogs. Dalton Rodgers and Cooper Adams pitched very well this game, throwing a combined nine innings and one earned run. Key Performances: Franklin Arias: HR, 2B, 2 RBI Max Ferguson: 2-for-2, R, RBI Dalton Rodgers: 5.0, 4 H, 1 ER, 6 K Cooper Adams: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 K High-A Greenville Drive Season Record: 8-10 Series Opponent: Asheville Tourists (Houston Astros) Series Record: 2-1 April 21: The Greenville Drive won their fourth game in a row and the first game of the series in an 8-4 victory against the Asheville Tourists The first run of the game was not scored until the 6th inning when Freili Encarnacion hit an RBI single to make it 1-0 Greenville. After the Drive gave up a three-run 7th inning, Yophery Rodriguez’s third hit of the game was a three-run homer to put them on top 4-3. Greenville had a big 9th inning. Henry Godbout notched his third hit of the game with a leadoff double. After Gerardo Rodriguez got on base from a throwing error, Jack Winnay followed up with an RBI single. Afterwards, Isaiah Jackson belted a three-run homer that gave Greenville an even bigger cushion in this four-run 9th inning. Key Performances: Henry Godbout: 3-for-4, 2 2B Yophery Rodriguez: 3-for-3, HR, 2B, 3 RBI Isaiah Jackson: 2-for-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI April 22: Greenville won in extra innings with a hard-fought 11-10 victory against Asheville. Red Sox top prospects Justin Gonzales and Yoeilin Cespedes had themselves a three-hit day at the plate in this victory. While they were down 5-1, the Greenville bats started to wake up in the 6th inning when Gerardo Rodriguez earned his 2nd RBI of the day with an RBI groundout, and Isaiah Jackson brought in a run with a single to make it 5-3. Asheville scored two more runs in the 7th. Afterwards, Freili Encarnacion smacked his 3rd home run of the year to cut the deficit to three runs. The game seemed out of reach for the Drive since they were down 9-4 entering the ninth, but they had other plans. Down to their last out, Cespedes hit an RBI single to bring in Gonzales, Rodriguez singled, and Jack Winnay walked. Isaiah Jackson belted a grand slam to tie the game and keep Greenville alive. In the 10th, Gonzales’ third hit of the game was a big one, a double that brought in two runs to give the Drive a two-run lead. With a chance to walk it off or tie the game once again, Asheville brought one run across the plate but it was not enough as the Greenville Drive stunned them at home. Key Performances: Justin Gonzales: 3-for-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB Yoeilin Cespedes: 3-for-5, 2 2B, 3 R, RBI Isaiah Jackson: HR, 5 RBI April 23: Greenville’s five-game winning streak came to an end as they got walked off on in extra innings, 7-6 against Asheville. The bats were not as sharp this game, but still managed to put up six runs and force the game to extras. Greenville was in a hole after giving up a grand slam in the 2nd to put them down 5-0. In the 5th, a couple of ground outs and a fielding error brought three runs across home plate to put them down only two runs. The Tourists scored another run in the 5th to put them up 6-3. Entering the 8th down three runs, Greenville showed off their magic once again. Natanael Yuten doubled to bring in a run, and Cespedes hit a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit down to one. With two outs, Gerardo Rodriguez hammered his first homer of the year to tie the game 6-6. Sadly, the bats fell asleep in extras to lose the game. Calvin Bickerstaff looked impressive as he threw four no-hit innings and struck out six to lower his ERA to 0.60. Key Performances: Calvin Bickerstaff: 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 6 K Gerardo Rodriguez: HR, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB Single-A Salem RidgeYaks Season Record: 10-8 Series Opponent: Fredericksburg Nationals (Washington Nationals) Series Record: 2-1 April 21: The Salem RidgeYaks beat the Fredericksburg Nationals with a monster 12-2 victory. Seven of nine RidgeYaks hitters had multiple hits in this slugfest. In the 3rd inning, Skylar King brought in two runs with a single, while Andrews Opata and Kleyver Salazar hit in a couple more runs to make it a 4-0 game. Enddy Azocar roped a double to bring in a run, and Luke Heyman followed up with an RBI single in the 4th. In the 5th, D’Angelo Ortiz hit his first double of the year, scoring two runs in the process. Salem had another four-run inning in the 6th, Azocar hammered his third homer of the year, Stanley Tucker and Ortiz each walked in a run, Starlyn Nunez hit in another run that put them on top with a huge commanding 12-1 lead. 2025 6th round pick Leighton Finley had a nice day on the mound as he struck out five in five innings and only gave up one run on four hits to earn his first win and lowered his ERA to 1.98. Key Performances: Leighton Finley: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 5 K D’Angelo Ortiz: 2-for-3, 3 RBI, BB Enddy Azocar: 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R April 22: Salem lost a nail-biter to Fredericksburg in extra innings, 7-6. The RidgeYaks were down six runs entering the 3rd; however, Luke Heyman got them on the board with an RBI single to make it 6-1. A couple of bad throws from the Nationals' catcher and pitcher resulted in two more runs to cut the deficit down to three. As momentum started to shift, Kleyver Salazar belted a two-run homer to make it a one-run game in the 8th. Frederik Jimenez’s first homer of the year was a good one, tying the game up in the bottom of the ninth on the first pitch he saw. Sadly, the RidgeYaks came up just short in the 10th as they gave up a run, and the bats could not get anything going with a runner on second base and no outs. Jacob Myers pitched a solid four innings with no earned runs while Salem was building their comeback. Key Performances: Jacob Myers: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 K Luke Heyman: 2-for-3, R, RBI, 2 BB Frederik Jimenez: HR, BB, 2 R Kleyver Salazar: HR, 2 RBI, BB April 23: The RidgeYaks bats stayed hot as they won the third game of the series against the Nationals 10-4. Stanley Tucker put Salem on top early with a two-run homer in the 2nd inning. The RidgeYaks took advantage of the Nationals' bad defense, scoring one run each off a throwing error and bringing in two more runs in the 4th, 6-0 Salem. With the lead cut down to only two runs in the 7th, Skylar King gave Salem some breathing room after he belted his third homer of the year. Starlyn Nunez hit a sacrifice fly to bring in a run, and Enddy Azocar brought in two more with a double. Key Performances: Avinson Pinto: 2-for-3, 3 R, BB Stanley Tucker: HR, 2 RBI, BB View the full article

The Minnesota Twins are dealing with another hit to their outfield depth, and this one removes a player who looked ready to contribute sooner rather than later. Alan Roden, acquired from Toronto in last summer’s Louis Varland deal, is expected to miss at least a month after suffering an injury to his right shoulder. Roden opened the season at Triple-A St. Paul after being optioned at the end of Spring Training, but he remained firmly on the radar as a likely call-up if the Twins needed help in the outfield. That opportunity will now be put on hold as the organization takes a cautious approach with his recovery. “He has a tear in his labrum,” general manager Jeremy Zoll said on Thursday. “It’s viewed as nonsurgical at this time. He’ll be down from all activity for about four weeks and then go from there. In theory, he could keep DHing, but to keep the recovery more predictable, everyone has agreed to just have him shut down for the next month.” The injury is specifically tied to Roden’s throwing shoulder, which is an important distinction. According to Zoll, it has not significantly impacted his ability to swing the bat, but the team is opting for a full shutdown rather than trying to manage the injury in a limited role. That decision prioritizes long-term health over any short-term production boost at the minor league level. Before going down, Roden was putting together an impressive stretch with St Paul. Through 19 games, he posted a .275/.425/.464 slash line while showing strong plate discipline with 17 walks compared to just 14 strikeouts. That combination of on-base ability and contact skills made him an intriguing depth piece, especially for a Twins roster that has dealt with its share of outfield uncertainty. It is also worth noting that, while the word 'tear' can sound alarming, it does not necessarily indicate a severe or complete structural issue. In many cases, what is labeled as a tear can be more minor in nature, and the Twins appear confident that rest and recovery will be enough to get Roden back on track without surgery. In the meantime, his absence creates a ripple effect. With Roden out of the picture for at least the next month, the Twins may have to look elsewhere if a need arises in the big league outfield. That could open the door for top prospects Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez, both of whom are already at Triple A and offer left-handed bats with center field capability. For Roden, this is another frustrating interruption. He saw regular action after joining the organization last season, before a thumb injury cut his year short. Now, just as he was building momentum again, he will be forced to reset once more. The Twins will hope that this is simply a temporary pause rather than a lingering issue. If Roden can return on schedule and pick up where he left off, he should still factor into the team’s plans at some point this season. Until then, Minnesota’s outfield depth will be tested, and opportunities may shift toward the next wave of talent waiting in St. Paul. View the full article

Facing the team that drafted him 20 years earlier, Max Scherzer righted the ship after back-to-back short starts. His outings against the Dodgers and the Twins were enough to make me worry an IL stint was imminent, but Scherzer cruised through six innings on 74 pitches in Arizona, holding the Diamondbacks to a pair of runs. I breathed a sigh of relief after this one, even as the Blue Jays went on to lose 6-2. One thing that stood out to me from that start was Scherzer's strikeout. Yes, that's strikeout, singular. Of the 22 batters he faced, only one went down on strikes: old friend Lourdes Gurriel Jr. It's not so often these days that you see the same number in the "K" and "QS" columns on a pitcher's game log. Well, to be perfectly honest, it's actually more common than I thought. I ran a Statcast query for quality starts (at least 6.0 IP, three or fewer earned runs) in which the pitcher struck out one batter or fewer, and I was surprised to see there have already been five this season. There were 29 such starts in 2025. That's rare – it's the same as the number of complete games in 2025 – but it's not like Scherzer's start was some wild anomaly. Still, Scherzer's low strikeout rate this season is worth talking about. Through four starts, he's struck out 10 of 68 batters for a 14.7% K-rate. Once again, that's not shockingly low in context. Nineteen pitchers (min. 15 IP) have a lower strikeout rate this season. It is, however, unusually low for Scherzer. At his peak, he was striking out one-third of his opponents. Even as he entered his forties, he kept his K-rate around league average from 2024-25 (22.8%). Mad Max has made 299 quality starts in his storied career. The only other time he made a quality start with just one strikeout was in August 2011, before anyone else on this roster was even playing in the major leagues. Meanwhile, the last time he went five starts with a K-rate under 15% was 2010. He's in danger of doing that again – for the first time in 16 years – unless he has better strikeout stuff in his fifth start of the season today. Back in 2010, Scherzer had yet to become the legend we know him as today. More to the point, the leaguewide strikeout environment was completely different. The average K-rate for a starting pitcher was 17.6%, compared to 22.3% in 2026. So, relatively speaking, this may be the most Scherzer has ever struggled for strikeouts. That's not good. Even more concerning than Scherzer's 10 measly strikeouts are his 22 whiffs on 135 swings (16.3%). Out of 137 pitchers who have induced at least as many swings, only seven have a lower whiff rate. Missing bats isn't the only way to earn strikes, but no pitcher can live on called strikes and foul balls alone. If Scherzer is going to get more strikeouts, he'll have to start by generating more whiffs. This is especially important because Scherzer relies on strikeouts more than most pitchers. He has always been more of a power pitcher than a pitch-to-contact type. His career groundball rate is 18% below league average. Over the last two years, no starting pitcher has yielded grounders at a lower rate (26.7%). Accordingly, only a handful have given up barrels more often. Some pitchers can survive with a strikeout rate in the mid-teens. (Think late-career Zack Greinke, for example.) Yet, in order to do so, they need enough other tools in their belt. I'm not confident Scherzer has those tools. Now comes the time when I bring up small sample size. I know, I'm sorry. I'm sure you're tired of reading that phrase, but honestly, I deserve credit for waiting this long to bring it up. Scherzer has thrown fewer than 20 innings this season. That's nothing. One strong start tonight, and all of a sudden, this could be a non-issue. We also know he's been dealing with forearm tendinitis, even if it doesn't seem particularly serious. In other words, his lack of strikeouts is something to monitor, but not something to keep you up at night. If anyone has earned a little patience, it's the guy who had his first double-digit strikeout game before his youngest teammate was six years old. View the full article

Daniel Vazquez's two-run walk-off single completed a 13-12 comeback for Northwest Arkansas. Austin Charles' two-run double powered Quad Cities past Lansing 4-3, with Aiden Jimenez holding the Lugnuts to one earned run over five innings. Ivan Sosa hit a two-run homer and Hiro Wyatt worked 4 1/3 scoreless innings in Columbia's 8-1 win, backed by Andy Basora's six-strikeout relief. Omaha dropped a 6-1 decision in Toledo, where Ryan Ramsey allowed four home runs. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Misner's Solo Shot Is Omaha's Only Answer In Toledo Ryan Ramsey lasted just 3 1/3 innings in the Storm Chasers' 6-1 loss at Toledo, surrendering nine hits, six runs, five earned, on four home runs, while fanning seven and walking none. Toledo did nearly all of its damage in two innings against Ramsey. Two solo home runs and a two-run blast produced a four-run third, and another two-run homer in the fourth opened a 6-0 gap the Storm Chasers never closed. Kameron Misner provided Omaha's only run with a solo home run to right-center in the sixth inning, his sixth of the season. Drew Waters led the offense with a two-hit day, and Josh Rojas added a double. The Storm Chasers mustered seven hits and stranded 10 runners. Omaha drew four walks and collected seven hits, yet apart from Misner's solo blast, the lineup couldn't muster runs. John Rave reached twice on walks from the leadoff spot, and Elih Marrero and Waters each delivered late-inning singles, but the Storm Chasers failed to turn any of those baserunners into runs. Out of the bullpen, Ben Sears covered 1 2/3 innings and allowed a hit, a walk, and struck out one. Helcris Olivárez worked one scoreless inning with two walks. Jose Cuas handled his inning without incident. Chazz Martinez finished the night with a strikeout and one hit allowed over one inning. Player AB R H RBI BB K John Rave (CF) 3 0 1 0 2 1 Kevin Newman (2B) 5 0 1 0 0 2 Kameron Misner (LF) 4 1 1 1 0 0 Drew Waters (RF) 4 0 2 0 0 1 Josh Rojas (3B) 4 0 1 0 0 2 Luke Maile (C) 3 0 0 0 1 2 Gavin Cross (1B) 4 0 0 0 0 2 Elih Marrero (DH) 4 0 1 0 0 2 Connor Kaiser (SS) 3 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ryan Ramsey (L) 3 1/3 9 6 5 0 7 4 Ben Sears 1 2/3 1 0 0 1 1 0 Helcris Olivárez 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 Jose Cuas 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Chazz Martinez 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Vazquez Walk-Off Caps Naturals' Wild 13-12 Comeback Daniel Vazquez lined a two-run single to right in the bottom of the 10th inning to finish off a 13-12 walk-off win for Northwest Arkansas. Trailing 12-10, Carson Roccaforte singled in the zombie runner to pull within one. Colton Becker followed with a single, Sam Kulasingam sacrificed runners to second and third, and after a strikeout, Vazquez plated Roccaforte and Becker to end it. Felix Arronde's start never settled. The right-hander recorded only two outs, surrendering three hits, four runs, four walks, and a home run before exiting in the first inning. Wichita struck first with three runs in the top of the first, including a two-run home run, before Brett Squires answered with an RBI double in the bottom half to cut the deficit to 3-1. Brett Squires led the offense with three hits in six at-bats, two doubles, a home run, and five RBI. His three-run blast capped a six-run fourth inning that flipped a 6-2 deficit into an 8-6 lead. Kulasingam finished 3-for-4 with a double and scored three times. Vazquez added three hits and three RBI. Roccaforte reached twice and scored twice. After Arronde, Chase Jessee, Hunter Owen, Augusto Mendieta, and Zachary Cawyer combined to allow eight runs, seven earned, across nine innings. Andrew Morones picked up the win. The Naturals stranded nine runners, while the offense pounded out 16 hits. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte (CF) 5 2 1 1 1 2 Colton Becker (LF) 4 2 1 0 1 1 Sam Kulasingam (3B) 4 3 3 1 1 0 Brett Squires (DH) 6 2 3 5 0 1 Daniel Vazquez (SS) 6 0 3 3 0 2 Jorge Alfaro (1B) 5 0 1 0 0 2 Omar Hernandez (C) 5 1 1 0 0 1 Connor Scott (RF) 5 1 2 1 0 1 Justin Johnson (2B) 5 2 1 1 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Felix Arronde 0 2/3 3 4 4 4 0 1 Chase Jessee 2 1/3 2 1 1 1 1 1 Hunter Owen 3 4 3 3 1 4 1 Augusto Mendieta 2 1 1 1 1 3 1 Zachary Cawyer 1 2/3 2 3 2 2 1 2 Andrew Morones (W) 0 1/3 1 0 0 0 0 0 Charles Double Lifts River Bandits Past Lansing The Quad Cities River Bandits edged the visiting Lansing Lugnuts 4-3 on the strength of Austin Charles' two-run double in the bottom of the fifth. Charles lined the ball to left field to bring in Asbel Gonzalez and Blake Mitchell, turning a one-run lead into three. Aiden Jimenez covered five innings with two hits, one earned run, three strikeouts, and no walks allowed. Ryan Ure followed and hit a wall, surrendering two hits, one earned run, and two walks over 1 1/3 innings. Nick Conte closed things out over 2 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run while striking out two and earning the save. The Bandits answered Lansing's early run in the bottom of the second. Charles singled with two outs and scored when Derlin Figueroa lined a double to right. After Jose Cerice walked, Figueroa came around when Tyriq Kemp reached on a throwing error. Charles finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and a double. Figueroa added two hits, a double, and an RBI. Gonzalez reached once, stole two bases, and scored. Blake Mitchell drew three walks, stole a base, and crossed the plate. Lansing scratched across a run in the seventh and a sacrifice-fly run in the ninth, but Conte protected the one-run margin. The Bandits stranded eight runners. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors (RF) 4 0 0 0 0 0 Asbel Gonzalez (CF) 3 1 1 0 0 0 Blake Mitchell (C) 1 1 0 0 3 1 Ramon Ramirez (DH) 4 0 0 0 0 2 Luke Pelzer (LF) 4 0 1 0 0 1 Austin Charles (SS) 4 1 2 2 0 2 Derlin Figueroa (3B) 4 1 2 1 0 1 Jose Cerice (1B) 3 0 1 0 1 0 Tyriq Kemp (2B) 4 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Aiden Jimenez (W) 5 2 1 1 0 3 0 Ryan Ure 1 1/3 2 1 1 2 0 0 Nick Conte (S) 2 2/3 3 1 1 2 2 0 Sosa Homer, Deep Pitching Lead Fireflies Past Augusta Columbia plated eight runs across the middle innings, and the pitching staff held Augusta to one unearned run in an 8-1 win over the GreenJackets. Ivan Sosa opened the scoring in the bottom of the third, hitting a two-run home run to left to bring in Stone Russell ahead of him for a 2-0 lead. The offense kept piling on. Yandel Ricardo's infield single in the fourth plated Hyungchan Um. The Fireflies added two more in the sixth, with Henry Ramos singling home Jhosmmel Zue. Three more runs scored in the seventh on a Russell RBI single, a Zue run-scoring single, and a Sosa sacrifice fly. Hiro Wyatt opened with 4 1/3 innings, allowing five hits, two walks, and no runs, while striking out six. Andy Basora earned the win with 2 2/3 innings of no-run, no-walk relief and struck out six. Jhon Reyes finished the night with two innings, surrendering one unearned run on two hits and two walks while fanning two. Henry Ramos, batting leadoff, led the offense 3-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base. Ricardo finished 2-for-5. Um went 1-for-4 with a double and scored twice. Zue singled, walked, scored, drove in a run, and stole two bases. Russell reached three times and drove in a run. Sosa's home run and sacrifice fly accounted for three RBI. Columbia stranded nine runners. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos (LF) 5 0 3 1 0 0 Sean Gamble (CF) 5 0 0 0 0 3 Josh Hammond (3B) 3 1 1 0 2 0 Hyungchan Um (C) 4 2 1 0 1 0 Yandel Ricardo (SS) 5 1 2 0 0 0 Roni Cabrera (RF) 4 1 1 0 0 2 Stone Russell (2B) 2 1 1 1 2 0 Jhosmmel Zue (1B) 3 1 1 1 1 2 Ivan Sosa (DH) 3 1 1 3 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Hiro Wyatt 4 1/3 5 0 0 2 6 0 Andy Basora (W) 2 2/3 2 0 0 0 6 0 Jhon Reyes 2 2 1 0 2 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carter Jensen: DNP Blake Mitchell: 0-for-1, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 SB, 1 R David Shields: DNP Kendry Chourio: DNP Ben Kudrna: DNP Sean Gamble: 0-for-5, 3 K Josh Hammond: 1-for-3, 2 BB, 1 SB, 1 R Ramon Ramirez: 0-for-4, 2 K Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 1-for-3, 2 SB, 1 R Yandel Ricardo: 2-for-5, 1 R Felix Arronde: 0 2/3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 0 K, 1 HR Luinder Avila: DNP Daniel Vazquez: 3-for-6, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 K, 1 SB Steven Zobac: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 1-for-5, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 R Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Warren Calcaño: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP View the full article

Here is a recap of three of the most popular thread topics on Brewer Fanatic's forums this week: Brewers: NL Central Discussion 2026 Our forum has been tracking the NL Central closely over the past month. It was fun watching the Cubs' offense hibernate through the first two weeks. Two weeks later, they’re the hottest team in baseball, powered by what bWAR says is the best group of position players in the game. Can the Reds’ pitching keep them on top, even with a negative run differential? How are the Cardinals simultaneously rebuilding and playing at a 94-win pace? Milwaukee finally gets its first crack at the division this weekend, starting with Pittsburgh. We know the Pirates can pitch. Will their offseason investments in offense keep them competitive over a full season? The NL Central is taking shape. Come watch and discuss it unfold. Brewers: Joey O Nothing unites a fan forum more than dissecting the merits of a team's ninth-best position player. For Milwaukee, that means Joey Ortiz. Or, should it be someone else? Luis Rengifo and Sal Frelick deserve criticism, too. Brewer Fanatic has patiently waited for Ortiz's bat to return to 2024 levels of adequacy. Day by day, it seems like Joey's bat continues to regress. Milwaukee has plenty of prospects on the horizon, too. Let us know what you think the Brewers should do at shortstop and when. Minors: UPDATED: Luis Peña OK after Night in Hospital The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers had a scary moment on Wednesday night when their # 2 prospect, Luis Peña, was hospitalized after passing out in the dugout. Our forum community was the internet’s leading source of information and updates on Peña‘s health scare during the overnight hours. We share our thoughts and prayers for a swift recovery for Peña. We sometimes treat baseball as a matter of life and death, but we come together as a community when a player’s health is truly at risk. View the full article

Spencer is joined by Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to discuss Quinn Priester's rehab, the Brewers series with the Tigers, the panic level with the bullpen, prospects, and more. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ommzz627 Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brewerfanatic View the full article

It isn’t a surprise that, as we approach the end of April, the San Diego Padres find themselves in contention in a tough National League West. As of April 23, they’re tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers atop the division and two games ahead of the third-place Arizona Diamondbacks. There was always a certain degree of upside that existed with this team, despite an offseason that was predicated around the volume of additions rather than the quality of them. What is surprising, however, is how the Padres have managed to navigate their early schedule. Because it isn’t happening on the strength of the offense, where the star power exists on the roster. It’s coming from everywhere else. The Padres rank 23rd in the league in runs scored (100). They rank 18th in the league in batting average (.229), 25th in on-base percentage (.306), and 22nd in isolated power (.134). The collective is a below-average unit by a wRC+ that sits 23rd. Among lineup regulars, only Ramón Laureano and Xander Bogaerts sit comfortably above average by that latter category (each at 116). Beyond those two, it’s a lineup that doesn’t strike out a lot, but doesn’t do a whole lot else to drum up offense. Instead, the strength of this team lies in the other two phases of the game. They’re seventh in the league in whole staff ERA (3.43), second in strikeout rate (25.2 percent), 10th in walk rate (8.9 percent), and second in hard-hit rate (35.4 percent). The relief corps has been as good as advertised (3.06 ERA) while the starting staff has been better than expected (3.76 ERA). Defensively, the team ranks sixth in Fielding Run Value (8) and 10th in Defensive Runs Saved (also 8), indicating a group that is also better than might’ve been expected. Pitching and defense will get you places over the course of a baseball season. But you also have to score some runs in support of those two performance areas. Given some of those massive offensive shortcomings, is there anything they’re actually doing well in order to get enough runs across the plate in support of their two areas of success? The unfortunate answer to that is: not really. Each of the runners-on or runners-in-scoring-position scenarios are illustrative of a team struggling to find its offensive footing. And while the team ranks ninth in steals, they’re also decidedly average (ranked 17th) in baserunning value. The little bit of extra they’re getting in the swipes game may certainly help, but it’s not as if there’s a particular split or element on the margins that’s allowing them to score runs. This is just a matter of a team scraping across just as much as they need. Luckily for them, the pitching and defense have each been more than good enough to compensate. If there’s good news for the Padres, it’s that they’re performing a bit better than the actual outcomes may indicate. Their disappointing 21st-ranked batting average on balls in play is furthered by expected statistics that show that they should be at least somewhat better. Their xBA (.251) is 22 points higher than the actual figure, with a xSLG (.411) that is 48 points higher and a xwOBA (.327) that 25 points higher. They should be better. The process indicates that. Despite the fact that they’re not overly patient – indicated by a mid-tier walk rate and below-average pitches per plate appearance (3.89) – they’re making quality contact. They’re third in the league in Hard-Hit% (45.1) and 12th in Barrel% (8.4). That all comes with quite a bit of groundball contact (44.7 percent), though, which is likely feeding into some of their trouble finding fortune on balls in play. Nevertheless, this is a team with visibly better offensive chops than we’ve seen to date. Which is encouraging, because there’s a very fine threading of a needle taking place. In recent years, we’ve seen the pitching and the offense not quite link up for this team. One would falter while the other would succeed. This year, the two are a bit more in sync and matching up their quality performances on a given night. That’s not the kind of trend that carries over a full season, however. It should also be noted that outside of the regular performers, this isn’t a team built to sustain long-term defensive success. Also considering the composition of the starting staff, one imagines that some of these areas of success are going to dry up at some point during the summer, if not sooner. Is there an increased patience necessary here as the team tries to create their own luck? Or is it a matter of hoping things even out more naturally as the season progresses? Either way, the Padres better hope that one or the other manifests and yields some sort of offensive ascent, because this isn’t a team constructed to exist on the margins, regardless of what their early success may try and tell us. View the full article

Twins System Recap: Fort Myers had a big come-from-behind win tonight, thanks in part to 19-year-old Ramiro Dominguez. An unheralded signing from their 2024 international class, Dominguez hit three balls in excess of a 100 mph exit velocity tonight, including a home run. Dameury Pena and Yasser Mercedes, a couple more known names in that Mussels lineup, also had big games in a 12-run outburst. Wichita's Jose Salas blasted a pair of homers this evening, and Eduardo Tait had a three-hit night, including his third home run. Here's info on those performances and more in tonight's recap. View the full article

Ryan Clifford's three-run home run highlighted Syracuse's offense in a 10-4 loss at Worcester, where Jack Wenninger walked five batters over 2 1/3 innings. A.J. Ewing homered and stole a base in Binghamton's 3-1 defeat, and the bullpen tossed four scoreless frames. Corey Collins homered for Brooklyn in a 10-2 setback, and Dylan Ross worked a clean inning in relief. JT Benson and Branny De Oleo each homered for St. Lucie in an 11-3 loss. Mets Transactions New York Mets placed SS Francisco Lindor on the 10-day injured list. Left calf strain. New York Mets recalled RHP Christian Scott from Syracuse Mets. New York Mets optioned RHP Austin Warren to Syracuse Mets. New York Mets recalled 3B Ronny Mauricio from Syracuse Mets. Clifford's Three-Run Blast Not Enough As Syracuse Falls Late At Worcester Syracuse grabbed an early lead but watched it disappear in a 10-4 loss at Worcester. Starter Jack Wenninger worked 2 1/3 innings, allowing one hit, two earned runs, five walks, and four strikeouts. Ryan Clifford provided the offensive highlight with a three-run home run in the third inning that scored Hayden Senger and Trace Willhoite and put the Mets in front 3-0. Clifford finished 2-for-4 with the long ball and three RBIs. Vidal Bruján added two hits, a run, and a stolen base, Cristian Pache went 2-for-4 with a double, and Jackson Cluff pushed the margin to 4-2 with a sacrifice bunt in the fourth that brought home Bruján. The lead vanished in the bottom of the fifth, when Worcester strung together three consecutive doubles against reliever Mike Baumann to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 6-4 advantage. Baumann was charged with the blown save and the loss, giving up four hits and two earned runs in 1 2/3 innings. Worcester added three more in the seventh against Ofreidy Gómez on a two-run single and a run-scoring groundout, and Onix Vega closed the frame with the final out. Syracuse collected 10 hits, drew two walks, struck out 13 times, and left five runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nick Morabito 4 0 1 0 0 1 Ji Hwan Bae 3 0 1 0 1 1 Ryan Clifford 4 1 2 3 0 2 Christian Arroyo 4 0 1 0 0 1 Vidal Bruján 4 1 2 0 0 0 Cristian Pache 4 0 2 0 0 1 Jackson Cluff 3 0 0 1 0 2 Hayden Senger 4 1 1 0 0 2 Trace Willhoite 3 1 0 0 1 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jack Wenninger 2.1 1 2 2 5 4 0 Carlos Guzman 2.0 2 2 2 1 3 0 Mike Baumann 1.2 4 2 2 0 0 0 Ofreidy Gómez 1.2 2 4 2 4 2 0 Onix Vega 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ewing's Homer And Scoreless Bullpen Not Enough For Binghamton Binghamton fell 3-1 to Erie despite a strong leadoff performance from A.J. Ewing and a scoreless four-inning effort from the bullpen. Starter Joander Suarez took the loss after five innings in which he allowed eight hits, three earned runs, two walks, and three strikeouts. Erie opened the game with two runs in the top of the first on a run-scoring single and a run-scoring double, putting the Rumble Ponies in an early 2-0 hole. Ewing cut the deficit to one with a solo home run to center field in the bottom of the third, capping a 2-for-3 night that included a walk, a stolen base, a run, an RBI, and a strikeout. Erie tacked on what proved to be the decisive run in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly, and the Rumble Ponies' offense went quiet the rest of the way. Marco Vargas added two hits, and Nick Lorusso tripled and drew a walk. Douglas Orellana, Kevin Gowdy, Matt Turner, and Brian Metoyer combined for four scoreless innings behind Suarez, striking out four batters and allowing just one hit. Binghamton finished with five hits, two walks, 16 strikeouts, and left six runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K A.J. Ewing 3 1 2 1 1 1 Marco Vargas 4 0 2 0 0 1 Jacob Reimer 4 0 0 0 0 4 Chris Suero 4 0 0 0 0 2 Eli Serrano III 4 0 0 0 0 2 Kevin Parada 4 0 0 0 0 2 Nick Lorusso 3 0 1 0 1 0 Matt Rudick 3 0 0 0 0 2 Wyatt Young 3 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Joander Suarez 5.0 8 3 3 2 3 0 Douglas Orellana 1.0 1 0 0 1 2 0 Kevin Gowdy 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Matt Turner 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brian Metoyer 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Brooklyn Bullpen Unravels In 10-2 Loss At Hudson Valley Brooklyn dropped a 10-2 decision at Hudson Valley, unable to keep pace after the Renegades pulled away with a two-out rally. Dylan Ross opened the game with a clean inning before handing off to Joel Díaz, who took the loss after 3 2/3 innings in which he gave up six hits, three earned runs, two walks, and three strikeouts. Hudson Valley broke the game open with three runs in the bottom of the third, stringing together back-to-back doubles and an RBI groundout to take a 3-0 lead. Cleanup hitter Corey Collins pulled one back with a solo home run to right field in the fourth, and Diego Mosquera's sacrifice fly in the fifth scored Yohairo Cuevas to make it 3-2. The game tilted for good in a four-run bottom of the seventh against Juan Arnaud, when a pair of run-scoring singles and a two-run single chased the margin to 9-2. Cuevas finished 1-for-3 with a double and a run, and Collins went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run. Antonio Jimenez and Heriberto Rincon each added a single out of the top and bottom of the order. Brooklyn managed five hits, struck out nine times, and left three runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Antonio Jimenez 4 0 1 0 0 1 Ronald Hernandez 4 0 0 0 0 0 Daiverson Gutierrez 3 0 0 0 0 1 Corey Collins 4 1 2 1 0 1 John Bay 4 0 0 0 0 3 Colin Houck 3 0 0 0 0 1 Yohairo Cuevas 3 1 1 0 0 1 Diego Mosquera 2 0 0 1 0 0 Heriberto Rincon 3 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Dylan Ross 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Joel Díaz 3.2 6 3 3 2 3 0 Joe Charles 1.1 1 2 2 2 3 0 Juan Arnaud 0.2 4 4 4 2 1 0 Gregori Louis 1.1 1 1 1 1 2 0 Early Damage Buries St. Lucie In 11-3 Loss To Palm Beach St. Lucie never recovered from a rough first trip through the order in an 11-3 loss to Palm Beach. Starter Conner Ware took the loss, working 4 1/3 innings and allowing six hits, five earned runs, three walks, two strikeouts, and a home run. The Cardinals struck for one in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly and then broke the game open with a four-run second, putting together a run-scoring triple, a run-scoring sacrifice fly, a solo home run, and a run-scoring triple to take a 5-0 lead. Leadoff hitter Elian Peña went 2-for-5 to set the table, and JT Benson answered in the bottom of the second with a solo home run to left-center field. Benson, Sam Biller, and Branny De Oleo each added hits, but the home offense could not string enough together. Palm Beach added one in the sixth, two in the seventh on a run-scoring groundout and a run that came across on a wild pitch, and three more in the ninth, aided by a throwing error. De Oleo capped the scoring with a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the ninth. Benson finished 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two runs, and an RBI. St. Lucie collected seven hits, drew two walks, struck out 11 times, and left seven runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 5 0 2 0 0 0 Sam Robertson 3 0 0 0 1 2 Randy Guzman 3 0 1 0 1 2 Julio Zayas 3 0 0 0 0 1 AJ Salgado 4 0 0 0 0 3 JT Benson 4 2 2 1 0 0 Chase Meggers 4 0 0 0 0 2 Sam Biller 4 0 1 0 0 1 Branny De Oleo 4 1 1 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Conner Ware 4.1 6 5 5 3 2 1 Christian Rodriguez 1.2 2 1 0 0 2 0 Joel Lara 3.0 4 5 4 1 3 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Nolan McLean: DNP Carson Benge: DNP A.J. Ewing: 2-for-3, HR, BB, K, RBI, SB Jonah Tong: DNP Ryan Clifford: 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 K Jacob Reimer: 0-for-4, 4 K Jack Wenninger: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 4 K Elian Pena: 2-for-5 Mitch Voit: DNP Nick Morabito: 1-for-4, K Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: 0-for-4, 2 K Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: 0-for-4, 2 K Ryan Lambert: DNP Dylan Ross: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Antonio Jimenez: 1-for-4, K R.J. Gordon: DNP View the full article

The Minnesota Twins have built a reputation for successfully transitioning young starters into high-impact relievers. Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, and Louis Varland all found another gear once they moved to the bullpen, turning raw stuff into late-inning weapons. That path has long felt like the most logical outcome for Marco Raya. So far, it has not been nearly as smooth. Raya’s move to relief did not come as a surprise. Having never thrown more than 97 2/3 innings in a season and dealing with workload limitations throughout his development, the writing had been on the wall. “I had an idea,” Raya said this spring. “I was open to it. … When they advised me I was moving to the ‘pen, I said, ‘Let’s run with it.’” The shift made sense on paper. Raya has always missed bats, carrying a 9.6 K/9 rate through the minors, backed by a lively fastball and sharp, high-spin breaking stuff that consistently challenged hitters more experienced than him. The hope was simple. Shorter outings, more aggression, and fewer opportunities for his control to derail him. But the transition has exposed the same issues that slowed his climb as a starter. Control remains the biggest obstacle. Raya walked 4.1 batters per nine innings in the minors, and instead of improving in relief, that number ticked up. The expectation that his arsenal would play better in shorter bursts has only partially materialized. There were flashes late last season. After a rocky bullpen debut on July 25 and a few more starts, Raya officially moved into a full-time relief role on August 21. He posted a 4.90 ERA over his final 18 1/3 innings, a modest step forward from the 6.27 ERA he carried across his previous 80 1/3 innings. Even then, the progress felt more incremental than transformational. The adjustment to relief goes beyond just pitching fewer innings. It requires a different mindset, quicker preparation, and the ability to flush bad outings almost immediately. “You get one or two minutes and just come in and be ready when you step on that rubber,” Raya said. “I’ve been working on that and getting that intensity a little higher. … Just routines and body movements on the mound, all the detail work.” That learning curve has followed him into 2026. Through his first eight appearances with Triple-A St. Paul, Raya has allowed runs in half of them. One outing in particular underscored how volatile things can be. On April 12, he recorded just one out while giving up six earned runs. It is the kind of blowup that tests a reliever’s ability to reset, something Raya is still learning. The Twins have not shied away from using him in different roles. Three of his outings have extended beyond one inning, suggesting the organization still sees some flexibility in how he can be deployed. There are also encouraging signs beneath the surface. Raya is striking out hitters at a career-best 11.6 per nine innings. But the problems are just as loud. He is walking 5.8 batters per nine and allowing 12.5 hits per nine, a combination that leaves little margin for error, no matter the role. That inconsistency mirrors what happened during his first exposure to Triple-A last season. After rising steadily through the system and remaining a fixture in prospect rankings, Raya hit a wall. Walks piled up, outings dragged on, and for the first time in his professional career, he looked overwhelmed rather than overpowering. Context matters. Raya reached Triple-A at just 22 years old after an aggressive promotion schedule. Struggles at that level are not uncommon, especially for pitchers still refining command. But they do shift the timeline from projection to proof. The bullpen was supposed to simplify things. Instead, it has reinforced the same question that has followed Raya throughout his career: Can he throw enough strikes for his stuff to matter? There are still reasons for optimism. Raya has said he likes how his body responds to more frequent usage, and he has leaned on conversations with experienced relievers to better understand the role. The raw ingredients remain intact, and there were glimpses of that upside during spring action. But until the control stabilizes, the transition that once looked like a fast track to impact is starting to feel more like another developmental hurdle. For now, Raya is still searching for the version of himself that the bullpen was supposed to unlock. Can Raya be successful in the bullpen? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Adam Prokosch didn't see it coming. "The Twins had just knocked [Mets closer] Devin Williams out of the game," said the Maple Plain resident. "The new reliever got an out, and the fans started yelling 'MVP! MVP!' The depths of their misery had sunk them to the point where they were doing loud sarcasm. That's never good. "I remember doing that at a Vikings game when Blair Walsh made an extra point. You're really in a vulnerable place when you're doing that. And that's when it happened: I felt bad for Mets fans." Prokosch remembers the sensation with vivid clarity. "You have the second-highest payroll in baseball, but you're still second banana in your home market. You're on your longest losing streak in 25 years, and you're about to lose to a team that just slashed payroll by $30 million. Your high-priced bullpen is going to lose to a team that forgot to staff one. I imagined how awful that would feel. A gut punch after a kidney punch." The moment passed quickly. "I don't know what came over me. It won't happen again." Despite that assurance, Prokosch's loved ones are worried. "You can't just say you feel bad for Mets fans out loud," said Charlie Johnson, Prokosch's co-worker. "Keep an intrusive thought like that tucked away inside. Other people can hear you. They might spiral, too." "When the Mets won on Wednesday and they reacted like they won the Super Bowl and an Olympic gold medal at the same time, I almost felt bad like Adam did," said Rachel Ryan, Prokosch's girlfriend. "Think of the years of self-loathing that lead you to that exact point. But you have to remember that it's the Mets. It's a Hell of their own making. They've chosen this perverse path of their own free will. Empathy is a wonderful thing, but you can't just parcel it out willy-nilly." For his part, Prokosch said he's learned from the experience and is ready to move on. "They're already nine games out of first and there's still a week left in April," exclaimed Prokosch. "The owner is actually spending money on the team! Meanwhile, the Twins probably have to pay for their own sunflower seeds. I should laugh at the dark humor of it all. Please don't let this moment of weakness define how you think of me. I've learned and I'm growing." Obligingly, the Mets and their fans prevailed over the Twins in a seesaw contest Thursday night, making it easy to resent them all over again. The winning hit was a bases-clearing double by Bo Bichette, who will make more this season than Byron Buxton, Ryan Jeffers, Joe Ryan, Josh Bell and Bailey Ober (the Twins' five highest-paid active players) combined. "[Forget] that guy," Prokosch said. "[Forget] them all." Image license here. View the full article

Since 1986, 19 different players have started an MLB season with an OBP of at least .515 in their first 23 games, with at least 60 plate appearances in those contests. As you'd guess, it's mostly superstars. Barry Bonds did that three times. Jason Giambi, John Olerud and Mike Trout did it twice each. The worst player to do so in the last 40 years is either Von Hayes or Wally Joyner, and even they were awfully good at their peak and never better than in the year they started that hot. That's the company Austin Martin is keeping now, after reaching base four times in Thursday night's game in New York. Martin is, of course, being shielded from some right-handed pitchers, and the Twins have faced an extraordinary number of lefty starters early on. Still, the numbers Martin is now putting up—.347/.515/.469, in 68 plate appearances—are remarkable, and the team is starting to take notice. Martin's start Thursday night came against a right-handed starter, at the expense of slugging teammate Matt Wallner. What's working so well? As you would guess, Martin is getting on base so much more by walking often, and he's walking often because he's swinging less than in the past. He's down from swinging just over 40% of the time to being under 32% this year—but when we break things down even further, the truth of the situation comes even more clearly into focus. Late last season, I talked to Martin about how he handled the high pitch, as a hitter with a steep bat path but not much bat speed. His answer was simple: try not to swing at it. Force pitchers down into the middle of the zone, if at all possible. He was decent at that, too. Naturally, this season, his swing rate in the top third of the zone has... risen, while his swing rate along the bottom third has dropped considerably. Wait, what? Martin is being much more patient, but not in the segment of the zone you'd expect to see him take that tack in. Instead, he's reaching down to the bottom of the zone much less often, despite a swing seemingly geared to get on plane with those offerings. What gives? Well, firstly, you need to know that the strike zone isn't where it was last year. That's the biggest driver of Martin's change in approach, and well it should be. This season, with the ABS challenge system in place, the top and bottom of the zone are no longer set by the umpire's best estimate of the height of the hollow of Martin's knee or the halfway point between his belt and his shoulders. Martin was measured before the season, and a strike on him should now be between 27% of his height (around 19 inches) and 53.5% of his height (around 37.5 inches) above the ground. That's a short zone. The 5-foot-10 Martin ends up with almost a perfectly square zone, whereas in the past, we've always thought of most players' zones as being noticeably taller than they are wide. Umpires don't enforce these top and bottom lines perfectly, of course, but the league changed the tolerances of umpire grading last season to force them to be more accurate, in anticipation of exactly this dynamic. They've been very observant of each player's new rulebook zone, as best they can be, and Martin has the challenges themselves to help ensure that. He's 3-for-4 on ABS appeals this year, always using them to question the top and bottom of the zone. Opponents, meanwhile, have tried to find the top rail by challenging called balls up there twice, with no luck. So, when we see Martin's swing rate in the top third of the zone rising, that's not really what's happening. Instead, the vertical thirds of the zone are getting smaller, and any increase in swing rate is happening in what used to be the middle of his strike zone. He's also dedicated himself to not chasing low pitches, because even though his swing tilt gets him in position to touch those balls easily, he can't drive them. He doesn't have the bat speed for that. He's chosen, instead, to lock in on things the opponents leave up a bit, where the lift is done for him and he can just hit the center of the ball. An altered zone means Martin can safely ignore what used to be the top third of his zone. Here's a side-by-side look at the results of pitches at which he didn't swing that came in at least 2.9 feet off the ground, for both 2025 and 2026. The raw height of the pitch when it got to home plate cuts off at the same point (34.8 inches) for both seasons, but look how many of those balls were in Martin's old zone and called strikes last year. This year, almost none are. It's hard to convey just how valuable being able to cut off that extra five inches or so at the top of the zone is, except by restating Martin's numbers. He's getting on base more than half the time, and hitting a ton of line drives in the process, because he has pressed a newfound advantage. He's not chasing down and out of the zone, and the top of the zone now seems to be much lower than it was in the past. That leaves a nice, squat square for him to defend, and his excellent hand-eye coordination is more than up to the challenge. That doesn't mean, of course, that his new true talent level is to hit .350. The matchups will even out; Martin will get less lucky; and the league will figure out how to pitch to the newly shrunken zone. For now, though, Martin's approach change—probably informed, via his coaches, by the installation of the ABS-influenced zone—suits his swing brilliantly, which has produced brilliant results. For a player who already had plenty of baserunning and defensive value, this could be the key to becoming a regular in the majors—or even a star. View the full article

The injury bug has bitten Kansas City Royals second baseman (and sometimes left fielder) Michael Massey for too much of his short major league career. The back issues he battles delayed the start of his 2024 season, later sidelined him for a month more, and cut his playing time to 100 games. Ankle, wrist, and back issues cost him two months of last year’s campaign. This year, an early spring training calf injury kept him on the injured list for the first 10 days of the season. That Massey’s health has impeded his big league career is fact, so much so that it’s plausible his injury history played at least some part in the Royals’ decision to almost double Jonathan India’s salary for 2026 despite India’s well-chronicled struggles at the plate and in the field last year. Now, however, it’s India who’s injured, and Massey who’s playing. And that means the door may be open for Massey to reclaim the second base job that appeared to be his after a strong 2023 performance (more on that momentarily). India was struggling when a shoulder subluxation forced him to the IL on Monday, and Massey is showing signs of coming back around. Can Royals Infielder Michael Massey Seize the Moment? Massey isn’t the perfect second baseman. Only Frank White, the slick-fielding second sacker who won eight Gold Gloves with Kansas City before retiring after the 1990 season and later taking his rightful place in the club’s Hall of Fame, has approached that status. But Massey doesn’t have to be perfect to be good, and he’s had decent seasons with the Royals since breaking in in 2022. His 3 OAA in 2023 tied for the ninth-highest mark in the majors; only six American League second basemen had more, and he posted the best fielding percentage of all big leaguers at the position. He also homered 15 times. Despite spending so much time on the IL in 2024, he still clubbed 14 homers, had a 104 wRC+, and hit a serviceable .259. And last year, he came back from a long IL stint with barely a month left in the season and in 68 down-the-stretch plate appearances posted an excellent .375/.412/.482 line. But notwithstanding India's .233 average, and -6 OAA and -2 DRS at second last season, the new contract the Royals gave India over the winter seemed more than just a hint that he was their presumptive second baseman when spring training opened. Massey, though, appeared to be having none of that presumption — in eight Cactus League games, he was slashing .364/.417/.545 with a pair of homers and four RBI when he suffered his calf injury. Could Massey have beaten out India had he remained healthy? That India finished the spring hitting .194 suggests so. The tables are now turned. India was still battling his bat (.167/.310/.313) when he headed for the IL Monday, giving Massey the chance to prove he can be a greater offensive force. So far? Massey was hitting only .185 when India went down, but through Wednesday’s loss to Baltimore, he was 4-for-7 over his last two games, and in his last five appearances, he was hitting .294 with a home run, four RBI, and two doubles. The homer, a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the eighth of Tuesday's 6-5 losing streak-breaking, walk-off victory over the Orioles, tied that game and gave the Royals their chance to win it in the ninth. India is eligible to come off the IL next week. Whether that happens remains to be seen — shoulder subluxations can be tricky things. But no matter how long it lasts, can Massey take advantage of India’s absence and convince the Royals he should be their regular second baseman? Time will tell, and the club might prefer platooning at second, but a hot bat could do the trick. View the full article

By mid-May 2024, the Cubs were in trouble. They'd built their bullpen plans around three right-handed pitchers: flamethrower Julian Merryweather, coming off a 2023 season in which he'd gone from an unnoticed waiver claim to a relief ace; analytics darling Yency Almonte, part of the Michael Busch trade; and Héctor Neris, a free-agent reclamation project whom the team hoped would rediscover the swing-and-miss that made him a dominant closer in Houston. Within a month and a half, Merryweather and Almonte were sidelined by injuries from which they still haven't really recovered, and Neris was clearly a failed experiment. In desperation, Jed Hoyer scooped up former Cubs farmhand Tyson Miller, who was on the outside looking in for the Mariners at the time. Miller's funky delivery and command of a terrific cutting fastball/sweeper combination turned out to be more than enough to offset his lack of velocity, though, and he became one part of a rebuilt Chicago bullpen. Miller pitched 50 1/3 innings in 49 appearances for Chicago that year, with a 22.5% strikeout rate, a 5.3% walk rate, and a 2.15 ERA. Along with fellow scrapheap find Jorge López and developmental breakthrough Porter Hodge, Miller saved that bullpen—though it wasn't quite enough to save the season. Last spring, the crisis arrived even sooner. Ryan Pressly was a flop, just as Neris had been. It was Hodge's turn to get hurt and never be the same. Ryan Brasier and Eli Morgan, too, had been waylaid by arm trouble. The team had rousing successes in Caleb Thielbar and Brad Keller, but they were short on healthy arms and pitchers who could absorb innings to keep Craig Counsell from having to overuse his best relievers. Hoyer found salvation in Seattle again, this time purchasing the rights to Drew Pomeranz. The two-pitch southpaw pitched 57 times for Counsell, with a 2.17 ERA and similarly solid strikeout and walk numbers. He gave the team time to find the hierarchy that worked for them the rest of the year, headlined by Keller, emerging homegrown star Daniel Palencia, and trade deadline acquisition Andrew Kittredge—along with Pomeranz and Thielbar. Those are just a few examples of Hoyer finding improbable ways to assemble viable bullpens on the fly. Mark Leiter Jr., Rowan Wick and Scott Effross also number among his success stories. On the other hand, it can be too easy to forget all the acquisitions who didn't hurt the team as glaringly or cost as much to sign as Pressly, Neris, Almonte or Morgan, but who also didn't yield what the front office hoped for—guys like Nate Pearson, Michael Fulmer, and José Cuas. In some important degree, the Cubs' bullpen magic has been the product of good luck and/or good timing. Even having gotten it broadly right over the last three years doesn't guarantee that the team will do so again. That's a scary notion, because lo, they already need to do it again. Palencia, Hunter Harvey, and Phil Maton have already hit the injured list, along with lower-upside options Ethan Roberts and Hodge. Injuries to the starting rotation have drawn Colin Rea and Javier Assad into that duty and away from the pen, though Wednesday's return of Matthew Boyd put Assad in the pen again for now. On Thursday, the team might have suffered another loss, as Thielbar left in the ninth inning of the team's game against the Phillies with a hamstring problem. The relief pitching scaffolds Hoyer built this winter have already crumbled. He'll have to go out and find an arm outside the organization, and the sooner, the better. However, his track record only goes a short way in providing real confidence about the outcome of that addition. The Cubs need relief help, right away, but the odds of them nailing yet another such move feel lousy, The good news, of course, is that Ben Brown is settling into his new role gorgeously. Having failed in an extended audition as a starter last season and not having earned even a top-7 spot on the rotation depth chart this spring, Brown is now a reliever in full. He's taking to it marvelously. Brown's fastball is up a tick, sitting just under 97 MPH. His curveball, meanwhile, is as firm as ever, but with slightly more depth. After two years of trying to get the changeup right, he's leaning more into the two-seamer this season, creating the lane change he's long needed to keep right-handed batters off the two main pitches in his arsenal. As a result, he's running numbers similar to what Pomeranz and Miller gave the Cubs over the last two seasons, but in more volume. If the team stops needing him to give them multiple innings within games, there might even be another gear, but this version of him is already a viable stand-in for Palencia and Maton. With some luck, the team will get at least one of their top right-handed relievers back soon, and keep them healthy the rest of the way. To survive their current barrage of injuries, though, they need outside help, and that means that risk lies ahead. They've done some things right already. There are encouraging signs about the usefulness of homegrown lefty Riley Martin and minor-league signing Corbin Martin, each of whom are (for the moment) healthy. Brown is what they need him to be. With so many pitchers already hurt, though, what they have so far is necessary but not sufficient. View the full article

You could see the seeds of an eventual Brewers comeback early on, even as Tarik Skubal put up zeros for most of his start. After Skubal cruised through their lineup the first time through on just 26 pitches, Milwaukee made him throw 28 in the fourth inning. The Brewers were playing their game, working long at-bats and forcing the opposing starter to exert himself, even if they weren't hitting much. "Kind of make him uncomfortable and be annoying," Blake Perkins said. "That's kind of our game, sometimes." It's been an even bigger part of their game recently. Down Jackson Chourio, Andrew Vaughn, and Christian Yelich, the offense is in survival mode. With four starters in the lineup on most days with OPS marks well below .650, the Brewers aren't generating much offense by driving the baseball. That's left them scrapping even harder, relying on walks, infield singles, bunts, and steals—all ways to advance runners without the ball leaving the infield—to scratch across runs. They were back at it against Skubal on Thursday afternoon, even mixing in a few timely line drives. After a Gary Sánchez bloop single and a Luis Matos ground ball through the hole into right field to open the seventh, Perkins worked a seven-pitch at-bat, forcing Skubal into the heart of the strike zone with a fastball that he lined for a game-tying double. "He's coming after you, so I think we had to be ready to swing early," Perkins said. "But I think, at least for me in general, trying to bring him closer [to the middle], because he tries to throw that changeup off the outside part of the plate." Joey Ortiz hit a hard line drive up the middle to move Perkins to third, and David Hamilton snuck a ground ball into left to score him. The Brewers had an improbable lead, a hard-earned prize from an afternoon of gritty at-bats. "Skubal, he's really, really good," Pat Murphy said. "We had some things go our way and laid down some great bunts, put pressure on him. I'm proud of our club that we battled this way when things are going against us." That close lead would be short-lived. Ángel Zerpa allowed a game-tying solo home run to Jahmai Jones in the eighth, and Abner Uribe allowed a walk-off shot to Spencer Torkelson in the ninth, continuing a turbulent start to the season for the Milwaukee bullpen. "They did what they needed to do," Murphy said. "They hit homers off leverage relievers." The contrast was striking. According to Statcast, the Brewers managed just a 30% hard-hit rate on the afternoon with zero barreled balls, but they squeezed four runs out of minimal solid contact, giving it everything they had through meticulous approaches and small ball. On the other side, the Tigers flipped the game multiple times with one swing, scoring four of their five runs on home runs. Both lineups had competitive at-bats, but scoring seemed easier for the side that slugged. "They didn't attempt to steal, or they didn't attempt to bunt," Murphy said. "They could swing the bat. They were poised, and they deserved to win." While the Tigers got their big hits, the Brewers couldn't break the game open, even as they kept pecking away. "They kept their composure and turned those double plays and made quality pitches at quality times," Murphy said. "We didn't put the nail in and hit. We didn't get the big hit when we could." At a larger level, that's what's missing from the Brewers' current lineup. The healthy version is not built around slugging, but without their trio of currently injured hitters, it's forced to rely too heavily on the slow assemblage of single runs. Milwaukee is 25th in baseball in home runs and has the highest ground-ball rate, by a long shot. Small ball can be a separator between two good offenses, but it won't get you the big hit. Chourio is getting closer to a rehab assignment, while Vaughn and Yelich are further off—perhaps another four weeks from returning to action. For now, the Brewers don't have much choice but to keep grinding out at-bats. They'll continue to do that no matter the situation, but their lineup needs more true production. View the full article