Manager Carlos Mendoza outlined the plan for Francisco Alvarez for the rest of the week, saying the rehabbing catcher will be behind the plate for Double-A Binghamton for back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday following an off day Thursday.
If all goes to plan, it sounds like there’s a chance Alvarez could be active for Sunday’s series final at Citi Field.
“I think we will have a conversation after he gets through those two days and see if he needs more at-bats,” Mendoza said. “If he feels like he’s ready to go, then we have a decision here.”
The 23-year-old Alvarez, who started the season on the IL due to a broken hamate bone in his left hand, has already appeared in five rehab games with St. Lucie and Binghamton, tallying four hits, including a home run, in 17 at-bats.
Jeff McNeil back to the infield for the next two days
Mendoza confirmed that McNeil is playing center field for Low-A St. Lucie on Thursday, but following a planned off day on Friday, the veteran will play back-to-back games at his more familiar position of second base.
Mendoza said it’s unclear if McNeil will play his next two games with Syracuse or Binghamton, as the Syracuse Mets could be dealing with some unpleasant weather over the next few days.
Earlier this week, Mendoza said that McNeil could see playing time in center field when he gets back to the majors, as McNeil and Luisangel Acuña have been working on playing center should the Mets need them there. On Thursday, the Mets placed Jose Siri on the IL and called up outfielder José Azócar.
Paul Blackburn begins rehab assignment
The right-hander is heading to High-A Brooklyn to start his rehab and will have two ups on the road in Aberdeen, Md., on Saturday, Mendoza said.
It is “too early” to start looking at what role Blackburn would have when he returns healthy. The manager said he is still a “few weeks away before we have to make that decision,” but they are going to build him up to 75 pitches, leaving the option for him to join the rotation or bullpen open.
Kranick was able to return to the big league club so soon because the Mets placed outfielder Jose Siri on the 10-day Injured List with a left tibia fracture. Without the IL move, the reliever would not have had to spend 15 days in the minors, per MLB rules.
New York also optioned Justin Hagenman to Triple-A after he made his major league debut in Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins, after starter Griffin Canning was scratched due to illness. The right-hander allowed one run on one hit and struck out four over 3.1 innings of work.
In a corresponding move, outfielder José Azócar was added to the roster. Azócar has played 214 big league games over the last three seasons with the San Diego Padres, slashing .243/.287/.322 for a .610 OPS with 22 career extra-base hits and 21 RBI in 397 plate appearances.
The Mets claimed the 28-year-old off waivers last September, and he has appeared in 22 games with Syracuse, where he has 28 hits in 92 at-bats (.304).
Canning will start on Thursday, and left-hander David Peterson will be pushed back to Friday.
The Phillies jumped on the Giants in the first inning Thursday and let Cristopher Sanchez do much of the rest.
With a 6-4 win at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies salvaged a four-game series split against San Francisco and improved to 11-8 overall. They still haven’t lost a series at home since being swept by the Yankees in late July of last season.
The Phillies tallied five runs in the first. Sanchez set a new career high with 12 strikeouts over seven innings and only walked one. He allowed four hits and three runs (two earned).
Sanchez conceded a first-inning run, but he was soon working with a healthy lead. The first five Phillies reached base. Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos all singled. Bryce Harper walked.
The Phils smoked Jordan Hicks’ high-90s heaters and extended their lead to 5-1 when Alec Bohm lined a two-out triple that Luis Matos couldn’t snag on the center field warning track.
Both offenses then quieted down. Hicks righted the ship and Sanchez got rolling. He struck out eight Giants over the first four innings.
Sanchez’s changeup was extraordinarily deceptive and well-located, fading out of the zone and flummoxing San Francisco’s lineup. Out of 29 swings against Sanchez’s changeup, 22 were whiffs. He leaned on his elite pitch without growing too predictable, throwing changeups on a little over half of his pitches (50 of 97).
The Giants trimmed their deficit in the sixth inning. Turner made his second error of the day with a wayward throw to first and Matt Chapman ripped a hanging Sanchez slider into the left field seats.
Sanchez plunked Mike Yastrzemski to lead off the seventh, but he navigated around it by racking up two more strikeouts and inducing a groundout to Stott.
The Phillies added an insurance run in the eighth inning — Edmundo Sosa’s sac fly scored Harper from third — and asked Orion Kerkering and Jose Alvarado to notch the final six outs.
Kerkering tossed a 1-2-3 eighth. Alvarado gave up a solo homer to Tyler Fitzgerald but ultimately polished off the victory.
Castellanos pulled, Marsh sidelined
Castellanos exited Thursday’s game after six innings because of left hip flexor tightness and Sosa entered.
“The play that he fell down on where the ball skipped on him, he kind of turned his knee a little bit … just twisted it,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters pregame. “He’s a little sore, so we’re going to keep him out today.”
Thomson was unsure how long Marsh would be out.
“He’s going to see the doc and then we’ll re-evaluate,” he said.
“He’ll be here tomorrow,” Thomson told reporters. “He’ll throw a bullpen with us. We’ll get our trainers to get their hands on him. And then it’s probably going to be Tuesday again in (Triple A Lehigh Valley).”
Suarez threw 54 pitches Wednesday and is still ramping up.
“In theory, next time out you go to 70, 75,” Thomson said. “Then 90, 95. Then we’ll see.”
On deck
Zack Wheeler (1.1, 4.07 ERA) will face Sandy Alcantara (2-0, 4.70 ERA) on Friday night to kick off the Phillies’ three-game series vs. the Marlins.
The Phillies jumped on the Giants in the first inning Thursday and let Cristopher Sanchez do much of the rest.
With a 6-4 win at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies salvaged a four-game series split against San Francisco and improved to 11-8 overall. They still haven’t lost a series at home since being swept by the Yankees in late July of last season.
The Phillies tallied five runs in the first. Sanchez set a new career high with 12 strikeouts over seven innings and only walked one. He allowed four hits and three runs (two earned).
Sanchez conceded a first-inning run, but he was soon working with a healthy lead. The first five Phillies reached base. Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos all singled. Bryce Harper walked.
The Phils smoked Jordan Hicks’ high-90s heaters and extended their lead to 5-1 when Alec Bohm lined a two-out triple that Luis Matos couldn’t snag on the center field warning track.
Both offenses then quieted down. Hicks righted the ship and Sanchez got rolling. He struck out eight Giants over the first four innings.
Sanchez’s changeup was extraordinarily deceptive and well-located, fading out of the zone and flummoxing San Francisco’s lineup.
“It was as good as you’re going to get, I think … as good as I’ve seen,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “A lot of swing and miss. It was just diving into the ground.”
Out of 29 swings against Sanchez’s changeup, 22 were whiffs. He leaned on his elite pitch without growing too predictable, throwing changeups on a little over half of his pitches (50 of 97).
“It was kind of tough to see out there,” J.T. Realmuto said. “Once the shadows roll in, it makes it that much harder to be able to recognize spin and off speed. That’s why we started using it a little more often.”
The Giants trimmed their deficit in the sixth inning. Turner made his second error of the day with a wayward throw to first and Matt Chapman ripped a hanging Sanchez slider into the left field seats.
Sanchez plunked Mike Yastrzemski to lead off the seventh, but he navigated around it by racking up two more strikeouts and inducing a groundout to Stott.
“My key for today was go as long as I could,” Sanchez said through a Phillies interpreter. “Our bullpen’s a little tired, so I wanted to contribute on that.”
The Phillies added an insurance run in the eighth inning — Edmundo Sosa’s sac fly scored Harper from third — and asked Orion Kerkering and Jose Alvarado to notch the final six outs.
Kerkering tossed a 1-2-3 eighth. Alvarado gave up a solo homer to Tyler Fitzgerald but ultimately polished off the victory.
Castellanos pulled, Marsh sidelined
Castellanos exited Thursday’s game after six innings because of left hip flexor tightness and Sosa entered. According to Thomson, Castellanos “should be good to go tomorrow.”
“The play that he fell down on where the ball skipped on him, he kind of turned his knee a little bit … just twisted it,” Thomson told reporters pregame. “He’s a little sore, so we’re going to keep him out today.”
Thomson said postgame that Marsh has “just kind of a strain behind the knee,” is considered “day-to-day,” and is not expected to require an IL stint.
“He’ll be here tomorrow,” Thomson told reporters. “He’ll throw a bullpen with us. We’ll get our trainers to get their hands on him. And then it’s probably going to be Tuesday again in (Triple A Lehigh Valley).”
Suarez threw 54 pitches Wednesday and is still ramping up.
“In theory, next time out you go to 70, 75,” Thomson said. “Then 90, 95. Then we’ll see.”
On deck
Zack Wheeler (1.1, 4.07 ERA) will face Sandy Alcantara (2-0, 4.70 ERA) on Friday night to kick off the Phillies’ three-game series vs. the Marlins.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani did not record a hit with a runner in scoring position until Wednesday's game against the Rockies. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Shohei Ohtani is not publicly known, nor personally sees himself, as a quick starter at the plate.
"Overall, in my career,” he said through interpreter Will Ireton, “I don't really have a hot start in the beginning of the season.”
This year, that’s technically true again — but only if you hold the reigning National League MVP to his own stratospheric standards.
Through the opening three weeks, all of Ohtani’s triple-slash stats are down from last year (.288/.380/.550), but only because his 2024 marks (.310/.390/.646) all topped the NL. Same story with a .930 OPS that is more than 100 points lower than his gaudy 2024 total, but still good enough to rank top 20 in the majors.
With six home runs and five stolen bases, Ohtani isn’t quite on mathematical pace for another 50-homer, 50-steal season; but is on an early track to become the first player in MLB history with multiple 40/40 campaigns.
And though he has taken a few more awkward swings than normal in the opening three weeks, he has started honing in on his power stroke, too, leading off Wednesday’s win over the Colorado Rockies with a towering 448-foot blast that almost cleared the right-field pavilion.
“I think overall,” he said, “it's been a really good first 20 games."
The only true area of regression so far has been in one statistical category; where a glaring drop in production has signaled a key early-season problem for the team.
After racking up 130 RBIs in 159 games last year, Ohtani has just eight in this season’s opening 20 contests. Seven of them have come via his six home runs (all but one of which were solo shots). Not until Wednesday, when he returned to the plate in a seven-run first inning and knocked in Austin Barnes with an RBI single, did he record his first hit with a runner in scoring position.
“Shohei’s in a good spot,” manager Dave Roberts said recently. “We just need to get some guys on base for him.”
That reality said more about the rest of the team’s offense than its superstar leadoff man.
From the Nos. 7-9 spots in the batting order, the Dodgers have posted a .173 batting average so far, tied for worst in the majors. Prior to Wednesday, they’d given Ohtani just nine plate appearances with runners in scoring position (tied with No. 2 hitter Mookie Betts for fewest among the team’s regulars). In four of those spots, he was walked.
It created an early-season conundrum for Roberts, as he tried to shake the team out of a recent offensive lull. Should he consider dropping Ohtani in the lineup, where he could get more RBI opportunities? Or should he give his offense more time to find its footing, and hope his bottom-half hitters began heating up at the plate?
“I just feel that there’s guys who are gonna perform better than they have,” Roberts said this week, opting for the latter. “Shohei will ultimately get those opportunities.”
And on Wednesday, he finally saw signs that could be happening.
In an 8-7 win over the Rockies, the Dodgers got five hits and a walk from their bottom three hitters.
One was provided by Barnes, the backup catcher who didn’t have a hit all season before doubling in the first in front of Ohtani.
The others came from more important pieces of the Dodgers’ lineup construction: Max Muncy and Andy Pages.
Bottom-of-the-order staples who are both batting under .200 to begin the season, Muncy and Pages had arguably their best games of the year Wednesday. Pages, the second-year center fielder, went two for four with three RBIs, continuing improvements that began during his two-homer series in Washington last week.
“He is swinging the bat a lot better,” Roberts said.
Muncy, meanwhile, reached base three times with the help of a recent adjustment to his own slumping swing.
In an effort to stay more on top of the ball at the plate this year, Muncy spent his offseason purposely trying to hit grounders and low line drives. In doing so, however, he realized he had begun lurching forward in his swing. As a result, he gave himself less time to read pitches and make proper swing decisions. And even when he did, he wasn’t driving the ball like usual.
“The ball sped up on me the first few series of the season and I really wasn't myself,” Muncy said. “I was chasing a lot of stuff and I was unable to recognize it.”
But now, he has returned to staying back in his stance and is looking for pitches to elevate. Amid a series in which Muncy walked six times, Roberts felt he also took his best at-bat of the season against left-hander Luis Peralta on Wednesday night, launching one deep fly just foul before ripping a single into right field.
“When he's getting on base, and it was a ton this series, then that's a good thing,” Roberts said. “So I do think that he’s turned a corner, yeah.”
The Dodgers hope that the rest of their bottom-half hitters will do so as well.
Because the more Ohtani heats up as the season progresses, the more important it will be to have guys getting on base in front of him.
PHILADELPHIA — Giants starting pitcher Jordan Hicks gave up five runs in the first inning Thursday and then threw six straight shutout frames. Afterward, he said he pitched “with some anger and some passion” and that wasn’t hard to see.
Hicks exchanged words with the Philadelphia Phillies dugout and hitters several times in San Francisco’s 6-4 loss At Citizens Bank Park, but he also had a moment with home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi, who ran over to yell at Hicks as he walked off the field in the seventh. The pitcher wasn’t the only one who found himself in Cuzzi’s crosshairs, though.
Jordan Hicks was visibly upset after he walked off the field in the seventh 😬 pic.twitter.com/0MVTkx5FnR
After the final pitch, Cuzzi went over to the railing between the visiting dugout and the tunnel that goes back to the umpire’s room. He had a short conversation with outfielder Jung Hoo Lee and interpreter Justin Han as several Giants gathered. Lee said it was an odd misunderstanding.
Lee pinch-hit with two outs in the ninth and reached on an infield single. On a 1-1 count, he took a pitch at the bottom of the zone for strike two and tapped his helmet. Cuzzi apparently thought Lee was going through the act of challenging a call, and he briefly said something to Lee. After Christian Koss grounded out to end the game, the two discussed the moment again.
“Everybody that watches Giants games probably knows that every pitch that I go, I adjust my helmet. It’s every pitch,” Lee said through Han. “I told him that I don’t speak English and the umpire said something, and I kept saying I don’t speak English. I think that’s what happened. The umpire had a sensitive game. Probably, that’s what happened in the game today.”
Crew chief Dan Bellino said Cuzzi went over to get clarification over what Lee was trying to convey with the head tap. Players were allowed to use that move to challenge balls and strikes in spring training but cannot during the regular season, and Cuzzi told Lee he shouldn’t tap his helmet after a pitch he disagrees with. Bellino said the Giants bench asked Cuzzi after the game why he had said something to Lee.
“Because of what we experimented with in spring training … throughout Major League Baseball, we’re not letting them tap their heads,” Bellino told a pool reporter. “That would be arguing balls and strikes. So, it’s the same as arguing balls and strikes. I’m not saying that’s what he was doing or not. Phil was telling him, ‘Hey, you can’t tap your head right after a pitch that you disagree with because it looks as though you’re arguing balls and strikes.’ But obviously with the language barrier there, I don’t know if Lee really understood what he was saying. I think that was part of the miscommunication.”
There was no such miscommunication with Hicks, who drilled Trea Turner with a 101 mph fastball and then heard from the Phillies dugout. Hicks also got angry when Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm stepped out of the box late. The right-hander and the Phillies’ bench exchanged words and glares a couple of times, and Bellino said Cuzzi followed Hicks off the field in the seventh to defuse the situation.
“I wasn’t talking to him at all, so I didn’t want him in my face, so I just kind of walked away and defused the situation,” Hicks said. “It was pretty much all game, back and forth, everywhere. It was just one of those days.”
Third baseman Matt Chapman went to the mound a couple of times during the game to calm Hicks, who gave the Giants seven innings on a day when the bullpen was down two or three arms. Chapman smiled after the game and said both Hicks and Cuzzi are competitive.
“It was two guys clashing a little bit. Both of them are a little hotheaded,” he said. “I’m glad nothing bad came out of it and Hicks was able to stay in the game and you saw how huge that was for us. I love the competitive spirit. I’m glad things didn’t get out of hand.”
Despite his imperfect fit on the roster, Boston Red Sox No. 1 prospect Roman Anthony is making it tough to keep him in Triple-A.
Anthony has picked up where he left off last season with a sensational start in Worcester. The 20-year-old outfielder entered Thursday with a .941 OPS over 13 games.
He improved those numbers with two home runs, including a grand slam, during Thursday’s game against the Rochester Red Wings.
So, with Anthony continuing to rake for the WooSox, why hasn’t Boston called him up?
Simply put, there is no comfortable place to put him on the active roster. The current outfield consists of Jarren Duran in left, Ceddanne Rafaela in center, and Wilyer Abreu in right. To give Anthony consistent at-bats, Rafaela presumably would have to shift to a utility role, even as a potential Platinum Glove center fielder. Trading Abreu is another option, but that seems far less likely with him being one of the club’s most productive players thus far.
Appearing on WEEI’s “Greg Hill Show” on Thursday, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was asked about letting Anthony waste his production in Triple-A.
“I don’t think we want to waste anything. You know, I think what we want to make sure is that when Roman comes to the big leagues, he’s able to step in and be successful,” Breslow answered. “That there is clear opportunity for him to get the runway that he’ll need as a 20-year-old.
I think there are still some development opportunities that he is tackling in Worcester right now, but we are really excited about what Roman has done thus far, and what we think he’s capable of.”
Breslow also downplayed the possibility of Anthony getting reps at first base with Triston Casas struggling.
With how poor the offense has been through 20 games, the Red Sox should find a spot for Anthony on the roster in hopes he can revitalize the inconsistent lineup. The most sensible move would be moving Duran to center, where he dazzled defensively last season, and putting Anthony in left. As valuable as Rafaela’s glove is in center, it is outweighed by Anthony’s upside at the plate.
Perhaps Anthony’s Fenway Park debut will come as early as this weekend. The Red Sox (10-10) will host the Chicago White Sox for a four-game series starting Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET.
Washington Nationals pitcher Jorge Lopez has been suspended three games and fined for throwing at Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen, Major League Baseball announced.
Lopez was ejected from the game against the Pirates after a high pitch near McCutchen’s head led to the benches briefly clearing in the seventh inning.
Lopez hit the previous batter, Bryan Reynolds, with a pitch before facing McCutchen, who had to fall to the ground to avoid getting hit by a 92 mph ball near his head.
The right-hander has filed an appeal of the suspension, which will not take effect until that process is done.
Nationals manager Dave Martinez received a fine and one-game suspension because of the incident.
As the umpires gathered to discuss what happened during the game, McCutchen and Lopez started arguing, which caused both benches to empty. Pirates outfielder Tommy Pham also was seen yelling while being held back by teammate Oneil Cruz.
The Boston Red Sox are 10-10 to begin the 2025 season, a fitting record after going 81-81 in 2024.
After 20 games, it’s a good time to check in on how some of the key contributors from that 2024 Red Sox season are faring with their new clubs. Several members of the team, including right-hander Nick Pivetta and slugging outfielder Tyler O’Neill, left last winter in free agency.
Here’s a look at their production so far in 2025:
Nick Pivetta, RHP, San Diego Padres
Pivetta signed a four-year, $55 million deal with the Padres in free agency. The 32-year-old has played a big role in the club’s 15-4 start, posting a 1.57 ERA with an 0.826 WHIP, 24 strikeouts, and only five walks in his first four outings.
Tom Verducci takes a look at a subtle adjustment Pivetta has made, positioning his right foot along the first base side of the rubber.#MLBCentralpic.twitter.com/KIOLRfuIER
The switch from hitter-friendly Fenway Park to Petco Park has greatly benefited Pivetta so far. In his three home starts, he has allowed only one run across 20 innings. During his lone road start, he lasted just three innings against the Chicago Cubs with three earned runs on six hits.
Pivetta amassed a 4.29 ERA in his five seasons with Boston. Perhaps he’ll eventually regress to the mean, but the change of scenery seems to have helped to this point.
Tyler O’Neill, OF, Baltimore Orioles
O’Neill inked a three-year, $49.5 million deal with the O’s as a free agent. He started his season with a bang, extending his Opening Day home run streak to a record six games.
The 29-year-old slugger has picked up where he left off after an impressive year in Boston. Although he only has two homers in 14 games, he has still been productive at the plate with an .829 OPS.
Kenley Jansen, RHP, Los Angeles Angels
Jansen, 37, signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Angels in the offseason. The four-time All-Star closer has stabilized the back end of L.A.’s bullpen with a stellar start to the year.
In six appearances, Jansen has notched four saves, including the 450th of his career. He has yet to allow a run.
Martin joined the Rangers on a one-year, $5.5 million deal in free agency. The 38-year-old veteran remains one of the game’s top relievers after two outstanding seasons in Boston.
In nine appearances for Texas, Martin has amassed a 2.16 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 12 strikeouts and only two walks.
Danny Jansen, C, Tampa Bay Rays
The Red Sox acquired Jansen from the Toronto Blue Jays at last year’s trade deadline, but they didn’t get much production out of the veteran catcher. The Tampa Bay Rays haven’t either since signing him to a one-year, $8.5 million deal.
Jansen is slashing .122/.250/.220 through 13 games. He has provided some value behind the plate, but Tampa will hope to get more out of him offensively as the season progresses.
Lucas Sims, RHP, Washington Nationals
Another one of Boston’s deadline additions, Sims struggled out of the Red Sox ‘pen and hasn’t been able to get back on track in Washington. The 30-year-old righty has a 12.79 ERA in 10 appearances this season.
Luis Garcia, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
The Red Sox paired Garcia with Sims at last year’s deadline in hopes they could revive their ailing bullpen. They didn’t.
They also haven’t helped either of their new teams so far in 2025. Garcia has a 6.52 ERA across nine appearances with the defending champion Dodgers.
The Mets are about to have an intriguing center field option a phone call away from the majors, and got off to a good start on Thursday night.
Drew Gilbert, who recently played in six games for Single-A St. Lucie while ramping up following a 2024 season that was severely impacted by a hamstring injury, was activated by Triple-A Syracuse ahead of Thursday's game after he slashed .375/.444/.708 with two home runs and two doubles over 27 plate appearances for St. Lucie.
And in his first game back, he went 1-for-4 with a run scored in Syracuse's 2-0 win over Buffalo. The lone hit came in the first inning when the left-hander hit a line drive to right field off a 93 mph fastball from Lazaro Estrada on a 2-1 count. Gilbert would later come around to score thanks to a Billy McKinney single.
Drew Gilbert gets his first Triple-A hit of the year!
Last season for Syracuse, during what was his first taste of Triple-A, Gilbert had just a .706 OPS while missing a large chunk of the season due to the aforementioned hamstring injury.
He was solid while playing in the Arizona Fall League after the season, posting a .783 OPS and smacking four home runs in 21 games.
With the Mets set to be without center fielder Jose Siri for an extended period due to a broken tibia, their center field situation is in flux.
Tyrone Taylor is in line to get the bulk of the starts there in Siri's absence and can provide immense value defensively. But New York is also exploring other options.
Jeff McNeil, who is in the midst of a rehab assignment, got the start in center field Thursday for St. Lucie. McNeil has gotten two games of center field experience during his big league career, and manager Carlos Mendoza said on Wednesday that the Mets are comfortable using him there.
The same goes for Luisangel Acuña, who played 35 games over 289.0 innings in center field in the minors in 2024. However, Mendoza suggested that Acuña getting time in center in the majors might not be in the team's immediate plans.
Then there's Gilbert.
The 24-year-old is a sparkplug type of player who has gotten the bulk of his professional innings in center. SNY contributor Joe DeMayo wrote in his recent Mets Top 30 list that Gilbert's long-term future might be in one of the corner outfield spots, but it's fair to believe his name will be in the mix for a call up if he excels in Triple-A and the Mets have a need in center over the coming weeks and months.
CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds placed first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand on the 10-day injured list with low back inflammation and recalled infielder Noelvi Marte from Triple-A Louisville.
“We’ve been trying to manage it,” manager Terry Francona said. “It wasn’t getting worse, but it wasn’t getting better. After what he went through last year, just seems like the right thing to do. Get him an epidural. Let it calm down.”
Encarnacion-Strand played in only 29 games last season because of a season-ending right wrist fracture after being hit by a pitch from Michael Lorenzen on April 27 at Texas.
He’s batting .158 this season with two homers and five RBIs in 18 games.
The Reds have options at first base. Jeimer Candelario started at first in the series finale against the Mariners. Spencer Steer, who’s been limited to designated hitter duty with a shoulder issue, threw again and is close to returning. Francona said utility man Santiago Espinal also can play first.
It's Thursday, April 17 and the Royals (8-11) are in Detroit to take on the Tigers (10-8). Michael Lorenzen is slated to take the mound for Kansas City against Reese Olson for Detroit.
Kansas City is coming off a 4-3 loss yesterday at the hands of the New York Yankees, while Detroit dropped its road contest 5-1 at Milwaukee. Detroit has lost two straight games and scored one total run, while Kansas City was swept by New York scoring six total runs.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Game details & how to watch Royals at Tigers
Date: Thursday, April 17, 2025
Time: 6:40PM EST
Site: Comerica Park
City: Detroit, MI
Network/Streaming: FDSNKC, FDSNDTX, Fox Sports 1
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Odds for the Royals at the Tigers
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Royals (+119), Tigers (-141)
Spread: Tigers -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Royals at Tigers
Pitching matchup for April 17, 2025: Michael Lorenzen vs. Reese Olson
Royals: Michael Lorenzen, (1-2, 3.71 ERA) Last outing: 5.2 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 1 Walk, and 4 Strikeouts
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Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Royals and the Tigers
Rotoworld Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@Vmoneysports) likes the First Three Innings Under 2.5 Runs:
"Both Detroit and Kansas City have had a rough stretch offensively. The Tigers have scored one run in the past two games, while the Royals lost three straight with six total runs. Neither Olson nor Lorenzen are two pitchers that scream Under, but the offenses are not in good form right now to be backing Overs. I like the first three innings Under 2.5 runs at -120 odds as a fun sweat."
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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 Thursday’s game between the Royals and the Tigers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Detroit Tigers 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 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
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Royals at Tigers
The Royals have lost 6 of their last 8 games
The Royals' last 4 road games have stayed under the Total
The Tigers are showing a profit of 2.77 units on the Run Line in their last 5 games at Comerica Park
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PHILADELPHIA — You have to go back to last August to find the last time the Philadelphia Phillies lost a series at home, so a split for the Giants wasn’t a bad result at all. But it sure wasn’t a comfortable four days at Citizens Bank Park.
The Giants lost 6-4 in the finale with the Phillies, and for a second straight game, and third time in this series, it seemed early on that the game might end with a position player on the mound.
Jordan Hicks took the mound with a 1-0 lead and immediately gave five back, but he held it there, and the Giants chipped away with a two-run homer from Matt Chapman in the sixth. That was their only big swing against lefty Cristopher Sanchez, who struck out a career-high 12.
The Giants brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth after Tyler Fitzgerald homered and Jung Hoo Lee got a pinch-hit infield single, but rookie Christian Koss bounced out to short.
The Phillies have the best home record in baseball over the past calendar year and entered the series with eight wins and one tie in their last nine series at Citizens Bank Park. With a chance to end that streak, the Giants dug too big a hole.
Here are three things to know from the final game of a wild back-and-forth series …
Uncomfortable In The Dugout
On Monday and Wednesday, Bob Melvin was forced to get the bullpen going in the first inning before his starting pitcher got out of a jam. When Hicks allowed the first five Phillies to reach in the bottom of the first, there was no movement in the pen. The Giants really had no choice but to let Hicks try to get out of the inning and get deep.
Spencer Bivens and Lou Trivino pitched two innings each on Wednesday and Hayden Birdsong appeared on Sunday and Tuesday. When Hicks became the latest Giants starter to run into trouble right away, he had to wear it.
Hicks ended up allowing five runs in the inning on five hits and a walk. He threw 33 pitches a few hours after Robbie Ray needed 39 in his first inning. Melvin talked before Wednesday’s game about how often he has had to think about moves early in games recently, and it’s hard to imagine a worse series than this one in terms of getting off to quick starts.
None of the four Giants starters had a clean first inning and only Justin Verlander threw a scoreless first. The starters combined to allow 10 runs on 10 hits and eight walks in the four first innings at Citizens Bank Park. They all escaped true disaster, but Melvin can’t be happy with how often he has to contemplate pulling a starter early.
The Adventure
Here are some of the things that happened during Hicks’ fourth start of the year: Gave up five runs in the first … responded by throwing six shutout innings … threw a career-high 105 pitches … averaged 99 mph with his sinker … hit triple digits 16 times, topping out at 101.7 mph … drilled Trea Turner with a 101 mph fastball and then had words with the Phillies bench the rest of the game … got yelled at by home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi after the bottom of the seventh.
It was a wild one.
Jordan Hicks was visibly upset after he walked off the field in the seventh 😬 pic.twitter.com/0MVTkx5FnR
Hicks showed an absurd ability to hold his fastball velocity over 100 pitches, doing something only a handful of pitchers in the world can do. But those five runs count, and he has a 6.04 ERA through four starts.
Happy Chappy
Chapman has been drawing walks all year, but he came into this series with seven straight games without a hit. He got one in each of the four games, and with the homer on Thursday, his OPS is up to .804, which would be his highest in five years.
Chapman contributed subtly on Thursday, too. He made multiple visits to the mound to calm Hicks. The Giants couldn’t afford to have their starter get knocked out in the first, but they also couldn’t afford to have him get ejected in the middle of the game.
It's Thursday, April 17 and the Yankees (11-7) are in Tampa to take on the Rays (8-10). Will Warren is slated to take the mound for New York against Taj Bradley for Tampa Bay.
The Yankees beat the Royals, 4-3 yesterday on an Aaron Judge homer in the bottom of the seventh. The Rays lost 1-0 to the Red Sox yesterday on five hits, 13 strikeouts, and 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position. This is the first meeting of the year between Tampa Bay and New York.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Game details & how to watch Yankees at Rays
Date: Thursday, April 17, 2025
Time: 7:05PM EST
Site: George M. Steinbrenner Field
City: Tampa, FL
Network/Streaming: Amazon Prime Video, FDSNFL
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Odds for the Yankees at the Rays
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Yankees (+102), Rays (-122)
Spread: Rays 1.5
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for the Yankees at Rays
The pitching matchup for April 17, 2025: Will Warren vs. Taj Bradley
Yankees: Will Warren, (1-0, 5.14 ERA) Last outing: 5.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts
Rays: Taj Bradley, (2-0, 3.71 ERA) Last outing: 6.0 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Run Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 7 Strikeouts
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Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Yankees and the Rays
Rotoworld Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes the Yankees -1.5 against the Rays and Taj Bradley’s strikeout prop:
"The Rays followed up a 16-1 win over the Red Sox with back-to-back losses of 7-4 and 1-0. Now they host the Yankees with Will Warren on the mound, who is coming off his best start of the season. For +142 to +152 odds, I think the Yankees run line is enticing, especially since Taj Bradley's strikeout prop is set at 6.5 juiced -120 to the Under.
Bradley has recorded seven strikeouts in each of his first three starts this season and the Rays are 2-1 in those starts. Tampa Bay won 9-1 and lost 2-0 versus New York in Bradley's two starts last season, giving up one total earned run. This will be his third career start versus New York and I think they will figure him out a little more this time around, so I like the Yankees on the run line (-1.5, +152) and Bradley's Under 6.5 strikeouts (-120).
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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 Thursday’s game between the Yankees and the Rays:
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 New York Yankees at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 9.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Yankees at Rays
The Yankees have won 4 of their last 5 away games against teams with losing records
4 of the Rays' last 5 matchups with the Yankees have gone over the Total
The Yankees have failed to cover the Run Line in 6 of their last 8 road games
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!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
How far back does Bobby Witt Jr.’s admiration for Giancarlo Stanton stretch?
And what is the meaning of a simple handshake?
The answer to the first question is: many years. Witt keeps a baseball at home signed by a certain "Mike Stanton," the name under which Stanton played as a prospect and rookie for the then-Florida Marlins until reclaiming his given appellation in 2012, when Witt was 11 years old.
Witt’s brother-in-law, pitcher Zach Neal, played with Stanton in the minor leagues in the early 2010s and obtained the autograph. He gave it to Witt, whose history admiring Stanton began in childhood.
“One of my buddies growing up, [Stanton] was his guy,” Witt said this week at Yankee Stadium. “He loved watching him play. He started hitting like him a little bit in high school. So I thought it was cool to grow up watching him, watching the Home Run Derby and all that, watching him hit home runs here and in Miami, and then play against him.”
At 24 years old, Witt is an emerging generational superstar. The ball zooms off his bat and into the outfield with a special oomph. When he hits a slow ground ball to the shortstop, he shocks crowds with speed that recalls prime Mike Trout, nearly beating out the expected routine 6-3. He would have won the American League Most Valuable Player award last year if not for the astounding Aaron Judge.
And yet Witt allows himself the giddiness of appreciation for sharing a field with those stars, now in their mid-to-late 30s, whom he once admired from the outside.
“It’s still really cool,” Witt said. “Sometimes Judge gets on base and he’s calling me by my first name and it’s like, ‘This is cool.’ Watch those guys — Trout or whoever — it is, well, it’s cool.”
The most personal of these moments came in Kansas City on Oct. 10, 2024. At 9:44 p.m. on that night, the Royals’ Yuli Gurriel lined out to Judge in center field, ending the American League Division Series.
The Yankees poured from the dugout to celebrate near the pitcher’s mound, and the Royals trudged into their clubhouse.
But Witt remained, alone on the top step. He put his arms on the padded railing and forced himself to stare at the jubilant winners.
What ran through his mind during those long minutes?
“That it could be us,” Witt said. “I was going through the whole series in those five minutes right there. What could I have done better? What do I need to do more? It doesn’t even hit you that the season is over. It feels like you’re just waiting for what’s next. Then you’re watching them celebrate and it’s like, it’s over.”
New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) celebrates an RBI single during the sixth inning against the Kansas City Royals during game four of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Kauffman Stadium. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images
At 9:49, Stanton, who had doubled twice and driven in a run in the 3-1 Yankees win, glanced over from the party and noticed Witt lost in his feelings.
He walked over to the rival dugout and shook the young man’s hand, patted him on the shoulder and made eye contact. The brief nonverbal interaction, caught by a photographer and quickly passed around the internet, cut deep for Witt. He turned away from the field, feeling ready to face his own clubhouse.
“It was not a premeditated thing,” Stanton said this week. “It was just something in the moment that I chose to do.”
“He didn't have to do that,” Witt said. “I know he’s not doing it for the cameras. He’s just a genuine guy. The stories I hear from guys who have played with him, from [Anthony] Volpe or whoever, are that he’s a person. He’s a guy first.
“You see him walking over there. You see what he did against us that day, and it’s like, he didn’t have to acknowledge me. He could have just walked over to do his interview and go home.”
The admiration is mutual. Stanton, reticent when asked about his own gesture, lit up when prompted about Witt as a player.
“He’s incredible,” Stanton said. “He’s going to be a staple in the league for a long time. He’s fun to watch. Obviously, I don’t want him to beat us, but you see the talent grow and become more refined since he came up, and he’s only going to get better.”
It is not difficult to imagine Witt and Stanton as older men, sitting on a stage in Cooperstown as fellow Hall of Famers at the annual inductions. If that happens, Witt will remember Stanton’s brief but powerful moment of sportsmanship from the 2020s.
For now, though, he remains excited to share a field with greats of his childhood, and the veterans ready to pass a share of the game, with grace, to a new generation.
“Just playing against him, just seeing him on the basepaths,” Witt says. “That is what you reach for.”
