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Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman was placed on the paternity list on Sunday, as he and his wife Chelsea are expecting their fourth child, their first daughter to join their three sons.

That opened the door for Ryan Ward, at age 28, to get called up to the major leagues for the first time and is starting at first base on Sunday against the Colorado Rockies, batting seventh. At 28 years, 55 days old, Ward will be the oldest Dodgers draft pick to debut with the team. Geoff Zahn, a pitcher drafted in 1968 who debuted with Los Angeles at 27 years, 257 days in 1973, held the previous mark.

Paternity leave in Major League Baseball is a minimum of one day and a maximum of three days, so this window for Ward will likely be short.

Ward was originally slated to start Friday night’s game for Oklahoma City, but was a late scratch, with Nick Senzel filling in at first base. This was the moment he found out he was getting the call to the big leagues:

Ward picked right up where he left off last season in winning Pacific Coast League MVP, hitting .324/.432/.588 with a 165 wRC+ this season in Triple-A, with four home runs, six doubles, and 14 RBI in 18 games while splitting time between first base and left field.

Drafted by the Dodgers in the eighth round in 2019 out of Bryant, Ward methodically made his way through the minor leagues, one level per season — except for bypassing Class-A after the 2020 minor league season was canceled — to reach Oklahoma City in 2023.

Ward got progressively better in Triple-A, culminating in hitting 36 home runs while hitting .290/.380/.557 with a 132 wRC+ in 2025 to win league MVP honors. That followed an offseason that saw Ward thrive in international competition, hitting five home runs in nine games for Team USA in the Premier12 tournament in Tokyo in 2024.

Playing so long in Triple-A has Ward at or near the top of many Oklahoma City modern career records — from 1998 to present, at their current ballpark — including 94 home runs and 322 runs batted in. During his 2025 MVP campaign, Ward also set Oklahoma City record for hits (164), home runs, RBI, and runs scored (113).

Ward is an older version of Michael Busch, who also won PCL MVP but was a man without a path to playing time with the Dodgers, with Shohei Ohtani at designated hitter, Freddie Freeman at first base, and Max Muncy at third base. Freeman and Ohtani also blocked Ward’s easiest path to playing time in Los Angeles, and in 2025 when they needed outfielders the club opted for better defensive players in Esteury Ruiz and Justin Dean instead.

Minor league free agency beckoned for Ward this offseason, but the Dodgers tossed one more lifeline his way the day before free agency, adding him to the 40-man roster on November 6.

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The Braves will look for a sweep in Philadelphia on Sunday night. The punchless Phillies have lost four straight, scoring a total of seven runs — including a total of one run in back-to-back losses to visiting Atlanta. 

The Phillies start promising rookie Andrew Painter, but Atlanta has Grant Holmes, who has had a better April so far, on the mound.

My Braves at Phillies predictions and MLB picks have the Braves completing the sweep on April 19.

Who will win Braves vs Phillies today: Braves (+104)

The Atlanta Braves are tied for the most runs scored in MLB. And now Austin Riley, who had struggled, is heating up.

Riley has nine hits in his last 26 at-bats (.346), and he is four for 10 with two homers and five RBIs in this series. Fourteen of Riley’s last 20 balls hit into play have been hard hit (over 95 mph exit velocity). Ten have topped 100 mph. 

Catcher J.T. Realmuto, one of the few Philadelphia Phillies who’s been hitting, left Saturday’s game with back trouble — the second time this month that’s happened. He’s already been declared unlikely for Sunday’s game.

COVERS INTEL: More than half of the swings against Holmes’ slider this season have missed. He has a 53.3% whiff rate on the pitch. Painter isn’t far behind with a 47.6% whiff rate on his slider. 

Braves vs Phillies Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-125)

It’s not the marquee pitching matchup of Saturday’s Chris Sale vs. Cristopher Sanchez, but Andrew Painter against Grant Holmes is underrated. Holmes has leaned harder on his slider and four-seamer this season, throwing those two pitchers 80% of the time. Opponents are hitting .121 against those two pitches. 

Painter has yet to allow a home run in three MLB appearances. He’s striking out a quarter of all batters he’s faced, and his hard-hit percentage is in the 92nd percentile among pitchers. He’s even better in Philadelphia with a 1.74 ERA, 0.871 WHIP, and 13.1 strikeouts per 9 in home games. 

Braves vs Phillies odds

• Moneyline: Braves +104 | Phillies -108
• Run line: Braves +1.5 (-194) | Phillies -1.5 (+186)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Braves vs Phillies trend

The Atlanta Braves have hit the Moneyline in 24 of their last 35 away games (+15.00 Units / 37% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Phillies.

How to watch Braves vs Phillies and game info

Braves vs Phillies latest injuries

Braves vs Phillies weather

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We’re back with another shirt from our partners at Breaking T, and this one features Milwaukee’s young pitching phenom.

Jacob Misiorowski, slated to start later today against the Marlins, just turned 24 but is already one of the most exciting arms in the league. Through four stars, we’ve seen both sides of Miz — he has a 3.32 ERA and 4.04 FIP with 33 strikeouts but nine walks and two hit batters in 21 2/3 innings.

The good news?

Misiorowski’s last start against the Blue Jays featured zero walks. While the Brewers ultimately lost in extra innings, Miz went 5 1/3 innings in that one, allowing two runs (both solo homers), five hits, and no walks with five strikeouts. Let’s hope he can repeat that performance against Miami.

In honor of the Brewers new City Connect uniforms — which, I’m slightly upset to admit, are beginning to grow on me — Breaking T created a new Nobody Beats the Miz shirt in those colors.

Nobody beats Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, because he’s The Miz!

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Click here to get a Nobody Beats the Miz shirt from Breaking T. And be sure to check out their full line of Brewers’ merchandise here.

Entering play on Sunday, April 19th, the American League only has five of its 15 teams with a positive run differential. Normally, a small number like that means there’s a great likelihood of it being a top-heavy league, but that’s not necessarily the case. In fact, for all the potential flaws that the Yankees have displayed so far, the teams predicted to be their main rivals for American League supremacy have struggled far more, seemingly opening a path for the Yankees to not only take control of the American League East, but the AL as a whole.

Not simply due to the fact that they faced off in last year’s ALCS, but for everything they did on the path to it and afterwards, the Blue Jays and Mariners opened the season as the two strongest adversaries the Yankees could face. Through these first 20+ games, both of these teams have encountered more than their fair share of issues, some far more concerning than anything the Yankees have had to deal with.

Starting off with the Mariners, you have key players struggling for different reasons, everything from the continuance of Luis Castillo’s steady decline over the past few seasons to core hitters unable to match last year’s career-high numbers. While it’s too early to pass judgment on the numbers of Cal Raleigh, Josh Naylor, and Julio Rodríguez, the former two, particularly Raleigh, went out of their way to carry the load for this lineup last season. Just how much of those 2025 numbers they can replicate remains to be seen. Furthermore, the M’s were only a 90-72 team last year with a healthy number of breaks going their way — it’s reasonable to ponder if too much time was spent projecting potential marginal improvements and not enough on the steps back that were just as likely.

Moving over to a more well-known rival and the responsible party for the Yankees’ demise last season, the Jays have been the biggest disappointment of the AL and maybe all of baseball early on — even managing to get swept by the White Sox at one point. The Blue Jays had a better season than the M’s last year, winning 94 games, but they both shared the same Pythagorean win-loss record of 88-74. Assessing how the Jays got to that win total, there are some warning signs, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. may be the star, but who unequivocally ran the show last year was George Springer, a 36-year-old who experienced a resurgent and surprisingly healthy season. He is currently sidelined with an injury, and it’s unrealistic to expect something close to those numbers he put up in 2025, especially playing as many as 140 games. The impact of losing Bo Bichette and indirectly replacing him with Kazuma Okamoto, with some infield shuffling, is going to be felt throughout the whole campaign. Current injuries to Addison Barger and Alejandro Kirk also lower this offense’s floor, but even at full strength, it may not be quite as imposing as it was a year ago.

The boost of adding Dylan Cease has been nullified early on by the absence of the injured Trey Yesavage. Speaking of injured players, as much as that quote-unquote excuse can be used to address some of the struggles the Jays have had early on, if you look at a team like the Yankees, there is a clear pathway of improvement from that department.

If you look at the Yankees’ Opening Day payroll, a healthy chunk of that is tied up with Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole, by all accounts two-thirds of the top three in this rotation. Yes, he was out last year, but even counting on Cole’s imminent return in 2026 — something that was factored into how they built their staff — the Yankees had a very real excuse for a bit of a slow start pitching-wise, and yet, they’ve flourished in that department.

The smart money is on both the Jays and Mariners finding their stride as the year moves forward, but whether they figure out their problems or not the Yankees can gaze at the American League picture right now and foresee a path for dominance.

On Saturday, manager Matt Quatraro gave Salvador Perez a day off for the first time since August of last year, when the team captain missed two games due to illness. Other than that, his most recent day off without an injury or illness concern was June 21, 2025. Perez has struggled to start the year, hitting just .160/.210/.307 in 20 games. Quatraro said the day off was to give him a “little mental breather.”

Salvy is famous not just in Kansas City, but around the league as a guy who doesn’t want to sit. Up until now, everyone has taken it in stride as a fun thing to make jokes about.

That perhaps is in a new context now. Salvy contradicted Quatraro, posting on social media, “I don’t need a mental breather.”

He even went posted on Instagram, calling the idea he needed a break as “FAKE.”

Sal DOES need time off

Most of the Royals’ blogosphere spent the entire offseason pontificating that the team needed to play him less or at least shift him from behind the plate into a designated hitter role more often. Over at Inside the Crown, David Lesky noted that Salvy hit much better in 2025 on the days after he hadn’t caught the day before. It seemed to be fine for him to DH, play first, or sit entirely, but it was clear he needed less time behind the plate. When the Royals signed Perez to another extension, guaranteeing he’d be under contract through 2027, almost everyone hoped it came with an explanation to the captain that he wasn’t going to be able to catch every game.

And yet, as the Royals have played 21 games this season, Salvy has now played in 20 of them and caught 14 of them. That would be considered the maximum catching load for anyone but Sal. And Sal hasn’t exactly been lighting the world on fire this season.

Batting averages have been down across baseball for a while now, but batting under .200 is still very bad. Having an OBP nearing that line would be enough to get most players benched. It’s not just those numbers that look bad, either.

His bat speed and hard-hit rates are down. He’s always been known for chasing, but his chase rate is as high as its been since 2022 and 2023, when his numbers cratered for a while. Last year, it was often noted that while he was not an amazing hitter, his expected stats all suggested he was fairly unlucky. But this year, they paint a picture of a guy who would be a liability at the plate even if he was reaching them.

So, yeah, he probably deserved/needed a day off. But what the heck is going on?

In Salvy’s defense

Salvador Perez is a guy who allegedly offered to accept a trade in 2023 while the team struggled if the Royals could get significantly better by dealing him. He won the Roberto Clemente Award for exhibiting extraordinary character. He’s been the face of the franchise for more than a decade with his big smile and positive attitude. What do you have to do to upset a guy like that this much?

He’s obviously earned a lot of respect, not just in the Royals clubhouse, but around the entire league. And I just wrote last week about the importance of showing loyalty to veteran players. If he were given a day off without any discussion, that certainly would seem to be a poor choice.

In Q’s defense

When Quatraro told Anne Rogers that Sal was struggling, that was simply and obviously factually correct. When he said that he was giving Sal a mental break, that was extremely standard and boilerplate language to describe giving a struggling guy a day off. If Sal took exception to it, it seems like the best way to handle that would have been in a private discussion, not a public argument. The only way in which Sal’s reaction to getting a single day off seems reasonable to me is if Quatraro has had a much worse handle on the clubhouse culture than we’ve been given any reason to believe. This is the first time there’s ever been any kind of public rumbling of discontent, and Quatraro just received a lengthy extension as a show of faith from the front office and ownership.

It does lead me to wonder if the reason Sal continues to bat fourth even as it’s obvious to just about anyone that the team would be best served by him batting lower in the order is less about Quatraro being unwilling to make the move, as perhaps he has been afraid to upset the captain with such a demotion. But that would be an indictment of everyone involved.

Adding an extra wrinkle to all of this is the addition of Elias Díaz to the active roster, a transaction that was announced today.

The Royals were very clear entering the season that they didn’t think they needed a third catcher on the roster. Now, a day after giving Salvador Perez a day off, they add that third catcher? It could be a belief that Carter Jensen needs to play less often – he’s out of the lineup in favor of Díaz – but the timing is unfortunate, if so.

There is absolutely no way to know who is at fault in this situation, or if anyone is at fault, or if it is some combination of faults. But it’s an unfortunate distraction at a time when the team can seemingly least afford them as they try to find their way out of an early-season swoon that is rapidly exiting the realm of something that can be easily shaken off. Hopefully, everything is resolved quickly and amicably and the team can get back to winning, or we could all be in for a very, very long 2026 season.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks struggle against the splitter, which should play into the hands of Toronto Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman this afternoon.

Read on to see why in my Blue Jays vs. Diamondbacks predictions and MLB picks for today's game. 

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks predictions

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks best bet: Kevin Gausman Over 5.5 strikeouts (+105)

When Kevin Gausman’s splitter is dancing, he’s one of the most lethal pitchers in the majors, which makes his 5.5-strikeout total at plus-money an attractive price.

The Toronto Blue Jays ace has been racking up the Ks, averaging 7.75 strikeouts this season, which ranks in the 94th percentile in K%, while using the splitter as the put-away pitch, garnering a 44.2% whiff rate and a strikeout rate of 42.9%

The split-fastball has given this Arizona Diamondbacks lineup fits this season, with the third-highest strikeout rate in the majors, with a 42.4% whiff rate against the pitch.

Additionally, Gausman owns a .164 opponent batting average against this lineup. 

COVERS INTEL: The Diamondbacks rank 29th in the majors with a .294 OBP.

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks same-game parlay (SGP)

I’ll continue to bet on Gausman and take the Under on his hits prop set at 5.5, a total he’s stayed Under on in three of his four starts this season. Additionally, the Arizona lineup is just 12-for-73 against Gausman through his career, with a .447 OPS

Lastly, I’ll take Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to go Over 0.5 strikeouts tonight. He’s 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts against Gausman throughout his career.

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks SGP

• Kevin Gausman Over 5.5 strikeouts
• Kevin Gausman Under 5.5 hits 
• Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Over 0.5 strikeouts

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks home run pick: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+500)

I’ll make this a half-unit wager. Ryne Nelson has been hit hard this season, ranking in the 10th percentile in hard-hit rate. This has resulted in four home runs allowed this year, all against his four-seamer.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. crushes the baseball and has a .417 average against the four-seamer, with a .500 slug rate against the pitch. He's 2-for-8 against Nelson, with one of those hits being a home run. 

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks odds

• Moneyline: Toronto -110 | Arizona -110
• Run line: Toronto -1.5 (+155) | Arizona +1.5 (-185)
• Over/Under: Over 8 | Under 8

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks trend

The Blue Jays have cashed the first five innings team total Under in six of their last seven games for +5.75 units and a 74% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Diamondbacks.

How to watch Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks and game info

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks latest injuries

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks weather

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The Atlanta Braves go for the road sweep against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday Night Baseball, closing out a key NL matchup.

Here are my favorite Braves vs. Phillies predictions and MLB picks, with a focus on Ronald Acuña Jr., Grant Holmes, and Bryce Harper.

Braves vs Phillies props for April 19

Pick	Odds
Acuna Jr. o1.5 total bases	-110
Holmes o5.5 strikeouts	+130
Harper o1.5 total bases	+110

Braves vs Phillies player prop picks

Ronald Acuna Jr. Over 1.5 total bases (-110)

Ronald Acuna’s surface-level statistics (.247.347/.370) may not show it, but he’s performing at an elite level. Placing above the 90th percentile in xwOBA, xSLG, and bat speed, the production should come along shortly. 

With hits in nine of his last 10 games, Acuna is starting to find his form. A matchup against Andrew Painter and his reverse splits isn’t a turn-off. 

Painter has faced 22 right-handed batters this season, and eight of them have collected hits (.421 AVG). Sure, that’s a small sample size, but the rookie hasn’t proven capable of getting out Big League-caliber righties, let alone one of the very best.

Painter pitches to contact (4.9% walk rate), and Acuna has mostly limited his strikeouts (18.9% K rate). Making contact here should result in an opportunity to accumulate total bases.

Grant Holmes Over 5.5 strikeouts (+130)

The plus-money is appealing here, especially for a pitcher who has a massive 14.1% swinging strike rate in his career. I’ll bite. 

Grant Holmes’ K rate has cratered from 25% to 19.3% despite his swinging strike rate actually jumping a half tick (from 13% to 13.5%). With a whiff rate in the 81st percentile, the Ks should come eventually. 

The veteran’s go-to pitch, his slider, has generated a .196 xBA and 53.3% whiff rate. That’ll play against a Phillies lineup that has struggled against the pitch, posting -4.7 runs against average. 

Philadelphia’s projected lineup has faced Holmes 16 times, and eight of those have resulted in strikeouts. A 50% K rate against the opposing lineup will certainly play, especially when plus money is offered on the Over. 

Bryce Harper over 1.5 total bases (+110)

After facing southpaws in each of the first two games of this series, the Phillies will be glad to face the right-handed Holmes on Sunday. They’ve struggled mightily against LHP (58 wRC+), but could break out a bit after plating a single run in the first 18 innings of the series. 

Bryce Harper has hit the cover off the ball in April, slashing .333/.419/.685 with as many extra-base-hits (10) as strikeouts. He’s still going strong at age 33, posting a 94th percentile xwOBA and 96th percentile xSLG. 

What makes this an appetizing matchup is that he’s demolished four-seamers (.811 xSLG)  and sliders (1.170). Holmes throws those 78% of the time against lefties, so Harper will have a great opportunity to stay hot.

How to watch Braves vs Phillies and game info

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Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (12-8) 

Game One – won 2-1 (BOX SCORE)

Hendrickson got the start for Sugar Land in game one and pitched well tossing 5 scoreless innings. The offense got on the board in the 4th inning on a Biggers 2 run double. Munoz allowed a run but Santa tossed a scoreless 7th inning as he closed out the 2-1 win.

Note: Santa has a 1.29 ERA this season.

• Carlos Perez, DH: 2-for-3, R
• Cavan Biggio, 1B: 1-for-3, R, 2B
• Jax Biggers, SS: 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI

• Josh Hendrickson, LHP: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K (WIN)
• Roddery Munoz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• Alimber Santa, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (SAVE)

Game Two – lost 8-3 (BOX SCORE)

Nelson gave Sugar Land a quick lead with a leadoff home run in the first inning. Alexander started for Sugar Land in game two of the double header but struggled allowing 4 runs over 4.2 innings. Sugar Land picked up 2 runs in the 6th on a Nelson RBI single and a run scoring on a wild pitch. The Bees put the game out of reach scoring 4 runs in the 6th as Sugar Land dropped game two, 8-3.

Note: Nelson is hitting .370 in Triple-A.

• James Nelson, LF: 2-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, SB
• Kellen Strahm, RF: 0-for-1, R, 2 BB, SB
• Cesar Salazar, DH: 1-for-1, R, BB, SB

• Jason Alexander, RHP: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
• Trey McLoughlin, RHP: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Miguel Yajure, RHP: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 0 K
• Anthony Maldonado, RHP: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (8-6) won 9-5 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks jumped out to an early lead thanks to a Guillemette grand slam in the first inning. Gillis got the start and went 4.2 innings allowing 4 runs, all on a grand slam in the 2nd inning, while striking out 4. The Hooks retook the lead in the 4th on a Sacco RBI double. In the 7th, Janek connected on a grand slam, his first home run of the season. The pen was solid allowing 1 run as they closed out the 9-5 win.

Note: Spence has a .382 OBP this season.

• Lucas Spence, CF: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, SB
• Walker Janek, DH: 1-for-3, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI, BB
• Garret Guillemette, 1B: 2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI
• Yamal Encarnacion, 2B: 1-for-2, BB
• Tommy Sacco, 3B: 2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI

• Brett Gillis, RHP: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
• Derek True, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K (WIN)
• Amilcar Chirinos, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Ramsey David, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (4-10) lost 7-6 (BOX SCORE)

Howard started for Asheville but struggled allowing 5 runs over 4 innings. The offense got on the board in the 2nd inning on a Holy RBI single. They got 3 more in the 3rd inning on a Nunez solo HR and Schiavone 2 run HR. Langford went 2 innings in relief allowing 1 run but Asheville got one back in the 7th on a Frey RBI groundout. In the 9th, the Tourists tied it on a Nunez single. Unfortunately the Dash walked it off in the bottom of the 9th as Asheville fell 7-6.

Note: Schiavone has 5 home runs this season.

• Justin Thomas, CF: 2-for-5, 2 R, 2B
• Alejandro Nunez, DH: 3-for-5, R, HR, RBI
• Ethan Frey, RF: 1-for-4, R, RBI, BB
• Jason Schiavone, 1B: 1-for-3, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, SB
• Max Holy, 2B: 1-for-4, RBI, SB
• Kyle Walker, SS: 2-for-3, SB
• Zach Daudet, 3B: 2-for-3, 2B, SB

• Dylan Howard, RHP: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
• Colby Langford, LHP: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
• Alain Pena, RHP: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (3-11) lost 14-2 (BOX SCORE)

Forcucci started for the Woodpeckers but failed to make it out of the first inning allowing 2 runs. He was relieved by Carreras who allowed 2 runs over 5.1 innings while striking out 4. The offense got on the board in the 7th scoring 2 runs on an Ochoa single and error. The rest of the bullpen struggled allowing 10 runs as the Woodpeckers fell 14-2.

Note: Monister has 8 SB this season.

• Kevin Alvarez, DH: 1-for-5
• Xavier Neyens, 3B: 2-for-4, BB
• Nick Monistere, SS: 1-for-4, R, 2 SB
• Josh Wakefield, CF: 1-for-3, R, BB
• Nehomar Ochoa, 1B: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, SB

• Ryan Forcucci, RHP: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Jesus Carrera, RHP: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K (WIN)
• Jhoster Baez, RHP: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Jose Varela, RHP: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Brandon Bielak – 3:05 CT

CC: Trey Dombroski – 2:05 CT

AV: TBD – 1:00 CT

FV: TBD – 1:05 CT

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The New York Mets will look for some way to finally pick up a win as they wrap up their series against the Chicago Cubs this afternoon.

New York is now riding a 10-game losing streak, and I like Chicago to win again in my Mets vs. Cubs predictions. Keep reading to see why and get all my free MLB picks for Sunday, April 19.

Who will win Mets vs Cubs today: Cubs (-121)

The New York Mets are shaking things up this afternoon by starting Tobias Myers (0-1, 3.46 ERA). Myers has been capable as a starter in the past, but hasn’t thrown more than three innings in a game this season, so New York will need to dip deep into its bullpen this afternoon.

That’s a tough recipe for success against the Chicago Cubs right now. They've averaged 8.5 runs per game over their last six contests, and I don’t see Myers or the rest of the Mets staff shutting them down completely.

With the New York offense floundering right now, I like Chicago to find a way to win this game at home.

COVERS INTEL: The Mets bullpen has a solid 3.96 ERA this season, with Huascar Brazoban and Craig Kimbrel each yet to allow an earned run on the year.

Mets vs Cubs Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-130)

To say the Mets are struggling to score runs is a massive understatement. New York has put up a total of 18 runs in its 10-game losing streak, getting shut out three times in that span.

That means it’ll be up to the Cubs to try to carry this total. And as we saw yesterday, these Mets pitchers are doing their part to keep the team in games, even if it hasn’t been enough to get wins.

New York has hit the Under in four of its last six games, and I’m expecting another low-scoring affair that plays out like yesterday’s game.

Mets vs Cubs odds

• Moneyline: Mets +115 | Cubs -135
• Run line: Mets +1.5 (-235) | Cubs -1.5 (+175)
• Over/Under: Over 8 | Under 8

Mets vs Cubs trend

The Cubs have won five of their last six games. Find more MLB betting trends for Mets vs. Cubs.

How to watch Mets vs Cubs and game info

Mets vs Cubs latest injuries

Mets vs Cubs weather

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Team News

Corbin in the clutch! Carroll belts 4th career slam to lift D-backs to series win

Since April 4, the bullpen has allowed 12 earned runs in 46 innings, that’s a 2.35 ERA.

“They’ve been really good,” Carroll said. “It seems like whoever comes out of that gate is ready to go from pitch one and is attacking hitters, and it’s been really fun to play behind them. Those guys got a tough job, and so it’s a huge credit to them that they’ve been taking care of business the way they have so far.”

https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/corbin-carroll-s-grand-slam-leads-d-backs-to-win-over-blue-jays

Corbin Carroll’s grand slam lifts Diamondbacks to series win over Blue Jays

“We talk about building innings here,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “I think we’ve been very efficient with runners in scoring position so far this season, and the right guys in the right spot came up. I thought the Marte at-bat — I loved how Vargas got on. I loved AT’s base hit — but I thought the Marte at-bat was critical to load the bases for the next two guys. Corbin deserves the credit, but the rest of the guys built the inning for him and that’s what we stand on.”

https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/corbin-carroll-grand-slam-blue-jays/3618281/

Corbin Carroll’s Massive Grand Slam Erases D-backs’ Mistakeshttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/corbin-carroll-massive-grand-slam-erases-d-backs-mistakes

D-backs Teammates React to Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s Incredible ACL Return

Dave McKay (first base and outfield coach): “It was unbelievable seeing him at Spring Training, doing the things that he was doing. As a matter of fact I had to force him stop doing our drills. He’d come out when we do our drills, and there were certain things that we couldn’t have him do. He was insisting, finally I had to get the trainers and say get this guy out of here.”

https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/d-backs-teammates-react-lourdes-gurriel-jr-acl-return

Full Q&A With D-backs’ Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on his Rapid ACL Rehab

Did Rivera feel like this timetable was realistic all along?

“Yes, and also because of my added performance, my dedication. He understood what type of player I am. It’s not an easy rehab. But understanding my dedication to the process, he was in agreement.” https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/d-backs-lourdes-gurriel-jr-rapid-acl-rehab

Diamondbacks Brandon Pfaadt adjusting to bullpen lifehttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/how-brandon-pfaadt-adjusting-new-bullpen-role

Diamondbacks Sign Former Yankees Infielder
https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/diamondbacks-sign-former-yankees-infielder-velasquez

Other Baseball

Mets in free fall after losing 10th straight game
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48525192/mets-freefall-losing-10th-straight-game

Phillies put closer Jhoan Duran on IL with strained obliquehttps://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48526192/phillies-put-closer-jhoan-duran-il-strained-oblique

J.T. Realmuto Leaves Game Due To Lower Back Tightnesshttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/04/j-t-realmuto-leaves-game-due-to-lower-back-tightness.html

Sale passes Glavine on K’s list, dominates Phils for Braves’ 4th straight winhttps://www.mlb.com/news/chris-sale-continues-stellar-start-to-2026-vs-phillies

The visiting team won a 21-inning college game on a walk-off balk — wait, what?https://www.mlb.com/news/21-inning-college-game-ends-on-walk-off-balk

1 early-season development each team can believe in
https://www.mlb.com/news/2026-early-season-developments-to-believe-in-each-mlb-team

Anything Goes

This day in history:
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/april-19

The American Revolution began at Lexington, in 1775.

This day in baseball:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/April_19

1997 – A major league game is played in Hawaii for the first time. The San Diego Padres, who gave up three home games to further baseball relations and to allow renovations at Jack Murphy Stadium, play host for a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals at spacious Aloha Stadium. The Cardinals win both games, 1 – 0 and 2 – 1.

The oldest English word is ‘town’.

This is one of the oldest words in the English language that is still in use. The first dictionary took note of this in 1755.

Tomato ketchup was used as medicine for 16 years.

Whether you love it or hate it, this condiment once had a place in the world beyond hotdogs. However, you’d be surprised to know that ketchup only had tomatoes in it starting 1834. Before, ketchup was made with a mix of fish and mushrooms. When Dr. John Cooke Bennet added tomatoes to the mix, he claimed that the antioxidants gave it a medicinal property. He had a pill salesman turn his tomato ketchup into pills and claimed it could treat diarrhea, indigestion, jaundice, and rheumatism.

oan of Arc convinced Charles VII she could lead his armies with no experience. She routed the English, survived a 60-foot escape leap from a tower uninjured, was falsely accused of heresy, and burned at the stake, all between the ages of 17 and 19. She was guided by voices only she could hear.

The sound made by the Krakatoa volcanic eruption in 1883 was so loud it ruptured the eardrums of people 40 miles away, traveled around the world four times, and was clearly heard 3,000 miles away. That’s like standing in New York and hearing a sound from San Francisco.