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Oh, what a difference a day makes.

Before yesterday’s game it felt like the San Diego Padres were on the brink of collapse.

Heading into their first rubber match of the season against the Boston Red Sox, there wasn’t a whole lot of hope they could deliver after losing the first two series of the season.

But the Friars delivered, and then some.

They got off to a rough start, with starter Walker Buehler allowing four runs and only going 2 2/3 innings.

But then, they pounced. A three-run fourth inning and another in the fifth gave the Padres a two-run lead. Wandy Peralta came in to get the final out of the seventh and stumbled, allowing the Sox to tie it up.

But Jackson Merrill left no doubt.

He took Boston reliever Tyler Uberstine deep to give San Diego a lead before Fernando Tatis Jr. brought Gavin Sheets home on an ninth-inning sacrifice fly to make the score 8-6.

Mason Miller came in to close it out and continued his scoreless streak, striking out all three batters and giving the Padres their first series win of 2026.

(A fun note: Miller has now struck out nine straight batters. The record is 13, held by fellow Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada.)

Now they’ll turn to a dominant Pittsburgh Pirates rotation and a reunion with former Padres first baseman Ryan O’Hearn.

Taking the mound

Bubba Chandler (PIT) v. Germán Márquez (SD)

Chandler had a fantastic first outing for the Pirates, going 4 1/3 scoreless innings for the club with six strikeouts.

Pittsburgh is nothing without their young, dominant rotation (highlighted by their ace Paul Skenes) but Chandler represents a fascinating rookie who could be just as much of a threat.

The Padres have been solid batting against righties, hopefully they can chase him from the game early and get to the relievers.

Márquez, on the other hand, had an uninspiring debut in a Padres uniform. He gave up four runs in only three innings in what ended up being a loss for the Friars to the division-rival San Francisco Giants.

If he can turn it around in this outing against Pittsburgh, it’ll go a long way to quelling the doubts about his ability to hold a back-end spot in the rotation.

But it’s a difficult lineup, with sluggers like Oneil Cruz, O’Hearn and Marcell Ozuna stacking up. If Márquez can make it through relatively unscathed, it’ll be a success.

Batter up!

With the 12-hit performance San Diego had against Boston yesterday, the Padres’ bats seem to have woken up (at least a little).

Chief of those is Manny Machado who went 2-for-4 with a three-run shot over the Green Monster in left field.

The Friars have continued to preach that their at-bats are good and they’ll get the results they want eventually, and they finally seem to have.

Hopefully that will remain the same as they face a difficult starting rotation in Pittsburgh. First they’ll face the rookie Chandler.

They haven’t faced a righty since Sonny Gray so their lineup will look similar to that. But Ramón Laureano has continued to rake so he’ll probably remain second in the batting order:

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Ramón Laureano, LF
3. Jackson Merrill, CF
4. Manny Machado, 3B
5. Xander Bogaerts, SS
6. Gavin Sheets, 1B
7. Nick Castellanos, DH
8. Jake Cronenworth, 2B
9. Luis Campusano, C

Sheets went 4-for-6 through Wednesday and Friday’s games before not starting in both of the Friars’ wins. His bat was hot but he only got one at-bat (he doubled) in the last two games against Boston.

He’ll figure to start at first base for the Padres given his red-hot bat and solid defense.

Relief corps

The difficult thing with yesterday’s game was Buehler’s start.

After only lasting 2 2/3 innings, the Friars were forced to turn to their bullpen depth (who held it down). But the problem is that they used Kyle Hart, Bradgley Rodriguez, Peralta, Estrada and Miller.

Márquez has not yet proven he can go more than a few innings for San Diego after only lasting three in his start against the Giants last Tuesday.

If he falters, the ‘pen may have a difficult time recovering for the rest of the series without a gem from Nick Pivetta tomorrow.

Those who will be readily available are Ron Marinaccio, David Morgan, and Adrian Morejon. Morejon threw 29 pitches and has been a little shaky thus far this year, so Marinaccio and Morgan will likely be turned to first if Márquez falters.

Oh, what a difference a day makes.

Before yesterday’s game it felt like the San Diego Padres were on the brink of collapse.

Heading into their first rubber match of the season against the Boston Red Sox, there wasn’t a whole lot of hope they could deliver after losing the first two series of the season.

But the Friars delivered, and then some.

They got off to a rough start, with starter Walker Buehler allowing four runs and only going 2 2/3 innings.

But then, they pounced. A three-run fourth inning and another in the fifth gave the Padres a two-run lead. Wandy Peralta came in to get the final out of the seventh and stumbled, allowing the Sox to tie it up.

But Jackson Merrill left no doubt.

He took Boston reliever Tyler Uberstine deep to give San Diego a lead before Fernando Tatis Jr. brought Gavin Sheets home on an ninth-inning sacrifice fly to make the score 8-6.

Mason Miller came in to close it out and continued his scoreless streak, striking out all three batters and giving the Padres their first series win of 2026.

(A fun note: Miller has now struck out nine straight batters. The record is 13, held by fellow Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada.)

Now they’ll turn to a dominant Pittsburgh Pirates rotation and a reunion with former Padres first baseman Ryan O’Hearn.

Taking the mound

Bubba Chandler (PIT) v. Germán Márquez (SD)

Chandler had a fantastic first outing for the Pirates, going 4 1/3 scoreless innings for the club with six strikeouts.

Pittsburgh is nothing without their young, dominant rotation (highlighted by their ace Paul Skenes) but Chandler represents a fascinating rookie who could be just as much of a threat.

The Padres have been solid batting against righties, hopefully they can chase him from the game early and get to the relievers.

Márquez, on the other hand, had an uninspiring debut in a Padres uniform. He gave up four runs in only three innings in what ended up being a loss for the Friars to the division-rival San Francisco Giants.

If he can turn it around in this outing against Pittsburgh, it’ll go a long way to quelling the doubts about his ability to hold a back-end spot in the rotation.

But it’s a difficult lineup, with sluggers like Oneil Cruz, O’Hearn and Marcell Ozuna stacking up. If Márquez can make it through relatively unscathed, it’ll be a success.

Batter up!

With the 12-hit performance San Diego had against Boston yesterday, the Padres’ bats seem to have woken up (at least a little).

Chief of those is Manny Machado who went 2-for-4 with a three-run shot over the Green Monster in left field.

The Friars have continued to preach that their at-bats are good and they’ll get the results they want eventually, and they finally seem to have.

Hopefully that will remain the same as they face a difficult starting rotation in Pittsburgh. First they’ll face the rookie Chandler.

They haven’t faced a righty since Sonny Gray so their lineup will look similar to that. But Ramón Laureano has continued to rake so he’ll probably remain second in the batting order:

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Ramón Laureano, LF
3. Jackson Merrill, CF
4. Manny Machado, 3B
5. Xander Bogaerts, SS
6. Gavin Sheets, 1B
7. Nick Castellanos, DH
8. Jake Cronenworth, 2B
9. Luis Campusano, C

Sheets went 4-for-6 through Wednesday and Friday’s games before not starting in both of the Friars’ wins. His bat was hot but he only got one at-bat (he doubled) in the last two games against Boston.

He’ll figure to start at first base for the Padres given his red-hot bat and solid defense.

Relief corps

The difficult thing with yesterday’s game was Buehler’s start.

After only lasting 2 2/3 innings, the Friars were forced to turn to their bullpen depth (who held it down). But the problem is that they used Kyle Hart, Bradgley Rodriguez, Peralta, Estrada and Miller.

Márquez has not yet proven he can go more than a few innings for San Diego after only lasting three in his start against the Giants last Tuesday.

If he falters, the ‘pen may have a difficult time recovering for the rest of the series without a gem from Nick Pivetta tomorrow.

Those who will be readily available are Ron Marinaccio, David Morgan, and Adrian Morejon. Morejon threw 29 pitches and has been a little shaky thus far this year, so Marinaccio and Morgan will likely be turned to first if Márquez falters.

The Mets have officially placed Juan Soto on the 10-day IL, retroactive to April 4, with a right calf strain, and have recalled Ronny Mauricio to take his place on the roster. The Mets stated that a typical return to play is two to three weeks, which puts him on pace to return some time during the team’s nine-game homestand later this month.

The Mets and Soto were hoping to avoid an IL stint after the star outfielder injured his calf running first to third on a single during the team’s Friday night win against the Giants. However, that was not to be, as Soto will now sit on the sidelines for the time being. Soto sat out on Saturday and Sunday, and the club wanted to see how he felt before making any final decisions. This is Soto’s first trip to the injured list since April 2021, as he has proved to be one of MLB’s most durable players—he has appeared in at least 150 games during each full season played between 2019 and 2025.

The offense performed well in his absence, winning all three games he missed—we’ll count Friday, since he left in the first inning. The offense erupted for a combined 24 runs across the three wins, which is a good sign, and they’re going to need that to continue for at least a couple more weeks. Still, missing 2-3 weeks, especially in April, is a better outcome than was reasonable at the time of Soto’s exit.

For the time being, the Mets will continue to use a number of players to fill the void. Jared Young, for example, started in left on Sunday and went 3-for-3. Brett Baty will also see time in left, while continuing to move around the field and play some right and first. Tyrone Taylor, who played right field on Sunday (with Carson Benge in center) could also appear in left if needed. All that is to say that the club will look to make due, and if you’re going to lose a player of Soto’s caliber at any point in the season, April is preferable to the summer months.

The Mets have officially placed Juan Soto on the 10-day IL, retroactive to April 4, with a right calf strain, and have recalled Ronny Mauricio to take his place on the roster. The Mets stated that a typical return to play is two to three weeks, which puts him on pace to return some time during the team’s nine-game homestand later this month.

The Mets and Soto were hoping to avoid an IL stint after the star outfielder injured his calf running first to third on a single during the team’s Friday night win against the Giants. However, that was not to be, as Soto will now sit on the sidelines for the time being. Soto sat out on Saturday and Sunday, and the club wanted to see how he felt before making any final decisions. This is Soto’s first trip to the injured list since April 2021, as he has proved to be one of MLB’s most durable players—he has appeared in at least 150 games during each full season played between 2019 and 2025.

The offense performed well in his absence, winning all three games he missed—we’ll count Friday, since he left in the first inning. The offense erupted for a combined 24 runs across the three wins, which is a good sign, and they’re going to need that to continue for at least a couple more weeks. Still, missing 2-3 weeks, especially in April, is a better outcome than was reasonable at the time of Soto’s exit.

For the time being, the Mets will continue to use a number of players to fill the void. Jared Young, for example, started in left on Sunday and went 3-for-3. Brett Baty will also see time in left, while continuing to move around the field and play some right and first. Tyrone Taylor, who played right field on Sunday (with Carson Benge in center) could also appear in left if needed. All that is to say that the club will look to make due, and if you’re going to lose a player of Soto’s caliber at any point in the season, April is preferable to the summer months.

The Mets have placed outfielder Juan Soto on the 10-day IL due to the minor calf strain he suffered against the Giants on Friday in San Francisco.

The move is retroactive to Saturday.

In the press release announcing the IL stint, the Mets noted that "a typical return to play for this type of injury is approximately 2-3 weeks."

In a corresponding move, the Mets called infielder Ronny Mauricio up from Triple-A Syracuse. 

On Saturday, manager Carlos Mendoza said Soto "was in a really good place," adding that the plan was to give Soto 48-72 hours to see how he progresses before determining next steps.

Playing all but one inning of the final three games against the Giants without Soto, the Mets scored 24 runs as they won all three.

Soto had been on fire to start the season, slashing .355/.412/.516.

With Soto out, Jared Young has excelled, reaching base in four of his five plate appearances.

On Sunday, Young went 3-for-3 with a double and played stellar defense in left field. 

The Mets have placed outfielder Juan Soto on the 10-day IL due to the minor calf strain he suffered against the Giants on Friday in San Francisco.

The move is retroactive to Saturday.

In the press release announcing the IL stint, the Mets noted that "a typical return to play for this type of injury is approximately 2-3 weeks."

In a corresponding move, the Mets called infielder Ronny Mauricio up from Triple-A Syracuse. 

On Saturday, manager Carlos Mendoza said Soto "was in a really good place," adding that the plan was to give Soto 48-72 hours to see how he progresses before determining next steps.

Playing all but one inning of the final three games against the Giants without Soto, the Mets scored 24 runs as they won all three.

Soto had been on fire to start the season, slashing .355/.412/.516.

With Soto out, Jared Young has excelled, reaching base in four of his five plate appearances.

On Sunday, Young went 3-for-3 with a double and played stellar defense in left field. 

Ok. The Red Sox are now 2-7 on the season after three series. They were meh against the Reds. Then bad against the Astros. And actually played the Padres pretty hard, more or less, but came away 1-2.

The absence of Garrett Whitlock — who, to be clear, 100% should be allowed the time off for paternity leave and isn’t at fault — really hurt them on Saturday and Sunday, especially with Oviedo looking not great in his first appearance and then hitting the IL. They only need to go, uh, 87-68 the rest of the year to finish with the same record as 2025.

The Brewers are having the opposite start to the season: they’re rolling. Milwaukee will come to Boston sitting on a 6-1 record.

Remember Brandon Woodruff? He was pretty big for Milwaukee through 2022. Then he had injury-shortened seasons in 2023 and 2025 surrounding an entirely lost 2024 campaign on the shelf. But he’s back now. In his first start of 2026 he tossed five innings of two-run ball against the Tampa Bay Rays. He’s going up against Brayan Bello, who’s looking to bounce back from his start against the Astros. The goal this spring was to give him more swing-and-miss in his game and that part of his last outing was a success. Hopefully there is more to come.

Tuesday is Jacob Misiorowski, aka The Miz vs. Garrett Crochet. The pitching phenom against The Pig. Misiorowski, a 24-year-old righty, enters the day with a 2.45 ERA / 3.91 FIP. To watch for: 18 strikeouts in his first 11 innings against the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. Glass half full or half empty, this could be a rough night for the Sox hitters. Crochet will need to be fully in control and bring at least his B game. In their meeting last year, Crochet struck out 11 Brewers in 6.2 innings as the Red Sox lost 3-2. Maybe bring the A game to be safe.

Wednesday is a getaway day before an off-day to travel and, maybe, reset. Chad Patrick will take the ball for the Brewers. In two starts he has an ERA of 0.96 (FIP 4.36) after allowing just one runs over two starts totaling 9.1 innings. Again, it’s the White Sox and Royals, so not the greatest accomplishments, but also not nothing. That’s three more righties for the Boston lefty hitters to feast on. Platoon advantage doesn’t guarantee results but it’s nice to have all the same. Sonny Gray will make his third start in a Boston uniform and we’ll all hope it goes more like his second. Two runs in six innings when your team can give you five is good enough for a win.

William Contreras, brother of Willson, will be in town. He’s off to a .259/.375/.481 start with a homer.

Christian Yelich is hitting .353/.389/.529 with a homer and is as hot at the plate as he could be.

Old friend David Hamilton has stolen four bases for the Brewers.

The good news? After the Brewers series the Sox go on the road for six games against the rebuilding Cardinals (4-4 ahead of Sunday Night Baseball) and Twins (3-6). And then another potentially brutal stretch facing the Tigers and Yankees. But good teams win against good teams so we’ll see what happens.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Monday, April 6: Brandon Woodruff (3.60 ERA / 5.98 FIP) vs. Brayan Bello (9.64 ERA / 7.04 FIP)

Tuesday, April 7: Jacob Misiorowski (2.45 ERA / 3.91 FIP) vs. Garrett Crochet (3.27 ERA / 2.73 FIP)

Wednesday, April 8: Chad Patrick (0.96 ERA / 4.36 FIP) vs. Sonny Gray (4.50 ERA / 3.18 FIP)

When/Where to Watch

Monday, April 6 at 6:45 PM ET on NESN

Tuesday, April 7: 6:45 PM ET on NESN

Wednesday, April 8: 1:35 PM ET on NESN

Ok. The Red Sox are now 2-7 on the season after three series. They were meh against the Reds. Then bad against the Astros. And actually played the Padres pretty hard, more or less, but came away 1-2.

The absence of Garrett Whitlock — who, to be clear, 100% should be allowed the time off for paternity leave and isn’t at fault — really hurt them on Saturday and Sunday, especially with Oviedo looking not great in his first appearance and then hitting the IL. They only need to go, uh, 87-68 the rest of the year to finish with the same record as 2025.

The Brewers are having the opposite start to the season: they’re rolling. Milwaukee will come to Boston sitting on a 6-1 record.

Remember Brandon Woodruff? He was pretty big for Milwaukee through 2022. Then he had injury-shortened seasons in 2023 and 2025 surrounding an entirely lost 2024 campaign on the shelf. But he’s back now. In his first start of 2026 he tossed five innings of two-run ball against the Tampa Bay Rays. He’s going up against Brayan Bello, who’s looking to bounce back from his start against the Astros. The goal this spring was to give him more swing-and-miss in his game and that part of his last outing was a success. Hopefully there is more to come.

Tuesday is Jacob Misiorowski, aka The Miz vs. Garrett Crochet. The pitching phenom against The Pig. Misiorowski, a 24-year-old righty, enters the day with a 2.45 ERA / 3.91 FIP. To watch for: 18 strikeouts in his first 11 innings against the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. Glass half full or half empty, this could be a rough night for the Sox hitters. Crochet will need to be fully in control and bring at least his B game. In their meeting last year, Crochet struck out 11 Brewers in 6.2 innings as the Red Sox lost 3-2. Maybe bring the A game to be safe.

Wednesday is a getaway day before an off-day to travel and, maybe, reset. Chad Patrick will take the ball for the Brewers. In two starts he has an ERA of 0.96 (FIP 4.36) after allowing just one runs over two starts totaling 9.1 innings. Again, it’s the White Sox and Royals, so not the greatest accomplishments, but also not nothing. That’s three more righties for the Boston lefty hitters to feast on. Platoon advantage doesn’t guarantee results but it’s nice to have all the same. Sonny Gray will make his third start in a Boston uniform and we’ll all hope it goes more like his second. Two runs in six innings when your team can give you five is good enough for a win.

William Contreras, brother of Willson, will be in town. He’s off to a .259/.375/.481 start with a homer.

Christian Yelich is hitting .353/.389/.529 with a homer and is as hot at the plate as he could be.

Old friend David Hamilton has stolen four bases for the Brewers.

The good news? After the Brewers series the Sox go on the road for six games against the rebuilding Cardinals (4-4 ahead of Sunday Night Baseball) and Twins (3-6). And then another potentially brutal stretch facing the Tigers and Yankees. But good teams win against good teams so we’ll see what happens.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Monday, April 6: Brandon Woodruff (3.60 ERA / 5.98 FIP) vs. Brayan Bello (9.64 ERA / 7.04 FIP)

Tuesday, April 7: Jacob Misiorowski (2.45 ERA / 3.91 FIP) vs. Garrett Crochet (3.27 ERA / 2.73 FIP)

Wednesday, April 8: Chad Patrick (0.96 ERA / 4.36 FIP) vs. Sonny Gray (4.50 ERA / 3.18 FIP)

When/Where to Watch

Monday, April 6 at 6:45 PM ET on NESN

Tuesday, April 7: 6:45 PM ET on NESN

Wednesday, April 8: 1:35 PM ET on NESN

The Cubs have not started out the season well, and now have lost a second starting pitcher to injury:

Another starting pitching blow for the Cubs:

Matthew Boyd has been placed on the 15-day IL with a left bicep strain.

Javier Assad has been recalled and starts tomorrow.

— Meghan Montemurro (@MegMontemurro) April 6, 2026

Boyd had a rough outing on Opening Day, but recovered and threw very well last Wednesday against the Angels, striking out 10.

Let’s hope this turns out to be correct:

#Cubs fully expect this to be a minimum IL stint for Matthew Boyd. The issue has been in his recovery and they feel a little break will allow him to regain full health.

— Taylor McGregor (@Taylor_McGregor) April 6, 2026

Javier Assad has made two starts for Triple-A Iowa this year. He threw three shutout innings against Columbus, then got hit pretty hard by Louisville. Assad is pretty much a known quantity; his MLB seasons have all been quite similar. I wouldn’t expect him to give the value Boyd does, but he will eat up some innings and probably throw reasonably well. He threw 75 pitches against Louisville last Thursday, so he should be ready to go tomorrow and perhaps throw up to 90 pitches or so.

This obviously isn’t the way any of us wanted the season to begin. Fortunately for the Cubs, they do have some starting pitcher depth. Let’s hope it doesn’t get tested any further.

The Cubs have not started out the season well, and now have lost a second starting pitcher to injury:

Another starting pitching blow for the Cubs:

Matthew Boyd has been placed on the 15-day IL with a left bicep strain.

Javier Assad has been recalled and starts tomorrow.

— Meghan Montemurro (@MegMontemurro) April 6, 2026

Boyd had a rough outing on Opening Day, but recovered and threw very well last Wednesday against the Angels, striking out 10.

Let’s hope this turns out to be correct:

#Cubs fully expect this to be a minimum IL stint for Matthew Boyd. The issue has been in his recovery and they feel a little break will allow him to regain full health.

— Taylor McGregor (@Taylor_McGregor) April 6, 2026

Javier Assad has made two starts for Triple-A Iowa this year. He threw three shutout innings against Columbus, then got hit pretty hard by Louisville. Assad is pretty much a known quantity; his MLB seasons have all been quite similar. I wouldn’t expect him to give the value Boyd does, but he will eat up some innings and probably throw reasonably well. He threw 75 pitches against Louisville last Thursday, so he should be ready to go tomorrow and perhaps throw up to 90 pitches or so.

This obviously isn’t the way any of us wanted the season to begin. Fortunately for the Cubs, they do have some starting pitcher depth. Let’s hope it doesn’t get tested any further.

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The bases are juiced as we open another week of MLB action, and I’m ready to drive in some MLB player props winners. 

My best bets today include Ernie Clement doing his best to exact some revenge in the Blue Jays World Series rematch against the Dodgers, and Logan Gilbert racking up the Ks in a matchup vs. the Rangers.

Those and more MLB picks for Monday, April 6 below.

Best MLB player props today

German Marquez Under 14.5 Outs Recorded (+122)

Konnor Griffin is getting all the headlines for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but the Buccos as a whole have begun 2026 with a bang.

The Pirates have rattled off five straight wins, plating 32 runs, and enter tonight’s game against the San Diego Padres ranked ninth in wRC+ and seventh in OPS.

That’s not great for Padres starter German Marquez. It appears that pitching in Colorado wasn’t the only issue for the veteran right-hander. He was tagged for four runs on eight hits in his first start with the Friars. That included two home runs in just three innings of work against a relatively light-hitting San Francisco Giants squad.

The Pirates have chased the opposing starter before completing five innings three times during this five-game winning streak. I’m betting it happens again tonight. 

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Padres.TV, SNP

Ernie Clement Over 1.5 Total Bases (+105)

It’s fun that we get a rematch of one of the most exciting World Series so early in the season. But while the Los Angeles Dodgers have rolled into 2026, it’s been a bit of a rough start for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Toronto enters at 4-5, thanks to some poor fundamentals, ineffective relief pitching, and a lack of clutch hits.

Luckily, they can still rely on the guy who holds the record for most hits in a single postseason: Ernie Clement. 

The Blue Jays' second baseman is one of the few guys giving them good at-bats right now, hitting .297 with 11 hits over nine games. Clement was also a monster vs. left-handed pitching last season, hitting .326 with a .900 OPS.

He faces lefty Justin Wrobleski, who allowed three runs on four hits in his first start against the Cleveland Guardians. 

I love Ernie to set the tone in this World Series rematch and go Over 1.5 total bases.

• Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FS1

Logan Gilbert Over 6.5 Strikeouts (+102)

It hasn’t been the smoothest of starts to the season for the Seattle Mariners, and that includes starter Logan Gilbert.

The 2025 All-Star has surrendered eight runs over his first two starts, but the one positive is that he’s still getting a lot of swings and misses, resulting in strikeouts. He’s punched out 13 batters in 10 2/3 innings over his first two starts.

And now he gets a great matchup to keep that going when he takes the ball against the Texas Rangers.

Gilbert has been a problem for the Rangers for a while. Current Texas batters have combined for a .202 expected batting average and a 26.8% strikeout rate. The Rangers also enter this game with the 10th-highest K-rate in baseball.

If Gilbert can be a little more efficient, he is a great bet to go Over his strikeout prop tonight. 

• Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Mariners.TV, RSN

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The bases are juiced as we open another week of MLB action, and I’m ready to drive in some MLB player props winners. 

My best bets today include Ernie Clement doing his best to exact some revenge in the Blue Jays World Series rematch against the Dodgers, and Logan Gilbert racking up the Ks in a matchup vs. the Rangers.

Those and more MLB picks for Monday, April 6 below.

Best MLB player props today

German Marquez Under 14.5 Outs Recorded (+122)

Konnor Griffin is getting all the headlines for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but the Buccos as a whole have begun 2026 with a bang.

The Pirates have rattled off five straight wins, plating 32 runs, and enter tonight’s game against the San Diego Padres ranked ninth in wRC+ and seventh in OPS.

That’s not great for Padres starter German Marquez. It appears that pitching in Colorado wasn’t the only issue for the veteran right-hander. He was tagged for four runs on eight hits in his first start with the Friars. That included two home runs in just three innings of work against a relatively light-hitting San Francisco Giants squad.

The Pirates have chased the opposing starter before completing five innings three times during this five-game winning streak. I’m betting it happens again tonight. 

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Padres.TV, SNP

Ernie Clement Over 1.5 Total Bases (+105)

It’s fun that we get a rematch of one of the most exciting World Series so early in the season. But while the Los Angeles Dodgers have rolled into 2026, it’s been a bit of a rough start for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Toronto enters at 4-5, thanks to some poor fundamentals, ineffective relief pitching, and a lack of clutch hits.

Luckily, they can still rely on the guy who holds the record for most hits in a single postseason: Ernie Clement. 

The Blue Jays' second baseman is one of the few guys giving them good at-bats right now, hitting .297 with 11 hits over nine games. Clement was also a monster vs. left-handed pitching last season, hitting .326 with a .900 OPS.

He faces lefty Justin Wrobleski, who allowed three runs on four hits in his first start against the Cleveland Guardians. 

I love Ernie to set the tone in this World Series rematch and go Over 1.5 total bases.

• Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FS1

Logan Gilbert Over 6.5 Strikeouts (+102)

It hasn’t been the smoothest of starts to the season for the Seattle Mariners, and that includes starter Logan Gilbert.

The 2025 All-Star has surrendered eight runs over his first two starts, but the one positive is that he’s still getting a lot of swings and misses, resulting in strikeouts. He’s punched out 13 batters in 10 2/3 innings over his first two starts.

And now he gets a great matchup to keep that going when he takes the ball against the Texas Rangers.

Gilbert has been a problem for the Rangers for a while. Current Texas batters have combined for a .202 expected batting average and a 26.8% strikeout rate. The Rangers also enter this game with the 10th-highest K-rate in baseball.

If Gilbert can be a little more efficient, he is a great bet to go Over his strikeout prop tonight. 

• Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Mariners.TV, RSN

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.