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Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola's return from sprained ankle slower than expected

PHILADELPHIA — Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola said his return from the injured list with a sprained right ankle was progressing slower than expected and that he probably needed to make a minor league rehabilitation start.

“Taking a little bit longer than I thought it would,” Nola said ahead of Tuesday’s game against Atlanta. “Since I’m here, I want to get it right to where I don’t really feel anything and to go 100%.”

Nola is 1-7 with a 6.16 ERA in nine starts.

The Phillies chose to put Nola on the 15-day injured list on May 16 to avoid another injury cropping up while he was favoring the ankle. The 31-year-old veteran allowed 12 hits, nine runs and three homers - all career highs - in a 14-7 loss on May 14 against St. Louis.

Nola, who signed a $172 million, seven-year contract ahead of the 2024 season, was injured on May 8 during pregame agility drills when the Phillies played Tampa Bay at Steinbrenner Field.

Nola said he tried to pitch through the injury over his last two starts.

“I thought it would be a good after a couple starts,” Nola said. “It would progress and kind of ease off on its own. But it didn’t really, so I’m on the IL.”

In 11 seasons with Philadelphia, Nola is 105-86 with a 3.78 ERA.

The Phillies led the NL East at 34-19 and had a nine-game winning streak snapped Sunday against the Athletics.

Nola is eligible to be activated on Friday. He will instead throw a bullpen session later this week and, if the ankle feels better, could head out to the minor leagues for a start. Nola did not throw a planned bullpen last Saturday because of soreness.

“Hopefully, Thursday it feels really good and I can get on the mound and throw a decent amount,” Nola said.

Nola was drafted seventh overall by Philadelphia in 2014 and has been one of the most durable pitchers since his 2015 big league debut. Aside from a 10-day stint on the COVID injury list in 2021, Nola hadn't missed a start since 2017.

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Mets down Dodgers, look for more wins, and an interview with pitching prospect Matt Allan | The Mets Pod

On the latest episode of The Mets Pod presented by Tri-State Cadillac, Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo look back on a week of winning without much hitting, and also chat with pitching prospect Matt Allan about his long road back to the mound.

First up, the guys cover the dramatic series win over the Dodgers, the continued struggles of Juan Soto, the emergence of Brett Baty, and the balancing act between playing both Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens behind the plate.

Then, Joe catches up with prospect Matt Allan, who shares his story of a road back from multiple surgeries, and also talks about the changes he’s seen in the Mets organization, and what he’s now seeing from himself in Brooklyn and what could still be ahead for him in 2025.

Later, Connor and Joe answer mailbag questions about Jett Williams, Ryan Clifford, narratives around Juan Soto, and the overall issues of the offense.

Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Suarez shuts down Braves, Phils win series opener after Harper's early exit

Suarez shuts down Braves, Phils win series opener after Harper's early exit originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies got right back to winning ways Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park. 

Two days after having their nine-game winning streak snapped by the Athletics, the Phils opened a six-game homestand with a 2-0 victory over the Braves. 

The 35-19 Phillies will go for a series win over the 25-28 Braves on Wednesday night. 

Ranger Suarez shut down Atlanta and gave the Phillies a second consecutive scoreless start. He tossed six innings and allowed four hits and three walks. The 29-year-old lefty notched a season-high eight strikeouts. 

After beginning last season 9-0, Suarez is 4-0 in 2025 with a 2.97 ERA. 

The Phillies had a concerning bottom of the first. 

Braves starter Spencer Strider hit Bryce Harper with a 95.3 mph fastball and the Phillies’ first baseman exited in clear pain. The team later announced that Harper was diagnosed with a right elbow contusion and X-rays on him were negative.

“One of the trainers came down and told me about it,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “I was anxious but happy there was no break for sure.”

The Phils jumped in front in the second inning. Max Kepler lined a double to right-center and Alec Bohm sprinted in from first.

From there, both Suarez and Strider were very effective. The Phillies didn’t manage a second hit until Nick Castellanos’ opposite-field knock against Enyel De Los Santos in the sixth inning. 

Michael Harris II led off the fifth with a bloop single to shallow center and the Braves eventually loaded the bases. Suarez worked gutsily around the trouble, getting Matt Olson to whiff on a 2-2 high heater. He shrugged off a leadoff hit in the sixth, too. 

“It was a very long inning,” Suarez said of the fifth. “I was just thinking about trying to get out of it as quickly as I possibly could. It got complicated for a second there, but we were able to fight through.”

Out of the bullpen, the Phillies turned to Orion Kerkering, Matt Strahm and Jordan Romano. All three did their job well.

The Phillies summoned a two-out rally in the eighth inning, capitalizing on Daysbel Hernandez’s erratic control and providing Romano an insurance run. Bohm scored his (and the Phillies’) second run when J.T. Realmuto walked with the bases loaded.

Nola talks lingering injury 

A few hours before first pitch, Aaron Nola stopped just short of the Phillies’ dugout steps and discussed his right ankle sprain with reporters. 

Nola threw what Thomson called a “touch and feel” bullpen session Tuesday — lower intensity and lower volume than a usual bullpen, but Nola’s first time on the mound since being placed on the 15-day injured list. 

Nola said he continued to feel “a little bit” of discomfort with “certain movements.” Though he hopes to ramp up further Thursday, Nola said he thinks he’ll “probably” need a rehab assignment before returning. 

“Just taking it day by day right now and then hopefully, Thursday I feel good when I get on the mound,” he said. 

Realmuto’s ‘got to play through it’ 

Thomson dropped Realmuto to eighth in the Phillies’ lineup and bumped Bohm up to fifth. 

“J.T.’s trying a bunch of different stuff,” Thomson said pregame. “He’s working hard to maybe limit his leg kick a little bit … just get the timing better. So I just want to take a little pressure off him, move him down a little bit.” 

With an 0-for-3 game, Realmuto’s season average is at .228. He went 2 for 14 and struck out six times in the Phillies’ series against the A’s. 

Thomson indicated he doesn’t plan to increase Realmuto’s rest days. 

“He’s got to play through it because he’s so important behind the plate to us and to our pitching staff,” he said. “(Rafael) Marchan does a great job as well, but J.T., he’s the captain out there. … I want him out there as much as we can.”

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Suarez shuts down Braves, Phils win series opener after Harper's early exit

Suarez shuts down Braves, Phils win series opener after Harper's early exit originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies got right back to winning ways Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park. 

Two days after having their nine-game winning streak snapped by the Athletics, the Phils opened a six-game homestand with a 2-0 victory over the Braves. 

The 35-19 Phillies will go for a series win over the 25-28 Braves on Wednesday night. 

Ranger Suarez shut down Atlanta and gave the Phillies a second consecutive scoreless start. He tossed six innings and allowed four hits and three walks. The 29-year-old lefty notched a season-high eight strikeouts. 

After beginning last season 9-0, Suarez is 4-0 in 2025 with a 2.97 ERA. 

The Phillies had a concerning bottom of the first. 

Braves starter Spencer Strider hit Bryce Harper with a 95.3 mph fastball and the Phillies’ first baseman exited in clear pain. The team later announced that Harper was diagnosed with a right elbow contusion and X-rays on him were negative. 

The Phils jumped in front in the second inning. Max Kepler lined a double to right-center and Alec Bohm sprinted in from first.

From there, both Suarez and Strider were very effective. The Phillies didn’t manage a second hit until Nick Castellanos’ opposite-field knock against Enyel De Los Santos in the sixth inning. 

Michael Harris II led off the fifth with a bloop single to shallow center and the Braves eventually loaded the bases. Suarez worked gutsily around the trouble, getting Matt Olson to whiff on a 2-2 high heater. He shrugged off a leadoff hit in the sixth, too. 

Out of the bullpen, the Phillies turned to Orion Kerkering, Matt Strahm and Jordan Romano. All three did their jobs well.

The Phillies summoned a two-out rally in the eighth inning, capitalizing on Daysbel Hernandez’s erratic control and providing Romano an insurance run. Bohm scored his (and the Phillies’) second run when J.T. Realmuto walked with the bases loaded.

Nola talks lingering injury 

A few hours before first pitch, Aaron Nola stopped just short of the Phillies’ dugout steps and discussed his right ankle sprain with reporters. 

Nola threw what Phillies manager Rob Thomson called a “touch and feel” bullpen session Tuesday — lower intensity and lower volume than a usual bullpen, but Nola’s first time on the mound since being placed on the 15-day injured list. 

Nola said he continued to feel “a little bit” of discomfort with “certain movements.” Though he hopes to ramp up further Thursday, Nola said he thinks he’ll “probably” need a rehab assignment before returning. 

“Just taking it day by day right now and then hopefully, Thursday I feel good when I get on the mound,” he said. 

Realmuto’s ‘got to play through it’ 

Thomson dropped Realmuto to eighth in the Phillies’ lineup and bumped Bohm up to fifth. 

“J.T.’s trying a bunch of different stuff,” Thomson said pregame. “He’s working hard to maybe limit his leg kick a little bit … just get the timing better. So I just want to take a little pressure off him, move him down a little bit.” 

With an 0-for-3 game, Realmuto’s season average is at .228. He went 2 for 14 and struck out six times in the Phillies’ series against the A’s. 

Thomson indicated he doesn’t plan to increase Realmuto’s rest days. 

“He’s got to play through it because he’s so important behind the plate to us and to our pitching staff,” he said. “(Rafael) Marchan does a great job as well, but J.T., he’s the captain out there. … I want him out there as much as we can.”

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Wednesday's Mets-White Sox series finale bumped up to 1:10 p.m. due to weather

Wednesday's series finale between the Mets and White Sox has been bumped up due to weather.

First pitch at Citi Field was originally scheduled for 7:10 p.m. but with showers expected in the area throughout the night, they game will now begin at 1:10 p.m. instead.

Gates will open at 12:10 p.m. now and parking lots will open at 11:40 a.m.

Griffin Canning (5-1, 2.88 ERA) is lined up to take the ball against right-hander Shane Smith (1-3, 2.36 ERA), a Rule 5 pick who has been spectacular thus far this season.

New York took the opening game of the set on Monday afternoon, rallying to score two runs in the eighth and ninth, walking it off on a Francisco Lindor sacrifice fly.

Tylor Megill faces off with Jonathan Cannon in the middle game on Tuesday night on SNY.

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Mets Notes: Carlos Mendoza on Jared Young's DH opportunities, Luisangel Acuña's impact off the bench

The Mets are officially at the one-third mark of the 2025 season, and Tuesday night’s matchup with the Chicago White Sox will be the official start of the “middle” of the team’s regular season.

Prior to Tuesday’s first pitch, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza discussed some of his recent lineup decisions, as well as what makes Luisangel Acuña so valuable even on days when he’s not part of the starting nine.

Here’s what Mendoza had to say…

OnJared Young starting again at DH

Called up from Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday, Young will be making his fourth start as the Mets’ designated hitter on Tuesday night, hitting sixth against Chicago righty Jonathan Cannon.

Asked about Young, Mendoza cited the 29-year-old’s ability to put himself in good hitter’s counts, with the Mets hoping to see him capitalize on those opportunities as he gets more chances.

“We’ve seen it these past couple of days,” Mendoza said. “He’s got the ability to put himself in a good hitter’s count and that’s his calling card. He hit a 107 (MPH) to dead center the other day and I feel like he’s usually 2-0, 3-1. Now he’s just got to get into the rhythm and do some damage on some pitches.”

Young is 0-for-5 with a hit-by-pitch and a run scored in three games since his call-up.

Acuña’s veteran mindset paying dividends

Acuña is not in Tuesday’s lineup, as Brett Baty gets the start at second with Mark Vientos at third.

But the youngster has proven that he doesn’t need to start a game to have an impact, as evidenced by his last three games, entering the game in the seventh inning or later each time while stealing a bag on Sunday and scoring the tying run on Monday as a pinch-runner.

“This is a guy that doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low,” Mendoza said. “Pretty mature for his age and he has a really good understanding of his role right now and the impact that he brings to the team. He knows that even though he’s not in the lineup, there’s going to be an opportunity for him to come in and impact it in a good game, whether it’s by making a defensive play, by stealing a base, by scoring from first base on a ball in the gap, or by giving us a good at-bat, putting the ball in play. I think he obviously continues to develop. There’s a lot of tools there, but I like how he’s handled it so far mentally.”

On giving Mark Vientos more opportunities at third base

It’s undoubtedly been a rough start to the season for Vientos, who is hitting just .234 and has also struggled defensively, committing seven errors in 39 games at the hot corner, including four errors since the calendar flipped to May.

Since being called back up, Brett Baty has gotten the majority of the playing time at third base, with Vientos serving as the DH in eight of his last 14 appearances.

But Vientos will be at third on Tuesday night, and according to Mendoza, giving the 25-year-old more reps there is the only way to help him out of his defensive funk.

“For me, he’s just going through it right now,” Mendoza said. “It was really good to see him yesterday continue to put in the work. That’s how you’re going to get out of it. It’s like when you’re going through struggles offensively. You go out there and continue to work until you get the feeling back. Same thing.

“This is a guy that in the offseason worked really, really hard [on] his first step. And now he’s going through a stretch where it happens. But continue to work, continue to believe in yourself. We’re going to continue to give him chances. Here he is playing third base again. He’ll get through it, he’ll be fine, he’s a really good third baseman.”

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Harper exits game after being hit by Strider fastball, X-rays negative

Harper exits game after being hit by Strider fastball, X-rays negative  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Bryce Harper had a short night Tuesday in the Phillies’ series opener against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. 

Harper left the game in the first inning after being hit on the right arm by a Spencer Strider fastball. The Phillies later announced that Harper was diagnosed with a right elbow contusion and X-rays taken on him were negative. 

Strider plunked Harper with two outs in the bottom of the first on an 0-1 count. Phillies fans booed him heavily. 

Harper was in immediate, obvious pain and went down to a knee near Kyle Schwarber in the on-deck circle. Edmundo Sosa entered the game in Harper’s place and played third base. Alec Bohm shifted over to first. 

The Phillies began Tuesday with a 34-19 record and MLB’s best winning percentage. Harper has played in every one of the team’s first 54 games, hitting .267 with eight home runs and 33 RBIs. 

This story will be updated when more information is available. 

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Harper exits game after being hit by Strider fastball, X-rays negative

Harper exits game after being hit by Strider fastball, X-rays negative  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Bryce Harper had a short night Tuesday in the Phillies’ series opener against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. 

Harper left the game in the first inning after being hit on the right arm by a Spencer Strider fastball. The Phillies later announced that Harper was diagnosed with a right elbow contusion and X-rays taken on him were negative. 

Strider plunked Harper with two outs in the bottom of the first on an 0-1 count. Phillies fans booed him heavily. 

Harper was in immediate, obvious pain and went down to a knee near Kyle Schwarber in the on-deck circle. Edmundo Sosa entered the game in Harper’s place and played third base. Alec Bohm shifted over to first. 

“You’re always concerned,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said after his team’s 2-0 win. “There could be a little crack in the bone or whatever. The X-ray, thankfully, was negative. We’ll just have to see tomorrow.”

The Phillies finished Tuesday with a 35-19 record and MLB’s best winning percentage. Harper has played in every one of the team’s first 54 games, hitting .267 with eight home runs and 33 RBIs. 

“Everybody was holding their breath when it first happened,” Max Kepler said. “It definitely hurts, but it’s very relieving to know that it’s nothing major and that hopefully, he’ll be back with the team soon.”

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MLB Power Rankings: Phillies grab the top spot, Padres slip as Michael King lands on IL

Featured in this week's MLB Power Rankings, the red-hot Phillies make their first appearance at the top, Tarik Skubal has his best-ever start, the Padres lose Michael King, Marcelo Mayer loses his car keys, Ronald Acuña Jr. has a flare for the dramatic, and much more.

Let’s get started!

(Please note these power rankings are a combination of current performance and long-term projected outlook)

MLB: Chicago Cubs at New York Mets
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Chase Meidroth, Brett Baty, and AJ Blubaugh
Young infielders earning their roles

Rankings are from the morning of Tuesday, May 27.

1) Philadelphia Phillies ⬆️

Last week: 6

While the Phillies saw their nine-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday, their recent heater has carried them to the top of this week’s rankings. Trea Turner has been a key part in their ascent, hitting .366 over his last 26 games. The Phillies have gone 20-6 in that time.

2) Detroit Tigers ⬇️

Last week: 1

After a couple of uncharacteristic so-so starts, Tarik Skubal had the best outing of his career on Sunday against the Guardians, tossing a two-hitter with 13 strikeouts in just 94 pitches. Yes, that’s a Maddux. It was the first complete game of his career and just the fifth shutout across MLB this season. If that wasn’t impressive enough, Skubal dialed it up to 103 mph for his final pitch of the ballgame. Pure dominance.

3) New York Yankees ⬆️

Last week: 5

In one of the truly weird and somewhat unbelievable stats, this game-winning homer off the bat of Jasson Dominguez last Wednesday was the first walk-off blast by a Yankees player in 974 days. Giancarlo Stanton was the last to do it on September 20, 2022. With some expected growing pains, Jasson Dominguez has mostly been worth the wait for Yankees fans.

4) Los Angeles Dodgers ⬇️

Last week: 2

With a number of high-profile injuries in their starting rotation, the Dodgers have been topsy-turvy since their red-hot start to the season, but the good news is that Shohei Ohtani is approaching his return to the mound. The Dodgers’ dynamo threw 22 pitches over five simulated at-bats on Sunday at Citi Field. According to Sonja Chen of MLB.com, Ohtani sat in the 94-95 mph range with his fastball and topped out at 97 mph. He’s likely to make his first start as a member of the Dodgers after the All-Star break.

5) Chicago Cubs ⬆️

Last week: 7

Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker are getting most of the headlines, but Seiya Suzuki is enjoying his best season stateside. The 30-year-old leads the NL with 49 RBI through 49 games. Keep in mind that he’s never driven in more than 74 runs in a season. He’s also up to 14 homers after never having hit more than 21 homers. Losing the hot-hitting Miguel Amaya to an oblique injury certainly hurts, but this Cubs’ lineup remains a powerhouse.

6) New York Mets ⬇️

Last week: 3

Pete Alonso endured the longest home run drought of his career before slugging a go-ahead two-run homer against Tony Gonsolin and the Dodgers on Sunday night. That blast was set up by Juan Soto legging out a ground ball which was mishandled by third baseman Max Muncy. With all the recent commentary on Soto and effort level, it was an especially big moment.

7) San Francisco Giants ⬆️

Last week: 8

The Giants might have come back down to Earth in May, but don’t blame Robbie Ray. The southpaw spun six innings of one-run ball against the Nationals on Sunday, giving him a 1.41 ERA across five starts this month. He’s 7-0 on the year and the Giants are 10-1 in his starts this season.

8) Seattle Mariners ⬆️

Last week: 10

As hot as Jorge Polanco was in April, the opposite has been the case in May. He’s hitting just .155/.234/.241 with one home run this month.

9) Minnesota Twins

Last week: 9

While the Twins' offense has been piecemeal at times, the starting rotation has been a true strength. Entering play on Tuesday, the club ranks sixth in the majors with a 3.34 ERA.

10) San Diego Padres ⬇️

Last week: 4

The Padres snapped a six-game losing streak by winning two out of three against the Braves over the weekend, but they also lost their ace Michael King with right shoulder inflammation. The hope is that he won’t require an extended absence, but we should learn more about his status soon.

11) St. Louis Cardinals ⬆️

Last week: 12

The Cardinals swept the Diamondbacks over the weekend, with catcher Ivan Herrera driving in a run in all three games. The 24-year-old catcher has picked up where he left off before his left knee bone bruise in April, hitting .365/.435/.500 with one homer, 14 RBI, and an 8/6 K/BB ratio this month.

12) Cleveland Guardians ⬇️

Last week: 11

Congratulations to Nic Enright, who made his major league debut against the Tigers on Sunday two and a half years after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in December of 2022. In a moment he wasn’t sure would ever come, he struck out three batters over two scoreless innings.

13) Houston Astros ⬆️

Last week: 15

A statement series for the Astros, who took three out of four from the first-place Mariners over the weekend. They are just 1.5 games out of first place in the AL West despite the struggles from Jose Altuve, Yainer Diaz, and Christian Walker. Walker provided his biggest hit in an Astros uniform with a walk-off blast to cap off the series victory on Sunday.

14) Kansas City Royals ⬇️

Last week: 13

With the Royals’ offense in need to a boost, it’s likely just a matter of time before we see Jac Caglianone in the major leagues. The 2025 first-round pick has done nothing but mash since being promoted to Triple-A, including this titanic blast on Sunday. Get ready, Royals fans.

15) Tampa Bay Rays ⬆️

Last week: 23

The Rays are Ray-ing again. Maybe. After six straight wins, the club has climbed back to the .500 mark for the first time since April 27. Brandon Lowe has homered three times during the win streak and is hitting .396/.442/.771 over his last 32 games.

16) Atlanta Braves ⬇️

Last week: 14

Like he never left. Ronald Acuña Jr. announced his return with authority on Friday, homering on the first pitch he saw against Nick Pivetta. It was also the only run of the game for the Braves, who have lost four out of their last five.

17) Boston Red Sox

Last week: 17

Marcelo Mayer is the latest high-profile prospect to arrive for the Red Sox, as the was the corresponding move with Alex Bregman going down with a significant right quad strain. That’s exciting and all, but the saga of Mayer’s missing car keys has been the real story. Mayer’s keys were reportedly missing for three weeks and he needed a clubhouse attendant to drive him to Fenway Park for his MLB debut. Worry not, though, as his keys were finally found…in Milwaukee.

18) Arizona Diamondbacks ⬇️

Last week: 16

What’s going on with Zac Gallen? After allowing four runs over 5 2/3 innings in a loss to the Cardinals on Friday, the veteran right-hander now holds a 5.25 ERA through 11 starts for the season. Take out his two starts against the Mets (two ER in 13 innings) and his ERA sits at 6.29.

19) Milwaukee Brewers ⬆️

Last week: 22

What does a 1.80 ERA over three starts in May get you? A demotion, apparently. Logan Henderson is headed back to Triple-A despite an impressive and historic start to his major league career. The Brewers deemed it necessary with Jose Quintana and Brandon Woodruff on their way back from the injured list. Either way, odds are it won’t be long before Henderson gets his next opportunity.

20) Cincinnati Reds ⬇️

Last week: 19

Andrew Abbott just keeps getting it done. After allowing one run over 5 2/3 innings in a win over the Cubs on Saturday, the 25-year-old southpaw now holds a 1.77 ERA on the year. He’s allowed one earned run or fewer in seven out of his eight starts this season.

21) Texas Rangers ⬇️

Last week: 18

Jacob deGrom failed to strike out a batter for the first time in his career in Monday’s start against the Blue Jays. In addition to that, he managed just three swinging strikes in his 81 pitches. This simply does not compute.

22) Toronto Blue Jays ⬇️

Last week: 20

This just about sums up the ups and downs the Blue Jays have navigated so far this season.

23) Los Angeles Angels ⬆️

Last week: 25

While the Angels await Mike Trout’s return from a knee injury, Taylor Ward has stepped things up in grand fashion this month, including two grand slams during their recent eight-game winning streak. The club has lost three straight since the win streak, of course.

24) Washington Nationals

Last week: 24

Cool moment for Keibert Ruiz and his family last Thursday. Ruiz’s parents were able to watch him play for the first time as a professional baseball player and he wasted no time in putting on a show.

Ruiz’s parents, who are from Venezuela, were denied travel visas in their previous four attempts before finally getting clearance this month.

25) Athletics ⬇️

Last week: 21

The Athletics were four games over .500 on May 5, but they’ve gone 3-15 since then, including their recent 11-games losing streak.

26) Miami Marlins

Last week: 26

Sandy Alcantara has struggled in his return from Tommy John surgery, but that doesn’t mean Marlins fans shouldn’t be excited about Eury Pérez as he makes his way back. The 22-year-old struck out seven batters in his most recent rehab start in Triple-A and should find his way back to the major leagues by mid-June. Pérez looked like a future ace when we last saw him in as a 20-year-old rookie in 2023, posting a 3.15 ERA over 19 starts with 108 strikeouts in 91 1/3 innings.

27) Pittsburgh Pirates

Last week: 27

After tying the MLB record by going 26 straight game with four runs or fewer, the Pirates scored five runs in three out of their next four games. Baseball gonna baseball!

We also can’t leave out that Oneil Cruz now has the hardest hit ball in the Statcast Era.

28) Baltimore Orioles

Last week: 28

Thanks for Dylan Carlson exacting revenge against his former team on Monday, the Orioles have secured their first three-game winning streak of the season. Cue the scene from Lou Brown in “Major League.”

29) Chicago White Sox

Last week: 29

It wasn’t too long ago that Andrew Vaughn was considered a building block for the White Sox, but he was surprisingly demoted to Triple-A Charlotte last week after beginning this season with a .189/.218/.314 batting line. According to White Sox general manager Chris Getz, the club is hopeful that he’ll be able to “slow down and regain confidence” in a less-pressurized environment.

30) Colorado Rockies

Last week: 30

The Rockies are currently on pace to go 28-134. There’s very little hope that they can avoid a place in baseball infamy. The weirdest thing about the Rockies’ struggles are that they are 20th in OPS at home this season; they are usually in the top-tier at Coors Field.

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Webb, Giants ‘have to be better' after another loss to Tigers

Webb, Giants ‘have to be better' after another loss to Tigers  originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Giants have to be better.

That was the simple, prevailing statement in the Giants’ locker room after — for the second consecutive day — a 3-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.

Like Hayden Birdsong on Monday, starter Logan Webb wasn’t stellar on Tuesday, but he certainly was good enough to give San Francisco and its elite bullpen a chance at a win.

Despite giving up a run in each of the first three innings, Webb managed to salvage a quality start. He surrendered only one hit in the next three innings to finish with a final line of six innings, three earned runs, 10 strikeouts and one walk.

Though his outing wasn’t bad by any means, Webb shouldered much of the blame for the loss. San Francisco’s ace seemed particularly annoyed postgame with giving up a second-inning home run to Tigers center fielder Wenceel Pérez in his first at-bat of the season after Webb fell behind in the count 2-0.

“That’s on me, so I just got to be better with some of these things,” Webb told reporters. “Hopefully, we’ll be better.”

The Giants’ offense, on the other hand, was much more to blame for the loss. Wilmer Flores‘ RBI double brought the tying run to the plate with no outs in the ninth inning, but that was all they could muster.

“He got touched up a little bit in the first three innings but limited it to one run,” Giants manager Bob Melvin — who was ejected in the fifth inning for arguing balls and strikes — said of Webb’s start. “It’s still a good outing. So, obviously, offensively we have to be better.”

San Francisco has scored a meager nine runs through five games on this current road trip; fortunately, its stellar pitching has allowed just 11 runs in that span. As a result, the Giants are 2-3 over a stretch when they easily could be winless with that level of offensive production.

Nevertheless, Webb isn’t panicking.

“We won the last series, so it’s not like it’s a crazy long rough patch. It’s two games against a really good team,” Webb detailed. “We’ll be alright. It’s still early in the season. Like I said — personally, I just got to be better.”

Despite his best efforts to be better, though, Webb still will need some more support from his offense to regain some positive momentum.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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Red Sox at Brewers Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for May 27

Its Tuesday, May 27 and the Red Sox (27-29) are in Milwaukee to take on the Brewers (27-28)—Aaron Civale is slated to take the mound for Milwaukee.

The Brewers won the first game of the series. Jackson Chourio homered in the first inning for the Brewers. They added another run in the fifth inning and never looked back. DL Hall picked up the win for the Brewers.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Red Sox at Brewers

  • Date: Tuesday, May 27, 2025
  • Time: 7:40PM EST
  • Site: American Family Field
  • City: Milwaukee, WI
  • Network/Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin, NESN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Red Sox at the Brewers

The latest odds as of Tuesday:

  • Moneyline: Red Sox (+101), Brewers (-120)
  • Spread:  Brewers -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Red Sox at Brewers

  • Pitching matchup for May 27, 2025: Undecided vs. Aaron Civale
    • Brewers: Aaron Civale, (0-1, 9.00 ERA)
      Last outing (Pittsburgh Pirates. 5/22): 4.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Red Sox at Brewers

  • The Red Sox have won 12 of their last 20 games against teams with losing records
  • The Brewers have covered in 4 of their last 5 games showing a profit of 3.50 units

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Red Sox and the Brewers

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game between the Red Sox and the Brewers:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Boston Red Sox at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

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Reds at Royals prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for May 27

Its Tuesday, May 27 and the Reds (27-28) are in Kansas City to take on the Royals (29-26). Brady Singer is slated to take the mound for Cincinnati against Daniel Lynch for Kansas City.

The Reds started strong yesterday with six runs in the first five innings, and went on to beat the Royals 7-4. Nick Martinez picked up the win. He gave up three earned runs on six hits and 7.0 innings pitched.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Reds at Royals

  • Date: Tuesday, May 27, 2025
  • Time: 7:40PM EST
  • Site: Kauffman Stadium
  • City: Kansas City, MO
  • Network/Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City, FanDuel Sports Network Ohio

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Reds at the Royals

The latest odds as of Tuesday:

  • Moneyline: Reds (-111), Royals (-108)
  • Spread:  Reds -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Reds at Royals

  • Pitching matchup for May 27, 2025: Brady Singer vs. Daniel Lynch
    • Reds: Brady Singer, (5-3, 4.88 ERA)
      Last outing (Pittsburgh Pirates, 5/21): 5.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 4 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts
    • Royals: Daniel Lynch, (3-1, 1.57 ERA)
      Last outing (Minnesota Twins, 5/24): 0.1 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 0 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 0 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Reds at Royals

  • The Royals have won 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with losing records
  • The Over is 7-3 in the Royals' and the Reds' last 5 games combined
  • The Reds have covered the Run Line in 5 of their last 7 road games against the Royals

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Reds and the Royals

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game between the Reds and the Royals:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Kansas City Royals on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Kansas City Royals at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

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Rockies at Cubs Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for May 27

Its Tuesday, May 27 and the Rockies (9-45) are in Chicago to take on the Cubs (33-21). Germán Márquez is slated to take the mound for Colorado against Cade Horton for Chicago.

Jameson Taillon picked up the win for the Cubs in game one. He struck out seven batters, gave up four hits, and one earned run in 6.1 innings.

With a loss yesterday, the Rockies have now lost eight of their last nine games.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Rockies at Cubs

  • Date: Tuesday, May 27, 2025
  • Time: 8:05PM EST
  • Site: Wrigley Field
  • City: Chicago, IL
  • Network/Streaming: Marquee Sports Network, Rockies.TV

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Rockies at the Cubs

The latest odds as of Tuesday:

  • Moneyline: Rockies (+261), Cubs (-327)
  • Spread:  Cubs -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Rockies at Cubs

  • Pitching matchup for May 27, 2025: Germán Márquez vs. Cade Horton
    • Rockies: Germán Márquez, (1-7, 7.66 ERA)
      Last outing (Philadelphia Phillies, 5/22): 7.0 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts
    • Cubs: Cade Horton, (2-0, 4.40 ERA)
      Last outing (Miami Marlins, 5/21): 5.1 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rockies at Cubs

  • The Cubs have won 8 of their last 10 home games against the Rockies
  • The Over is 16-9-1 in the Cubs' home games this season
  • The Cubs are showing a profit of 1.98 units on the Run Line in their last 5 games at Wrigley Field

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Rockies and the Cubs

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game between the Rockies and the Cubs:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Chicago Cubs on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Colorado Rockies at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

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Giants manager Melvin ejected, erupts into tirade after arguing calls

Giants manager Melvin ejected, erupts into tirade after arguing calls originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Bob Melvin had seen enough during the Giants’ game against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday at Comerica Park.

The San Francisco manager was ejected from the game in the bottom of the fifth inning after home plate umpire Tony Randazzo called a low Logan Webb sinker a ball. And after he was booted, Melvin unleashed on Randazzo.

But to understand the situation, more context is needed. Moments earlier, in the top of the fifth, Giants catcher Patrick Bailey struck out looking on a pitch outside of the zone to end the inning, and he exchanged words with Randazzo as well when he took the field.

It’s clear Melvin was fed up with the umpire’s zone by the time Webb was back on the mound, and the manager took up for his players by questioning Randazzo’s calls as San Francisco trailed 3-0.

The ejection was the 66th of Melvin’s managerial career, and he is No. 2 on the active list behind Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, who has 87.

As the Giants’ offense continues to struggle, they need all the help they can get at the plate — and Randazzo certainly did them no favors on Tuesday.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Chase Meidroth, Brett Baty, and AJ Blubaugh

We’re now past Memorial Day, a landmark date for the major league season. We must take an honest look at who’s playing well, who’s playing poorly, and who we can truly count on to help us out through the long summer months ahead.

So, we need to look a bit deeper to find gems on the waiver wire. Fear not, because there are still a handful of available players that have the chance to be difference makers in both the short and long term.

Syndication: Arizona Republic
Top fantasy baseball prospects: Jac Caglianone crushing in Omaha, Travis Sykora impressing on the mound
A look at the top prospects who can help fantasy rosters in 2025 and beyond.
  • Christopher Crawford
    ,
  • Christopher Crawford
    ,

Here are three players that are under 40% rostered on Yahoo leagues that you should strongly consider adding.

If you want a larger list, Eric Samulski wrote his extended waiver wire piece on Sunday.

Chase Meidroth, 2B/3B/SS

(38% Rostered on Yahoo)

The most major league ready piece in the package that went back to the White Sox for Garrett Crochet this past winter, the 23-year-old Meidroth has played well to begin his career.

He’s riding a 13 game on-base streak as of Tuesday morning and has asserted himself as both their lead-off hitter and starting shortstop since being called up about a month ago.

More than anything else, he is a pest at the plate. He consistently held high on-base percentages through the minor leagues by rarely striking out and drawing plenty of walks.

So far in the majors, Meidroth has the lowest swing rate of any player that has taken at least 100 plate appearances. On top of that, he has one of the highest zone-contact rates. So while he rarely swings, he will almost always make contact when the ball is in the zone and he decides to offer at it.

That approach has helped him to a .296 batting average and .387 on-base percentage through 31 games as a rookie.

This approach is not all that different from other contact mavens like Jacob Wilson, Luis Arraez, and Steven Kwan, Meidroth just takes it to an entirely different extreme by never swinging the bat.

Of that trio, Meidroth’s approach is most similar to Kwan’s, who is also patient and takes his fair share of walks. Yet, Meidroth walks far more often, has a bit more raw power, and has managed a similar contact rate.

It doesn’t look like he’ll hit for much power though with just one home run and meager 107.1 mph max exit velocity. All four hitters from this group have very short swings – which minimizes their ceiling as power hitters – but often square-up the ball to shoot base hits all over the field.

Meidroth could still run into eight or so homers from this point on. He’s averaged that many in each of his last two minor league seasons and most projection models peg him for somewhere between five and seven the rest of the way. He also pulls his fly balls at a similar rate to Wilson, whose power output has been a surprise.

Instead, he’s surprisingly proven himself as a capable base stealer of late. He’s swiped five bags in his last 10 games and already has eight this season. He never stole more than 13 in any full minor league season. If this aggressiveness holds, it could dramatically increase his fantasy value.

Bottom line, Meidroth is eligible all over the infield and will be a boost in both batting average and on-base percentage. Him stealing bases could be a huge bonus that counteract his minimal power production.

Brett Baty, 2B/3B Mets

(16% Rostered on Yahoo)

There’s some genuine skill growth happening right now with Baty. He has a .908 OPS since being recalled from the minor leagues on May 7th and has all practically usurped Mark Vientos as the Mets’ starting third baseman.

This is a borderline shock after he was statistically one of the worst players in baseball through April.

A hot spring training plus an injury to Jeff McNeil opened the door for Baty to make the opening day roster and get playing time at second base early on. While he held his own there defensively, he opened the season with a 3-for-27 slump.

Worse than that slump, his approach at the plate was a disaster. He didn’t draw a walk, struck out over 40% of the time, and somehow fell behind 0-2 in the count in nearly half of his plate appearances during that stretch.

Again, it was an unmitigated disaster.

He showed some signs of life towards the end of the month with a handful of extra-base hits and a long home run against Zack Wheeler, but was demoted when McNeil returned from injury.

Now, he looks like a totally different player. His at-bats are much more consistent and his strikeout rate is down to 21.2% since coming back up. This comes with a zone-contact and overall contact rate that are right around league average.

That’s very important for Baty because his carrying skill is his power and it will shine through as long as he’s literally able to make consistent contact. His pitch recognition was severely lacking though, until a recent and somewhat unorthodox adjustment.

While his bat speed is up there with the league’s elite power hitters, Baty has struggled to both pull and lift the ball in the past. To try and fix this, he seemed dead set on making contact with the ball out in front of the plate. That makes sense: if you want to pull and lift the ball for power, go out and get it.

It didn’t work though and forced him into many bad swings and an overall poor approach. More recently, he’s decided to let the ball travel deeper before making contact. He’s moved back in the box three inches and his intercept point is about six inches deeper than it was last season.

For most, this could decrease power. Since Baty has such freaky raw power and twitch, he can still generate top-end power and that extra split second he’s afforded himself has drastically improved his pitch recognition for the time being.

These improvements at the plate have been underscored by his defensive prowess, where again he’s lightyears better than Vientos at third base and can hold his own at second.

All he needs to do is be something close to a league average hitter and he’ll play everyday. If he’s getting to this much power, he’ll be far better than that and a valuable asset in 12-team leagues with his dual position eligibility.

AJ Blubaugh, SP Astros

(0% Rostered on Yahoo)

This is one to file away for you deep league players.

The Astros’ rotation is beleaguered at the moment with Hayden Wesneski’s Tommy John surgery and Ronel Blanco’s elbow inflammation that landed him on the injured list. They joined Spencer Arrigheti who still hasn’t thrown after breaking his thumb seven weeks ago.

With that, Ryan Gusto and Colton Gordon currently have spots on their pitching staff.

Gusto flashed some solid stuff early in the season, but his only plus pitch is a fastball and even that has drifted back closer to average. Gordon is a soft-tossing lefty that stays around the strike zone and doesn’t have many weapons to get right-handed batters out.

There’s a decent chance one of – if not both – of these two could be pushed out of the rotation before long.

And that’s without mentioning Lance McCullers Jr. who’s back after a two-year hiatus and walking nearly 15% of the batters he’s faced without completing five innings in any of his four starts so far.

So, the door could be open for Blubaugh. Stuff wise, he’s more impressive than anyone on this list. He has a decent fastball that sits around 94 mph with solid ride and run plus a nasty sweeper, cutter, curveball, and changeup. That deep mix gives him ample weapons to attack hitters from each side of the plate.

He was called upon for a spot start on April 30th and struck out six Tigers. He also allowed two home runs and was pulled after four innings. Still, the stuff shone through and of this group of back-end starters in Houston, he has the most upside for the rest of the season.

Be vigilant on their team news and use the Rotoworld player news page to do so. That way, you can grab Blubaugh right when he snags one of these rotation spots.