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Aaron Sanchez fired six scoreless, one-hit innings with eight strikeouts as Omaha split its doubleheader at Indianapolis. Jorge Alfaro homered twice and drove in four to lead Northwest Arkansas past Frisco 8-7 in 10 innings, with Dennis Colleran Jr. striking out four for the win. Max Martin recorded a hitless 2 1/3 frames for Columbia, while Yandel Ricardo and Stone Russell powered a 5-2 win. Ramon Ramirez tripled and homered in a Quad Cities loss. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Storm Chasers Drop Walk-Off Despite Sanchez's Quality Start The Storm Chasers dropped the first game of the doubleheader 2-1 in nine innings on a walk-off sacrifice fly by Indianapolis. The contest was scoreless through seven innings, anchored by a Quality Start from Aaron Sanchez. Elih Marrero accounted for the only Omaha run with a 1-for-3 day that included a double and the team's lone RBI. The Storm Chasers managed just one hit on the day. Sanchez went six scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out eight. The game stretched to extra innings, and the scoring opened in the top of the eighth with Drew Waters as the zombie runner. After a Josh Rojas sacrifice bunt advanced Waters to third, Marrero followed with an RBI double to right field that scored him for a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the eighth, Mason Black surrendered a one-out RBI double to right that allowed the Indianapolis zombie runner to come home and tie the game at 1-1. In the bottom of the ninth, with Beck Way on the mound and the Indians' zombie runner at second, a sacrifice bunt was mishandled on a Way throwing error to put runners at the corners. Two batters later, the winning run scored on a sacrifice fly to right fielder Drew Waters. Black allowed one earned run on two hits in 1 2/3 innings. Way was charged with the loss after an unearned winning run. Player AB R H RBI BB K John Rave 4 0 0 0 0 0 Tyler Tolbert 4 0 0 0 0 0 Kameron Misner 4 0 0 0 0 3 Drew Waters 3 1 0 0 0 3 Josh Rojas 1 0 0 0 1 0 Elih Marrero 3 0 1 1 0 1 Gavin Cross 2 0 0 0 0 2 Luca Tresh 1 0 0 0 0 1 Abraham Toro 0 0 0 0 0 0 Luke Maile 2 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Newman 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Aaron Sanchez 6 1 0 0 1 8 0 Mason Black 1 2/3 2 1 1 1 1 0 Beck Way 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 Storm Chasers Take Game Two Behind Four-Run Third The Storm Chasers lost the second game of a doubleheader at Indianapolis with a 4-1 victory thanks to a four-run third inning. Tyler Tolbert paced the offense, going 2-for-4 with a two-RBI single, a stolen base, and a run scored. John Rave doubled and scored as part of a 2-for-4 day, and Kevin Newman added a hit, a walk, a double, and a run. Elih Marrero went 1-for-1 in his lone at-bat. Indianapolis grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when an Indians runner came home on a wild pitch from Shane Panzini. Omaha answered emphatically in the third. Newman drew a walk to start the inning, John Rave followed with his seventh double of the season, and Tolbert lined a single to left field that scored both to put Omaha ahead 2-1. After two strikeouts and a Luca Tresh hit-by-pitch, Colton Becker reached on a fielder's choice, and a throwing error by the Indians' shortstop on the play allowed Tolbert and Tresh to come around to push the lead to 4-1. Panzini went 2 2/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Ben Sears followed with 2 1/3 scoreless innings on two hits and a walk, fanning three to earn the win. Andrew Pérez and Eli Morgan combined for two scoreless frames to close it out, with Morgan striking out two for the save. Player AB R H RBI BB K John Rave 4 1 2 0 0 1 Tyler Tolbert 4 1 2 2 0 0 Kameron Misner 3 0 1 0 1 1 Drew Waters 4 0 0 0 0 1 Luca Tresh 3 1 0 0 0 2 Elih Marrero 1 0 1 0 0 0 Colton Becker 2 0 0 0 0 0 Abraham Toro 1 0 0 0 2 1 Dustin Dickerson 3 0 0 0 0 3 Kevin Newman 2 1 1 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Shane Panzini 2 2/3 2 1 1 1 3 0 Ben Sears 2 1/3 2 0 0 1 3 0 Andrew Pérez 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Eli Morgan 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Alfaro's Two Homers Lift Naturals Past Frisco In 10 Innings The Naturals topped the RoughRiders 8-7 in 10 innings on the strength of a two-homer, four-RBI day from Jorge Alfaro. Alfaro hit a solo shot in the sixth inning and a three-run blast in the 10th, his third and fourth home runs of the season. Spencer Nivens added a solo home run as part of a 3-for-5, two-RBI day. Sam Kulasingam went 3-for-4 with a double, Daniel Vazquez had two hits, including a double, and leadoff man Carson Roccaforte scored a run. Henry Williams started and went five innings, allowing three runs on six hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Trailing 2-0 in the top of the fourth, Northwest Arkansas tied the game when Spencer Nivens delivered an RBI single off the pitcher to score Sam Kulasingam, and Omar Hernandez followed with a sacrifice fly to score Brett Squires. After Frisco answered with a run in the bottom half, Roccaforte scored on a Brett Squires sacrifice fly in the fifth, and back-to-back solo homers from Alfaro and Nivens in the sixth pushed the lead to 5-3 before the RoughRiders tied it up. The Naturals broke through in the top of the 10th. With Brett Squires at second as the zombie runner, Daniel Vazquez singled to right field, and Alfaro followed with a three-run home run to left center for an 8-5 lead. Brandon Johnson surrendered two runs in the bottom half but recorded his third save. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 5 1 1 0 0 3 Jack Pineda 4 0 0 0 1 1 Sam Kulasingam 4 1 3 0 0 1 Brett Squires 4 2 0 1 0 1 Daniel Vazquez 5 1 2 0 0 2 Jorge Alfaro 4 2 2 4 1 1 Spencer Nivens 5 1 3 2 0 0 Omar Hernandez 3 0 0 1 0 1 Justin Johnson 5 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Henry Williams 5 6 3 3 0 3 2 Caden Monke 0 1 2 2 3 0 0 Augusto Mendieta 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 Dennis Colleran Jr. 2 1 0 0 0 4 0 Brandon Johnson 1 2 2 1 0 1 0 River Bandits Fall To Kernels Despite Ramirez's Power The River Bandits dropped a 6-3 decision to the Kernels at home. Ramon Ramirez and cleanup hitter Luke Pelzer accounted for the bulk of the offense, each leaving the yard. Ramirez went 2-for-3 with a triple, a solo home run, two runs, an RBI, and a walk. Pelzer added a 1-for-3 day with a two-run home run, two RBI, a walk, and a run scored. Tyriq Kemp and Erick Torres each added a single. Emmanuel Reyes took the loss, going six innings and giving up four runs on eight hits with three walks, four strikeouts, and one home run allowed. Quad Cities jumped ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the first when Pelzer drilled a two-run home run to right-center to score Ramirez. The Kernels grabbed the lead back with a four-run third, capped by a three-run home run, to lead 4-2. Ramirez closed the gap with a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the sixth, his fifth of the season, but Cedar Rapids tacked on two more in the eighth on a two-run shot. Cory Ronan allowed two runs on a hit in two innings of relief, and Hunter Alberini struck out one over a scoreless inning to close. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors 4 0 0 0 0 1 Asbel Gonzalez 4 0 0 0 0 1 Ramon Ramirez 3 2 2 1 1 1 Luke Pelzer 3 1 1 2 1 1 Jose Cerice 4 0 0 0 0 2 Tyriq Kemp 4 0 1 0 0 1 Erick Torres 3 0 1 0 0 1 Trevor Werner 2 0 0 0 1 1 Angel Acosta 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Emmanuel Reyes 6 8 4 4 3 4 1 Cory Ronan 2 1 2 2 1 0 1 Hunter Alberini 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 Fireflies Top Cannon Ballers Behind Bullpen And Russell The Fireflies took a 5-2 win at Kannapolis behind a strong bullpen effort and a deep offensive lineup. Stone Russell led the way with a 3-for-4 day that included a triple, two runs, and a stolen base. Daniel Lopez went 1-for-4 with a two-RBI double and a stolen base. Josh Hammond added a 1-for-3 day with a double, a walk, a run, and a stolen base. Yandel Ricardo went 1-for-5 with an RBI, and Hyungchan Um added an RBI single in a 1-for-4 effort. Kendry Chourio started and went four innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits with a walk, three strikeouts, and a home run allowed. Columbia struck first in the top of the first when Hyungchan Um singled to right field to score Josh Hammond. After the Cannon Ballers tied it in the second, the Fireflies retook the lead 2-1 in the third on a Yandel Ricardo RBI groundout that scored Jhosmmel Zue. The visitors then broke the game open in the top of the fourth when Daniel Lopez doubled to right field with two on, scoring Stone Russell and JC Vanek for a 4-1 advantage. Columbia tacked on an insurance run in the eighth on a Roni Cabrera sacrifice fly that scored Russell. Brandon Herbold and Max Martin handled the middle innings without allowing a run, with Martin striking out two over a hitless 2 1/3 frames to earn the win. Yeri Perez worked a one-hit ninth to record his first save. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 4 0 1 0 1 1 Yandel Ricardo 5 0 1 1 0 2 Josh Hammond 3 1 1 0 1 1 Hyungchan Um 4 0 1 1 0 1 Stone Russell 4 2 3 0 0 0 JC Vanek 2 1 0 0 2 1 Roni Cabrera 3 0 0 1 0 1 Daniel Lopez 4 0 1 2 0 1 Jhosmmel Zue 4 1 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kendry Chourio 4 3 2 1 1 3 1 Brandon Herbold 1 2/3 2 0 0 1 4 0 Max Martin 2 1/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 Yeri Perez 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carter Jensen: DNP Blake Mitchell: DNP David Shields: DNP Kendry Chourio: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, BB, 3 K, HR Ben Kudrna: DNP Sean Gamble: DNP Josh Hammond: 1-for-3, 2B, BB, R, SB, K Ramon Ramirez: 2-for-3, 3B, HR, RBI, 2 R, BB, K Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 0-for-4, K Yandel Ricardo: 1-for-5, RBI, 2 K Felix Arronde: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Daniel Vázquez: 2-for-5, 2B, R, 2 K Steven Zobac: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 1-for-5, R, 3 K Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Warren Calcaño: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP View the full article

During the offseason, there was constant discussion about the Twins having too much starting pitching depth. Minnesota looked like a team with eight legitimate rotation options before even mentioning some of the team's top starters in the upper minors, who were viewed more as a long-term development projects than an immediate contributors. At the time, it felt reasonable to wonder whether the Twins should trade from that depth. Injuries happen, but few teams carry that many realistic starting options into a season. A few months later, that conversation feels almost impossible to believe. What once looked like one of the deepest pitching staffs in baseball has quickly unraveled. One starter is out for the season following Tommy John surgery. Another recently landed on the injured list after pitching like the staff ace. Multiple depth options have battled significant arm injuries, while another has struggled badly enough that a move to the bullpen may be necessary. Suddenly, the Twins are no longer talking about a pitching surplus. They are simply trying to piece together enough healthy innings to survive. Looking back at the preseason expectations compared to the current reality shows just how quickly pitching depth can disappear. Pablo Lopez Preseason Expectation: Ace of the staff. Helping the Twins stay on the fringes of contention. Current Reality: Lopez is out for the season following Tommy John surgery. Losing the team’s most dependable starter completely changed the outlook of the rotation and forced everyone else into bigger roles. Joe Ryan Preseason Expectation: Build off his first All-Star season and continue establishing himself as one of the American League’s best pitchers. Current Reality: Ryan briefly terrified the organization after leaving last Sunday’s start following just nine pitches because of elbow soreness. Fortunately, he returned for last night's outing without needing an injured list stint. At this point, simply having Ryan healthy feels critical to keeping the rotation together. Bailey Ober Preseason Expectation: There was optimism that a healthy offseason could help Ober regain some of the velocity he lost last year. Current Reality: The velocity still has not returned, with his fastball averaging just 88.6 mph. However, Ober has adapted by leaning more heavily on his changeup and sequencing effectively enough to remain productive. Taj Bradley Preseason Expectation: The Twins spent the offseason trying to determine which version of Bradley they acquired from Tampa Bay at last year’s trade deadline. His inconsistency with the Rays made it difficult to project his role. Current Reality: Bradley looked like the team’s ace before landing on the injured list with right pectoral muscle inflammation. With the state of the rotation, the Twins desperately need him back and pitching well as quickly as possible. Simeon Woods Richardson Preseason Expectation: Woods Richardson had developed a reputation as one of the organization’s steadier pitching options and looked like a reliable back-end starter. Current Reality: He has been one of baseball’s least effective starters with a 64 ERA+ while allowing an MLB-leading 30 earned runs. Since he is out of minor league options, if the Twins want to reset him, it would need to be in the bullpen. Mick Abel Preseason Expectation: One of the key pieces acquired at last year’s trade deadline, Abel entered the spring with expectations that he could eventually force his way into the major league rotation. Current Reality: Abel impressed early before right elbow inflammation landed him on the injured list. A setback later required a cortisone shot, adding even more uncertainty to his timeline. David Festa Preseason Expectation: Festa was expected to fight for a rotation spot this spring. Even if he began the season at Triple-A, he remained one of the first starters called upon when the Twins needed reinforcements. Current Reality: Festa has spent the entire season on the injured list due to a shoulder injury that has resulted in multiple setbacks. At this point, if he returns this year, it may only be as a reliever. Zebby Matthews Preseason Expectation: Matthews gave the Twins another valuable layer of Triple-A depth. Current Reality: He struggled early in Triple-A but has shown recent improvement. Given Minnesota’s current situation, Matthews may soon become the next starter called upon. Connor Prielipp Preseason Expectation: Prielipp entered the year as the organization’s top pitching prospect; he wasn't supposed to be one of the eight major league-ready starters. There was speculation (both internally and externally) about whether his long-term future belonged in the bullpen. Current Reality: He arrived in the majors earlier than expected when Abel was injured and, with Bradley sidelined, will likely continue to receive every opportunity to establish himself in the rotation. The Twins entered the season believing they had enough starting pitching depth to withstand almost anything. Instead, they have learned the same lesson every organization eventually learns. There is never such a thing as too much pitching. What once looked like an organizational strength has quickly become one of the biggest reasons this season feels so fragile. Injuries, setbacks, and inconsistency have thinned out a group that once seemed overflowing with options. Now, every healthy start feels important, every injury update carries added weight, and young pitchers are being asked to contribute earlier than expected. Back in March, the conversation centered around whether the Twins could afford to trade from their pitching depth. By May, that depth is already gone. What stands out about the preseason projections and current reality? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

As of Sunday morning, we are approximately 25% of the way through this Miami Marlins season. Relative to expectations, the results have been underwhelming. They are on pace for a 73-89 record, which would be worse than anybody on the Fish On First staff predicted. If you're like me, you can find entertainment value in both victory and defeat when encountering extreme stats. Gotta give the Marlins some credit for overdelivering in that department. Here are five single-season franchise records that are currently on pace to be rewritten, ordered from least sustainable to actually plausible. Highest ERA in a single inning (team) Marlins record: 6.67 ERA in the seventh (1999) 2026 Marlins pace: 7.65 ERA in the first If it feels like these Marlins constantly find themselves playing from behind, it's because they are. Through 40 games, they have allowed 36 first-inning runs (34 of them earned). Every member of the club's starting rotation has contributed to the problem, even newcomer Robby Snelling, who immediately fell behind 3-0 in his major league debut. But overall, the Marlins have a solid pitching staff with an ERA no higher than 4.50 in any other inning. Let's chock up this extreme split to early-season randomness. Most hits in a single season (player) Marlins record: 221 (Juan Pierre, 2004) 2026 Otto Lopez pace: 222 Nobody has come particularly close to challenging Pierre's record over the last two-plus decades. The speedy center fielder played every inning of every game in 2004, starting in the leadoff spot the vast majority of the time—that allowed him to accrue 748 plate appearances, which is another franchise record. Otto Lopez is on pace to edge past JP by the slimmest of margins. Historically, Lopez has been inexplicably lousy against left-handed pitching, but that has completely flipped this season with a 21-for-47 start (.447 BA). The immense workload required to keep this up makes Lopez a longshot. He's also being buoyed by a record-worthy .411 batting average on balls in play. Even with great hustle out of the batter's box and frequent hard-hit contact, that mark is unsustainable. Regardless, Lopez is establishing himself as the most well-rounded shortstop that the Marlins have ever had. Lowest caught stealing rate (team) Marlins record: 11.2% (2025) MLB record: 9.6% (San Diego Padres, 2007) 2026 Marlins pace: 8.3% Controlling the running game has been a serious ongoing issue for the Fish dating back to early last season. Opponents are unafraid to challenge the arms of Liam Hicks and Agustín Ramírez, and they're able to get huge jumps against a heavily right-handed pitching staff that's generally slow to the plate. Recent prospect promotions should go a long way toward addressing this vulnerability. Joe Mack will deter thieves with his arm strength and accuracy. Robby Snelling adds a lefty to the rotation with a great minor league track record of limiting steals. Mack has started at catcher in five of his first seven games on the active roster. If he comes close to maintaining that workload moving forward, both the league and team CS% records should be out of reach. Most stolen bases (team) Marlins record: 177 (2003) 2026 Marlins pace: 178 Although not with the same efficiency, the Marlins have run the bases just as aggressively as their opponents have. This trend has more staying power. The addition of speed demon Esteury Ruiz is working exactly as intended—through only 12 games, he already ranks second on the Fish with six steals. Once Jakob Marsee (10 SB) reaches base with the regularity he's capable of, that will create more opportunities to pad the team's total. At the very least, the Marlins will probably eclipse last season's mark of 138 steals. Highest strikeout rate in a qualified season (player) Marlins record: 28.7% (Preston Wilson, 1999) 2026 Connor Norby pace: 31.4% Brian Anderson struck out 28.8% of the time in 2020, but I'm not counting that because the season was limited to 60 games due to COVID. This was supposed to be an opportunity to lament the struggles of Owen Caissie, who is striking out over forty percent of the time. However, the rookie's propensity to whiff has appropriately limited his playing time. It's difficult to envision him sticking in the big leagues for the entire season, and even if he does, reaching the 502 plate appearances needed to qualify is unlikely. I was not expecting to find Connor Norby here considering that his 2026 campaign has been an overall improvement from the year before. Quietly, though, his K rate has been Caissie-like over the last 30 days. In two-strike counts, changeups and splitters are especially problematic for him. Norby's newfound patience at the plate and solid transition to first base should keep him in the lineup frequently despite being strikeout-prone. View the full article

Transactions: Milwaukee Brewers recalled LF Blake Perkins from Nashville Sounds. RHP Jayden Dubanewicz assigned to Wilson Warbirds from ACL Brewers. Dubanewicz turned 20 in May. The 2024 16th round Florida high school pick split his debut 2025 season between Maryvale and Carolina and impressed as a Mudcat - 14 appearances (seven starts) with a 2.30 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Louisville (Reds) 10, Nashville 8 Box Score and Game Log Via the Sounds, game details, and we encourage readers to always review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Sounds Fall in Late Frames Despite Two-Run Homer from Pratt - Pratt Earns Second Career Triple-A Homer; Wilken Extends On-Base Streak to 27 Games It's been an offensive showcase (or middling pitching) since Thursday: 9-6 Nashville win 9-6 Louisville win 10-8 Louisville win That linked game summary (you know the routine) contains video of the Cooper Pratt home run, Jeferson Quero's RBI double, Pratt and Jett Williams executing a double steal for a run, and Luis Lara's then-game-tying two-run opposite-field single. In the 4th inning, Pratt delivered an RBI single which can be seen here. About that single: Catcher Ramon Rodriguez (DH'ing in this game) singled twice (see one driving in a run here) and walked, lifting his line to .328/.430/.403 (.833 OPS in 20 games). It was in his 21st game last season that Rodriguez tore his Achilles tendon, ending his campaign with a .941 OPS at Biloxi. It would take a combination of a big-league injury and Quero being unavailable for Rodriguez to net an MLB debut in 2026, but the 27-year-old would be a reasonable emergency call-up and should prove to be an extremely popular target on the minor league free agent market this fall, as he would have been last October if not for the devastating injury. As for the Brewers' other AAA Rodriguez, this was not starter Carlos' night. His WHIP is up to 2.43 through six Nashville appearances (five starts). As his game log shows, Rodriguez is doing Manager Rick Sweet zero favors in terms of depth into his outings. In his final option season, the two-time Milwaukee Minor League Pitcher of the Year is only functioning as a break-glass-in-emergency bulk option for the big-league club where, to be fair, his two outings in 2026 have been effective. One does wonder how tenuous Rodriguez' hold on a 40-man spot is becoming. With rapidly decreasing trade value, he's looming as a non-tender this fall even if he holds his spot all season. The Junior Fernandez trade acquisition experiment (from AZ for cash) is not providing immediate results. Fernandez is scored upon in five consecutive outings after a scoreless frame in his first appearance (game log). Eddys Leonard, playing left field, reached three times via double, single and walk, lifting his OPS to 1.033. This isn't the Pacific Coast League, folks, so that figure is duly impressive, but at this point, keyboard strokes on Leonard are sailing against the wind. Perhaps Leonard's biggest beefs at this point should be with the Dodgers in 2023 and then (after a deadline deal that August 1st with Detroit) with the Tigers in 2024 for burning all his minor league options without a sniff of a big-league dugout. Columbus (Braves) at Biloxi, doubleheader postponed, rain As per the Shuckers, one of the two games will be made up as part of a doubleheader Sunday afternoon. The other game will be made up during the Clingstones next visit to Keesler Federal Park, between June 16-21. Those circumstances at least make for an enticing planned pitching tandem of starters today in Bishop Letson and Tyson Hardin. Weather forecast looks just fine. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes (download link) Final: Wisconsin 7, Peoria (Cardinals) 5 Box Score and Game Log Via the Timber Rattlers, game details, and enjoy the three embedded video highlights within: Dinges Delivers a Wisconsin Win with Late Home Run - Rattler DH hits two-out, three-run, go-ahead homer in seventh It's been a bit since we did a standings check, and at 18-12 (and a very entertaining 18-12 at that), the T-Rats are indeed atop the division currently. Off the top of my head, not sure if the club has previously used the tag line associated with the Marco Dinges video tweet as seen in the summary, but if they hadn't broken it out yet, you know they've been itching to. As Chris Mehring rightfully pointed out in the recap, youngster Ethan Dorchies (just 19 all season) was cruising until a hit-by-pitch set the stage for a stat-wrecking three-run blast - by the way, get your "Dorchies" pronunciation lesson on the call. Not uncommon for a random plunking to rattle (pun intended I guess) a pitcher into a bigger inning. Still going to note this as a solid start for the 10th round find from the '24 draft. Other game video: Double steal includes a daring steal of 3rd by Eric Bitonti Luiyin Alastre adds to his two prior singles with a bases-loaded RBI on a walk for an insurance run Wisconsin posts seven runs with Andrew Fischer and Josiah Ragsdale getting the day off, all the more impressive. Second baseman Daniel Dickinson joined Alastre by reaching base three times (all by bases on balls). 23-year-old RHP Quinton Low missed all of 2024 and 2025 with Tommy John surgery, and after opening this season with two scoreless outings, had been scored upon in four consecutive appearances before shining here. The former two-way player must be so pleased to be healthy and contributing. Yay for effective Yerlin Rodriguez on this day, super-effective in this one to be sure. Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wilson 8, Fayetteville (Astros) 6 Box Score and Game Log Warbirds Hold Off Fayetteville Rally for Second Straight Win Are you kidding, Pedro Ibarguen? 110.5 MPH?! Ibarguen, despite being only 19 years old until July 2nd, is in is 4th pro season. He dabbled at second and third base in his rookie 2023 Dominican season but has split time among the three outfield spots since. This was his 8th professional home run in 144 games. Outside of a 2024 introduction to stateside ball that did not go well at all (MiLB Player Page) after which the organization wisely stood by him despite having invested only a modest $60,000 bonus, the young man has posted respectable numbers. Not sure how much can be attributed to the play of the 12-20 Woodpeckers, but the Warbirds have made their way to a 15-17 record while showing some newfound pop. Second baseman Juan Ortuno and Jadyn Fielder (12 of Fielder's 20 games as the designated hitter, ironic given the last name) each doubled. Fielder's lack of positional value may be a concern for his future path. Both Fielder and Ortuno were on base three times. Wilson ran wild again, with seven stolen bases in nine attempts. Fayetteville pitchers walked 11, and outside of Jose Anderson's three strikeouts (43.7 K-rate), only one other K was registered by Woodpeckers pitchers. Southpaw starter Enderson Mercado has issued 26 free passes in as many innings (23 BB, 3 HBP), something that had not been an issue prior for the 19-year-old Venezuela native. Two non-drafted RHP's are making the most of their opportunities, as the Warbirds are likely losing this game without the work of Garrett Hodges and Peyton Niksch. More video fun: Ortuno just barely avoids a GIDP to open the scoring Shortstop Brady Ebel puts the ball in play, nets an RBI Ebel steals third base on the front end of a double steal First baseman Frederi Montero's looper finds the grass for an RBI Third baseman Luis Lameda lines an RBI single Warbirds, Shorebirds, Woodpeckers, it's the Aviary League. Final: ACL Guardians 9, ACL Brewers 2, seven innings as scheduled Box Score and Game Log On the bright side, the Crew won the final four innings by a 2-0 score, highlighted by the mound effort of 18-year-old Nicaraguan native Diustin Mayorquin dazzling out of the bullpen in just his second stateside appearance, as our Jake McKibbin revealed some statcast data analysis. Other arms struggled, and when they make their eventual MLB debuts, they will look back on this entry and chalk it up as part of the learning journey experience. The only two position players to see action in all six games are SS Cristopher Acosta and CF Brailyn Antunez, who have combined to go just 4-for-43 (six walks, 19 K's). C/1B Jonathan Rangel, a LH bat, has shown pop throughout his brief pro run, and his 100 MPH opposite field fly ball double was the only XBH for Maryvale in this game. Two early standouts played - CJ Hughes played second base and singled for one of the four A-Crew hits, though he was caught stealing for the first time in four tries. Catcher Rylan Mills singled and walked. Their early respective OPS marks are 1.365 and 1.758, as your box score perusal indicated. Only one of the seven Arizona Complex League games played Saturday was scheduled for nine innings, seven for all the rest. Boo to this trend, especially with the league having a full day off each and every Sunday. With Biloxi finally able to begin play again with a double dip, there are five games on tap for Mother's Day, staggered start times as the link below will show, in case you and Mom decide to tune in. Hope it's a wonderful day for all. 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

Jose Chirinos delivered a quality start, and Ryan Dollar locked down the save as Branny De Oleo's go-ahead ninth-inning double lifted St. Lucie past Lakeland 3-2. Zach Thornton's six-inning outing was wasted in Syracuse's 7-4 loss to Rochester. Brooklyn dropped both ends of a doubleheader to Bowling Green, falling 7-6 in 10 innings despite John Bay's home run, then 6-5 as Yonatan Henriquez, Ronald Hernandez, and Trace Willhoite each homered. Binghamton's game was postponed. Mets Transactions New York Mets signed free agent RHP Xzavion Curry to a minor league contract. New York Mets signed free agent RHP Brady Miller to a minor league contract. Two Home Runs Not Enough As Syracuse Falls 7-4 To Rochester Syracuse fell 7-4 to the Rochester Red Wings despite home runs from Christian Arroyo and Jackson Cluff. Yonny Hernández led the offense with a pair of singles and two RBI, both driving in Cristian Pache, who reached three times and scored twice. Cluff added a hit and a run on his solo blast, and Arroyo finished 1-for-4 with his ninth-inning shot. Zach Thornton turned in a quality start, working six innings and allowing three runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Rochester scratched out a run in the first on a leadoff RBI double, then took a 3-0 lead in the third on a two-run home run. Syracuse responded in the bottom of the fifth. Pache reached on a hit by pitch, advanced on a single by Ben Rortvedt, and scored when Hernández singled to center to make it 3-1. Cluff cut the deficit further with a solo home run in the sixth. Rochester pulled away in the seventh with a pair of solo home runs off Ryan Lambert, who finished his lone inning with two earned runs allowed. Hernández brought home Pache once more in the bottom of the seventh. The visitors broke the game open in the top of the ninth when Jonathan Pintaro gave up a single and walked a batter, and a Cluff throwing error allowed two runs to score on a fielder's choice. Arroyo's solo home run in the bottom of the ninth capped the scoring. Syracuse stranded only two runners and committed one error. Player AB R H RBI BB K A.J. Ewing 4 0 0 0 0 1 Nick Morabito 4 0 0 0 0 0 Ryan Clifford 4 0 0 0 0 2 Christian Arroyo 4 1 1 1 0 0 Ji Hwan Bae 4 0 0 0 0 1 Cristian Pache 3 2 1 0 0 2 Yonny Hernández 3 0 2 2 0 0 Ben Rortvedt 3 0 1 0 0 1 Jackson Cluff 3 1 1 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Zach Thornton 6 5 3 3 2 4 1 Ryan Lambert 1 2 2 2 0 1 2 Nate Lavender 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jonathan Pintaro 1 1 2 0 2 2 0 Binghamton Game Postponed The Binghamton Rumble Ponies' scheduled game was postponed. Brooklyn Falls 7-6 To Bowling Green In Walk-Off 10th The Brooklyn Cyclones lost 7-6 to the Bowling Green Hot Rods in 10 innings on a walk-off single. John Bay finished 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI, and two runs scored, while Vincent Perozo went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and a run. Colin Houck reached twice and scored twice, and Sam Biller and Yonatan Henriquez each added a hit. Noah Hall worked four innings as the starter, allowing four runs on four hits with four walks, six strikeouts, and two home runs. Bowling Green struck for a leadoff RBI double in the first, a solo shot in the third, and a three-run blast in the fourth. Hoss Brewer followed with two scoreless innings of relief, striking out three. The Cyclones rallied behind their bullpen. Bay's solo home run in the sixth cut the deficit to 4-2, and Perozo's two-run home run in the seventh tied it at four after Houck reached on a single. Brooklyn grabbed the lead in the eighth when Bay singled in Henriquez, and Perozo's RBI single in the ninth scored Houck for a 6-5 advantage. Hunter Hodges walked two and hit a batter in the bottom of the eighth, allowing the tying run to come around to score on the hit by pitch. Felix Cepeda surrendered an RBI double in the ninth that knotted the game at six, and the zombie runner came home in the bottom of the 10th on a leadoff single off Cepeda for the walk-off. Brooklyn stranded seven runners. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 5 0 0 0 0 3 Yonatan Henriquez 5 1 0 0 0 2 John Bay 5 2 3 2 0 0 Corey Collins 5 0 1 0 0 3 Ronald Hernandez 4 0 0 0 0 0 Colin Houck 4 2 1 0 0 2 Trace Willhoite 4 0 0 0 0 1 Vincent Perozo 4 1 3 3 0 1 Sam Biller 4 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Noah Hall 4 4 4 4 4 6 2 Hoss Brewer 2 0 0 0 1 3 0 Hunter Hodges 2 1 1 0 3 3 0 Felix Cepeda 1 3 2 0 0 0 0 Walk-Off Homer Sinks Brooklyn 6-5 In Game Two The Brooklyn Cyclones dropped game two of the doubleheader 6-5 to the Bowling Green Hot Rods on a leadoff walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh. Yonatan Henriquez, Ronald Hernandez, and Trace Willhoite each launched home runs for the visitors. Sam Biller went 3-for-3 with a double from the bottom of the order, and Daiverson Gutierrez added a double, scored a run, and reached on a single. Danis Correa worked a clean first inning with two strikeouts, but Parker Carlson took the brunt of the damage out of the bullpen. Carlson surrendered four runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings, including a three-run home run in the second that put Bowling Green up 3-0. The Hot Rods added another in the third on a wild pitch. Henriquez homered to right in the fourth to break the shutout. Tanner Witt followed Carlson and finished 2 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run on a fifth-inning double-play groundout while striking out three and issuing three walks. Hernandez ripped a two-run home run in the sixth that brought home Henriquez and trimmed the deficit to 5-3. Willhoite tied the contest 5-5 in the seventh with a two-run home run that scored Gutierrez. Juan Arnaud took the mound in the bottom of the seventh and yielded a leadoff solo home run on his first batter, ending the contest. Brooklyn collected eight hits and three home runs, stranded only three runners, and did not commit an error. Mitch Voit, Henriquez, Hernandez, Gutierrez, Willhoite, and Biller each contributed hits. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 4 0 1 0 0 2 Yonatan Henriquez 4 2 1 1 0 1 Ronald Hernandez 3 1 1 2 0 2 Corey Collins 3 0 0 0 0 3 Daiverson Gutierrez 3 1 1 0 0 1 Trace Willhoite 3 1 1 2 0 1 Colin Houck 3 0 0 0 0 2 Yohairo Cuevas 3 0 0 0 0 3 Sam Biller 3 0 3 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Danis Correa 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Parker Carlson 1 2/3 5 4 4 0 2 1 Tanner Witt 2 1/3 2 1 1 3 3 0 Juan Arnaud 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 De Oleo's Ninth-Inning Double Lifts St. Lucie 3-2 Over Lakeland Branny De Oleo's go-ahead double in the top of the ninth gave the St. Lucie Mets a 3-2 win over the Lakeland Flying Tigers. JT Benson collected two hits, including a triple, and De Oleo finished 1-for-4 with the game-winning extra-base hit. Sam Robertson, Chase Meggers, Randy Guzman, and Simon Juan each contributed a hit. Leadoff man Elian Peña reached three times on a single and two walks. Jose Chirinos turned in a quality start, working six innings and allowing one run on four hits with no walks and two strikeouts. The Mets opened the scoring in the top of the fourth when Guzman doubled with one out and came around to score on Meggers's RBI single. They added another in the fifth as Jamari Baylor reached on a throwing error and scored from third on Juan's RBI single to center. Lakeland chipped one back in the sixth on a leadoff triple, and a sacrifice fly off Chirinos, then tied the contest in the eighth on a wild pitch by Emilio Obispo with the bases loaded. The decisive frame came in the top of the ninth. Robertson singled to right, and De Oleo doubled to center to bring him home for a 3-2 lead, though De Oleo was caught stealing home for the third out before Peña could come up. Ryan Dollar closed out a clean ninth for the save. Obispo earned the win with two innings of relief. St. Lucie left eight runners on base and committed one error. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 3 0 1 0 2 0 Edward Lantigua 0 0 0 0 1 0 Simon Juan 4 0 1 1 0 1 Randy Guzman 4 1 1 0 0 2 Julio Zayas 4 0 0 0 0 1 JT Benson 4 0 2 0 0 1 Chase Meggers 4 0 1 1 0 1 Sam Robertson 4 1 1 0 0 1 Branny De Oleo 4 0 1 1 0 2 Jamari Baylor 4 1 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jose Chirinos 6 4 1 1 0 2 0 Emilio Obispo 2 3 1 1 2 2 0 Ryan Dollar 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Nolan McLean: DNP Carson Benge: DNP A.J. Ewing: 0-for-4, K Jonah Tong: DNP Ryan Clifford: 0-for-4, 2 K Jacob Reimer: DNP Jack Wenninger: DNP Elian Peña: 1-for-3, 2 BB Mitch Voit: 1-for-9 in DH (0-for-5, 3 K and 1-for-4, 2 K) Nick Morabito: 0-for-4 Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: DNP Zach Thornton: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K, HR Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: DNP Ryan Lambert: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 BB, K, 2 HR Dylan Ross: DNP Antonio Jimenez: DNP R.J. Gordon: DNP View the full article

Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (New York Yankees): 4-1 Season Record: 21-15 Worcester’s game was postponed due to rain. No make-up date has been provided yet. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays): 0-4 Season Record: 13-18 Portland’s game was canceled due to rain and won’t be made up. High-A Greenville Drive Series @ Greensboro Grasshoppers (Pittsburgh Pirates): 1-5 Season Record: 14-18 The Drive fell for the second night in a row, 10-4, as they struggled on the mound. The start of Marcus Phillips’ professional career has been less than ideal. The righty has struggled through 17 and ⅔ innings so far this season, posting a 7.64 ERA through six appearances. This negative trend continued through Phillips' start on Saturday as he gave up five runs on six hits through two and ⅓ innings. He let up two home runs as he hasn’t quite found his footing in Greenville. Shea Sprague was back in Greenville after a one-game stint in Portland, pitching three and ⅓ innings. He let up four runs (two unearned) on five hits and two homers. Calvin Bickerstaff took the final two and ⅓ innings as he continued to build on his solid season. Across his outing, he let up one more run on a solo homer, and K’d two. Despite Bickerstaff’s solid outing, the Greenville pitching staff didn’t do enough to keep the Drive in the game. It was a poor offensive showing by Greenville on Saturday. Only four hitters recorded a hit, and the offense started late, with Antonio Anderson hitting his first homer of the season in the sixth to get the Drive on the board. Later in the inning, Mason White drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in Justin Gonzales. The Drive’s other two runs came on a two-run homer from Henry Godbout with Justin Gonzales on first. Gonzales drew three walks but was hitless at the plate. Isaiah Jackson and Mason White drew two walks apiece. The Drive struck out 13 times and were hitless with runners in scoring position. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series vs. Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles): 2-3 Season Record: 14-18 The RidgeYaks won 7-4 on a walk-off blast by Starlyn Nunez. Cole Tolbert made his first appearance of the season, and it was a strong one. The 23-year-old struck out four and didn’t allow a hit over one and ⅔ innings of work. It was Tolbert’s first appearance since 2024, as he missed the entirety of the 2025 season with injury. Jason Gilman took the next two and ⅓ innings. Of the 12 batters he faced, he sent seven back to the dugout on strikes. He allowed one run on four hits but put together an excellent outing. Wuilliams Rodriguez came in next, giving up two runs on four hits over three innings and getting the blown save. Harry Blum pitched the last two innings to close out the game, earning the win for his work. He allowed one run on one hit and a walk, punching out three as he gave the offense a chance to walk it off. And walk it off they did. After a back-and-forth contest, Starlyn Nunez crushed a three-run, walk-off homer to give the RidgeYaks the victory. Before the walk-off in the first inning, Luke Heyman drove a two-run homer to left field to give Salem an early lead. Then in the fourth inning, D’Angelo Ortiz drove in Avinson Pinto on a groundout to second base. With the game tied 3-3, Anderson Fermin stepped to the plate with Ortiz on third. He hit a short chop to the pitcher's mound as Ortiz raced home. The pitcher made an errant throw home, allowing Ortiz to score and letting Anderson advance to second. Then, tied 4-4 in the ninth, Nunez came up clutch, snagging the victory for Salem. View the full article

Marek Houston is off to a phenomenal start to the 2026 season and has made strides in every facet of his game. The Wake Forest product has the makings of a future star. View the full article

Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians): Tied, 2–2 Season Record: 17–19 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series vs. Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Smokies lead, 3-0 Season Record: 16–15 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Lansing Lugnuts (Athletics): Cubs lead, 4-0 Season Record: 16–12 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers): Pelicans lead, 3-1 Season Record: 16–15 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 17–19 Series Opponent: Columbus Clippers (19–18) Series Standing: Tied, 2-2 May 8: The Iowa Cubs evened their series against the Columbus Clippers with a 13-12 victory on Friday night at Principal Park. The Clippers took a 6-0 lead with two runs in the first and four in the second before the Cubs were able to plate two in the second. Iowa’s offense erupted with six runs in the fourth to take an 8-6 lead. Jonathon Long (3-for-4) drew a walk with the bases loaded, and James Triantos (2-for-5) then followed with a two-run single. Owen Miller’s (3-for-5) first home run of the season, a three-run blast, gave the I-Cubs the lead. Iowa added to their advantage with three more in the fifth, with Justin Dean (2-for-5) launching a two-run shot and Kevin Alcántara (1-for-5) and Long picking up RBI-singles. Eric Yang (1-for-5) made it 12-6 in the sixth with a solo home run, his third of the season. The two teams traded runs in the eighth, with Miller hitting his second home run of the campaign. Columbus scored five times in the ninth and would put the go-ahead run on first, but Iowa was able to hold on for the 13-12 win. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 16–15 Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (14–17) Series Standing: Lead, 3-1 May 8: The Knoxville Smokies earned at least a series split by sweeping their doubleheader over the Birmingham Barons, winning the opener, 8-1, before escaping with a 3-2 victory in the nightcap. Game 1: Despite being held to just one hit in the ballgame, the Smokies were able to come away with an 8-1 victory to open the twinbill, benefitting from 10 walks at the plate. Knoxville took a 1-0 lead in the third when Jefferson Rojas (0-for-3) drew a walk with the bases loaded. The Smokies took a commanding 8-0 lead with a seven-run fourth, scoring once on a wild pitch, drawing four walks with the bases loaded, and Owen Ayers (1-for-2) clearing the bases with a three-run double. The Barons finally got on the board in the sixth, but the hosts would prevent them from rallying further and cruise to a 1-0 lead. Brooks Caple took no decision in his start, firing 3 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just two hits and striking out six. Marino Santy picked up the win in relief, tossing 2 1/3 frames of one-run ball, yielding two hits and whiffing four. Game 2: Knoxville rode their dominant pitching in game 1 into game 2, with the pitching staff allowing just two runs on three hits to help the squad to a 3-2 win and a doubleheader sweep. After the two teams traded zeroes through two, the Smokies took the lead in the third on Jordan Nwogu’s (2-for-3) RBI-single, with another run scoring on an error during the play. Nwogu would eventually collect his second RBI of the contest in the fifth, giving Knoxville a 3-0 lead. The Barons would score twice in the seventh and bring the go-ahead run to the plate, but Tyler Santana was eventually able to shut the door and convert his first save of the season in multi-inning fashion. Dawson Netz improved to 2-0 on the campaign by firing five scoreless innings in his start, allowing no hits and striking out eight. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 16–12 Series Opponent: Lansing Lugnuts (11–20) Series Standing: Lead, 4-0 May 8: The South Bend Cubs extended their winning streak to four games and clinched a series win over the Lansing Lugnuts with a 14-6 comeback victory on Friday night at Four Winds Field. The Lugnuts took a 2-0 lead after the first and added another run in the third. The Cubs got on the board in the bottom half of the frame when Christian Olivo (4-for-4) raced home on a passed ball. Olivo would pull South Bend within a run by drawing a walk with the bases in the fourth, and Kane Kepley (0-for-5) followed by getting hit by a pitch to tie the game at 3-3. The Cubs took control of the game by scoring five times in the fifth to take an 8-3 lead. Matt Halbach (1-for-2) and Leonel Espinoza (2-for-5) plated runs with RBI singles, and Olivo slugged a three-run blast, his third of the season. Six more runs from South Bend put the game well out of reach, with Alex Madera (3-for-5) and Justin Stransky (1-for-4) each having hits that drove in two runs and Olivo going yard again, this time a two-run shot. Lansing scored three in the ninth and was eventually handed the 14-6 defeat. Kenyi Perez picked up the win in relief to improve to 1-0 on the season. He allowed no runs and no hits over 1 2/3 innings of work, striking out five. Ethan Flanagan converted a four-inning save, his second of the year, allowing three runs on seven hits and whiffing five batters. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 16–15 Series Opponent: Hickory Crawdads (17–14) Series Standing: Lead, 3-1 May 8: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans clinched at least a series split with a 6-2 victory, in 10 innings, over the Hickory Crawdads at L.P. Frans Stadium. Darlyn De Leon’s (1-for-3) first home run of the year in the second gave the Pelicans the lead, and Josiah Hartshorn (2-for-4) followed with a solo shot of his own in the third to put Myrtle Beach up 2-0. Dominick Reid, who did not factor in the decision, posted five scoreless innings in his start, allowing just one hit and striking out six without issuing a walk. The Crawdads evened up the contest in the eighth, and the ballgame would eventually head to extras. In the top of the 10th, Alexey Lumpuy (2-for-5) put the Pelicans in front with an RBI-single, and Michael Carico (0-for-4) added to the lead with an RBI-groundout. Jose Escobar (2-for-5) delivered the decisive blow with a two-run double to make it 6-2. Jordan Henriquez retired the side in order in the bottom half of the frame to improve to 2-1 on the season. Henriquez retired all six of the batters he faced, striking out four. View the full article

In agate font in newspapers across the country on August 1, 2025, the following transaction was whispered: The San Diego Padres acquired LHP Nestor Cortes, SS Jorge Quintana, and cash considerations from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for OF Brandon Lockridge. I'm not sure how anybody else felt about this, but my initial thought was 'meh.' Lockridge appeared in 20 games (13 starts) in the month of August, posting a below-average slash line of .261/.308/.370 across 53 plate appearances before getting demoted to Triple-A Nashville in September. He reappeared in the playoff run against Chicago and Los Angeles but only batted twice, going hitless in four games. During the offseason, Lockridge was considered to be in the outfield mix in Milwaukee, either as a possible starter or, most likely, the fourth or fifth OF. I was not a fan, but felt like he could get a couple of starts each week and enter contests as a pinch-runner or defensive replacement as needed. But as a full-time starter? No way. Way. Lockridge has played in three-quarters of the Brewers' games this season, starting 23 of the 28 games he has been involved in. His slash line (through May 8) reads like the line of a solid major league starter: .294/.368/.341. Lockridge will never be mistaken as a power hitter, but has been 'clutch' with two outs and runners in scoring position (RISP), slashing .533/.588/.667 in a small sample of 15 at-bats. To put it into perspective, those numbers are far better than the 'clutch' numbers this year of both Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, each widely considered as fearsome batters when the game is on the line. But all that success has been temporarily put on hold after Lockridge suffered a horrific injury in Friday night's game against the New York Yankees at Uecker Field. Playing full-bore as he always does, Lockridge, playing left field, ran full speed in an attempt to corral a foul drive off the bat of Cody Bellinger in the fourth inning. Realizing he was rapidly running out of real estate, Lockridge dropped into a slide, which resulted in his slamming his right knee into the unpadded section of wall, one made of concrete. Lockridge tossed off his glove and lay face down for a couple of moments before the training staff and manager Pat Murphy arrived to offer assistance. After being helped to his feet, Lockridge was carted off the field by medical personnel, disappearing through a gate in the left field fence. So what is known? Lockridge suffered a deep laceration down to the bone, as evidenced by blood on his sanitary sock. X-rays were negative for broken bones, but further tests will be performed as the swelling in his leg decreases. Saturday, the Brewers placed Lockridge on the 10-day injured list, recalling Blake Perkins from Triple-A Nashville to replace the fallen Brewer. This injury begs the question: when will the Milwaukee Brewers organization pad the wall from top to bottom? I seem to remember this type of injury happening to a Brewer outfielder (Sal Frelick, maybe?) in right field foul territory not that long ago. C'mon, Mark Attanasio, spend a couple of grand to protect your players! Brandon Lockridge, please forgive me for doubting you. I hope you can quickly return and keep up the great play that you have shown us for the first quarter of the season. I want to dedicate this column to my good friend Bob Garski, who passed away on April 30 at age 69. He was a bigger Brewer fan than I am. Rest In Peace, Bob, and keep cheering on the Crew in Heaven. View the full article

Brooks Lee hit the ground running faster than Cole Thomas Allen down a Washington Hilton hallway over the first week of his major league career, hitting .458/.462/.625 with a 206 wRC+ over 26 plate appearances. The switch-hitting infielder quickly cooled off, however, hitting a far less impressive .182/.233/.270 in 159 plate appearances over the final three months of the season. The eighth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Amateur Draft sputtered last season, too, hitting a modest .236/.285/.370 over 527 plate appearances. Netting a well-below-league-average 75 wRC+ over his first season-and-a-half in the majors, Lee also struggled in the field, netting -6 Outs Above Average (OAA) during that stretch, causing those who follow the club to question if he was playing his way out of the Minnesota Twins' long-term plans. Through 36 games played this season, however, the 25-year-old has broken out at the plate, rekindling the flame of optimism surrounding the former top prospect. Over 136 plate appearances, Lee is hitting .278/.331/.437 with a 114 wRC+. The Cal Poly product has also hit five home runs, continuing the plus-power profile he flashed during his sophomore campaign last season, in which he hit 16 dingers. Some of the same weaknesses remain in Lee’s player profile, particularly defensively, despite last night's heroics. Minnesota’s shortstop has netted -4 OAA, making him the fifth-worst defender at the position this season. He also has one of the weaker arms of all middle infielders in baseball, continuing a career-long trend. Still, Lee performing like one of the best offensive shortstops in the sport has largely offset his defensive shortcomings, making him one of Minnesota’s steadiest presences early this season. The past two seasons, Lee struggled from the left side of the plate, posting a 68 wRC+ over 482 plate appearances. The switch-hitting shortstop has performed dramatically better while hitting left-handed in 2026, hitting .291/.333/.456 with a 119 wRC+ over 84 plate appearances against righties this season. Right-handed pitchers are throwing Lee more strikes this season. At the same time, Lee has been more aggressive on balls in the zone than in the past two seasons, often pulling the ball hard and in the air. Lee excelling as a left-handed hitter while holding his own from the right-handed batter’s box (106 wRC+ over 52 plate appearances) has resulted in the best month-and-a-half stretch of his young career, signaling he has finally blossomed into an above-average regular. The 2026 Twins are not a good baseball club. In fact, they might be one of sport’s worst. Still, there will be a time when the seeds of the next Good Twins Team poke their head out of the dirt, germinate, and blossom into a postseason-contending 26-player collective. It just won’t be this season—or next; and maybe not even the next after that. Yet, if the progress Lee has demonstrated at the plate this season proves sustainable, he could be a core member of that club. View the full article

Initially seen as a backup going into the 2026 MLB season, Carter Jensen has ended up receiving most of the catching duties recently due to minor injury issues to Salvador Perez. While Perez's issues haven't required a stint on the IL, Jensen has actually surpassed Salvy in catcher innings this season, as seen in the fielding data table below. It's interesting to see the kind of plays where Jensen has struggled. In addition to having a higher BAA/G this year (-0.41) compared to a season ago (-0.38), he has particularly struggled on easy and tough pitches. His BAA on easy and tough pitches is a combined -6. His BAA on medium pitches has been slightly better at -2, but that mark isn't good either. An interesting comparison is Melendez, who was poor as a blocker as well in 2022, when he played the most catcher at the MLB level. According to Savant, he posted a -26 BAA mark and a -0.35 BAA/G mark in 2,932 block opportunities. That lackluster blocking ability was a big reason why the Royals opted to move Melendez to the outfield full-time in 2023. The main difference between Jensen and Melendez is that Jensen was a much better framer. In 2022, Melendez produced -16 catcher framing runs and had a 41.7% shadow strike rate. That's a far cry from Jensen's framing numbers this year. Thus, it made more sense to move Melendez to the outfield based on his framing and blocking struggles, while Jensen really only struggles in blocking. What Does the Future Look Like for Jensen Behind the Plate? Jensen is getting all the opportunities to show he can be the Royals catcher long-term. While Salvy isn't a 100 percent, he's been showing his age this season. After another 0-for-3 performance, the Royals captain is hitting .191 with a .555 OPS, and the Statcast percentiles don't look encouraging either. As for Jensen, he's been on a bit of a cold streak, as he's hitting only .111 with a .374 OPS in 31 plate appearances in May. However, he's been trending up this weekend in the series against the Tigers, and his Statcast percentiles have been much better than Perez's this season, especially in terms of bat speed and exit-velocity ability. What will be key for Jensen going forward and succeeding Perez as the full-time catcher will rest on his blocking and how that develops. I know some have pointed out that pitchers have had a better ERA with Perez than Jensen, which some say points to his game-calling. However, catcher ERA is not a sticky metric and is often influenced more by pitcher quality than by a catcher's game-calling ability (this Reddit thread provides a good breakdown of the topic). In terms of blocking, I do believe part of that is due to form and just adjusting to being an MLB catcher. There are some blocks that seem more mental, resulting from losing concentration in key moments. We saw during the Tigers game on Friday that Jensen was unable to make an out because the ball popped out of his glove on a throw from Bobby Witt Jr. Below is a video example. I believe many of Jensen's passed balls and struggles with blocking stem from issues similar to those seen in the clip above. He can physically do it. It's just having the concentration and mental fortitude to do it night after night, which is easier said than done. That said, the only way for Jensen to get better at blocking is to get more experience and innings behind the plate. With Salvy out, that's happening. While that's causing some struggles now, it will help him blossom more as a player when he gets older. With his hitting, throwing, and framing ability, can Jensen be at least an average blocker in the next 2-3 years? If so, he could be an All-Star catcher sooner rather than later. View the full article

MIAMI, FL — Game two against the Washington Nationals began to look like a repeat of game one, as the visitors took an early 4-0 lead. The Miami Marlins climbed back to tie the game at 4-4 thanks to home runs from Kyle Stowers and Xavier Edwards. It was unlikely hero Jakob Marsee who hit the go-ahead homer in the bottom of the eighth inning. Despite some stress in the top of the ninth, the Marlins held on for an 8-7 win, marking their largest comeback win of the season. Stowers, the Marlins' 2025 All-Star, suffered a right hamstring strain during spring training that kept him out for the 20 games of the season. He entered Saturday slashing .206/.296/.254/.550 with one RBI and a 56 wRC+. Stowers went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the first game of the series, but Marlins manager Clayton McCullough felt like his final at-bat was "an encouraging one." Kyle Stowers hit his first home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth inning. He took Nationals pitcher Zack Littell deep to the second deck in right field. "He seemed like less in between," McCullough said after Friday's game. "He got some swings off and I think the Kyle that we know is someone who's incredibly convicted in his approach. Kyle is smart, and he goes into an at-bat generally knowing what he's looking for, where he's looking for it. Trust his eyes to lay off and just feeling for it a little bit to me. Looked like early on and then the last one, I think he got in there and got off some much more aggressive and convicted swings." He finished the game going 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. It was his second three-hit performance of the season. "I think just coming in with a plan was the difference for me," Stowers said. "When it comes to committing to a plan, there are areas in which you're still gonna give up, so once you get beat, it's making sure that there's a hill that you're willing to die on." In what looked like a replay of Edwards' third home run of the season from Friday night, he took Nationals reliever Mitchell Parker 422 feet deep to left field, tying the game at four apiece. It was his longest MLB homer in terms of distance and set a new career-high for most homers in a single season. It also marked the first time in his career that he has hit a homer in back-to-back games. Right-handed hitting was a weakness in 2025 for the switch-hitting Edwards. This year, he has an incredible .342/.405/.526 slash line from that side. "I like to treat both sides like two different hitters, so that's what I'm trying to do," Edwards said. "Got rid of my toe tap on the right-hand side, and kind of freed me up a little bit. My body moves different on the right-hand side, so let's try to treat it like that." With the game tied in the bottom of the eighth inning, Stowers knocked in his third hit and Connor Norby worked a walk. Jakob Marsee, who many have been calling for him to be sent back down to Triple-A as he entered Saturday's game with a 67 wRC+, hit a go-ahead three-run homer to give the Marlins a 7-4 lead. "Confidence is a weird thing," Clayton McCullough said postgame. "You're never quite sure where it's going to come from. Hopefully having some moments and coming through will certainly help spark that. I think also that is going to getting back to what we believe and what they think will lead to the opportunity to have success, and that's just getting there with some conviction in the box and being ready to go. If you get something that you like to get some swings off and not be so worried about it needing to be the perfect pitch, or what the pitch is—just having a plan and letting it go." For Marsee, his faith and his support system have helped him get through this slump to begin 2026. "Just trusting that everything happens for a reason," Marsee said. "It's all gonna work how it's supposed to, so that's been huge. These guys here every day have been huge for me. Then people back home that care and support me, so to have them is huge." Esteury Ruiz hit a double in the ensuing at-bat, stole third (sixth stolen base of the season) and Leo Jimenez drove him in on a sac fly to center field, extending he lead, 8-4. In six innings of work, Junk allowed four runs on seven hits, two walks and six strikeouts. Three of the four runs Junk allowed came in the top of the first inning when James Wood hit his 11th home run of the season and CJ Abrams knocked in his league-leading 36th RBI of the season. Four of Junk's sixth strikeouts came on his fastball, which he threw 37% of the time. All of those four strikeouts came looking. He also landed his fastball six out of 10 times for a first-pitch strike (60%). Where Junk struggled was surrendering a season-high 10 hard-hit balls. Of those 10, four of them came on the fastball. Michael Petersen, who entered into a pretty comfortable situation, leading 8-4, allowed three runs in the top of the ninth inning. After finally getting two outs, McCullough summoned lefty John King out of the bullpen to get the final out of the game. King earned his first career save in what was his 11th consecutive scoreless outing. With the win, the Marlins improve to 18-22 on the season while the Nationals drop to 19-21. Sandy Alcantara will get the nod for Miami in the rubber match on Mother's Day. First pitch is at 12:15 pm and the game will be aired exclusively on Peacock. It'll be the first of back-to-back Sunday games aired on that streaming service. View the full article

TRANSACTIONS The Twins placed RHP Taj Bradley on the Injured List with a sore right pectoralis muscle. Taking his place on the roster is RHP Travis Adams. In addition, Dan Hayes reports that LHP Kendry Rojas is with the team, on the taxi squad, and could be activated before Sunday’s game. The Twins have now signed their third player from Lew Ford’s Long Island Ducks. They have signed catcher Caleb Roberts. In 15 games this season for the Ducks, the 26-year-old is hitting .339 with an OPS of .948. He is expected to report to the Wichita Wind Surge. Roberts was the fifth-round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2021 out of North Carolina. He ended the 2022 season with nine games in Double-A Amarillo. In 2023, he hit .278/.382/.523 (.906) with 23 doubles, eight triples and 17 homers. He played 42 games in left field, caught 30 games and made starts at first base (7) and right field (6). He went to the Arizona Fall League that season. He returned to Amarillo in 2024, and in 113 games, he hit .243/.339/.454 (.793) with 20 doubles, four triples, and 20 homers. In that season, he caught 62 games and played one game each at first base and left field. Then for some reason, he returned to Amarillo in 2025. In 104 games, he hit .237/.327/.388 (.715) with 21 doubles, three triples, and 10 homers. He only caught one game (and just two innings) that season. He started 64 games in left and a dozen in right field. RHP Yael Retituyo was released from the DSL Twins roster. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 13, Las Vegas 8 Box Score It was a bullpen game for the Saints on Saturday, but as they have been most games of late, the Saints offense continues to put up big numbers. In fact, the Saints scored at least two runs in five of the first six innings. In the first inning, Gabriel Gonzalez walked with one out. With two outs, Orlando Arcia remained hot, driving his ninth double of the season off the wall in left field to drive in Gonzalez with the game’s first run. Arcia scored when Kyler Fedko reached on an error. The first two batters in the third inning got out, but Ryan Kreidler and Orlando Arcia followed with singles. An errant pickoff throw allowed both runners to advance. Fedko lined a single to center to drive in both runners and make it 4-1. The top of the fourth inning began with an Aaron Sabato home run. It was his seventh home run of the season and fifth this week in Las Vegas. With one out, Kaelen Culpepper doubled and went to third on a fly out. Ryan Kreidler drilled his fifth home run of the season to give the team a 7-3 lead. Trent Baker started and went the first two innings. He gave up a solo home run to Michael Stefanic in the second inning. Raul Brito pitched the next two innings. He gave up two runs (1 earned) on three hits (including a solo home run by Henry Bolte). The top of the fifth inning began with walks by Kyler Fedko and Hendry Mendez. Alex Jackson drove in Fedko with a single to center. With one out, Ben Ross drove a double off of the wall in the left center field gap to drive in two more runs and make it 10-3. Aaron Sabato came to the plate with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth inning. He muscled a soft liner into center field to drive in Fedko and Mendez. Marco Raya worked the fifth and sixth innings. He gave up one hit over two scoreless innings. He had three strikeouts. Grant Hartwig gave up four runs on five hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings. Jon Brebbia got the final five outs, though he gave up a run on three hits. He struck out three. The Saints added one run in the eighth inning on Alex Jackson’s sixth home run. Aaron Sabato went 2-for-5 with his seventh home run and three RBI. He has had 12 RBI in these five games in Vegas. He is 10-for-22 this week with two walks, two doubles, five home runs and 12 RBI. When the week began, he was hitting .229/.296/.458 (.754). Following Saturday night’s game, he is now hitting .300/.359/.700 (1.059). Ben Ross went 2-for-3 with two walks and his fifth double. Alex Jackson went 2-for-4 with a walk and his sixth homer. Ryan Kreidler went 2-for-5 with a walk and his fifth home run. Orlando Arcia went 2-for-4 with his ninth double. Hendry Mendez went 2-for-4 with a walk. Kyler Fedko went 1-for-4 with two walks and stole his fifth base. Gabriel Gonzalez also walked twice. Last night, I wrote about A’s prospect Henry Bolte. On Friday night, he went 5-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, and two home runs. On Saturday night, he went 5-for-5 with two doubles, two home runs and five RBI. He had singles in his final two at-bats on Thursday night. He set the franchise record with hits in 12 straight at-bats. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 7, Amarillo 9 (10 innings) Box Score The Wind Surge jumped out to an early lead in this game. A five-run first inning is always helpful, but they also scored a sixth run in the top of the second for an early 6-0 lead. What could go wrong? With one out in the first, Kyle DeBarge walked and stole second base. He advanced to third base on a wild pitch, but there were two outs. Billy Amick came up and grounded to third base, but a fielding error allowed Amick to reach and DeBarge to score the first run. More importantly, the inning continued and the Wind Surge took advantage. Jake Rucker lined a single. Andrew Cossetti singled to center to drive in Amick with the second run. Murphy Stehly reached on a throwing error. Rucker scored on the play. Cossetti scored on a Jorel Ortega single. Then Maddux Houghton singled in Stehly and the Surge had a 5-0 lead. The second inning began with a DeBarge walk. Ricardo Olivar singled. They each advanced on a double steal. DeBarge scored the sixth run on a sacrifice fly by Jake Rucker. The Sod Poodles fought their way back with two runs in their half of the second and single runs in the third and fourth innings. The Wind Surge added a run in the top of the fifth frame. Rucker singled and stole second. Cossetti walked. After a pitching change, the runners advanced on a wild pitch. Rucker scored on a Jorel Ortega sacrifice fly to bump the lead to 7-4. Ricky Castro started and gave up three runs on five hits and three walks in 2 1/3 innings. He struck out four. Jacob Wosinski came on and gave up just one run on two hits over 2 2/3 innings. Alejandro Hidalgo pitched a scoreless sixth inning, but he gave up three runs (2 earned) in the seventh inning. He gave up five hits and walked two over his two innings. Jaylen Nowlin struck out two batters over two perfect innings. Tied at seven, the game went to the 10th inning. The Wind Surge were unable to even move the Manfred Man to third base. In the bottom of the 10th, Kyle Bischoff came on and gave up a leadoff, two-run homer to end the game. The Wind Surge had nine hits in the game. Ricardo Olivar, Jake Rucker, Andrew Cossetti, and Maddux Houghton each had two hits. DeBarge walked twice and stole his 10th and 11th bases. KERNELS CHRONICLE Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 3 Box Score There was a lot of good pitching in this game. Of the 18 half-innings, 14 of them resulted in zero runs. The River Bandits started the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Kernels got on the board with four runs in the top of the third inning. Brandon Winokur was in the leadoff spot for the Kernels for the first time. He led off the first inning with a single and then led off the third inning with a single. Eduardo Tait singled, and Khadim Diaw walked to load the bases. Jaime Ferrer grounded out but Winokur scored the first run. Danny De Andrade followed with the game’s biggest hit. He launched his third home run of the season to the berm beyond the fence in left field. Quad Cities cut the lead to 4-3 with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Young Ramon Ramirez hit his fifth home run. The 20-year-old backstop was 2-for-3 with a walk, a triple, and a home run. He is the #7 prospect at Royals Keep. In the top of the eighth, Khadim Diaw led off with a walk. Jaime Ferrer stayed hot, hitting his eighth home run of the season. Eli Jones tossed the first five innings. He gave up two runs on four hits. He walked one and had six strikeouts. Nolan Santos went three innings and gave up just one run on one hit, a solo home run. He walked one and struck out three batters. Eston Stull came on and had one walk and one strikeout to earn his second save. Winokur led the way by going 4-for-5. De Andrade had a single to go with his huge home run. Tait went 2-for-4 with a walk. Khadim Diaw went 1-for-3 with two walks. MIGHTY MATTERS Ft. Myers 11, Tampa 9 Box Score For the second time this week, the Mussels used a big inning late to claim a lead and secure a win. Tampa scored a run in the top of the first inning, but the Mussels responded with three runs in the bottom of the first. Dameury Pena led off with a single and went to second on a passed ball. Ramiro Dominguez walked. After a successful double steal, Yasser Mercedes walked to load the bases. After a strikeout, Ryan Sprock walked to tie the game at 1-1. Quentin Young followed with a single to left field to drive in two runs and make it 3-1. Justin Mitrovich started and gave up just an unearned run on one hit and one walk. He had four strikeouts. Brian Zeldin came on and gave up four runs on four hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings. Jake Murray came on and got five outs. He gave up one run on one hit and one walk. He had three strikeouts. Michael Hilker was next. He gave up two runs on four hits and a walk. He had three strikeouts. The Mussels scored a run in the seventh inning on a balk. Going to the bottom of the eighth inning, the team was down 8-5. The bottom of the eighth inning started with singles by Dameury Pena and Ramiro Dominguez. Yasser Mercedes drove in both runners with his second triple. Henry Kusiak walked. Then Ryan Sprock singled to left to drive in Mercedes with the game-tying run. With two outs and after a pitching change, Jayson Bass came to the plate and untied the game with a two-run triple. Byron Chourio singled to drive in Bass and give the Mussels an 11-8 lead. Mitch Mueller came in for the ninth. He gave up one run on one hit and a walk. He struck out two and earned his second save. Quentin Young went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Jayson Bass went 3-for-5 with his fifth double, first triple, and two RBI. Ryan Sprock went 2-for-4 with a walk. Dameury Pena went 2-for-6. Yasser Mercedes went 1-for-3 with two walks, a triple, and two RBI. The team also has seven stolen bases. Chourio and Dominguez each had two steals. COMPLEX CHRONICLE FCL Twins 2, FCL Red Sox 9 Box Score The Twins fell behind early on Saturday. Miguelangel Boadas made the rehab start. He gave up four runs (3 earned) on six hits over two innings. He had three strikeouts. Rainer Marin came on and gave up three runs on five hits over 1 1/3 innings. He left the game with two runners on, and Nick McAuliffe allowed both to score. He allowed two more unearned runs to score on two hits before getting out of that fourth inning. Yoel Roque came in and had three strikeouts over two scoreless innings. The Twins avoided being shutout with two runs in the seventh inning. With one out, Ricardo Pena reached on an error. Daiber De Los Santos walked, and Pena advanced to third on a wild pitch. Pena scored on another wild pitch. With two outs, De Los Santos went to third on a wild pitch. Miguel Caraballo walked. After a pitching change, De Los Santos scored on a balk for the second run. But that was it. The Twins had just two hits, and five walks is a pretty solid number. They struck out 13 times in seven innings. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Jayson Bass (Fort Myers): 3-for-5, 2B(5), 3B(1), R, 2 RBI, K Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 4-for-5, R Pitcher of the Day Marco Raya (St. Paul): 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 21 pitches, 15 strikes (71.4%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 7 Day Injured List (left shoulder) #2 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1-for-6, 2B(7), R, 4 K (batted first, played 2B) #3 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 7 Day Injured List (thumb) #4 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, BB (batted second, played catcher). #5 - LHP Connor Prielipp (Minnesota) - Did Not Pitch #6 - LHP Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch #7 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 0-for-4, 2 BB, R (batted second, played DH) #8 - LHP Kendry Rojas (St. Paul) - On Twins taxi squad. Could be activated Sunday. #9 - SS Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Play. Missed fourth straight game. #10 - RHP Charlee Soto (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #11 - RHP Riley Quick (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch #12 - RHP Andrew Morris (Minnesota) - 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, K, 11 pitches, 7 strikes (63.6%) - Will also start for the Twins on Sunday. #13 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 4-for-5, R, (batted first, played CF) #14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (Ft. Myers) - 2-for-5, 3 RBI, K (batted sixth, played SS). #15 - RHP Marco Raya (St. Paul) - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 21 pitches, 15 strikes (71.4%) #16 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 2-for-4, BB, 2 R, K (batted sixth, played LF) #17 - 2B/SS/CF Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 0-for-4, BB, 2 R, 2 K, 2 SB(11), (batted second, played SS) #18 - RHP C.J. Culpepper (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch. #19 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, 2 BB, 2 R (batted third, played DH) #20 - RHP James Ellwanger (Ft. Myers) - 60 Day Injured List (right elbow sprain) UPCOMING PROBABLES Sunday, May 10: St. Paul @ Las Vegas (2:05 pm CT) - RHP Ryan Gallagher (0-0, 6.14 ERA) Wichita @ Amarillo (1:05 pm CT) - RHP Ty Langenberg (0-2, 4.08 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (1:00 pm CT) - LHP Dasan Hill (0-3, 8.44 ERA) Tampa @ Ft. Myers (11:05 am CT) - RHP Matthew Dalquist (0-1, 5.40 ERA) FCL Twins - No Game Scheduled. CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 17-23 St. Paul Saints: 19-18 Wichita Wind Surge: 16-16 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 17-15 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 18-14 FCL Twins: 3-3 DSL Twins: 0-0 (season begins Monday, June 1) Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View the full article

Braedon Karpathios hit a walk-off homer to lift the San Antonio Missions to a 3-2 win over Midland. Clay Dungan hit a three-run homer as the El Paso Chihuahuas lost 6-3 to Tacoma. Five Fort Wayne pitchers allowed just five hits in a 3-1 TinCaps win over Beloit. Tyler Schmitt allowed one hit over six innings as the Lake Elsinore Storm hung on for an 8-6 victory over Inland Empire. Clay Dungan's 3-Run Homer Not Enough As Chihuahuas Fall Box score Clay Dungan's three-run homer in the fourth inning was the lone offense for the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, who dropped a 6-3 decision to the Tacoma Rainiers. Samad Taylor went 3-for-4 to raise his batting average to .325, but the rest of the Chihuahuas combined for five hits. One of those came from Dungan, drove his three-run shot out to center for his fourth homer of the season. Nick Solak had singled and Carlos Rodriguez drew a one-out walk before Dungan drilled a 2-2 pitch over the fence. Chihuahuas left-handed starter Jackson Wolf struck out nine over five innings, but he also gave up five runs on seven hits and a walk. His nine strikeouts were the most by an El Paso pitcher this year and two shy of his career high of 11, done twice. Wolf's previous high this year was five on April 15. Right-hander Garrett Hawkins, left-hander Kyle Hart and right-hander Ethan Routzahn combined to allow just one run over the final four innings. For Hart, it was his first game with the Chihuahuas after his demotion from the San Diego Padres this week. Patrick Wisdom hit a pair of home runs for the Rainiers, his 10th and 11th for the Rainiers, and drove in three while on a rehab assignment from the Seattle Mariners. EP_0509.mp4 Braedon Karpathios Drills Walk-off Homer In Ninth For Missions Box score Braedon Karpathios crushed a two-out walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Double-A San Antonio Missions pulled out a 3-2 victory over the Midland RockHounds. Karpathios took a center-cut 2-1 pitch and drilled it over the wall in left-center field for a no-doubter, his first homer of the season. He has been off to a slow start this season after hitting three homers in 21 games with the Missions last year. His homer leaves him with a slash line of .206/.283/.318 in 30 games. Leadoff hitter Carson Tucker had three of the Missions' six hits and scored once. Missions right-handed Eric Yost yielded two runs on four hits with a pair of walks and two strikeouts over a season-high six innings. Left-hander Harry Gustin and right-hander Sadrac Franco combined to allow two hits and a walk with three strikeouts over the final three innings. Both teams scored a pair of runs in the fourth inning, with Midland getting a two-run homer in the top half. Tucker and Ethan Salas led off the inning with singles and Leandro Cedeno's walk loaded the bases. Tirso Ornelas then tied the game when he laced a double to the gap in left-center that rolled to the wall, easily scoring both runs. Both pitching staffs controlled things from there until the bottom of the ninth. Ornelas grounded out and Luis Verdugo struck out before Karpathios' heroics, his second walk-off of the season. SA_0509.mp4 TinCaps Pitchers Shine, Zach Evans Drives In Go-Ahead Run In Victory Box score Lamar King Jr. went 3-for-4 and five pitchers combined on a five-hitter as the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps edged the Beloit SkyCarp 3-1, their ninth win in 10 games. Zach Evans continued his big series with the go-ahead single in a two-run fifth inning. Right-handed starter Abraham Parra, right-hander Luis German, right-hander Will Varmette, left-hander Braian Salazar and right-handed closer Clay Edmondson shut the SkyCarp down. Parra allowed the only run on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 3⅔ innings. From there, the TinCaps bullpen was virtually unhittable as German, Vermette, Salazar and Edmondson allowed just one hit and three walks while striking out five. Four of those strikeouts came from Edmondson, who got the final four out for his seventh save in as many chances. He leads all of Minor League Baseball with seven saves. He threw 18 pitches, 15 for strikes. After Beloit grabbed a 1-0 advantage in the second inning, Fort Wayne came back to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Jonathan Vastine had a leadoff single and Kasen Wells doubled him home with one out to tie the game. Evans then grounded a single past the shortstop and into center to drive in Wells with the go-ahead run. In the sixth, Jack Costello had a one-out double and Oswaldo Linares looped a single to shallow center that bounded away from the fielders, allowing Costello to beat the throw home for a 3-1 lead. King had his fourth game this season of three or more hits and also stole a pair of bases to give him eight this year. He also extended his on-base streak to 22 games, surpassing the longest by a TinCap this season set by Alex McCoy. Wells had two hits and a steal out of the leadoff spot. FW_0509.mp4 Tyler Schmitt Allows 1 Hit In 6 Innings As Storm Prevail Box score Right-hander Tyler Schmitt turned in his second straight standout start, allowing just one hit over a season-high six innings as the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm jumped out to a huge lead and had to withstand a furious ninth-inning rally to beat the Inland Empire 66ers 8-6. Conner Westenberg hit a three-run homer and Jose Verdugo a two-run shot in a five-run fifth inning for the Storm. A 17th-round draft choice out of Illinois last year, Schmitt is making his pro debut this season and has turned in his best starts in his last two outings. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder walked three and struck out five—tying his third-best K total—while throwing 73 pitches, including 47 strikes. Last week, he struck out six over five shutout innings, giving up a pair of hits, giving him 11 consecutive shutout innings. Ryan Wideman got the Storm offense going when he tripled with two outs in the top of the first inning, scoring on Justin DeCriscio's single. DeCriscio stole second and scored on Luke Cantwell's RBI single for a 2-0 lead. Then came the big five-run fifth featuring the first homers of the season for Westenberg and Verdugo to make it 7-0. In the sixth, Cantwell singled, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Kerrington Cross' two-out single to left for an 8-0 cushion. Behind Schmitt, the Storm had the 66ers baffled. Right-handed reliever Daichi Moriki pitched a hitless seventh, with a walk and two strikeouts, and right-hander Nick Falter a hitless eighth with a strikeout. The Storm took a one-hit shutout into the bottom of the ninth, but the 66ers struck for six runs, four credited to right-hander Sean Barnett, who didn't record an out, giving up a pair of hits and two walks. Right-hander Brandon Langley eventually got the final three outs, giving up two runs. LE_0509.mp4 View the full article

Box Score SP: Joe Ryan 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K (107 pitches, 66 strikes (62%)) Home Runs: Byron Buxton (13) Top 3 WPA (via FanGraphs): Eric Orze (0,48), Ryan (0.22), Luis Garcia (0.20) Win Probability Chart (via BaseballSavant) On the day that Taj Bradley found his way onto the IL, the Twins hoped that Joe Ryan's return to the rotation and avoidance of the IL wasn't just a mirage. After losing three in a row and finding themselves once again in the basement of the AL Central, Minnesota could not afford to lose another winnable game to the Guardians on Saturday night against a winless Tanner Bibee. The chance of thunderstorms delayed the inevitable by two hours, but baseball was played, and a result that no Twins fans expected transpired in Rock and Roll City. Buxton Rocks Byron Buxton waited and waited to get his chance to lead off against Bibee, but it only took three pitches before Byron and the Twins were out in front 1-0. Lead off homerun number 22, and homerun number 13 on the season, for number 25! Ryan Also Rocks, Even on the Rocks With the Twins' offense silenced after Buxton's homer, the pressure fell on the ace shoulders of Ryan to keep Cleveland off the board. Joe delivered consistently and efficiently in the early innings, allowing just a walk over the first three frames on only 41 pitches. The fourth inning was less efficient and definitely not as clean, as Jose Ramirez golfed a one-out single into center, stole second base, and scampered home to tie the game on a Kyle Manzardo single. A walk and a beanball created a bases loaded situation, but Ryan was able to deliver two straight strike outs to escape the inning with minimal damage. The elevated pitch count of the fourth ended up limiting Ryan to six innings on a whopping 107 pitches, but he kept the score knotted at one, which was necessary due to the fact that the Twins didn't muster any more hits after Buxton's blast. The Twins bullepn held serve through the seventh and eighth innings, with a couple of mammoth fly balls causing small panic attacks, but without any actual injury. Rocking and Rolling Into the Ninth After eight innings, the two squads had combined for three hits, two runs, and 21 strikeouts. To say the action was limited would be an understatement. The Twins hoped that red-hot Brooks Lee would be their key to the top of the ninth, but Brooks watched a 3-2 fastball go down the heart of the plate, and pinch-hitting Austin Martin and Josh Bell couldn't do anything to break the tie. Kody Funderburk started off the bottom of the ninth with two walks, and almost disasterously missed a chance to get the first out on a bunt. The Twins successfully challenged the call, and found themselves facing runners at second and third with only one out. Derek Shelton pulled Funderburk for Eric Orze, brought in Martin as a fifth infielder, and intentionally walked David Fry to load the bases. Orze induced a grounder to Luke Keaschall, and he nabbed the lead runner at the plate. Steven Kwan was next man up, and Orze was miraculously up to the challenge! Kody Clemens secured yet another three unassisted on the night to send us to bonus baseball! Extra Innings, Twins In the top of the tenth, the Twins were still looking for their second hit of the ballgame. They headed to the bottom of the tenth without finding it. Orze stayed in, and got the first out on a liner to Clemens. After intentionally and wisely walking Ramirez, Orze unintentionally walked Rhys Hoskins to load the bases. Again, Shelton brought in the fifth infielder, and this time it was Lee's turn to save the game. Orze still had to get rookie phenom Travis Bazzana to keep the Twins alive, and he did just that by inducing a fly out to a left-field-playing-again Martin to send us to the eleventh. Buxton still had the only hit of the night for the visiting team. Matt Wallner started out the eleventh as the ghost runner, and advanced to third on a "get him over" grounder by Royce Lewis. This brought up the aforementioned Buxton in a big spot. By the end of the at-bat, Buxton was still the only Twin with a hit on the night...but now it was "two." 2-1 Twins on a booming Buxton double off the left-field wall! Buxton was stranded in scoring position, and Twins fans hoped that this wouldn't come back to bite them as the much-maligned Luis Garcia got "last man standing" duty in the bottom of the eleventh with the speedy Bazzana on second as the ghost runner. Garcia got the first man with a shallow fly ball, but Bazzana stole third anyways. Fry flew out to an even shallower left field for the second out, and Garcia got Rocchio to two strikes. But Rocchio hit the kind of back-breaking seeing-eye grounder up the middle that Twins fans have seen year, after year, after year, after...oh wait! Brooks Lee equals Ballgame now! Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Banda 19 0 20 22 0 61 Funderburk 0 17 0 22 10 49 Orze 16 0 0 16 15 47 Rogers 0 0 26 0 17 43 Garcia 13 14 0 0 13 40 Topa 0 32 0 0 0 32 Morris 0 14 0 0 11 25 Gómez 0 0 0 2 5 2 Adams 0 0 0 0 0 0 View the full article

While the Milwaukee Brewers await a more definitive diagnosis, they are losing a key outfielder. Brandon Lockridge was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right knee laceration and contusion, while fellow outfielder Blake Perkins was promoted from Triple-A Nashville. Lockridge sustained a deep laceration to his right knee during Friday's game when he slid while trying to catch a foul ball and his knee slammed into the cement wall just underneath the protective padding. When asked about Lockridge's status, Brewers manager Pat Murphy said: "It’s going to be a while." The swelling in Lockridge's knee must subside before he can undergo an MRI exam to determine the extent of the injury. An X-ray did not reveal any breaks, but Murphy said the laceration went down to the bone. Since coming over at last year's trade deadline from the San Diego Padres for left-hander Nestor Cortes and shortstop Jorge Quintana, Lockridge has fit right into the Brewers' style and quickly made himself a fan favorite with his speed and aggressive pursuit of foul balls. Only this time, this one cost him. In 28 games this year, Lockridge has a slash line of .294/.368/.341 with no homers, 12 RBIs and five stolen bases. He made the Opening Day roster over Perkins, who had been the starting center fielder most of the second half of 2025 after returning from an injury. Perkins was sent down this week following the return of superstar outfielder Jackson Chourio from his fractured hand. Perkins came up when Chourio went on the IL the morning of Opening Day. While a standout defender, Perkins has struggled mightily at the plate with a .109/.212/.174 slash line. View the full article

In what promises to be a busy weekend for bullpen moves, the Boston Red Sox have swapped out another arm. The Red Sox on Saturday activated right-handed reliever Justin Slaten from the 15-day injured list and optioned right-handed reliever Jack Anderson to Triple-A Worcester. Slaten was on the IL since April 8 with a strained right oblique. Anderson had just been called up Friday and didn't pitch in a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox entered the weekend without a designated starter for the Saturday and Sunday games. Left-hander Payton Tolle is starting today. Slaten appeared in four games and didn't allow an earned run in 3⅓ innings, walking two and striking out five. He posted a 4.24 ERA in 36 appearances with the Red Sox last year after a 2.93 ERA in 44 games in 2024. View the full article

Jonathan Santucci spun a quality start for Binghamton, striking out seven over 6 1/3 innings, but the Rumble Ponies still fell 4-2 to Hartford. Jonah Tong fanned eight across five innings before Syracuse's bullpen faltered in a 7-5 loss to Rochester. Mitch Voit drove in four runs, and Channing Austin struck out 10 to power Brooklyn past Bowling Green 7-2. St. Lucie dropped an 11-4 decision despite Jamari Baylor's two-run homer off Lakeland. Mets Transactions No Roster Moves Bullpen Falters As Syracuse Drops 7-5 Decision To Rochester The Syracuse Mets jumped on top early but could not hold the lead in a 7-5 loss to the visiting Rochester Red Wings. Ryan Clifford led the offense with three hits in five at-bats, while Nick Morabito chipped in a hit, two RBI, and a walk. Hayden Senger collected a hit and scored a run, and leadoff man A.J. Ewing also reached on a walk and a hit. Jonah Tong worked five innings and struck out eight, allowing two runs on two hits and four walks. Syracuse had taken a 3-0 advantage out of the bottom of the fifth after Yonny Hernández walked, Senger singled, and Morabito drove both home with a two-out single to left. Rochester answered emphatically in the top of the sixth. The first batter Tong faced clubbed a leadoff home run, and Carlos Guzman entered after a Tong free pass. Guzman issued a pair of walks around a base hit, then surrendered a sacrifice fly, an RBI groundout, and a two-run home run, putting the Red Wings up 5-3 in the five-run frame. Syracuse pulled within one in the bottom of the sixth on a Hernández groundout that scored Ji Hwan Bae, and tied it in the seventh on a Christian Arroyo sacrifice fly that plated Ewing. The bullpen could not preserve the deadlock. Dan Hammer issued three walks and surrendered a two-RBI single in two-thirds of an inning, and the Red Wings carried the 7-5 lead through the ninth. Syracuse stranded seven runners. Player AB R H RBI BB K A.J. Ewing 4 1 1 0 1 1 Nick Morabito 3 1 1 2 1 1 Ryan Clifford 5 0 3 0 0 0 Christian Arroyo 3 0 0 1 0 1 Ji Hwan Bae 2 1 0 0 2 0 Cristian Pache 4 0 0 0 0 3 Yonny Hernández 3 1 0 1 1 1 Hayden Senger 4 1 1 0 0 3 Jackson Cluff 4 0 0 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jonah Tong 5 2 2 2 4 8 1 Carlos Guzman 1 3 3 3 1 1 1 Luke Jackson 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Dan Hammer 2/3 1 2 2 3 0 0 Ofreidy Gómez 1 1/3 1 0 0 1 2 0 Reimer Solo Shot Cannot Lift Binghamton Past Hartford In 4-2 Loss A quality start from Jonathan Santucci was wasted as the Binghamton Rumble Ponies fell 4-2 to the Hartford Yard Goats. Santucci pitched 6 1/3 innings, struck out seven, and allowed just one earned run on four hits without issuing a walk. He left after surrendering a leadoff home run in the seventh, and Saul Garcia retired both batters he faced to keep the deficit at one. The Rumble Ponies countered immediately. Jacob Reimer launched a solo home run to left in the bottom of the seventh to even the game. Chris Suero followed with a double, his second of the night, and came around to score on a Nick Lorusso fielder's choice that gave Binghamton a 2-1 lead. The rally ended when JT Schwartz lined into an inning-ending double play with the go-ahead runner on base. Hartford regained the lead in the top of the eighth. Ben Simon retired the first two batters before a fielding error by Lorusso put a runner on. The next hitter sent a two-run home run to right, both runs unearned but enough to pin the loss on Simon. The Yard Goats added an insurance run in the ninth on a leadoff homer off Zach Peek. Suero finished 2-for-4 with two doubles, while Reimer accounted for both Binghamton runs. Eli Serrano III collected a leadoff double, but the offense managed only four hits, and Hartford homered three times. Binghamton committed two errors that contributed to a pair of unearned runs late, and Santucci's strong outing went unrewarded. Player AB R H RBI BB K Eli Serrano III 4 0 1 0 0 1 Jacob Reimer 4 1 1 1 0 1 Chris Suero 4 1 2 0 0 1 Jose Ramos 4 0 0 0 0 2 Nick Lorusso 3 0 0 1 0 1 JT Schwartz 3 0 0 0 0 0 TT Bowens 3 0 0 0 0 1 Matt Rudick 3 0 0 0 0 0 Wyatt Young 3 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jonathan Santucci 6 1/3 4 1 1 0 7 1 Saul Garcia 2/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Ben Simon 1 1 2 0 0 1 1 Zach Peek 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 Mitch Voit Drives In Four As Brooklyn Tops Bowling Green 7-2 Mitch Voit collected two hits and four RBI to lead the Brooklyn Cyclones past the Bowling Green Hot Rods 7-2. Brooklyn struck early in the top of the second when John Bay launched a solo home run to left, and Trace Willhoite followed with a back-to-back blast to left center to put the Cyclones up 2-0. Colin Houck added a solo shot in the fourth. The decisive frame came in the sixth. Antonio Jimenez singled with two outs, Yonatan Henriquez drew a walk, and Voit doubled to right to score both. Voit struck again in the eighth with a two-run single that plated Yohairo Cuevas and Henriquez and pushed the lead to 7-2. Channing Austin worked 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with three walks and 10 strikeouts. He surrendered RBI doubles in the third and the fourth before leaving with two outs in the fifth. Gregori Louis followed with 1 2/3 hitless innings and picked up the win, Bryce Jenkins worked a clean seventh for a hold, and Cristofer Gomez closed out the final two innings while striking out five. Henriquez reached base three times, walking twice and singling, while Cuevas finished 2-for-4 with a double. Houck added two hits, and Bay finished with a hit, a run, and an RBI. Brooklyn collected 10 hits and three home runs but stranded nine runners. The Cyclones did not commit an error. Player AB R H RBI BB K Antonio Jimenez 5 1 1 0 0 2 Yonatan Henriquez 3 2 1 0 2 1 Mitch Voit 4 0 2 4 0 1 Corey Collins 4 0 0 0 1 2 Daiverson Gutierrez 4 0 0 0 1 2 Colin Houck 5 1 2 1 0 2 John Bay 5 1 1 1 0 3 Trace Willhoite 3 1 1 1 1 1 Yohairo Cuevas 4 1 2 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Channing Austin 4 1/3 5 2 2 3 10 0 Gregori Louis 1 2/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 Bryce Jenkins 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Cristofer Gomez 2 0 0 0 0 5 0 Eight-Run Third Sinks St. Lucie In 11-4 Loss At Lakeland The St. Lucie Mets fell 11-4 to the Lakeland Flying Tigers after surrendering an eight-run third inning. Cam Tilly was lifted with two outs in the third, finishing with 2 2/3 innings, nine hits allowed, eight earned runs, two strikeouts, and two home runs. Lakeland strung together a leadoff double, two singles, a three-run home run, a triple, an RBI single, another single, and a three-run homer to chase Tilly and put the contest out of reach early. The Mets cut into the deficit in the top of the fifth. Chase Meggers singled and Branny De Oleo doubled him to third. Francisco Toledo grounded out to short to plate Meggers, and Jamari Baylor followed with a two-run home run to right center to bring his club within 9-3. AJ Salgado added an RBI groundout in the sixth that scored Edward Lantigua, but the offense produced no other runs. Lakeland tacked on two more in the eighth on a double and a triple off Christian Rodriguez to set the final margin at 11-4. Lantigua and Meggers each finished with two hits, while Baylor's lone hit accounted for two of his team's four runs. Outside of Tilly, the bullpen was steadier. Miguel Mejias worked two scoreless innings with two strikeouts, and Tyler McLoughlin added a clean inning in relief. Zack Mack surrendered Lakeland's third home run in 1 1/3 innings of work. St. Lucie left only three runners on base and committed one error in center field. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 4 0 0 0 0 1 Edward Lantigua 4 1 2 0 0 0 Randy Guzman 4 0 0 0 0 2 AJ Salgado 3 0 0 1 1 2 Simon Juan 4 0 0 0 0 2 Chase Meggers 4 1 2 0 0 0 Branny De Oleo 4 1 1 0 0 3 Francisco Toledo 3 0 1 1 0 1 Jamari Baylor 3 1 1 2 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Cam Tilly 2 2/3 9 8 8 0 2 2 Zack Mack 1 1/3 2 1 1 0 2 1 Miguel Mejias 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 Tyler McLoughlin 1 1 0 0 2 1 0 Christian Rodriguez 1 2 2 2 1 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Nolan McLean: DNP Carson Benge: DNP A.J. Ewing: 1-for-4, R, BB, K Jonah Tong: 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 8 K, HR Ryan Clifford: 3-for-5 Jacob Reimer: 1-for-4, HR, R, RBI, K Jack Wenninger: DNP Elian Peña: 0-for-4, K Mitch Voit: 2-for-4, 2B, 4 RBI, K Nick Morabito: 1-for-3, R, 2 RBI, BB, K Jonathan Santucci: 6 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K, HR Chris Suero: 2-for-4, 2 2B, R, K Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: 1-for-4, 2B, K Ryan Lambert: DNP Dylan Ross: DNP Antonio Jimenez: 1-for-5, R, 2 K R.J. Gordon: DNP View the full article

The Iowa Cubs survived a 13-12 slugfest behind Owen Miller's two homers and three hits each from Pedro Ramírez and Jonathon Long. Brooks Caple struck out six over 3 2/3 scoreless innings in Knoxville's 8-1 win. South Bend pounded out a 14-6 victory behind Christian Olivo's two-homer, six-RBI night. Myrtle Beach erupted for four runs in the 10th to beat Hickory 6-2, with Dominick Reid spinning five scoreless innings of one-hit ball. Cubs Transactions Chicago Cubs activated RHP Ethan Roberts from the 15-day injured list. Chicago Cubs optioned RHP Gavin Hollowell to Iowa Cubs. Iowa Cubs Outlast Columbus In 13-12 Slugfest The Iowa Cubs scored in five different innings to outlast the Columbus Clippers 13-12. Iowa fell behind 6-2 through two innings, then exploded for six runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth before holding off a five-run Columbus rally in the ninth. Owen Miller went 3-for-5 with two home runs and four runs batted in to lead the offense. Pedro Ramírez and Jonathon Long each finished with three hits, with Long driving in two and walking once. James Triantos went 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI, and Justin Dean homered as the leadoff hitter while going 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Scott Kingery added two hits, a walk, a run, and a stolen base, while Eric Yang also homered. The fourth inning produced the biggest swing. Scott Kingery walked, Justin Dean reached on a bunt single, and Pedro Ramírez singled to load the bases. After a lineout and a strikeout, Jonathon Long walked to push a run across, James Triantos singled home two more, and Owen Miller capped the rally with a two-run homer to left center to put Iowa ahead 8-6. Doug Nikhazy struggled in his start, allowing six runs on six hits over four innings with three walks, three strikeouts, and three home runs surrendered. Ryan Jensen tossed a clean fifth to earn the win, Vince Velasquez worked three innings while picking up a hold, and Gabe Klobosits closed it out despite allowing two runs in the ninth. Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin Dean 5 2 2 1 1 1 Pedro Ramírez 4 2 3 1 0 0 BJ Murray 5 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Alcántara 5 1 1 1 0 2 Jonathon Long 4 2 3 2 1 0 James Triantos 5 2 2 2 0 1 Owen Miller 5 2 3 4 0 0 Eric Yang 5 1 1 1 0 4 Scott Kingery 4 1 2 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Doug Nikhazy 4 6 6 6 3 3 3 Ryan Jensen 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Vince Velasquez 3 2 4 4 5 4 0 Gabe Klobosits 1 3 2 2 0 2 0 Knoxville Smokies Walk Their Way Past Birmingham The Knoxville Smokies drew 10 walks, scored eight runs, and beat the Birmingham Barons 8-1 in a seven-inning game. Knoxville managed only one hit on the night but reached base often enough to break the game open in the fourth. Owen Ayers had the lone hit, a bases-clearing triple in the fourth, and finished 1-for-2 with three runs batted in, a run scored, a walk, and a stolen base. Jefferson Rojas drew a walk and drove in a run. Andy Garriola walked twice, scored a run, and drove in another. Hayden Cantrelle, Ethan Hearn, and Devin Ortiz each scored twice while reaching base multiple times via walks. Jordan Nwogu drew two walks, scored a run, and drove in another. The fourth inning produced all of the heavy damage. Owen Ayers, Edgar Alvarez, and Hayden Cantrelle each walked to load the bases, then Ethan Hearn drew a walk that forced in the first run. Devin Ortiz walked to bring home another. After a strikeout, Jordan Nwogu walked in a third run. After another strikeout, Andy Garriola drew a fourth bases-loaded walk. Owen Ayers then cleared the bases with a triple to right field to make it a seven-run inning. Brooks Caple turned in a strong start, throwing 3 2/3 innings while allowing two hits and no runs with two walks and six strikeouts. Marino Santy followed with 2 1/3 innings of one-run ball to pick up the win, and Tyler Ras worked a clean seventh. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carter Trice 4 0 0 0 0 3 Jordan Nwogu 2 1 0 1 2 1 Jefferson Rojas 3 0 0 1 1 2 Andy Garriola 2 1 0 1 1 0 Owen Ayers 2 1 1 3 1 0 Edgar Alvarez 2 1 0 0 1 0 Hayden Cantrelle 2 1 0 0 1 1 Ethan Hearn 1 2 0 0 1 1 Devin Ortiz 1 1 0 1 2 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Brooks Caple 3 2/3 2 0 0 2 6 0 Marino Santy 2 1/3 2 1 1 1 4 0 Tyler Ras 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Christian Olivo's Historic Two Homers Power South Bend Past Lansing The South Bend Cubs hit four home runs and beat the Lansing Lugnuts 14-6 at Four Winds Field. South Bend trailed 2-0 after the first but scored in five separate innings to take control of the game. Christian Olivo led the offense with a 4-for-4 night that included two home runs, six runs batted in, three runs scored, and a walk, a history making evening as he and Kevin Alcántara are the only South Bend Cubs to achieve this feat. Alex Madera went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI, while Ty Southisene added two hits and a run. Justin Stransky doubled, walked, and drove in two runs while crossing the plate twice. Matt Halbach reached base four times with a hit and three walks, scoring twice and driving in a run. Cole Mathis doubled, walked, and scored twice. Leonel Espinoza had two hits and an RBI, and Cameron Sisneros added a hit, a walk, and a run. The fifth and sixth innings broke it open. In the fifth, Cameron Sisneros singled, Cole Mathis doubled, Matt Halbach singled in a run, and Leonel Espinoza singled to bring home another. After two outs, Christian Olivo drilled a three-run homer to left to make it 8-3. The sixth started with Ty Southisene reaching on an error and two walks loading the bases. Alex Madera then singled in two runs, Justin Stransky doubled in two more, and Christian Olivo followed with a two-run home run to push the lead to 14-3. Kevin Valdez allowed three runs over 3 1/3 innings as the starter, giving up seven hits and two home runs with two walks and a strikeout. Kenyi Perez followed with 1 2/3 hitless innings, walking one and striking out five to earn the win. Ethan Flanagan worked four innings, allowing three runs while striking out five for the save. Player AB R H RBI BB K Kane Kepley 5 0 0 1 0 1 Ty Southisene 5 1 2 0 0 0 Cameron Sisneros 4 1 1 0 1 1 Cole Mathis 4 2 1 0 1 2 Matt Halbach 2 2 1 1 3 1 Leonel Espinoza 5 1 2 1 0 3 Alex Madera 5 2 3 2 0 0 Justin Stransky 4 2 1 2 1 0 Christian Olivo 4 3 4 6 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kevin Valdez 3 1/3 7 3 3 2 1 2 Kenyi Perez 1 2/3 0 0 0 1 5 0 Ethan Flanagan 4 7 3 3 1 5 1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans Erupt In 10th To Top Hickory The Myrtle Beach Pelicans broke a 2-2 tie with four runs in the 10th inning to beat the Hickory Crawdads 6-2. Myrtle Beach had taken a 2-0 lead through three innings before Hickory tied it with a two-run home run in the eighth, but the offense responded in extras to put the game away. Josiah Hartshorn went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, an RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored. Darlyn De Leon finished 1-for-3 with a home run, two runs, an RBI, and a walk. Alexis Hernandez led off with a 3-for-5 night and a run scored. Jose Escobar went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI, and Alexey Lumpuy added two hits and an RBI. Edward Vargas reached twice and scored a run. Michael Carico walked once and drove in a run. The 10th inning broke the game open. With Edward Vargas placed at second base as the zombie runner, Darlyn De Leon walked, and Alexis Hernandez singled to put runners at the corners. After a strikeout, Alexey Lumpuy singled to bring home Vargas. Michael Carico then grounded out to plate De Leon, and Jose Escobar followed with a two-run double to right field to push the lead to four. Dominick Reid was sharp in his start, throwing five scoreless innings on one hit with no walks and six strikeouts. Daniel Avitia worked three innings and allowed two runs on a home run in the eighth, taking a blown save. Jordan Henriquez closed it out with two hitless innings, striking out four to pick up the win. Player AB R H RBI BB K Alexis Hernandez 5 1 3 0 0 0 Josiah Hartshorn 4 1 2 1 0 1 Alexey Lumpuy 5 1 2 1 0 0 Michael Carico 4 0 0 1 1 0 Jose Escobar 5 0 2 2 0 1 Derniche Valdez 5 0 0 0 0 3 Jairo Diaz 2 0 0 0 2 0 Edward Vargas 4 1 2 0 0 2 Darlyn De Leon 3 2 1 1 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Dominick Reid 5 1 0 0 0 6 0 Daniel Avitia 3 3 2 2 1 5 1 Jordan Henriquez 2 0 0 0 0 4 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Moises Ballesteros: DNP Jaxon Wiggins: DNP Jefferson Rojas: 0-for-3, RBI, BB, 2 K Kevin Alcántara: 1-for-5, R, RBI, 2 K, SB Jonathon Long: 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB Ethan Conrad: DNP Pedro Ramírez: 3-for-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI Kane Kepley: 0-for-5, RBI, K Josiah Hartshorn: 2-for-4, HR, R, RBI, K, SB James Triantos: 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, K Brandon Birdsell: DNP Cole Mathis: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 R, BB, 2 K Angel Cepeda: DNP Kaleb Wing: DNP Will Sanders: DNP Juan Cabada: DNP Jostin Florentino: DNP Dominick Reid: 5 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K Ty Southisene: 2-for-5, R Erian Rodriguez: DNP View the full article

The Athletic’s Dan Hayes reports t reports that the Twins are placing right-handed starting pitcher Taj Bradley on the 15-day injured list with right pectoral muscle inflammation, and recalling right-hander Travis Adams from Triple-A St. Paul to take his roster spot. Bradley had been scheduled to start on Sunday. It's a frustrating setback for a pitcher who has been the bright spot of Minnesota's rotation. Through eight starts, Bradley owns a 2.87 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 47 innings, having gone at least six innings in six of his last seven outings and allowing more than two earned runs just once all year. His fastball has touched 99 mph and averaged better than 96.5, a tick up from where he sat a year ago. On Tuesday in Washington, he carved up the Nationals over six innings while generating 13 swings and misses, the latest in a string of dominant starts that have him pitching like a frontline starter. The injury is also unwelcome history. Bradley missed the start of the 2024 season with a right pec strain as a member of the Rays, costing him two months. The Twins have not yet announced a timetable for his return. Bradley was acquired from Tampa Bay minutes before the end of last summer's trade deadline, with the Twins sending All-Star reliever Griffin Jax to the Rays in exchange. Jax was one of the Twins' best relievers, and under team control through 2027, so the deal was widely criticized. Bradley’s breakout this April and May has completely flipped that narrative. Adams, recently activated from his own triceps injury, could provide bullpen length or could play a part in how the Twins backfill Sunday's start. Zebby Matthews, who pitched for the Twins last year, struggled early this year in AAA-St. Paul, but has recently refound velocity and success there, and could be a longer term replacement as well. But he would not be an option for Sunday, as he pitched Friday night for the Saints. View the full article

He is officially back. The Toronto Blue Jays activated right fielder Addison Barger from the 10-day injured list Saturday and optioned outfielder Yohendrick Pinango to Triple-A Buffalo. Barger is hitting second in the Jays' lineup against the Los Angeles Angels. Barger had been expected to be activated Friday, but his travel delayed that from happening. Barger has been out since going on the IL April 7 with a sprained left ankle. He had been off to a slow start to the season, going 1-for-19 in eight games. His presence in the lineup will bolster a lineup that needs some good news. The Jays entered Saturday ranked 27th out of 30 teams in runs and 25th in OPS (.683). Pinango has been a boon to the Jays' offense since his promotion April 25 to make his MLB debut. Pinango has a .423/.444/.462 slash line in 10 games with four RBIs. View the full article

There were plenty of raised eyebrows when Minnesota tendered Trevor Larnach a $4.5 million arbitration deal this past offseason. He was coming off one of the least impactful seasons of his big league career. Across 142 games, he posted a 100 OPS+ and finished with just 0.1 WAR, dragged down almost entirely by his defensive limitations. The Twins limited him to just 53 starts in the outfield, a clear indication they were trying to hide the glove while keeping his bat in the lineup. That decision looked even more questionable when factoring in roster construction. The Twins already had a crowded mix of left-handed hitting outfielders, including Matt Wallner, James Outman, and Alan Roden. On top of that, high-end prospects like Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez loom as long-term fixtures. It was fair to wonder where Larnach fit, and whether his role would shrink even further. For much of his career, Minnesota treated Larnach carefully on defense, in part because of injury concerns and in part because of his performance. The organization continued to bet on the bat that once made him a first-round pick out of Oregon State, and there were flashes that justified that belief. He posted a 116 OPS+ in 2024 and delivered 1.3 rWAR, while his 2022 campaign produced a career best 1.4 rWAR in just 51 games. So what is different now is not just the bat. It is the glove. According to Cory Provus on a recent Twins radio broadcast, Larnach has made a meaningful change to his daily routine. In previous seasons, his extensive stretching program was largely reserved for the offseason. Once the grind of the regular season began, that routine faded. This year, it has become a consistent part of his pregame work, helping him stay loose, improve mobility, and better prepare his body for the demands of the outfield. That physical preparation has been paired with focused defensive instruction. Larnach has spent significant time working with new outfield coach Grady Sizemore, honing fundamentals that had previously lagged behind. The emphasis has been on first-step quickness, reading the ball off the bat, and improving routes. It is not about turning Larnach into a Gold Glove defender, but about eliminating the plays he used to miss. The results have been noticeable. Over the last three seasons, Larnach has graded out as a below-average defender, but this season, he has been a positive contributor in left field. He already has three Defensive Runs Saved, a sharp turnaround from prior seasons. The underlying metrics support the eye test. Larnach sits at 1 Outs Above Average and 2 Fielding Run Value in 2026. A year ago, those numbers were deep in the negative at -4 OAA and -7 FRV. Even marginal gains in range and efficiency are making a real difference. Part of that improvement shows up in his athleticism. His sprint speed has ticked up from 26.1 feet per second to 26.6, which moves him from the 19th percentile to the 34th percentile. It is not a dramatic leap, but it is enough to help him close gaps and finish plays he previously could not reach. While the defensive growth is the headline, Larnach has also been productive at the plate. Over the team’s last 16 games, he owns a .300/.407/.420 (.827) slash line across 59 plate appearances. On the season, he is hitting .288/.418/.425 (843) with a 135 OPS+, and he recently pushed his on-base streak to a career-best 19 games. His approach has taken a clear step forward. Larnach is walking at an 18.4% clip, a significant jump from his 10.2% career-rate, while trimming his strikeout rate down to 17.3% from where it sat at 34% during the 2023 season. The improved discipline is allowing his offensive floor to rise, even without a surge in power. The combination of steadier offense and improved defense is changing the conversation around Larnach. What once looked like a questionable arbitration decision is starting to resemble a quiet win for the Twins front office. If Larnach can continue to pair league-average or better offense with a playable defense in left field, he no longer looks redundant. He looks useful. And in a crowded outfield picture, that might be the difference between fighting for a roster spot and holding onto one. Sometimes the biggest changes are not mechanical overhauls or swing reinventions. Sometimes they start with something as simple as stretching. What has stood out about Larnach so far this season? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

After taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning against the Washington Nationals last week before a cramp ended his night early, Jacob Misiorowski's follow-up start was arguably more dominant. The right-hander held the New York Yankees -- who entered Friday as the third-best offense in baseball, by measure of wRC+ -- to two hits and two walks over six scoreless innings, striking out 11. Throughout the night, he shattered records on the radar gun. In the first inning, Misiorowski threw the five fastest pitches thrown by a starting pitcher in the pitch-tracking era (which began in 2008), hitting at least 103 mph seven times. He fell one strike short of opening his outing with an immaculate inning when his ninth pitch was a ball just below the zone to Aaron Judge. "I had no clue," Misiorowski said postgame. "I got told in the dugout. I went back and looked and thought it was close, but yeah." Misiorowski didn't sit 103 the entire night, but he held triple-digit velocity throughout, averaging north of 100 mph in every inning but the fourth. In the sixth, his final fastball of the night and 94th pitch overall was 102.7 mph. "Never seen that," said Shane Drohan, who picked up his first big-league save with three innings of relief behind Misiorowski. "That was a first." "I've had games in the past where you get that sudden burst of adrenaline in the fifth or sixth somewhere, and you find it back," Misiorowski said. "But this was a first for the big leagues." Misiorowski leaned heavily on that signature fastball, throwing it 60% of the time and recording seven of his strikeouts with it. Sitting at 101.1 mph, it was the highest recorded average fastball velocity (four-seamers and two-seamers) in any outing of at least 90 pitches. It was actually the third time he's set that record in his last four starts. Misiorowski's start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 25 (100.5 mph) ranks second on that list, and his start before that on April 19 (99.7 mph) is third. As the weather has warmed up, so has Misiorowski's velocity. More impressively, he's maintaining it deeper into games, a product of the lanky 24-year-old adding strength and learning to better use his body since debuting in the big leagues last summer. "If you look at his legs and you look at his body, he's working," Pat Murphy said. "He's got guys like [Brandon Woodruff], our strength staff, they're showing him, 'Look, man, this is how you've got to maintain. You want to be a major-league pitcher, you've got to work in between those five days.' And he's in there working." In his current form, Misiorowski could establish himself as the hardest-throwing starting pitcher that baseball has ever reliably documented. His average fastball velocity of 99.7 mph would be the highest of any qualified starting pitcher season in the pitch-tracking era, a full tick above Jacob deGrom's 98.6-mph average in 2020 and Paul Skenes's 98.2-mph mark last year. A pitcher's best velocity and command usually go hand in hand. When his body is moving most effectively, he's putting himself in the best position to generate energy at release and throw the ball accurately. That's been the case for Misiorowski. His fastball averaged 98.5 mph through his first four starts, and he threw just 45.2% of them in the zone. In his last four, his fastball has averaged 100.5 mph with a 56.1% in-zone rate. In those outings, he's cut his walk rate to 8.9% while striking out 41.6% of batters faced. "It's not just velo," Murphy said. "There's a lot more to it." That has included Misiorowski's poise on the mound and his handling of physical and mental adversity. Some of his outings as a rookie (and a couple last month) were derailed by one rough inning or fatigue near the end of starts. On Friday, he remained sharp through a long break during a four-run second inning for the Brewers' offense and an injury delay in the fourth for Brandon Lockridge, who suffered a right knee laceration in a collision with the left-field wall. Misiorowski still looked strong as he neared 100 pitches in the sixth. "You saw it in Boston, his legs got really tired," Murphy said. "His legs were tired today, and he said that. He said, 'Hey, I'm not done, but my legs are getting tired.' So with that, he maintained his composure and didn't walk people, or whatever. He got right back on the horse." Misiorowski is breaking out. His stuff is better than ever. His control is better than ever. His mound presence is improving. He leads baseball in strikeouts. Misiorowski quickly put himself on baseball's radar last season, but his two latest outings checked every box of a pitcher who has arrived as one of the game's elite starters. "I think he's learning day in and day out what it takes to be a big-time guy," Murphy said. View the full article

Stats updated prior to play on May 8. After sitting seven games out of the division lead and fourth in the American League East late last May, the Blue Jays pushed close to .500 by month’s end. Around that point, fans had grown accustomed to a team that never caved to deficit. Somebody was going to get on base. Somebody else was going to drive them in. Late innings belonged to Toronto more often than not, and opposing pitchers managed games knowing a single mistake would flip the score. That version of the lineup has not shown up so far this season. What has taken its place is an offense sitting uncomfortably close to the bottom of Major League Baseball in runs scored, struggling to do much of anything and failing to capitalize on the chances it does create. Bad luck alone does not explain how a team ends up here. Injuries have mattered, but this did not unfold because pitchers simply woke up one morning with a new scouting analysis on how to attack Toronto. Teams do not drift into the bottom tier of scoring because of a short cold stretch. After Wednesday’s loss to Tampa Bay, manager John Schneider summed it up plainly in speaking with Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae. “It’s not Vlad, it’s not Kaz, it’s not George,” Schneider said. “It has to be everybody. The quality up and down, one through nine...just needs to be a bit more in-depth. There were some quick outs there.” Too many plate appearances are ending without impact, and the overall effect shows up on the scoreboard. Toronto is scoring just under four runs per game. That places the Jays alongside teams either rebuilding or waiting for July to reset priorities. For a club constructed to contend, this was never the plan. Runs scored is a simple measure, and that is exactly why it matters. It does not evaluate swing decisions or exit velocity in isolation. It tallies what crossed the plate, and whether those moments ever added up to sustained pressure. Look beyond the totals, and the offense looks and feels fragmented inning by inning. The Blue Jays still reach base at a reasonable rate, but they rarely create traffic. Walks often end where they began. Singles are followed by routine outs instead of additional contact. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sits at the centre of what is going on, or isn’t. His numbers remain strong. A batting average over .300 and an on-base percentage over .400 represent legitimate production. The issue is not whether he is getting on base, but what happens after he does. His slugging percentage has dipped to the point where pitchers can live with him reaching safely, especially if the threat behind him is inconsistent. The result is a hitter who looks the part statistically but isn’t anchoring rallies the way he did last season. That burden has fallen most heavily on Kazuma Okamoto. He leads the team in home runs and runs batted in, carrying a disproportionate share of the offense’s impact. When one bat accounts for that much damage, the surrounding lineup is not doing its share to extend innings or multiply mistakes. The middle layers of the order have failed to bridge that gap. Andrés Giménez has delivered occasional stretches of offense, but the sustained contribution the organization hoped for has not taken hold. Pitchers challenge him early and often, and without consistent punishment, those approaches stick. The outfield has deepened the problem. George Springer’s line does not read as disastrous, but the decline is noticeable. Fewer extra-base hits and less authoritative contact have narrowed his margin for error. Already dealing with nagging injuries early in the season, his at-bats have become more about survival than changing the shape of a game. Daulton Varsho’s struggles have been harder to work around. A .316 on-base percentage, combined with limited power, has left pitchers free to attack him without fear. High velocity continues to give him trouble, and opponents consistently exploit it in leverage spots. The bottom of the order has quietly compounded these issues. Several players taking regular turns own OPS marks south of .650. Those plate appearances rarely threaten more than a routine out, rarely advance runners and shorten games for opposing pitchers. The team numbers reflect it plainly. Toronto ranks in the lower third of the league in both walk rate and isolated power, reflecting an offense that is neither consistently driving the ball nor creating enough free baserunners. The Blue Jays have a team ISO below .140 and a walk rate of 7.5 percent. They are not forcing pitchers to make mistakes frequently, and when mistakes do happen, they are not being amplified. Compounding the quiet bats is that the Blue Jays are neither fast nor particularly aggressive. Stolen base attempts are infrequent. Hit and runs have largely disappeared. Last season, first-to-third advancement was a regular feature. This year, runners stop and wait. Without movement, double plays increase and defenses settle. Last year’s success got fans dreaming of what would be this season. Timely hits clustered together. Close games tilted Toronto’s way. Bullpens around the league broke at the wrong times. After a full season, that kind of stuff can feel sustainable. It would be one thing if we could pinpoint one or two problem players, but the failure to launch this offense is a failure across the whole lineup. Last year, in post-game interviews, every player would talk about how they were just one part of a bigger picture. They all seemed to have bought into that philosophy. This year, despite similar sentiments shared in spring training, this team has lost that vibe. Pitching has kept the Blue Jays close for long stretches this season, often holding opponents to manageable totals. That has mattered less and less as run support has vanished. Players are beginning to return from the injured list, and there have been brief reminders of what this lineup looked like at its best. Those flashes have not turned into consistency. If last year served as a blueprint, then a turnaround remains possible. But this 2026 team will not rediscover its offense by chasing the past version of itself. At some point, the Jays need to score runs. Until they do, everything else remains secondary. View the full article

When Kyle Hart struggled through six starts out of the gate for the San Diego Padres in 2025, the remainder of his appearances came in relief. Even short on rotation depth to start this year, that’s where Hart has spent all of his time in 2026. The results? A 5.40 ERA, a plummeting 14.7 K%, and an 8.8 percent walk rate that sits above last year’s mark through 16 2/3 innings. That work earned him a demotion to Triple-A upon the return of Yuki Matsui. And yet, there’s something enticing about this iteration of Kyle Hart (even if his recent minor-league option will put a pin on the anticipation). Last year’s version of Hart didn’t offer anything particularly inspiring. He pitched to a 5.86 ERA, a 5.18 FIP, and was only particularly strong in his ability to mitigate free passes (7.3 BB%). For a pitcher without upper-tier stuff, he also wasn’t particularly adept at mixing things up depending on the handedness of opposing hitters. This is Hart’s pitch distribution in 2025: There was a favoring of the sweeper against lefties that was balanced out by the changeup to right-handed hitters. Other than that, he was evenly spreading things out regardless of opposing hitters. Worse yet is the fact that deploying the change against righties didn’t make a bit of difference, as he was touched for a .359 opposing wOBA and 42.5 percent hard hit rate against that handedness. In 2026, however, there has been a stark change to Hart’s repertoire. Note that splitter down at the bottom of the distribution, thrown a mere five percent of the time in total. That’s where things get interesting: Hart’s splitter usage has taken off. He’s now throwing it 22.4 percent of the time, in line with each of his sweeper and sinker usage. Not only that, the changeup has become a thing of memory; he has yet to throw one in 2026. While the results haven’t been there in terms of run prevention, there’s something very interesting happening with that splitter in particular. Opposing hitters are swinging at the split 56.1 percent of the time. That’s the most of any pitch Hart is throwing. They’re whiffing at a 21.9 percent, also the tops of any component in his arsenal. It’s gone for a 25.0 Hard-Hit% and has yet to find a barrel. Even more importantly, it’s righties that are most heavily impacted by each of these trends. Not only are they following each one, they’re putting the splitter into the ground at a 66.7 percent rate. The value of this development cannot be overstated given that it’s a tool designed for right-handed hitters (and he’s throwing it to said hitters more than any other pitch at 31 percent of the time). It’s been an imperfect process given that Hart still has a .328 wOBA against righties on his ledger. Within that context, though, it’s notable that he continues to walk righties at a much higher rate, with five of his six walks coming against hitters of the opposite handedness. Nevertheless, the fact that the process is there speaks to an evolution that could be tremendously beneficial to the middle innings for the Padres. The strikeout numbers don’t look good. The walk rate looks just okay. But when you are working with a hard-hit rate in the 95th percentile and a groundball rate in the 96th, then you offer plenty to be a regularly utilized arm in relief. If Hart is able to gain enough of a grip on his command to right-handed hitters, there’s a real viability here that removes any thought of a restriction over which handedness he could face. The splitter is the springboard. He just needs to harness it. View the full article