The Detroit Tigers placed second baseman Gleyber Torres on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a mild left oblique strain, the latest blow to a franchise already reeling from the loss of ace Tarik Skubal and the looming threat of a Framber Valdez suspension.
Torres, 29, left Saturday’s game against Texas in the fourth inning after experiencing left side tightness and has not played since. This is the second time Torres has dealt with a left oblique issue. He missed time last season with the same injury. Jace Jung was called up to take Torres’ roster spot.
The timing could not be worse for Detroit.
Skubal, the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner, was placed on the injured list Monday and is set to undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow, with a recovery timeline of roughly two to three months. The 29-year-old had posted a 2.79 ERA with 45 strikeouts against just six walks in 43 1/3 innings before going down.
Then on Tuesday night there was drama.
Valdez gave up back-to-back home runs to Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu, then hit Trevor Story with a 94-mile per hour fastball on the first pitch of his at-bat, clearing both benches. Valdez insisted it wasn’t intentional. The Red Sox weren’t buying it. MLB announced a six-game suspension for Valdez on Wednesday, a huge blow for the Tigers.
Detroit’s injured list already includes Casey Mize, Justin Verlander, Reese Olson and Jackson Jobe. The Tigers sit at 18-19, tied with Cleaveland for first place in the American League Central. They finish a three-game series with Boston on Wednesday night at Comerica Park and then head to Kansas City to play the Royals over the weekend.
Torres was hitting .259 with two home runs this season. The former Yankee returned to the Tigers this season on a one-year qualifying offer of $22 million after an All-Star 2025 season. His return timeline is unclear, though oblique strains historically require more than the minimum 10-day stint.
The Buffalo Sabres kick off their second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night. This has the potential to be an excellent series between two very talented Atlantic Division rivals.
However, it is clear that the Sabres have a big challenge in front of them heading into the series: solving Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes.
Dobes helped carry the Canadiens past the Tampa Bay Lightning in their first-round series due to his excellent play. In seven games so far this post-season, the Canadiens netminder has a 4-3 record, a 2.03 goals-against average, and a .923 save percentage. With this, Dobes undoubtedly is entering this series on a hot streak.
Dobes also ended his series against the Lightning on a strong note. This is because he had a .950 save percentage or better in each of his last three starts against the Bolts. This included him stopping 28 out of 29 Lightning shots in the Canadiens' Game 7 win.
The Sabres will now be looking to end Dobes' hot streak this series. If the Sabres can get the 24-year-old goalie off his game, it would be huge for them as they look to advance to the Eastern Conference Final.
DETROIT (AP) — Cleveland Cavaliers reserve guard Sam Merrill had an MRI on his left hamstring after injuring it in a Game 1 loss to the Detroit Pistons.
The Cavs held him out of practice Wednesday, a day before they will shoot to even the second-round series in Detroit.
Merrill had one assist and one turnover in six-plus minutes of the opener on Tuesday night.
The 29-year-old Merrill averaged 12.8 points during the regular season and scored in double digits twice in the seven-game, first-round series against the Toronto Raptors.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 16: Andrew Vaughn #28 of the Milwaukee Brewers stands on deck during a Spring Training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch on March 16, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Game Summary
The Brewers jump Pallante for an early 4-0 with a 3-run HR by Vaughn being the mortal blow. After, the pitchers traded outs into the middle innings, the Brewers tacked on a small-ball run in the fifth to extend the lead. Otherwise, both teams had some traffic but couldn’t buy a big hit, carrying a 5-0 lead deep into the game. Single tallies in the bottom of the 8th, top of the 9th and bottom of the 9th blemished the late relievers’ lines but did little to alter the outcome.
Line-up (and roster) machinations
An early start today, followed by a long flight to San Diego tonight.
Typical line-up, but with Pages catching Pallante.
Urias to the IL yesterday. That tennis elbow from spring never healed. Time for full rest.
A twelve-pitch sequence defines the game
Pallante gets two quick outs to start the game. Then a quick succession of single, HBP, single (of the RBI variety) and a long 3-run HR that is absolutely mashed for a quick 4-0 lead.
Cardinals put two runners on in the bottom of 1, with a Herrera double and a Walker walk. Sproat was pitching around Walker. Man, things have changed. Gorman strikes out. So, not everything has changed. In the end, the Cardinals are unable to respond.
The middle innings mostly quiet for both teams
Pallente works a quick clean second inning. Cardinals get Church on via HBP, but otherwise quiet inning. Pallante faces the minimum 3 batters in the third, aided by a GIDP following a Chourio single. Pallante walks Bauer leading off the fourth, but promptly picks him off, then induces a couple of ground ball outs. All this efficiency gets APs pitch count back in order, which become the small victory of this game. In the bottom of the fourth, Walker leads off with a walk, steals second (somewhere an old schooler is turning over in his grave, stealing down 4-0). Gorman walks as well, but a Winn lineout and a Fermin GIDP upends the brief attempt at a rally.
The Brewers extend the lead
In the fifth, the Brewers manufacture a small ball run with 2 IF singles, an F9 that advances the runner to third and an ill-timed wild pitch (is there ever a well-timed WP?). After a walk to complicate things further, a K quells the uprising.
Pallente makes it through six innings
Pallante returns for the sixth as the Cardinals prioritize getting another inning from a starter. A single, followed by a line-out and force-out continue the lackluster pace to the game, but yet another IF single adds drama, but AP gets a 6-3 to get through the sixth. Not quite a QS.
APs line: 6 IP. 8 H. 5 R. 2 BB. 3 K. 1 HR (the killer). 104 pitches.
The middle innings go quietly
After Sproat is unable to get beyond the 4th inning (manager’s decision), DL Hall relieves Sproat and works a quiet bottom of the fifth. Shuster in for Pallante to start the 7th. He works a 1-2-3 inning. Ashby relieves Hall and works a 1-2-3 sixth. That makes eight batters set down in a row. Ashby remains in and extends the streak of outs to ten before Fermin draws a walk inducing a check-swing 3u groundball from Pages.
Shuster remains in the 8th. A harmless 2-out single is all to report here.
Late inning hijinks change the score, but not the outcome
Megill in for Ashby for the Brewers. Scott II singles, first hit for the Cardinals since the first inning. JJW K’s on high heat. Teams are liking to throw that heat up at the top edge with him. Scott steals second. Herrera K’s again. Unusual. Must be the DH penalty + daytime getaway game penalty. Burleson with an RBI single. Walker bounces back to Megill to end the rally.
Swanson in for Shuster in the ninth. Two backwards K’s show us he is on the road back, but a single and a double by the red-hot Chourio extends the lead to 6-1. A walk shows us there is more work to be done before a ground out quells the insurrection.
Uribe relieves Megill, not a save opportunity. Gorman opens with a double, advancing to third on a Winn ground out. A rare Ortiz error plates a second run and puts Fermin on first and brings a brief rise from the crowd, but a GIDP by Prieto ends any suspense. Brewers defeat the Cardinals 6-2.
Post-Game Notes
Check out Today on the Farm – Wednesday 5/6 for updates on MiLB action.
On to San Diego for a four-game set against the Padres, followed by three games in Sacramento against the homeless A’s.
Is it my imagination, or does the Cardinal offense struggle on getaway day games?
Burleson is really struggling with seeing the ball. Has been for a bit now.
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: Sonny Gray #54 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Fenway Park on April 20, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TV: NESN
First Pitch: 6:40 p.m. ET
The Red Sox found a way to take a deep breath and played relaxed over the last two nights. It’s the best thing that could’ve happened for Boston as a three-game sweep is on the line for the first time this season.
Sonny Gray returns from the injured list and makes his first start since April 20 on Patriots’ Day. Carlos Narvaez does the catching for the veteran starter.
Here’s who the Red Sox will send to the plate Wednesday night.
The Tigers counter with Jack Flaherty, who also pitched at Fenway Park on April 20. Flaherty lasted just 3 ⅓ innings in that start and gave up 10 earned runs over his last two outings.
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Flyers turned tenuous postseason hopes into a fashion statement when they wore T-shirts with “3.8%” on the sleeve to start their playoff run — a nod to their chances in March, per an NHL analytics and prediction platform.
Might be time for a new addition — courtesy of updated math — to their wardrobe.
When Travis Konecny missed on a breakaway in overtime of a Game 2 loss at Carolina, the Flyers lost a chance to earn a split on the road.
Most sportsbooks have stamped the Flyers with the worst odds of any of the eight teams left in the NHL playoffs to win the Stanley Cup.
Can “60-1” fit on the other sleeve?
The Flyers indeed are the decided underdog headed into Game 3 against a Hurricanes team that remains unbeaten in the NHL playoffs, thanks two impressive home wins to open the second-round series.
Carolina swept that first-round series against the Senators and never trailed. That series started with a home shutout and then a 3-2 double-overtime win in Game 2. The Hurricanes started this series in similar fashion, first with a Game 1 shutout and then another 3-2 win in extra time on Taylor Hall’s score at 18:54 of OT.
The Flyers host the next two games in the best-of-seven series.
The Flyers wasted a 2-0 lead in Game 2 before Konecny’s miss that became the hot topic — along with the 76ers’ blowout Game 1 loss to New York in the NBA playoffs — on the Philly sports scene.
“I should have finished that,” Konecny said.
Flyers coach Rick Tocchet refused to pin the blame on Konecny and noted in a game that went that long, there were plenty of opportunities to win it.
“There’s a few other guys that had some really Grade A chances,” Tocchet said. “If you’re not getting chances, then you’d be concerned. We had a ton of chances. I’m sure he’s upset. But hey, we need him on Thursday night and hopefully he can connect on Thursday night.”
The Hurricanes have played in the conference finals three times in the past seven years and are facing a young Flyers team gaining footing in the playoffs.
The Flyers became the first NHL team to make the playoffs after being 10 points out with 22 or fewer games remaining, securing Philadelphia’s first postseason appearance since 2020. Then the Flyers beat Pittsburgh in six games in the first round.
The Flyers have learned the hard way that even playing their best — Tocchet believed the Game 2 effort proved to them they can hang with the Hurricanes — might not be enough to outlast the top-seeded team in the East driven to break through and win the Stanley Cup.
The experience, if not the result, has been invaluable to a team that has an average age of just 27 and threw out a Game 2 line with three rookies in 19-year-old Porter Martone, 21-year-old Denver Barkey and 22-year-old Alex Bump. They have 25-and-under core players that include forwards Matvei Michkov, Trevor Zegras defenseman and Jamie Drysdale.
“It really is huge for the development of the guys,” Tocchet said. “Imagine if we didn’t make the playoffs and these guys never got to experience it? I think going into Game 3, you’ll see more improvement.”
The Flyers are looking for some wins to come with their improvement as they prepare for their first home second-round playoff game since 2012.
“I know the kids were upset last game,” Tocchet said. “But they can’t be upset because they’re going to get another shot it, they’re going to get right back on the ice, and they have a lot of support from the organization and their teammates. I think that’s going to help their development, also.”
Flyers’ Cates out for rest of the series
Flyers forward Noah Cates was ruled out for the series after he was injured in Game 2.
Cates had a career-high 18 goals and 47 points in 82 games this season and has added a goal and four points in the playoffs.
Here come the Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are 6-0 in the postseason and didn’t trail at any point in the first five wins. Yet coach Rod Brind’Amour doesn’t have to look hard for areas that need improvement, such as a power play that hasn’t produced anywhere near like it did in the regular season and a largely quiet start from the top line of Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov.
Carolina is 12th among 16 teams in the postseason on the power play. The Hurricanes were fourth in the regular season at 24.9%.
“I think it’s just executing our plays,” Jarvis said. “I think sometimes you have a play, you run it, and then we have a tendency to kind of go a little wild and start moving a little too much. So just kind of getting back to what made us successful in the regular season, which was playing our positions.”
Jarvis broke through for his first postseason goal in Game 2, coming after Brind’Amour shuffled the lines to pair him with Nikolaj Ehlers and captain Jordan Staal.
Brind’Amour also has lamented the number of penalties his team is taking, leading to seven power plays for the Flyers in Game 2.
“I think there’s another level we’re going to have to get to,” Brind’Amour said, “and it’s there for us.”
SURPRISE, AZ - FEBRUARY 19: Eric Cerantola #87 of the Kansas City Royals poses for a photo during the Kansas City Royals Photo Day at Surprise Stadium on Wednesday, February 19, 2025 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Royals announced they have called up reliever Eric Cerantola from Triple-A Omaha and have optioned Stephen Kolek to the Storm Chasers. Kolek earned the win in last night’s game against Cleveland, making a spot start for the injured Noah Cameron, with three runs allowed in six innings. Cerantola had a 1.42 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 12.2 innings for Omaha.
The Canadian-born Cerantola was a fifth-round pick in 2021 out of Mississippi State. He was added to the 40-man roster after the 2024 season, but had mixed results last year. He finished with a 4.04 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 49 innings in Triple-A, missing some time with injury. He pitched briefly for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, making two scoreless appearances.
The Royals like his power arm, though, with a fastball that has reached 99-100 mph. Cerantola uses the heater a lot, which is why it can be vulnerable to contact with average movement and vert. His plus 82-87 mph breaking ball — he calls it a curveball — is sharp with good break and spin, missing bats and getting chase. Cerantola reintroduced a fringe-average-to-average changeup into his arsenal recently, and although he hasn’t used the 85-87 mph offering much, it will be helpful against lefties and could help the fastball play up.
Kolek has made six starts for the Royals since being acquired from the Padres, and has a Quality Start (at least 6 innings, with 3 or fewer runs) in each, with a 2.31 ERA in a Royals uniform.
May 6, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Patrick Corbin (46) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the second inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Blue Jays 0 Rays 3
I said in the thread: The thing I like about baseball, is the team can be going bad, the game can be going bad, but there are still just amazing plays to watch.
I have been a Jays fan pretty much since the first series. There have been a lot of bad games. When teams play 162 games a year, even in the best of years, there are a lot of bad games. I’ve always thought that if you can’t handle losses in baseball, this is the wrong sport for you. Even the best teams lose more games that+n football teams will lose in five years
And there were a number of nice plays:
Piñango made a nice catch in the first.
Clement and Sosa made a nice double ply in the third.
Okamoto had a very nice play on a ball right down the left field line.
Straw hit one off the top of the center field wall.
Patrick Corbin pitched quite well.
Nice to see Fisher have a good outing.
But it was a loss.
We had just four hits: Okamoto, Varsho, and Straw (2).
Vlad, Springer, Clement, Schneider and Heineman all look just lost at the plate at the moment
The defense wasn’t as sharp as it needs to be. Clement had a throwing error that ended up costing us a run (Vlad could have saved him the error by making a catch).
Jays of the Day? Well, I’ll give one to Varsho for the pinch hit (0.08 WPA) and it was a nice swing.
Other Award: Piñango (-0.16, he had a really tough time against the lefty Shane McClanahan), Clement (-0.11, plus the error) and Vlad (-0.10). But really, call the game in the starting lineup could get the ‘award’.
Tomorrow’s an off-day, and I can use it. Sometimes too much negative in the GameThread can get to me. As always, if I ask ‘stop’ please stop. Moderating is not all that much fun, it is the part of running this place that I hate.
Friday we start a series with the Angels in Toronto. It can’t possibly be as bad as this one was. Right? Tell me I’m right. We get Dylan Cease (2-1, 3.05) vs. Reid Detmers (1-2, 4.28).
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tejay Antone (70) throws a pitch in the sixth inning of a Cactus League game between the Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Ariz. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Cincinnati Reds are going bold in their attempts to address their diminished bullpen.
In the wake of last night’s hamstring injury to closer Emilio Pagan, they’re turning to veteran right-hander Tejay Antone to bolster their relief corps. C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic broke the news earlier on Wednesday, noting that Antone – who’s coming off his third Tommy John surgery – will be back in the big leagues 759 days since going under the knife the most recent time.
Sources: Reds are calling up RHP Tejay Antone, 759 days after his third surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament
Antone, 32, has revamped his pitching arsenal and is a much, much different pitcher than he was during his last stint in the big leagues. He used to touch 100 mph with his heater while sporting a ridiculous breaking pitch that earned him the nickname of ‘Captain Hook,’ but even the revamped arsenal has proved quite effective at the AAA level so far in 2026. To date, he’s appeared in 12 games and sports a 2.25 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and impressive 15/6 K/BB.
What remains to be seen is what the Reds did to open up a 40-man roster spot for Antone, since he was not on that roster. It could be Emilio Pagan heading straight to the 60-day IL, a move that would clearly signal the severity of his hamstring injury last night. It could be a DFA elsewhere, with catcher PJ Higgins a likely candidate if that’s the way they choose to go.
We’ll have to wait and see how manager Terry Francona chooses to stack his new bullpen with Antone now on the roster and Pagan, their closer, off of it, bt we’ll get that chance tonight in Wrigley Field as the Reds look to shake off back to back walk-off losses amid their 5-game skid.
Welcome back, Tejay!
UPDATE
It appears that moving Brandon Williamson to the 60-day IL is the move that opens up a 40-man roster spot. The Reds made that announcement on Wednesday afternoon, noting that Pierce Johnson has been recalled from the bereavement list and Chase Petty was optioned back to AAA Louisville.
Pagan was placed only on the 15-day IL, which is an encouraging development.
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 14: Yerry de los Santos #73 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium on April 14, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees officially optioned Elmer Rodríguez to Triple-A after his start in last night’s game against the Rangers, with Carlos Rodón set to rejoin the rotation in the next week. Since Rodón won’t need to be activated until his start, the Yankees promoted Yerry de Los Santos in the interim.
de Los Santos gives the Yankees an extra arm in the bullpen during this period in which they’ll carry four starters. It’ll be his second trip on the Scranton shuttle this year, having appeared in one game in mid-April, allowing one run in two innings. Though he’s been given the role of Triple-A depth this year, De Los Santos impressed with the big club in 2025, posting a 3.28 ERA in 35.2 innings. He might be ticketed for a short stay this time around, but he should have more chances throughout the year to prove himself at the highest level.
Rodríguez will return to Scranton after an uneven couple of outings in the majors. The 22-year-old right-hander flashed plenty of promise, showcasing a true five-pitch mix and sitting 95-96 mph on his fastballs. However, he also uncharacteristically struggled to find the zone, walking eight batters in 8.2 innings, forcing himself to work constantly with traffic on the base paths. It’s not quite the debut he was looking for, but it’s telling he was the Yankees’ first call when they needed a spot starter. Rodríguez clearly has a lot of promise, and this may not be the last we see of him this year.
Apr 14, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo (22) reacts after being called with a ball during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images
The Mariners have an opportunity to close up what’s been a fairly miserable homestand with a series win, but whereas Bryan Woo would previously feel like a lock to keep the Mariners in it, he’s coming off back-to-back starts where he’s, in his own words, gotten his “ass kicked.” He’ll try to rally back today against (gulp) the powerful Braves lineup.
Lineups:
Even though the Braves are sending a lefty to the mound today, there’s no Rob Refsnyder in this lineup, as the DH spot is occupied by Cal Raleigh. Refsnyder is apparently dealing with knee stiffness and the team wants to keep him out of the field.
News:
Former Braves owner Ted Turner passed away today, which will certainly be a storyline in today’s game. You can read a writeup on the influence Turner had on the Braves at our sister site Battery Power.
Injury updates:
See above note re: Rob Refsnyder.
In other news: F/OF Brendan Donovan went 1-for-3 with 1 doubles and 2 walks yesterday in the first game of his rehab assignment with Double-A Arkansas. OF Victor Robles played for Triple-A Tacoma in his second rehab start and made three plate appearances with a walk and a strikeout. INF Patrick Wisdom also appeared in yesterday’s game with Triple-A Tacoma on rehab and took two walks. RHP Bryce Miller will start for Everett tonight; in what will hopefully be his last rehab start, he should be cleared to go as deep as five innings and 75-80 pitches, depending on how the game goes.
Roster moves:
The Braves made a roster move today, selecting INF Jim Jarvis to the major league roster and designating OF José Azócar for assignment.
Game information:
Game time: 1:10 PT
TV: Mariners TV, with Aaron Goldsmith and Dave Valle, with Angie Mentink as field reporter
Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Rick Rizzs and Gary Hill Jr.
“I’m a little bored with the hyperbole over the first leg,” writes Jose Mou- Tim Smith. “It’s like regular football folk have lost the run of themselves. So, I predict a dull, cagey, 0-1 with a late goal. Of course, I’ll probably be proven wrong within five minutes of kick off.”
“Evening Rob,” begins Andy Gordon. “As Scott’s MBM last week gave us nine goals and all-time classic, if tonight doesn’t meet expectations do we email you with complaints/refund requests?”
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 01: George Kirby #68 of the Seattle Mariners reacts during the fourth inning against the New York Yankees at T-Mobile Park on April 01, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For much of his Mariner tenure, George Kirby has carried the moniker “Furious George,” a tongue-in-cheek nod to his angry mound persona (his other nickname is “Angry Cheddar”, bestowed by Bryce Miller) and a play on the classic children’s book series about a curious monkey. But the 2026 version of George Kirby is a different animal altogether.
“I want to be a workhorse,” said Kirby after last night’s start, where he turned in seven strong innings against a red-hot Atlanta lineup, giving up just two runs on some bad-luck hits, including a fluky double that rolled down the right-field line at 71 mph off the bat of Mauricio Dubón.
So far, Kirby has been as good as his word: Kirby hit 52 innings pitched last night, good for second in all of MLB behind Yankees ace Max Fried. The three MLB pitchers to have eclipsed 50 innings so far this season are Fried, Kirby, and Miami’s Sandy Alcantara.
Those three pitchers also have something else in common: elite ground ball rates. Both Fried and Alcantara ranked within the top 20 in baseball last year in ground ball rates. Kirby, however, is a newer member of this club. After last night’s start against the Braves, Kirby’s groundball rate is up to 57.6% – fourth-highest in baseball, and second in the AL behind Anaheim’s Jack Kochanowicz.
Last season, maybe in an attempt to chase some more strikeouts and limit hard contact, Kirby dialed down his four-seamer, which he’d gradually been backing off of – he went from throwing it 45% of the time in his debut season to a low of 29% in 2025. In its place, he used his sweeper more heavily, a pitch he threw under 10% of the time in 2022 but compromised 28% of his arsenal by 2025. That tweak had the effect of creating more whiffs for Kirby, but also cost him some of his elite command – pushing him towards a nearly pedestrian walk rate of 5.5%. But the bigger knock-on effect was it cost him some of his efficiency; even accounting for the injury that held him out for part of the season, Kirby only completed seven innings three times, compared to six in 2024 and 11 in 2023.
Kirby says he hasn’t made any tweaks to his arsenal and he’s not exactly sure where all the ground balls are coming from, but he was able to hazard a guess.
“I think that’s just kind of what happens when you try and get strike one,” he said. “You’re in the zone a lot throwing quality strikes. So, the more ground balls, the better. Helps me go deeper in games and eventually get the swing and miss when I need it…As a starter, I want to go as deep in the game as possible and give my team the best chance to win. So if it’s ground balls, great, strikeouts, awesome. If it’s a little bit of both, even better.”
“I’ve always felt like contact can be your friend sometimes,” said manager Dan Wilson. “I think [Kirby] understands…ground ball outs are just as important.”
Maybe the biggest change for Kirby has been mentally. He’s spoken extensively this year about shifting his perspective about having runners on base, trying to let go when a fluky base hit happens (like the Dubón double last night) and refocus on the task at hand, not getting too wrapped up in the results of a prior pitch, especially one he felt he executed well but got poor results on.
“That stuff just doesn’t matter anymore, in the moment. I’m doing a better job of bringing my awareness back to the batter and forgetting about what just happened…I’m trying to just stay in control as much as possible in those moments and try to be the best I can. Not do too much, just go out there and attack and things usually work out.”
It’s something he’s worked on extensively with Mariners mental skills coach Adam Bernero, who has helped Kirby understand how to channel the emotion he feels on the mound in more productive ways and learn to let go of emotions that don’t serve him. Anger can be a motivating force; it can also, in excess, be toxic.
“Maybe, as a reliever, you can go full caveman,” said Bernero. “As a starter, that’s hard. You have to pick your spots.”
“Emotion can be a funny thing,” said Dan Wilson. “Emotion can be a great motivator, but when you let the emotion last too long, it can become a negative drag.”
“Sometimes you need a little bit of extra something, emotion, to kind of get you going. But for the most part I think George has done a really nice job of staying focused, staying right where he needs to be. And that’s been a huge step forward for him, and one that’s really paid dividends for him in helping him get deeper…And I think he’s done a great job of it and has been able to move on from things. We’ve seen it in different situations, whether it was reversed calls or reversed challenges, whatever happened. He’s able to bounce back and keep going. And I think that shows real maturity.”
Crowds tend to get hyped up around strikeouts; it’s a little harder to get them humming about a routine 4-3 putout. Efficiency is not sexy to the average baseball fan. But it’s something Kirby is learning to embrace.
“I think that’s what you should want to go do when you get out there, just go as long as you can,” he said. “I think that’s what matters the most. Like, the strikeouts are cool, the crowd – whatever. But the longer you stay out there, you’re doing your job. You’re doing your job for the bullpen, for the guys behind you. So that’s my focus.”
So in taking this more long-term view, has he let go of some of the persona of “furious George”?
“Oh no, it’s still in there,” he said after his last home outing against Texas. “I walked two guys today, I’m not very happy about it. But I’m using it in a different way. Use the anger as a weapon instead of something that would hold me back the last couple years. Use it more as fuel. It’s been feeling a lot better. You just gather your breath, just take a couple fast, quick exhales, get yourself going, get your body right for the moment you’re in. The more I can use anger to my favor, the better.”
It’s hard to stay furious for long. Anger is literally exhausting: it spikes adrenaline and cortisol levels and stresses your cardiovascular system. While one can manage its spikes, it’s not a sustainable emotion for the hours it takes to pitch deep into a baseball game. Furious George will still make an occasional appearance, but he’s being replaced by Steady Hand George, the workhorse.
“He was very efficient yesterday,” said manager Dan Wilson. “Workhorses find a way to be efficient and find a way to get deep into the game, and that’s what George did yesterday.”
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 06: Tyler Glasnow #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches in the first inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on May 06, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tyler Glasnow left his start on Wednesday afternoon against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park after only one inning, with the Dodgers right-hander suffering lower back pain per an announcement from the team.
Glasnow was warming up for the second inning when he felt something, and was quickly joined on the mound by catcher Dalton Rushing, manager Dave Roberts, head athletic trainer Thomas Albert and the entire infield. After a bit of deliberation, Glasnow walked off the field and into the clubhouse.
Left-hander Jack Dreyer replaced Glasnow on the mound and pitched two scoreless innings to start a scramble of six pitchers who recorded the final 24 outs of Wednesday’s win.
Tyler Glasnow said he had a back spasm while warming up in the second. Something he said he typically deals with a couple times a year
He’s hopeful it’s “not too serious” — but said he’ll need to see how it feels over next couple days to know if he’ll be ready for next start
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 05: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after hitting a solo home run during the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 05, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves will look to improve to 6-0 in rubber matches and stay unbeaten in series with Wednesday afternoon’s 4:10 p.m. EDT series finale against the Seattle Mariners.
Martín Pérez will be tasked with making another start after he wasn’t used in the bullpen Tuesday night. Jim Jarvis, called up this morning, will make his major league debut at shortstop to give Jorge Mateo a day off.
Let’s baseball one more time before a high-stakes series this weekend against the Dodgers.
