CINCINNATI, OHIO - MARCH 29: Pitcher Emilio Pagán #15 of the Cincinnati Reds throws during a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park on March 29, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Asking concrete questions during the first full week of the 162-game slate is always a bit perilous. For instance, had I asked you before Friday’s series opener against the Texas Rangers whether or not Spencer Steer and Tyler Stephenson should be losing playing time due to their struggles, my best guess is that many of you would’ve responded with a resounding yes.
Those two just combined to go 4 for 8 with 3 runs scored, 4 ribbies, and a pair of 2-run homers to lead the Reds past Texas in impressive fashion in the team’s first road game of the season. If I asked whether the two of them deserved to lose playing time right now, you’d tell me I was ridiculous.
Such is the case, potentially, with the closer’s role for the Cincinnati Reds. After taking the job and running with it last year, Emilio Pagán was brought back in free agency to take the 9th inning role once again, but his first week of the 2026 season was rather brutal.
Pagán was hammered for a pair of homers and 5 ER in 3.1 IP across his first 3 appearances of the season. He blew a save in his first chance of the year against the Boston Red Sox (in a game the Reds ultimately won), and he later watched as Connor Phillips – who’s much younger with a much more electric arm – get a save when he was unavailable for the day after having thrown so many pitches earlier in the week.
It just so happens that I asked you whether Pagán, or someone else, would lead the Reds in saves in 2026 right after he was slugged around for a homer and 4 ER in an IP against Pittsburgh in a game the Reds lost 8-3. Even though that came in a non-save situation, it was a pretty rough time for an evaluation of his job title to come down, but that’s just how the timing of the situation went.
(I’d actually sent in the question for a graphic to be made a day earlier, but the baseball gods chose to make the timing more dramatic for when I could relay it in a post.)
So, it’s somewhat unsurprising that 79% of you thought, at that moment, that someone other than Pagán would end up leading the Reds in saves in 2026.
As the baseball gods would have it, these results are getting posted shortly after Pagán posted a 1-2-3 inning for the save against Texas in the Reds series opening 5-3 victory, his second save of the season. That gives him the team lead once again, and it’s clear that manager Terry Francona is willing to give him a long leash in the role given his 30+ save season a year ago and long track record as a high-leverage reliever.
This is a situation that should have some intrigue down the road, though. Pagán is no spring chicken as he nears his 35th birthday, and he’s already spoken glowingly of the arm talent of Phillips (and several other relievers the Reds have coming around). If he doesn’t find a way to keep the good vibes going, we very may well see a changing of the guard in the closer’s role down the road.
NEW YORK (AP) — New York center Karl-Anthony Towns was held out of the Knicks' game Friday night against the Chicago Bulls because of a right elbow impingement.
Towns was in a good mood as he participated in pregame warmups and took a couple of shots. However, he stood in front of the visitor’s bench and grabbed his elbow before he walked off the court toward the home locker room.
The All-Star center is averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds. He was replaced by Mitchell Robinson in the starting lineup.
MLB's top prospect, Konnor Griffin, made his professional debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 5-4 win against the Baltimore Orioles on April 3.
The 19-year-old shortstop was extremely solid in first outing in the big leagues. He was the ninth overall pick of the 2024 MLB Draft, selected by the Pirates.
Griffin got the call up to the majors for "baseball reasons" and because he's the Pirates' "best option," according to baseball insider Jason Mackey.
In his first at-bat, which came in the second inning of the game, Griffin hit an RBI double into the pocket of center field as Ryan O'Hearn scored to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead.
KONNOR. GRIFFIN.
MLB's No. 1 prospect announces his @Pirates arrival with a double to the gap in his first AB!
Griffin told reporters before the game that he felt ready for the moment.
"It's been unbelievable. You know, the drive from Columbus to here, just two hours of just kind of reflecting on the whole journey so far. I was sitting here about a year and a half ago, two years after I got drafted, and was talking about how cool it would be to play on this field and how now I get to do it, so I'm super excited," Griffin said. "(Triple-A coach) Eric Patterson, he called me to his hotel room about 8:30 in the morning and said, 'hey, we're gonna send you out to Pittsburgh go, kill it. I know you're ready. Just go. Keep being you.' So it was a special moment."
His hit was the momentum swing the Pirates were looking for as they ran off three more runs to extend the lead to 4-0 in the second inning. Jared Triolo singled to right, allowing Griffin to make it home for his first run.
The Pirates stacked the bases and got more runs. Henry Davis hit a double that went out to left field, giving Triolo the chance to score. Up next, Oneil Cruz. He singled to left and Davis scored.
As for the rest of the rookie's game, Griffin's next at-bat didn't come until the fourth inning; he walked.
Griffin finished the game batting 1-for-3 with a run and RBI. He struck out swinging in the fifth inning and ground out in the eighth inning.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 10: Tre Johnson #12 of the Washington Wizards drives against Pelle Larsson #9 of the Miami Heat during the first quarter at Kaseya Center on March 10, 2026 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Washington Wizards have about 9 percent change to win this game. This sort of says it all about the Wizards since the All-Star Break.
Let’s hit the preview!
Game Info
When: Saturday, April 4 at 3 p.m. ET
Where: Kaseya Arena, Miami, FL
How to watch: Monumental Sports Network or NBA League Pass (the Miami broadcast is quite good)
How to listen: The Team 980 AM, 106.7-2 FM.
Injury Report
Wizards: Bilal Coulibaly, Tristan Vukcevic, Tre Johnson (Day-to-Day), Trae Young, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, Cam Whitmore (Out)
Heat: Tyler Herro (Day-To-Day), Norman Powell, Terry Rozier (Out)
Pregame notes
Injury Report — It might have been easier for this preview to list the Non-Injury Report, i.e., who is actually available! I can’t remember when I last saw such a long injury list, even on the tanking Wizards… The Wizards will have essentially a G-League team roll out tomorrow.
Historic losing streak — Thankfully, there is a team called the Utah Jazz. Otherwise, the Wizards would now be on a 20+ game losing streak. Thankfully, also, the season is nearing its end, so the Wizards might not break any more negative records this season. But, on the bright side, development time! Playing time for those youngsters.
Flashback: Wizards defeat Heat… in the Beal era
Here are the highlights of the game the Wizards managed to win against the Heat, at home, and with Beal…. so much has changed since (and Kyle Lowry isn’t there anymore either…). Nostalgia!
ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 5: Anthony Black #0 of the Orlando Magic drives to the basket during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on March 5, 2026 at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (24-52) are at home on Friday night after a two-day rest and will take on the Orlando Magic (40-36). Dallas got ran off the court on Tuesday in a road game against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Magic lost a nail-biter to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night
Here are the main things you need to know:
WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs Orlando Magic
WHAT: Dallas tries to end a long, long home losing streak
WHERE: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
WHEN: 7:30 pm CST
HOW: KFAA Channel 29, MavsTV streaming, NBA League Pass
The injury report for the Mavericks once againt has the team missing several rotation players. PJ Washington is out with an illness. Caleb Martin still has issues with his plantar fascia. Marvin Bagley will miss the game with a shoulder issue. Moussa Cisse won’t be playing as Dallas is trying to use his limited availability down to the final game. Tyler Smith and John Poulakidas will suit up.
The Magic will be without Dallas native (and MMB favorite) Anthony Black. Jonathan Isaac will also miss this game due to illness.
The Mavericks are riding a 13 game home losing streak, which is pretty hard to do. They’ve also beaten the Orlando Magic 14 straight times, so if Dallas wins they snap one bad streak and keep another good one alive. There’s not a ton to watch for in this game. We’ll find something to talk about either way.
Be sure to chime in with your predictions in the comments!
Consider joining Josh and me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube, we should start LATE. Thanks so much for spending time with us here at Mavs Moneyball. Let’s go Mavs!
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 03: Pete Alonso #25 of the Baltimore Orioles looks on while batting in the first inning during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Friday, April 3, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Orioles’ first road game of the year looked a lot like the six games they played at home to begin the season. Their starter scuffled on the mound, particularly in one inning, and their lineup failed to make the most of their opportunities. On Friday evening in Pittsburgh, that added up to a 5-4 loss for the Orioles.
Kyle Bradish’s second outing of the year was an up-and-down affair. He threw just 81 pitches over four innings. In those innings he gave up four runs on six hits, three walks, and six strikeouts. All four of those runs came in during a nightmarish second inning.
That second inning began with a walk to old friend Ryan O’Hearn. A double to debutant Konner Griffin gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead with one out. Jared Triolo followed with a single to score Griffin and make it 2-0. Henry Davis then doubled in Triolo, and Oneil Cruz wrapped up the onslaught with a base hit to score Davis.
Bradish escaped the jam with some help from Cruz, who was thrown out trying to steal second base. That felt like a poor decision given the way in which Bradish was getting lit up, and since he’s not a pitcher known for allowing steals. After a walk to Brandon Lowe, Bradish got Bryan Reynolds to fly out, and was finally out of the inning.
Outside of that inning, Bradish gave up two hits, one walk, and struck out five over the other three frames. His fastball and sinker velocity was back at 93.5 mph, right where it sat in his first start of the year. That does represent a slight dip from his average at the tail end of 2025, but it could just be early-season rust. The bigger concern is Bradish’s control. He issued three walks and was often catching far too much of the strike zone. The Pirates made him pay for it.
The Orioles offense took a while to get things going. Pirates starter Mitch Keller held them scoreless through the first frames, though they did have traffic on the bases. A pair of double plays in those early innings extinguished potential rallies before they even got going.
In the fifth inning, the Orioles got on the board with a pair of runs. Blaze Alexander led off with a single. He would be doubled home by Gunnar Henderson. Later, a two-bagger for Adley Rutschman scored Henderson to cut the deficit to 4-2.
Bradish was lifted in favor of Dietrich Enns to begin the fifth inning. The lefty was wild and failed to put together a lockdown inning. He walked two of the first three hitters that he faced, and then uncorked a wild pitch. That allowed O’Hearn to drive in the Pirates’ fifth run of the day with a sac fly to center field.
From there, the Orioles bullpen was very good. Tyler Wells tossed two shutout innings, an important step for him following an uneven opening week. Then Rico Garcia was called on for the eighth. He induced a trio of groundouts to maintain his pristine ERA.
The Orioles had a real chance to come back all the way in the seventh inning. Alexander opened the inning with a single, and then scooted all the way from fist base to score on a Taylor Ward double in the left-center gap. Pete Alonso worked a one-out walk to put two runners on for the middle of the lineup. But neither Rutschman nor Samuel Basallo could cash in, both being retired to end the threat.
Henderson did bring the Orioles within one run in the bottom of the ninth, homering off of old friend Gregory Soto with two outs. But he was the only one that had success as the three other hitters in the inning, including Alonso to end the game, went down on strikes.
The Orioles did not make the most of their chances. They worked five walks and collected nine hits. That should have been enough to score more than four runs, but instead they went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners on base. Alonso, in particular, had a tough day, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Henderson was the standout, collecting seven total bases and driving in two runs. Ward reached base three times (double, two walks). Alexander and Dylan Beavers had two hits apiece.
Alexander also made the highlight reel with an impressive diving stop in the sixth inning. Playing third base, he snagged a hard-hit grounder from Henry Davis, stood up and fired over to Alonso at first. The call on the field was “safe,” but it was overturned after an Orioles challenge. His versatile glove and current .800 OPS are two things that Craig Albernaz needs in his lineup everyday for the time being, whether it be at second or third base.
Bradish needs to get himself right. Nothing feels easy for him at the moment, which is a new phenomenon for the former Cy Young contender. We are so used to seeing him go out and dominate each start. But right now he has to battle and fight for outs. There is plenty of time for that, and the Orioles will give him all the time he needs to figure it out. But he is part of a rotation that, as a whole, has disappointed in in their first week.
These two teams are back at it again on Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh. First pitch is set for 4:05 in a battle between Shane Baz (0-0, 6.75 ERA), a former Pirates prospect, and righty Carmen Mlodzinski (0-0,4.15 ERA).
The team announced that Doncic was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, which he suffered on April 2 in the Lakers’ blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Doncic has missed 13 games this season. In missing the final games of the regular season, his total will reach 18. Based on NBA rules, a player becomes ineligible for awards if they are inactive for 18 or more games during the season. He needs to be credited for one more game as an active participant to meet the 65-game threshold.
Doncic’s agent, Bill Duffy of WME Basketball, expects to appeal Doncic’s total number of games missed.
“To ensure that Luka’s incredible accomplishments this season are rightly honored and he can be considered for the league’s end-of-season awards, we intend to apply for an 'Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge' to the 65-game rule,” Duffy said in a statement to ESPN.
The six-time All-Star missed two games in December to be present for the birth of his child in Slovenia.
“His record-breaking season deserves to be noted in the history books, despite last night’s unfortunate injury and other extraordinary circumstances,” Duffy said. “We look forward to working with the NBAPA and the league office to ensure a fair outcome in this matter.”
An arbitrator would rule on it after the regular season, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps.
Doncic has averaged a league-leading 33.5 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game in 64 games played this season.
Apr 3, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola (27) delivers a pitch in the seventh against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Colorado Rockies fans assuredly did not have high expectations for the 2026 season. The team lost 119 games in 2025, and they didn’t seem to significantly upgrade the roster in the offseason. So, when the fans sat down to watch their home opener against the Phillies on Friday afternoon, it’s not like most of them had dreams of watching a pennant winner.
But they probably hoped for a little more than this. By the time they got situated in their seats, the Phillies had already jumped out to a 7-0 lead. In what may serve as a harbinger of things to come at Coors Field this season, the visiting team cruised to a 10-1 victory.
Quite a few Phillies batters were off to slow starts to the season, but there was nothing slow about their start on Friday. Facing former teammate Michael Lorenzen, Trea Turner led off the game with a double, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper followed with walks, and Alec Bohm got two of those runners home with a single.
The Phillies still weren’t done. J.T Realmuto hit a double, although it was really a pop up that former Phillie Mickey Moniak lost in the sun. When reading up on the Rockies, I saw someone describe Moniak as the worst defensive outfielder in the game. (Nick Castellanos, hold my beer!) Moniak had a .824 OPS in 2025, but was still worth negative wins above replacement, which is really tough to do. (At least some team wasn’t dumb enough to choose him with the top overall pick in the draft, right?)
Turner’s second hit of the inning drove home Realmuto to make it 7-0.
In the second inning, Harper put another ball into the seats, marking his second straight game with a home run, and quieting some of the worry about his slow start to the season.
They tacked on another run in the third when an Alec Bohm infield single (those are words you don’t see very often) allowed Turner to come home after his third hit of the game.
The Phillies concluded their scoring in the fifth when Schwarber managed to outdo Marsh by hitting a ball 460 feet.
Friday also served as a “get right” game for Aaron Nola. Nola and Lorenzen were teammates on the Italian team in the World Baseball Classic, and unlike Lorenzen, Nola had a terrific outing. His curveball looked sharp, and he kept the ball in the yard. He allowed one run in 6.1 innings to go along with nine strikeouts.
On the other hand, Lorenzen was the one to make history.
🚨 PITCHERGAMI 🚨
Michael Lorenzen just threw a line that has NEVER happened in MLB history:
3.0 IP | 12 H | 9 ER | 2 BB | 2 K
PHI @ COL That's the 25th Pitchergami of 2026 and 1 of 83,249+ unique lines on record.
The Phillies now find themselves on a three-game winning streak, and most of their players should be feeling much better about themselves. They’ll be back in action on Saturday afternoon with Taijuan Walker on the mound. Like Nola, Walker is hoping for a rebound after a poor season debut. While it would be great if that happens, it would also be great if the Phillies could have their bats stay hot.
SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 28: Jaxon Smith-Njigba #11 of the Seattle Seahawks, left, greets Julio Rodriguez #44 of the Seattle Mariners after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at T-Mobile Park on September 28, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. The Dodgers won 6-1. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sept. 9 was supposed to be an evening game for the Mariners against the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park, with the Sounders hosting Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer play at Lumen Field. The Sounders didn’t waste much time moving their match to Thursday, Oct. 1 at 6:30 pm PT, but the Mariners have now made their schedule change. Anyone up for a day-night Mariners-Seahawks doubleheader?
Game Time Update 🚨
First pitch on Wednesday, September 9, vs. the Rangers has moved from 6:40 p.m. to 1:10 p.m. due to the NFL schedule and to avoid overlapping games in the SODO area. pic.twitter.com/UVg9syBMJY
The Seahawks are slated to begin the 2026 NFL season at 5:20 pm PT, so unless the Mariners and Rangers have an extra innings marathon there should be some time between the end of the M’s and the start of the Seahawks.
Seattle’s Week 1 opponent will likely not be revealed until closer to the schedule release in mid-May, but it’s a certainty that the Seahawks will be unveiling their second Super Bowl banner regardless of who they’re facing.
We have achieved one week of Royals baseball, and the Royals, despite an anemic offense outside of one game, have managed not to lose more than they’ve won. Now comes one of the bigger tests for the team in the early-going as Atlanta was without many of their preferred starters, and the Twins simply don’t look very good. The Brewers may not get any respect from the pre-season projections, but they made it all the way to the NLCS last season and seem to be one of those teams that keep finding ways to be good.
In the series opener, the Royals are going to be relying on a rookie making his first MLB start, but not his first MLB appearance. Michael Wacha is having his start pushed back while dealing with an illness, so Luinder Avila will get the call. Avila made a few appearances out of the bullpen last September and impressed many while he was at it, pitching to a 1.49 ERA in 13 relief appearances. During Spring Training, manager Matt Quatraro indicated that he saw Avila as having front-line starter potential, but most outsiders agreed that if Avila was going to contribute this year, it was going to be out of the bullpen. Craig Brown over at Into the Fountains, though, told me he thought that Avila would be the first starter up. So kudos to him for getting that right. Bailey Falter was added to the IL in a corresponding move after a near-disastrous ninth-inning appearance on Wednesday.
Chad Patrick will get the ball for the Brewers, making his second start of the season. His first start saw him go only 4.1 innings against the White Sox, striking out 4, walking 1, and giving up a run in a no-decision that would become a Brewers win. Patrick is a 27-year-old sophomore who pitched to a 3.53 ERA in his rookie campaign last year. He faced the Royals in his second big league appearance and first start, pitching 4.2 scoreless innings in a game the Brewers won 5-0.
Last year, Patrick threw six pitches, but three are variations of fastballs – a four-seamer, a cutter, and a sinker – which he combined to throw 86.5% of the time. He also mixes in a slider, a slurve, and a changeup, but every kind of fastball gets thrown more than those three pitches combined. In his first start this year, he threw 74 pitches. Six were slurves, two were changeups, and he didn’t throw a single slider. His cutter is a very good pitch, though, getting lots of chases and whiffs despite the lack of variety and the fact that it’s kind of slow for a cutter. Patrick can struggle with the strike zone at times, so the new, (hopefully) patient Royals might have an advantage over him that the free-swingers of last year didn’t.
Lineups
Carter Jensen continues to ride the pine after oversleeping yesterday. Starling Marte gets his first game action in exactly one week since his last, on Opening Day. Without Carter in the lineup, Jac Caglianone remains bumped up to the fifth spot in the lineup; hopefully, he’ll get some more hits there tonight than he did yesterday afternoon. Nick Loftin gets the start over Jonathan India. Despite Wednesday’s grand slam, India is having a poor start to the season, including popping up fully one-third of the balls he’s put in play. I know it worked against Royce Lewis in the rain, but that’s no way to get a hit.
Apr 3, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Brandon Marsh (16) celebrates his three run home run with first base coach Paco Figueroa (38) in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
You know sometimes when things in baseball appear to be true, but you dig a little deeper and they’re really not? There has always been a feeling when Aaron Nola is on the mound that the Phillies just don’t score runs for him. That’s something I’ve always thought was true, so it required a quick trip to Baseball Reference to confirm it.
Turns out: not really true! In 2024, his last really healthy year, the Phillies scored 5.5 runs per inning he was on the mound, which was 19th best in all of baseball. The team scores for him, he just struggled to keep the score in the Phillies’ favor. Today, the offense did quite well getting him support, batting around in the first and never looking back.
For the Rockies, the first inning was truly ugly. Michael Lorenzen, the guy who willingly wanted to sign for them to try his hand at pitching in Colorado, got his first chance at seeing why the mile high air chews up pitchers who lack quality stuff and spits them out. The first inning rolled like this:
double by J.T. Realmuto that was lost in the sun by Mickey Moniak
groundout by Justin Crawford
RBI single by Turner (7-0)
groundout by Schwarber
That’s what the experts call a “bad outing”.
While we thank Lorenzen for his no-hitter he threw here in Philadelphia, the Phillies really needed this game to get their offense going. The fun didn’t end there. In the second inning, Harper unloaded on a pitch from Lorenzen for his second home run of the game.
In the third, Bohm singled in another run for the Phillies, making the score 9-0 and ending Lorenzen’s day.
Meanwhile, Nola just cruised. Tasked with keeping a bad Rockies lineup off the board, he just threw strikes and kept the scoreboard empty. His curveball was crisp, his fastball was spotted and he scattered by a few hits to maintain the lead and shut down the opposition.
Of course, no blowout win is complete without Kyle Schwarber hitting a missile, so he did that.
A double-decker 460-foot blast for Kyle Schwarber 😳
Curiously, the team was then in turn held in check by Valente Bellozo yet again. He relieved for the Rockies and ended up finishing the game for them, the Schwarber blast the lone blemish on his record. His weird hex he has on the Phillies is something to be studied.
It’s the proper way to begin a trip to Colorado, particularly after struggling at home at the plate. They’ll look to keep it up tomorrow night.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 03: A general view of Fenway Park during the National Anthem before the home opener between the San Diego Padres and the Boston Red Sox on April 03, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I personally wasn’t in Boston, but looking at it on TV, that was quintessential Red Sox Opening Day weather, eh? 50s and sunny, the white uniforms back on and a city wanting to kick this team in the backside.
Well, they thankfully didn’t make this one too stressful on any of us as they rolled to a 5-2 win.
Studs
Sonny Gray (6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 K)
now THIS was the Sonny Gray start the Red Sox needed. Not even 90 pitches, six frames of pretty clean ball save for that fifth inning. Give me more of that kind of Sonny, please.
Marcelo Mayer (2-for-2, 2 runs, 2 RBI, 1 HR)
I don’t understand why Cora won’t let Mayer roll more and work out his growing pains. When he’s on like this, he’s such a consistent and smooth hitter. It’s a presence this lineup desperately needs, as I alluded to this morning.
The Bullpen (3.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H)
The Italian Stallion Greg Weissert, no nicknamed Justin Slaten and the Cuban Missile Aroldis Chapman were phenomenal. Nuff said. Well, Chappy passing Pap is something else too.
Duds
Trevor Story (0-for-4, 1 K)
Story is in an early season slump and it shows. Completely the opposite of two years ago when he started on a tear. Then again? He also got hurt for the rest of the season three weeks in so we don’t want a repeat of that.
Play of the Game
I’m really torn because Marcelo hitting a home run is fantastic, Mut Contreras really needed that and it was the game-winning hit too.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 02: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after a play during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center on April 2, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While there are many ramifications of that injury, particularly when it comes to the Lakers’ postseason hopes, the injury coming in Luka’s 64th game this season leaves him just one game shy of being eligible for postseason awards. While he likely wasn’t going to win MVP — though he would definitely have finished in the top five — he was a near lock to be named All-NBA First Team.
As things stand right now, he would not be eligible to be selected. However, Shams Charania of ESPN also relayed a statement from Luka’s agent, Bill Duffy, in which he noted that they would be applying for an Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge for the 65-game rule.
Here is the full statement:
“This season, Luka Dončić has performed at a historic level, leading the league in scoring, carrying the Lakers to third place in the Western Conference and placing himself in the middle of one of the most tightly contested MVP races in memory. To ensure that Luka’s incredible accomplishments this season are rightly honored and he can be considered for the league’s end-of-season awards, we intend to apply for an “Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge” to the 65-game rule. Luka missed two games this season for the birth of his second child in Slovenia. His daughter was born on Dec. 4 on another continent, and yet he was back in the United States competing with his team on Dec. 6. Luka has gone to great lengths to show up for his team and this league this season. His record-breaking season deserves to be noted in the history books, despite last night’s unfortunate injury and other extraordinary circumstances. We look forward to working with the NBAPA and the league office to ensure a fair outcome in this matter.”
Luka missed the team’s games in Toronto on Dec. 4 and Boston on Dec. 5 for the birth of his daughter in Slovenia. He rejoined the team on Dec. 6 and played against the Sixers on Dec. 7.
In the CBA, here is a snippet of how the Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge is explained
(i) To prevail in an Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge in respect of a Season, the player bears the burden of proving that:
(A) Due to extraordinary circumstances, it was impracticable for him to play in one (1) or more of the Regular Season game(s) that he missed during such Season;
(B) He would have satisfied the Award Eligibility Criterion set forth in Section 6(a)(1) above if he had played in every game that he missed due to the extraordinary circumstances (i.e., assuming that he would have played twenty (20) minutes in each such missed game);
Effectively, the argument will be that because Luka had to fly to another continent to be at his child’s birth, he missed multiple games he might otherwise have played. And considering he is just one game short of being eligible and he missed two games, it would likely strengthen his argument.
Front office insider Bobby Marks of ESPN also shares the belief that Luka could have a good case here.
FYI
I would say Luka has a good case based on the below rules.
Missing 2 games for the birth of your child should meet the extraordinary circumstances language below. https://t.co/0ZUvuV2JUp
This does not ultimately change the impact the team is going to feel in the postseason without Luka. However, it would allow Luka to be properly recognized for his brilliance.
You can not tell the story of the 2025-26 NBA season without including Luka and hopefully this route will allow him to be rightfully included in award voting.
The Double-A Birmingham Barons have been the brightest spot in the Chicago White Sox organization over these last few dreadful seasons, winning their second consecutive Southern League championship in 2025. This season will have a mix of familiar faces alongside some recent free agent signings, but it’s likely we’ll see some fluctuation throughout the season depending on how the major league season progresses.
Starting Pitching With Hagen Smith, Noah Schultz, Wikelman González and others moving up to Triple-A, the 2026 rotation might look a little different.
Righthander Riley Gowens will return as a staple to the Birmingham starting rotation after settling into Double-A ball nicely in his first full season at that level. Gowens tossed the most innings on the team in 2025 (132) at a solid 3.32 ERA and 1.189 WHIP. He also rang up 151 batters at a strong 28% strikeout rate. His walk rate is still a bit higher than the White Sox would like (9% BB%), but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him make the leap to Charlotte early this season; he’s more than proven that he can perform at his current level.
Despite making just four starts with the Barons in 2025, lefthander Lucas Gordon was impressive upon moving up from the High-A Winston-Salem Dash towards the end of the season. In 21 innings, he allowed five runs on nine hits, posting a 2.11 ERA and 0.750 WHIP while striking out 24 batters and walking seven. Gordon’s strikeout rate also jumped from 25.4% with the Dash to more than 31% with Birmingham, and his 2.06 FIP is in close alignment to his ERA, showing consistency if you strip out the defense.
Connor McCullough was injured for majority of the 2024 season but came back strong in 2025, joining the Barons in July after a rehab assignment with Winston-Salem and shifting back into a starting role almost seamlessly. McCullough made 13 starts (41 innings) and despite recording four losses, he ended the year with a 3.43 ERA and 0.894 WHIP, highlighting his stellar 5.8% walk rate to accompany his sound 23% strikeout percentage.
Balancing out the rotation with another durable lefty arm is Jake Palisch, who made 13 starts last season of his 29 appearances, ultimately getting the call up to the South Side at midseason but appearing in just one inning. Across both starting and relief roles, Palisch flashed a 2.14 ERA in 105 innings with a 1.067 WHIP, though he had a below-average strikeout rate (16.1%) with the Barons last season. Palisch’s elevated 3.30 FIP in comparison to his ERA suggests that an elite defense behind him might also be providing some support, so it would be interesting to see how he would perform in the majors with the current mess of a White Sox defense.
Relievers The bullpen has quite a few returning players in Eric Adler, Phil Fox and Jared Kelley. Adler struggled throughout the 2025 season, putting up a 4.78 ERA with the Barons while averaging at a 5.89 ERA on the season, but both Kelley and Fox posted ERAs in the mid-3.00s. In his first pro season, Fox tossed 59 2/3 innings with the Dash and his 11 K/9 and 30% strikeout rate definitely helped.
New additions to the Birmingham arm barn include three recent left-handed pitching signees in Chase Watkins, Jacob Heatherly and Rylan Kaufman.
Heatherly has struggled with shoulder injuries in the past and holds a career 5.35 ERA. Though some of his pitches have decent scouting grades in the 50-55 range, he lacks command and accumulated a whopping 22% walk rate in 2023 and even higher at 25% in 2024, completely offsetting his high strikeout rates.
Kaufman is a former Top 30 prospect in the Kansas City but he couldn’t fully adjust to the advanced competition, averaging a 5.41 ERA in his minors career. He ended up needing Tommy John surgery and was out for the 2025 season, but has worked his fastball back up into the mid-90s.
The South Siders picked up Watkins just last week, after he was released by the Cubs on March 23. Watkins amassed a 2.65 ERA across 40 2/3 innings in High-A, and a sharp 0.92 ERA in 29 1/3 innings once moving up to Double-A.
Catchers Both returning from last season, Calvin Harris and Jorge Corona will continue to split duties behind the plate, with Harris likely getting more innings. Corona has floated on and off the development list, ultimately slashing .170/.314/.270 in 100 at-bats. Harris made the jump to the Barons 31 games into the season after posting a solid .768 OPS in 119 at-bats, and slashed .253/.317/.312 in 186 ABs with Birmingham, and allowed three passed balls in 469 2/3 innings.
Position Players If you don’t know his name by now, outfielder Braden Montgomery is one to watch this season, ranking as the top White Sox prospect at South Side Sox and at 34 in the MLB Top 100. The 22-year-old flew through the minors in his first year with the team in 2025, slashing .270/.360/.444 with a solid .804 OPS in 448 at-bats. Upon moving up to Double-A, his stats remained consistent against the tougher competition, and his defensive ability in the outfield (strong arm, speed) give him to the tools to be an All-Star caliber player in the future.
Another exciting player within the White Sox organization is Rikuu Nishida, whose ability to get on base and subsequently steal them is almost unmatched. Aside from Sam Antonacci, Nishida’s .403 OBP led the team in 2025, and he is excellent at being selective at the plate, swinging 39% of the time but making contact on nearly 86% of his swings. Not only is he elite at making contact, but Nishida walks at a higher rate than he strikes out with 75 walks compared to 69 strikeouts last season. Nishida started as a second baseman, but has since adjusted into the outfield, playing the majority of his games in right and center last season. He begins his second full year and third overall in Double-A, however, so someone at the White Sox is not impressed.
Rounding out the outfield will be Caden Connor and Wilfred Veras. Connor posted a .708 OPS with a .266 BA in 342 at-bats with the Barons, and earned a promotion up to Charlotte for 13 games. He was even better with the Knights, and posted a .422 on-base percentage that factored into his .832 OPS. If not for the half-dozen fringe major-leaguers the White Sox acquired in the offseason, Connor could well be starting 2026 in Charlotte. Veras’ arrow is pointing in the opposite direction, as his performance regressed compared to where he was at in 2022 and 2023. In fact, Nishida has nothing on Veras, as Veras is beginning his third straight full season and fourth overall in Birmingham. He slashed just .215/.293/.327 with a .620 OPS that dropped by 17% year-over-year. It’s possible Veras has reached his peak, and it will be interesting to see if he’s made any adjustments heading into this season.
Last but not least, the infield will have mostly all returning playerss with Jason Matthews, Jordan Sprinkle, Ryan Galanie and the recently-signed Andy Weber.
Matthews had a hard time at the plate last season, putting up a measly .549 OPS in 211 ABs with Birmingham.
Middle infielder Sprinkle was efficient enough with the Low-A Cannon Ballers (.271/.411/.295) to be promoted to Winston-Salem where he struggled to adjust, and ultimately to Double-A to close out the season. Sprinkle is quick and is able to steal bases when he gets on, but he lacks the raw power to efficiently drive in runs.
Galanie holds down first base with plenty of power, and he’s fairly selective at the plate and doesn’t strike out a lot. He led the team in RBIs in 2025 (71), and mashed 19 doubles and seven homers.
Weber was was signed to a minor league contract after electing free agency out of the Diamondbacks system. Likely to play second base, Weber was mostly with the Arizona’s Triple-A team last season where he posted solid numbers with a .310/.368/.434 slash line.
There’s plenty of talent with the Barons, and we’ll likely see a revolving door of players throughout the season. While maybe not having the most raw power at the plate, they have some solid arms that can keep them in games. So it might be best not to rule out a three-peat.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 03: Pitcher Emilio Pagán #15 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrates with catcher Tyler Stephenson #37 after a win over the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on April 03, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds hit the road for the first time during Thursday’s day off, and on Friday began their first road series of the 2026 season.
Fortunately for them, they opened the scoring in their game against the Texas Rangers the very same way they ended it – with a major 2-run homer from a veteran off to an otherwise slow start.
Spencer Steer swatted a 2-run blast off Rangers starter MacKenzie Gore in the Top of the 2nd inning to open Cincinnati’s ledger in this one, and Tyler Stephenson effectively closed it with a 2-run homer of his own in the Top of the 9th inning off veteran righty reliever Chris Martin. Stephenson’s came with the game tied 3-3, and closer Emilio Pagan – himself a veteran entering play on Friday having sputtered out of the gate – hammered down a perfect Bottom of the 9th to give Cincinnati the 5-3 victory.
It was a classic back and forth tie that lent itself to need a big hit late, and that’s precisely what Stephenson provided. He battled into a deep count with Martin, fouling off pitches as he worked for one he could mash, and he eventually went the other way over the wall in right-center for the blast that gave Cincinnati the victory, as the Reds shared on Twitter shortly after it happened.
Steer had doubled in front of Tyler, so he scored on the play. That gave him a pair of extra-base hits, pair of ribbies, and pair of runs scored on the day. Hopefully it’s a sign that he’s getting his bat going, as he’s going to be very much needed to anchor the lineup with his defensive versatility daily (as well as on days against a LHP starter). Stephenson, who’s going to get today’s Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game award, similarly went 2 for 4 with a pair of ribbies – he gets the nod for the WPA boost on the homer, I suppose.
Reds 5, Rangers 3, and happy Reds fans a million.
Other Notes
Elly De La Cruz chipped in with a solo homer, his third of the year. It was another laser hit from the right-side of the plate, which is an incredibly good sign.
Eugenio Suarez did not blast a mighty dinger today, but he did have another pair of hits.
Tony Santillan kept his season ledger clean after another incredibly effective 10-pitch inning yielding zero runs. Sam Moll needed 12 pitches for his, but it was a similar good ending.
Rhett Lowder will toe the rubber in Saturday’s game between these two clubs, doing so opposite fellow former college standout Kumar Rocker. First pitch in that one is slated for 7:05 PM ET.
