Worldwide Sports News

Happy Monday, Camden Chatters! I hope you had a nice weekend. Things started off poorly for the Orioles with two losses to the Nationals, including an embarrassing 13-3 rout on Saturday. But they finished the series with a solid 7-3 victory to salvage one game.

The offense yesterday was powered by home runs from guys who had been struggling. Gunnar Henderson, Coby Mayo, and Colton Cowser all went deep yesterday, which felt pretty good. If those guys can rebound, it would work wonders for the offense.

No offense to Cower or Mayo, but Henderson is the one who matters most. And he had himself a fine weekend. On Friday, in the team’s 3-2 loss, Henderson singled and doubled in five trips to the plate. But he hit the ball hard four times up, with exit velocities of 97.5, 100.1, 106.1, and 111.9. He went hitless on Saturday, but did pick up a walk. And yesterday, Henderson had a four-hit game, including a double and a home run. His exit velocity in those four hits? 100.3, 100.3, 105.6, and 106.7.

It has only been one weekend’s worth of games, and I am not declaring Gunnar to be back. But I feel like I am ready to start asking the question. If he keeps hitting the ball hard, we’ll have our answer soon. He has been in the 57th percentile of exit velocity this year, averaging 89.1. In 2023-25, he was around the 90th percentile. A hard-hitting Gunnar is a good Gunnar.

He and the rest of the team will face a tough test over the next 10 days, where six of their nine games will be against the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays. They have won every series they’ve played this month and have only lost four all year. Weirdly, all of those series losses have come against the NL Central. They have not been swept. You can check back to this website at 10 a.m. to read Paul Folkemer’s series preview, which will tell you all the ways the Rays will beat the Orioles this week.

One last thing: former Oriole Grayson Rodriguez made his 2026 debut yesterday. It had been 655 days since his last start back on July 31, 2024. I wish I could say he had a triumphant return. Against the Dodgers, Rodriguez allowed seven runs on seven hits and four walks in just 3.2 innings. Here’s hoping he feels good physically after the start and that he can keep going.

Links

More bullpen banter, Albernaz on having Eflin around team and some mailbag questions – MASN Sports
Zach Eflin is providing veteran leadership even with his arm in a brace. Readers ask Roch Kubatko about Mike Elias’s job security, Jackson Holliday’s return, and more.

Orioles mash 3 homers en route to a 7-3 victory over the Nationals – The Baltimore Banner
Game story with quotes from Craig Albernaz and the players.

After slow starts to ’26, three young O’s heat up in a big way – MLB.com
I don’t know that I’m ready to say that Colton Cowser has heated up, but the home run was nice.

Birthdays and History

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have four Orioles birthday buddies, including the legendary Brooks Robinson. Robinson spent his entire 23-season career with the Orioles. He won 16 Gold Gloves, was an 18-time All-Star, won two World Series, was named American League MVP, World Series MVP, All-Star Game MVP, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983. He was also the nicest human of all time. Brooks Robinson passed away in 2023 at the age of 86.

Believe it or not, Brooks Robinson isn’t the only former Oriole and Hall of Famer born on this day. Today is Reggie Jackson’s 80th birthday. Jackson spent one season, 1976, with the Orioles.

Also born on this day is 2026 Oriole, Trey Gibson. Gibson has pitched in two games with the Orioles this year, and is currently with Triple-A Norfolk. We’ll see him in Baltimore again this season, I’m sure. Happy 24th birthday, Trey!

Last (and also probably least, sorry), today is Luis Terrero’s 46th birthday. Terrero appeared in 27 games with the 2006 Orioles.

On this day in 1957, the Orioles and White Sox were playing in Baltimore with a 10:20 curfew put in place to ensure the White Sox could catch the last train out of town. At 10:19, Oriole Dick Williams hit a ninth-inning, game-tying home run. The game was called for curfew as he touched home plate. The two teams later replayed the game, and the Orioles won. Why didn’t the White Sox pitcher just stall for one minute? That’s what everyone else wondered too.

In 1983, the Orioles and White Sox were again playing, and White Sox pitcher Rich Dotson pitched a one-hitter against the Orioles. Unfortunately for him, the one hit was a home run by Dan Ford. Storm Davis and Tippy Martinez combined to pitch nine shutout innings for the O’s.

In 1990, the Orioles tied an American League record with eight straight singles in the first inning against the Rangers’ Bobby Witt (who wouldn’t become Bobby Witt, Sr. for 10 more years). The Orioles scored seven runs in that first inning and went on to win, 13-1.

And on this day last year, the Orioles lost to the Nationals, 10-4. Zach Eflin started for the Orioles and was torched for eight runs, including a six-run second. The Orioles had nine hits, including solo home runs by Jackson Holliday, Gunnar Henderson, and Cedric Mullins.

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (23-21)

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE 5, SYRACUSE 3 (BOX)

Syracuse got on the board in the top of the first on a pair of extra base hits off the bats of Nick Morabito and Christian Arroyo, but Scranton recouped both runs in the bottom of the third. Syracuse took the lead once again in the top of the sixth, this time on a Yonny Hernandez RBI single, but the RailRiders took the lead permanently in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs off of Alex Carillo and taking a 5-3 lead. The Mets had a couple of opportunities, getting the tying run up in the eighth and ninth, but weren’t able to cash in.

·  CF Nick Morabito: 1-4, R, 3B

·  DH Ji Hwan Bae: 2-3, 2 R, BB, K, SB (12)

·  1B Ryan Clifford: 0-4, K

·  2B Christian Arroyo: 1-4, 2B, RBI

·  3B Yonny Hernández: 2-4, 2 RBI

·  RF Cristian Pache: 1-4, K

·  C Ben Rortvedt: 1-4, K

·  SS Jackson Cluff: 0-4, K, E (7)

·  LF Matt Rudick: 0-4, 2 K

·  RHP Jack Wenninger: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 1 K

·  LHP Matt Turner: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

·  RHP Ryan Lambert: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

·  RHP Alex Carrillo: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, BLK, L (1-1), BS (2)

·  LHP Cionel Pérez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

·  LHP Anderson Severino: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets activated RHP Ofreidy Gómez from the Development List.

ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets released RHP Luke Jackson.

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (13-26)

BINGHAMTON 10, SOMERSET 7 (BOX)

Binghamton trailed early on, at one point as much as 6-1, but the bats came through. In the fourth, they plated three runs, in the fifth, they plated two, and in the sixth, they scored four more, taking the lead. Jacob Reimer had a big game, going 3-3 with two doubles and a homer, raising his batting line from .200/.328/.355 coming into this game to .221/.346/.416; the infielder has quietly been enjoying a solid May after a very poor April and is hitting .279/.373/.581 on the month.

·  LF Eli Serrano III: 0-4, RBI, BB, 2 K

·  DH Chris Suero: 0-4, R, 3 K, HBP, SB (10)

·  3B Jacob Reimer: 3-3, 2 R, 2 2B, HR (4), 4 RBI, BB, SB (6)

·  CF Jose Ramos: 1-4, R, HR (6), 2 RBI, BB, 2 K

·  2B Nick Lorusso: 1-5, R, 2B, K

·  C Vincent Perozo: 1-4, R, HR (1), 2 RBI, BB, 3 K

·  1B JT Schwartz: 1-4, R, BB, 3 K, E (1)

·  RF Jaylen Palmer: 1-4, R, K

·  SS Wyatt Young: 2-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI, K

·  RHP Brendan Girton: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, BLK

·  RHP Douglas Orellana: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, W (3-0)

·  RHP Dan Hammer: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, H (1)

·  RHP Saul Garcia: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, H (3)

·  RHP Ben Simon: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, S (2)

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (10-28)

ROME 3, BROOKLYN 1 (BOX)

The Emperors scored a pair of runs off of Brady Miller in the second and one more in the third; that would end up being all they needed to win, as the Cyclones managed just a single run on the afternoon, a Trace Willhoite RBI single in the seventh. With the loss, the Cyclones lost the series two games to four and have just four wins in the entire calendar month of May.

·  2B Yonatan Henriquez: 1-4, SB (2)

·  C Ronald Hernandez: 0-3, 2 K, HBP

·  LF John Bay: 1-4, R, 2B, K

·  DH Corey Collins: 0-4, 2 K

·  SS Colin Houck: 0-2, 2 BB, K

·  1B Trace Willhoite: 1-4, RBI

·  CF Sam Biller: 0-4, 2 K, CS (1)

·  3B Nick Roselli: 0-3, K

·  RF Yohairo Cuevas: 1-2, BB

·  RHP Brady Miller: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HBP, E (1)

·  RHP Felix Cepeda: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

·  RHP Juan Arnaud: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Hunter Hodges: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (16-23)

ST. LUCIE 3, JUPITER 1 (BOX)

St. Lucie got on the board in the bottom of the first on an AJ Salgado RBI double and held onto the lead for the rest of the ballgame. Branny De Oleo plated two more in the bottom of the fourth to give the Mets a little breathing room, which came in handy when Nicolas Carreno allowed a run in the sixth. That run ended up being the only one that the Hammerheads would score on the afternoon, and all’s well that ends well.

·  DH JT Benson: 0-4, K

·  1B Jared Young: 0-2, BB

·  1B Chase Meggers: 0-0, HBP, E (3)

·  LF Randy Guzman: 1-3, 2 R, 2B, HBP

·  RF AJ Salgado: 2-4, R, 2 2B, RBI

·  3B Kevin Villavicencio: 0-4

·  CF Simon Juan: 0-3, 2 K

·  C Francisco Toledo: 0-2, K, HBP, E (3)

·  SS Branny De Oleo: 1-3, 2 RBI

·  2B Jamari Baylor: 0-2, 2 K, HBP

·  RHP Emilio Obispo: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

·  RHP Nicolas Carreno: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HBP, W (1-0)

·  RHP Joe Scarborough: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, WP, S (1)

Rookie: FCL Mets (4-6)

NO GAME (SCHEDULE)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Jacob Reimer

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Alex Carillo

It has been a rough month for the Detroit Tigers, who have just four wins in 15 tries so far in May after dropping two of three to the Toronto Blue Jays in the first leg of their seven-game homestand. The visitors struck early on Sunday, getting a pair of runs in the first and third innings, and the offense simply could not catch up, resulting in a 4-1 loss.

On Monday, the Cleveland Guardians come to town for a four-game set that is as important as one can be before crossing the 50-game mark of the season. The Guards have won five of their last six, including a series-winning 10-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.

The Tigers have their current de facto top starter taking the mound on Monday night, left-hander Framber Valdez. The 32-year-old is coming off a quality start last time out that saw him allow two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven New York Mets batters en route to a 10-inning team loss.

Amazingly, Valdez has not faced Cleveland since 2023, when he threw a complete-game no-hitter for the Houston Astros back when it was still called Minute Maid Park. What Tiger fans would do to see that happen again…

Opposite him is right-hander Slade Cecconi, who has been more or less replacement-level this season, logging just one quality start while turning in mixed results for Cleveland. The 26-year-old’s last start was solid, throwing four shutout innings on five hits and a walk while striking out seven Los Angeles Angels in a team win.

Cecconi faced Detroit twice last season, turning in a pair of quality starts, allowing one and two runs, respectively. He earned the win in the first game, 3-1, but was saddled with a 2-1 loss in the second.

Take a look below at how the two match up for Monday evening’s American League Central battle.

Detroit Tigers (20-27) vs. Cleveland Guardians (26-22)

Time (ET): 6:40 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site:Covering the Corner
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 48: LHP Framber Valdez (2-2, 4.32 ERA) vs. RHP Slade Cecconi (2-4, 5.60 ERA)

Player	G	IP	K%	BB%	GB%	FIP	fWAR
Valdez	9	50.0	18.8	7.6	52.8	4.04	0.6
Cecconi	9	45.0	18.5	8.3	42.8	5.05	0.1

VALDEZ

CECCONI

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Eric Young Sr., and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 1897, Bill Joyce hits four triples to lead the New York Giants to an 11-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Exposition Park. This is the last time this feat has been accomplished in major league history. Previously, George Strief of the American Association Philadelphia Athletics hit four triples in a game on June 25, 1885. , and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1930 – George Pipgras tosses his third shutout of the season as the New York Yankees support his pitching by bombing the host Boston Red Sox, 11-0. Babe Ruth hits an Ed Morris pitch over the right field bleachers, for one of the longest home runs ever at Fenway Park.
• 1935 – Bucky Walters of the Philadelphia Phillies shuts out the Chicago Cubs for ten innings and bats a RBI single to win the game, 1-0.
• 1945 – Luis Olmo of the Brooklyn Dodgers hits a triple and home run, each with the bases loaded, in the Dodgers’ 15-12 victory over the Chicago Cubs. No major league player has done that since. Olmo adds a double for good measure.
• 1950 – At the Polo Grounds, Rube Walker hits a grand slam in the sixth inning for the Chicago Cubs. In the bottom of the inning, Monte Irvin also hits a grand slam for the New York Giants. It is the first time in major league history that each team hit a grand slam in the same inning. The game is called on account of rain after six innings, and the Giants win, 10-4.
• 1951 – Boston Braves catcher Walker Cooper goes 5 for 5 in a 12-3 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Max Surkont wins his fifth game, scattering ten hits and giving up home runs to Ralph Kiner and Wally Westlake in the late innings.
• 1956 – Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees hits home runs from both sides of the plate for the third time in his career, setting a major league record. Mantle includes a perfect 4-for-4 day, helping New York to an 8-7 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
• 1958 – Cleveland Indians outfielder Carroll Hardy pinch-hits for Roger Maris and responds with his first major league home run, a three-run shot off Billy Pierce, to give Cleveland a 7-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox. With the Boston Red Sox, Hardy will pinch-hit for Ted Williams on September 20, 1960, and will also pinch-hit for rookie Carl Yastrzemski on May 31, 1961, making him the only player to go in for both future Hall of Famers.
• 1961 – Los Angeles Angels pitcher Ryne Duren posts four strikeouts in the 7th inning against the Chicago White Sox. He strikes out Minnie Miñoso, Roy Sievers, J.C. Martin, and Sammy Esposito to tie a major league record, in the 6-4 loss to the White Sox.
• 1968 – Detroit’s Al Kaline hits his 307th HR, surpassing Hank Greenberg for the most HRs as a Tiger
• 1969 – Rod Carew of the Minnesota Twins steals second base, third, and home plate during the 3rd inning of an 8-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Carew pulls off the trifecta against the battery of Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan. Carew becomes the first player in 28 years to steal three bases in sequence in the same inning. Cesar Tovar also steals two bases in the game.
• 1990 – Chicago Cubs Ryne Sandberg‘s errorless game streak at second base comes to an end after 123 games and 584 chances. Joe Morgan of the Cincinnati Reds had held the previous record of 91 games.
• 1999 – Edgar Martinez hits three home runs, tying a major league record with five homers in two games, to give the Seattle Mariners a 10-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Martinez homered twice in the opener of the series.
• 1999 – Mark Grace hits a three-run home run in the 11th inning to give the Chicago Cubs a 4-1 victory over the Florida Marlins. Alex Gonzalez has all three of Florida’s hits.
• 2001 – The Arizona Diamondbacks defeat the Chicago Cubs, 4-0, as Randy Johnson (five innings), Byung-Hyun Kim (three innings), and Bret Prinz (one inning) combine on a one-hitter.
• 2002 – After sitting through a two-hour rain delay, the Boston Red Sox defeat the Seattle Mariners, 4-1, behind the pitching of Pedro Martinez. Martinez strikes out the side in the 1st inning on nine pitches, the 17th immaculate inning since 1970. Martinez is now 10-0 with a 0.93 ERA against the Mariners.
• 2004 – At the age of 40, Randy Johnson becomes the oldest pitcher in major league history to throw a perfect game, retiring all 27 hitters to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Atlanta Braves, 2-0. It is the 17th perfect game in major league history and the first since David Cone of the Yankees did it against Montreal on July 18, 1999. Johnson also joins Cy Young, Jim Bunning, Hideo Nomo and Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers to throw no-hitters in both leagues, and creates the longest time span between no-no’s, having first accomplished the feat against the Detroit Tigers in June of 1990.
• 2010 – Carlos Silva improves his record to 5-0 as the Cubs beat the Rockies, 6-2. A huge disappointment for the Seattle Mariners the last two seasons, Silva has found his old form with Chicago, forcing manager Lou Piniella to make a difficult decision: who will be bumped from the starting rotation to make room for Carlos Zambrano, set to return after an unconvincing stint in the bullpen.

Cubs Birthdays:Randy Rosario, David Patton, Rich Garcés, Eric Young Sr.,* Jim Sundberg, Chris Ward. Also notable: Reggie Jackson HOF. Brooks Robinson HOF.

Today in history:

• 1830 – Edwin Budding of England signs an agreement for the manufacture of his invention, a lawn mower. Saturdays are destroyed forever.
• 1863 – US General Ulysses S. Grant begins siege on Vicksburg, Mississippi; after 47 days of battle siege, Confederate Lt. General John C. Pemberton’s troops surrender.
• 1896 – US Supreme court affirms legitimacy of racial separation (Plessy v Ferguson), a doctrine that came to be known as “separate but equal”.
• 1897 – Herbert Henry Dow founds Dow Chemical in Midland, Michigan.
• 1952 – Professor Willard Libby says England’s prehistoric monument of Stonehenge dates back to 1848 BC.
• 1965 – American engineer Ray Dolby founds Dolby Laboratories in London, England.
• 1980 – Eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington state triggers the largest landslide in history, killing 57 people and causing over $1 billion in damage.
• 2002 – Micky Ward beats Arturo Gatti by majority decision in a junior welterweight boxing bout in Uncasville, Connecticut; ‘The Ring’ Fight of the Year; first fight in their legendary trilogy.
• 2024 – 706 people called Kyle gather in Kyle, Texas, attempting to break the record for a gathering of people with the same name (record is 2,325 Ivans 2017).

Special Music-related stories on this date:

• 1959 “Castin’ My Spell” by The Johnny Otis Show hits #52.
• 1959 “Judy” by David Seville hits #86.
• 1959 “Russian Band Stand” by Spencer & Spencer hits #91.
• 1963 “If You Wanna Be Happy” by Jimmy Soul hits #1.
• 1964 David Frost interviews Paul McCartney on BBC-TV.
• 1970 Beatles’ last released LP, “Let It Be”, released in US.
• 1972 American pop rock band Looking Glass release their single “Brandy”.
• 1974 Novelty song “The Streak” by Ray Stevens hits #1.
• 1985 Murray Head’s “One Night In Bangkok” single (written by Tim Rice, and Abba‘s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus) hits #3 in US.
• 1999 “Millennium” 3rd studio album by the Backstreet Boys is released – one of the best-selling albums of all time with over 30 million copies sold.
• 2018 K-pop boy band BTS release their album “Love Yourself: Tear”, sells 135,000 first week (This is for you K-pop boy bands).
• 2025 English rock band “The Who” announce the resignation of Zak Starkey, their drummer since 1996; Starkey claims that he did not quit, but was fired – later revising that he instead “had been retired”.

*pictured.

Last Week’s Results

• Monday: Off Day
• Tuesday: Brewers 6, Padres 4
• Wednesday: Padres 3, Brewers 1
• Thursday: Brewers 7, Padres 1
• Friday: Brewers 3, Twins 2
• Saturday: Brewers 2, Twins 1
• Sunday: Twins 5, Brewers 4

Division Standings

• Cubs 29-18
• Brewers 26-18 (1.5 GB)
• Cardinals 27-19 (1.5 GB)
• Pirates 24-23 (5 GB)
• Reds 24-23 (5 GB)

Last Week

• Cubs: 2-4
• Brewers: 4-2
• Cardinals: 4-2
• Pirates: 2-4
• Reds: 2-4

Top Pitching Performance of the Week

Is it time to rename this section to “What impressive performance did Jacob Misiorowski pull off last week?” It’s starting to feel that way with how well he’s been pitching. He followed up his performance against the Yankees last week with a seven shutout inning, 10-strikeout day on Wednesday. He only allowed four hits, did not walk a batter, and did that in 93 pitches. That start could have gone even longer had he not felt a cramp in his leg again when going out for the eighth inning. Misiorowski hasn’t allowed a run in the month of May and the last run he allowed came on April 25 against the Pirates.

All 10 of Jacob Misiorowski's strikeouts tonight 🔥 https://t.co/4Mf0SaSmvGpic.twitter.com/QLuOQvwQBT

— MLB (@MLB) May 14, 2026

There’s also some honorable mentions to go around. Kyle Harrison would be making an appearance here more often if it wasn’t for Misiorowski. He pitched five shutout innings on Thursday, allowing just five hits while striking out seven. Chad Patrick is transitioning to the bullpen and it’s going well. He had a scoreless inning on Tuesday, but that was just the warmup for his four shutout innings on Saturday. He allowed just one hit and struck out three as he recorded a four-inning save. Coleman Crow and Logan Henderson also had good starts for the Brewers, each allowing just a single run in five innings of work. Henderson has 56 strikeouts through his first nine major-league games, which is one more than Misiorowski had in his first nine.

Logan Henderson is off to a historic start to his Brewers career pic.twitter.com/AX4wH50RbP

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) May 17, 2026

Top Hitting Performance of the Week

Jake Bauers is making himself known in his final year before free agency. In four games last week, he went 7-for-15 with four doubles, two RBI, and one stolen base. He had a .467/.529/.733 batting line and boosted his overall line to .281/.358/.489 this season. One of his biggest hits came on Friday, when he hit an RBI double to put the Brewers ahead for good. He’s also on an 18-game on-base streak that goes back to April 21.

JB for the lead ‼️ pic.twitter.com/EybxOImJX6

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) May 16, 2026

The Jake Bauers renaissance is real pic.twitter.com/WbnkHl68QX

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) May 17, 2026

Honorable mention goes to Joey Ortiz. He put together a .308/.412/.615 batting line last week with a double, home run, and two runs batted in. His home run was his first since July 19 of last season.

Injury Notes & Roster Moves

• The Brewers’ batting order returned to full strength as Christian Yelich was activated from the IL on Tuesday. Tyler Black was optioned back to Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move. However, that lasted just one day and then Yelich was back to day-to-day with back tightness. He didn’t need a repeat trip to the IL, and was back in the lineup for Sunday’s series finale against the Twins.
• The pitching carousel was in full swing for the Twins’ series. Prior to Friday’s opener, the Brewers recalled Coleman Crow to make the start and optioned Brian Fitzpatrick to Triple-A. The next day, Crow was optioned and Peter Strzelecki’s contract was selected for Saturday’s game. Strzelecki didn’t even get to pitch and was designated for assignment before Sunday’s game, and Robert Gasser was recalled for Sunday’s start.
• Brandon Lockridge had an MRI that came back clear of any fractures or tears. He began riding a stationary bike on Wednesday. He officially has a bone bruise and is expected back in mid-to-late June.
• Jared Koenig threw his first bullpen session on Tuesday. He’s been out most of the season with a UCL sprain.
• Jacob Misiorowski had another start end early when he felt another cramp when warming up in the eighth inning of Wednesday’s game. He felt fine the next day and is expected to start on Tuesday against the Cubs.
• Rob Zastryzny was sent to Nashville on a rehab assignment on Thursday. He pitched in Thursday’s game for Nashville, pitching a clean inning with a strikeout.
• Brandon Woodruff threw a bullpen session on Thursday and was pleased with it. His next step is another bullpen session today in Chicago.
• Akil Baddoo was sent to Nashville on a rehab assignment on Friday. He played in Friday’s game, going 0-for-2 at the plate and played five innings in left field.
• Quinn Priester began his second rehab assignment on Saturday, this time starting with High-A Wisconsin. It was another short outing for him. He allowed seven runs in 1 1/3 innings and faced 12 batters. He allowed five hits and three walks, and struck out two. Manager Pat Murphy reiterated that it will take a while for him to get back to where he was.

On Deck

• Monday: @ Cubs (6:40 p.m.)
• Tuesday: @ Cubs (6:40 p.m.)
• Wednesday: @ Cubs (6:40 p.m.)
• Thursday: Off Day
• Friday: vs. Dodgers (6:40 p.m.)
• Saturday: vs. Dodgers (6:15 p.m.)
• Sunday: vs. Dodgers (1:10 p.m.)

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W, 5-3 vs. Syracuse Mets

SS George Lombard Jr. 2-4, RBI — tied the game on an infield hit in the sixth, also hit a ball 106.3 mph in the first (though a groundout)
DH Yanquiel Fernández 0-2, 2 BB, RBI, K — drew bases-loaded walk to put Scranton ahead
2B Marco Luciano 1-4, 2B, RBI, K, fielding error
LF Oswaldo Cabrera 0-2, BB, RBI, 2 K, SF
DH Ernesto Martínez Jr. 0-4, K
C Payton Henry 1-3, BB
3B Jonathan Ornelas 0-4, 2 K
CF Duke Ellis 1-3, BB, K
RF Kenedy Corona 0-3, BB

Carlos Lagrange 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 6 K — per YES Network’s Conor Foley, four-seamer averaged 100.2 mph, topping out at a season-best 103 mph, smokin’ (though still might be a reliever long-term)
Dylan Coleman 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 0 K (win)
Kervin Castro 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Bradley Hanner 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (save)

Double-A Somerset Patriots: L, 7-10 vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies

LF Jace Avina 1-5, 4 K
DH Garrett Martin 1-4, 2B, 3 K
RF Jackson Castillo 0-4, K
SS Tyler Hardman 1-4, HR, RBI, K, fielding error — go-ahead homer briefly made it 7-6, Somerset (also I guess they’re trying to add versatility because he’s normally a third baseman)
3B Coby Morales 2-4, 3 RBI, 2 K, SB — Patriots’ second three-run homer of the day put them ahead 6-1
CF DJ Gladney 0-4, 3 K
C Manuel Palencia 1-2, 2 BB, K, SB
1B Miguel Palma 1-4, HR, 3 RBI — three-run blast in the second
2B Duncan Pastore 1-3, BB

Chase Chaney 4.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R (5 ER), 3 BB, 6 K, 2 HR — fortunate to be spared the loss as he let 6-1 Patriots lead go by the wayside
Chris Kean 1 IP, 3 H, 4 R (4 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, HR, HBP, throwing error (loss) — gave up back-breaking three-run dinger to Jacob Reimer
Hayden Merda 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Michael Arias 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Matt Keating 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Coby Morales SMACKS his ninth HR of the season!

Morales now leads the Eastern League with 33 RBI 👀 pic.twitter.com/0O0u8clQ7w

— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) May 17, 2026

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:L, 3-6 vs. Frederick Keys

SS Kaeden Kent 0-3, BB
C Eric Genther 2-4, K
DH Kyle West 1-4, K
LF Wilson Rodriguez 0-2, 2 BB
2B Roderick Arias 0-4, RBI, 2 K
3B Enmanuel Tejeda 1-3, 2B, BB, 2 RBI, K — only run-scoring hit of the day for the ’Gades on his double
1B Josh Moylan 0-4, 2 K
CF Camden Troyer 0-4, 2 K
RF Cole Gabrielson 1-3, BB, K

Franyer Herrera 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, HBP, throwing error (loss) — most consequential pitch might have been plunking 2025 first-rounder Ike Irish on the wrist
Tanner Bauman 1.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, HR
Wilmy Sanchez 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K — bullpen combined for
Thomas Balboni Jr. 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HBP, pickoff error
Hansel Rincon 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Chris Veach 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Enmanuel Tejeda slaps a wall ball double to score West and Genther!😎 pic.twitter.com/HGDirb87wT

— Hudson Valley Renegades (@HVRenegades) May 17, 2026

Low-A Tampa Tarpons:L, 0-5 vs. Dunedin Blue Jays — shut out on five hits

3B Jackson Lovich 0-4, 3 K
SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 1-4, throwing error
1B Hans Montero 0-3, BB, K, picked off
LF Luis Puello 0-4, K
CF Willy Montero 2-3, 2B — the lone multi-hit day in the batch
DH Engelth Urena 0-3, K
C Ediel Rivera 0-3, K
RF Luis Durango 1-3
2B Santiago Gomez 1-3, SB

Tyler Boudreau 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 7 K, fielding error (loss) — 11 swings and misses from his fastball/slider/changeup/curveball mix, not that bad a day honestly for the 2025 undrafted free agent, just needs to work on that PFP since his E1 led to the two runs
Bryce Warrecker 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Brennan Stuprich 3 IP, 1 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 4 K, HR, balk

Florida Complex League Yankees: Offday

Above .500 before Memorial Day. Who’d have thunk it?

It does help that they are playing some of the middle class teams in baseball instead of repeating viewings of the upper crust, but the Phillies are still playing good baseball right now, getting back to the spot we thought they’d be in.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• The Phillies have been playing better and at least some of that is due to Alec Bohm playing better and Justin Crawford improving in the field ($).
• Getting Zack Wheeler back might have been the thing that saved the Phillies season. That and other thoughts found here ($).

MLB news:

• The Mariners have had a smattering of injuries to their roster, so they brought up Colt Emerson for his big league debut.
• Jose Altuve is headed to the injured list after straining his oblique. The Astros have been decimated with injuries this year.
• Speaking of injuries, the Dodgers have a bunch on the pitching side, so they traded for Eric Lauer to help reinforce them.

The Pittsburgh Pirates were swept by the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday, with even staff ace Paul Skenes failing to secure a win for the Buccos. That was Pittsburgh’s third straight loss, as they sit tied in the basement of the NL Central with the St. Louis Cardinals, both with 24-23 records on the year. But they got some evern worse news on Sunday, when they were forced to place outfielder / first baseman Ryan O’Hearn on the 10-day DL with a strained right quad. Jake Mangum was called up to replace O’Hearn.

O’Hearn has been one of the Pirates’ key offseason acquisitions, batting .289 for the year with 7 homers and 29 RBIs for the season, becoming a key cog in Pittsburgh’s offensive resurgence this season. However, according to Bucs GM Ben Cherington, the quad strain is moderate and will sideline O’Hearn for about four weeks. So that’s a full month without their one of the top bats for the Buccos. It’s an unfortunate injury for Pittsburgh’s second best batting average.

His replacement Mangum was also an offseason acquisition for the Bucs, though he came over in trade, while O’Hearn signed as a free agent. Mangum can get it done in the field, but the Bucs will take a hit at the plate when Mangum plays over O’Hearn. Mangum is hitting .253 on the season with no homers and 3 RBIs in 75 at bats. He was 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout on Sunday.

Last season, with Tampa Bay, Mangum played in 118 games in did hit .296, but with 3 homers and 40 RBIs. He can get it done in the average department, but the Bucs are definitely going to take a power hit.

The Pirates are now off today after being swept, but they’ll return to action on Tuesday, when they will head to St. Louis to take on the Cardinals in what will be a battle for one of them to get out of the basement of the NL Central. The first game of the three-game set starts at 7:45pm Tuesday.

Omaha Storm Chasers 6, Toledo Mud Hens 3 (box)

Dylan File had a rough day on the mound, and the Hens offense just couldn’t string enough runs together as they dropped the series four games to two in Omaha on Sunday.

The Hens took an early lead when Ben Malgeri led off the game with a double. An Eduardo Valencia single and a Jace Jung sacrifice fly made it 1-0, but as it went most of the day, they couldn’t add on runs.

File quickly surrendered the lead as Omaha scored two in the bottom of the firs, but Tomás Nido cracked a solo shot in the second that made it 2-2. Omaha came right back with a three run bottom of the third punctuated by a Brett Squires two-run homer. Luke Ritter led off the fourth with a solo shot to make it 5-3, but that was as close as they’d get.

Pitching dominated the rest of the way. Ricky Vanasco spun a perfect inning with a strikeout in the fourth, and Tanner Rainey worked two innings, allowing a run that made it 6-3. Woo-Suk Go continues to pitch really well and handled the seventh and eighth in perfect fashion with three strikeouts, but no rally by the Hens’ offense was forthcoming.

Nido: 2-4, R, RBI, HR, K

Ritter: 2-4, R, RBI, HR, K

File (L, 1-4): 3.0 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The 22-23 Hens come home to welcome in Indianapolis for six starting Tuesday night.

Erie SeaWolves 6, Richmond Flying Squirrels 5 (F/7)(Gm1)(box)

Carlos Peña was knocked around in a short start, but the duo of Brett Callahan and John Peck continue to be the run scoring engine for the SeaWolves and brought them back in the middle innings to win the first of two on Sunday.

Peña gave up a pair of solo shots in the first, and Peck answered back with a solo shot in the bottom of the first. Peña then pitched a scoreless second before giving up two more solo shots to start the third. The Squirrels seemed to have him dialed in and could read what was coming but Peña’s low powered stuff doesn’t play well over the middle of the plate. Uniquely so on this day.

John Peck launches his 7th homer of the year to deep right center. @ZachSurdenik on the call. pic.twitter.com/hvxGZtG0hJ

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 17, 2026

Dariel Fregio took over after Peña allowed a double to follow the homers, and he was able to settle things down.

In the bottom of the third, Andrew Jenkins singled and rode home on Callahan’s seventh home run to make it 4-3, Richmond. Peck followed with a single and stole second base, and Thayron Liranzo walked, but Justice Bigbie flew out to end the inning.

Brett Callahan crushes a 2-run homer to deep left center and the SeaWolves are back within a run. It’s his 7th home run of the year, and he’s now batting .310 with 3 homers against left-handed pitching this year. pic.twitter.com/0w1VZ0cG2n

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 17, 2026

The rest of the comeback didn’t take long. Chris Meyers and Izaac Pacheco doubled to open the fourth. That scored Meyers and tied the game 4-4. Pacheco took third on a balk, and Jenkins walked. Pacheco would eventually scored on a Seth Stephenson ground out and Callahan dropped a ball into left field on an error that brought home Jenkins. 6-4 Erie.

Luke Taggart handled the fifth and sixth, allowing a run that brought the Squirrels within one run. Moises Rodriguez got into a little trouble in the bottom of the seventh. A walk started things, and then a single moved the runner, Scott Bandura, to third base. Parks Harber bounced one back to Rodriguez, who made a nice play to fire home to Liranzo, who dropped the tag and prevented the tying run. Rodriguez shut it down from there to earn his first save of the year.

Huge play by Moises Rodriguez and Thayron Liranzo to cut down the tying run at home in the 7th inning of game one of today’s doubleheader. @ZachSurdenik and @BurgessLuke03 on the call. pic.twitter.com/aY2yXVlUY5

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 17, 2026

Peck: 2-3, R, RBI, HR, SB

Callahan: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, K

Jenkins: 2-2, 2 R, BB

Peña: 2.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, K

Richmond Flying Squirrels 2, Erie SeaWolves 0 (F/7)(Gm2)(box)

The offense was out of gas for Game 2. The SeaWolves managed just two hits and two walks over seven innings, and never really threatened to score.

Kenny Serwa held the Squirrels down for four scoreless innings in his start, but the offense couldn’t take advantage. Yosber Sanchez allowed a run in the fifth, and Tyler Owens one in the sixth. It wasn’t much of an offensive performance on either side, but the Squirrels came out ahead and split the series.

Serwa: 4.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves head out to Altoona this week with a 20-19 record, while the Flying Squirrels continue to rule the division at 28-10 for the first half.

Great Lakes Loons 4, West Michigan Whitecaps 0 (box)

The Whitecaps lost their 19th game out of their last 20 on Sunday as their brutal May continues.

Gabriel Reyes managed to hold the Loons to just one run over five innings, despite walking five hitters on the day. The Whitecaps didn’t get much of a threat going until Luke Shliger was hit by a pitch and stole second base, and then Cristian Santana and Caleb Shpur walked to load the bases. However, their were already two outs and Ricardo Hurtado struck out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the fifth, Reyes walked the first two hitters and they pulled off a double steal. Reyes struck out the next hitter, and then a grounder to Santana at third turned into an out at home plate as he fired home in time. Reyes then picked of Jose D. Hernandez off third base to escape.

That was about as interesting as it got in this one. The ‘Caps made a bunch of nice defensive plays, but the offense was lifeless. Sounds familiar. They were still right in it until Ethan Sloan allowed three runs in the bottom of the eighth.

Shpur: 1-3, BB, SB

Strong: 1-4, 3B

Reyes (L, 0-3): 5.0 IP, ER, H, 5 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The 13-26 Whitecaps come home to lick their wounds this week as the South Bend Cubs come to town. Manager Rene Rivera needs to find a way to turn things around.

Clearwater Threshers 7, Lakeland Flying Tigers 6 (box)

The resurgence of young pitching in the Tigers’ system has seen Ben Jacobs and Malachi Witherspoon off to good starts this spring. Kelvis Salcedo is still stretching out after missing time early in this season, but he continues to show off the best stuff in the system. Owen Hall is finally pitching consistently and seems bound to join the Flying Tigers out of rookie ball shortly. We can probably add Charlie Christensen to the list.

The Tigers’ 15th rounder last summer out of the University of Central Arkansas, Christensen features a quick, snappy release from a low arm slot and a good slider-changeup combination. He’ll need to add velocity, as he’s currently 91-92 mph with his sinker, but at 6’4”, 190 pounds, he has the frame to build on. He profiles as a sinkerballer, but the low release also begs for him to develop a riding fourseamer.

The right-hander punched out seven in four scoreless innings of work on Sunday, walking one and allowing two hits. He struck out the side twice, and the slider in particular was just lethal.

For the second time today Charlie Christensen strikes out the side on 13 pitches. pic.twitter.com/yfa0WRdSLK

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 17, 2026

The game was scoreless until the Flying Tigers broke through in the top of the fourth. Jude Warwick was hit by a pitch and Jesus Pinto walked to open the inning, and they went on to pull off the double steal of second and third. A Zach MacDonald sacrifice fly scored Warwick, and walks to Carson Rucker and Edian Espinal followed to load the bases. That got starter James Tallon yanked, but his relief immeditaely gave up a bases clearing double to Beau Ankeney. 4-0 Lakeland.

In the top of the fifth, Pinto singled with one out, and after MacDonald struck out, Rucker blasted his fifth home run of the season to make it 6-0 Lakeland.

That was, of course, the high water mark for the Flying Tigers. Preston Howey allowed a run in the sixth and Jan Carabello coughed out three more as the Threshers closed the game to two runs. Pedro Garcia allowed a run in the eighth, and then blew the save as the Threshers walked them off.

Ankeney: 2-4, 3 RBI, 2 2B, K

Pinto: 1-2, 2 R, BB, K, SB, CS

Salas: 2-4, 2B

Christensen: 4.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, BB, 7 K

Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers head down to Palm Beach on Tuesday to open a series with the Cardinals.

What an awful road trip. The Yankees got swept in Milwaukee, lost two of three to an underwhelming-as-hell Orioles team, and then did the same against the Mets, who entered as one of the worst teams in baseball. The 2-7 trip ended when David Bednar couldn’t hold a three-run lead in the ninth, evaporating the edge on a three-run blast by Tyrone Taylor. They then stranded the zombie runner and lost in the bottom of the 10th. That’s some bad baseball, folks.

Now, they get to play the Blue Jays! It doesn’t matter that they’ve been kind of whatever thus far in 2026; it’s not as though the O’s or Mets were rolling when the Yankees faced them this past week. So… joy.

For our Question of the Day today, we want to know what you would do to try to get the Yankees out of this funk. I only have one request: Please do not say “Fire Aaron Boone,” “Fire Brian Cashman,” or “Hal Steinbrenner should sell the team.”

Even if you think these are valid solutions, we’re trying to remain in the realm of plausibility here. None of those guys are going anywhere at the moment (if indeed ever), so consider something that could actually happen right now, in mid-May 2026. Be more creative! It sounds like the Yankees might bring a fresh reliever aboard for this series, so something along those lines could be an idea if there’s a particular target or two.

Here’s my pitch: Bench Austin Wells for this full series. I suppose if the game situation calls for him to come in off the bench and catch a couple innings, that’s fine. But the point is to largely give him a mental reset.

This isn’t about any confidence in backup J.C. Escarra, as I really have none; he may hit as poorly (or worse) as Wells. They just need to try to get Wells right though; he looks completely lost at the plate. There’s no real cavalry coming because Ben Rice is essentially a pure first baseman now (probably for the best to preserve his bat anyway because 2025 Cal Raleigh seasons are just so damn rare) and the catching alternatives at Triple-A are late-20s former big leaguers Payton Henry and Ali Sánchez. So just turn the keys over to Escarra for a few days and let Wells attempt to work things out behind the scenes. It’s brutal out there and all-too-reminiscent of Chris Stewart.

Let us know your pitch!

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It’s a light slate today on the site ahead of the opener of the four-game set against the Jays. Jeremy will have the preview of the pitching matchups for this series and I’ll have the Rivalry Roundup coverage of yesterday’s notable American League action. Later, Nick will offer an 80th birthday salute to the one and only “Mr. October,” Reggie Jackson, and Madison will ask for your mailbag questions.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays

Time: 7:05 p.m. EST

Video: YES Network, Sportsnet One

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

Justin Turner did not wear the correct jersey one day, and now he would pay for his sin.

His teammates formed two lines, one facing the other. Turner snaked through the gauntlet, as his teammates playfully slapped and shoved him around.

Turner is 41, an All-Star and World Series champion, one of the most beloved players in Dodgers history. Yet there he was on a gloomy Saturday afternoon in a 50-year-old stadium in Tijuana, subjecting himself to a mashup of a kangaroo court and a hazing ritual, three hours before he would play in a uniform with six advertisements on the jersey and four more on the pants.

Read more:Shaikin: Hey, young athletes: Would you trust this former Dodgers pitcher to manage your money?

“Justin doesn’t have to be here,” said former major leaguer Roberto Kelly, the manager of the Tijuana Toros. “He doesn’t need this to continue his life.”

For the first time in 17 years, Turner is not playing in the major leagues. No team wanted him.

In Tijuana, whether he decides to end his career here or elsewhere, he has nurtured a special bond with his son and emerged as an improbable tourist attraction for Dodgers fans.

Life is what you make of it. When Turner signed with the Toros, he wanted to make a video introducing himself to their fans. He drove 45 minutes from Studio City to East Los Angeles, to the only store he could find in L.A. that stocked Toros caps, then stood in line to buy some.

“Are you buying these hats because Justin Turner just signed in Tijuana?” the clerk asked, without looking too closely at the customer.

“Yes,” Turner said, without letting on.

When Turner went job hunting last winter, the top line of “41-year-old with a .602 OPS” carried the day, even if he was primarily a platoon player last season, with a .759 OPS against left-handers.

He said he pursued a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training, then simply a minor league contract, where he could start the season at triple A and both he and the team could evaluate as the season went on. Even the Angels, whose annual lack of depth already is on stark display, said no.

“I wasn’t expecting to be handed anything or guaranteed anything,” Turner said. “But I was not expecting to not even get a chance to play at all.”

He looked into playing in Japan and South Korea, but the guaranteed roster spots there filled as he held out hope for a job in the United States. In Mexico, where the season does not start until mid-April, three teams offered him contracts.

He chose Tijuana, where he and his family could live in San Diego and commute to the games.

“It’s hit and miss, same as L.A.,” he said. “Depending on what time you go, it could be 20 minutes, or it could be an hour.”

Turner’s son, Bo, turns 2 in July. Dad could have stayed home with him all year but, in baseball as in life, diamonds are forever.

“I got a late start in parenthood,” Turner said. “I’ve been around a lot of guys who had the opportunity to have their kids grow up in a clubhouse, and I’ve always thought that was really cool.

“He wakes up in the morning, and the first thing he says is ‘baseball.’ He’s definitely not at the point where he’s going to retain any of this, I don’t think, but he’s already developing the love for baseball that I have.

“I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Neither would the Toros. With Dodgers fans regularly making the trip from Los Angeles to see Turner, and with the Dodgers having the largest fan base of any team in Mexico, Toros president Omar Canizales said, ticket sales are up 30%. The Dodgers’ Pantone 294 fan club has bought a block of tickets for the Toros’ June 2 game.

The Toros never had sold jerseys with player names on the back until this year, a team official said, and 98% of the jerseys sold have Turner’s name on the back.

Canizales declined to say how much the Toros are paying Turner this season. He said top Mexican League players make in the $150,000 range and Turner would generate enough business by himself for the Toros to recoup the entire cost of Turner’s contract.

“We haven’t seen anything like this before,” Canizales said through an interpreter. “There’s nothing to compare it to the impact Justin has made in such little time.”

The influence Turner had in Los Angeles lives on among fans that have not forgotten that he is one of them.

Read more:Roki Sasaki, offense dominate as Dodgers rout Angels again

The kid who watched Kirk Gibson’s 1988 World Series home run in his grandmother's living room grew up to be the third baseman that helped the Dodgers win their next World Series, in 2020. Turner took a moment every night to sign a ball for the military veteran honored at each game at Dodger Stadium, and no Dodger did more in the community.

About 15 minutes before game time in Tijuana, a line forms next to the Toros’ dugout, and Turner signs for fans in Dodgers caps and lucha libre masks.

Fermin Padilla of Los Angeles got Turner’s autograph on a jacket, cap and jersey. “It would have been impossible to get that at home,” Padilla said.

David and Samantha Anderson of East Los Angeles got a selfie with Turner, who signed two baseball cards for the couple.

“If it wasn’t for Justin, I wouldn’t be here,” David Anderson said. “Now I’m going to come all the time.”

The tickets are cheaper than Dodger Stadium, of course, and the food is better. The kiss cams and sing-alongs and air horns and thunder sticks are all integrated into the game, not reserved for stoppages in play.

“It’s three hours of music, dancing, drinking and entertainment, with a sprinkle of baseball,” Turner said. “There’s not really any lines they won’t cross down here.”

In one skit between innings, a character wore a sign around its neck that said “ICE.” Another character pretended to rough up the first character until the sign opened to say “ICE CREAM,” and then everyone danced happily.

Kelly, the manager, played the last two years of his career in the Mexican League. It can be a long season if the bitterness of the major league rejection of the winter lingers into the spring and summer, but Kelly does not see that in Turner.

“He’s been a good addition, not because he was a big leaguer but because of what he brings to the club. He’s not just a name,” Kelly said. “He doesn’t let us know that he played in the big leagues or how good he was. To see somebody like that come down and just be one of the players is very good for our team.

“He enjoys it. You can see him around these guys and he’s having fun.”

Orel Hershiser, the officiant at Turner’s wedding, ended his career at 41.

“I had really lost my ability,” Hershiser said.

At the same age, Turner is betting he has not. Hershiser said he has not talked with Turner recently but wondered if a season in Japan could be in his future if a return to the major leagues is not.

Is Turner going to keep playing until he either gets back to the majors or knows he is not?

“No,” he said. “I’m playing until I want to be done playing.”

I told Turner that Julio Franco played in the Mexican League at 49. Turner laughed. That might be about all he rules out at this point.

Read more:How Shohei Ohtani scored a Little League home run during Dodgers' rout of Angels

“I love playing,” he said. “I love competing. As long as I feel I’m serviceable and not just here for entertainment purposes, I’m going to keep doing it.”

Turner should have the same ending as Hershiser, a Dodger standout that represents the organization in some capacity after retirement.

Hershiser said Turner could join him in the broadcast booth, or become a great manager, or an outstanding hitting coach.

“He’s almost a hitting savant,” Hershiser said. “He’s like a Manny Ramirez for me as far as how he understands swings and how he can put himself in other people’s bodies or make adjustments for them.

“He’ll be good at whatever he tries to do.”

The one thing he probably would not do: serve as a Dodgers community ambassador, shaking hands and posing for photographs at Dodger Stadium and various events around town.

“I don’t want to be paraded around and be a sideshow,” he said.

For now, he just wants to play baseball. On Tuesday, he can, in Zapopan, Mexico.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees limp home from what Aaron Boone called “a terrible road trip” — a 2-7 stretch that saw them fall from a half-game up on Tampa Bay to three games back of the surging Rays. The obvious takeaway was the alarming performance of the bullpen, capped off by closer David Bednar squandering a three-run lead with two outs in the ninth of the series finale against the Mets. Although paling in comparison to the disappointment of their recent run of form, there were several positives that can be taken away from the last nine games as well.

Anthony Volpe collected his first hit of the season and ended with a pair of knocks and three runs driven in, the recently recovered shortstop showing improved discipline at the plate with seven walks in 16 PAs. Ben Rice slugged his 15th home run of the year, he and Aaron Judge becoming the third pair of Yankees teammates to hit at least 15 home runs each in the first 47 games of a season, joining Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle in 1956 and Mantle and Roger Maris in 1961. Elmer Rodríguez pitched the best start of his young MLB career and looks to be improving his strike throwing at the highest level. It’s meager consolation for an otherwise wretched stretch.

MLB.com | Anthony DiComo: The Mets’ extra-inning walk-off over the Yankees on Sunday created some pretty jaw-dropping statistics. The Yankees still have yet to win a series at Citi Field since 2018, Aaron Boone’s first year as skipper. The Mets’ win probability stood at just five percent when Tyrone Taylor stepped to the plate with two outs in the ninth. Most damning, this is the first time since the 2024 NL Wild Card Series—the Pete Alonso vs. Devin Williams game—that the Mets have won a game in which they trailed after eight innings. They were 0-96 in previous such games including the playoffs.

The Athletic | Brendan Kuty (subscription required): The Yankees’ bullpen continues to be one of the biggest problem areas on the team, and now they might have yet another legitimate closer crisis. With Bednar surrendering the three-run homer on Sunday, his ERA bloats to 4.95. He’s already one blown save away from matching his total of three from last season after beefing two on this road trip alone. Unfortunately, the Yankees do not appear to have another in-house option to step into the role given that the likes of Camilo Doval and Fernando Cruz are similarly shaky, and will likely ride it out with Bednar and hope his fortunes improve.

NJ Advance Media | Randy Miller: We were provided with a raft of injury updates and speculation on which players could return soonest. José Caballero continues to rehab from a fractured finger and looks the closest to returning, possibly at the minimum return date of May 22nd. Gerrit Cole might be the next behind him. As Scott wrote up for us yesterday, he made his penultimate rehab start on Saturday. The ace could possibly make his long awaited return to the major league team in time for the series against the Royals in the final week of May, more than 14 months after suffering the injury that required Tommy John surgery.

Max Fried (elbow bone bruise) and Giancarlo Stanton (calf strain) are a little further behind, with a June return the most optimistic outcome. Finally, Clarke Schmidt (Tommy John rehab) and Angel Chivilli (chronic shoulder discomfort) are not expected back until September at the earliest.