Wyatt Langford is gearing up for a return this weekend, but weather and other externalities are making it hard for him to get live at bats in either a rehab start or simulated game.
Josh Smith is getting a chance to “reset,” and Ezequiel Duran will be starting at second base for multiple games for the first time this season.
Brandon Nimmo left yesterday’s game with a tight right hamstring but says he isn’t expecting to miss any games because of it.
Nimmo has a history of hamstring issues and says that the important thing is to not try to push through it or it will get worse.
The Rangers chase rate is among the lowest in the league on the road and among the highest in the league at home, leading Evan Grant to ask if Globe Life’s park effects are all in the Rangers’ heads.
Evan Grant looks at the Rangers 15-16 record at the end of April and finds cause for optimism, saying that it was a tough month and we saw things that bode well for the rest of the season.
Nathan Eovaldi pitched the way we expect Nathan Eovaldi to pitch last night, shutting out the Yankees over seven innings and giving the offense a chance to close out the series with a win.
But high school recruiting still remains important. Don't believe us? Look at the 2026 NBA Draft. Nine of the top 10 projected picks in this year's draft were in the 2025 recruiting class.
Tyran Stokes, the consensus No. 1 player in the 2026 class, committed to Kansas on April 28, giving Bill Self yet another blue-chip prospect in a recruiting class that includes five players inside the top 150.
But that's not enough to put the Jayhawks atop USA TODAY Sports' 2026 recruiting team rankings. See who picked up the top spot and check out the full top 25 below.
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees open a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles in the Bronx on Friday...
5 things to watch
Return of Anthony Volpe?
Volpe is on the cusp of returning. The Yankees haven't announced whether the shortstop will be activated off the IL this weekend or if he will even start right away, but it's something that's worth monitoring.
Volpe is seemingly ready to come back after he hit .303 with a homer, three RBI, and two stolen bases across 10 minor league games.
Whenever Volpe returns, the everyday lineup will get a shakeup. Will that affect how manager Aaron Boone uses his players, and how will the utility players like Jose Caballero and Amed Rosario respond?
And speaking of...
Jose Caballero's playing time to take a hit?
If Volpe gets his starting shortstop job back, that means Caballero will be more of a bench player.
It's a shame considering Caballero has had a strong start to the 2026 season. Through 30 games, Caballero is slashing .267/.313/.400 with an OPS of .713 with three home runs, 11 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. He's also been very good defensively.
The calls for Volpe to be on the bench will be louder if he doesn't get off to a good start when he returns, but that will especially be the case if Caballero gets benched.
What benefits Caballero is his versatility. In his career, he's played second base, shortstop, third base, and in the outfield. With Ryan McMahon's continued struggles, Rosario could see starts at the hot corner against a left-handed starter.
Jasson Dominguez's status
Dominguez was called up to give the Yanks a bat after the youngster killed it down in Triple-A and when Giancarlo Stanton landed on the IL. But now Dominguez could be landing on the IL as well.
New York Yankees left fielder Jasson Dominguez (24) prepares to take batting practice before a game against the Philadelphia Phillies during spring training at BayCare Ballpark. / Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Dominguez suffered a left elbow contusion after being hit by a pitch in Wednesday's loss to the Rangers, and will receive more imaging when he gets back to New York.
Will Dominguez be able to just sit and wait for his elbow to heal, or will the Yankees need to make another move? If Dominguez does land on the IL, who will be called up? Volpe could take Dominguez's spot on the roster and leave Max Schuemann on the team until Stanton returns.
However the injury news falls for Dominguez, it's a shame for the youngster who has worked his way back to the team and was hoping to prove that he belongs.
Can David Bednar dominate again?
Bednar has been very effective this season, but he's been more cardiac-inducing than dominant of late.
In his last two outings (Monday and Tuesday against the Rangers), he's allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits and a hit batter. He eventually locked down saves in both games, but the Yankees could use easier ninth innings this weekend.
Of his 13 appearances this season, he's allowed one or fewer baserunners just five times.
Starting rotation continues to roll
The Yankees' rotation is one of the best in baseball and they hope to keep that going in this four-game series.
Using Elmer Rodriguez on Wednesday gives the rotation an extra day of rest, which could benefit them all. Will Warren and Ryan Weathers take the mound to start the series and hope to build on their last starts.
Max Fried, after not allowing a run in his last two starts (14 innings), will take the mound on Sunday. With Garret Crochet on the IL and Tarik Skubal not pitching to his usual Cy Young level, another dominant start would put Fried at the top of early Cy Young race.
And speaking of the top pitchers in the AL, Cam Schlittler is making waves in the early going. He outdueled Jacob deGrom on Tuesday and will take the mound for the series finale on Monday.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Aaron Judge
The captain has three home runs in his last seven games and that'll continue this weekend.
Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?
Cam Schlittler
Schlittler is just on a roll. It's hard to imagine the Orioles putting an end to that streak of great starts.
Which Orioles player will be a thorn in the Yankees' side?
Gunnar Henderson
The shortstop has nine home runs entering play Thursday, and the lefty could utilize the short porch.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 27: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins looks on against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Five of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 27, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins playoff run and 2025-26 season came to an end on Wednesday night with a 1-0 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. It is a frustrating loss, mostly because the Penguins were the better team for most of the game, including the third period and overtime. It was the third consecutive game in the series where they got better, played better, and seemed to be tilting the ice in their favor. Each game it felt like there was a big breakthrough about to happen, and then they simply ran out of time for it to happen.
If it had gone to a Game 7, you would have had to have liked their chances.
But there will be no Game 7, and it is not really because of what happened on Wednesday night in Philadelphia.
It is because of what happened in Games 1-3, and specifically in Games 1-2 on home ice.
Those games count just as much as the later games, and in some ways they count even more. When you put yourself into a 3-0 hole, you are leaving yourself with no margin for error the rest of the way. Literally, zero margin. You have to be nearly perfect and get some breaks. The Penguins made it interesting, they made it dramatic, and I have no fault with the way they played to close out the series. They just put themselves in a bad spot. You can not do that if you are going to win in the playoffs.
It also does not negate the positives from the season.
Like I said on Tuesday, not every season has to end with a championship or a No. 1 overall pick to be meaningful. You can enjoy a fun, unexpected season and walk away from it feeling good. You can appreciate the ride. And this was one hell of a ride that nobody expected when the season began.
Outside of that stretch in December where they lost eight games in a row and blew some unimaginable leads, this team was consistently awesome. Even that ugly stretch of games was important for the storyline because their ability to bounce back from that losing streak, and the way they accumulated some of those losses, was a testament to the mindset they had and showed all year. Nothing phased them. Nothing shook them. Most teams that go down 3-0 fizzle out in four or five games. They were a shot away from a Game 7 on home ice. It is okay to walk away from that feeling good when the season began with the team being labeled as “the only team trying not to win,” and having the third-worst playoff odds in the league.
They also found some dudes for the long haul.
Ben Kindel is a dude and got a taste of what the NHL and playoff hockey are all about.
Egor Chinakhov looks like a dude. I am not down on his playoff performance that much. It is frustrating he never broke through and found that goal, but he was at least noticeable and in scoring positions.
They found some players that look like they have a chance to stick around. Elmer Soderblom has a place here. Harrison Brunicke is going to be here next season. Sergei Murashov is going to be here next season. Both got a taste of NHL life and gave you a glimpse of what they can do. You should be excited for it. Especially Murashov.
The season did not take on the look or feel that everybody expected, but it was hardly a waste.
Not only do they have more people coming from within, they have an outstanding salary cap situation and tradable assets going into the summer. I have no idea what is going to happen this summer and who it is going to involve, but it is going to be one of the more fascinating offseasons we have seen in a while.
We have weeks to discuss all of that. For now, let’s just take some quick thoughts on what we just watched in the first round.
1. The Penguins lost this series on the power play
This was the difference and the thing I am going to keep going back to when it comes to where it all went wrong. They had opportunities. They had chances to swing games. And they not only failed to do so, they usually sucked the life out of games and ruined momentum. The two worst examples of it were in Games 1 and 2 and Game 6. In the first two games at home they were barely able to even enter the zone. In Game 2, they missed early opportunities to score the first goal and then gave up a back-breaking shorthanded goal in the third period with a chance to tie the game. In Game 6, they again missed some big opportunities to break through and score the first goal.
Aside from the lack of production, it just never felt like they were particularly close to scoring. The numbers back that up. They generated just 7.73 expected goals per 60 minutes of power play time, 12th among the 16 playoff teams as of Thursday. That number would have ranked 31st in the NHL during the regular season. The Penguins, for that matter, generated 9.19 expected goals per 60 minutes of power play time, 11th most in the NHL.
Perhaps even more concerning is the fact the Penguins power play ALLOWED 2.30 expected goals per 60 minutes (including a shorthanded goal). That is an appalling number. No other team in the playoffs has allowed more than 1.77. No team in the regular season allowed more than 1.39 per 60 minutes of power play time.
The power play did them in.
It did them in by not scoring enough, by giving up a game-changing and series-changing goal, and by sucking momentum away from them and toward the Flyers.
Too many times in this series it looked like the power play we saw the past few years. Stationary. Not enough chances. Too much perimeter passing. Easily the most disappointing part of the series from a Penguins perspective.
2. Anthony Mantha can not be back
What a roller coaster of a season this has been. He arrived with the expectation of being a trade chip. He ended up having a career year, scoring 33 goals, setting a career high and leading the team in goals. Then he delivered one of the most underwhelming, no-show playoff appearances I can ever recall from a Penguins player. Non-factor does not even begin to describe this playoff showing from him, and the fact he has now played 20 career playoff games and not scored a single goal is a tough look.
Also a tough look: Flubbing a potential game-winning chance in overtime with a muffin backhand shot, and then standing at the side of the net like it is a regular season practice with your stick on your knees while everybody else digs for the puck.
If opposing general managers really were watching him closely this offseason as a pending unrestricted free agent, he did not do himself any favors.
3. Arturs Silovs is chaotic
What do you do with this guy?
He is still young.
He still has limited NHL experience so the jury is still out on him.
He is a goalie, so trying to project future performance is as useful as trying to predict what the weather is going to do four weeks from now.
He went through stretches this season that made you say, “hey, this guy might be a player.” He went through stretches that made you say, “how is this guy an NHL goalie?” Through all of those stretches his rebound control and puck-playing skills were a constant wild ride.
But man did he deliver in the playoffs when he got his opportunity. As limited as his resume is, he has already developed a reputation as a big-game player and he only built on that over the past three games.
I will admit that he was the biggest concern that I had in the Penguins ability to make this series or potentially win it. But he played great.
4. The Big Three Era
Sidney Crosby is going to be back, but we have no idea whether or not Evgeni Malkin or Kris Letang will be. If one, or both, of them is not, what a run it has been.
Since the start of the 2005-06 season no team in the NHL has won more playoff games than the Penguins.
No team has been in more Stanley Cup Finals.
Only one team has won as many Stanley Cups.
Hard to find fault with any of this. The best and most successful 20-plus year run in the history of the franchise. These guys were the centerpieces of it all.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 21, 2026: Dixon Williams #63 of the Atlanta Braves bats during the second inning of a Spring Breakout game against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
It was a lackluster day down on the farm, but there were a handful of individual performances to highlight. So let’s dive into Wednesday’s action.
(18-11) Gwinnett Stripers 9, (14-15) Charlotte Knights 10
Despite holding a three-run lead headed into the home half of the seventh inning, Gwinnett failed to hold on to it, resulting in the one-run loss to Charlotte as the Stripers dropped game two of the series.
Gwinnett jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning thanks to an RBI-groundout off the bat of Jair Camargo which scored Brett Wisely.
After Charlotte tied things up in the bottom of the frame, the Stripers retook the lead in the top of the third — scoring three runs to take a 4-1 lead.
Whenever you score nine runs on 10 hits, the odds for winning are probably going to be heavily in your favor. That was not the case for Gwinnett on Wednesday.
The biggest detriment came in the form of starting pitching, as Elieser Hernandez got the start on the mound and proceeded to give up six runs on nine hits while striking out three before he was pulled in the sixth inning.
As the score suggests, Gwinnett’s offense more than held its own on the night. Luke Williams launched his third homer of the year in the top of the sixth inning — a solo shot that traveled 391-feet over the left field wall.
On a defensive note, first baseman Aaron Schunk made an incredible play in the bottom of the third inning where he tracked down a fly ball in foul territory and made the catch despite his momentum carrying him over the dugout railing. Somehow Schunk held on to the ball and made the out in what was a stellar play.
Sean Murphy — who continues to rehab in an attempt to make his way back to the big league roster — also came through with an RBI-single in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 6-6 as well.
It’s been a rough go of it for Murphy on his rehab stint as he’s only posted an OPS of .469 in 10 games. However, he may be turning a corner as he has five hits in his last three games, including a pair of doubles and 4 RBI.
It was yet another rough outing for Garrett Baumann, as the tall righty suffered through a lackluster start again for Columbus as the Clingstones — like their triple-A counterparts — came up short in the one-run loss.
Across five innings of work, Baumann surrendered six runs on eight hits while also issuing four walks and striking out three. In 22.1 innings on the mound this season, Baumann has allowed 22 runs (20 earned) on 30 hits, while giving up at least one homer in each of his five starts thus far. He is carrying an ERA of 8.06 after Wednesday’s outing.
While his strikeout rate is up a click at 23.4%, Baumann’s walk rate has also skyrocketed along with it; going from 6.4% to end the 2025 season, to 13% in 2026. His fly ball-home run ratio is also trending in the wrong direction, as 30% of balls hit in the air against Baumann leave the yard.
It’s as close to a disastrous start to a season as you can get for Baumann, who was hoped to be on the verge of taking that next step toward becoming the next elite starting pitching prospect in Atlanta’s system. Instead, he has taken several steps backwards and could be on the verge of being sent down to high-A Rome with the hopes he gets things back on track.
Otherwise, Baumann may be destined for a bullpen role if he’s not able to make things work as a starter. Regardless, it’s extremely concerning.
Getting back to Wednesday’s action, David McCabe stole the show at the plate for Columbus, as the designated hitter went 2-5 with a home run and a double to pace the Clingstones’ offense. McCabe also drove in two of Columbus’ five total runs on the night.
The Emperors rode an early hot start — in which they scored all but one of their nine total runs in the first four innings — to a victory to get back above .500 on the season.
Cedric De Grandpre got the start on the mound and arguably put up one of his best performances thus far. Across five innings of work, De Grandpre did allow three runs, but managed to strike out eight on the day while keeping his offense in the game.
Of course, it wouldn’t take much to keep the bats in it as Rome outhit Bowling Green 11-4.
Dixon Williams continued his hot start at the plate following his delayed start to the season, as he went 2-5 with a homer and three RBI on the day for Rome. Going 2-5 with a homer and three RBI, Williams raised his season OPS to .953 with his stellar performance on Wednesday as he continues to get up to speed after starting the season on the injured list.
One thing to keep an eye on is Isaiah Drake, who was removed from Rome’s game in the top of the second inning on Wednesday and replaced by Logan Braunschweig. While there has been no official report as to why he was replaced, Braunschweig put up a solid night by going 3-4 with two RBI to his credit.
(13-11) Augusta GreenJackets 0, (8-16) Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 6
Long story short: it simply wasn’t Augusta’s night on Wednesday as the GreenJackets were shutout in the loss.\
Derek Vartanian got the start and while he was somewhat solid — five innings pitched while allowing two earned runs on three hits and six strikeouts — his offense failed to provide him with any meaningful support on the day.
Overall, Augusta was was outhit 7-5 as the GreenJackets simply failed to string together any sort of meaningful offense on Wednesday.
One positive was Tate Southisene, who managed to go 2-4 on the night, while Juan Mateo — who went 2-3 with Augusta’s only extra-base hit in a double — also put up respectable numbers for the GreenJackets on Wednesday as well.
TULSA, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 19: Zyhir Hope #13 of the Tulsa Drillers swings the bat during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Experiencing both ends of a 4-3 result in a day with only three games, as the matchup between Great Lakes and Peoria got rained out, the Dodgers’ minor league affiliates lost two out of three.
Player of the day
While James Tibbs III deserves an honorable mention for his 3 for 5 efforts that ultimately couldn’t help the Comets escape a loss against the Express, it’s the duo of Zyhir Hope and Frank Rodriguez who get the nod here. Playing in a low-scoring game against the Missions, Hope and Rodriguez were responsible for virtually the entirety of the Drillers’ offense.
Hope’s two-run shot accounted for half of the Drillers’ scoring output, reaching five home runs on the year and doing so with a batting average above .300. Rodriguez reached safely in all three of his plate appearances with a solo shot, an RBI double, and a walk. By himself, Rodriguez was responsible for half of the Drillers’ four hits.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
The Comets were playing catch-up right from the start as starter Logan Allen got jumped to allow a three-spot in the first. Allen settled in and gave the offense ample time to get back into it, and they did by responding with three runs of their own in the fifth, only for Allen and the bullpen to immediately cough up the lead in the bottom of the same frame.
Opportunities were plentiful for the Comets, finishing the game with nine hits, one more than their opponent, and also six walks. In fact, alongside Tibbs, two other hitters had multi-hit performances. Overall, they stranded 12 base runners to go down to a 13-16 record.
Double-A Tulsa
It was a bullpen game for the Drillers, and one well-executed on their way to a 4-3 win. Lefty Evan Shaw started a game for the first time in 2026 and covered two innings before handing it over to the rest of the ‘pen. Hobbs ran into a home run issue in the fourth, allowing a pair of them, but luckily, they were both solo shots and represented the last scoring that the Missions would have.
As the pitching staff allowed just three runs, the Drillers didn’t need a whole lot to win this game, and they kept that in mind with a four-hit performance, not even half of their opposition’s total. Hope was joined by catcher and ninth-hole hitter Fernando Rodriguez in leaving the yard. The winning hit came from Rodriguez as well, with an RBI double in the seventh.
The Drillers’ production was so pedestrian, all things considered, that as the ninth-hole hitter, Rodriguez didn’t even get an extra at-bat in the game, only coming to the plate three times.
High-A Great Lakes
The game was postponed.
Class-A Ontario
Cam Leiter opened things off with a solid 1.2 innings of scoreless baseball, but Jesus Tillero didn’t have the same success as the bulk pitcher. Tillero allowed all four of the runs conceded by the Tower Buzzers in this 4-3 defeat at home, going down to an 11-11 record.
Twenty-year-old first baseman Easton Shelton hasn’t had the best of starts to his season, but he did manage to hit his third home run of the year, now with a .224 batting average. Designated hitter Chase Harlan had the best performance among Tower Buzzer hitters, with a hit, one RBI, and a couple of free passes, reaching base three times.
Transactions
The Great Lakes Loons activated right-handed pitcher Nicolas Cruz and shortstop Jordan Thompson from the IL.
Wednesday’s scores
Round Rock 6, Oklahoma City 3
Tulsa 4, San Antonio 3
High-A game postponed
Ontario 3, Lake Elsinore 4
Thursday’s schedule
2:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Brooks Auger) vs.Peoria (Leonel Sequera)
High-A game 2: Great Lakes (TBD) vs. Peoria (TBD)
4:45 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Jackson Ferris) at Round Rock (Austin Gomber)
5:00 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Patrick Copen) vs. San Antonio (Fernando Sanchez)
6:35 p.m. PT: Ontario (Marlon Nieves) vs. Lake Elsinore (Bryan Balzer)
Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) celebrates with left fielder Carlos Cortes (26) after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. | John Froschauer-Imagn Images
With just about twenty percent of the MLB season completed, the A’s remain atop the American League West Division by one game over the Seatle Mariners. It’s the slimmest of leads and with so munch of the season still to go, it’s still a meaningless position.
So, looking back what do you think is the biggest positive so far this season. To me it’s Shea Langeliers doing exactly what we hoped he would do; build on last season’s success and improve his game this year. At the end of the day today, he’s tied for second in all baseball with thirty-eight hits, tied for fifth in the MLB with eight homers and is batting .314 with a .933 OPS. Kotsay moves him all over the upper half of the lineup and he performs daily.
Aaron Civale leads the starters in ERA with a 3.23, followed by J.T. Ginn at 3.24 and then Jeffrey Springs at 3.79. Springs leads the club in Wins and Quality Starts with three of each and most innings pitched so far with 35.2. What surprises AN readers most about this year’s pitching?
Enjoy some A’s weekday baseball! Let’s hear your thoughts!
We are having a blast treating our Green & Gold fans to BP passes, a guest in-game host, seat upgrades, and signed memorabilia! pic.twitter.com/x9l467JNz1
In 2025, the Cubs were relatively healthy. That’s easy to forget. The headline injuries, Justin Steele, Kyle Tucker and Cade Horton were to some of the team’s biggest stars. Nico Hoerner and a number of other offensive players had some various bumps and bruises. A couple of the starting pitchers missed some time. Javier Assad basically missed most of the season injured. As a stark contrast, the injured list has already been a revolving door for the 2026 team. Without going down any rabbit holes, I suspect that at no time in 2025 did the Cubs have this many players on their injured list at any one time.
The injuries, particularly the ongoing injury of Steele and the season-ending injury for Horton, could certainly be an excuse for this team. Losing two guys who you hoped could eventually be cornerstones of your rotation could be devastating. To be sure, there are a lot of chapters still to be written and that might well eventually be the demise of this team. Even with a host of relievers also being lost to injury, this team has once again emerged in the early going as one of the better teams in baseball.
Wednesday afternoon in San Diego, the Cubs pitching staff was dominant during seven innings. Obviously, baseball is a nine inning game. Jameson Taillon started and was dominant during six innings. But he pitched seven of them. After five perfect innings, he had a sequence of homer-walk-homer and saw a three-run lead evaporate. Corbin Martin had been terrific to date for the Cubs and was called on for the first time in a high leverage situation. But he had no command of his pitches at all and walked the bases loaded before being pulled. In short, the pitching was uneven. But on this day, seven good innings was enough.
It was enough, because the relentless Cubs offense continued its excellent work. The Cub offense now leads MLB in on-base percentage. They have the most walks and the third most hits. Their slugging percentage ranks fourth. A stat shown during the broadcast noted that the Cubs have the most plate appearances with runners on base — by a very wide margin. They had more than 10 percent more such plate appearances than any other team. This offense has been incredibly special in the early going.
In this game, the Cubs had nine hits, three of then doubles and two of them homers. They drew five walks and had a hit batter. Xander Bogaerts made a terrific play to start a double play snuffing an early rally. And the Padres got fortunate on a ball that Nick Castellanos misplayed in left field that could have cost them a run but for the ball bouncing out of play. The Cubs got five runs and it could certainly have been more. But it was enough.
The Cubs’ play in March and April doesn’t end up looking great on paper now that we have reached the end of the month. The 19-12 record is great. But the strength of schedule read .494, the lowest of any of the teams in the NL Central. Of course, that is massively weighed down by the performance of the Mets and Phillies in April. The Phillies are 10-19, which is awful. Bear in mind, though, they are a much more respectable 9-13 when they play the rest of the league. I just today listened to the Kyle Schwarber episode of Lovable Reunion and the group felt that the Phillies had a legit chance at a championship. For that to be true, that team is going to have to go on one heck of a tear.
The reality of the Cubs’ March and April is that they battled adversity and they not only survived, but they thrived. As I said earlier, there are a lot of chapters still to be written. We’ve all heard that old phrase a million times. You can’t win a championship early in the season, but you can lose one. That’s surely being said to the Mets and Phillies elsewhere. This Cubs team positioned itself to be a contender. Now, we turn to the next chapter and see if they can continue that. In a National League that has nine of 15 teams over .500 through the end of April, nothing is going to be easy.
Three Positives:
Matt Shaw had three hits including a double and a homer. He scored twice and drove in a run. He also what looked like a solid game at second base.
Jameson Taillon threw seven innings and allowed only three hits, one walk, three runs and struck out six. He was perfect through four innings and threw a perfect seventh.
Ben Brown pulled off a quintessential reliever accomplishment. He faced four batters and recorded five outs. That was because he inherited the bases loaded with no outs and the middle of the Padres lineup approaching. He did allow an inherited run to score, but got a double play ball on a nice play by Shaw.
Game 31, April 29: Cubs 5, Padres 4 (19-12)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Ben Brown (.515). 1.2 IP, 4 BF, K
The highest WPA by a Cub in 2026 to date
Hero: Matt Shaw (.251). 3-4, HR, 2B, RBI, 2 R
Sidekick: Pete Crow-Armstrong (.142). 1-4, HR, 3 RBI, R
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Corbin Martin (-.353). 0 IP, 3 BF, 3 BB, ER
Goat: Michael Busch (-.211). 0-4, BB
Kid: Moisés Ballesteros (-.085). 0-5
WPA Play of the Game: With the bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning, the Padres trailed by one. Ben Brown got Manny Machado to ground into a double play. (.327)
*Padres Play of the Game: With two outs and a runner on first in the fifth inning, the Padres down two, Nick Castellanos hit a two-run homer. (.277)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 30 Winner: Pete Crow-Armstrong received 93 of 165 votes
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 3/Bottom 3)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Nico Hoerner +9.5
Michael Conforto +7
Moisés Ballesteros/Daniel Palencia +5
Matt Shaw/Pete Crow-Armstrong -8
Jacob Webb -9
Current Win Pace: 99.3
Up Next: The first off day after 13 straight games in which the team went 10-3. They will host the Diamondbacks (16-13) on Friday. The D-backs play in Milwaukee to finish their series with the Brewers Thursday afternoon. The two teams split the first two games in the series. Colin Rea (3-1, 4.61, 27.1 IP) is scheduled to start. Last time out, Rea was rocked for six runs on six hits and four walks in 3.1 innings in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. The Diamondbacks haven’t officially announced a starter yet for the game but if they stay on their normal rotation, it will likely be Zac Gallen.
Apr 13, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Brendan Donovan (33) throws to first base for a ground out against the Houston Astros during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
G’day everyone and a happy Mariners off-day to you!
The M’s closed out April with a clean 16-16 record. All things considered, I’m pretty satisfied with that (especially after a rough start to the year). How are you feeling about the team one month in?
In Mariners news…
The Mariners got some good news about Matt Brash last night, who is dealing with some mild right side discomfort which he doesn’t seem too concerned about. He will undergo a more thorough evaluation by team doctors today.
Jared Greenspan explained how the Rockies pitching staff has managed to turn things around just one month into the new regime.
Blue Jays infielder Davis Schneider told the personal story behind his recent partnership with Emergent BioSolutions, who have manufactured a nasal spray to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose if administered quickly enough.
Officially one month into the season, the ESPN staff gave a panic meter score to every underperforming contender.
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 29: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 and Myles Straw #3 dump sports drink onto Ernie Clement #22 of the Toronto Blue Jays during his post-game interview after their MLB game against the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre on April 29, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, the Yankees ended up losing on Wednesday, although it’s tough to put too much blame on the rookie. Rodríguez definitely seemed to be dealing with some nerves, as he walked three batters, but only allowed two runs in four innings. The bigger issue in the game was that the Yankees’ offense was shutout, as they continue to regularly get baffled by Nathan Eovaldi. It didn’t help that Jasson Domínguez left early after getting plunked on the elbow. He’ll need testing beyond the MRI that he had in Texas.
While the Yankees ended an otherwise very good road trip with a loss, let’s see what their competition from around the AL did in Wednesday’s action.
Toronto Blue Jays (14-16) 8, Boston Red Sox (12-19) 1
The Blue Jays’ lineup pounded Boston starter Brayan Bello, dropping the Red Sox to 2-2 since the unceremonious firing of Alex Cora and remaining in the AL East cellar.
The game got off to a decent enough start for the Red Sox as they took an initial lead on a Willson Contreras’ homer in the top of the first inning. However, that ended up being the only run they scored. Blue Jays’ starter Eric Lauer was OK, holding Boston to just that one run on five hits in 4.1 innings. The Red Sox just did not remotely take their chances. Despite nine hits for the game, they were 1-for-8 with runner in scoring position and left eight on base for the day.
That allowed the Blue Jays to get their way back into the game and then eventually blow Boston out of the water. They took the lead for the first and only time in the third inning. Rookies Kazuma Okamoto and Yohendrick Pinango each come up with RBI hits in the third as Toronto put up a three spot. Ernie Clement followed that with a two-run homer — his first of the year — the following inning to fully assert the Blue Jays’ control.
As mentioned, it wasn’t the best of days for Bello, as he departed after just 3.2 innings, having given up four runs, taking his ERA to 9.12 on the season. Toronto ended up tacking on a few more runs later on ensuring that Boston would’ve had a hard time coming back even if they did take their chances.
Other Games
Seattle Mariners (16-16) 5, Minnesota Twins (13-18) 3: Cole Young’s two-RBI single helped the Mariners to a three-spot in the top of the ninth allowing them to rally for a win. The Twins themselves had only taken the lead in the bottom of the eighth, but they were unable to put the finishing touches on another good outing from resurgent starter Taj Bradley.
Cleveland Guardians (16-16) 3, Tampa Bay Rays (18-12) 1: Travis Bazzana is still hitless in his young career, but the rest of the Guardians’ lineup did enough to help Cleveland get the win. Gavin Williams was very good for the Guardians, holding the Rays to just one run on five hits in 7.2 innings. At the plate, Chase DeLauter led Cleveland with two RBI in his 2-for-3 day.
Atlanta Braves (22-9) 4, Detroit Tigers (15-16) 3: Tarik Skubal overcame a bad first inning to get back on track, which eventually led to his offense taking the lead. However, the Tigers’ bullpen then couldn’t hold on, as the surging Braves eventually won on a Matt Olson walk-off home run against former teammate Kenley Jansen. Ozzie Albies’ first-inning homer ended up being the only damage they did against Skubal in seven innings, but Detroit’s three runs of offense ended up being not enough to withstand Atlanta’s ninth inning.
KANSAS CITY, MO - APRIL 26: Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinny Pasquantino (9) kisses Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone (14) after his game-tying home run during a MLB game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Kansas City Royals on April 26, 2026, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
There have been some high highs and low lows for Jac Caglianone since being drafted by the Royals. He blitzed through the minors spending just 29 games in A ball, 38 in AA, and 12 in AAA before debuting with the big league club last June. That debut did not follow the stratospheric trajectory of his minor league experience. This season, Jac has gotten another chance to show that he belongs. So far, he is taking advantage of it.
Caglianone’s 2026 numbers are not going to jump off the page at anyone. His line of .263/.344/.425 is definitely in the good-but-not-great category. However, it is leaps and bounds better than his line of .157/.237/.295 last year.
These raw numbers are not what I am starting to get excited about, though the on-base percentage is much higher so far than I was expecting. It is the underlying numbers, both offensive and defensive, that suggest he is developing into a solid everyday player. Here are his Baseball Savant percentiles in 2025 vs. 2026 to help illustrate what I mean.
Jac has improved his overall skillset almost across the entire board. He is still a flawed player, mostly because of hi chase rate, whiff rate, and K%. However, he has elite exit velocity and is now getting to it at a much higher frequency. That has pushed his expected stats up into the area where it looks like he is going to be a well above-league-average hitter.
On top of that, his fielding is much, much better than last year. The arm strength was always there, the accuracy is starting to come too, so his throwing looks like it is going to be quite the weapon in right field. A full offseason of preparation to play outfield has also improved his range value immensely and he looks way more comfortable running around in the grass. We do not have a large enough sample size to say he is an above-average defender yet, but he has been so much better than last year that I am optimistic he will, at the very least, not be a liability out there. He even improved his sprint speed over last year, though that is more on a percentile basis than actually changing the top end speed. He is never going to be a burner running down balls deep in the gaps at that size.
That expected value is predicated on how hard he hits the ball plus being able to barrel the ball much more often than last year. Going from a 12% barrel rate to 17% may not sound like a ton to most people, but that is a 42.5% improvement and enough to put him in the elite. We knew he could hit the ball hard and now he is accessing that ability much more frequently.
The main reason he has not posted elite numbers yet has to do with his chase rate, swing and miss rate, and his launch angle. He is chasing less than last year, so that is exciting even if he is still below-average. This might mean he will progress to a higher peak as he swings at better pitches, but for now he is still missing and striking out too much. The launch angle is the one that is keeping the balls from leaving the park in droves. A miniscule 3.8 degree launch angle is just not where you want a power hitter to be – Eric Hosmer struggled with this during his career. For Caglianone to become the 40+ home run monster we all want him to be, the ball has to get in the air more.
If you chart every ball he has put in play so far, the trend line is slightly positively sloped, but modestly enough that without the line it is hard to tell any trend at all. For Cags to become the Royals’ fearsome middle of the order slugger, this needs to have way fewer negative angles and many more in that 10 to 40 degree range.
As Jac is right now, he is on pace to end the season around 2-3 Wins Above Replacement. That means he is playing as an average-to-slightly above-average everyday major leaguer, despite the flaws. He just turned 23 a few months ago and his progression, plus his power potential, indicates that he is almost certainly going to be a good player. It looks like he may have already surpassed his lower-end threshold.
If he is now an above-average hitter, and an average-ish defensive right fielder, then he is a solid player the Royals can depend on for the next half decade. But he has to get the K% below 30% to pull that off. His ceiling is still very high, and I think we have a decent chance of witnessing something special with the combination of Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, Carter Jensen, and Jac. After last season, Cags was the one that seemed like it just might not happen, but now I am fairly optimistic he is one of the cornerstones that this team can build on.
LIV announces new independent board in funding push
LIV Golf has launched its search for fresh investment in a race against time to save its future after official confirmation Saudi funding would cease at the end of the 2026 season.
Hours after LIV announced the creation of a new independent board minus Yasir al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, a PIF statement formally substantiated the rumours that it was pulling the plug on the start-up after around $5bn (£3.7bn) of investment.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 29: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals hits a single during the first inning of a game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on April 29, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Heather Khalifa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Over the last couple weeks, the Nats offense has not been as consistently excellent as it was to start the season. The start the unit got off to was unsustainable, so you can’t complain about that too much. However, one thing I love is that when the Nats have a bad offensive game, they tend to respond the next night.
Last night was a perfect example of that. After getting shut out, the boys put up 14 runs on the Mets. In the games following a Nats loss where they scored two or fewer runs, the Nats have scored 6, 5, 7, 8, 4 and 14 runs in the next game. When the Nats have a bad night on offense, they respond by scoring over 7 runs a game the next night.
In the past, the Nats sometimes let a bad game carry over into the next performance. Now, with Matt Borgschulte, it is clear that they are making the adjustments and fixing what went wrong in the previous game. The other night, the Nats had zero extra base hits and 13 ground outs. Last night, they had 6 extra base hits and just 6 ground outs.
Watching this offense is a ton of fun because of this resiliency. There will be some nights where they just don’t have it, but they will not let that linger. Sure, they have been slowly regressing to the mean and are not a top 5 offense anymore. However, they are still second in runs and top 10 in most offensive categories.
Based on where they are in the roster building process, an elite offense is too much to expect. James Wood, CJ Abrams and Daylen Lile are the only three guys you can truly call very good hitters. Outside of that, the Nats have role players who can step up some nights, but not on a consistent basis.
Nats offense fading. Not shocking as Wood, Abrams, and Lile are the only guys with xWOBA higher than .350 that have been performing to or under it. Otherwise been a lot over-performers (Wiemer, Vivas, Tena) or underperforming still not great expected stats (young, house, Garcia) https://t.co/rGjSKEPob2
However, those role players have done a nice job chipping in. Joey Wiemer had his crazy hot start to the season, Jorbit Vivas has had some nice moments and Curtis Mead has had a few amazing offensive nights. Luis Garcia Jr. is also a guy who is underperforming a bit right now, and I think he will get hot before too long. Jacob Young’s underlying data also looks better.
Overall, I think this offense will be a solid unit. They are very unlikely to end the season being the second highest scoring team in the league, but being a slightly above average scoring offense does not feel unrealistic. As long as Wood and Abrams stay consistent, they have the starpower. They also have a deep bench that allows Blake Butera to play the matchups.
You saw the Nats take advantage of matchups well last night. Curtis Mead and Joey Wiemer both matched up well with the lefties the Mets threw out there, which is why Butera put them in the lineup. Meanwhile, you have guys like Garcia and Vivas who hit righties well. There is also Jose Tena, who has proven himself to be an excellent pinch hitter.
This is not the most talented offense in the world, but it has starpower, and useful pieces. That allows the unit to be adaptable and score against different types of pitchers. The deep bench also allows Blake Butera to ride the hot hand.
The offense has been clicking all season, but they are finally getting some help from most of the pitching staff too. Outside of Zack Littell, the rotation has been stepping up their game lately. Cade Cavalli and Foster Griffin have both been excellent lately, while Jake Irvin is showing signs of improvement. Miles Mikolas has been better in his new role as well.
Washington #Nats starters in the last 6 games and removing Zack Littell:
If this team can get consistent pitching, they could surprise some people as the season goes along. This is not a great team, or even a good one, but so far this season it has been a very watchable one, especially when they are on the road.
There are going to be nights this season where it is not pretty. The talent is not fully in place yet and the pitching staff is not great. However, this team has been resilient and fun. When they get knocked down, the Nats get back up the next game. You can see that in their offensive performances after a bad loss. This team clearly does not like losing, and that is a sign of a good culture.
Credit to Blake Butera and the coaching staff for instilling this resilience. In addition to being resilient, it is also clear that this Nats team does their homework and learns from their mistakes. After bad games, they usually clean up their act the next night, and I think that is a great sign for the future of the team.
Who will win Royals vs A's today: Athletics moneyline (-125)
The Athletics have won two of their last three contests, and they walked away with a 5-2 victory on Wednesday evening. They’ve now won five of their last eight meetings with the Kansas City Royals, and one of their better starters takes the hill today in Jeffrey Springs.
The lefty has a 3.79 ERA this season, and he’s held opponents to a .197 average.
While the Royals are hitting .304 against him, it’s a small sample size of 23 at-bats, and Springs allowed just one earned run against KC last season in one start. He’s also given up just one earned run in two of his three home outings in 2026.
As for the Royals, Noah Cameron gets the call, and he owns a 5.13 ERA. On the road, his ERA sits at 5.59, and he’s surrendered 13 earned runs across his last three starts.
The Royals are just 3-11 on the road, and it'll get worse here.
COVERS INTEL: Cameron’s xERA sits at 6.98, which is towards the bottom of the majors. His opponent xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG are also among the worst in the big leagues.
Royals vs A's Over/Under pick: Under 9.5 (-105)
While I don’t expect either pitcher to be completely lights-out, we likely won’t see a bunch of runs, either.
The Under has cashed in five of the last six meetings. KC ranks 23rd with 4.1 runs per game, while the Athletics are 19th with 4.2.
Three of the Royals’ last four games have hit the Under, and the Athletics have cashed the Under in seven straight contests.
Also, both ball clubs struggle against left-handed hurlers. Kansas City is batting .229 off southpaws, while the Athletics have hit .217 against lefties.
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 7-9, -5.94 units
Over/Under bets: 8-8, -1.34 units
Royals vs A's odds
Moneyline: Royals +108 | A's -126
Run line: Royals +1.5 | A's -1.5
Over/Under: Over 9.5 | Under 9.5
Royals vs A's trend
The Athletics have hit the Moneyline in 14 of their last 22 games (+8.00 Units / 33% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Royals vs. A's.
How to watch Royals vs A's and game info
Location
Sutter Health Park, West Sacramento, CA
Date
Thursday, April 30, 2026
First pitch
3:05 p.m. ET
TV
Royals.TV, NBCSCA
Royals starting pitcher
Noah Cameron (2-1, 5.13 ERA)
A's starting pitcher
Jeffrey Springs (3-2, 3.79 ERA)
Royals vs A's latest injuries
Royals vs A's weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Philadelphia 76ers are alive! Philadelphia took Game 5 in Boston, 113-97, behind a 28-11 fourth quarter. Joel Embiid led the game in scoring with 33 points and eight assists, while Tyrese Maxey recorded a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds.
Boston is up 3-2 in the series and has a chance to close out the series in Philadelphia tonight. The Celtics had another rough night from deep in Game 5. Boston shot 28% from three (11/39), which is right in line with the 26% mark in Game 2's loss. The Celtics shot 43%, 36%, and 45% from three in their three wins.
Philadelphia shot 50% from the field, 36% from three, and 87% from the free throw line in Game 5. The 76ers were a +23 in the second half and played desperate in Boston. At home, the 76ers are 0-2 in the series with 8 and 32-point losses.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch Live: 76ers vs. Celtics
Date: Thursday, April 30, 2026
Time: 8:10 PM EST
Site: Xfinity Mobile Arena
City: Philadelphia, PA
Network/Streaming: NBC Sports / Peacock
Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Game Odds: 76ers vs. Celtics
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Boston Celtics (-230), Philadelphia 76ers (+190)
Spread: Celtics -5.5
Total: 212.5 points
This game opened Celtics -5.5 with the Total set at 212.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Celtics vs. 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
PG Tyrese Maxey
SG VJ Edgecombe
SF Kelly Oubre Jr
PF Paul George
C Joel Embiid (probable)
Boston Celtics
PG Derrick White
SG Jaylen Brown
SF Sam Hauser
PF Jayson Tatum
C Neemias Queta
Injury Report: Celtics vs. 76ers
Boston Celtics
None
Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid (abdomen) is PROBABLE for Game 6
Important stats, trends and insights: 76ers vs. Celtics
Boston ranks second best in the NBA with a 51-36 ATS mark
Boston is an NBA-best 52-35 to the Under
Boston is 27-16 to the Under as the road team, ranking third-best
Boston is an NBA-best 27-16 ATS on the road
Boston is 17-9 ATS as a road favorite, ranking fifth-best
Philadelphia is 47-41 ATS and 21-23 ATS at home
Philadelphia is 7-9 ATS as a home underdog
Philadelphia is 47-41 to the Under and 10-6 to the Under as a home underdog
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday’s Celtics and 76ers’ game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Celtics’ Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Celtics -5.5 ATS
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 212.5
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COVERS INTEL: Cameron’s xERA sits at 6.98, which is towards the bottom of the majors. His opponent xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG are also among the worst in the big leagues.