In a lacklustre game against the Vegas Golden Knights that saw the Vancouver Canucks put up only 11 shots on goal, only one line was able to find the back of the net: that of Max Sasson, Teddy Blueger, and Linus Karlsson.
The trio has presented themselves well in the past few games, having found some offensive chemistry a little while after first being put together on March 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes. They were broken apart for a short period of time at the end of March but were reunited in Vancouver’s 8–6 rout of the Colorado Avalanche on April 1. It was a speedy dash by Sasson and Blueger that helped the Canucks break the ice during this game. Sasson’s Tuesday night goal reflected the same kind of speed and hard forecheck that this line has produced since then.
But what has made this group so noticeable as of late?
“They work together. They play the system, they forecheck as one. Really disciplined, and they’re able to generate a lot of more offensive zone time, and they play in heavy structure. They work well together. They’re a very predictable and dependable line,” Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote said of the Sasson – Blueger – Karlsson line after the team’s 2–1 loss to Vegas on Tuesday.
Sasson’s goal on Tuesday night marked the sixth Canucks goal scored with this line factoring into the play, with five of these goals being scored directly from members of the line themselves. Four of these goals were produced with this trio breaking into the O-zone.
According to Sasson, this has been a point of practice for this group.
“We work on 3-on-2 rushes daily, so I know exactly how Teddy likes to move it and when,” he said, speaking on his goal after Tuesday’s loss to Vegas.
There’s a reason why the recipe has been able to produce as of late, according to the players involved. For Blueger, that comes from his wingers’ abilities to forecheck hard and put some pressure on the opposition.
“I’ve enjoyed playing with them a lot. They work extremely hard, they compete, they battle, so they’re easy to play with. I’ve enjoyed it a lot. They want to do well. They want to succeed. It’s honestly super enjoyable to play with guys like that, and we’re on the same page, as far as what we need to do to be successful, and they’re easy to talk to. Communication is good, so we’re learning from each other.”
Apr 7, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Teddy Blueger (53) and forward Linus Karlsson (94) and forward Max Sasson (63) celebrate Sasson’s goal against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
“He’s solid. He’s so good defensively, he plays a simple game. That’s what I like — where the puck goes and you can read after that, and [he’s] a great leader. I really enjoy playing with him. He’s a great guy, and I just love to play with him for sure,” Karlsson added of having Blueger as a centre.
Pair two no-quit wingers with a defensively responsible centre in Blueger, and just like that, you’ve got a line that has earned not only their coach’s trust, but also the highest minutes as a line on their team. While Tuesday against Vegas was technically a ‘down’ night for them, Sasson, Blueger, and Karlsson still played 8:28 minutes together. This was the first time since their reunion on April 1 that the trio did not lead Vancouver in 5-on-5 minutes played by a line, as they held the team leads in their games against the Utah Mammoth (9:37), Minnesota Wild (10:51), and Avalanche (11:01).
With this trio, like Foote says, you know what you’re going to get. Hard workers, solid defence, and energetic forechecking. The recent push in offence doesn’t hurt, either.
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Julián Alvarez’s fine free-kick against 10-man Barça sparked Diego Simeone’s first managerial win at Camp Nou
“Diego Simeone has never won at Camp Nou,” says Karen Carney, alongside Cole on pundit duty. And there you have it. No time like the present, that’s what I say.
“It’s beauty and the beast,” says Joe Cole on TNT Sports of the contest that awaits. We know what Atlético are going to do tonight, they’ll “bank in”, make it nasty, they’ll be aggressive, and there’ll be all sorts of shenenigans going on.”
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s delightful goal was the highlight of a dominant performance from the European champions
“I am beset by dread,” writes Joe Pearson, “and not in the ‘I am the law’ kind of way. Although admittedly PSG are giving off ‘You’re next, punk!’ vibes. IYKYK.”
While Arsenal were busy Arsenaling their way to a worthy but dull Bigger Cup quarter-final first leg win at Sporting on Tuesday, the players of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich released the collective handbrake and performed many high-speed donuts, wheel spins and Rockfords as a pleasing counterpoint to the careful mirror-signal-manoeuvring on display at Lisbon’s Estádio José Alvalade.
Like a couple of stolen supercars racing each other around a shopping mall in The Fast and the Furious: Bicester Village, these two European heavyweights massively committed to the bit, not unlike a daily football email bogged down in a laboured motoring metaphor.
This will be the first chance for the Penguins to clinch their spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which are set to begin on Apr. 18. Any type of win gets the Penguins in the playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
All healthy players were present and accounted for at practice, including Anthony Mantha and Stuart Skinner. Mantha missed Tuesday's optional practice due to illness. Skinner looked good during Wednesday's session after a puck hit near his eye during Saturday's game against the Florida Panthers. The injury forced him to miss Sunday's second half of the back-to-back against Florida.
Sergei Murashov was also present at practice after he was officially recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Tuesday. He got some work, but Skinner and Arturs Silovs took most of the reps during drills.
Head coach Dan Muse told reporters after practice that all three goaltenders will travel to Newark for Thursday's game.
Here's what the full lines looked like:
Forwards
Chinakhov-Crosby-Rust
Novak-Rakell-Malkin
Mantha-Kindel-Brazeau
Soderblom-Dewar-Acciari
Defensive pairs
Wotherspoon-Karlsson
Girard-Letang
Shea-Clifton
Dallas Stars center Justin Hryckowian (49) moves the puck behind the Penguins net as Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea (5) defends during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Ryan Shea, who has enjoyed a career season this year, knows that the Penguins have the opportunity to clinch a playoff spot on Thursday and is super fired up about it.
"I think we've had jump in every game since the East playoffs standings have been so tight. You have to have jump at this time of year," Shea said after practice. "You're fighting to get into probably the best playoffs in all of sports, and obviously, I haven't been in the playoffs yet, but just watching growing up as a little kid, and then now you're here, you're so close that I think it's just everyone's giving it their all."
"The motivation is at an all-time high, but also the confidence is at a high. We're not playing with, I guess you can call it, stupid motivation. We're playing with confidence, and we're playing in our structure. I think everything will take care of itself. Obviously, we know that another two points will clinch it, and we're going into a building that's tough to play in. They (the Devils) obviously have high-end skill, but if we play like we've been playing, then I think our work ethic will overcome their skill."
Avery Hayes, who's been up and down between the Penguins and WBS for the last couple of months, is also excited about the opportunity.
"Yeah, it's amazing," Hayes said. "That's the goal, right? You want to play playoff hockey, every team, you gotta get there just to get into the dance, and you never know what's going to happen. To be that close and kinda taste it, it's a great feeling."
The Penguins will face a Devils team that was eliminated from playoff contention on Tuesday night following their 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. It came one day after the Devils parted ways with general manager Tom Fitzgerald.
Even though the Devils aren't playing for anything on Thursday, this is still a team that can hurt the Penguins. Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt have been fantastic as of late and can impact the game each time they're on the ice. The Penguins have also really struggled in Newark over the years.
A win and a regulation loss by the Flyers on Thursday would also clinch home ice for the Penguins in the first round. They'd have second place in the Metropolitan Division all locked up.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 7: Benches clear as pitcher Reynaldo López #40 of the Atlanta Braves and right fielder Jorge Soler #12 of the Los Angeles Angels fight on the field during the fifth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 7, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The verdict is out for Los Angeles Angels’ Jorge Soler and Atlanta Braves’ Reynald López. Per Jeff Passan, both players will be receiving a seven-game suspension following last night’s viral altercation.
Los Angeles Angels DH Jorge Soler and Atlanta pitcher Reynaldo López have been suspended seven games for the big brawl in Anaheim last night in which Soler charged the mound and López punched him while holding a baseball in his hand.. Both are appealing.
It was the bottom of the fifth inning, where everything took place. López threw a pitch high and tight off the backstop, which Soler didn’t appreciate after previously being hit by a pitch in his second at-bat. Once he charged the mound after what looked to be words exchanged between him and López, hands were thrown, and though punches from both sides didn’t connect, there was footage of López using the ball he kept in his hand as his weapon of choice. It ended with a tackle from Braves manager Walt Weiss to Soler…well, until the bullpen ran out to get the last of the action…
This punishment would also include an undisclosed fine following their actions, starting today.
Keep in mind, however, that this is the initial status before the appeals are reviewed.
Hey, on the bright side…at least Weiss got away scot-free.
They can take a step toward that on Wednesday, April 8. If the Sabres (102 points) pick up at least a point against the New York Rangers, they will break their three-way tie with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens.
But if they lose in regulation, they will drop to third place in the division based on points percentage.
The same thing applies in the Pacific Division. The Edmonton Oilers are tied with the Vegas Golden Knights at 88 points and hold the tiebreaker edge. They can lead outright by gaining at least a point against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. If they lose in regulation, they will fall to second in the division.
The Sharks need the win because they trail the Nashville Predators by three points in the race for the second wild-card spot in the West. Wednesday will be one of their two games in hand.
Here's what to know about the NHL standings, including the latest playoff bracket and the tiebreaker procedures for the 2025-26 season:
Eastern Conference: Carolina, Tampa Bay, Buffalo, Montreal
Western Conference: Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota
Who can clinch an NHL playoff berth today?
No team can clinch a playoff berth today.
Today's NHL games (Wednesday, April 8)
Buffalo at N.Y. Rangers, 7, TNT
Washington at Toronto, 7
Edmonton at San Jose, 10, TNT
NHL playoff standings
NHL Eastern Conference standings 2025-26
After April 7 games. x-clinched playoff spot. y-clinched division. z-eliminated.
Metropolitan Division
y-Carolina Hurricanes (106)
Pittsburgh Penguins (96)
Philadelphia Flyers (92)
Atlantic Division
x-Tampa Bay Lightning (102)
x-Buffalo Sabres (102)
x-Montreal Canadiens (102)
Wild card
Boston Bruins (96)
Ottawa Senators (92)
Sitting out of playoff position: Columbus Blue Jackets (90), Detroit Red Wings (89), New York Islanders (89), Washington Capitals (87), z-New Jersey Devils (83), z-Toronto Maple Leafs (78), z-Florida Panthers (77), z-New York Rangers (75)
NHL Western Conference standings 2025-26
After April 7 games. x-clinched playoff spot. y-clinched division. z-eliminated.
Central Division
y-Colorado Avalanche (112)
x-Dallas Stars (104)
x-Minnesota Wild (102)
Pacific Division
Edmonton Oilers (88)
Vegas Golden Knights (88)
Anaheim Ducks (87)
Wild card
Utah Mammoth (88)
Nashville Predators (84)
Sitting out of playoff position: Los Angeles Kings (83), San Jose Sharks (81), Winnipeg Jets (80), St. Louis Blues (78), Seattle Kraken (75), z-Calgary Flames (73), z-Chicago Blackhawks (70), z-Vancouver Canucks (52)
NHL playoffs if they started today
NHL Eastern Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Eastern Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on April 7:
Carolina (M1) vs. Ottawa (WC2)
Pittsburgh (M2) vs. Philadelphia (M3)
Tampa Bay (A1) vs. Boston (WC1)
Buffalo (A2) vs. Montreal (A3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: M - Metropolitan Division. A - Atlantic Division. WC - wild card
NHL Western Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Western Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on April 7.
Colorado (C1) vs. Nashville (WC2)
Dallas (C2) vs. Minnesota (C3)
Edmonton (P1) vs. Utah (WC1)
Vegas (P2) vs. Anaheim (P3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: C - Central Division P - Pacific Division. WC - wild card
NHL tiebreakers: What is the first tiebreaker in NHL standings?
If two teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, here are the tiebreakers:
Regulation wins
Regulation and overtime wins (ROW)
Total wins
Most points earned in head-to-head competition: If teams had an uneven number of meetings, the first game played in the city that has the extra game is excluded. When more than two clubs are tied, the percentage of available points earned in games among each other (and not including any odd games) shall be used to determine standings.
Goal differential
Total goals
When does the NHL regular season end?
The NHL regular season is scheduled to end on Thursday, April 16, with six games.
When do the NHL playoffs start?
The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs are scheduled to begin on April 18.
ROCHESTER, NY - APRIL 04: Providence Bruins forward James Hagens (12) skates during warm ups prior to the AHLD game between the Providence Bruins and Rochester Americans on April 4, 2026, at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, NY. (Photo by Jerome Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After a short stint in Providence where he got to show what he could do against professionals, the Bruins announced on Wednesday afternoon that they’ve signed James Hagens to his entry-level contract (ELC).
The three-year ELC begins with the current (2025-2026) season and carries a cap hit of $975,000 at the NHL level.
With his amateur tryout now over and his ELC signed, Hagens is free to join the B’s at the NHL level, should they determine there’s a spot for him on the NHL roster.
That part is likely a formality, as the Bruins probably wouldn’t bother having him sign a contract if they didn’t intend to get him some game time at the NHL level.
It’s worth remembering that the 23-man roster limit is lifted after the trade deadline, so the Bruins don’t technically have to send anyone down to make space for Hagens.
However, they do still need to be cap compliant, so it’s possible that there’s a corresponding move coming. That will likely come down to the extremely detailed, daily salary cap number crunching that I won’t pretend to understand.
Hagens ended up playing six games with the Providence Bruins, recording a goal and three assists for four points.
The stretch beginning today always seemed like the most likely time for the B’s to pull the trigger on this move, as Hagens would (in theory) have two full days of practice with the NHL team prior to Saturday’s game against the Lightning.
In addition, while a playoff spot isn’t officially locked up, the B’s do have a little margin for error in the standings that might make them more willing to throw a rookie into the mix.
With the offense stagnating in recent games (though things went OK in Carolina last night), it makes sense to see if Hagens can provide a bit of a spark, whether it’s with playmaking abilities, skating, or whatever else.
The Bruins will practice at Warrior Arena at 11 AM on Thursday morning; presumably, Hagens will be there.
Marco Sturm will address the media after practice, so we’ll likely get some more details on the team’s immediate plans for Hagens at that time.
England’s Jos Buttler struck form with a fluent 52 to help Gujarat Titans to their first win of the 2026 IPL as they beat Delhi Capitals in a last-ball thriller on Wednesday with David Miller falling just short of guiding his new side home.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler and Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo López each received seven-game suspensions from Major League Baseball on Wednesday after they were ejected following their participation in a brawl Tuesday night.
Michael Hill, MLB’s senior vice president for on-field operations, also announced the players received undisclosed fines. The suspensions were scheduled to begin with Wednesday’s game but will be on hold as each player is appealing.
Soler homered off López in the first inning of Tuesday night’s game. In his next at-bat, Soler was hit by a 96 mph fastball from López. In the fifth, Soler charged the mound after López threw a high-and-inside wild pitch that tipped off catcher Jonah Heim’s mitt.
As Soler began walking toward the mound, López held up his hands as the two glared at each other before both started throwing punches.
The right-handed López held the baseball in his right hand as he used it to throw a punch at Soler.
Players and coaches stormed out of the dugouts and bullpens and Braves manager Walt Weiss tackled Soler, the 2021 World Series MVP with Atlanta.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 08: Cole Ragans #55 of the Kansas City Royals exits the game after being injured during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on April 08, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a rough start to the game today in Cleveland. Cole Ragans took the hill in the bottom of the first and started out by striking out Kwan and Martinez. It was looking like he might be dominant, which the Royals could have used going for the series win. Then Jose Ramirez singled off of Ragans, literally.
The come-backer hit Cole in his pitching hand, but he was determined to stay in. That lasted only two batters. David Fry walked on four pitched and then Chase DeLauter hit a 2-RBI double, at which point Ragans was pulled and in came Luinder Avila. Avila allowed DeLauter in, so Cole was charged with 3 runs in just 2/3 of an inning for the start. An already taxed Kansas City bullpen then had to piece together the rest of the game.
Avila did a reasonable job getting through 3 innings, but too many baserunners and too many pitches meant he only got through 3 innings and gave up another run, so the Royals ended up down four to nothing. It was not a good performance, though I am giving him bonus points for warming quickly and coming in well before he was expecting to on the day. The offense started to battle back in the 4th when Bobby Witt Jr. ended the longest stretch of his career without an extra base hit with an RBI double.
Alex Lange was next out of the pen and went 2 1/3 innings to get the team through the 6th. He gave up another run, but Starling Marte also added another run with a double that scored Lane Thomas in the 5th. The run was ruled unearned since the Kwan mishandled the ball off of the wall for an error. Joey Cantillo came one strike away from getting through 6 innings for Cleveland. He had quite a start at 5 2/3 innings, 3 hits, 2 walks, 1 ER, and 9 strike outs. For the second game in a row, the Royals had some issues with striking out. Yesterday, KC struck out 14 times and followed it up with 14 again today.
It seemed like the Royals had a chance to rally at that point as Steven Cruz came in and got through a clean 7th. Unfortunately, the 8th went about as poorly as could have for Cruz. It went single, single, RBI single, walk, grand slam, and strikeout. Five runs was enough that Tyler Tolbert came in and gave up a single then got a double play.
That was a tough end to a disappointing series that sees the Royals fall to 5-7 on the season. Up next is four games at home against a bad White Sox team. Hopefully they can use that to get back on track.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 22: Jesus Rodriguez #55 of the Sacramento River Cats bats against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning of an exhibition game at Sutter Health Park on March 22, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I don’t know about you, but I sure am happy that Minor League Baseball is back. It’s probably easier to be excited about the Minors since the San Francisco Giants aren’t worth being excited about, but it’s also just great having so much baseball around, and optimism in the air.
All four of the Giants A-ball affiliates started a new series on Tuesday night, so let’s dive into the exciting action. Spoiler alert: they all won!
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
AAA Sacramento (5-3)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Las Vegas Aviators (A’s) 5-3 Box score
In case you missed the Major League news, catcher Daniel Susac (No. 20 CPL) is apparently the best hitter in baseball. He’s 6-7 with a triple and a walk to start his career!
That will probably calm down at some point, but if it doesn’t — and especially if San Francisco’s offense keeps struggling — then the Giants will look for ways to get his bat in the lineup more. But it’s hard to do that, because there are only a pair of ways to get Susac more at-bats: start him at catcher more often, or play him at DH. The former means regularly benching the best defensive baseball player on the planet, and the latter is a very risky move with a backup catcher.
One potential solution down the road? Add catcher Jesús Rodríguez (No. 16 CPL) to the Major League roster.
Rodríguez was the favorite to win the backup catcher position before the Giants acquired Susac in the Rule 5 Draft, and the dude can absolutely hit. After a slow start to the year, the righty has been turning it on lately, and had his best game of the season on Tuesday, when he hit 2-4 with a home run, 3 runs batted in, and a walk.
That’s a mighty impressive swing for someone who isn’t associated with a lot of power!
If Susac and Rodríguez play as well as the Giants expect them to, then the team will have a very good problem on their hands. It helps that Rodríguez can also competently play the non-shortstop infield positions, and can even fake it in the corners of the outfield. And it helps that he has 2 option years remaining, and that Susac will have 3 if he can make it through this year on the roster.
That’s putting the cart ahead of the horse, but the Giants are very high on Rodríguez, who is already on the 40-man roster and who still has a few weeks left of being a 23-year old. If he has more days like this, the team will start looking for ways to get him an MLB debut.
Speaking of contact hitters acquired in deadline deals whom the team is high on, second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL) also had himself a day, hitting 1-3 with a home run and a walk.
Get used to the hits and get used to the walks, as Furman will rack up both of them in huge quantities. The home runs? Probably don’t need to get used to those, but they’re fun when they arrive.
Furman impressed at his first Spring Training this year, and the 24-year old, who was a 4th-round pick by the Guardians in 2022, got an opening assignment in AAA despite just 22 career games in AA due to injuries. So far he’s making the Giants look very smart there, with a .989 OPS and a 191 wRC+ in 10 games with Sacramento. That’ll play!
In less happy news, it was a rough day at the office for first baseman Bryce Eldridge (No. 1 CPL), who went 0-4 with a strikeout hat trick. Fans have been clamoring for the Giants to call up Eldridge to save the offense and, well, that talk requires a few chill pills.
It’s pretty clear that the Giants optioned Eldridge with the intention of having him work on his swing-and-miss struggles, and it’s equally clear that there’s still work to be done. Eldridge is up to a 33.3% strikeout rate which, for context, is 9th-highest out of 78 qualified PCL hitters. And while some of that is coming from a slightly passive approach — which has also led to a sky-high 18.8% walk rate — much of it is due to having some exploitable zones.
I’m not sure whether this is the good news or the bad news, but Eldridge has been doing a good job staying in the zone this year, and just is missing hittable pitches (though that passivity is also showing, as he’s 25th percentile in zone swing rate). His chase rate is in the 75th percentile in AAA this year, which is great … but it makes his 9th-percentile whiff rate a little terrifying. His in-zone contact rate is just 19th percentile, while his swinging strike rate is 32nd percentile.
I would stop short of calling any of that concerning — it’s only 10 games — but it certainly paints a picture of a prospect who has a lot of development to do before making the Majors, which isn’t a knock for a 21-year old. Hopefully it all comes together for Eldridge, as the combination of passivity and lack of contact has also brought down his good underlying metrics: he’s just 33rd percentile in average exit velocity and 54th percentile in maximum exit velocity, while still searching for his 1st home run of the season.
The other 40-man hitters: left fielder Drew Gilbert hit 2-4 with a walk, raising his OPS to .824 and his wRC+ to 141; right fielder Will Brennan hit 1-4 with a double, putting his OPS at .861 and his wRC+ at 125; and center fielder Grant McCray went 0-3 with a walk, a strikeout, and his 1st stolen base of the year, and now has a .639 OPS and a 90 wRC+.
There was great news on the pitching front: RHP Joel Peguero (No. 27 CPL) made a rehab appearance. Peguero, who was a Minor League journeyman before making his MLB debut last season, figures to play a key role in the bullpen this year, though it may or may not be as soon as he’s back into game shape and in a rhythm. The Giants could certainly use his 100-mph heat out of the bullpen though, and on Tuesday he looked the part, pitching a perfect 6th inning with 2 strikeouts. A very welcome sight.
Speaking of people who will help the bullpen this year, RHP Spencer Bivens had a quality outing as well, tossing 2 scoreless innings while giving up 2 hits (both singles), and striking out 1. He’ll certainly be back in the bigs at some point; he perhaps doesn’t have the nastiness or the upside of the players currently in San Francisco, but he’s a very trustworthy bit of bullpen depth.
While the bullpen shined (that pair, plus RHPs Braxton Roxby and Michael Fulmer combined for 4.1 shutout innings), it was a tough start for LHP John Michael Bertrand, who struggled with command. Bertrand allowed 4 hits (including a home run) in 4.2 innings, but more concerning was the 4 walks he issued, against just 1 strikeout. All of that combined for a 3-run outing, which raised his ERA to 5.40 and his FIP to 6.34 through a pair of starts. The funky southpaw, who recently turned 28, will never be a big strikeout guy, but he gets enough ground balls that, if he can keep the walks in check, he could provide value at the next level in some capacity.
Richmond kept their strong start to the season going, though it was a fairly uninteresting game for the air-bound rodents. The offense only had 6 hits on the game, but half of them belonged to second baseman Dayson Croes, who hit 3-4 with a double and a strikeout. That was the only extra-base hit of the game for Richmond.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 8, 2026
Croes, who has a 1.055 OPS and a 183 wRC+ through 4 games, was one of the more fun stories on the farm last year. The left-hander from Aruba was signed last year — as a 25-year old — out of indy ball, which is something the Giants have been doing a fair amount of lately. The Giants moved him quickly from the Complex League to High-A, to AA, and finally to AAA, and he hit very well at every stop. Despite an .882 OPS and a 137 wRC+ in 14 games with Sacramento, the Giants opted to have the now-26 year old begin the year back in Richmond.
The reasoning there is probably as simple as wanting to prioritize AAA at-bats for fellow second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL), and honestly, they’re very similar players. Both make a ton of contact (Croes had a .300 average last year, and just a 15.1% strikeout rate), but don’t have a lot of power (Croes had 3 home runs in 90 games), and have suspect defense at second base. Really, it’s a similar profile in AA, AAA, and the Majors for the Giants at second!
While Croes had the best game, the best news was that center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) made his season debut. Davidson missed the first series of the year while on paternity leave (congrats!) but returned on Tuesday, and fit right in, hitting 1-3 with a walk. He’s one of the most must-watch prospects in the farm this year … not just because he’s one of the organization’s top prospects, but because he held his own in a 42-game sample in Richmond last year … meaning he could be promoted to AAA fairly early if he plays well.
Right fielder Jonah Cox only hit 1-3 with a strikeout, but my goodness did he make an impact on the other side of the ball, with an A+ Jo Adell impression.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 8, 2026
The pitching featured piggy-backing starters, and the player who actually started was the star on that front. LHP Cesar Perdomo, a recently-turned 24-year old from Venezuela, made his AA debut and it went quite well, as he gave up just 4 hits and 0 walks in 3.2 innings, while striking out 4 batters. Perdomo allowed just 1 run, and it was unearned following a passed ball by catcher Adrián Sugastey.
Perdomo has always had good control, and last year walked just 2.7 batters per 9 innings in High-A, so it’s great to see that carrying with him up a level. He threw 48 of his 66 pitches for strikes.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 8, 2026
The other “starter” was RHP Darien Smith, who pitched innings 5-8. Smith, a 26-year old who signed as an undrafted free agent in 2024 and made his debut in 2025, wasn’t quite as clean as Perdomo in his introduction to AA. He only gave up 2 hits in 4 innings, but 1 of those hits was a home run, and he walked 3 batters with just 2 strikeouts. Still, he did a good job limiting damage, as that solo home run was the only run he allowed.
High-A Eugene (4-0)
Eugene Emeralds beat the Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays) 4-3 Box score
Eugene’s perfect season continued. 4 games, 4 wins! They’re basically the Daniel Susac of Minor League Baseball teams.
The Emeralds are a sneaky-fun team this year, in part because their roster is full of so many players given exciting new challenges, and we’ll get to see how they do there. One such player is left fielder Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL).
Gutierrez’s opening assignment in High-A is not surprising, given the way that he thoroughly dominated Low-A pitchers en route to an .896 OPS and a 150 wRC+ last year. But injuries have slowed the lefty hitter’s career to this point, including ending his 2025 campaign early. In all, he played just 22 games in the Dominican Summer League, 3 games in the Arizona Complex League, and 60 games in the Cal League. He’s raked every stop along the way, but that still makes it quite a challenge to move up to a higher-level for the 21-year old from Mexico.
Challenge accepted, apparently. Gutierrez’s 3rd game at the level was his best, as he hit 1-3 with a home run, a walk, and a strikeout. Gutierrez, who is far from the largest player on the field, is never going to be a big power guy — that was just the 4th home run in his MiLB career — but he can do damage in a wide variety of ways. I’m excited to watch him this year.
FIRST High-A HR ✅
Carlos Gutierrez hit a solo shot sent a high fastball over the fence in LF to give the Ems a 3-0 lead last night.
Speaking of exciting players with exciting opening assignments, shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) is in High-A this year, despite just 10 highly subpar games in Low-A after getting drafted in the 1st round a year ago. And if you’re wondering if he actually belongs at this level, let me give you 2 different things to think about:
Thing the first: He hit 2-5 in this game Thing the second: That was the worst of his 4 games
Yes, Kilen has been outrageous to start his Eugene tenure. The lefty, who also struck out, is now 8-16 with 2 home runs, 2 doubles, 3 walks, and just 2 strikeouts to start the year. He’s always had the feel of a player who could move quickly if things click and … well … perhaps things are clicking.
Kilen was the team’s 1st draft pick in 2025, and their 2nd, right fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) also has joined him in High-A. Cohen, a left-handed hitter taken in the 3rd round, has some outrageous contact skills, though we haven’t gotten to see those on display yet in the Northwest League. We have, however, seen how he can impact the game in other ways, such as on Tuesday when he was held hitless in 3 at-bats, but drew 2 walks and stole 2 bases. Through 32 career games, Cohen has now drawn 24 walks (with just 17 strikeouts) and stolen 11 bases. That’s a fun player, especially if he can provide above-average outfield defense and/or play center field, both of which seem possible.
There were some bad days to get to, unfortunately. Center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) is struggling with the adjustment to High-A pitching, as he went 0-4 and struck out 3 times. Jordan has the best power/speed combo of any Giants prospect, but fell to the 4th round in 2024 due to a huge strikeout issue. He did an incredible job starting to get that in check in Low-A last year, but so far has struck out 11 times in 18 plate appearances in High-A. Hopefully it’s just an adjustment period.
Speaking of strikeouts, catcher Diego Cartaya went 0-3 with 3 strikeouts and a walk. The Giants are smartly moving Cartaya — who has a lot of experience in AAA — down to a low level as they attempt to reset the former prized jewel of the Dodgers’ system. But so far it’s been ugly, as he’s 0-11 with 8 strikeouts to start the season. And third baseman Walker Martin, who has put up some big numbers early in the year, went 0-3 with a walk and a strikeout, and committed his 3rd error in as many games.
On the mound, LHP Charlie McDaniel made his season debut, and it went well. An undrafted free agent, McDaniel did well in his inaugural season a year ago, with strong numbers in Low-A, but those numbers fell apart in High-A. He’s back in Eugene to attempt to conquer the level, and so far, so good. In 3 shutout innings, the southpaw gave up just 1 hit and 1 walk, while striking out 2 batters. He didn’t have the best command, as he threw 29 of 45 pitches for strikes, but still a very nice start to the season.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for RHP Cade Vernon, the team’s 10th-round pick in 2024. The Murray State product had a rough High-A debut over the weekend, and followed it up with a brutal outing on Tuesday, ceding 2 hits, 4 walks, and 2 earned runs in just 1.2 innings out of the bullpen. It’s been a rude introduction to the Northwest League for Vernon, who has now allowed 9 baserunners and 4 earned runs in 3.1 innings.
Low-A San Jose (3-1)
San Jose Giants beat the Visalia Rawhide (D-Backs) 11-9 Box score
There were a lot of great days for the Baby Giants, but the night belonged to center fielder Andy Polanco, who had a phenomenal game. Polanco was perfect in this outing, hitting 4-4 while smacking a triple and stealing a base. A day to remember!
Speedster Andy Polanco with his first big game of the season for the San Jose Giants, going 4-4 and stealing a base. He's done well in center field so far, and there could be strength gains as he gets older. pic.twitter.com/uAUq1JCG4T
— Giant Prospective (@giantprospectiv) April 8, 2026
Polanco has flown under the radar after being an 11th-round pick out of high school in 2024. But the right-handed hitter, who turns 21 in a few weeks, has some pretty exciting skills, especially with his legs. He spent his entire debut season in 2025 at the Complex League, where he showed a strong ability to handle center field, while also stealing 22 bags in 25 attempts in just 47 games.
So far he’s he followed that up well in Low-A, with 3 stolen bases in as many attempts and games, and strong defense as well. It doesn’t hurt that, after posting an 85 wRC+ in Arizona, he has a 240 wRC+ in San Jose … but, something something sample size.
There were 4 other hitters who shined, and if you’ve been reading these Minor League roundups, you’ll probably know exactly who those 4 are. The Nos. 1-4 hitters in San Jose’s Tuesday lineup were the 4 hitters who starred in their opening series, and all 4 starred in this series opener. They’re carrying the team!
At the top of the lineup was the shining gem of San Jose’s roster, shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL), who had his 3rd multi-hit game of the 4-game season, going 2-5 with a double, a stolen base, and 3 runs batted in. Level had a breakout 2025 and he is on his way to another breakout campaign, as he’s started the year hitting 9-18 with 3 extra-base hits, 2 walks, and 3 stolen bases, for a 245 wRC+.
It’s too early to wonder how long he stays in San Jose if he keeps hitting like this, but then again … the just-turned 19-year old switch-hitter sits near the very top of the prospect rankings for a good reason.
Hitting 2nd in the order was Level’s double play partner, second baseman Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL), who hit 3-5 with a double. Meola, a right-handed hitter who was the team’s 4th-round pick in July, is known for his glove more than his bat, but he’s quickly trying to change that … and not by doing anything bad with his glove. After a solid 16-game debut last year, Meola has started his 1st full season by hitting a casual 7-17 with 4 doubles, 2 walks, and just 1 strikeout, which has resulted in a 171 wRC+.
Lorenzo Meola with a double off the wall, and the Giants take the lead back in the 6th! pic.twitter.com/LJPY67T9E7
Then came the beef of the order: batting 3rd was catcher Junior Barajas, who continued his stellar debut season by hitting 1-4 with a double, a hit by pitch, and a strikeout. The 11th-round pick last year got a lot of hype in his 1st offseason, and so far he’s making it look justified, by hitting 6-15 with 4 doubles, a 215 wRC+, and strong defense behind the dish.
And in the cleanup spot was someone hoping to become the next great undrafted success story in the organization, first baseman Hayden Jatczak, who hit 2-5 with a double and 2 strikeouts. Jatczak is on the older side for a Low-A hitter — he turns 25 in August — but it’s hard to argue with 6-13 with 4 extra-base hits, 7 walks, and a 284 wRC+ through 4 career games. Talk about an introduction!
It was not a good pitching game for San Jose. 3 of their 5 pitchers gave up not just runs, but multiple runs, while the other 2 were shaky in scoreless outings. It began with one of the most high-profile pitchers in the system, RHP Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL). Martinez was one of the breakout stars of 2025, and he has some truly nasty stuff. Some of it was on display Tuesday, as he struck out 4 batters in just 3 innings.
But he also gave up 4 hits, which included a home run and a triple, while walking 2 and ceding 3 runs. Martinez, a 21-year old who was signed out of Venezuela 3 years ago, really shined in his short time with San Jose last year, following a late-season promotion. In 6 games, he posted a 2.86 ERA and a 3.96 FIP, so it’s safe to assume that his season debut was something of an outlier.
LHP Ricardo Estrada and RHP Fernando Vasquez both got rocked fairly hard, while RHP Ubert Mejias pitched 2.1 no-hit innings with 2 strikeouts, but also walked 2 batters.
Ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline, the Chicago Blackhawks traded Colton Dach and Jason Dickinson to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Andrew Mangiapane and a 2027 conditional first-round pick.
While Dickinson was the main piece in this trade for the Oilers, Dach has the potential to be a solid player for them. He undoubtedly demonstrated that during the Oilers' most recent contest against the Utah Mammoth.
After missing a month of action due to injury, Dach had a strong return to the lineup for the Oilers against Utah. At the 2:09 mark of the third period, Dach scored his first goal as an Oiler, and it was a nice one. After having his one-timer stopped by Karel Vejmelka, Dach picked up the rebound and beat the Utah goaltender with a great snapshot.
This goal gave the Oilers a 5-4 lead over the Mammoth, but Utah ended up winning the contest in overtime. While the Oilers lost, this was certainly a good moment for Dach. This is especially so when noting that he is looking to cement himself as a regular in Edmonton's lineup.
In four games with the Oilers since the trade, Dach now has one goal, one assist, and 11 hits. This is after the former Blackhawks forward has three goals, nine points, and 189 hits in 53 games this season with Chicago before the trade.
The NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs are not far away, with the first series set to begin on Saturday, April 18.
The league is on track for the biggest postseason turnover in history, with the potential for half the field — eight of the 16 spots — to be teams that did not qualify a year ago. There will be a new champion and no three-peat after the Florida Panthers were derailed by injuries following three consecutive trips to the final.
The regular season runs through Thursday, April 16, a day after Eastern Conference teams wrap up.
Who's in the playoffs
WEST: Central Division rivals Colorado, Dallas and Minnesota are in, with the top-seeded Avalanche on track to win the Presidents' Trophy and ensure home ice throughout the playoffs. Five spots remain open.
The top three teams in each of the four divisions division make the playoffs. The other four spots go to the next two highest-placed teams in each conference, regardless of division.
The teams with the best record in each conference open against the wild-card team with the worst record; the other wild-card plays the other division winner. Teams that finish second and third in their division play each other in the bracket headed by their respective division winner. The second round thus carries a higher prospect of division foes matching up ahead of the conference finals.
All four rounds of the playoffs are best-of-seven; the first team to 16 victories wins the Stanley Cup.
The first-round matchups so far:
— Dallas vs. Minnesota.
The favorites
Colorado is the 3-1 favorite to win the Stanley Cup, followed by Tampa Bay at 9-2, Carolina at 5-1 and Dallas at 10-1, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
How to watch
Every playoff game will be nationally televised in the U.S on an ESPN or Turner network. The NHL schedule is here and a streaming guide is here. Much of TNT’s coverage, which includes the Stanley Cup Final, will be simulcast on truTV and available on Max’s B/R Sports Add-On. In Canada, games will be showcased on Sportsnet and CBC.
After three rounds of seven-game series, the final starts in early June. If the final goes the distance, Game 7 could go as late as June 21.
Who to watch
— Colorado, with MVP candidate Nathan MacKinnon and star defenseman Cale Makar, has been hockey's best team since October.
— Connor McDavid and Edmonton lost in the Cup Final the past two years but are playing better defense and should have Leon Draisaitl for the playoffs.
— Tage Thompson was a big part of the U.S. winning Olympic gold and the Sabres' leading scorer finally gets to the postseason.
— Nikita Kucherov is right there with MacKinnon and McDavid in the NHL scoring race and has steadied the Lightning through months of injuries.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - APRIL 03: Michael McGreevy #36 of the St. Louis Cardinals throws a first inning pitch against the Detroit Tigers during the Tigers home opener at Comerica Park on April 03, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will wrap up the first road trip of the 2026 season with a Wednesday afternoon contest against an old friend. While the Cardinals have Michael McGreevy scheduled to make the afternoon start, the Washington Nationals will send Ron BurgundyMiles Mikolas to the mound. Miles has had a rough start to the season with an 0-2 record and an ERA of 14.46. Let’s hope the Cardinals increase that number Wednesday afternoon.
