Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

The Phillies can’t do anything right at the moment. They’ve pitched poorly, their defense has been a mess, and their offense has been almost nonexistent. In addition to playing poorly, they’ve also had absolutely horrendous luck, as their .355 batting average on balls in play against is the worst in baseball entering Monday. In fact, it’s over 25 points higher than the team in second, namely the Houston Astros with a .324 mark. It’s 10 points higher than the all-time leaders in worst BABIP against, the 1930 Phillies (.345), who themselves just barely edged out the 2020 Phillies (.344). None of this is meant to be an excuse, but rather a statement of fact that the Phillies have been on the wrong end of batted ball luck.

However, bad luck and playing poorly are not mutually exclusive. On any given night, poor play can lead to more chances for bad luck, or bad luck can lead to a snowball effect of poor play. Take Saturday night’s loss to the Braves for example. The Phillies entered the third inning leading 1-0 thanks to Felix Reyes’ hitting a home run in his first major league at-bat. Cristopher Sánchez was on the mound and tasked with throwing a desperately needed shutdown inning. He struck out the first two hitters in Jorge Mateo and Ronald Acũna Jr., but then allowed a hard hit single up the middle to Drake Baldwin.

Sánchez was then able to get Ozzie Albies to ground into what should have been the final out of the inning, but Edmundo Sosa bobbled it on his way to tag second base and both runners were safe. Matt Olson then walked on four pitches to load the bases before Austin Riley hit a swinging bunt that only went 104 feet but was in a perfect spot. Couple that with Sánchez not fielding it cleanly, and the tying run scored without a throw on a hit with an expected batting average of .130. Mauricio Dubón then singled on a fly ball to center field that landed perfectly behind Sosa and in front of center fielder Brandon Marsh, scoring two more runs for Atlanta. Sánchez finally got a groundout to end the inning, but the damage was done.

Mauricio Dubón finds grass and the @Braves jump in front! pic.twitter.com/5QeLAPl7GG

— MLB (@MLB) April 19, 2026

Here we can see how poor play led to bad luck. Sánchez should have been out of the inning unscathed, but Sosa’s error allowed the chance for bad luck to occur, and that’s exactly what happened. Sánchez is not entirely innocent either, as his four-pitch walk of Olson immediately after the error allowed the inning to further spiral out of control. He didn’t allow any earned runs and still pitched well enough to win the game, but the three runs that came across in the inning were more than enough to beat the Phillies lifeless offense that was completely shut down by Chris Sale.

Sunday night was another example, this time on the offensive side. The Phillies had two runners on with two outs in the ninth down 4-2 with Kyle Schwarber at the plate. Schwarber ripped a Raisel Iglesias changeup to right field with an exit velocity of 102 MPH and an expected batting average of .430, but Acuña Jr. was able to chase it down and make a nice catch, robbing Schwarber of a possible game-tying base hit.

Ronald Acuña Jr. races over to make a leaping catch and secure the @Braves sweep! pic.twitter.com/Xx9E2H81jA

— MLB (@MLB) April 20, 2026

In this example, the Phillies frankly shouldn’t be waiting until their last out to generate offense. After all, the team had three combined hits from the second inning through the eighth inning and had a span of only having two base runners after Schwarber’s first inning home run until the fifth inning, both of which were Bryce Harper. You cannot control your luck, but you can control your quality of play. Having better at-bats earlier in the game can ensure that your chances to win don’t hang on your last out. If you play better, there’s less opportunity for poor luck to drastically influence the game.

These are just two of the more recent examples of one of these factors feeding into the other. There’s not much you can do against a perfectly placed swinging bunt or a good catch in the field. Those are things that are out of a player’s control. What is in a player’s control though is making sure games don’t have to come down to perfectly placed swinging bunts or getting robbed in the outfield.

The Phillies batted ball luck will normalize at some point. It’s simply unsustainable to be at the rate it is, even if they eventually end the season with a higher rate than usual. The question is, will it be too late to matter?

The Pittsburgh Pirates came into 2026 with high expectations on their pitching staff, and while their starting rotation has lived up to them, the bullpen has been very shaky to start the season. 

The Pirates bullpen has an ERA of around 3.68, which is up there for being the best in the National League. However, that stat could be deceiving with how inconsistent some of the top reliever guys have been for Pittsburgh. 

The Bucs bullpen have allowed 85 hits, which is tied for third in the National League. They also allowed 11 home runs which is also  tied for third in the national league. 

Outside of Dennis Santana and Gregory Soto, the bullpen has been looking a little light and inconsistent at times. 

Pittsburgh’s bullpen problems became obvious in their series vs. the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, April 10-12, where the starting pitching was strong, but the bullpen issued too many walks and blew two leads in the final two games of that series.

The Pirates bullpen walked 15 batters over their 12.2 innings for a 10.66 BB/9 with five earned runs.

There is a lot of potential for this bullpen to be really good. Pittsburgh called up both Evan Sisk and Wilber Dotel, who are two young guys with a lot of promise. We have also seen some highlights from Yohan Ramirez, Mason Montgomery, and Issac Mattson.

By no means has the bullpen been terrible, but they have cost the Pirates a handful of games this season, which cannot happen down the stretch of the season, especially in the NL Central where all five teams have a winning record. 

The starting pitching has been really good so far as expected for the Buccos but it’s now time for the relief pitching to be equally dominant and back them up. Starters cannot always be excpected to save the day.

There have been some good showings from the bullpen in 2026, but far too often, they’ve had issues that the Pirates can’t have if they want to make the MLB postseason.

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There are plenty of options on the diamond for YRFI and NRFI bettors on Tuesday, April 21, and I’ve got a trio of MLB picks to cover you throughout the 15-game slate.

My best NFRI bets start with the Houston Astros' visit to the Cleveland Guardians, while the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels are rounding out my betting card tonight in a yes run first inning play.

Best NRFI/YRFI bets today

Astros at Guardians: NRFI (-109)

With Cleveland Guardians lefty Parker Messick next to unhittable to start the season, he’s set to shift into cruise control again early against the Houston Astros, and I’m confident Ryan Weiss can navigate the first frame Tuesday with the top of the Cleveland lineup struggling.

Guardians Steven Kwan, Chase DeLauter, and Kyle Manzardo are mired in a 7-for-51 slump the past five games, which leaves star Jose Ramirez on an island in the three hole. And, returning to Messick, he’s been brilliant with just three runs allowed through 25 2/3 innings across his four starts.

• Time: 6:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SCHN, CleGuardians.TV

Orioles at Royals: NRFI (+102)

The Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals respectively rank third and last in percentage of games scoring a run in the first inning, so even with the wind forecasted to be howling out at Kauffman Stadium, I’m expecting starters Shane Baz and Kris Bubic to post zeros in the opening frame.

Baltimore hasn’t scored an opening-inning run on the road all season, and Kansas City is the lowest-scoring team in the opening frame for the year and second-lowest scoring team overall, too.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Royals.TV, MASN

Blue Jays at Angels: YRFI (-120)

The Los Angeles Angels are third in OBP and seventh in wOBA against left-handed pitching this season, and the top of their lineup has righties Zach Neto, Mike Trout, Jo Adell, and Jorge Soler all crushing southpaws to start the year.

So, this is a daunting matchup for Toronto Blue Jays veteran Patrick Corbin given his 5.46 ERA and 5.68 xERA dating back to 2021.

Toronto is also set up for success with Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz’s 3.47 ERA is well below his 5.09 xERA, and respective 6.81 and 5.89 marks across 111 innings in 2025.

Plus, the Blue Jays are in the midst of heating up at the dish with 15 runs across consecutive wins.

• Time: 9:38 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ESPN

What is a NRFI bet?

NRFI (No Run First Inning) and YRFI (Yes Run First Inning) bets add a thrilling twist to the start of an MLB game. A NRFI bet is a wager that no runs will be scored in the first inning. You're betting that the starting pitchers for both teams will get through the first inning without allowing any runs, whether by striking out batters, inducing ground balls, or through solid defensive play.

A YRFI bet is the exact opposite. You're betting that at least one run will be scored in the first inning. In this case, you’re hoping for an early offensive burst such as a leadoff walk, a timely hit, or even a home run.

NRFI and YRFI bets add excitement to the early part of a game and offer immediate gratification for bettors looking for a quick resolution.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Things might be going very well for the Atlanta Braves on the field but their bad luck with injuries is apparently going to just stick around. In the middle of the series in Philadelphia, Raisel Iglesias ended up being unavailable for a game because he slept badly on his shoulder overnight.

All appeared to be well after Iglesias ended up closing out the sweep on Sunday but apparently his shoulder started acting up on him again on Monday and it’s bad enough to where he’ll have to take a trip to the IL with right shoulder inflammation.

The #Braves today recalled LHP Dylan Dodd to Atlanta and placed RHP Raisel Iglesias on the 15-day injured list, backdated to April 20, with right shoulder inflammation.

Additionally, the club transferred C Sean Murphy’s and RHP Spencer Strider’s rehabilitation assignments from…

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 21, 2026

Needless to say, I think we’ve all had our fill of these bizarre trips to the IL for Braves players over the course of the past two years. Their primary shortstop is still recovering from having slipped on ice during the offseason and now they’ll be losing their primary high-leverage reliever because he slept funny one night. Is it relatable? As a 37-year-old, sure! Is it fun to see? Absolutely not!

Anyways, Dylan Dodd will be taking Iglesias’ place for the time being. This’ll be Dodd’s second stint with the Braves this season after his most recent cup of coffee saw him pitch three scoreless innings against the Guardians on April 12. Iglesias, meanwhile, has 8.2 scoreless innings under his belt so far this season with five hits, one walk and 11 strikeouts to his name. The Braves are going to miss him while he’s gone.

Fortunately, the depth in the bullpen has been shored up to the point where they can actually afford to take a hit here. Robert Suarez has also been lights out so far and he will now be taking on closing duties while Iglesias is out. Losing the closer means that everybody’s responsibility has bumped up a bit but moving Suarez into that spot is about as much of a lateral move as you can get.

Either way, here’s hoping that Iglesias didn’t sleep his way into a long stint on the IL and that we’ll see him again in two weeks. It’s frustrating but that’s just the type of injury luck that the Braves have had in recent years. We’ll see what happens.

One of the San Diego Padres relievers who does not get much attention is also the elder statesman in the group. Wandy Peralta, who pitched for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, has been a mainstay in the San Diego bullpen since he left the New York Yankees. The left-hander is known as a groundball pitcher and has been called upon in some tough spots to get the Padres out of a jam. Like any reliever it has not always been good for Peralta. There have been times when he did not get the out or when he surrendered a home run to tie a game, but through it all he has maintained a good relationship with his teammates and has remained a positive presence in the locker room. Peralta may be overlooked by baseball pundits and media members who like to rave about the various aspects of the San Diego ‘pen, but his value is known and recognized by the Padres players, coaches and front office.

Padres News:

• Jose Miranda was sent to Triple-A El Paso after a strong spring with the Padres and he is remaining ready if his services are ever needed at the MLB level.

• Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribuneprovided some news and notes about the Padres. More specifically he covered topics surrounding Mason Miller, Bradgley Rodriguez and Fernando Tatis Jr.

• By now, many if not all of the Friar Faithful have seen the home run-robbing catches by Jackson Merrill in center field. The rest of MLB has seen them too and decided one of the most recent was good enough for Play of the Week.

• Dennis Lin of The Athletic says Ramon Laureano is shorter thanks to ABS this season, which has improved his performance on offense.

Baseball News:

• Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners caught a 107.5 mph line drive in center field that changed directions mid-flight.

• Miguel Rojas of the Los Angeles Dodgers recorded his 1,000th career hit in the Dodgers’ win over the Colorado Rockies and Shohei Ohtani pushed his on-base streak to 52 games.

• The Chicago Cubs earned their sixth consecutive win with good pitching and better defense.

• Ronald Acuna Jr. avoids serious injury after hit-by-pitch as Atlanta Braves go on to win.

• Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz has surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow and will miss time.

• Baltimore Orioles need 12 innings to get extra-inning win over Kansas City Royals.

• Sal Stewart hit his eighth home run of the season and helped the Cincinnati Reds get their fourth win in a row.

WASHINGTON – For the past three years, Dominic Smith has waited for the phone to ring, for a guaranteed job to emerge, for an assurance that his baseball life will continue unfettered.

Then the winter will grow colder, the employment offers no less certain, and Smith will steel himself for the weeks ahead: A spring training invite, a job to win, perhaps an opt-out to find greener pastures, or a humbling trip to the minor leagues that would seem beneath a valued veteran first baseman.

And then Smith, now 30, returns to his mantras of faith and self-confidence to realize another team will recognize his skills, but perhaps most important his humanity that can galvanize a clubhouse over however long a team will have him around for the 162-game grind.

Through it all, Smith’s belief will not waver.

“It’s never stressful,” Smith, now the primary designated hitter for the Atlanta Braves, tells USA TODAY Sports. “It’s a blessing to play this game – whether it’s overseas, if it’s in Triple-A. This is a game. Life is way more important outside of the game to put that much stress on yourself.

“I just believe in God and believe God is always going to make things work. And look where I’m at.

“That’s why I have this mindset.”

This spring, it has guided him not just through professional uncertainty but also personal tragedy.

Smith did not sign with the Braves until Feb. 19, a week after spring training camp opened. It was then that his mother, Yvette LaFleur, nearly perished after she was diagnosed with cancer in September. It left Smith in a near-impossible position: Aiming to make the team while balancing his mother’s diminishing time left.

He left camp for one week to be at Yvette’s side in Los Angeles, then returned to Florida to win a job. She died while he was away.

What’s transpired since says even more about Smith.

In his first start for the Braves on March 28, Smith became the first player in major league history to hit a walk-off grand slam in his debut with a club. Smith admittedly “got choked up a bunch of times” thinking about his mother amid the celebration.

And as this young season unfolds, Smith has only become more integral to the Braves’ stunning 16-7 start.

He flipped another game with a three-run double in the bottom of the eighth to beat Miami April 15. The hitter with a career .252 average and .316 on-base percentage is slashing .345/.362/.600 with four home runs and likely has a lock on the DH job – at least against right-handed pitchers – even when Sean Murphy returns from injury.

Perhaps more significant is his impact on Atlanta in just a few weeks.

“Everybody loves Dom. He’s a tremendous human being,” says first-year Braves manager Walt Weiss. “He’s been through a lot, right? He’s had to deal with DFAs, he’s had to deal with the garbage stuff that the players, if you stick around long enough, have to deal with.

“There’s a lot of experience, a lot of wisdom there. There’s also a lot of perspective, a lot of humility through it all. Just a wonderful, wonderful guy and I’m glad we have him.”

It is a common sentiment wherever Smith goes.

'He kept us alive'

He’s lived a few baseball lives since the New York Mets selected him 11^th overall in the 2013 draft. Smith debuted in 2017 but by 2019, Pete Alonso arrived with a 53-homer season. Smith batted .299 with a .936 OPS across the 2019 and COVID-shortened 2020 seasons, but tumbled to below league-average production the following two seasons.

By 2022, the Mets optioned him to Class AAA for 54 games, and non-tendered him after the season. The Washington Nationals gave him his last guaranteed deal – one year, $2 million – and he spent the year a sage for a 91-loss team.

Since then? Spring invites to the Cubs and Yankees, minor league trips to Durham and Scranton, brief stints with the Red Sox and Reds in 2024 before hooking on with the San Francisco Giants last June.

It was there that he fully emerged as a glue guy, on a club that would eventually fire manager Bob Melvin and significantly alter the franchise by trading for Rafael Devers two weeks after Smith’s arrival.

The Giants went 81-81 and at times that felt like a miracle.

“He was crucial to the success we had last year. He kept us alive for a lot of it,” says Giants third baseman Matt Chapman. “He knew how to take a good at-bat, how to do what the situation calls for. You see what he’s doing right now – he has the ability to really, really swing the bat and play well.

“He’s never too high, never too low and has a knack for getting the big hit, which is why you saw him come up clutch so much.”

And for a guy who’s never hit more than 12 home runs in a season and only twice played more than 100 games, Smith has found a way to communicate what he can bring to a team.

It is challenging, within the context of making a team out of spring training, or convincing another one to carve out a major league roster spot to leapfrog organizations. Yet that is where that Dom Smith energy comes into play.

“It’s not easy to do when your back’s against the wall,” says Chapman. “A lot of people could be pissed off about not getting an opportunity or feel like they’ve been slighted. He didn’t have that energy. He always had good energy, showed up and did what he was asked to do.

“That’s very respectable and why me and him are going to be close for a long time.”

Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams says he and Smith remain close, and talk often on the phone. He learned from Smith the art of self care, the importance of diet and the concept of availability as the best ability.

“When the opportunity presents itself, he comes and gets the job done,” says Abrams. “As you can see right now, he’s doing his thing.”

'Understanding who you are'

As Smith adds stamps to his baseball passport, he sees the value of his accrued experiences – the compact pressure of playing in Boston, the glare of New York, and, with San Francisco and Atlanta, getting tutelage from franchise legends Barry Bonds and Chipper Jones.

All the while, knowing thyself.

“Understanding who you are,” Smith puts it. “For me, the biggest thing was being available and be able to compete at a high level. Not necessarily put up All-Star numbers, but compete. I think that’s what teams value.

“Guys that they don’t have to worry about. Guys who put together good at-bats. I’ve been around for a while now. So, I understand the value to a team so they don’t lose a beat, regardless of what happens internally.”

Sometimes, those internal developments can roil a squad. This spring, the Braves lost left fielder Jurickson Profar to a PED suspension for the second consecutive year, the multiple offenses costing Profar all 162 games of 2026.

Given they were down an entire rotation due to injury, it looked like another dark cloud that would produce the Braves’ second consecutive sub-.500 season after winning seven consecutive division titles.

Instead, the Braves are tied with the Dodgers for most wins in baseball, the clubhouse and its first-year manager seemingly in lockstep, and GM Alex Anthopoulos holding steady even as pitching injuries threatened to sink the season.

“Alex preaches having a positive attitude to the ballclub,” says Smith, who also lauds Anthopoulos for "understanding guys and understanding what being a good human means."

“That’s the biggest thing – coming in here open-minded and just help them win. It’s a great ballclub and we have World Series aspirations. We want to play meaningful games, playoff games, World Series games. It was a dream come true how it all unfolded.”

Then again, Smith has a knack for making his own breaks, even when nothing’s guaranteed, even when personal turmoil could have sidetracked him.

“To have that uncertainty held over you,” says Chapman, “and now the story’s out but he was battling things off the field with his mom. For him to be able to get to the field and do what he did just shows how special he is.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Braves' Dominic Smith overcame tragedy, uncertainty to thrive in Atlanta

Tulsa Drillers left-hander Luke Fox is off to a nice start to his 2026 season, and on Monday was named Texas League pitcher of the week for his efforts for the week of April 14-19.

Fox made two starts for Tulsa last week, and didn’t allow a run in either outing. He bookended the series against the Arkansas Travelers, a Seattle Mariners affiliate, with 5 2/3 scoreless innings and six strikeouts and two walks on Tuesday, then four strikeouts in four scoreless innings on Sunday afternoon. He only allowed one hit in each start.

The Dodgers drafted Fox in the 17th round in 2023 out of Duke, where he missed his final season after Tommy John surgery, which delayed his professional debut until May 2024. Fox finished last season with nine starts for Tulsa, and in 13 Double-A starts to date has a 2.57 ERA with 69 strikeouts and 27 walks in 63 innings.

This season, Fox has only walked five batters to go with his 23 strikeouts and 32.4-percent strikeout rate in four starts.

Fox is the third Dodgers minor leaguer to win weekly honors this season. Triple-A Oklahoma City outfielder/first baseman James Tibbs III won Pacific Coast League player of the week for March 31-April 5, and Class-A Ontario right-hander Marlon Nieves won California League pitcher of the week for April 6-12.

Editor’s note: Welcome to the slightly revamped Rivalry Roundup! The American League is a bit of a muddled mess right now, even by April standards, so we’re taking a slightly different approach until the picture gets at least a little more clear. We polled the Rivarly Roundup writers to determine two teams who would get our closest focus and landed (for now) on Boston and Toronto. We will additionally have more abridged coverage—again, for now—of the Tigers, Guardians, Orioles, Rays, Mariners, Astros, and Rangers in “Other Teams.” There is sure to be some overlap in matchups; we just want to make sure we’re covering our bases. Thanks!

With the Yankees off Monday before heading to Boston, it was a great day to hate cheer against our enemies. The day got off to a shoddy start, with Boston defeating Detroit in the annual Boston Marathon morning game. Monday night, unfortunately, the Jays and Orioles followed suit with wins of their own.

The Rays at least had the decency to lose. As did the Mariners, who are off to a brutal start. Houston unfortunately won. I’m sure I’m not the only Yankees fan wondering how far that ship can sink.

Boston Red Sox (9-13) 8, Detroit Tigers (12-11) 6

It’s been rough times in Boston to start the season… you just hate to see it. After the BoSox jumped out to a 2-0 lead early, the Tigers chipped away, taking the lead in the top of the sixth and giving hope, for a brief moment, that they could hang another early season loss on the Red Sox.

Alas, Roman Anthony knotted the game back up at three in the home sixth and then Boston took over in the seventh. With the bases loaded and one out, Ceddaanne Rafaela came to the dish. His single down the right field line scored two, though former Yankee farmhand Caleb Durbin was out at the dish. Rafaela later came around to score the Sox’s sixth run. In the bottom of the eighth, former Yankee Isiah Kiner-Falefa added a two-run single of his own to make it 8-3 and put Boston on the verge of a laugher.

Needing three outs and up five, the Sox left Ryan Watson in to try and close the game out. They chose… poorly. With runners on second and third and one out, former Yankee Gleyber Torres singled in a fourth run, prompting Boston to bring closer and former Yankee (bit of a theme in this one) Aroldis Chapman in. Riley Greene doubled in two more runs to bring Detroit to within two and bring the tying run to the plate but Chapman got Dillon Dingler to ground out to end it. I’m sure Boston would have prefered to not bring Chapman in but on a day where they went through seven relievers while the Yankees relaxed before heading to Fenway, it seems par for the course.

Toronto Blue Jays (9-13) 5, Los Angeles Angels (11-13) 2

The Jays have been off to a miserable start, much like Boston. You also hate to see it. Monday night, however, they played the Angels pretty tough. Unlike the Yankees, they managed to keep Mike bleeping Trout in the yard. Lo and behold, that helped keep the Angels from racking up runs.

On the mound, offseason addition Dylan Cease was in his bag. The righty tossed five innings of two-run ball, whiffing 12 Angels hitters. Tough to score when you’re striking out constantly. The downside though, is Cease could only go five, with a pitch count at 110.

At the dish, franchise player Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. supplied the heroics. With Toronto down one early, Vladito clubbed a two-run bomb, one of three hits on the day. The Angels tied the game but the Jays managed single runs in the sixth and seventh to extend their lead to 4-2. They added a fifth run in the top of the ninth and held on for the 5-2 win.

Other Games

Houston Astros (9-15) 9, Cleveland Guardians (13-11) 2

The Astros have been a hot mess early this season but thanks to a bevy of long balls, they took down Cleveland Monday night. Christian Walker, who was abysmal in the first half of 2025 for the Astros but markedly improved down the stretch, has come out of the gates strongly in 2026 and tonight was no exception. Walker punctuated his three-hit night with a two-run home run. The Astros’ hero of the day, however, was Isaac Paredes. The former Ray mashed two round-trippers of his own as Houston ran away with this one.

Tampa Bay Rays (12-10) 1, Cincinnati Reds (15-8) 6

This one was never all that close. The Rays managed a first inning run. But they were already down two when they did. From there, Cincinnati kept adding on. The big blow for the Reds was Sal Stewart’s eighth homerun of the year, a two-run blast in the first that gave them a lead they never surrendered. In the top of the sixth, Rece Hinds hit a two-run double that put the Reds up 5-1 and put this one out of reach, as the Rays never came close after that.

Baltimore Orioles (11-12) 7, Kansas City Royals (7-16) 5 (12)

Man, the Royals are just awful. The Yankees swept them away at the Stadium this weekend and, even having returned home, they’re still down bad. God bless their hearts, they got out to an early lead, thanks to a Jac Caglianone solo home run in the first. And they even held onto it… until the ninth. Baltimore tied it in then, and the two teams traded runs in the 11th. In the 12th, Leody Taveras put the game away for the O’s with a grand slam, continuing Kansas City’s immiseration.

Seattle Mariners (10-14) 4, Athletics (12-11) 6

Seattle’s offense is going through it. The Big Dumper hit his third home run of the season… he finished the night with a .538 OPS. Josh Naylor had a three-hit night… .520 OPS. Julio, with his two hits, finished the night at .609. You can’t predict baseball, Suzyn.

To be fair, Seattle did jump out to a 3-0 lead, which must have felt really good, given their struggles at the dish. Alas, they gave it all back. A trio of long balls from the Athletics knotted the game at three. Then, in the eighth, a sacrifice fly and a two-run single put the A’s up 6-3 and they held on, handing the Mariners another April loss. You hate to see it.

Happy Tuesday! An uncharacteristic Emerson Hancock start and unfortunate, late-game bullpen meltdown resulted in a 3-6 loss for the Mariners against the Athletics yesterday. Luis Castillo will hope to get the Mariners back in the win column today as he takes the mound at 6:40 PM against Jacob Lopez.

In Mariners news…

• A crazy catch from Julio Rodriguez in the first inning of yesterday’s game prevented a 107.5 MPH hit from Athletics’ first baseman Nick Kurtz.
• ICYMI: Third baseman Brendan Donovan has been placed on the 10-day IL with a left groin muscle strain, and infielder Will Wilson has been selected from Triple-A Tacoma in a corresponding move.
• Catching prospect Luke Stevenson injured his wrist on a slide into second base but will be back in the Everett AquaSox lineup today after missing a few games.

Around the league…

• Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz is set to undergo elbow surgery and is expected to miss multiple months.
• The Boston Red Sox have placed veteran RHP Sonny Gray on the 15-day IL with right hamstring tightness.
• Mechanical failures on the Toronto Blue Jays’ flight from Phoenix to Anaheim forced the team into a five hour bus ride to their game against the Los Angeles Angels.
• The Tampa Bay Rays have placed reliever Mason Englert on the 15-day IL due to forearm tightness, and will additionally shut down RHP Edwin Uceta for 2-3 weeks after he strained his throwing shoulder.
• New York Mets RHP rookie Nolan McLean will be tasked with breaking the team’s 11-game losing streak in his start today against the Minnesota Twins.
• Infielder Jonathan India has been placed on the Kansas City Royals’ 10-day IL with a left-shoulder subluxation.
• The Minnesota Twins have placed RHP Mick Abel on the 15-day IL due to right elbow inflammation.
• J.J. Cooper at Baseball America highlights the current differences in how radar guns read fastball velocities.

If you’re in the imaging ward at Mass General today, keep an eye out for Sonny Gray (but don’t bother him; that’s weird and lame). He’ll be getting an MRI on his hamstring today after the Sox placed him on the 15-day IL and gave his spot on the roster to Tyler Samaniego — a spot that will likely go to someone else when Gray’s turn in the rotation comes around again. As of now, the Sox don’t sound too worried. “I’m not concerned it’s a long-term thing … It doesn’t [feel] as bad as it has other times where I have missed time,” said Gray. But this wouldn’t be the first time in recent years that the Red Sox have downplayed a pitching injury only for it to turn out much worse than anticipated. (Hey, how are things going, Kutter Crawford? Say hello to Johan Oviedo for us.) (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

But at least the pitching universe is trying to balance itself out a bit. Just as Gray goes down, Greg Weissert returns to form. His incredible sixth inning yesterday was paramount in the Red Sox’ Patriots Day win. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)

Should some credit to Weissert’s bounce-back go to… Jarren Duran? The reliever says yes. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)

Now maybe Greg Weissert can give Duran some advice to help him turn his season at the plate around. Alex Cora points to Duran’s tendency to chase pitches outside of the zone as his big problem so far this year. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)

Chasing pitching outside the of the zone is Ceddanne Rafaela’s biggest weakness, of course. But yesterday he turned a bad swing decision into a game-winning hit. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)

Though Ceddanne wouldn’t have even been in a position to get the game-winning RBIs if Carlos Narvaez of all people hadn’t come through with a clutch stolen base the inning before. (Ian Browne, MLB.com)

After splitting the four-game series with the Tigers, the Sox will now turn their attention to the, ugh, New York Yankees. Here’s a look at where to the two teams stand as we begin the 2026 chapter of the greatest rivalry in North American sports. (Jen McCaffrey, Brendan Kuty, The Athletic)

And if you’re wondering where the rivalry itself stands, Cam Schlittler says he’s getting death threats. (Conor Ryan, Boston Globe)

I’ve noticed that the A’s have worn strictly grey on the road this season. Last year, it was a mix between the grey, gold, and the kelly green tops but with the 2010s style gold jerseys being retired in the offseason in favor of their new “Sacramento Saturdays” jersey, we’ve seem to have lost the gold top as an option on the road. Which is strange when you think about it, given that it’s the only jersey in their collection that pays respect to the city they’re sort’ve resting in for the time being. I guess this is because they don’t want to give opposing fans the wrong impression. They are The Athletics. Not the Sacramento Athletics. Even on Sacramento Saturdays, they’re still The Athletics. Sporting “Sacramento” across their chests is simply just an act of fan service. A reason for locals to flock to the team shop in between innings.

Now why they’ve stopped wearing the kelly greens on the road, I don’t know. My working theory is that the players have grown tired of them. It’s been adopted as their spring training look in recent years and maybe because of that, it’s lost a little bit of its big league charm. In fact overall, it might be the least worn jersey this season. I can only recall it being worn once. If that continues to be the case, it would actually be so for the second consecutive year. Tim Kelly from MLB.com did a power ranking going into the season, where he broke down where every MLB club’s uniform combos stood in comparison to one another, as well as how many times they were worn throughout 2025.

The A’s came in second (easy first imo) behind the St. Louis Cardinals and this was their overall slashline:

Grey — 67; White — 59; Yellow — 23; Kelly Green — 13

At the pace we’re moving, grey will remain the dominant jersey. 67 times out of 81 opportunities is already pretty insane when you think about it. Take one more option out of the mix and grey has a real shot at cracking 75 this season.

Now if they go the whole year without ever veering from ole reliable on the road, we the fans should get some sort of pizza party…or at least a verbal commitment to bringing back the black tops from the late 2000s.

They never did get to experience a playoff game.

A’s Coverage:

• Athletics Beat Mariners in Seattle 6-4
• Lawrence Butler’s Rough Start Comes With a Big Asterisk
• A’s Finally Addressing an Area of Need With Latest Roster Move
• Do-Overs For (Almost) Everyone In The AL West
• Today Is A Day Of Special Meaning — For More Than One Reason
• Denzel and Co. add to highlight reel as A’s defense turns away Rangers
• A’s top prospect Leo De Vries pops his first two homers of the season at Double-A
• Armchair 101: The Challenge Of Judging Decisions In Real Time
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Observes The Wild Denzelope In Its Natural Habitat
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Toes The Rubber With Pitching Coach Scott Emerson
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Catches Up With Starting Pitcher Jacob Lopez

MLB News and Interest:

• Former Ohio substitute teacher makes first appearance in front of hometown crowd
• Taiwanese fans go out of their way to thank Fairchild for epic Classic
• Small market MLB teams are outperforming big payrolls
• Cubs’ Craig Counsell Calls Out ‘Bizarre’ MLB Rule That Helps Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers
• Zack Wheeler On Track For Late April Return
• Aaron Boone: Cole needs more rehab outings
• Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier Projected To Return In 5-7 Weeks
• Guardians’ Austin Hedges gets engaged on field following game
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

So cozy right now with our half game lead and -17 run differential

Run it back tomorrow 🫡 pic.twitter.com/OLDIPLa116

— SleeperAthletics (@SleeperAth) April 21, 2026

JK-47 is an all time nickname. If this guy records more than 20 saves this season I demand a bobblehead

ANOTHER SAVE FOR JK-47!!🔫🔫🔫
THE MIGHTY ATHLETICS WIN IN SEATTLE!! pic.twitter.com/lANNfvMwng

— Athletics Rants (@AthleticsRants) April 21, 2026

Every great championship run begins with your pitching staff not being able to locate the strike zone

I knew I wasn’t crazy. A’s pitchers throw the lowest percentage of strikes in MLB. pic.twitter.com/lmsUlnIbE4

— Alan Torres (@cuppingmaster) April 21, 2026

After tonight’s game, JK-47 fixed the cracked head gasket on my 1989 Toyota Camry Station Wagon

#Athleticspic.twitter.com/dUiXTdgP17

— Joel Kuhnel’s Goatee (@JeffTalksAs) April 20, 2026

FINALLY ANOTHER LEFTY BUT I MISS SEAN NEWCOMB :’(

This bullpen needs another lefty badly. Really hope Basso can perform and hold down a roster spot https://t.co/uihs9EX134

— Straight A’s (@StraightAs123) April 20, 2026

Diamondbacks News

Jose Fernandez, Ildemaro Vargas still getting good use out of Carlos Santana’s Gold Glove by Alex Weiner [Arizona Sports]

Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Carlos Santana was taken off the field due to an adductor strain, but his glove is still being put to good use.

That’s because versatile infielders Ildemaro Vargas and Jose Fernandez have shared the leather while splitting reps at first base in Santana’s absence, keeping the purple Rawlings with a gold patch to honor Santana’s 2024 Gold Glove win.

Manager Torey Lovullo described it as “leave the glove at first base and run in,” like kids playing on a sandlot.

3 D-backs Prospects Getting Closer to Making Big League Debut by Alex D’Agostino [SI]

Arizona’s top overall prospect was hitting a mere .238/.396/.381 through his first 11 games at the Triple-A level. The walk ability and on-base percentage was still there, as it has been for the outfielder at every minor league level.

In the 10 games that have followed since then, Waldschmidt has raised his slash to an eye-popping .338/.448/.563. He’s hitting .375 and slugging .594 for the month of April thus far; that includes four doubles, two triples and two home runs.

Diamondbacks’ Devotion to Chaos Continues into 2026 by Jack Sommers [SI]

“We work very hard at bunting,” Lovullo said. “You can see a lot of clubs are doing it now. It’s coming back into this game. I think for a long time it was, we will accept swing and miss, let’s launch the ball into the seats, let’s create some walks and build innings.

“But over the past three or four years, I think it started somewhere in the 2023 season, we thought and figured out this part of the equation that when we can put somebody in scoring position in combination with baserunning, put the ball on the ground, it was going to create a little bit of chaos.”

Around the League

Mechanical failure forces Blue Jays to bus to Anaheim by Courtney Hollmon [MLB]

The Blue Jays’ journey from Phoenix to Anaheim on Sunday didn’t involve a chartered jet or a first-class cabin. Instead, it involved three buses, a five-hour stretch of Interstate 10, and felt a lot more like a scene from the Northwest League than the Major Leagues.

The trouble started around 4 p.m., when a mechanical failure was discovered in the plane’s joystick — the primary control for takeoffs and landings. The Blue Jays were faced with a choice: wait for a replacement aircraft to fly in from Vancouver, which wouldn’t have landed until 10 p.m., or load the 60-person traveling party onto buses for the long trek across I-10.

As often happens in sports, manager John Schneider took the decision to a team vote. The decision to bus passed by roughly 30 votes, as the majority of players preferred to get moving immediately. However, not everyone was thrilled with the outcome; Schneider joked that he was already reprimanded by veteran Max Scherzer, who issued a full-letterhead kangaroo court summons over the travel decision.

Dodgers’ Edwin Diaz out till ‘second half’ for elbow surgery [ESPN]

Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz is scheduled to undergo surgery Wednesday to remove loose bodies in his right elbow, the team announced. The expectation is that the reliever could sit out around three months, a source told ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez on Monday.

Los Angeles put Diaz, 32, on the 15-day injured list before the team’s series finale with the Colorado Rockies on Monday, adding in a statement that he’d be back “during the second half of the season.” In a corresponding move, the Dodgers recalled left-hander Jake Eder, 27, from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

FanGraphs Power Rankings: April 13-19 by Jake Mailhot [FanGraphs] {Ed. Note: The Diamondbacks are sandwiched between the Padres and Yankees at #4, but in the write up of Tier 2, they are completely ignored.}

Mason Miller picked up his league-leading eighth save on Sunday, though he only struck out two, pushing his FIP up a few points to -1.11. It was a return to form for Miller after he allowed just his second hit and second walk of the season in his appearance on Saturday — there was a man in scoring position against him before he shut the door! With so much elite pitching in the league these days, the idea of a reliever winning the Cy Young is farfetched, but Miller is quickly off to one of the strongest starts for a relief pitcher in history. His dominance is a big reason why the Padres are just a half-game behind the Dodgers in the NL West.

Aaron Judge isn’t leading the Yankees offense right now. That honor is currently held by Ben Rice, with his .338/.476/.800 (a 245 wRC+) slash line. He’s hit a home run in four straight games. Not to be out done, Judge cracked five homers last week, including four in a four-game series against the Angels — Mike Trout hit five of his own in that series — in a fantastic display of slugging. After a rough sweep in Tampa Bay to close out the previous week, the Yankees look like they’ve righted the ship with five wins in their last seven games.

Meet the Mets

The Mets return to action tonight and will turn to young Nolan McLean to halt their slide.

Juan Soto should be back in uniform for the Mets soon, but Max Ralph pondered the question that’s on everybody’s mind: When exactly will Soto be back on the field?

Jared Greenspan explored the history of teams that have endured long losing streaks like the Mets, and what it means for their playoff hopes.

The team is backing Carlos Mendoza amid the losing streak, which isn’t sitting right with everybody. Still, it is clear that there’s enough blame to go around here.

On This Week In Mets, Tim Britton discussed the Mets having 10 days to save their season.

Jon Heyman examined the 11 possible miscalculations that have sent the Mets’ season awry.

Pat Ragazzo looked at three possible options to replace Carlos Mendoza should the Mets choose to fire their manager.

Writing for Defector, Lauren Theisen encouraged us to “Delete the Mets”.

Around the National League East

“Ain’t no rule that says a goose can’t play baseball!” or whatever they said in Air Bud.

Despite the help of their goose friend, the Phillies lost 5-1 to the Cubs.

The Marlins held off the Cardinals 5-3.

The Braves put up a five-spot in the sixth to beat the Nationals 9-4.

Around Major League Baseball

The Pirates surged into the Top 5 in the latest MLB Power Rankings.

Did you have the NL Central as baseball’s best division? Be honest. Of course you didn’t, but it is.

Ken Rosenthal analyzed the deep problems the Mets, Phillies, and Astros face beyond their managers, who are not safe despite this not being entirely their faults.

The Yankees’ rotation might be this generation’s Murderers’ Row, explains Mike Lupica.

Cam Schlittler, who grew up a Red Sox fan in Massachucetts, says he and his family have received threats ahead of his start against the Red Sox in Fenway, but is nevertheless excited to pitch in the series.

The Royals released former first round pick Asa Lacy after six injury-riddled seasons.

Old friend Edwin Díaz will miss three month as he is set to undergo surgery to remove loose bodies in his right elbow.

The Twins placed right-hander Mick Abel on the injured list with right elbow inflammation. Abel was slated to face the Mets tonight.

Sonny Gray exited his start on Patriots’ Day with right hamstring tightness.

The Red Sox used some late-game small ball to secure an 8-6 victory over the Tigers on Patriots’ Day.

Colin Rea and a plethora of defensive gems helped Chicago top Philadelphia yesterday for their sixth straight win.

The first-place Reds won again, defeating the Rays 6-1 for their fourth straight victory. After some friendly pre-game trash talk, Elly De La Cruz robbed Junior Caminero with an incredible catch.

The Blue Jays had to take three buses from Phoenix to Anaheim, but they shook off the rust and prevailed 5-2 over the Angels for a series-opening win.

The Astros beat up the Guardians 9-2.

The Orioles edged the lowly Royals 7-5 in 12 innings.

The Mariners fell 6-4 to the Athletics, but Julio Rodríguez made a catch that people are talking about in the loss.

The Dodgers trounced the Rockies 12-3. In the win, Dave Roberts went with his gut and flipped Max Muncy and Miguel Rojas in the lineup, resulting in three homers between the two. Shohei Ohtani also extended his on-base streak to 52.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

I wrote about the decision the Mets face with Carlos Mendoza

Linus Lawrence provided a Monday Stat Party.

This Date in Mets History

Happy 69th birthday Jesse Orosco! (Nice)

After a really unfortunate shoulder injury that short-circuited a hot start to his pro career, the Detroit Tigers third ranked prospect, shortstop Bryce Rainer, has had a sluggish return to action in 2026. However, it’s only been 11 games, and he’s returning after 10 months away from game action, so it’s no surprise that he needed some time to get his bearings. The Tigers are unconcerned, and the 20-year-old Rainer was promoted to the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps on Monday. In his place, the Tigers have activated their 2025 first round pick in the draft, prep shortstop Jordan Yost, assigning him to Single-A Lakeland Flying Tigers for his full season debut.

Rainer was the 11th round pick out of Harvard-Westlake HS in the 2024 MLB draft. He hit the ground running in 2025 in Lakeland, showing off 70 grade raw power and a big arm that had made him more of a pitching prospect in high school until he broke out with the bat during his senior season. He immediately turned heads by hammering fastballs and going the opposite way with authority, showing good zone judgement, and displaying good defensive chops and speed on the basepaths. The left-hander hitter showed some early weakness against breaking balls, but was well on his way to a great pro debut and a rapid promotion to West Michigan when he tore his right rotator cuff diving back to first base on a pickoff attempt. So he’s really picking up about where he left off last May.

Some struggles as he faces some more advanced pitching should be expected, as with only 46 games worth of experience against pro pitching out of high school, there is bound to be some catching up to do. There’s no rush, and as long as he’s handling the level well by year’s end that’s very good progress, setting him up to tackle Double-A in his age 21 season in 2027.

Rainer missed the rest of the 25 season after the injury, and the Tigers eased him back into action throughout minor league camp in March. Since the Florida State League got underway, the Tigers have played him at shortstop in 8 of his 11 games and worked out of the DH slot in the rest. Rainer hasn’t hit the ground running offensively, but he’s continued to post some eye-popping exit velocity numbers that surpass anything a current Detroit Tigers hitter has managed, Riley Greene included.

A 477 foot blast last week that left the bat at over 116 mph made a statement that Rainer was stronger and swinging the bat even faster than last year. On the other hand, he’s been taking an awful lot of called strikes so far, and seems a little tight in the batters box. This early on it’s hard to say if the passivity is an issue here or just Rainer reacclimating himself. I would bet the latter.

As for Yost, he’s so far followed a familiar pattern since draft day. Lauded for his elite bat to ball skills and strike zone judgement, as well as the potential for Gold Glove defense at the shortstop position, the shortcoming scouts pointed to around draft day was his slender frame and low level of present power. There was some thought that Yost might never even develop good gap power. The Tigers obviously begged to differ, and they’re developing a track record of being correct on these matters. The slender, six-foot tall left-handed hitter built 13 pounds of good muscle between draft day and spring training, and immediately debuted in major league camp with a grand slam this spring in his first place appearance outside of the back fields. It wasn’t a cheap home run either.

So, some concerns about Yost’s future power potential were immediately alleviated. The 19-year-old will probably never be a big time power threat, but he’s got all the tools to develop into a really good hitting shortstop who plays high end defense, steals bases, and gives the Tigers 15 home runs a year with plenty of extra base hits. At the same time, he’s just getting started, and there’s a very long way to go.

So far, the Harris/Greenberg strategy of favoring athletic prep players with high end contact ability and worrying about power potential later is paying off already in the form of Kevin McGonigle thanks to the work of scouting chiefs Rob Metzler and Mark Conner. The long-term future of the Tigers’ infield could be really exciting. The heavy emphasis on locking up good prep pitchers in the draft, on the other hand, is not working out well at all, but there’s time for that to turn around.

It’s a positive, if not surprising, sign that Ryan Garko and Shane Ferrell decided Yost didn’t need extended spring training or work in the Complex League, which opens on May 2, to help prepare him for Florida State League action. Rainer moving up made this the move, but the timing makes sense as well, as the Flying Tigers will start a homestand against the New York Yankees affiliate, the Tampa Bay Tarpons on Tuesday evening. Fellow 2025 first rounder Michael Oliveto will probably need a little more time to refine his work at the catcher position comign out of high school, but his bat is also advanced enough that the two should unite with the Flying Tigers before too long.

As for Rainer, the Tigers wanted to give him some time to get his feet under him before what is still a pretty rapid promotion. At the same time, he’ll be 21 in July and is ready to be pushed even if he struggles along the way. The psuedo rehab assignment in Lakeland allowed him to play in decent weather as he got up to speed. With a homestand starting on Tuesday night versus the Lake County Captains and the weather turning back to spring, it’s a good week to get out to LMCU Park and catch the Whitecaps if you’re in the area. Rainer will probably need some time to adapt to more consistent breaking stuff in the Midwest League, but his defense and the crazy raw power on display are comfortably worth the price of admission alone. He’s a riskier prospect than McGonigle or Max Clark, but the upside here is tremendous.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has a message for anyone who thinks his team is bending MLB's rules regarding two-way players: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

The Dodgers came under fire recently from Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell, who took issue with a recent game in which Shohei Ohtani served as a starting pitcher, but wasn't also in the lineup as designated hitter.

Under MLB rules, two-way players don't count against the 13-pitcher roster limit. So Ohtani effectively gives the Dodgers one more pitcher than any other team.

Before the Brewers' game on Monday, April 20, Counsell called the rule "bizarre" and suggested it gives the Dodgers an unfair advantage. "There’s not another player like that," Counsell said, "but one team gets different rules for that player."

After the Dodgers' 12-3 win over the Colorado Rockies later that night, Roberts responded.

"We're more than willing to have other teams go out and find a player that can do both (pitching and hitting)," Roberts said. "He's an exception because he's an exceptional player."

Ohtani went 1-for-4 with two walks and two runs scored in the Dodgers' win on Monday night. In the process he extended his streak of reaching base to 52 consecutive games, moving him ever closer to Duke Snider's franchise record of 58 in a row.

Counsell will have a chance to express his concerns directly to Roberts and Ohtani this weekend when the Cubs visit Dodger Stadium for a three-game series against the two-time defending World Series champions.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dave Roberts responds to Craig Counsell's 'Shohei Ohtani rule' take