Mets Notes: Starling Marte will ‘continue to get chances,’ Juan Soto’s uptick in stolen bases

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was asked about a number of different topics prior to Sunday night's Subway Series finale...


Marte will continue seeing opportunities

Starling Marte hasn’t quite been able to find his groove yet this season. 

Adjusting to his new role as more of a part-time player, the 36-year-old slugger is hitting just .192 with two extra base-hits and a .604 OPS through 28 games. 

Despite the struggles, Marte continues to find himself in the middle of the Mets’ lineup when they face left-handed pitching -- as is the case for Sunday's Subway Series finale against Yanks ace Max Fried.

Even with Jeff McNeil back, Brett Baty swinging a hot bat, and Luisangel Acuña providing a spark on both sides of the ball Mendoza says that Marte will continue seeing chances moving forward. 

“He’s been an elite player in this game,” the skipper said. “It’s not an easy role to be in when you’re used to playing every day, it takes time to adjust. I just have to continue giving him at-bats, he’s a good player. The way the ball continues to jump off his bat, the bat speed, it’s there -- he’ll get going here pretty soon.”

Soto’s uptick in stolen bases

Juan Soto isn’t exactly known for his blazing speed.

The superstar outfielder swiped just seven bases all of last season for the Yankees -- but things have been different over his first 45 games with the Mets, as he's already halfway to that total.

Soto has stolen a base in each of the first two games of the Subway Series, pushing his streak to three straight and giving him a total of five on the year.

He’s currently on pace for 18, which would shatter his previous career-high of 12. 

“He’s just taking advantage of opportunities,” Mendoza said. “He’s using the information and trusting it. That’s something he talked about with Antoan [Richardson] from the beginning, not only the defense in right, but becoming a better baserunner overall.

“Yesterday, that play stealing third it kind of ended up being the difference. He scores on a sac fly and we won the game by one run. It’s something that from the beginning they’ve been working on and every time the opportunity presents, we’ll take advantage of it.”

Taylor cramped up, but good to go

Tyrone Taylor was dealing with some cramping in his calf after diving head-first into second late in Saturday afternoon's victory. 

After talking things over with the training staff, Mendoza said that Taylor is good to go for the series finale, but he still elected to give him a day off -- so Jeff McNeil will start in center in his place. 

McNeil is still relatively inexperienced at the position having logged just five big-league appearances out there this year, but Mendoza says the coaching staff likes what they've seen from thus far. 

“I think he's been fine in center," he said. "He hasn't really been tested too much, but he's doing a good job of making the routine plays -- so I'm comfortable with using him out there, that's why he continues to get reps."

Rangers place outfielder Evan Carter on IL with quad strain, activate Kevin Pillar

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers placed outfielder Evan Carter on the 10-day injured list Sunday, a day after he was a late scratch with a right quadriceps injury.

Outfielder Kevin Pillar was activated from the injured list after being sidelined two weeks by lower back inflammation. Pillar was in the lineup Sunday against the Houston Astros in right field.

Manager Bruce Bochy said he expects Carter to be sidelined about two weeks with a quad strain. The 22-year-old was limited to 45 games by a back injury in what was supposed to be his first full big league season last year.

Carter, who had a stellar debut in the regular season and the postseason when the Rangers won the 2023 World Series, started this season in the minor leagues as he continued with adjustments in his swing to try to ease the strain on his back. He is hitting .182 in 11 games while mostly playing center field.

Pillar played all three outfield positions while appearing in 18 games before the back injury. The 36-year-old is hitting .237.

The Rangers recalled right-hander Caleb Boushley from Triple-A Round Rock and sent right-hander Cole Winn to Round Rock four days after Winn was called up and Boushley sent down. It’s Boushley’s third stint with the Rangers this season. Winn made one appearance.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora to miss Monday’s game for daughter’s college graduation

BOSTON — Red Sox manager Alex Cora will miss Monday’s series opener against the New York Mets at Fenway Park so he can attend his daughter’s college graduation.

Cora’s daughter, Camila, will be graduating from nearby Boston College.

“It’s going to be a very special day — one that I’m not going to miss,” Cora said before Boston faced the Atlanta Braves in the series finale on Sunday. “I 100% will miss the game for that. I will do that any given day. It’s going to be a very special day for us.”

Cora reflected how the time has seemed to go quickly and spoke about how fast his daughter seemed to grow up.

“It went fast, it went really fast,” Cora said of her time in college. “For a girl from divorced parents, her mom did an amazing job, staying the course while I was playing and coaching and doing my ESPN thing. … She’s actually a reflection of her. I appreciate everything she’s done for her and for us.”

Asked if he’ll be able to hold back his emotions at the ceremony, Cora smiled and said: “We’ll see” before bringing up memories of when his daughter was at the 2018 World Series victory celebration and a postseason series wrap-up win over Tampa Bay in ’21 at Fenway.

“It’s going to be an amazing day. It happened fast,” he said. “You put everything into perspective, you go back to the videos of ’18, she was a little girl.

“Then you go back to ’21 when she hopped onto the field when we beat Tampa, she was still a little girl. Now, she’s not a little girl,” he said. “She’s a woman. She had fun with it. She’s a great student and the future’s bright for her.”

Mets release outfielder Billy McKinney from Triple-A Syracuse roster

The Mets released veteran outfielder Billy McKinney from the Triple-A Syracuse roster.

McKinney, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Mets in March, joining the organization for a second time. The Mets traded for McKinney in May 2021, and he appeared in 39 games before being designated for assignment. McKinney hit .220 with five home runs and 14 RBI before being DFA’d.

In 33 games with Syracuse this season, McKinney slashed .184/.285/.307 with three home runs and nine RBI.

Dodgers release Chris Taylor, parting ways with another veteran

Dodgers outfielder Chris Taylor stands on third base and extends his arm for a low five with third base coach Dino Ebel.
Chris Taylor, the Dodgers' longest tenured position player, was released on Sunday as the team made room on its roster for Tommy Edman's return from the injured list. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

The Chris Taylor era in Los Angeles is over.

On Sunday, Taylor was released by the Dodgers, making him the second longtime team veteran, along with former backup catcher Austin Barnes, to be cut loose by the team in the last week.

In corresponding roster moves, the Dodgers activated Tommy Edman from the injured list and added pitcher Lou Trivino to the 40-man roster. Trivino was in Los Angeles on Sunday — occupying the same locker stall Taylor used to — after fellow reliever Kirby Yates was placed on the injured list with a hamstring strain he suffered Saturday night.

"This has been a very emotional week for all of us,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “Barnsey and CT have been in the middle of some huge moments for this organization. Both guys have left an indelible mark on our culture and where we're at at this point. So the decisions were incredibly difficult. The conversations were tough. But with where we are, the division race, the composition of roster, everything. We felt like this was in the Dodgers' best interest in terms of how to win as many games and put us in a position to best win the World Series this year.”

Read more:Hernández: Hyeseong Kim has arrived, and the Dodgers need to make sure he's here to stay

Taylor was in the last season of a four-year, $60-million contract with the Dodgers. The former All-Star was the longest-tenured position player on the roster, after Barnes was designated for assignment last week. But, just like with Barnes, Taylor’s declining production, coupled with the emergence of a younger and more productive alternative in rookie utilityman Hyeseong Kim, left the 34-year-old expendable.

Thus, for the second time in the last week, the Dodgers parted ways with one of the most familiar faces of the team, triggering another shake-up in a suddenly-evolving clubhouse.

“We didn't feel like coming into the season this was something that we would necessarily be doing in May,” Friedman said. “But you learn things and things change and things evolve and play out. We just have a lot more information at this point in May than we do before the season. I wouldn't say it was something that we thought was fait accompli, and was necessarily going to happen. But with where we were, all things factored in, while not easy we felt like it was the right thing to do."

Taylor once was one of the biggest success stories in the Dodgers organization. Acquired in a low-profile trade with the Seattle Mariners for Zach Lee in 2016, Taylor became a defensively versatile slugger in Los Angeles, batting .265 from 2017-2021 with 78 home runs and 292 RBIs with a revamped swing and increasingly prominent role.

He became an All-Star for the first time in 2021, then punctuated the season by hitting a walk-off home run in the National League Wild Card Game against the St. Louis Cardinals and three home runs in an elimination game against the Atlanta Braves in the NL Championship Series. The following offseason, the Dodgers signed him to his four-year extension just before Major League Baseball’s lockout of the players. The hope was that he would be a cornerstone of the franchise’s future.

Dodgers outfielder Chris Taylor greets fans before a game against the Athletics at Dodger Stadium Tuesday.
Dodgers outfielder Chris Taylor greets fans before a game against the Athletics at Dodger Stadium Tuesday. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Instead, he’s been a shell of his old self ever since.

After undergoing elbow surgery after the 2021 season, Taylor struggled to maintain the mechanics in his swing. In 2022 and 2023, he batted a combined .228 with a subpar .708 OPS.

Last year, the bottom fell completely out, with Taylor setting career lows in batting average (.202), OPS (.598) and home runs (four) while playing just 87 games.

This season, Taylor was the last man on the Dodgers’ bench, starting just six of the team’s first 46 games while batting .200 with two doubles and homers.

Friedman said he believed Taylor’s injury history — which also included a left foot fracture in 2022, a right knee injury in 2023 and a groin strain last season — were a main factor in his decline, but also acknowledged the difficulties that came with his increasing lack of playing time.

“With a lot of guys, but with CT as well, it’s hard to play once a week, it's a tough role, and in a vacuum isolated to him, probably not the best role for him to have success,” Friedman said. “But just with the way our roster has played out, that's how it's evolved. But I know he's looking forward to trying getting an opportunity to play more often, and he's got a chip on his shoulder, and I certainly would not bet against him.”

Read more:Dodgers call up catcher Dalton Rushing, designate Austin Barnes for assignment

For a while, Taylor’s presence on the Dodgers’ active roster was a tenable situation. The Dodgers had a player whom they trusted to play multiple positions, without having to worry about finding him regular at-bats.

In recent weeks, however, Kim’s emergence as a slick-fielding, left-handed bat with game-changing speed altered the equation.

With Edman back and Teoscar Hernández nearing his own return from the injured list, the Dodgers were facing a roster crunch. And rather than send Kim (who is batting .452 with three stolen bases in 14 games) back to the minors, they elected to move Taylor off the roster instead, turning the page on one of the five remaining position players from both their 2020 and 2024 World Series-winning teams.

“He was a huge part of so much success that we've enjoyed,” Friedman said. “Can't say enough about the human, the worker, the teammate, the player. He's one of the toughest guys I've ever been around. We'll always have a place for CT. And whenever he's done playing four, five, six years from now, I hope, he's always connected to the Dodgers."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Mick Abel ties a franchise record as Phillies sweep Pirates

Mick Abel ties a franchise record as Phillies sweep Pirates originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The story of the day was already written hours before the Phillies wrapped up their series against the Pirates. MLB announced an 80-game suspension for reliever José Alvarado, also making him postseason ineligible.

It was a devastating blow for the Phillies, one that only time will tell how disruptive it’ll be for the club, but there was a sliver of positivity Sunday — a win.

The Phillies swept the 3-game series with a 1-0 win, improving to a season-best 10 games over .500 at 28-18.

The bulk of it was in part of Mick Abel, who received word a few days ago that Sunday would be his major-league debut.

An unexpected call brought the right-handed pitcher to Citizens Bank Park in front of a crowd of 44,356.

Abel pitched six shutout innings and tied Curt Simmons’ franchise record for most strikeouts in a debut (9).

Welcome to The Show.

There was lingering concern for Abel after his 2024 season with a 3-12 record and 6.46 ERA. His 5-2, 2.53 ERA turnaround in 2025 earned him the call to make this one start.

“There were times [last season] where I didn’t think I would be [up with the Phillies], but there were other times where I would,” Abel said after collecting his first win. “I think it’s just going through the ups and downs and trying to understand how to go through those. Thankfully I was able to think about it in the offseason and understand ‘Yeah, I’m still pretty good at baseball.'”

He’ll head back to triple-A with a chip on his shoulder, leaving a lasting impression with the Phillies.

“I don’t really know what I expected,” he said. “I just wanted to go out there and give it my all. It was fun.”

Outdoing one of MLB’s top pitchers? Safe to say he accomplished what he set out to do.

On the other side of the coin, the Phillies faced Skenes for the first time.

The only run he allowed in eight innings of work came in the fifth. Nick Castellanos had an infield single and made his way to third when Max Kepler singled to right field.

Brandon Marsh then beat out what should have been an inning-ending double play. That hustle got the lone run of the day across home plate.

It was a game of inches. Unfortunately for Skenes, this is something he knows all too well this season. Through 10 starts, he sits at 3-5 even though he’s only allowed 17 earned runs.

It feels ironic to say a game that came in just under the two hour mark (1:59) was a grind, but it was just that.

“After the sad news this morning, it feels really good and gratifying to get through that game,” Rob Thomson said after the win. “See what Mick did, see what the bullpen did, they did a great job.

“We just squeaked a run across. … That’s how you win a playoff game, like that. You’re always going to face really good pitching.”

Phillies closer José Alvarado suspended for 80 games for positive drug test

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies closer José Alvarado was suspended for 80 games on Sunday following a positive test for external testosterone under Major League Baseball’s drug-testing program.

Alvarado became the second player suspended this year under the big league testing program after Atlanta outfielder Jurickson Profar.

Verlander limited by ‘something physically' as Giants sweep Athletics

Verlander limited by ‘something physically' as Giants sweep Athletics originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Justin Verlander is still looking for his first win as a Giant, but for the fourth time, he at least got to watch a handshake line at the end of the day. This wasn’t a win he was fully able to soak up, though. 

Verlander’s first pitch of the day was a 90 mph fastball, and it didn’t get much better from there. He averaged 91.3 mph over his four innings and had dips of about three ticks on both his fastball and slider. After a 3-2 win over the Athletics, the veteran said he has been dealing with physical limitations. 

“I was dealing with something physically that the team was aware of,” Verlander said. “I was able to work through and didn’t feel like I was going to put myself at risk for injury, but clearly it was affecting my velocity and mechanics.”

Verlander didn’t want to offer any additional details on which part of his body was aching, and manager Bob Melvin directed questions to Verlander. It doesn’t appear to be serious, though, as Verlander said he’s “pretty optimistic” he’ll be able to make his start next Saturday in Washington, D.C. 

“Hopefully it’s a blip on the radar,” he said. 

Verlander was limited to 17 starts last year in Houston because of right shoulder inflammation and neck discomfort, but there have been no hiccups in his first season in San Francisco, at least until Sunday. The oldest player in the big leagues has thrown well in recent weeks, but on Sunday it was about limiting damage. The A’s loaded the bases in the first and didn’t score, and Verlander didn’t come back out for the fifth after walking two and giving up a two-run single in the fourth. 

The start was the first in Verlander’s long career with at least five walks in four-or-fewer innings, and he said the mystery ailment “very much” impacted his command. There were a ton of glove-side misses, but the velocity was the sign that something was up. 

“I don’t think anybody was really happy when the first pitch of the game was 90, but I was in constant communication with the staff and I think we were all confident that I wasn’t going to risk a catastrophic injury while I was out there,” Verlander said. “I wanted to go out and give us a chance.”

After Verlander departed, the bullpen threw five scoreless innings. That allowed the lineup to come back in the eighth, when LaMonte Wade Jr. tripled, Patrick Bailey singled, Christian Koss put down a sacrifice bunt and Heliot Ramos singled to left to bring the winning run home. 

The sweep of the A’s largely came on the shoulders of Wilmer Flores, but on Sunday, two of the stars — Wade and Bailey — were players who had been desperate to join the party. 

“There are certain at-bats that can be huge for you,” Melvin said of Wade. “He has a history of being able to pinch-hit, so even though it hasn’t been great for him, I think he’s ready for those type of moments. Hopefully that spurs him. Bailey, too.”

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What we learned as Giants rally late to complete sweep vs. Athletics

What we learned as Giants rally late to complete sweep vs. Athletics originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — It’ll take some time to figure out what to call this version of Giants-Athletics. It’s certainly not a Bay Bridge Series, and I-80 Series doesn’t quite have the same ring. In the press box’s notes at Oracle Park, the games were referred to as “their Northern California season series.”

The Giants came up with an easier name for what happened this weekend. A sweep. 

LaMonte Wade Jr. and Patrick Bailey sparked a comeback Sunday afternoon as the Giants completed the three-game sweep of the A’s with a 3-2 win. After dropping five of their previous six, the Giants found three very different ways to topple the A’s, who have exceeded expectations this season.

Wade came off the bench and led off the eighth with a triple and Bailey followed with a single. After a bunt by Christian Koss, Heliot Ramos bounced a single into left, allowing Bailey to race home as the go-ahead run. The rally came too late for Justin Verlander, but it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. 

Verlander has dealt with an incredible run of bad luck in recent weeks, but there was nobody else to blame Sunday when he again came up short of getting his first win as a Giant. Verlander didn’t even go deep enough to qualify, with command issues leading to him being pulled before the top of the fifth. MLB’s active wins leader hasn’t picked one up through 10 starts and still is sitting on 262 for his career. 

Lawrence Butler gave the A’s a 2-1 lead in the fourth with a two-run single, and the Giants didn’t threaten the lead until the seventh when they put two on for pinch-hitter Mike Yastrzemski. He hit a fly ball to deep center to end the inning, but an inning later, two more pinch-hitters got the offense going. 

Cause For Concern

Verlander has done just about everything in the big leagues, but this box score line was a new one. He walked at least five for just the 15th time in 536 career starts, and the second time in the last eight seasons. This was the first time that Verlander walked five in just four innings. He threw 84 pitches and just 41 of them were strikes. Only 40 percent of his fastballs were strikes, and the pitch didn’t generate a single swing-and-miss. 

Walks will happen, but the velocity certainly was concerning. Verlander has averaged 94.2 mph with his four-seamer this year but topped out at 93 on Sunday. His fastball and slider both were down about three mph, and there were a lot of 90s and 91s mixed in. 

Ramos, Right Away

After Verlander took 28 pitches to get through the top of the first, Ramos gave him an immediate lead. Ramos got a first-pitch fastball across the heart of the plate from A’s lefty Jeffrey Springs and rocketed a 111 mph homer into the home bullpen. 

The leadoff homer was the second of Ramos’ career and second this month. He has four homers in May and is up to eight on the season, which is tied with Matt Chapman for second on the team behind Wilmer Flores (10). Flores is the only Giant currently on pace for 30 homers, but Ramos and Chapman are close. 

Left Out

After the Ramos blast, Springs didn’t allow another hit until Chapman scorched a single up the middle with two outs in the seventh. That’s what the Giants have dealt with all year against lefties. 

The lineup was hitting just .229 against lefties entering the day, with a .677 OPS. Flores got to JP Sears on Friday night, but those moments have been rare. Flores has three homers against lefties and left-handed hitter Jung Hoo Lee also has three, but the rest of the Giants have combined for just eight. 

Willy Adames was 0-for-2 against Springs and is hitting .151 against lefties with one extra-base hit. Luis Matos, who is platooning with Yastrzemski, is hitting .097. 

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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Starting pitchers galore, can we believe in Hyeseong Kim?

Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, where I review my favorite waiver wire adds and drops for each week of the MLB season.

The premise is pretty straightforward. I’ll try to give you some recommended adds each week based on recent production or role changes. When I list a player, I’ll list the category where I think he’ll be helpful or the quick reason he’s listed. I hope that it will help you determine if the player is a fit for what your team needs or not.

For a player to qualify to be on this list, he needs to be UNDER 40% rostered in Yahoo! formats. I understand you may say, “These players aren’t available in my league,” and I can’t help you there. These players are available in over 60% of leagues and some in 98% of leagues, so they’re available in many places and that can hopefully satisfy readers in all league types.

Waiver Wire Hitters

Victor Scott II - OF, STL, 39% rostered
(EVERY DAY ROLE, SPEED UPSIDE)

Situations like Scott’s confuse me. Everybody was rushing to add him last year, and it didn’t pan out. Now, Scott is hitting .264 with 13 steals on the season, and people don’t seem to want to pick him up. Two weeks ago, I posted an article about hitters who could be worth adding/trading for based on their contact rates and swing rates. Scott popped in that article. There's more detail in the article, but I like a lot of what he’s doing in terms of his swing decisions. I need him to focus more on line drives and hard groundballs, and I think we could see a strong stretch of production in the coming weeks. Chandler Simpson - OF, TB (27% rostered) is also still available in a lot of leagues. I don't get it. He's hitting .301 with nine steals and 15 runs in 25 games? What did we expect him to be? He's not going to hit for power, but he hits at the top of the order against right-handed pitching and will run whenever he gets on.

Rhys Hoskins - 1B, MIL: 37% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, FINALLY HEALTHY)

This is my third week with Hoskins in this column, but I'm going to keep him here until people buy in because he's hitting .285/.389/.445 with five home runs and 24 RBI in 43 games. I bought in on Rhys Hoskins during spring training because he talked about being fully healthy after ACL surgery in 2023. He also changed his stance to quiet his head and improve his contact. The results didn’t come right at the start of the season, but we're starting to see them now. We know he's not going to be a major batting average asset, but he likely won't be a drain either. I like his ballpark, and I like his lineup, so I have no problem adding Hoskins anywhere he's available right now. Max Muncy - 3B, LAD (34% rostered) is another veteran who made a tweak and has started to heat up of late. Except, Muncy's tweak was to start wearing prescription glasses starting on May 5th. Since then, Muncy is hitting .275/.375/.475 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 11 games. A lot of that did come in an offensive series against the Athletics, but Muncy also has eight strikeouts to seven walks over that span, so it's pretty clear that he's seeing the ball better.

Brandon Lowe - 2B, TB: 36% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, HOT STREAK)

Brandon Lowe is another veteran who is starting to settle into himself a bit. Over his last 12 games, he's hitting just .256 with three home runs, eight runs scored, nine RBI, and a 14% barrel rate. We know the batting average will fluctuate up and down with Lowe, but we also know he's going to hit second in the order against right-handers and could easily carry a few balls out of that minor league ballpark when the weather starts to heat up. Jake Cronenworth - 1B/2B, SD (33% rostered) came off the IL on May 9th and has gone 8-for-27 with one home run, five RBI, and five runs scored in eight games. He's a bit boring for fantasy, but that doesn't mean he's bad. He's going to play every day in a solid Padres lineup and has always been about a .240 hitter with 15+ home run power who will drive in some runs hitting behind Xander Bogaerts, Jackson Merrill, and Manny Machado.

Hyeseong Kim - 2B/SS, LAD: 34% rostered
(PLAYING TIME UPSIDE, STEALS UPSIDE)

Hyeseong Kim is such a tough decision this weekend in fantasy. He's gone 14-for-31 (.452) since being called up with nine runs scored, one home run, and three steals. However, his average exit velocity is just 87.1 mph, and has a 73% contact rate overall, which jives with what he did in the minors, hitting .252 in 131 plate appearances at Triple-A with a 12% swinging strike rate. His overall contact rate of 75% at Triple-A is fine, but suggests there will be some swing and miss at the big league level, and even though he had a few huge home runs that we saw on Twitter, his average exit velocity at Triple-A was 87.3 mph. The other question is where he plays when Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernandez both come back, which is likely to be next week. James Outman is almost assuredly getting sent down, but if the Dodgers want to keep Kim on the active roster, they'll need to DFA one of Chris Taylor, Enrique Hernandez, or Michael Conforto. The Dodgers have historically been hesitant to move on from those long-tenured veterans, so it will be an interesting decision to see. If Kim does stay up, he'd be the regular second baseman and sit against all lefties, which would still give him solid value for speed.

Colt Keith - 1B/2B, DET: 19% rostered
(HOT STREAK, POST HYPE PROSPECT)

It was a slow start to the season for Keith, but he has come alive of late. Since May 1st, he's hitting .317/.391/.585 with three home runs, 12 runs scored, and seven RBI. While we do have to acknowledge that some of that is connected to Coors Field, Keith also has a 9.4% barrel rate on the season and is chasing outside of the zone way less this year. His overall contact profile hasn't changed a lot, but he's being more selective, which is working for him. He's not a prototypical 1B from a power perspective, but he had an elite hit tool as a prospect and hits near the top of a decent Tigers lineup. There’s a chance that he’s a 20 HR bat, so if he can hit .260 that’s great production at 2B and solid production at CI. With Colorado heading back home this week, you could take a flyer on Ryan McMahon - 3B, COL (33% rostered), who is hitting .333/..443/.667 in May with four home runs, 13 runs scored, and seven RBI. I covered McMahon two weeks ago in my article on hitters swinging at the first pitch more often,and was confused why he was struggling so much. I mentioned that his bat speed is almost two mph faster than last year, and his average exit velocity has jumped to 94.1 mph, and I believed that, "at some point, you have to think the hits will start to fall." Maybe now they have.

Evan Carter - OF, TEX: 12% rostered
(RETURN FROM MINORS, POST HYPE PROSPECT)

I know Evan Carter hasn't been good since being called up, but he's back in Texas and playing regularly against right-handed pitching, so he remains a potential add in deeper formats. After a slow start to his Triple-A season, he was hitting .288 with three HRs and four steals in his final 12 games. Since coming up, he’s gone 6-for-33 (.182) with one home run, but he does have three steals, so he's going to run when he gets on. He’s going to sit versus lefties and the back injury will always be a black cloud hanging over him, but he’s a talented player and was my off-season pick to be a second-year breakout hitter, so I believe he’s worth a flier in most league types. In deep formats, you might decide to pivot to an option like Trevor Larnach - OF, MIN (13% rostered), who's hitting .280 over his last 27 games with seven home runs, 18 runs scored, and 19 RBI. He's going to sit against all left-handed pitchers, but that platoon role has allowed him to thrive and put up really solid numbers, so he's especially interesting in daily moves leagues.

Luisangel Acuna - 2B/SS, NYM: 11% rostered
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, SPEED UPSIDE)

Last week, I mentioned that Jesse Winker’s injury was likely to open up playing time for Acuña, and the young middle infielder started four of the six games heading into Sunday. Mark Vientos started all six, and Brett Baty and Jeff McNeil both started three. With Winker out six weeks, the Mets could move Vientos to DH sometimes and let Acuña play 3B, or let veterans like Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo DH at times and play Acuña at 2B. Brett Baty being up complicates this a bit, but Acuña brings plus defense and a speed and batting average upside that Baty doesn't have. I guess we should address the Brett Baty - 3B, NYM (8% rostered) call-up. At this point, you’ve probably picked up and dropped Baty three or four times in your fantasy league over the years. However, he has come back up from AAA and hit three home runs in the last two games and started each of the last three games at 3B for the Mets, so we can’t just ignore that. All of what I said above means that Baty could also get a chance at regular playing time again in New York, and so, in deeper format, that might be worth a gamble if you’re struggling at third base. I just can’t bid a lot of money here because it could implode at any minute.

Gavin Sheets - 1B/OF, SD: 15% rostered
(EVERY DAY PLAYER, RBI UPSIDE)

Sheets’ recent numbers are certainly skewed by the trip to Coors Field last week; however, he is hitting .290/.343/.481 on the season with six home runs, so he has been productive for the Padres this year. He starts against all right-handed pitching and is hitting in the middle of a lineup that features a lot of strong bats, which means he has a good chance for RBI upside. His multi-position eligibility also makes him a bit more valuable, and he's an add I like in daily moves leagues. Another deeper league multi-position add could be Kody Clemens - 1B/2B/3B, MIN (1% rostered). He had been playing some first base when Ty France was banged up, and now he's starting regularly at second base with Brooks Lee shifting to shortstop while Carlos Correa is on the concussion IL. Clemens will likely sit against left-handed pitching, which makes him a tougher add for this week, but he has three home runs, two doubles, and a 17% barrel rate in 45 plate appearances this season, so I like what he's doing. His contact rates are strong, and he's aggressive in the strike zone, so he could be a decent short-term add.

Jake Meyers - OF, HOU: 9% rostered
(SPEED UPSIDE, STARTING JOB)

Last week,I published an article on hitters who were being more aggressive and swinging at the first pitch more often this year than last year. Myers popped up for me on that leaderboard, and I explained in detail why I’m a fan of his new approach, so you should read that article to check out the analysis; however, I think he’s a solid add for steals and something close to a .270 batting average. Fantasy managers in deep leagues could also gamble on Angels rookie Matthew Lugo - OF, LAA (1% rostered), who has gone 8-for-21 (.381) in eight games since being called up with three home runs and six RBI. Lugo is a former second-round pick of the Red Sox who came to the Angels last year at the trade deadline. He has never been a huge power hitter, but he did have 17 home runs and 16 steals in 79 minor league games last year, so there is some 20/20 upside here if he hits his ceiling. He doesn't have elite high-end exit velocity, but he makes hard contact regularly and has a pull-heavy approach, which helps him get to that power. However, he did have a 14.5% swinging strike rate in Triple-A this year and just a 73% contact rate, so don't expect the batting average to remain all that high.

Trey Sweeney - SS, DET: 10% rostered
(EVERY DAY JOB, POTENTIAL BREAKOUT)

A few weeks ago, I published an article on hitters who were making elite swing decisions and contact and could be in for hot streaks. Sweeney just barely qualified for the leaderboard, but I opted to leave him out of the article because I had doubts about him, and I had covered a lot of hitters already. That was a mistake. I should have trusted my thought process for the article and at least put Sweeney in the article to explain why he was there, and what my doubts were. It appears that my doubts may have been partially unfounded because Sweeney has been on a bit of a hot streak that began before he even went to Coors Field. I don’t know how long this hot streak will last, but he’s playing every day in Detroit and making good swing decisions, so that makes him worth an add in deeper formats.

Drake Baldwin - C, ATL: 9% rostered
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, TOP TIER PROSPECT)

Baldwin is in a timeshare with Sean Murphy in Atlanta, but it seems like Baldwin has become the preferred option against right-handed pitching since he hits left-handed. On the season, Baldwin is hitting .360/.407.573 in 81 plate appearances with four home runs, 13 strikeouts, and eight walks. The production has been there, and if he's now going to start 60-70% of the games, that makes him worth adding in all two-catcher formats. I would rather place bids on Baldwin than I would on either of the other two catchers who came up this week: Dalton Rushing - C/OF, LAD (17% rostered) and Moises Ballesteros - C, CHC (7% rostered). I understand that Rushing is a good prospect and looked strong in his first two games, but Dave Roberts has already said that Rushing won't play the outfield with the Dodgers and will catch two games a week. With Shohei Ohtani locked in as the DH, you can maybe hope Rushing gets one start a week at 1B when the team rests Freddie Freeman, but that's three starts per week for Rushing. It's just hard to bid on him if that's all we're going to get. Ballesteros is in a similar spot. Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya are playing well, and both have no minor league options remaining. When Ian Happ comes back, likely next week, all of Happ, Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki, and Pete Crow-Armstrong need to play so the DH spot will be locked up. I just don't see any room for Ballesteros to remain with the Cubs for now.

Marcelo Mayer - SS, BOS: 8% rostered
(MINOR LEAGUE STASH, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)

If you spend any time on social media, then you know that everybody is clamoring to find out how the Red Sox are going to call up Mayer and Roman Anthony. Well, we got a glimpse at one possibility on Friday when videos surfaced of Kristian Campbell doing pre-game work at first base. Campbell moved all around the field in the minors and has graded out below average at second base (a new position for him), so it makes sense for Boston to see how he can handle 1B. That would also open up a middle infield spot for Mayer, who is hitting .274/.351/.486 in 37 games at Triple-A with eight home runs. He's ready, and he'll be an impactful bat early on but more for batting average than anything. Another stash option would be Jerar Encarnacion - OF, SF (1% rostered), who is on a rehab assignment after having wrist surgery back at the end of spring training. We know the immense power he possesses, and the Giants have said they're going to play him at 1B primarily when he comes back, so that will add multi-position eligibility to his case for your roster.

Addison Barger - 3B/OF, TOR: 5% rostered
(PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY, POWER UPSIDE)

I was a fan of Addison Barger in the spring when he was all over the spring training leaderboards, and then I read about how the Blue Jays tried to change his swing upon his arrival in the big leagues and how it didn't work. He has now gone back to a more "free" swing that he says stops him from overthinking in the box and just lets him be loose. We obviously love to hear that, and I think Barger has a profile that the Blue Jays need. So many of their hitters are contact-first bats (Bichette, Clement, Springer, Kirk). I think Barger is a nice fit as more of a pull-heavy hitter who tries to do damage when he swings. That may lead to a .240-.250 type of hitter, but I believe in his batted ball quality and think he could push to be the Blue Jays' third baseman for the season. Miguel Vargas - 3B/OF, CWS (5% rostered) appeared in my article two weeks ago on hitters to add based on their plate discipline and contact rates. Vargas is chasing at a super low rate, making 83% contact overall and rarely swinging and missing. He's pulling the ball slightly less this season and has focused less on lifting the ball, which is a good change. He doesn't smoke the ball, but a 90.3 mph average exit velocity is pretty good, and he's playing every day in Chicago. He's limited to deeper leagues right now, but I still think he's worth an add there because the production he's put up over the last month matches the process.

Miguel Andujar - 3B/OF, ATH: 4% rostered
(EVERY DAY JOB, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)

This week,I posted an article looking at Pitcher List’s Process+ stat to see which hitters have the best Contact Value and Decision Value on their swings so far this year. Andujar qualified for that list despite not having the required number of pitches faced. He has become the starting third baseman for the Athletics and has hit 11-for-38 (.289) over the last month with eight RBI and one home run. He's not going to produce huge power numbers, but that park is going to be great for offense in the summer, and Andujar will sport a good batting average while hitting in the middle of the order. In deeper formats, you also scoop up his teammate, Luis Urias - 2B/3B, ATH (4% rostered), who is now the regular second baseman. With Zack Gelof suffering a rub injury on his rehab assignment, Urias may have a few weeks remaining as an everyday player.

Will Benson - OF, CIN: 1% rostered
(RECENT CALL-UP, POWER UPSIDE)

Benson was recalled late last week and has had a great first week back in the big leagues, going 8-for-22 with three home runs, eight RBI, and one steal. We've seen this before from him. He has tremendous power/speed potential, but also a really frustrating approach at the plate. Even in Triple-A this season, he was striking out 29% of the time with a 70% contact rate and 13% swinging strike rate. Perhaps you'll get a shot stretch from Benson; it might be worth the gamble, but it doesn't appear as if he's changed his approach at all. Another new starter on his team is Santiago Espinal - 2B/3B/OF - CIN: 3% rostered, who has become the regular third baseman in Cincinnati with Noelvi Marte on the IL. Espinal is hitting .273/.328/.322 on the season with almost an identical walk and strikeout rate. He makes a lot of contact and rarely swings and misses, but he also doesn't bring a ton of speed or power to the table. He would be an add for batting average and the hope of counting stats when the Reds are playing at home.

Waiver Wire Pitchers

Yu Darvish - SP, SD: 37% rostered
Darvish made his first rehab start at Triple-A on Wednesday and threw 57 pitches over four innings while striking out four and walking one. He sat 94.5 mph on his fastball, and his slider and cutter both looked good. Last year, Darvish had a 3.31 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 16 starts. If you take out the two starts we know he was pitching hurt, then he allowed 21 earned runs in 76 innings, which is a 2.47 ERA with 71 strikeouts. I think he’ll still be a mid-3.00 ERA guy, so I'll be grabbing some shares soon. He may still be three weeks away from his season debut with the Padres.

Tommy Kahnle - RP, DET: 32% rostered
I guess people don't want to add Kahnle because he doesn't throw hard, and the Tigers mix and match their late-inning relievers, but Kahnle has looked good so far, and Detroit has no problem running out a closer who doesn't have elite strikeout upside or a big fastball. Kahnle has five saves and a 0.61 ERA in 14 appearances so far this year, so I'm scooping if he's available. However, just note that the Tigers like to use Kahnle in high-leverage situations, which will also mean save opportunities for Will Vest - RP, DET (29% rostered), who is worth an add if you need saves as well. I know Vest blew an opportunity two weeks ago, which made him one of the most dropped players in Yahoo formats, but he has allowed just four runs on 10 hits in 17 innings this season. He'll still be back in high-leverage innings and will get some save chances.

Bubba Chandler - SP, PIT: 32% rostered
It seems like it’s only a matter of time before Bubba Chandler is up in the Pirates rotation. Even though his command was not great in his last start in AAA, he has dominated the level this year, and now that the super two deadline has passed, the Pirates can call him up and still retain an extra year of control over him. This is also right around the time they called up Paul Skenes last year, and they saw that it was enough time for him to win and our rookie of the year, and the Pirates another draft pick. Skenes made his MLB debut on May 11 last year, and so my guess is that Chandler is up for the Pirates' next homestand, which begins on May 19. I would try and stash him now before that News becomes official.

Cade Horton - SP, CHC: 32% rostered
Will they keep him in the big league rotation even after Imanaga is back? There are a lot of questions here, but he's a top-50 overall prospect in baseball and is worth a stash, especially since he gets the Marlins next. If you want a deeper dive into Horton, I covered him in my Starting Pitcher News column this week.

Shelby Miller - RP, ARI: 27% rostered
I spoke to Shelby Miller a couple of weeks ago before the Mets game and wrote up my thoughts on the Arizona bullpen situation here. I prioritized Miller on the waiver wire, and so far, that has worked out. We know that Justin Martinez is back and throwing bullpens and feels good, but there's no guarantee that he remains healthy or that the Diamondbacks immediately put him back as the everyday closer. There's a good chance they use Miller to help lessen some of Martinez's workload after coming back, so I wouldn't go ahead of drop Miller just yet, thinking that he's absolutely going to lose all the save chances going forward.

Zebby Matthews - SP, MIN: 21% rostered
Zebby Matthews is finally getting a chance to become a full-time starter in the Twins' rotation. He has been electric at Triple-A with a 1.93 ERA and 38:9 K:BB ratio over seven starts and 32 innings. I wrote him up in the pre-season as one of my choices for an undrafted starting pitcher who could finish the season as a top 25 arm, so I'd encourage you to check that out to see my full thoughts on him.

Logan Henderson - SP, MIL: 21% rostered
Henderon is in the Brewers' rotation (for now) after Jose Quintana went on the IL. He has a solid 2.45 ERA and 16:2 K:BB ratio in his two starts this season. He uses his four-seam and changeup 87% of the time, but they both are above-average pitches. The four-seam averages just 93 mph and has poor extension, but he has really good iVB on it and, given his release height, it's a really flat fastball. He does a good job of keeping it up in the strike zone, so it misses more bats than your average four-seamer and pairs well with the changeup he keeps low in the strike zone. He mixes in a cutter to lefties and a slider to righties, but he's really just a two-pitch pitcher and that makes me a little bit nervous as teams start to see him more.

Ryan Weathers - SP, MIA: 19% rostered
Weathers was back on Wednesday and looked pretty good in his first start against the Cubs. The left-hander had a 1.69 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 10.2 innings at Triple-A over his rehab appearances, and the spring training velocity gains held, which is nice to see. He gets the Cubs yet again this week, which is still a tough matchup to trust, but I really like Weathers for the long-term this season.

Dennis Santana - RP, PIT: 16% rostered
In the two games since Pittsburgh fired its manager, David Bednar has operated as the high-leverage reliever, which has led to two ninth-inning stints for Santana. He picked up the save in one, but also allowed two runs in one inning. Bednar remains the reliever to roster here because he has been great since coming back from the minors and will pitch more regularly; however, Santana should get the save chances, if Pittsburgh can muster many.

Noah Cameron - SP, KC: 13% rostered
Noah Cameron is yet another young pitcher getting a shot in the rotation with both Cole Ragans (groin) and Seth Lugo (finger) landing on the IL. Now, neither of those guys should be out too long, so I don't think this is a situation where Cameron pitches his way into a permanent spot in the rotation, but he might get 2-3 turns through the rotation, and that could be worth something. He's a soft-tossing lefty who averages 91.3 mph on his fastball, but has a good slider and changeup. He'll also mix in a cutter to righties, which helps to take the pressure off of his four-seam fastball. I don't love the profile, and don't think there's a ton of strikeout upside here, but he mixes and matches speeds well and has good command, so I can see him producing some solid performances.

Hayden Birdsong - SP, SF: 11% rostered
Birdsong is moving into the Giants' rotation with Jordan Hicks moving to the bullpen. Birdsong had a great spring training and showed off improved command that had him on the verge of winning a starting spot in the rotation. However, he was sent down to the minors and then returned to pitch out of the bullpen, where he produced a solid 2.31 ERA in 23.1 innings. He did have a 1.3 WHIP over that stretch, which is not ideal, so command may still be something we need to keep an eye on here. That said, he has a four-pitch mix and plenty of swing-and-miss in the arsenal, so he's worth a gamble if he can carry over these command gains. Managers in deeper leagues could also look to add Slade Cecconi - SP, CLE (1% rostered), who will be in the rotation with Ben Lively sidelined. He had an up-and-down season debut on Saturday, but he showed off added velocity, thanks to mechanical tweaks to his lower body, and has some subtle changes to his pitch mix, where he's relying on his four-seam fastball less often. Cecconi had allowed just one run in five innings in his start, but he tired in the sixth and allowed a run, and then the inherited runner he left on base also came around to score. He should be pushed up to about 85 pitches in his next start, but there may be something here in deeper formats.

Hunter Dobbins - SP, BOS: 8% rostered
With Tanner Houck ending up on the IL, Hunter Dobbins is likely to remain in the Red Sox rotation for a few extra weeks. I've been intrigued by his performance so far this season andwrote about him in detail in my starting pitcher article this week, so check that out for more details on Dobbins' pitch mix and my expectations for him.

STREAMING STARTER PITCHERS

MUST BE 40% ROSTERED ON YAHOO OR UNDER (ranked in loose order)

Week of 5/19

Strong Preference

PitcherRoster%Opponent
Ben Brown23%at MIA, at CIN
Jose Soriano21%at ATH, vs MIA
Gavin Williams35%at MIN, at DET
Jameson Taillon29%at MIA, at CIN
Luis Severino32%vs LAA
Justin Verlander29%at WAS
Landen Roupp16%at WAS
Cade Horton24%at MIA

Fairly Confident

Andrew Heaney29%vs CIN
Logan Henderson23%vs BAL
Nick Martinez31%at PIT
Edward Cabrera9%vs CHC, at LAA
Aaron Civale2%vs BAL
Hayden Birdsong11%vs KC
Zebby Matthews21%vs KC
Luis L. Ortiz22%at DET
Logan Evans2%at CWS
Cade Povich2%at MIL
Brayan Bello29%vs BAL
Noah Cameron13%at MIN
Lucas Giolito20%vs BAL

Some Hesitation

Slade Cecconi1%at DET
Shane Smith27%vs SEA
Colton Gordon1%at TB, vs SEA
Grant Holmes37%vs SD
Hunter Dobbins8%vs NYM, vs BAL
Dean Kremer6%at MIL, at BOS
Jackson Jobe40%vs CLE
Michal Soroka6%at SF
Ryan Weathers19%vs CHC
Landon Knack6%vs ARI
Steven Kolek14%at TOR
Quinn Priester2%vs BAL, at PIT

If I'm Desperate

Gunnar Hoglund17%vs LAA, vs PHI
JT Ginn1%vs LAA, vs PHI
Davis Martin2%vs SEA, vs TEX
Randy Vasquez4%at TOR
Tomoyuki Sugano39%at MIL, at BOS
Patrick Corbin4%at NYY, at CWS
Logan Allen5%at MIN, at DET

Mets at Yankees: How to watch on May 18, 2025

The Mets (29-17) take on the Yankees (26-19) at 7:10 p.m. on ESPN. Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...


Mets Notes

  • Edwin Diaz has been dominant over his last seven appearances, allowing zero earned runs while striking out nine hitters and walking just two
  • Juan Soto has reached base five times over the first two games of the Subway Series, and he's stolen a pair of bases and scored a pair of runs
  • David Peterson (3.05 overall ERA) is coming off of back-to-back quality starts, combining to allow four earned runs over his last 12.0 innings


    METS
    YANKEES

    Francisco Lindor, SS

    Paul Goldschmidt, 1B

    Juan Soto, RF

    Trent Grisham, CF

    Pete Alonso, 1B

    Aaron Judge, RF

    Mark Vientos, 3B

    Cody Bellinger, LF

    Brandon Nimmo, LF

    Anthony Volpe, SS

    Starling Marte, DH

    Jasson Dominguez, DH

    Francisco Alvarez, C

    DJ LeMahieu, 2B

    Jeff McNeil, CF

    Austin Wells, C

    Luisangel Acuña, 2B

    Oswald Peraza, 3B


    How can I watch Mets vs. Yankees online?

    To watch Mets games online via ESPN, you will need a subscription to a TV service provider or to ESPN+. This will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone browser, or via the ESPN App.

    ICYMI in Mets Land: Subway Series evened up as Edwin Diaz returns to dominance

    Here's what happened in Mets Land on Saturday, in case you missed it...


    How Hicks is handling Giants bullpen demotion after shaky start

    How Hicks is handling Giants bullpen demotion after shaky start originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

    SAN FRANCISCO — When Jordan Hicks finally hit free agency, several suitors viewed him as a starter and several as a late-innings reliever. The Giants never wavered. They told Hicks he would start in San Francisco, and he signed a four-year, $44 million deal.

    “My whole life this has been the dream,” Hicks said a few weeks later. “I’m fully embracing this.”

    In the second month of the second season, Hicks finds himself back in the bullpen. His ERA jumped to 6.55 last Wednesday, and on Saturday, manager Bob Melvin announced that Hayden Birdsong will take that rotation spot. Hicks said he understands, and he’s ready to transition back. 

    “For me, I’m just going to live with it (and) take ownership,” he said Sunday morning. “I didn’t have the greatest start to the season as I wanted, but I’ll move on and help the team in the bullpen.”

    Hicks will join what right now is the best group of relievers in baseball. Four pitchers got through the final four innings Saturday on just 34 pitches, lowering the group’s ERA to 2.59. Initially, Hicks will serve as a sort-of long man given that he is stretched out to throw 100 pitches if needed, but over time that role will change. 

    Hicks said he’s ready to do “whatever the team needs” and mentioned adjustments he has been working on the last few days. While he’s among the league leaders in groundball rate, he is not getting as much swing-and-miss as you would expect from someone who sits in the upper nineties, and that would be one area to improve on as a reliever. 

    Hicks is averaging 97.2 mph with his sinker, but he’s not sure if there will be the usual uptick that comes with moving to the bullpen. He spent all offseason conditioning himself to go full throttle for six or seven innings. 

    “I was already up to 101 as a starter. I don’t really know, to be honest — we’ll see,” Hicks said when asked what his velocity might look like.  “I don’t think that’s something I can predict if I’m going to go out there and throw 103. It’s been two years since I did that. I have no idea. I’m just going to go out there and get the job done.” 

    The job description has changed, but Hicks still has two years left on his contract, and at some point the Giants will have to make a decision on his long-term outlook. In addition to Landen Roupp and Birdsong, they have Kyle Harrison, Carson Whisenhunt and other young pitchers in the wings, and Logan Webb and Robbie Ray are signed past this season. Asked if he still wants to be a starter down the line, Hicks said right now he’s focused on helping the team. 

    “I have not given up on myself,” he said. “If the opportunity presents itself I’ll happily take it, but at the same time I really don’t have much control of the situation. Yeah, I want to be a starting pitcher. That’s always what I’ve wanted to do in the big leagues. It’s just not the time right now.”

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    Alvarado's suspension changes everything for Phillies, who can't let 2025 go to waste

    Alvarado's suspension changes everything for Phillies, who can't let 2025 go to waste originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

    Phillies officials walked past a group of reporters in hushed tones in the tunnel outside the home clubhouse after Saturday night’s win.

    A morning later, the secrecy made more sense.

    Jose Alvarado has been suspended for 80 games without pay and will not appeal after testing positive for exogenous Testosterone. He took a supplement over the offseason to lose weight and was seemingly unaware that it contained a banned substance.

    To make matters even worse, Alvarado will also be ineligible for the 2025 playoffs. He’ll be able to pitch in regular-season Games 126 through 162 and that’s it. He’s already left town.

    Even with Alvarado, the Phillies already needed more relief help. It has stuck out as their top need, one that was likely to be addressed at the trade deadline.

    But the trade deadline is 10 weeks away. Sunday’s news could and perhaps should expedite the Phillies’ process of finding another high-leverage reliever.

    It won’t be easy. Top relievers are hardly ever traded this far out from the deadline and you’d have to overpay to complete a deal soon. 

    Want Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley? Well, it’s going to cost more than a rental ordinarily would, especially now. 

    Want A’s closer Mason Miller, who isn’t a free agent until after 2028? Well, it might very well cost both Aidan Miller and Justin Crawford, the Phillies’ top two position player prospects.

    The reason sellers hang on to their top trade candidates until close to the July 31 deadline is because demand doesn’t decrease, it typically increases. Bidding wars ensue. Acquisition costs rise. 

    “I can’t even answer that yet. That’s still a while away,” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said when asked how the Alvarado news will affect the Phillies’ trade deadline.

    “It would be like if we had an injury. If you had an injury and knew a guy was going to be out for a while, well how do you deal with it? You talk about a lot of different things and there’s short-term and long-term.”

    The Cardinals, the A’s, the Rays with Pete Fairbanks, the Orioles with Felix Bautista and Yennier Cano, the Nationals with Kyle Finnegan, they all have little incentive to act now unless they’re bowled over.

    These teams all know the Phillies are in win-now mode, lost their best reliever and won’t want to waste a year in the primes of Bryce Harper, Zack Wheeler, Kyle Schwarber and the rest. Dombrowski was asked Sunday about that lack of leverage.

    “If you make somebody the right offer, I don’t think that will make a difference,” he said.

    “We’ve already been talking to people so it’s not gonna force anything different. There are very few clubs in position that they want to make trades right now to get rid of players. Most clubs are in a postseason race at this time. We’ve already done a lot of work and have information that we’ve been gathering behind the scenes well before this.”

    Alvarado provided so much to the Phillies’ bullpen. He was their primary closer but also the reliever they’d use if a dangerous left-handed section of a lineup was due up in the eighth inning. His mere presence is unsettling to opposing managers and hitters who have almost no time to react to his 100 mph average fastball, 99 mph sinker and 94 mph cutter.

    Alvarado showed up in spring training this year already throwing triple-digits. He said several times in March and April that he’s never felt better, that there’s nothing about his routine he wanted to change. He was on track to make his first All-Star team. He had by far the lowest walk rate of his career, 1.8 per nine innings compared to 4.9 prior. Now it’s all washed away.

    In the short term, Alvarado’s absence drastically increases the importance of lefty Matt Strahm and right-handers Jordan Romano and Orion Kerkering. Strahm dealt with a left shoulder impingement in spring training and pitched with lower velocity early this season but was sharp Saturday night. Manager Rob Thomson remarked after the game that it was the best Strahm’s stuff has looked in 2025. 

    Romano is trending in the right direction as well. He’s made seven straight scoreless appearances, four of them 1-2-3. Romano has picked up two saves during that run and figures to be the primary closer moving forward unless Thomson uses him in the eighth inning against a right-handed pocket and saves Strahm for the ninth.

    Tanner Banks goes from being the third lefty in the bullpen to the second. He’s held left-handed hitters to 5-for-28 (.179) on the season.

    “We’ve had big injuries in the past — Harper, Schwarber, J.T. (Realmuto) — and guys pick it up, that’s what they do around here,” Thomson said.

    “It’s a loss, no doubt. It’s really out of our control. We’ve just got to move on. We’ve got really good pieces here that can pick up the slack.”

    Jose Alvarado's suspension an unexpected and devastating blow for Phillies

    Jose Alvarado's suspension an unexpected and devastating blow for Phillies originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

    The Phillies were dealt an unexpected blow Sunday with the news José Alvarado has been suspended without pay for 80 games by MLB after testing positive for exogenous testosterone.

    What’s more devastating is that his violation also makes him ineligible for the postseason.

    The club learned about the suspension prior to the series finale against the Pirates and issued the following statement:

    “The Phillies fully support Major League Baseball’s Joint Prevention and Treatment Program and are disappointed to hear today’s news of José’s violation.”

    The Phillies will now be without one of their most reliable arms out of the bullpen — and one of the most dominant relievers across the sport.

    “To me, I end up treating it like an injury,” said president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. “Because you need to replace somebody for 80 games and then hopefully into the postseason, he’s not eligible for that time period.

    “It’s not something he did knowingly, I believe that, the way he talked to me. Basically the system is a very stringent system in the sense that you’re responsible for what goes into your body. That’s what it really comes down to.

    “I know what he was doing, he was trying to take a weight-loss reduction, he’s always been self-conscious of his weight and working hard on it. Something he took gave a positive result, but ultimately it’s a situation where if it happens, you’re still responsible for it.”

    Alvarado was not at Citizens Bank Park and unavailable to comment on the suspension. Through his 20 games in 2025, he was 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA. He would be able to return August 19 against the Mariners.