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Royce Lewis was supposed to be one of the central figures of the Twins' season. Even after years of injuries and interrupted development, the organization still believed the former first overall pick was ready to take another step toward stardom. Throughout the winter, the Twins made that confidence public. Derek Shelton and multiple members of the front office openly discussed their expectations for Lewis entering 2026, presenting him as a foundational piece of the lineup and one of the players capable of carrying the offense. Instead, the season has turned into something far more uncomfortable. Lewis opened the year by engendering a bit of optimism, but the production disappeared almost immediately. The struggles became severe enough that the Twins dropped him to the ninth spot in the order, and more concerningly, he has regularly found himself losing playing time to Tristan Gray, a waiver claim who was never supposed to be part of this conversation. Since returning from the injured list on April 21, Lewis is hitting .130/.186/.204, with 19 strikeouts in 59 plate appearances. The numbers themselves are alarming, but the larger concern is how lost he has looked against velocity. “It can be really hard when you feel like your career is going in a different direction,” Lewis said. “It’s been tougher because obviously we know there’s always someone on your tail. There’s always someone ready to take your next job. Every day I’m here fighting and working as hard as I can to show that I’m giving it my all to keep my job because I love what I do. I’ve been smiling. I feel fine leaving the game. But I think what scares me most is like, ‘Oh, they might try to get me out of here.’ When I leave the field, that thought does creep into my head.” The Twins are attempting to slow things down for him. Derek Shelton recently described Lewis’s absence from the lineup similarly to the brief reset Matt Wallner received earlier this season. The organization wants Lewis to work on his swing mechanics without the pressure of immediate game results, while also allowing him a chance to mentally regroup. From the outside, the biggest issue is becoming impossible to ignore. Fastballs are beating Lewis consistently, especially in the upper part of the zone. During his electric rookie season, Lewis demolished four-seam fastballs to the tune of an .842 slugging percentage. Last season, that number cratered to .332, while his whiff rate against four-seamers climbed to 25.5%. The decline produced a -8 Run Value against fastballs and forced pitchers to attack him differently. The problem has continued into 2026. Lewis currently owns just a .349 slugging percentage against four seamers, with a 30.5% whiff rate. Perhaps even more concerning, his pulled air percentage has dropped from 31.4% during his rookie campaign to 24.1% this season. The explosive damage on pitches he once turned around with authority has largely vanished. When Lewis first arrived, his combination of bat speed and aggressiveness allowed him to punish velocity before pitchers could exploit weaknesses. Now the timing looks inconsistent, the swing decisions appear hesitant, and pitchers know they can challenge him in ways they could not just a few years ago. The Twins still believe the talent is there. “His work every day has been really consistent,” new Twins hitting coach Keith Beauregard said. “He’s focused with everything that he does. From a swing standpoint, as an athlete, we’re always trying to focus on getting guys into athletic positions and to feel flowy as a hitter. That’s always been the work with him.” The difficult reality is that patience becomes harder to maintain when the struggles continue for this long. Lewis has battled injuries throughout nearly every stage of his professional career, which have complicated his development timeline. At some point, though, the Twins need production instead of projection. Lewis understands that pressure better than anyone. “It feels like people around here sometimes are waiting for me to struggle so that they can write me off officially or get me out of here,” Lewis said. “It’s the first time in my career where it’s become a business instead of playing the game that I love.” That quote probably says more about Lewis's current state than any statistic can. For years, he was viewed almost entirely through the lens of potential. The injuries created sympathy and patience because everyone could still picture the superstar version of Lewis waiting on the other side. Now the conversation is changing. The Twins are trying to win games in the middle of a season that already feels fragile, and Lewis is no longer being judged on what he might become someday. He is being evaluated on whether he can help a major league lineup right now. The encouraging part is that fastball issues can sometimes be corrected quickly once timing and mechanics return. A small adjustment in posture, bat path, or swing decision-making can dramatically change how a hitter handles velocity. The discouraging part is that pitchers have clearly identified the weakness and will continue attacking it until Lewis proves he can beat it again. The Twins have invested years of belief in Lewis because the upside remains undeniable. But belief alone eventually stops mattering. This season was supposed to be about Lewis cementing himself as one of the faces of the franchise. Instead, he is fighting to hold onto everyday playing time. For both Lewis and the Twins, the clock is starting to feel much louder. Can the Twins fix Lewis’ swing? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

When the Brewers activated Christian Yelich from the injured list on Tuesday, it was not surprising that they optioned Tyler Black back to Triple-A Nashville as the corresponding move. If anything, it was expected. Black was effectively the Yelich replacement: a left-handed-hitting DH and occasional left fielder. He was going to lose most of his at-bats with the former NL MVP back in the fold. Furthermore, despite his productive .333/.357/.481 slash line, Black was not actually having quality plate appearances or putting good swings on the ball. His .369 wOBA was nearly double his .192 xwOBA, which was so low because he struck out 25% of the time and had just a 15% hard-hit rate. Baseball Prospectus evaluated his performance less harshly but still credited him with just an 86 DRC+, meaning he deserved to perform 14% worse than the average hitter based on the process of his plate appearances and the quality of pitching he faced. Black did, however, show a change that could make him a more viable hitter down the line. He's changed his bat path this year, decreasing his swing tilt from 37 degrees in 2024 and 39 degrees in 2025 to 35 degrees this year. Pat Murphy teased that modified swing when Black was recalled, saying he and the Brewers had worked on making his bat path less choppy to help him make more consistent contact. "He had that small margin for error this way in his swing," Murphy said last month, referring to Black's inability to get his barrel to pitches at different heights in the strike zone. "We're helping him try to [get] a little more on plane a little bit. Because it's hard to hit that other way, with that 'V,' you know? A lot of guys did, but you're going to mishit a lot of balls." With a swing tilt nearing 40 degrees, Black had one of the steeper, more vertical swings in baseball. Such a swing travels downward more before working its way back up as it makes contact with the pitch. Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh has a similar 37-degree swing tilt this year as a left-handed hitter. Notice how his swing path forms a "U" shape as it travels through the hitting zone. marsh.mp4 There's no one right swing path for success – every hitter is different, and there's more to a swing than just its tilt – but a naturally steeper path can often put hitters in a better position to make the best kind of contact with different pitches, provided there's some adaptability to the swing based on pitch height. Murphy himself considers more vertical swings to be the most productive. Black's bat path didn't have that "U" shape, though. Instead of traveling in an arc, his bat often came straight down and then straight up. He makes contact very deep in the hitting zone – about 21 inches toward the pitcher from his center of mass, according to Statcast. With such a steep swing, you would expect his bat to still be coming down when he makes that deep contact, producing a negative attack angle. Instead, his attack angle last season was 9 degrees, meaning his bat was already coming back up by that time. That's the choppy "V" shape Murphy is referencing. If all of that sounds like a mouthful, here's what it looked like in real life back in 2024. You can see Black chop at a fastball down the middle, with his bat quickly traveling straight down and then straight up. It was a very hittable pitch, yet he was late on it and underneath it, producing a 77.6-mph bloop single to left-center. It was a hit, but it wasn't the kind of contact any hitter would hope to make with such a fastball. black 2024.mp4 In addition to lowering his swing tilt, Black's attack angle also decreased to 5 degrees in his brief time with the Brewers this year. His swing path is still pretty steep, but it's far less choppy. You can see how it's a more normal-looking path in one of Black's few hard-hit balls this year, a fastball he pulled off the right-field wall for a double against the Arizona Diamondbacks. black 2026.mp4 It's worth noting that those two swings occurred in different situations. One was a middle fastball, and the other was closer to the outside corner. The first was also a defensive two-strike swing, while the second came in a 1-1 count, where a hitter will usually look to do more damage with an in-zone pitch. Still, those two cuts illustrate the problem with Black's previous swing and how he and the Brewers are trying to correct it. The payoff hasn't come yet, though, with Black still looking overmatched by big-league pitching. His timing was still too late during his latest stint, and he chased too much and rarely made solid contact. Those mishit balls would have eventually found more gloves. Black is best off in Nashville for now, where he'll continue getting at-bats to grow more comfortable with that revamped swing. "Tyler knows that he's good enough to play in the big leagues," Murphy said. "He knows that he's wanted, and his time will come again." View the full article

The success of the Toronto Blue Jays as a franchise has a lot to do with its past. If you go back to a time when winning was still theoretical in Toronto, the Blue Jays needed a particular type of manager to help guide them to legitimacy. That was Bobby Cox. He’s the one who convinced a bunch of expansion-era kids they were actually big leaguers. Without that shift in mindset, I'm not sure the team would be where it is today. This is not about diminishing Cito Gaston, John Gibbons or John Schnieder. It is quite the opposite. The connection between Cox and Gaston, for instance, as described in the “Ok Blue Jays: The Emergence of a Franchise” podcast, is central to understanding why Cox’s impact runs deeper than the results themselves. Gaston did not appear out of nowhere in the early 1990s as some perfectly timed managerial saviour. He was shaped by the environment Cox created more than a decade earlier. The roots of the Blue Jays’ golden era trace directly back to that relationship. When Cox arrived in Toronto before the 1978 season, the Blue Jays were still an expansion team in every sense of the word. They were young, undermanned, and largely anonymous around the league. Expansion teams are expected to lose, but Cox refused to let losing define who the Blue Jays were or who they would become. His focus was not on surviving seasons. It was on building a franchise. Cox immediately imposed structure. Practices were detailed. Fundamentals were prioritized. Standards were set long before the roster was capable of consistently meeting them. So it wasn’t that surprising for those around the ballclub to respond positively to this new approach. Gaston was the Blue Jays’ batting coach under Cox, working daily with young hitters who were being asked to learn major league pitching while playing for a team that rarely won. He preached patience, repetition, and trust. Gaston was following Cox’s lead. Cox believed that young teams required teachers more than tacticians, and Gaston fit that vision perfectly. As a former player, Gaston understood hitters from the inside. Under Cox, he learned how to translate that understanding into instruction, routine, and confidence. Hitters were not coached toward immediate results. They were coached toward approach. Situational and emotional awareness mattered. Cox set the tone. Gaston reinforced it. Players were allowed to struggle, but they were not allowed to be careless. That distinction became a defining trait of the Blue Jays well before they became contenders. Results during Cox’s tenure steadily improved. From 1978 through 1981, the Blue Jays never finished higher than fifth place. But focusing on that misses the larger truth. Each year, the team improved in ways that were not always visible in the win column. Defense got better, pitchers matured and hitters started to make a mark. The Blue Jays stopped beating themselves. Toronto was slowly moving away from being that “expansion team in another country.” Baseball started to notice. The Blue Jays were serious, structured, and intentional. That credibility came from consistency, and that consistency flowed directly from Cox’s leadership. As a manager, Cox was calm – except for when he wasn’t. He rarely managed with theatrics. He managed with clarity. Players knew their roles. Coaches knew expectations. Losing did not change the standard. That steadiness was invaluable in a young clubhouse, and it is impossible to separate that leadership model from what Gaston would later become as a manager. When Gaston eventually took over the team, his approach felt natural. He trusted his players. He avoided over-managing. He prioritized routine and preparation. That style only works in an organization that already believes in those values. The Blue Jays did, because they had been taught to do so long before Gaston was filling out lineup cards. The championship teams of 1992 and 1993 reflected this lineage clearly. They were composed, disciplined, and emotionally resilient. They did not rely on motivational theatrics. They trusted their work. They trusted each other. Gaston’s famous reluctance to tinker was only possible because the organization had been through a similar approach nearly a decade earlier under Cox. One of the most underappreciated aspects of Cox’s impact was how he protected his players during relentless losing. Expansion teams can collapse emotionally if leadership falters. Cox absorbed criticism. He owned failures publicly. That kind of leadership fosters resilience, a trait that would later define the Blue Jays in high-pressure moments. Cox also influenced the front office indirectly. By establishing a stable, credible environment, he gave the front office under Pat Gillick and Paul Beeston the confidence to think long term. The Blue Jays did not chase quick fixes. They invested in development. Cox left Toronto before the real payoff arrived, and that has always impacted how his tenure is remembered. But his fingerprints remained right up until the team's real success. In fact, he was there (granted in the opposing dugout) when the Jays won their first World Series. Gaston’s story is inseparable from that foundation. He was a coach shaped by a system that valued preparation, empathy, and trust. When he became manager, the Blue Jays did not need to reinvent themselves. They simply leaned into what they had already been taught. Cox went on to have a Hall of Fame career elsewhere, and that success only reinforces what Toronto experienced early on. He built winning cultures before winning followed. He elevated those around him. He thought beyond the next series, the next season, the next headline. Today, manager John Schneider shares some of those traits, but the game has changed. While there is no question that he is a players’ manager like Cox and Gaston, Schneider’s decision-making relies upon data that just wasn’t used back then. If you judge managers by wins, then Cox would sit behind Gaston and Gibbons. Schneider has a chance to leapfrog Cox this season. But, if you judge managers by impact, then there is no question that Cox set the table for every manager who followed him in Toronto. He set an example for them and for the organization. That is why Bobby Cox remains the best and most influential manager the Blue Jays ever had. Bobby Cox passed away on May 9, 2026. He was 84 years old. View the full article

Leading up to the 2026 MLB Draft, Fish On First brings you a series of scouting reports on top prospects in this draft class who could realistically wind up in Miami. Overview Position: RHP Height: 6’6″ Weight: 210 pounds School: Coastal Carolina Cameron Flukey is a 6’6”, 210-pound right-handed pitcher who plays for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. Flukey has missed most of the 2026 season, but he’s one of the most talented arms in the 2026 MLB Draft class. He was originally the top-ranked pitching prospect, but has fallen on draft boards due to his injury. Coming out of high school, Flukey was a blue-chip prospect coming out of Egg Harbor Township High School in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. On Perfect Game, Flukey was the 128th-ranked prospect and the 39th-ranked right-handed pitcher in the Class of 2023. He was also the second-ranked prospect out of the Garden State. Flukey went undrafted and signed with Coastal Carolina University. In his freshman season, Flukey made an immediate impact for the Chanticleers. Flukey made nineteen appearances and ten starts. He posted a 3-3 record with a 5.73 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, one save, 5.27 FIP, a .242 opponent batting average, and struck out 83 batters in 55 innings pitched. During his sophomore season, Flukey had a major breakout season and was one of the best pitchers in all of college baseball. Flukey made eighteen appearances and seventeen starts. He posted a 7-2 record with a 3.28 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, one complete game shutout, a .210 opponent batting average, and 117 strikeouts in 101 ⅔ innings pitched. Flukey was named First Team All-Sun Belt Conference and was also a Third Team All-American on D1 Baseball. So far this season, Flukey has struggled with health and hasn’t pitched well, either. Flukey has missed most of the season with a rib stress fracture. He has only made four starts this season. He has a 0-2 record with a 6.39 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 5.93 FIP, and 17 strikeouts in 12 ⅔ innings pitched. While his strikeout percentage has increased and walk percentage decreased, hitters have a .406 BABIP against the talented right-hander. On the mound, Flukey possesses a four-pitch arsenal including his fastball, 12-6 curveball, slider, and changeup. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and tops out at 98 with arm-side run and holds its plane well at the top of the zone. Flukey has confidence in both of his breaking pitches. His 12-6 curveball sits in the upper-70s and has a lot of vertical drop. His slider sits in the mid-80s with a plus spin rate and usually throws it against right-handed batters as an out pitch. Against left-handed hitters, Flukey will use his changeup, which fades away from the hitter's barrels. Strengths Plus fastball Legit four-pitch arsenal Great extension Projectable body type Has continued to improve on his control Weaknesses Having a bad 2026 season Leaving pitches too much in the zone Might need to tweak mechanics to hide the ball better Pro Comparison: Logan Gilbert Projection: Top 15 pick Bottom Line Cameron Flukey might be available later in the first round of the MLB Draft than originally projected entering the 2026 season. On Baseball America, Flukey is the seventh-ranked prospect in this draft class and the second-ranked pitching prospect. On MLB Pipeline, Flukey is the 13th-ranked draft prospect and second-ranked right-handed pitcher in the class. The Marlins will have the 14th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft and should be able to grab one of the top prospects in this draft class. Since Flukey's injury wasn’t arm-related, he could still be a great option for them if they're confident that they can fix his issues. More 2026 MLB draft profiles OF Eric Booth Jr. 3B Ace Reese LHP Carson Bolemon RHP Jackson Flora INF Jacob Lombard OF AJ Gracia View the full article

Boston Red Sox Affiliate Recap (May 12) Triple-A Worcester Red Sox The WooSox traveled to Buffalo to play the Bisons, taking a 7-2 defeat in the first game of the series as the bats were quiet. After Worcester went hitless in the first inning, the Bisons took advantage early in the bottom half of the first, racking up two hits and an RBI groundout to put them up 1-0. A badly timed error by the Sox cost them in the second inning as two runs would score from a bad throw to push Buffalo ahead 3-0. The WooSox showed life in the 3rd, Jason Delay drew a walk, Braiden Ward laced a double to keep it going, and Nick Sogard drove in Delay on a sacrifice fly to cut it to 3–1. But with runners on the corners and two outs, Nate Eaton grounded out to end the threat. Worcester manufactured a brief two-out rally in the fifth. Matt Lloyd walked to lead off the inning, after a couple of force outs and another Sogard walk, Vinny Capra ripped a single to right to bring in Ward, trimming it to 3–2. Unfortunately, Eaton left runners stranded on the corners with two outs once again. The game seemed to slip away for Worcester in the sixth after the bullpen immediately gave up a two-run homer to Buffalo, making it a 5-2 game. The WooSox bats were extremely cold the last three innings, only tallying one hit as the Bisons scored two more runs to make it a 7-2 final score. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs The Portland Sea Dogs suffered a defeat they would like to forget, having the lead for the first seven innings and blowing it in the eighth and getting walked off on in the ninth by the Hartford Yard Goats 7-6. The Sea Dogs' offense exploded in the 1st inning. Franklin Arias led off the inning with a single, then stole a base, Brooks Brannon walked, Johanfran Garcia followed and blasted a three-run homer to right-center to make it 3–0. Marvin Alcantara kept it going with a homer of his own, a solo shot to right field, and just like that, it was 4–0 Portland. The Yard Goats scraped a run across in the second inning on a strange play, with two outs, a runner who was caught stealing, and allowed another runner to score from third base. In the third, Hartford strung together three singles to cut it to 4–2. In the next at-bat, a wild pitch allowed another runner to score, making it a one-run game, 4-3. The Sea Dogs got some breathing room in the fifth inning after Will Turner smacked a solo homer, pushing their lead to 5-3, but the Yard Goats made it a one-run game once again after hitting an RBI single. In the seventh, Ahbram Liendo tripled and scored on an Arias groundout, extending the lead 6–4. Portland's bullpen had trouble finding the zone and lost the lead in the eighth inning. A wild pitch gave the Yard Goats a free run and a walk with the bases loaded, tying it up 6-6 entering the ninth, giving Hartford a chance to walk it off. In the ninth, the Sea Dogs drew a couple of walks, putting runners on first and second with two outs, but both runners ended up being stranded as a groundout ended their chance to get the lead back. That gave the Yard Goats a perfect chance to end it; they would then hammer a walk-off home run, putting an end to a 7-6 game in which Portland had the lead for seven straight innings. Hayden Mullins started on the mound for Portland and pitched well by limiting the damage, throwing five innings, allowing three earned runs, and striking out eight batters. Key Performances: Marvin Alcantara: 2-for-4: HR, 2B, R, RBI Franklin Arias: 2-for-5, R, RBI, SB Will Turner: HR, R, RBI, BB Johanfran Garcia: HR, R, 3 RBI Miguel Bleis: 3-for-4, SB Hayden Mullins: 5 IP, 3 ER, 8 K High-A Greenville Drive It was a rough night for the Greenville Drive in their 5-1 loss. Their bats were stifled all game by a dominant Bowling Green pitching staff. Top prospect Kyson Witherspoon continues to struggle this season, unable to find a good rhythm and find the strike zone. He gave up six hits, four runs, three walks, and only one strikeout in his 4 ⅔ innings of work. Greenville’s bats only recorded six hits, but they had plenty of chances to score, but could not capitalize, going 1-for-7 with RISP. Most of the top batters were shut down; the player who had two of the six hits was Jack Winnay The only score for the Drive came in the bottom of the fifth when Justin Gonzales was hit by a pitch, and Yoeilin Cespedes lined an RBI single to center to make it 4–1, but Isaiah Jackson grounded out to end the inning. Ben Hansen pitched well in his relief outing, throwing 3 ⅓ innings, giving up two hits, one earned run, and striking out five. Single-A Salem RidgeYaks It was a miserable night for the RidgeYaks; they were completely dominated by four Fredericksburg Nationals pitchers who combined for a nine-inning shutout 4-0, allowing just three hits and zero walks while striking out 12. Skylar King was the only bright spot on offense for the RidgeYaks; he tallied two of the three hits the team had the entire game. Starlyn Nunez had the only other hit. Salem’s bats were non-existent, getting no-hit through the first four innings. Finally, they recorded their first hit in the fifth when King hit a two-out single, but the RidgeYaks would not make anything out of it. The RidgeYaks' pitching staff was not necessarily bad, but the offense did not do them any justice. Madison Frias started on the mound, in 5 ⅓ innings of work, and he gave up only two hits, three earned runs, and struck out four. The bullpen started out with Adam Bates, who finished the sixth inning for Frias and came back out in the seventh and took care of business by throwing a hitless frame. Williams Rodriguez was the last pitcher in the game for Salem. In the bottom of the eighth, he walked a batter, and he ended up scoring on a throwing error, giving Rodriguez an unearned run at the end of his outing. View the full article

On Fish Unfiltered, former Marlins president David Samson explains what the franchise was thinking when they brought GM Dan Jennings down from the front office to the dugout in 2015. View the full article

The Twins hosted Bark at the Park Night on Tuesday against the Marlins. It's a love-it-or-hate-it kind of event, and generally, I hate it. Dogs are wonderful creatures, of course, but the ballpark isn't a space built for them, and when things are good, the ballpark should be so full as to make the inclusion of dogs an unwelcome inconvenience. Often, that's exactly how it feels. Lately, of course, the Twins haven't had that problem. In fact, as it turned out, Bark at the Park was perfectly timed this spring. A crowd of just 13,471 (I don't care enough to check whether they do, but you have to actually buy a ticket for your dog now, so they should count, too) filed into Target Field, but by the end of the game, they were in full voice, sounding (for the first time since last July, and only a few times, even then) like more than their actual number and like a crowd with a real connection to its team. It was a great night for baseball, with a game-time temperature nearing 70°, with a stiff breeze to remind your it's still only mid-May in Minnesota. It was not a great night to be a hitter, however, especially in the early going. "The shadows are tough—tough on everyone, early," Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers acknowledged after the game. "I think both sides put some ugly swings on the ball the first few innings." Visiting players, especially, have long grumbled about the shadows for summertime 6:40 PM starts, when the sun is behind home plate and shines brightly off the batter's eye and the limestone above it. The shadow of the seating bowl and its roof stretches across the field slowly at first, leaving the plate in shadow right away but the mound in partial sunlight. This was the Twins' first home game in nine days and their first night game at home since May 1; it marked the first time this shadow effect played out at the venue this season. Both Eury Pérez and Bailey Ober took full advantage, though, in ways that go beyond simply profiting from hitters being distracted or scintillated. Pérez has some of the best raw stuff in the big leagues. "We have to stay on his fastball," manager Derek Shelton said of the team's plan against Pérez, before the game. "Because as hard as he throws, if you come off the fastball and you're looking for something else, you're not going to have a chance." Early on, whatever they were trying to do, that was exactly how it felt—like the team had no chance. Pérez carved through the top of the Twins lineup in the first inning, highlighted by a three-pitch dissection of Jeffers: Jeffers froze and watched Pérez's sweeper for strike one, then fouled off a sinker well up and in for strike two, almost in self-defense. After that, when Pérez dotted the outside corner with a four-seamer at 99.5 miles per hour, the at-bat was over before the ball hit catcher Joe Mack's mitt. Ober, of course, is the league's softest-tossing starting pitcher, which made for a sharp contrast with Pérez. Fairly quickly, though, it became clear that he wouldn't be easily outdueled. The young Marlins lineup has shown its upside this season, but they haven't seen a pitcher quite as in control as Ober was Tuesday night. Quickly, they got taken out of their game plan, and then they got taken out, period. After the game, Ober would talk a lot about being able to "get [his] hand in the right position" to throw all his pitches. This is a frequent refrain for Ober, whose huge frame and great extension make it both highly valuable and (at times) very difficult to manipulate the ball the way he needs to. He's at his best when he feels he can adjust his hand position at release without affecting the rest of his delivery, and often, that comes when the rest of his body is healthy and working correctly in sequence. It's remarkable, because it's something fans can't see with the naked eye, and that even turns to useless blur on replays, but when Ober can turn his wrist deftly in each direction and feel the ball coming off his fingers in just the right way, he knows that he has control of the action. In a world making fun of his lack of speed, he's assessing himself based on small adjustments being made at a speed faster than a TV camera's frame rate. All of that was happening Tuesday, and Ober talked about having good feel for all of his pitches—but the truth is that he barely needed three of them. Barely 20% of the pitches Ober threw Tuesday night were breaking balls. He has three flavors of breaker—slider, sweeper, curveball—and he utilized all three, but none were especially important. He got two outs on them almost by accident, with overeager 0-0 swings by Marlins batters when all Ober was really trying to do was steal a strike to start the at-bat. He also didn't throw his sinker at all. No, Ober cut through the Marlins with a simple mix: fastball high, changeup down. He left a few changeups up, but they missed the zone to his arm side, where they couldn't get him hurt. He brought a few fastballs down, but the hitters were sitting on the changeup in that area and couldn't punish those, either. Though Ober's fastball only sits at 88-89 MPH (he touched 90.6 Tuesday) and his changeup comes in at around 83, he can disrupt hitters' timing with the best of them, thanks to the exceptional shape on his four-seamer. Its vertical movement is extreme, considering how low his arm slot is. That's why models like Baseball Prospectus's StuffPro label it as an above-average pitch, despite his extreme dearth of velocity. When he can locate that fastball high and that changeup low, all the way across the plate, he becomes very tough to hit, because the shapes of the two pitches are so much more different than is typical of two offerings at relatively similar speeds. That's what was happening Tuesday night, which allowed Ober to sail through the first five innings with lots of weak, early contact. It was a scoreless tie at the game's halfway point. Ober was pitching masterfully, but Pérez was the one truly dominating. The Twins had cobbled together something almost like a rally twice in the early innings, thanks to walks by Pérez, a Luke Keaschall hit-by-pitch, a strikeout wild pitch, and a throwing error, but they didn't have a hit their first two times through the lineup. Pérez had two quick outs in the fifth, in fact, when Byron Buxton drew a walk to start the third turn for Twins batters. That turned out to be the pivot point of the game. Trevor Larnach hit a soft liner toward shortstop. In another world, it could have been an inning-ending groundout. In fact, under baseball's pre-2023 rules, it almost certainly would have been one. With Larnach ahead in the count 1-0, Buxton took off for second base with the pitch. Miami shortstop Otto Lopez broke to cover the bag, and Larnach's one-hopper floated through a vacant infield toward left fielder Heriberto Hernandez. If the Marlins had still been allowed to load the right side of their infield with three defenders, Lopez probably would have been coming to cover second from the other side, and third baseman Connor Norby would have been in position to field the ball. ek13MDlfWGw0TUFRPT1fVTFSVVVWRU5BRlFBQ0ZzRVZnQUhBZ01IQUZrRFdnVUFWMTFSVTFKVEFBTmNDUXRX.mp4 Because he wasn't, though, and because the ball was hit slowly with the play right in front of him, Buxton was able to hare around to third base. He and third-base coach Ramon Borrego even pondered trying to score. Hernandez fielded the ball and released it quickly, but his throw was an underhand wing to Lopez, near second. The Twins have scored more than once when an opponent underestimated their aggressiveness and threw too casually to the middle of the diamond, and they had it in mind to do it again. It would have been a dangerous play. However, in the context of the game, it would have been justifiable. With two outs in the inning and runs at such a premium, the opportunity to score one only needed to come with about a 25% expected success rate to be worth the attempt. Ultimately, Borrego and Buxton made the snap decision not to risk it, and they were probably right to eschew the try. Even with Buxton running, the ball being on the infield that early should have given the Marlins a four-in-five shot to nab him. Instead, things fell to Ryan Jeffers—but, on another 1-0 pitch, the Twins made things happen, instead of waiting for them to happen. Larnach and Buxton executed a double-steal, wherein Larnach's job was to draw a throw to second base and get in a rundown, allowing Buxton to score. That the Marlins threw through here speaks to the way the game was already tilting, and changing. The shadows had given way to the neutral golden shimmer that prevails when the sun is too low to cast shadows on the field but still bright enough to bounce its light off the mirror-windowed high-rise beyond left field, and off the white sign in center field. Buxton's speed had created a hit for Larnach and applied pressure to the Marlins, and the lineup was getting its third look at Pérez. Under that pressure, the rookie Mack made the wrong play, though he made it the right way. With Buxton as the lead runner, the visitors should have allowed Larnach to take second uncontested. Failing that, though, Mack's throw—immediate, without hesitation and right on the bag—was perfect. Xavier Edwards made the real error. He caught the ball and checked on Buxton, but when Buxton hesitated just long enough to fool him, Edwards turned to try to run down Larnach. That's when Buxton broke for home, just barely beating the throw. Had Edwards simply held the ball and forced Larnach back to first base, a lot of things might have been different. To Larnach's credit, he, too, set the trap well. He waited just far enough to avoid being tagged out easily, but close enough to demand that Edwards make a play on him. Had he retreated faster, Buxton probably would have had to hold. Had he been a half-step closer to Edwards, he might have been out before Buxton could score, one way or another. Larnach has messed up this very balance in the past, but he got it right this time. Buxton's speed had broken the game open, with a double-assist from the lefty slugger. Because the play at the plate was so close, Jeffers and Pérez had to wait out a replay review before the 2-0 offering could be thrown, with a runner now on second base. In those moments, the battle isn't between pitcher and batter, but between each player and themselves. Pérez lost his mental battle during the unwelcome downtime, lamenting the way a run had formed from almost nothing over the previous 10 pitches. Jeffers won his, and when Pérez made a mistake with a breaking ball on the first pitch after the interruption, Jeffers used it to triple the Twins' margin. The game was effectively over, right then. On Tuesday night, the Marlins weren't scoring three runs against Ober. For one thing, he had that fastball-changeup pairing going. For another, Marlins batters were anxious and unable to defend themselves. Miami challenges more aggressively with their catchers than any other team in baseball. As a counterbalance (and as a means of facilitating that strategy), though, they challenge less than all but one other team (the Red Sox) at the plate. Ober, who has now faced all three of the teams who most notably eschew hitter challenges (the Red Sox, the Reds and the Marlins), has a 29.6% strikeout rate in those three outings and an 11.7% mark in his other six games. He stole strikes at the edges of the zone four times, including one for a called third strike; no Marlins batter tapped his head. No matter. Ober's stuff was good enough to win even if those few calls had broken the other way. He was on his game, and despite the denigratiions of velocity lovers everywhere, Ober is still an above-average pitcher when he's on. His command and the contrasts in shape between the fastball and the changeup, with his great deception factored in, far outweigh his lack of power. He cruised so seamlessly through the sixth, seventh and eighth that there was little doubt he would start the ninth. He had only thrown 81 pitches to that point. However, when the towering righty climbed the dugout steps to head for the hill after the end of the eighth, a funny thing happened: the crowd erupted. Again, it was a small crowd. They didn't make an earsplitting roar; they weren't capable of that. But the volume and the passion of the pop that came from merely seeing Ober go out to finish what he'd begun was the perfect capstone to a great night of baseball. The outs Ober actually recorded to put the game away felt academic. They came easily. For one night, with the flair and cleverness of Buxton's speed, the thunder of Jeffers's bat, and Ober pitching an old-school masterpiece, the Twins' relationship with their fan base was repaired. No one left the park thinking the team's many ills were resolved, and no one is deluded about the heavy work still ahead as team and community try to weave themselves back together, but the fans were present and engaged on Tuesday night. The team rewarded them with beautiful baseball, and the fans gave that gift right back to Ober when his cleats hit the top step of the dugout. It might be only the brightest moment in another dark season, or the last flicker of what this team was a few years ago and arguably still should be. But it also might turn out to be a turning point. Ober, Buxton and Jeffers aren't the future of the Twins. Most of that future is currently at Triple-A St. Paul. They made the present bright and worthy of celebration, though, and they'll be the leaders to whom the next wave of talent looks when they arrive in Minneapolis this summer. If nothing else, Tuesday was a demonstration of how good the team's veterans can be for the players coming up behind them—and of how badly the fans still want to be there when it all happens. View the full article

Checking in on the San Diego Padres prospects who made a mark in the last week: Ryan Wideman, CF, Low-A Lake Elsinore Season stats: 32 games, 9 2B, 4 3B, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 13 BB, 25 K, 27 SB, 6 CS If there is a player to dream on in the Padres' system, it just might be Wideman. Why? Take the center fielder's last game as a prime example. Wideman went 4-for-4 and stole five bases—yes, FIVE steals—in the Lake Elsinore Storm's 5-4 loss to the Inland Empire 66ers (Seattle Mariners). That put an exclamation point on a dynamic week for Padres Mission's No. 8 prospect. All the 22-year-old Wideman—the Padres' third-round draft choice last year out of Western Kentucky—did last week was go 10-for-19 (.526) with four runs, four RBIs and nine stolen bases. That came despite not playing in one game and going 0-for-1 as a pinch-hitter in another. So that line is really covering just four games. Last week accounted for one-third of his steals for the season. Sunday's five thefts marked the seventh game with multiple stolen bases and surpassed the four he swiped on April 23. Wideman's 27 steals are the most in all of Minor League Baseball by four and is 11 clear of the next-highest total in the Cal League. The Storm, not so coincidentally, lead the Cal League with 105 steals, with the No. 2 team at 54, and are second in all of MiLB. Based on the first 33 games of the season, Wideman is on pace to steal 118 bases. But the reason the 6-foot-4, 204-pounder is able to steal the quantity of bases he has been is due to an improved offensive approach. First, he has cut down on his strikeouts. In his debut season last year with the Storm, Wideman struck out 32 times in 112 plate appearances (28.6%) over 26 games. In 32 games this year, he has just 25 strikeouts in 144 plate appearances, a much more palatable 17.4% rate. That more selective approach has allowed his batting average to climb from .229 to .328, which ranks eighth in the Cal League and third on the Storm. He could still stand to draw a few more walks (9% walk rate this year), but that is something he can develop over time. Carson Montgomery, RHP, High-A Fort Wayne Season stats: 1-0, 1.64 ERA, 5 games (all starts), 22 IP, 16 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 8 BB, 18 K The 11th-round draft choice in 2023 out of Florida State turned in his second straight start of five scoreless innings Thursday in a 3-1 win over the Beloit SkyCarp. Montgomery, 23, allowed three hits and a walk with five strikeouts, nearly identical to his line in his previous outing (5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K). He now sports a 1.64 ERA in five starts, allowing four earned runs in 22 innings. Montgomery's ERA would be fourth in the Midwest League if he had enough innings to qualify. It is a good comeback story for Montgomery, who had 718 days between his previous appearance this season and his 2026 debut. He started 2024 at Low-A Lake Elsinore and appeared in three games (7 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 6 BB, 10 K) before his elbow gave him problems. He took a little time before deciding on Tommy John surgery, which KO'd the rest of his 2024 and 2025 regular seasons. But the Padres gave Montgomery a look in the Arizona Fall League in 2025. There, he made four starts, pitching 10⅓ innings with a 1.74 ERA, allowing two runs on 11 hits with seven walks and 17 strikeouts. Pitching in the Arizona Fall League set him up to begin 2026 with confidence, which has shown in the results. Opponents are hitting just .213, which would rank in the top eight in the Midwest League if he had enough innings to qualify. His comeback is certainly a good turn for a Padres system needing some positive stories. Tyler Schmitt, RHP, Low-A Lake Elsinore Season stats: 2-2, 5.09, 1-0, 3.64 ERA, 6 games (5 starts), 23 IP, 16 H, 13 R, 13 ER, 18 BB, 27 K There isn't much room for statistical improvement following Schmitt's last two outings. The 17th-round draft choice in 2025 out of Illinois, Schmitt turned in his second consecutive shutout start, going six innings and allowing just one hit against the 66ers. He did walk three and struck out five. That game Saturday came after the 21-year-old went five shutout innings and gave up two hits with a walk and six strikeouts, giving him an 11-inning scoreless streak. On Monday, Schmitt was named the California League Pitcher of the Week for the second week in a row. Schmitt's ERA is a bloated 5.09 based on allowing seven runs in three innings April 18 vs the Stockton Ports (Athletics). But the promise is there. He has 27 strikeouts in 23 innings, which includes seven K's in 3⅓ innings in his pro debut April 4 against the Ontario Tower Buzzers (Los Angeles Dodgers). He has five or more strikeouts in four of his six games. Schmitt's one relief appearance came as the bulk guy in Lucas Giolito's rehab appearance April 25. Schmitt made the jump to Division I with Illinois in 2025 after playing two years at Division III Wisconsin-La Crosse. Carson Tucker, IF, Double-A San Antonio Season stats: 22 games, .352/.405/.507, 9 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 7 BB, 21 K The 2020 first-round draft choice (23rd overall selection) by the Cleveland Guardians signed with the Padres in January after being released by Cleveland in July 2024 following some injuries and a lack of production. He didn't play at all in 2024. Now 23, Tucker is realizing some of that potential after spending 2025 playing independent ball. Tucker is the younger brother of infielder-outfielder Cole Tucker, who was a 2014 first-round selection (24th overall) of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Both were drafted out of Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix. Tucker is coming off a week in which he played in four of the San Antonio Missions' six games and had a pair of three-hit games as part of an 8-for-15 showing with three doubles, a walk and an RBI against the Midland RockHounds (Athletics). Tucker went 3-for-4 Wednesday for his first three-hit game since June 14, 2023. After a hit and a walk Thursday, Tucker had another 3-for-4 performance, including his third straight game with a double. Tucker's nine doubles lead the Missions. He spent 2025 playing for the Ogden Raptors in the Pioneer League, an independent league. There, he slashed .323/.469/.452 with a homer, 12 RBIs and six stolen bases in 18 games. He also drew 16 walks. With the Guardians, for whatever reason, Tucker never got going offensively. He had slash lines of .150/.320/.300 in 2021 (six games, Arizona Complex League), .137/.257/.222 in 2022 (38 games, Low-A Carolina League) and .200/.296/.263 in 2023 repeating in the Carolina League. Zach Evans, 3B, High-A Fort Wayne Season stats: 24 games, .222/.278/.300, 4 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 7 BB, 17 K, 3 SB, 0 CS Entering last week, the 23-year-old was having a rough season offensively, with a .188/.263/.232 slash line with three doubles and an RBI in 18 games. But something has changed recently as the ninth-round pick in 2024 out of Lenoir-Rhyne University has been more of a threat at the plate. Last week against the Beloit SkyCarp (Miami Marlins), Evans went 7-for-21 with a double, a homer and six RBIs with two stolen bases. A rainout Tuesday set up a Wednesday doubleheader. In the first game, Evans doubled his RBI total with an RBI double in his first at-bat, but he saved his biggest hit of the season for his next trip to the plate. That is when he drilled a 1-1 pitch for a two-run homer and a 4-0 lead. It was his fourth career homer after making his pro debut last year with Low-A Lake Elsinore and then coming up to Fort Wayne. The next day, Evans had a tie-breaking two-run single up the middle in the eighth inning in a 3-1 victory. Perhaps his most dramatic moment, though, came in Friday's 1-0. In the fifth inning, Evans had a leadoff single and went to third on a Jonathan Vastine double. The next two batters were unable to drive him in with a groundout and a popup. That prompted Evans to steal home against a left-handed pitcher in what would be the game's only run. Evans finished the game 2-for-3. Evans also had singles Saturday and Sunday to give him a modest four-game hitting streak and hits in 10 of his last 13 games. A year ago during his debut season, Evans had a .275/.343/.344 slash line with three homers, 72 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. Honorable Mentions Two other players are worth taking note of. One, of course, is Double-A San Antonio catcher Ethan Salas. Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect went 8-for-15 with a pair of three-hit games. While there were no homers, unlike the three he hit the previous week, Salas did have three doubles while scoring four times and driving in four. The other is catcher Rodolfo Duran, who went 4-for-4 with a double, a homer and four RBIs for Triple-A El Paso on Tuesday, then made his MLB debut with the Padres Thursday. He spent 11 years in the minors before finally getting the official call-up when Luis Campusano went on the 10-day injured list (he actually was on standby this season following Freddy Fermin's concussion scare). View the full article

The Syracuse Mets rallied for a 7-4 win in 13 innings at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, with Christian Arroyo driving in two on a 13th-inning single and Hayden Senger homering earlier. Jack Wenninger struck out seven over five innings, allowing one hit. Binghamton fell 3-0 at Somerset despite Brendan Girton's seven-strikeout outing across five innings. Brooklyn lost 2-0 at Rome as Joel Díaz issued seven walks in four innings. St. Lucie's game was postponed. Mets Transactions New York Mets signed free agent 2B Nick Roselli to a minor league contract. New York Mets designated 2B Andy Ibáñez for assignment. New York Mets selected the contract of LF A.J. Ewing from Syracuse Mets. Syracuse Mets Survive 13 Innings To Beat Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Christian Arroyo's two-run single in the 13th inning lifted the Syracuse Mets past the RailRiders 7-4 in Scranton. The cleanup hitter went 3-for-7 with two RBI. Jihwan Bae added two hits and scored twice, Hayden Senger homered to left in the sixth for his sixth of the season, and Ryan Clifford doubled, drove in a run, and scored. Jack Wenninger turned in five innings of one-hit baseball, walking three and striking out seven without allowing a run. Anderson Severino picked up the win with two scoreless innings, and Mike Baumann worked a clean 13th for the save. Trailing 4-2 entering the ninth, Syracuse rallied. With one out, Bae reached on an error, Clifford doubled to right to score Bae, Arroyo singled, and Yonny Hernández singled through the left side to plate Clifford and tie the game at four. The Mets stranded the go-ahead runs at second and third when Hayden Senger struck out swinging. In the 13th, with Matt Rudick aboard as the zombie runner, leadoff man Nick Morabito laid down a sacrifice bunt that turned into a throwing error by the first baseman, scoring Rudick. Bae singled to put runners on the corners. After a Clifford strikeout, Arroyo singled to left to score Morabito and Bae. Syracuse left 20 runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nick Morabito 5 1 0 1 1 2 Ji Hwan Bae 7 2 2 0 0 4 Ryan Clifford 6 1 1 1 1 4 Christian Arroyo 7 0 3 2 0 0 Yonny Hernández 5 0 1 1 2 1 Cristian Pache 6 1 1 0 0 3 Jackson Cluff 3 0 0 0 4 2 Hayden Senger 4 1 1 1 1 2 Ben Rortvedt 2 0 0 0 0 0 Matt Rudick 5 1 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jack Wenninger 5 1 0 0 3 7 0 Luke Jackson 1 0 1 1 2 0 0 Nate Lavender 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 Daniel Duarte 2 2 1 1 0 2 1 Alex Carrillo 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Anderson Severino 2 1 0 0 2 2 0 Mike Baumann 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Rumble Ponies Shut Out In 3-0 Loss At Somerset The Binghamton Rumble Ponies managed two hits in a 3-0 loss to the Somerset Patriots. Nick Lorusso and JT Schwartz each singled, and Wyatt Young drew two walks. Eli Serrano III and Jacob Reimer also walked. Binghamton struck out 12 times and left seven on base. Brendan Girton struck out seven over five innings, allowing three hits, one earned run, and one walk. The Patriots got to him in the first when a leadoff single and a one-out walk set up a two-out RBI single to left for the only run charged to Girton. Girton settled in afterward, working a perfect third and fourth and stranding lone runners in the second and fifth. Binghamton's best chance came in the eighth. Young walked, Serrano walked, but Chris Suero popped out, Reimer flew out, and Jose Ramos struck out to end the inning. Player AB R H RBI BB K Eli Serrano III 3 0 0 0 1 0 Chris Suero 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jacob Reimer 3 0 0 0 1 0 Jose Ramos 4 0 0 0 0 3 Kevin Parada 4 0 0 0 0 2 Nick Lorusso 4 0 1 0 0 2 TT Bowens 4 0 0 0 0 3 JT Schwartz 2 0 1 0 0 0 Wyatt Young 1 0 0 0 2 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Brendan Girton 5 3 1 1 1 7 0 Gabriel Rodriguez 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Saul Garcia 1 2 2 2 1 1 0 Zach Peek 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Cyclones Blanked 2-0 By Rome Emperors The Brooklyn Cyclones were shut out 2-0 by the Rome Emperors. Leadoff man Mitch Voit and Daiverson Gutierrez delivered the only hits, both singles, and Ronald Hernandez drew the team's lone walk. Brooklyn struck out 12 times and left three runners on base. Joel Díaz walked seven over four innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits with three strikeouts. The Emperors broke through in the fourth. Díaz walked the leadoff man, induced an inning-ending double play that instead stayed alive, surrendered a two-out single, and then issued three consecutive walks, the last forcing in a run with the bases loaded. The Cyclones' best look came in the seventh. With two outs, Hernandez walked, and Gutierrez singled him to second, but Corey Collins struck out swinging. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 4 0 1 0 0 0 Yonatan Henriquez 4 0 0 0 0 2 John Bay 4 0 0 0 0 2 Ronald Hernandez 2 0 0 0 1 2 Daiverson Gutierrez 3 0 1 0 0 0 Corey Collins 3 0 0 0 0 3 Colin Houck 3 0 0 0 0 1 Vincent Perozo 2 0 0 0 0 1 Yohairo Cuevas 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Joel Díaz 4 3 2 2 7 3 0 Felix Cepeda 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 Danis Correa 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Hoss Brewer 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 St. Lucie Mets Game Postponed The St. Lucie Mets game was postponed. Top-20 Prospect Performance Nolan McLean: DNP Carson Benge: DNP A.J. Ewing: DNP Jonah Tong: DNP Ryan Clifford: 1-for-6, 2B, RBI, R, BB, 4 K Jacob Reimer: 0-for-3, BB Jack Wenninger: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K Elian Pena: DNP Mitch Voit: 1-for-4 Nick Morabito: 0-for-5, R, RBI, BB, SB, 2 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-3, BB Ryan Lambert: DNP Dylan Ross: DNP Antonio Jimenez: DNP R.J. Gordon: DNP View the full article

Left-hander Kendry Rojas has struggled with command to begin his major league career, and it's starting to seem like a serious issue the Twins will have to correct. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs rotation continues to be plagued by injuries. Could a trade to add be in store sooner rather than later? What should we make of Ben Brown starting? Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-north-side-baseball-podcast/id1798599313 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75wMGhBwlrDDYPt3kaF453 Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-north-side-baseball-po-268998437/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/eey7h6ih Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@northsidebaseball View the full article

Brice Turang hasn't just been the best second baseman in baseball this season, and since most of last season, over guys like Ketel Marte and Nico Hoerner. He's been one of the game's best position players, tied with $800 million man Juan Soto and others. His argument might not be only the best at his position, but how good can he be among all of Major League Baseball. View the full article

The Kansas City Royals have a promising nucleus of prospects forming in the lower ranks. In this video, we'll break down Kendry Chourio's sharp three-pitch mix, Ramon Ramirez's rocket arm/superb power combo and the lively right arm of former swiss army knife Michael Lombardi.View the full article

TRANSACTIONS After the Minnesota Twins recalled RHP Travis Adams and LHP Kendry Rojas from Triple-A over the weekend, the St. Paul Saints activated LHP Kody Funderburk and received LHP Aaron Rozek from the Wichita Wind Surge. UT Harry Genth was sent back to Fort Myers after his week in Vegas with the Saints. To take Rozek’s spot on Wichita’s pitching staff, RHP Eli Jones was promoted from the Cedar Rapids Kernels. The Kernels received reinforcements in the form of OF Yasser Mercedes from the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels and RHP Miguelangel Boadas from the injured list. LHP Garrett Horn was sent on a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins. Fort Myers was assigned free agent signee UT Quinn McDaniel. In the FCL, the Twins were assigned free agent signee LHP Jack Walker. SAINTS SENTINEL Columbus 5, St. Paul 10 Box Score After a one-two-three top of the first inning from starting pitcher John Klein, this is how a red-hot St. Paul Saints lineup started this one in the bottom half. Single. Double. Single. Walk. Single. Single. Forceout. Home run. Strikeout. Walk. Walk. Single. Strikeout. By the time it was over they had sent 13 men to the plate and were up 8-0. The home run came from Alex Jackson, his seventh of the season. Klein cruised through his three innings, needing just 40 pitches (27 for strikes) and allowing his only run on a solo homer. He struck out five. Marco Raya went the next two scoreless innings and picked up the win. He gave up one hit and struck out one. The Saints added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a sac fly from Kaelen Culpepper, and a run-scoring balk. The bullpen trio of Raui Brito (1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K), Grant Hartwig (2 IP, H, 3 K), and Drew Smith (1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, BB, 2 K) held off the Clippers over the final four innings. The Saints got multiple hits from Kyler Fedko (3-for-5, R, 2B, RBI, K), Orlando Arcia (2-for-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI), Hendry Mendez (2-for-4, BB), Jackson (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI), and Ben Ross (2-for-3, BB, K, SB). Aaron Sabato went 0-for-3 but drew two walks, scored two runs, and added an RBI. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, San Antonio 8 Box Score The Missions jumped all over Wind Surge starting pitcher Jose Olivares and never looked back in this one. Two batters in a home run made it 2-0 visitors, and five men after that a pair of other homers made it 6-0 before Wichita could get their bullpen active. Olivares was only able to record two outs, and was charged with those six earned runs on six hits and a walk. He struck out one. Spencer Bengard gave up a two-run homer of his own in the second, and those eight Missions runs were more than they would need the rest of the way. Bengard was charged with two earned runs on two hits and a walk in his 1 1/3 innings. The rest of the bullpen did a fine job finishing off their final six innings, as Darren Bowen (3 IP, 2 K), Luis Quinones (1 2/3 IP, 3 BB, 4 K), and Kyle Bischoff (1 1/3 IP, 2 K) held them hitless the rest of the way. Wichita scored all three of their runs in the top of sixth. Maddux Houghton led off with a double, then Garrett Spain and Kyle DeBarge drew walks to load the bases. After a pair of strikeouts Jake Rucker drew another walk to bring in their first run of the game, before Caleb Roberts lined a single into center to score two. It was Roberts first game with the Wind Surge. That was it for the Wichita offense as they had just four hits on the game, finished 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position, and left only five men on base. KERNELS NUGGETS Fort Wayne 2, Cedar Rapids 3 Box Score Early season standout pitching prospect Riley Quick took the mound for the Kernels on Tuesday night, making his third start in the Midwest League. It didn’t take long for fans and viewers alike to realize something wasn’t quite right. From his first pitch Quick had trouble finding the strikezone, as he walked two of the first three hitters of the game. Although they caught a runner stealing and he struck out the other two in the first, it took him 24 total pitches. In the top of the second TinCaps took a 1-0 lead after a pair of doubles to start the inning, and eagle-eyed fans (or me watching on MiLB.TV) were probably noticing at this point that Quick was paying a lot of attention to his pitching hand while out on the mound. He picked up another strikeout on a 96 MPH fastball at the top of the zone, but that was followed by a pair of uncompetitive walks before the pitching coach and trainers came out to check on him. After 46 pitches, with only 21 going for strikes (46%), Quick exited the game while the Kernels had nobody getting loose in the bullpen. I’d guess he was dealing with something like a blister that just didn’t allow him to pitch the way he wanted to. Bummer. He finished just 1 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run on two hits and four walks, while striking out three. Christian Becerra took all the time he needed to warm up, and got the final out of the inning after walking the first man he faced. Jason Doktorczyzk, originally scheduled to piggy-back Quick’s outing, came on to start the third inning and went the next five frames, holding down the TinCaps. He was charged with a lone run from a solo homer, walked one, and struck out three. With the score in favor of Fort Way 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth, the Kernels finally got on the scoreboard after Yasser Mercedes led off the inning with a walk. He proceeded to steal second and third base, before Rayne Doncon brought him in with an RBI single to pull within one. The score remained that way until the bottom of the seventh inning, when big man Brandon Winokur stepped up to the plate with two outs. He delivered his league leading 17th hit of the month, a solo shot over the wall in center field to tie the game at two. It was his fourth home run of the season. Before the crowd had even calmed down, Eduardo Tait followed with his sixth blast, a mammoth shot deep to the same area of the field to take the lead. Righty Nick Trabacchi relieved Doktorczyk to begin the eighth and struck out the side, before also setting them down in order in the ninth to pick up his first save of the season. In addition to the home runs from Winokur and Tait, Jaime Ferrer (2-for-4) and Doncon (2-for-4, 2B, RBI) had multiple hits to lead the way. The Kernels pitching staff, despite the worrisome start from Quick, held the TinCaps to just three hits, and they had just two-at bats with runners in scoring position for the game. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 7, Bradenton 8 (10 innings) Box Score Starting pitcher Reed Moring came into the game looking to keep his perfect 0.00 ERA intact on the season. When he was done his 19 1/3 scoreless innings to begin the year became the fifth longest streak of any kind in Mighty Mussels franchise history. He did have to work a bit for it, and get some help, as he allowed five hits in his three innings, while not walking or striking out anybody. A throwing error of his own led to an unearned run in the second inning. In the bottom of the third he escaped a leadoff triple without allowing a run as he and the catcher were able to nab the runner at home on a pitch that got away. Fort Myers scored first in the top of the second thanks to an RBI single from Quentin Young to score Ramiro Dominguez, who had led off with a double. Matthew DesMarets followed Moring and allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits in his two innings. He walked two and struck out one. Xavier Kolhosser (2 1/3 IP, ER, 2 BB, 5 K) and Brian Zeldin (1 2/3 IP, H, ER, 3 K) got the Mighty Mussels through regulation. In the top of the sixth Fort Myers took a 6-4 lead by sending all nine hitters to the plate. Ryan Sprock led off with a double before Young hit his third home run of the season. Quinn McDaniel followed with a single and scored on a double from Harry Genth to tie it at four. Genth scored on a ground out from Bruin Agbayani before Henry Kusiak delivered an RBI double, his third of the season, to pull ahead by two. The Marauders tied the game at six in the eighth inning, and in the top of the 10th the good guys scored the Manfred Man on a sac fly from McDaniel for the one-run lead. Michael Hilker took the mound in the bottom half, and a leadoff single quickly tied the game, a double put the winning run on third, and a one-out single walked it off for Bradenton. Kusiak (3-for-5, 2 2B, RBI, K) and Young (3-for-5, R, HR, 3 RBI) each had three hits. Smith, Sprock, and McDaniel also chipped in two hits apiece. Despite losing in the run column, the Mighty Mussels outhit the Marauders 16-13 on the game. COMPLEX CHRONICLES Monday: FCL Twins 5, FCL Orioles 3 (7 innings) Box Score The Twins took an early lead in this one and held on late. Miguel Caraballo got it started with a double and was driven in later by Yovanny Duran for a 1-0 lead. Duran then stole all three bases to make it 2-0 (double-steal to take home). Right-hander Cory Lewis continued his rehab assignment by starting this one. He finished 2 1/3 innings, allowing one run (unearned) on two hits and two walks while striking out four. Santiago Rojas went the next 3 2/3 innings, giving up one earned run on two hits and two walks. He struck out three. Brad Rudis threw the final inning to pick up the save. He gave up one run on two hits and struck out one. The Twins added a single run in the sixth inning thanks to an RBI double from Victor Leal. In the top of the seventh Jhomnardo Reyes hit a solo homer, and Darwin Almanzar an RBI single to account for all the scoring. Tuesday: FCL Twins 8, FCL Rays 10 Box Score The Twins again jumped on opposing pitching, plating five runs over the first two innings, but they weren’t able to hold up in this one. A leadoff triple from Merphy Hernandez got the game started, and he was brought in by a sac fly from Caraballo. In the top of the second an RBI single from Joyner Perez, bases loaded wild pitch, and two-RBI single from Caraballo put them up 5-0. The rehabbing Garrett Horn kept the Rays off the scoreboard for the first three innings. He allowed just one hit, walked two, and struck out three. The Rays got to Twins pitchers Julian Merryweather (2/3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER) and Cristian Hernandez (2 2/3 IP, 3 H, 5 R (4 earned), 4 BB, 3 K) in the fourth and fifth innings. Carter Holjes got the final out of the fourth but allowed two hits. Yoel Roque got the final four outs, allowing one earned run on two hits. The Twins lineup scored two in the top of the sixth after a leadoff triple from Yilber Herrera. He was driven in by a single from Jose Barrios, who later scored on a pickle-play that ended the inning. In the top of the seventh a bases loaded walk to Barrios got the Twins within one, but that would be it. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – John Klein, St. Paul Saints (3 IP, H, ER, 5 K) Hitter of the Day – Quentin Young, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (3-for-5, R, HR, 3 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul): Injured List #2 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul): 1-for-3, 2 R, RBI, BB, K #3 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul): Injured List #4 - LHP Connor Prielipp (Minnesota): Did Not Pitch #5 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-3, R, HR (6), RBI, BB #6 - LHP Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids): Did Not Pitch. #7 - SS Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-5, K #8 - RHP Riley Quick (Cedar Rapids): 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, ER, 4 BB, 3 K #9 - LHP Kendry Rojas (Minnesota): Did Not Pitch. #10 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul): 0-for-4, R, BB, 2 K #11 - RHP Charlee Soto (Cedar Rapids): Injured List #12 - RHP Andrew Morris (Minnesota): Did Not Pitch #13 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul): 2-for-4, BB #14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Fort Myers): 3-for-5, R, HR (3), 3 RBI #15 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-2, R, HR (4), RBI, 2 BB, K #16 - RHP Ryan Gallagher (St. Paul): Did Not Pitch #17 - RHP C.J. Culpepper (St. Paul): Did Not Pitch #18 - RHP James Ellwanger (Fort Myers): Injured List #19 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids): Did Not Play. #20 - 2B/OF Kyle DeBarge (Wichita): 0-for-3, R, BB, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Columbus @ St. Paul (6:37 PM CDT) - RHP Trent Baker (2-2, 8.82 ERA) Wichita @ San Antonio (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Eli Jones (0-0, -.-- ERA, Double-A debut) Fort Wayne @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Miguelangel Boadas (0-0, -.-- ERA) Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 PM CDT) - RHP Merit Jones (0-1, 2.63 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View the full article

The numbers are a bit deceiving. The Cubs entered their series in Smyrna, Georgia Tuesday night with the third-most runs per game in the league so far this season, but that doesn't feel like an accurate depiction of the quality of their lineup. They've benefited, within one quarter of the campaign, from seeing a few teams overwhelmed by pitching problems. They've benefited, too, from loud hot streaks by Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ. They were a bit over their skis. Over the last three days, though, they've been exposed—and, of course, suffered disproportionately, just as they thrived disproportionately at other points. Alex Bregman hit a very timely home run to give the team a short-lived lead Tuesday night, but they eventually lost, 5-2, and Bregman's homer was the only hit they mustered. They're struggling. Since hitting his last home run on April 21, Nico Hoerner is batting .205/.280/.274. Dansby Swanson is 6-for-39 in May, with just one extra-base hit, and his walk rate has tapered off, too. Bregman entered Tuesday with a .661 OPS for the season, and Pete Crow-Armstrong's is on the wrong side of .700, too. Those four players will be in the lineup just about every day, though, as much for their defense and intangibles as for their bats. When they flounder the way they have of late, therefore, Craig Counsell has to look for ways to make up for them. On Tuesday night, that took the form of a second start behind the plate this year for Moisés Ballesteros. When Ballesteros catches, Michael Conforto can serve as the designated hitter, putting both of them in the lineup without taking out any of Happ, Seiya Suzuki or Michael Busch. It's a way to trade some run prevention for run production, and given the way Miguel Amaya is playing, it's a reasonable thing to try. Unfortunately, Ballesteros is hitting a bit below his best, too. He's 2-for-30 in May and hitless in his last 21 at-bats. He hit into tough luck Tuesday night in the shadows of the freeway, next to the outlet mall, with a 106-MPH lineout and a 107-MPH fielder's choice, but both were playable because they were hit too low. Worse, he's still looking like a shaky defensive catcher, struggling to navigate tough spots for his pitchers; framing poorly; and wasting challenges early in the game, as he did in the bottom of the first Tuesday. Conforto is the offensive bright spot for the team right now. He probably won't produce power all season to match the binge he's been on lately, but hitting the ball hard is just part of his early success. He's also dramatically reduced his swing rate this year, leading to a walk rate over 18%. Last season (and throughout his long career), Conforto maintained roughly a 45% overall swing rate, with good discipline outside the zone. This season, though, he's ratcheted that all the way up. His chase rate (the percentage of pitches outside the zone at which he swings) is all the way down to 16.4%, without a concomitant loss of swing rate inside the zone. His overall swing rate is down to 39%. He's honed his swing to catch the barrel within the zone, and isn't worrying about whiffs on the rare occasions when he does chase. The slightly smaller zone this year, thanks to the implementation of ABS, has been a boon to Conforto. He won't be able to sustain his extraordinary plate discipline, either, but he should be able to hold onto enough of it to keep getting on base well. That makes it very tempting, for Counsell, to look for ways to get both Conforto and Ballesteros into the lineup at the same time. There just isn't a good one. Conforto is a markedly worse defender in each outfield corner than Happ or Suzuki, and anyway, those two are impending free agents who rightfully want to be in the lineup every day. Politically and logistically, the only viable way to play both Conforto and Ballesteros regularly is to have Ballesteros get some reps behind the plate. Gambits like that don't often pay off, and this one didn't on Tuesday. Counsell might continue trying it from time to time, though—at least until one or two of his four slumping stars get going again. Managers have to make tradeoffs, and the Cubs might have to give up a few extra runs as they fight to score more consistently in the weeks ahead. View the full article

While both parties promise packed game-day atmospheres and nonstop baseball conversation, one giveaway in particular is already creating buzz among Twins fans, as they'll have the chance to win exclusive 2026 Twins Daily Social Club Winter Meltdown pint glasses at both locations! The Twins Daily Winter Meltdown pint glass has become one of the most beloved traditions in the Twins Daily community over the years. Designed annually by Brock Beauchamp, each glass captures the mood, storylines, and emotions surrounding a particular Twins season – from playoff heartbreak and injury-riddled years to postseason breakthroughs and fan-favorite moments. What started as a fun giveaway at the original Winter Meltdown has evolved into a true collector’s item for dedicated Twins fans. The glasses are only available through Twins Daily events, making them a unique piece of Twins baseball history that fans look forward to every offseason. At both events, raffle giveaways will be front and center throughout the night. Twins fans will have opportunities to win the limited-edition Twins Daily Social Club Winter Meltdown pint glass – a must-have collectible for longtime Twins Daily supporters and Winter Meltdown attendees. The dual-city celebration begins in Minneapolis at Smorgie’s from 4–5:30 p.m. before the Twins and Brewers square off at Target Field. Then, once the game gets underway, the action shifts east to Milwaukee for a full watch party at Broken Bat Brewing from 5:30–9 p.m. Brewers and Twins fans alike are invited to settle in for the matchup while enjoying contests, prizes, baseball chatter, and one of the most unique baseball-themed brewery environments around. More than anything, the May 16 events are about bringing baseball fans together. Whether you are heading to the game in Minneapolis, watching from Milwaukee, or simply looking for a fun place to spend a Saturday night with fellow baseball fans, these parties are shaping up to be some of the most energetic fan gatherings of the season. Two cities. Two parties. One unforgettable night of baseball. MPLS PREGAME PARTY DETAILS What: Minneapolis Pregame Party Cost: Free Where: Smorgie’s, 508 N 1st Ave, Minneapolis When: 5/16/26 4:30-5 pm MILWAUKEE WATCH PARTY DETAILS What: Milwaukee Watch Party Cost: Free When: 5/16/26 5:30-9 pm View the full article

Salvador Perez didn’t play in the Kansas City Royals' game against Detroit on Sunday night. Instead, he watched from Kauffman Stadium's home dugout as their 6-3 loss prevented the Royals from drawing within a game of first place in the American League Central, a position their poor start to the season had rendered almost unthinkable not that long ago. Whether the Royals would have won Sunday’s game but for Perez’s conspicuous absence will never be known. That he’d hit in the critical cleanup spot in all but one of his 39 appearances this year, and through Sunday was tied for the second-most home runs (five) and third-most RBI (17) on the club, suggests his presence might have made a difference. But those counting stats, and where Perez usually bats, don’t tell the whole story. Other important measures of his performance suggest he hits too high in the order, and his impact may, in his 15th big league season, be on the wane. Those metrics (more on them in a moment) paint the grim picture that the years may be about to overcome and pass the nine-time All-Star by, and that KC fans should enjoy him while they can. They also raise this question: Should the “Salvador Perez Watch” begin? Salvador Perez is Slumping Badly With the Royals Although the bulk of the regular campaign lies ahead, some key metrics prove just how bad Perez's season has been. Through Sunday, and after playing 39 of his team’s 41 games, he was hitting only .182 in 52 plate appearances with runners in scoring position; at .192, his season average wasn't much better. His OPS+ was a dreary 55, his wRC+ a shockingly low and unacceptable 47. With a pesky hip issue the apparent culprit, Perez hasn’t caught since May 1 or appeared at first base since the day before that. That manager Matt Quatraro keeps him in the lineup and bats him fourth tends to belie the notion that Perez's hip problem contributes significantly to his hitting woes; nevertheless, entering Tuesday’s series opener against the White Sox in Chicago, he was homerless and slashing .107/.188/.107 since moving exclusively (at least temporarily) to less physically taxing DH duty. On the brighter side, Perez was hitting .236 over his last 14 games, but that’s still almost 30 points below his .263 career average and hardly provides reason to believe a major turnaround is imminent. Defensively, his work behind the plate has been serviceable, but falls short of the high expectations his five Gold Gloves create. Yes, he's an outstanding ABS challenger — through Sunday, his 11.9 Overturns vs. Expected ranked fourth among major league catchers, and his 41.2 caught stealing percentage was well above league average. But Perez's blocking remains average at best, and his subpar framing continues. His play at first base hasn't been stellar, but Quatraro has deployed him there only three times this season. Is Salvador Perez Nearing the End of his Royals Career? This is a question frequently posed over the past few seasons. And while Perez eventually answered it with a resounding “No,” he finished the 2025 season with 30 homers and 100 RBI, and the 2024 campaign with 27 homers, 104 RBI, his ninth All-Star berth, and his fifth Silver Slugger — things might be different now. For one, an obvious heir apparent to Perez has finally emerged. Accustomed to sharing time behind the plate only with backups with no realistic chances of taking his job, Perez must now relinquish more time to Carter Jensen, whose flashy final-month call-up last season yielded a 20-game .300/.391/.550 line and locked in a 2026 big league roster spot. Jensen’s defense has its good and not-so-good components, and as a rookie, he has plenty of time to hone his skills. Offensively, Jensen was leading the club through Sunday in home runs with six and RBI with 18. At least until Royals Keep No. 4 prospect and High-A backstop Blake Mitchell advances far enough to prove otherwise, Jensen is KC’s catcher of the future. Then there’s the matter of Perez's contract. Rather than taking the conservative approach by picking up his club option after last season, the Royals gave him a new two-year deal. With much of the money apparently deferred and no apparent club, player, or mutual option at its expiration, the terms hint at the possible end of the road for Perez, which makes sense because he’ll be 38 with 17 major league seasons behind him when the deal ends. But that hint of things to come isn’t definitive. Things could change. Perez might defy the years once again and merit a shot at playing in 2028. Or his present slump may be the biggest sign yet that retirement is closer than we’d like it to be. Should the “Salvador Perez Watch” begin? We should know soon enough. View the full article

On Saturday, May 16, Brewer Fanatic and Twins Daily are teaming up for dual fan events in Milwaukee and Minneapolis, and the centerpiece of the Milwaukee celebration is an exclusive co-branded Brewer Fanatic and Broken Bat Brewery pint glass giveaway. The watch party at Broken Bat Brewing gives Brewers fans the perfect place to gather, grab a beer, and watch the crew take on the Twins surrounded by fellow fans. And this will not be your average brewery watch party. Brewer Fanatic is bringing giveaways, contests, baseball conversation, and a packed game-night atmosphere designed specifically for Brewers fans who want to celebrate together. Even better? Your first beer of the night is free! Meanwhile, if you'll be in Minnesota for the big game, we'll host a simultaneous pregame party at Smorgie’s in Minneapolis, just two blocks from Target Field. Smorgie’s famous happy hour, which is 2-4-1 drinks, will be extended just for our event. On top of that, there will be $5 Summit Twins Pilsener, Summit EPA, and Firestone Walker 805 Blonde. At both parties, one of the biggest attractions of the night will be the raffles and giveaways happening throughout the event. Fans in attendance will have chances to win the limited-edition Brewer Fanatic x Broken Bat Brewery pint glass – a collectible Brewers fans will definitely want to add to their shelf, bar setup, or game-day collection. Additional prizes will include gift cards and other baseball-themed giveaways throughout the evening. So throw on your Brewers gear, bring your friends, and get ready for a Saturday night filled with baseball, beer, giveaways, and one of the best fan atmospheres Milwaukee has to offer. MILWAUKEE WATCH PARTY DETAILS What: Milwaukee Watch Party Cost: Free Where: Broken Bat Brewery, 135 E Pittsburgh Ave, Milwaukee When: 5/16/26 5:30-9 pm MPLS PREGAME PARTY DETAILS What: Minneapolis Pregame Party Cost: Free Where: Smorgie’s, 508 N 1st Ave, Minneapolis When: 5/16/26 4:30-5 pm View the full article

The Kansas City Royals have crawled back into the AL Central race, even though they lost to the White Sox on Tuesday, falling to 19-23 and three games back of the division-leading Cleveland Guardians. The offense has looked much better in May, ranking 15th in wRC+ as of May 12th. That is much better than their 20th-place ranking in March/April, according to Fangraphs. Overall, the offense ranks 18th in OBP, 17th in home runs, 14th in batting average, and 12th in OPS (though they rank 24th in runs). That is certainly serviceable, especially in a weak AL Central division. The starting pitching has been decent as well, though not as elite as in years past. They rank 10th in starter ERA, 13th in K/9, 9th in H/9, 11th in HR/9, and 18th in WHIP. The one blemish is they rank 27th in BB/9 (though most of those struggles seem to be tied to Cole Ragans). The main weak point of this team right now is the bullpen. The Royals bullpen currently ranks 26th in ERA and WHIP, 28th in BB/9, 20th in K/9, and 23rd in HR/9. The strikeouts are nice, but the walks, ERA, and WHIP leave a bit to be desired. Kansas City has also had a propensity to blow close games in big spots, with Matt Strahm giving up a home run to White Sox pinch hitter Derek Hill that ended up being the difference in the South Siders 6-5 victory over the Royals (Chicago now leads the season series 3-2). data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== It's likely that Kansas City will improve its bullpen at some point with a trade or two. However, we are probably at least a month away from that happening, especially with so many teams still in the American League playoff hunt. That said, the Royals could make a few internal moves to improve their bullpen production in both the short and long term (i.e., beyond 2026). Here are three scenarios that could happen in Kansas City that could possibly turn around the Royals' bullpen woes to begin the season. Piggyback Bailey Falter with Noah Cameron It's been a tough start for Cameron, as he has a 5.55 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in 35.2 IP this season. That said, his FIP is 4.32, which is just 14 points higher than a year ago, and his K/BB ratio is 2.29, not terribly lower than the 2.65 ratio he posted a season ago. His Statcast percentiles are decent as well, albeit a bit flawed in certain categories, especially barrel rate and groundball rate, as seen below. The main issue with Cameron is that he has struggled this year when he faces a lineup a second time around. His ERA against hitters the first time through a lineup is 2.35. Against a lineup a second time, however? It's 9.00 ERA. Thus, the Royals would benefit from having a quick hook with Cameron, even if it may only be four to five innings. A pitcher they could piggyback Cameron with is Bailey Falter, whose rehab stint with the Storm Chasers is set to expire soon. That means they need to decide whether to return him to the active roster or designate him for assignment (he's out of Minor League options). In 13 IP with the Storm Chasers, Falter is posting a 2.77 ERA, 1.92 FIP, and 1.15 WHIP with a 35.2% K% and 29.6% K-BB%. Additionally, the Statcast percentiles have also been impressive from Falter in Omaha. What makes Falter a nice complement with Cameron is that Falter's fastball is a much better offering than Cameron's, which can throw hitters off who may be more used to Cameron's lower-quality four-seamer. Cameron's four-seamer has a 93 TJ Stuff+ while Falter's four-seamer has a 104 TJ Stuff+ in Omaha. That's a dramatic change, and opposing managers can't make changes with the bench hitter-wise, since Falter is also a lefty. Another positive aspect with Falter and Cameron paired together is that Falter has excellent extension while Cameron...doesn't. Falter's average extension (7.3) is over a foot more than Cameron's (6.2). That makes things tougher for opposing hitters, who see the same release point and arm slot, but are greeted with much different extension with Falter in relief. Below is a compilation of clips of their pitching motions and how they can be tough for opposing hitters when facing Cameron and Falter back-to-back in a game. Falter has struggled with the Royals, posting an 11.25 ERA in 12 IP with Kansas City in 2025 after coming over from Pittsburgh, and a 13.50 ERA in 3.1 IP this year before hitting the IL with elbow soreness. However, his four-seamer TJ Stuff+ is up four points in Omaha from his time with the Royals earlier in 2026. Thus, it seems like Falter may be fully ready to go, and he could be a nice bullpen piece to relieve Cameron, who can go two to three innings, depending on the situation. Promote Beck Way, Designate Alex Lange for Assignment The Royals acquired Lange from the Tigers after Lange was designated for assignment this offseason. A former closer, Kansas City was hoping that Lange would find the form that helped him save 26 games and post a 3.68 ERA in 2023. Unfortunately, that just hasn't been the case for Lange in his return to his hometown team (he grew up in Lee's Summit). In 16 outings and 18.2 IP, Lange has a 5.79 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. He has a decent K% at 24.4%, but his BB% is 15.9%, which ranks in the bottom fifth percentile. He is also posting an 8.5% K-BB%, which further illustrates his command inconsistency on the mound this year. Many of his other percentiles haven't been impressive either, as illustrated below. Right now, Lange appears to be a project for pitching coaches Brian Sweeney and Mike McFerran. That said, at 30 years old, I'm not sure he's a project worth holding onto much longer, especially with him out of Minor League options. If the Royals are looking for a project reliever, they may call up Way to replace Lange in the bullpen. The former Yankees pitching prospect's ERA is high at 4.43, but his WHIP is reasonable at 1.25, and his FIP and K-BB% are impressive at 2.16 and 24%, respectively. Furthermore, his Statcast percentile looks significantly better than Lange's. While Way is in Triple-A and Lange is in the Majors, there are certain things that could transition well for Way. Way throws strikes (51.7% zone rate), limits barrels (1.8%), generates groundballs (55.4%), and gets CSW (32.7%) and strikeouts (32.3%). He also has elite secondaries, with cutter, sweeper, and changeup all having TJ Stuff+ numbers of 107 or higher. Way is far from a sure thing, and it's taken a while for him to get to this level. He had a 6.87 ERA in 38 IP in Omaha last year and went unselected in last year's Rule 5 Draft (relievers tend to be the ones most selected). Thus, he could struggle in his promotion to the Major Leagues. That said, with Way being four years younger than Lange, I think Way is a project worth taking a chance on and being patient with, rather than Lange, who pretty much is who he is at this point (and unfortunately, that's a middling, mop-up man reliever). Give Mason Black the John Schreiber Role Like Lange, Schreiber doesn't have it this year, and it may be the end of Schreiber's time as a key bullpen piece in Kansas City. Schreiber's ERA is decent at 3.38, and he has looked better in recent outings. Conversely, he has more walks than strikeouts (-4.3 K-BB%), a 5.90 FIP and 1.44 WHIP, and, overall, meager Statcast percentiles, to put it nicely. Schreiber's surface-level metrics are serviceable for now. That said, he's due for regression, as the strike and batted-ball data illustrate that he's going to have a hard time preventing runs long-term. Therefore, the Royals ought to look to trade or release Schreiber and replace him with Mason Black, whose pitching MO seems similar to Schreiber's, but who is much younger and has better strikeout stuff. Black is not a strikeout guy, but 22.7% K% is considerably better than Schreiber's. The former San Francisco Giant also does a good job minimizing hard hits and exit velocity on batted balls, though Black's groundball ability is not nearly as good as Schreiber's. Here's a breakdown of Black's Statcast profile this year, based on his limited MLB sample. There are some concerns with Black: his TJ Stuff+ is actually worse than Schreiber's, and his barrel rate (13.3% allowed) considerably lags behind Schreiber's (5.8%). However, Black's 52nd percentile extension is intriguing, and he is also a sinker-slider-focused pitcher. Thus, I wonder if Black was unlucky in generating groundballs in his first stint with the Royals and could be much better with some tweaks and more innings of work at the Major League level. Unfortunately, the groundball rate in Omaha has been pretty meager, based on his Triple-A Statcast percentile. That said, he was much better at generating strikes and chases with the Storm Chasers, as seen below. I'm not sure the Royals would or should DFA Schreiber right away for a Black promotion. If Schreiber continues to trend upward, he may be a nice trade asset to a team that is desperate for bullpen help in June or July. However, I believe that Black is similar in mold to Schreiber and could replace his spot in the bullpen easily, especially since Schreiber is not getting as many high-leverage spots as a year ago. Schreiber has been more of a mop-up man who comes in early with big leads or when the Royals are behind. If that's the role available, Black would probably be a better, more high-upside option in those spots than Schreiber, who's not just 32 years old, but also costing the Royals $3.715 million this year and will be a free agent after this season anyway. At the very least, Black has more of a long-term future with Kansas City than Schreiber, especially with the latter's struggles in control this year. View the full article

After more than eight years together as members of the Miami Marlins organization, former team president David Samson and All-Star reliever AJ Ramos reconnect on Fish Unfiltered! Along with Isaac Azout, they discuss the outlook of this year's team (on and off the field), the highs and lows of Samson's tenure in the front office from 2002-2017, why it's uniquely challenging to build a fanbase in Florida and much more. You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Samson helped orchestrate the sale of the Marlins franchise to Bruce Sherman's ownership group in 2017. Then in 2019, he debuted his own podcast, Nothing Personal with David Samson, which focuses primarily on sports business. View the full article

While there hasn’t been much going right for the Boston Red Sox so far this season, arguably the biggest bright spot has been Wilyer Abreu. Defensively, Abreu has been his usual self by making amazing catches in right field to help prevent runs from scoring. He’s well on his way to winning his third straight Gold Glove this season, but that shouldn’t surprise anyone. Yet the best part of his 2026 season has been that the platoon training wheels have now been taken off, and he’s finally able to fully showcase what he’s capable of doing on the offensive side of the baseball. As of the week of May 11, Abreu is slashing .295/.377/.473 with a .375 wOBA, 134 wRC+, and 1.4 fWAR over 39 games. He’s launched six home runs, stolen three bases, and added 18 RBIs to his ledger. Dive a bit deeper, and we can see that Abreu has been absolutely dominant against left-handed pitchers. He’s come up to bat 48 times against southpaws and is slashing .372/.417/.488 with a .400 wOBA and 150 wRC+. He’s only hit one home run and has five RBIs when hitting against same-handed pitchers, but he’s getting on base at a massive clip and that puts him in position to score runs. We’re seeing a few different factors that contribute to his success against lefties at the plate. First, Abreu has actually slowed down his bat speed from last season from 74.1 MPH to 73.6 MPH. While this isn’t a huge change, it’s enough that it’s allowing him to leave the head of his bat in the zone for longer. He’s squaring up 30.8% of all of his swings this season, good for the second-best rate in his career. The bat speed isn’t the only difference this season, though. He’s currently standing the shallowest he’s ever been in the box at 29.6”, up from 31.4” when he entered the league in 2023. He’s widened his stance from 30.6” last season to 33.3” this season and has opened up his stance by three degrees from 25 degrees open to 28 degrees open. What explains his uptick across the board against southpaws though is that he’s now standing 27.3” off the plate. This, along with his slightly slower swing, allows for the sweet spot of his bat to travel through the zone for longer. While we haven’t quite seen the power he's accustomed to, he’s hitting screaming line drives into gaps that allow him to reach extra bases. The one knock against his new mechanics is that he’s lowered his attack angle from nine degrees last year to seven degrees this year while upping his tilt from 31 degrees to 33 degrees. In a perfect world, that slight change in tilt would force Abreu to get the ball in the air more, but his attack angle is forcing the ball to play lower once it leaves his bat. He’s also altered his attack direction from one degree to the pull-side to one degree to the opposite field. We all know that playing in Fenway Park for left-handed hitters means that to become great at home, you need to become friends with The Green Monster and learn how to use it. The stats show us that Abreu, while not quite driving the ball to the Monster, is at least starting to spray hits to left field. As he finds a harmony between his new mechanics, then we’ll likely start to see him punish the Monster when he’s not pulling home runs to the bullpen at home. This season almost felt like a make-or-break season for Wilyer Abreu, even with his defensive accomplishments. We needed to see him take multiple at-bats against left-handed pitchers and perform well in those situations. So far, so good on that front. In fact, he’s been outstanding. The Red Sox are underperforming, but so is pretty much the entire American League. If Abreu stays hot, he can be the spark that finally gets this team out of the gutter. Maybe it’s even time to re-explore those extension talks from last season, but that’s a conversation for another day. View the full article

Before the 2026 season, Jesús Sánchez generated a .181 ISO in his six-year MLB career. That ISO ranks in the 66th percentile among the 382 hitters with at least 1,000 plate appearances during that period. Accordingly, it is easy to understand why the Blue Jays would be interested in Sánchez’s power. Despite his history, Sánchez has not delivered the expected power so far this season. After the May 10 game against the Angels, his ISO was .157, above the .148 MLB average. However, that .157 includes his home run when he faced second baseman, Adam Frazier, who entered the May 9 game in the eighth inning as a fill-in pitcher for the Angels with Toronto holding a 10-1 lead. Before May 9, Sánchez's ISO was .140, which was below expectations. Overall, his 2026 wRC+ is 87, but his .318 xwOBA corresponds with a 100 wRC+. Therefore, it appears that Lady Luck has not looked favourably upon Sánchez thus far this season. Could luck be a factor that explains the ISO drop from the pre-2026 version of Sánchez? No, there are other aspects to consider, which are as follows: Chasing Contact Sprint Speed Bat Tracking The best way to address Sánchez’s power loss is to lay out the data all at once. Yes, table time! In fact, two tables! Table 1 shows the ISO (SLG minus BA) and xISO (xSLG minus xBA) for Sánchez for 2026 and for the 2023-2025 period, in total and by zone. The shadow zone is the width of two baseballs: one baseball lies in the strike zone, and one baseball is outside. Also, observe that Sánchez’s xISO has consistently exceeded his ISO, suggesting that perhaps Lady Luck (a positive xISO-ISO delta) does not explain the 2026 ISO underperformance. Table 2 displays his swing rate and chase rate by attack zone. Now to the analysis! Table 1 All Zones In-Zone Out-of-Zone Heart Zone Shadow Zone Chase Zone xISO Sánchez - 2026 0.169 0.202 0.113 0.163 0.215 0.059 Sánchez - 2023 to 2025 0.211 0.291 0.044 0.373 0.133 0.030 MLB - 2023 to 2025 0.167 0.210 0.053 0.258 0.117 0.023 ISO Sánchez - 2026 0.157 0.158 0.156 0.093 0.207 0.176 Sánchez - 2023 to 2025 0.172 0.231 0.048 0.294 0.112 0.039 MLB - 2023 to 2025 0.159 0.198 0.056 0.241 0.116 0.026 Source: Baseball Savant. Sánchez's 2026 data is as of May 10. Table 2 Swing% Contact% Heart Shadow Chase Waste Heart Shadow Chase Waste Sánchez - 2026 76.9 64.9 36.0 12.8 84.3 81.5 69.4 0.0 Sánchez - 2023 to 2025 76.6 56.1 27.6 12.1 86.3 73.5 44.6 8.6 MLB - 2023 to 2025 75.8 57.0 27.3 10.8 86.5 73.4 45.8 7.2 MLB ISO - 2023 to 2025 0.241 0.116 0.026 0.001 Source: Baseball Savant. Sánchez's 2026 data is as of May 5. Chasing Contact Sánchez has increased both the rate at which he swings at pitches and the rate at which he makes contact this season compared to the 2023-2025 period. Overall, his 2026 swing rate and contact rate are 54.5% and 77.6%, respectively, which are higher than his 50.5% swing rate and 73.1% contact rate during the 2023-2025 period. One of the benefits of a higher contact rate is a lower K%: Sánchez’s 2026 strikeout rate is 20.3%, lower than his 2023-2025 24.9% strikeout rate. Unsurprisingly, the higher swing rate and contact rate this season have led to a lower walk rate (4.5%) than during the 2023-2025 seasons (8.4%). Furthermore, Sánchez’s average 2026 bat speed is 73.0 mph (62nd percentile), which is slower than his 2025 mark of 75.9 mph (93rd percentile). A reduced bat speed is consistent with a batter who wants to increase his contact rate. However, the higher swing rate and contact rate have resulted in lower ISO and xISO numbers. As Table 2 shows, his swing rates have risen in the non-power zones: shadow, chase, and waste. Under the Contact% numbers, note the average ISO numbers for the four zones. On average, hitters generate more power on pitches in the heart zone than in the shadow, chase, and waste zones. From a contact perspective, the higher contact rates in the shadow and chase zones have contributed to Sánchez’s 2026 power decline. To illustrate this point, I recalculated Sánchez’s 2026 ISO and xISO using his 2023-2025 swing rates and his 2026 contact rates. Also, I held the total number of swings in 2026 constant and applied the relevant 2026 ISO/xISO per-swing numbers. In other words, based on the swing-rate differences between the 2023-2025 seasons and 2026, I transferred 18 swings from the waste, the chase, and the outer part of the shadow zone to the heart zone and the inner part of the shadow zone. I performed a similar transfer from the out-of-zone swings to the in-zone swings. The results of the calculation are not surprising. If Sánchez had his 2023-2025 swing rates, combined with his 2026 contact rates, his 2026 ISO would be .160, instead of .157. His 2026 xISO would rise from .169 to .182. As a check, I performed the same calculation using the gameday zones (in and out of the strike zone), and the results were identical (.160 ISO and .182 xISO). In summary, part of the reason Sánchez’s ISO and xISO numbers are below his 2023-2025 marks is that he is swinging too much and making more contact in the non-power zones (shadow, chase, and waste). Sprint Speed The second piece of the puzzle. Extra-base hits include doubles, triples, and home runs. Given that Sánchez has averaged less than two triples per season, he is not a triples threat. Accordingly, I will focus on home runs and doubles. So far in 2026, Sánchez has hit a home run every 24.2 at-bats, better than he did during the 2023-2025 period (every 28.3 at-bats). The MLB average from 2023 to 2025 was one homer every 29.0 at-bats. Historically, Sánchez has hit a home run at a slightly faster pace than the MLB average. Therefore, his power decline is reflected in his doubles. His at-bats divided by doubles rates are 15.7, 19.6 and 21.5 in 2023, 2024, and 2025, respectively. The 2023-2025 MLB average is 18.8 at-bats per double. Thus far in 2026, Sánchez’s doubles rate is one double every 30.3 at-bats. One reason his doubles rate has declined could be his diminished foot speed. His sprint speed percentile rankings are 54th, 46th, 40th, and 18th in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, respectively. Because foot speed and hitting with power contribute to producing doubles, Sánchez’s sprint speed decline could be a reason his rate of hitting doubles has dropped. Bat Tracking A barreled ball is determined by a combination of exit velocity and launch angle. During the 2023-2025 period, Sánchez had above-average barrel rates, both in barrels/BBE (batted ball event) and in barrels/PA (plate appearance). Thus far in 2026, his barrels/BBE rate is 7.2%, down from 11.8% during 2023-2025. The MLB average is 8.2%. Concerning his barrels/PA rate, he posted a 7.8% in 2023-2025, higher than 2026’s 5.3%. The MLB average was 5.5%. What is going on? It is not the 98-mph exit velocity requirement for a batted ball. Concerning batted balls meeting the 98 mph or faster requirement, Sánchez’s 2026 rate (37%) is similar to his 2023-2025 rate (39%). Therefore, the reduced 2026 barrel rates must be due to a lower rate of batted balls that meet the launch angle requirement. What could explain the lower rate of required launch angle on batted balls that would otherwise be barreled balls? It could be a notable change in Sánchez’s ideal attack angle, but his 2026 overall ideal attack angle rate is 48.9%, a tick lower than his 49.1% rate during the 2023-2025 period. Given that there is only a minor change in this area, Sánchez’s underlying swing mechanics do not explain the reduced barrel rates. Unfortunately, I do not have any insights into the reduced barrel rates beyond the issue of small sample size, which is a legitimate explanation. Thus far in 2026, Sánchez has barreled seven pitches out of 97 batted ball events. If he had four more barreled balls, his 2026 barrel rates would be like those of the 2023-2025 period. Do not despair. The small sample is a positive indicator. Given Sánchez’s ideal attack angle history and his above-average exit velocity record, he should start to barrel balls at a rate consistent with the 2023-2025 period. The Last Word Before joining the Toronto Blue Jays, Jesús Sánchez was a hitter with above-average power. However, thus far this season, his power production has been below expectations. Many factors help explain Sánchez’s reduced power numbers. The primary reason is higher swing and contact rates in zones that typically produce lower power numbers (for example, the shadow and chase zones). Another cause is a decline in foot speed. The final factor is the small size of the sample. Hence, for the balance of the 2026 season, with more plate discipline (by chasing less) and a regression to his historical barrel rates and bat tracking metrics, Sánchez should return to his previous status as the power hitter the Blue Jays thought they were acquiring before this season began. View the full article

Over his two stints with the Florida Marlins, Charles Johnson won four Gold Gloves and was a two-time All-Star. One of the best in baseball behind the plate, Johnson came through clutch at it on this day 25 years ago. One night after catching A.J. Burnett’s no-hitter, Johnson was given the day off by Marlins manager John Boles. Called on to pinch hit with the bases loaded in the seventh, Johnson turned a three-run deficit into a one-run lead and began a streak of nine unanswered runs in a 10-4 win over the San Diego Padres. A solo home run by Kevin Millar in the first had accounted for all the Florida offense as the Marlins came to bat against Kevin Jarvis in the top of the seventh at Qualcomm Stadium on May 13, 2001. Jarvis got Eric Owens and Millar to fly out to open the frame but after back-to-back singles from Preston Wilson and Derrek Lee, San Diego went to the bullpen. Lefty Kevin Walker came in and walked Florida’s Cliff Floyd on four pitches. As Padres manager Bruce Bochy turned to right-hander Jay Witasick, Florida turned to Johnson. Witasick was able to get ahead in the count, but Johnson turned on his 1-2 offering and deposited it into the left-field stands for the go-ahead pinch-hit grand slam. The Marlins went ahead for good, but the offense wasn’t done. Florida put the contest out of reach with five runs in the eighth. After Preston Wilson singled to extend the lead to 6-4, Floyd came through with a bases-clearing triple. Johnson, who stayed in the game to catch, followed with an RBI single to give the Marlins a 10-4 lead and to cap the scoring. With the win, the Marlins also clinched the three-run series. Wilson finished 4-for-4 in the win with two runs scored and an RBI. Johnson, who had just two plate appearances, had the only other multi-hit game for Florida, finishing with five RBIs. Bubba Trammell finished with a home run and three RBIs for San Diego. Ryan Klesko and Ben Davis each had two hits and a run scored. In parts of seven total seasons with the Marlins, Johnson had 75 home runs for the club. The lone grand slam of his tenure was a pinch-hit blast that put Florida ahead for good in a Sunday afternoon rubber game in San Diego. It came on this day a quarter-century ago. View the full article

Ethan Salas' two-run homer fueled San Antonio's first-inning explosion in an 8-3 rout of Wichita, where Miguel Mendez tossed two scoreless innings. Winyer Chourio struck out 10 in five innings as Lake Elsinore edged Rancho Cucamonga 4-3, with Will Koger earning the save. Fort Wayne had only three hits as it lost 3-2. El Paso fell 11-4 despite homers by Nick Solak and Jose Miranda. Padres Minor-League Transactions LHP Fernando Sanchez assigned to El Paso Chihuahuas from San Antonio Missions. 2B Victor Duarte assigned to El Paso Chihuahuas from Lake Elsinore Storm. El Paso Chihuahuas transferred RHP Triston McKenzie to the Development List. El Paso Chihuahuas transferred C Colton Vincent to the Development List. San Antonio Missions activated RHP Andrew Dalquist from the Development List. San Antonio Missions activated RHP Miguel Mendez from the 7-day injured list. San Antonio Missions placed RHP Eric Yost on 7-day injured list. SS Justin DeCriscio assigned to Fort Wayne TinCaps from Lake Elsinore Storm. SS Dylan Grego assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from Fort Wayne TinCaps. Lake Elsinore Storm activated C Ty Harvey from the 7-day injured list. Marco Gonzales Pounded As Chihuahuas Routed By Bees Nick Solak and Jose Miranda homered, but it was another rough outing by former MLB left-hander Marco Gonzales that spelled the difference in the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas' 11-4 loss to the host Salt Lake Bees. Gonzales lasted just 1⅓ innings, surrendering seven runs on five hits with four walks and no strikeouts. In his last three starts, Gonzales has allowed 17 runs (14 earned) in 6⅓ innings, which leaves his season ERA at 10.64. Right-handed reliever Misael Tamarez came in and gave up four runs in 2⅓ innings on five hits, including two homers, and three walks with a pair of strikeouts. The final three relievers of the day, right-hander Justin Yeager, left-hander Kyle Hart and right-hander Garrett Hawkins, combined for 4⅔ shutout innings, striking out five. El Paso grabbed a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a Will Wagner sacrifice fly, but the Bees tied it in the bottom half, then scored six in the second and four more in the third for an early 11-1 cushion. Mason McCoy had an RBI double to score Solak in the fourth, then Solak smacked his second homer of the season in the sixth and Miranda his fifth of the year in the seventh. Solak, McCoy and Carlos Rodriguez each had two of the Chihuahuas' seven hits. Pablo Reyes walked in his final plate appearance in the eighth inning to keep his on-base streak going at 28 games. EP_0512.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Jase Bowen 3 1 0 0 1 1 Samad Taylor 3 0 0 0 0 1 Will Wagner 3 0 0 1 0 0 Nick Solak 3 2 2 1 0 0 Pablo Reyes 3 0 0 0 1 0 Mason McCoy 4 0 2 1 0 0 Jose Miranda 4 1 1 1 0 2 Carlos Rodríguez 4 0 2 0 0 2 Anthony Vilar 4 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Marco Gonzales (L) 1 1/3 5 7 7 4 0 1 Misael Tamarez 2 1/3 5 4 4 3 2 2 Justin Yeager 2 1/3 2 0 0 1 3 0 Kyle Hart 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Garrett Hawkins 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Ethan Salas Hits 1 of 3 First-Inning Homers As Missions Cruise Ethan Salas, Braedon Karpathios and Luis Verdugo homered in a six-run first inning and five pitchers combined on a four-hitter as the host Double-A San Antonio Missions rolled to an 8-3 victory over the Wichita Wind Surge. Romeo Sanabria also homered for the Missions. Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, got the Missions off to a good start with a two-run homer in the top of the first inning, his sixth of the season that ignited a six-run rally. With one out, Tirso Ornelas and Sanabria had back-to-back doubles to make it 3-0 and Karpathios and Verdugo then hit back-to-back homers for a 6-0 advantage. The homers by Karpathios and Verdugo were the second of the season for both. Salas was playing against older brother Jose, a shortstop for the Wind Surge. The Missions added two more runs in the second inning as Leandro Cedeno had a one-out single, extending his on-base streak to 23 games, and the 6-foot-2, 264-pounder stole second with two outs. That was just his ninth stolen base in 484 career minor-league games. Perhaps inspired by the big man's steal, Sanabria launched his third homer of the season to make it an 8-0 game. Missions right-hander Miguel Mendez, Padres Mission's No. 5 prospect who was activated off the injured list Tuesday after being out since April 25, went only two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and no walks with two strikeouts. Right-hander Andrew Dalquist pitched a scoreless third, then right-hander Andrew Thurman went the next three and allowed all three runs on two hits and four walks with four strikeouts. Right-hander Josh Mallitz pitched two hitless innings and right-hander Johan Moreno pitched a perfect ninth, striking out the side. SA1_0512.mp4 SA2_0512.mp4 SA3_0512.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Tucker 3 1 0 0 2 1 Ethan Salas 5 1 1 2 0 0 Leandro Cedeño 3 1 1 0 1 1 Tirso Ornelas 4 1 1 0 0 2 Romeo Sanabria 3 2 2 3 1 0 Braedon Karpathios 3 1 1 2 1 2 Luis Verdugo 4 1 1 1 0 3 Ryan Jackson 3 0 0 0 0 1 Albert Fabian 4 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Miguel Mendez 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 Andrew Dalquist (W) 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Andrew Thurman 3 2 3 3 4 4 0 Josh Mallitz 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 Johan Moreno 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 Jonathan Vastine Homers, but TinCaps Kept Quiet By Kernels The High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps were limited to a mere three hits and gave up a pair of seventh-inning runs in falling 3-2 to the host Cedar Rapids Kernels. Jonathan Vastine hit his second homer of the season, a solo shot in the fourth inning. His other homer came April 19. The TinCaps also scored in the top of the second as Carlos E. Rodriguez, celebrating his 23rd birthday, and Jack Costello had back-to-back doubles to lead off the inning. But after Vastine's third career homer, the Kernels retired 16 straight to finish the game. TinCaps right-handed starter Matt Watson allowed one run on two hits, but walked four and struck out two in 3⅔ innings. Right-hander Clark Candiotti gave up the other two runs in the seventh. FW_0512.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells 2 0 0 0 2 1 Rosman Verdugo 4 0 0 0 0 2 Lamar King Jr. 3 0 0 0 1 2 Alex McCoy 3 0 0 0 1 3 Carlos Rodriguez 4 1 1 0 0 0 Jack Costello 4 0 1 1 0 0 Kavares Tears 4 0 0 0 0 1 Justin DeCriscio 2 0 0 0 1 0 Jonathan Vastine 2 1 1 1 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Matthew Watson 3 2/3 2 1 1 4 2 0 Luis Germán 1 1/3 1 0 0 1 3 0 Clark Candiotti (L) 1 2/3 4 2 2 0 1 2 Tucker Musgrove 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Braian Salazar 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Winyer Chourio Strikes Out Career-High 10 In Storm Triumph Right-handed starter Winyer Chourio struck out a career-high 10 over five innings and Connor Westenburg had an RBI triple and scored as the host Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm turned back the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 4-3. The 22-year-old Chourio didn't walk anyone and gave up two runs on six hits, while matching his season high for innings. His previous career high for strikeouts was eight, accomplished twice, including April 28 vs. the Ontario Tower Buzzers, the only other game this season he went five innings. Chourio lowered his ERA to 2.42 and has not allowed more than two runs in a game this season. Westenburg got the Storm going in the third inning. Jose Verdugo had a leadoff single and Westenburg pulled a 1-2 pitch just inside the third-base bag and into left field for an RBI triple. One out later, Westenburg scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead. The Storm made it 3-0 in the fourth when Luke Cantwell walked, went to second on an errant pickoff attempt and scored on Kerrington Cross' single to right. Chourio gave up a two-run homer in the top of the fifth, but the Storm came back with a run in the bottom of the sixth. Cantwell led off the inning with a hit by pitch and went to second on Cross' single. Jorge Quintana bunted the runners to second and third and Yoiber Ocopio delivered a run-scoring single to right. The Quakes pulled within 4-2 in the top of the eighth, but couldn't do any more damage. Storm right-handed reliever Nick Falter struck out two in 2⅓ innings, allow a run on two hits and walk, while right-hander Will Koger went the final 1⅔ innings, striking out a pair, while not allowing a run or a hit with one walk for his third save of the season. Westenburg and Cross each had two hits for the Storm, who won despite being outhit 8-6. LE_0512.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Bradley Frye 3 0 0 0 0 1 Qrey Lott 3 0 0 0 1 2 Ryan Wideman 4 0 0 0 0 2 Luke Cantwell 0 2 0 0 2 0 Kerrington Cross 3 0 2 1 1 1 Jorge Quintana 3 0 0 0 0 3 Jose Verdugo 2 1 1 0 2 0 Yoiber Ocopio 4 0 1 1 0 1 Conner Westenburg 3 1 2 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Winyer Chourio (W) 5 6 2 2 0 10 1 Nick Falter (H) 2 1/3 2 1 1 1 2 0 Will Koger (S) 1 2/3 0 0 0 1 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI Kash Mayfield: DNP Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Bradgley Rodriguez: DNP Miguel Mendez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K Humberto Cruz: DNP Jagger Haynes: DNP Ty Harvey: DNP Ryan Wideman: 0-for-4, 2 K Kale Fountain: DNP Romeo Sanabria: 2-for-3, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB Jorge Quintana: 0-for-3, 3 K Lamar King Jr.: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K Garrett Hawkins: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K Tirso Ornelas: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 K Kavares Tears: 0-for-4, K Truitt Madonna: DNP Deivid Coronil: DNP Eric Yost: DNP Francis Pena: DNP View the full article

Transactions: Milwaukee Brewers activated LF Christian Yelich from the 10-day injured list. Milwaukee Brewers optioned DH Tyler Black to Nashville Sounds. Nashville Sounds activated LF Greg Jones. Nashville Sounds transferred C Andrick Nava to the Development List. RHP Garrett Hodges assigned to Wisconsin Timber Rattlers from Wilson Warbirds. Game Action: Nashville pre-game media notes Nashville 9, Iowa (Cubs) 3 Box Score As always, you are encouraged to read the official round-up from the team’s site: Sounds Rack Up 13 Hits in Series Opening Win over Iowa Nashville secured a dominant 9-3 victory over the Iowa Cubs at First Horizon Park, fueled by a relentless offensive display that saw them rack up 13 hits. While Iowa jumped out to an early lead in the first inning, Nashville's bats came alive in the middle frames, and the Sounds cruised to victory. Every single Sound had a hit, except for the newly returned Greg Jones, who chipped in with two walks. Luis Lara had a three-hit game, drove in two, and stole two bases. Eddys Leonard, he of the team-best 1.040 OPS, doubled for the fifth consecutive game as part of a two-hit night, courtesy of the Nashville X account: Cooper Pratt had two hits including this double: Brock Wilken extended his on-base streak to with a walk and added this nice piece of hitting to plate a run as well: On the mound, Robert Gasser (2R 1ER) set a strong tone early with seven strikeouts over four innings of work. The bullpen took over from there, led by Reiss Knehr, who earned his second win of the season with two perfect innings of relief. Craig Yoho slammed the door in the ninth, striking out two to move the Sounds to a 21-19 record on the season. Nashville will turn to lefty Thomas Pannone on Wednesday, in what has typically been a bullpen game when the 32-year-old Pannone has served as the "bulk starter." Biloxi pre-game media notes Biloxi 4, Montgomery (Rays) 2 Box Score DeBerry Dominates Biscuits in Shuckers Comeback Win For a long time on Tuesday night, it looked like Biloxi would be in for a tough defeat and spoil starter Jaron DeBerry’s career night. The Shuckers fell behind in the second inning on a solo home run off DeBerry (6IP 2H 1R 1ER 1BB 10K), who was otherwise excellent on the mound. DeBerry stuck out a career-high 10, one of which you can find here, courtesy of the Biloxi X account: The Shuckers offense managed just one hit – a Dylan O’Rae single in the sixth – in the first seven innings of the game. In the 8th inning, the Shuckers offense finally broke through. Eduardo Garcia got it started with a walk and a steal. Then Matthew Wood walked and Dasan Brown was hit by a pitch to load the bases. That setup RBI groundouts by O’Rae and Jesus Made to tie the game at two. In the 9th inning Mike Boeve delivered the decisive blow with a two-run home run: Boeve now has 11 RBI in his last 11 games while sporting a .278/.381/.472 (.853 OPS) in that time. Mark Manfredi Sr. worked the final two innings and struck out four to earn the win. Damon Keith, who singled ahead of Boeve’s home run, now has a career-high 17 game on-base streak. The fourth-place Shuckers will look to close the gap on second-place Biscuits on Wednesday when Manuel Rodriguez (2-2, 5.40 ERA) takes the hill for Biloxi. Wisconsin pre-game media notes South Bend (Cubs) 10, Wisconsin 1 Box Score The first place Timber Rattlers suffered a lopsided defeat in the first game of their series with South Bend on Tuesday night. After Wisconsin fell behind in the first, they immediately responded in the bottom of the frame. Braylon Payne had a walk, a steal, and then advanced to third on a balk. Josh Adamczewski just missed a home run with a deep fly out to dead center that scored Payne from third. From that point, on little else went Wisconsin’s way. Payne would later double, and Adamczewski added a single, but the rest of the team managed just one hit. Starter Wande Torres (2-2) went a season-high six innings, while tying his season-high with five strikeouts. Yerlin Rodriguez (1.2IP 2H 1BB 1K) and Bjorn Johnson (1IP 1H 1BB 1K) each tossed scoreless relief appearances. Rodriguez has now thrown five scoreless innings in a row. For Johnson, it was the third scoreless outing of the season in nine appearances. In case you missed it, Baseball America added Adamczewski to their “Top 100 Prospects” on Tuesday: Andrew Fischer, who was not in the lineup Tuesday, was named Midwest Player of the Week: With the loss, the Rattlers are now just 6-8 at home this season. Wisconsin will look to right the ship on Wednesday when Yorman Galindez (0-2) 6.75 ERA) leads the team out at Neuroscience Group Field. Wilson pre-game media notes Hill City (Guardians) 4, Wilson 2 Box Score Two-Run Seventh Pushes Hill City Past Wilson Wilson suffered a tough 4-2 loss at home against Hill City, despite an early lead at Wilson Ballpark. The Warbirds got on the board first in the second inning when Jadyn Fielder drove in Luis Lameda with an RBI triple. Highlight courtesy of the Wilson X account: On the mound, starter Carlos Carra provided a solid effort through 4.2 innings, striking out six, but he was tagged for a two-run homer in the fourth that gave the Howlers the lead. Wilson briefly tied the game in the fourth thanks to a solo home run by Filippo Di Turi. It was the first homer for Di Turi since July 23 of last year, a stretch of 200 at-bats. However, the offense struggled to capitalize on further opportunities, finishing the night 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position and leaving seven runners stranded on base. The bullpen had mixed results. Anfernny Reyes was saddled with the loss after surrendering two runs in the seventh. Reyes matched Carra with six strikeouts in 2.1IP. Jose Meneses tossed two scoreless innings. The run prevention unit had a difficult night containing the Hill City speed, as the visitors swiped seven bases on eight attempts. With this loss, the Warbirds fall to 15-19. The team will look to bounce back Wednesday when Jayden Dubanewicz makes his Wilson debut. Dubanewicz posted a 2.30 ERA in 58.2 IP in the Carolina League last season. Here’s Dubanewicz hitting 97+ last week to get your blood pumping, via Paul Beckman’s X account: ACL Athletics 7, ACL Brewers 3 Box Score The ACL Brewers (3-5) struggled to overcome an early deficit in their 7-4 loss to the ACL Athletics on Tuesday night. The pitching staff struggled from the start, as starter Hayden Robinson surrendered a solo home run in the first inning, followed by a difficult second inning from reliever Joan Pena, who allowed three runs on two hits and four walks. Ismael Yanez, who struck out two in a perfect eighth inning, was the only Brewers pitcher of five who appeared to not allow a run. Offensively, the Brewers showed signs of life in the fifth inning, sparked by a two-run home run from catcher Rylan Mills, his second of the season. Juan Martinez kept the rally going when he added a double and scored on a single by Engel Paulino. In the ninth, Kenny Fenelon had an RBI single in the ninth to cap the scoring. The Brewers' lineup was ultimately stifled by 11 strikeouts. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View the full article