Rafael Marchan shined Thursday afternoon in the opening game of the Phillies’ split doubleheader with the Braves.
The backup catcher was a central figure in the Phils’ dramatic 5-4 victory at Citizens Bank Park and drove in the game-winning run with an eighth-inning hit by pitch.
Cristopher Sanchez started for the Phillies and pitched 5 and 2/3 innings. His final line was seven hits, two runs, two walks and five strikeouts.
Sanchez walked two Braves in the second inning and threw balls on 14 of his first 27 pitches. His sinker, slider and changeup all induced regular whiffs in the early innings, though.
In contrast to Sanchez, Atlanta starter AJ Smith-Shawver began the day with 18 of 20 strikes. The bottom of the Phillies’ lineup then broke through.
Brandon Marsh managed a seven-pitch walk. Marchan ripped a hanging curveball just over the right-field wall and on the good side of the foul pole to put the Phillies up 2-0. The home run was Marchan’s first of the season and his first hit of any kind since May 14.
Smith-Shawver soon headed back to the Braves’ dugout. Bryson Stott rocketed a liner that struck Smith-Shawver’s lower leg on its way to center field. The righty came out of the game following Trea Turner’s fly out to deep left.
Atlanta placed Smith-Shawver on the 15-day injured list with a strained right elbow postgame.
The Phillies were inches away from a 5-0 lead in the fourth inning. After one-out singles by Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos against Braves reliever Scott Blewett, Michael Harris II robbed Max Kepler of a three-run homer, reaching over the center-field fence and nabbing his 403-foot fly ball.
Marchan registered another highlight in the fourth when he nailed Stuart Fairchild trying to steal second base. He also tallied the Phillies’ third run, working a fifth-inning walk and coming around to score on a Turner infield hit.
“Really impressed,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said of Marchan. “I’ve been saying all along this kid is really a player. There’s not many numbers there, but he’s really given us good at-bats.
“He understands the strike zone. He’s very disciplined. He can really throw, obviously. Calls a great game; he was coming off two shutouts. … He does a great job. It’s just a huge day for him.”
Austin Riley, Matt Olson and Sean Murphy singles in the sixth inning produced Atlanta’s first run of the series. Sanchez’s outing ended with two outs and runners on the corners. Orion Kerkering entered and Ronald Acuna Jr. lined an RBI hit over Turner’s head, trimming the Phillies’ lead to 3-2.
With assistance from a leaping Turner snag, Kerkering pitched a scoreless seventh. The Phillies got a little cushion in the bottom of the inning courtesy of a mammoth Kyle Schwarber dinger. Acuna didn’t move in right field for Schwarber’s 19th homer, which easily landed in the second deck and officially traveled 438 feet.
The Phillies’ advantage went down the drain in the eighth inning. Murphy crushed a solo shot vs. Matt Strahm and two-out doubles by Acuna and Harris evened the contest at 4-4.
Castellanos cracked his fourth hit of the afternoon on the first Daysbel Hernandez pitch the Phillies saw in the eighth inning. They then exploited Hernandez’s wildness to regain the advantage.
Kepler walked, Edmundo Sosa executed a perfect sacrifice bunt, and Marsh walked to load the bases.That set the stage for Marchan, who trotted to first base after apparently being nicked on the foot by a 2-2 slider. Following a Braves challenge, the call on the field stood.
Jordan Romano conceded a leadoff walk to Ozzie Albies, but Marchan rifled a beautiful throw to second base for his second caught stealing of the day.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Marchan said of the moment. “You feel like a kid when you do something good. You’re really excited, you’re really hype. A lot of emotion.”
The Braves then filled the bases with walks by Marcell Ozuna and Murphy and an Olson single. Romano ultimately sealed the deal, striking out Eli White looking.
Zack Wheeler (6-1, 2.42 ERA) and Chris Sale (2-3, 3.36 ERA) will start Game 2 of the doubleheader. Wheeler preferred the nightcap, according to Thomson.
“He just called me back,” Thomson said, “and he said, ‘Hey, is it too late to switch? I’d like to pitch the night game.’ “I said, ‘Yeah, whatever you want. You’re Zack Wheeler.’”
Rafael Marchan shined Thursday afternoon in the opening game of the Phillies’ split doubleheader with the Braves.
The backup catcher was a central figure in the Phils’ dramatic 5-4 victory at Citizens Bank Park and drove in the game-winning run with an eighth-inning hit by pitch.
Cristopher Sanchez started for the Phillies and pitched 5 and 2/3 innings. His final line was seven hits, two runs, two walks and five strikeouts.
Sanchez walked two Braves in the second inning and threw balls on 14 of his first 27 pitches. His sinker, slider and changeup all induced regular whiffs in the early innings, though.
In contrast to Sanchez, Atlanta starter AJ Smith-Shawver began the day with 18 of 20 strikes. The bottom of the Phillies’ lineup then broke through.
Brandon Marsh managed a seven-pitch walk. Marchan ripped a hanging curveball just over the right-field wall and on the good side of the foul pole to put the Phillies up 2-0. The home run was Marchan’s first of the season and his first hit of any kind since May 14.
Smith-Shawver soon headed back to the Braves’ dugout. Bryson Stott rocketed a liner that struck Smith-Shawver’s lower leg on its way to center field. The righty came out of the game following Trea Turner’s fly out to deep left.
The Phillies were inches away from a 5-0 lead in the fourth inning. After one-out singles by Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos against Braves reliever Scott Blewett, Michael Harris II robbed Max Kepler of a three-run homer, reaching over the center-field fence and nabbing his 403-foot fly ball.
Marchan registered another highlight in the fourth when he nailed Stuart Fairchild trying to steal second base. He also tallied the Phillies’ third run, working a fifth-inning walk and coming around to score on a Turner infield hit.
Austin Riley, Matt Olson and Sean Murphy singles in the sixth inning produced Atlanta’s first run of the series. Sanchez’s outing ended with two outs and runners on the corners. Orion Kerkering entered and Ronald Acuna Jr. lined an RBI hit over Turner’s head, trimming the Phillies’ lead to 3-2.
With assistance from a leaping Turner snag, Kerkering pitched a scoreless seventh. The Phillies got a little cushion in the bottom of the inning courtesy of a mammoth Kyle Schwarber dinger. Acuna didn’t move in right field for Schwarber’s 19th homer, which easily landed in the second deck and officially traveled 438 feet.
The Phillies’ advantage went down the drain in the eighth inning. Murphy crushed a solo shot vs. Matt Strahm and two-out doubles by Acuna and Harris evened the contest at 4-4.
Castellanos cracked his fourth hit of the afternoon on the first Daysbel Hernandez pitch the Phillies saw in the eighth inning. They then exploited Hernandez’s wildness to regain the lead.
Kepler walked, Sosa executed a perfect sacrifice bunt, and Marsh walked to load the bases.That set the stage for Marchan, who trotted to first base after apparently being nicked in the foot by a 2-2 slider. Following a Braves challenge, the call on the field stood.
Jordan Romano conceded a leadoff walk to Ozzie Albies, but Marchan rifled a beautiful throw to second base for his second caught stealing of the day. The Braves then filled the bases with walks by Marcell Ozuna and Murphy and an Olson single.
Romano ultimately sealed the deal, striking out Eli White looking.
Zack Wheeler (6-1, 2.42 ERA) and Chris Sale (2-3, 3.36 ERA) will start Game 2 of the doubleheader. Wheeler preferred the nightcap, according to Phillies manager Rob Thomson.
“He just called me back,” Thomson said, “and he said, ‘Hey, is it too late to switch? I’d like to pitch the night game.’ “I said, ‘Yeah, whatever you want. You’re Zack Wheeler.’”
“We need to get more production out of that position, there’s no question,” Posey told Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher. “LaMonte [Wade Jr.], I think, you know it was nice he got a big hit yesterday in the game and we’re hopeful he can get that going but at this point we are going to need some more production and I think that’s the way that we’re kind of looking at this right now is some sort of time share.”
Wade went 2 for 3 in Wednesday’s loss to the Detroit Tigers, however, and has boosted his average from .133 to where it currently stands since the start of May while hitting .233 on the month.
Posey said the team will be looking at three players to potentially shore up the position.
“With [Jerar] Encarnacion coming back, he’ll mix in some, [Wilmer Flores] might mix in some, [Casey] Schmitt might mix in some,” Posey said.
Additionally, Posey didn’t indicate the Giants have any plans to rush top prospect Bryce Eldridge to the big leagues. The 20-year-old, who just so happens to play first base, is slashing .294/.361/.532 with the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels.
“We’re really happy with the way he’s progressing,” Posey said. “He’s hitting in a tough league. Still has a lot of work to do defensively. He’s making strides, he’s putting in the work and that’s all you can ask for.”
For now, the Giants will have to find a first-base solution with the guys who have big-league experience.
Not much has gone right for the Boston Red Sox since the calendar flipped to May. They’ve gone 10-16 this month to fall to 27-31, 9.5 games behind the first-place New York Yankees in the American League East.
The blame pie can be sliced several ways. The offense has been inconsistent, the rotation has struggled behind ace Garrett Crochet, and the team is 6-15 in one-run games. Several key players are in the middle of brutal month-long slumps.
So, who needs to turn it around for the Red Sox to get back above .500? Which players have been bright spots during the disappointing stretch?
Here’s our updated “Stock Up, Stock Down” with June looming.
Stock Up
Carlos Narvaez, C
The Red Sox acquired Narvaez in an under-the-radar offseason trade with the New York Yankees. The assumption was that he would serve as Connor Wong’s backup throughout the 2025 season, but he already has a firm grip on the starting catcher role amid a shockingly impressive start to the campaign.
In addition to being one of the game’s best defensive backstops, Narvaez has been one of Boston’s most consistent hitters. The 26-year-old rookie entered Thursday slashing .289/.357/.465 with five homers and 17 RBI. He ranks fourth on the team with a 1.8 fWAR, trailing only Alex Bregman, Garrett Crochet, and Rafael Devers.
Devers refusing to play first base wasn’t the best look, but it’s easy to look past when he’s in the midst of a career year at the plate.
The three-time All-Star is hitting .287/.409/.523 with 12 homers and an American League-leading 50 RBI. He recorded the first walk-off homer of his career on May 17 against Atlanta and a grand slam on May 23 against Baltimore.
Since starting the season 0-for-19 with 15 strikeouts, Devers has hit .315 with a 1.005 OPS.
The way Devers has raked as the designated hitter, it’s easy to see why the Red Sox have refrained from asking him to move back to third base in the wake of Bregman’s injury.
Jarren Duran, OF
Duran is heating up after a subpar start to the season. The 2024 All-Star Game MVP has hit .377 with two homers and 11 RBI in 13 games since May 16. He leads the majors with six triples.
Duran took his game to another level in June of last year and finished eighth in AL MVP voting. While it’s unfair to expect him to duplicate that success, it’s encouraging that he appears to be on the same trajectory as his All-Star season.
Brennan Bernardino, RHP
Bernardino has been the Red Sox bullpen’s unsung hero. The 33-year-old righty is tied for the MLB lead with 14 appearances in May. In those appearances, he has amassed an 0.75 ERA and 0.91 WHIP over 12 innings.
He has been a bright spot throughout Boston’s abysmal stretch.
The 22-year-old is hitting .120 with a .335 OPS through 20 games in May, and he was partly responsible for Boston’s demise in Wednesday’s series finale vs. Milwaukee with a brutal defensive miscue in the 10th inning:
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 28, 2025
Credit where it’s due: Campbell has willingly taken practice reps at first base despite never playing the position in his professional career. But at this stage, it’s fair to wonder whether the best course of action is to let him figure things out at Triple-A rather than throw him into the fire at a new position during a brutal slump.
Campbell ascended quickly through the minor-league ranks, cracking Boston’s Opening Day roster one year after playing at High-A. The raw talent is undeniable, but he hasn’t looked like a big-league player for the last month.
Story is slashing .218/.263/.318 in 54 games this season. Since May 6, he’s hitting .132 (10-for-76) with a .369 OPS. His fielding hasn’t made up for those offensive struggles as he’s in the midst of arguably the worst defensive season of his career.
Wong has never shined behind the plate, but he had some solid offensive stretches as the Red Sox’ starting catcher in 2024. That has not been the case this season.
The 29-year-old, who will forever be remembered as one of the key pieces in the infamous Mookie Betts trade, is hitting .157 with no homers and a .402 OPS in 22 games. It didn’t take long for him to lose the starting catching gig to Narvaez.
While the Red Sox aren’t regretting their offseason deal for Garrett Crochet, they may be kicking themselves for parting ways with top catching prospect Kyle Teel. It’s been a disastrous year for Wong, even by a backup’s standards.
Tanner Houck was placed on the injured list after a nightmare start to the season, Walker Buehler has been up-and-down and also spent time on the IL, Brayan Bello hasn’t looked the part, and Lucas Giolito isn’t anything close to his 2021 self. Hunter Dobbins looked sharp to start his rookie campaign but has come crashing back down to earth over his last few appearances.
The Red Sox rotation was expected to take a significant step forward in 2025. Instead, it has remained one of the club’s biggest weaknesses.
Its Friday, May 30 and the Giants (31-25) are in Miami to take on the Marlins (22-32).
Kyle Harrison is slated to take the mound for San Francisco against Cal Quantrill for Miami.
San Francisco had yesterday off following a three-game sweep at the hands of the Detroit Tigers. The Giants' offense failed them scoring just five runs over the course of the three games.
Miami's offense was far better in the Marlins' series against the Padres. San Diego won two of the three games, but Miami did plate 19 runs in the series.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Giants at Marlins
Date: Friday, May 30, 2025
Time: 7:10PM EST
Site: loanDepot Park
City: Miami, FL
Network/Streaming: NBCSBA, FDSNFL, MLBN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Giants at the Marlins
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Giants (-181), Marlins (+151)
Spread: Giants -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Giants at Marlins
Pitching matchup for May 30, 2025: Kyle Harrison vs. Cal Quantrill
Giants: Kyle Harrison (0-1, 3.86 ERA) Last outing: 5/24 at Washington - 4IP, 2ER, 5H, 0BB, 4Ks
Marlins: Cal Quantrill (3-4, 6.09 ERA) Last outing: 5/24 at Angels - 3.1IP, 1ER, 3H, 0BB, 2Ks
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Giants at Marlins
The Giants have won 4 of their last 5 at National League teams
10 of the Giants' last 11 games (91%) have stayed under the Total
The Marlins have covered in 4 of their last 5 games for a profit of 1.58 units
Wilmer Flores has at least 1 hit in 8 of his last 9 games (9-35)
Kyle Stowers is 1-18 (.056) over his last 4 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!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Giants and the Marlins
Rotoworld Best Bet
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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 Friday's game between the Giants and the Marlins:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the San Francisco Giants on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Miami Marlins at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
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In his second season playing shortstop, Mookie Betts currently ranks seventh among qualified MLB shortstops in fielding percentage. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Before the start of the season, Dodgers first base and infield coach Chris Woodward pulled Mookie Betts aside one day, and had him envision the ultimate end result.
“You’re gonna be standing at shortstop when we win the World Series,” Woodward told Betts, the former Gold Glove right fielder in the midst of an almost unprecedented mid-career position switch. “That’s what the goal is.”
Two months into the campaign, the Dodgers believe he’s checking the requisite boxes on the path toward getting there.
“I would say, right now he's playing above-average shortstop, Major League shortstop,” manager Dave Roberts said this week. “Which is amazing, considering he just took this position up.”
Betts has not only returned to shortstop this season after his unconvincing three-month stint at the position last year; but he has progressed so much that, unlike when he was moved back to right field for the stretch run of last fall’s championship march, the Dodgers have no plans for a similar late-season switch this time around.
“I don't see us making a change [like] we did last year. I don't see that happening,” Roberts said. “He's a major league shortstop, on a championship club.”
“And,” the manager also added, “he's only getting better.”
It means that now, Betts’ challenge has gone from proving he belongs at shortstop to proving he can master it by the end of the season. The goal Woodward laid out at the beginning of the year has suddenly become much more realistic now. And over the next four months, Betts’ ability to polish his shortstop play looms as one of the Dodgers’ biggest X-factors.
“Getting to that, even when he’s as good as he is now, there’s still a lot to learn,” Woodward said. “He’s done good up to this point. So how do we maintain that [progress]?”
In Year 1 of playing shortstop on a full-time basis last season, Betts’ initial experience was marked by trial and (mostly) error. He struggled to make accurate throws across the diamond. He lacked the instincts and confidence to cleanly field even many routine grounders. In his three-month cameo in the role — one cut short by a midseason broken hand — he committed nine errors and ranked below-league-average in several advanced metrics.
“Last year,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said when reflecting on Betts’ initial foray to the shortstop position, “it was like a crash course.”
In Year 2, on the other hand, Betts has graduated to something of a finishing school.
Unlike last year, when the former MVP slugger switched positions just weeks before opening day, Betts had the entire offseason to prepare his game. Over the winter, he improved the technique of his glovework while fielding balls. He trained on how to throw from lower arm slots than he had in the outfield. He focused on keeping a wider and more athletic base in order to adapt to funny hops and unexpected spins. He established a base of fundamentals that, last year, he simply didn’t have; providing renewed confidence and consistency he’s been able to lean on all season.
“Preparation,” Betts said recently about the biggest difference in his shortstop play this year. “[I have been able] to prepare, have an idea of what I’m doing, instead of just hoping that athleticism wins. At this level, it doesn't work like that. So you have to have an idea of what you’re doing. And I work hard every day. I’m out there every day early. Doing what I can to be successful.”
Such strides have been illustrated in Betts’ defensive numbers. He currently ranks seventh among qualified MLB shortstops in fielding percentage, his three errors to this point tied for the fewest among those who have made at least 50 starts. His advanced metrics are equally encouraging, ranking top-five in outs above average and defensive runs saved.
“He looks like a major league shortstop right now,” Roberts said, “where last year there were many times I didn't feel that way.”
A finished product, however, Betts is still not.
There are subtle intricacies he has yet to fully grasp, such as where to position on relay throws from the outfield. There are infrequent, higher-difficulty plays he’s yet to learn how to handle.
One important teaching moment came early in the season, when Betts' inability to corral a hard hooking one-hopper in a game against the Washington Nationals led to him and the coaching staff adding more unpredictable fungo-bat fielding drills into his daily pregame routine.
“It just kind of prompted a conversation of, ‘You’re gonna get different types of balls, and those are pretty rare. But what’s the process of catching that ball? And what do we need to practice?’” Woodward recalled, leading to changes that were enacted the very next day.
“The drills we do now, I don’t know if anybody else can make them look as easy as he now does,” Woodward added. “When he first started, you could tell, ‘Oh man, it’s uncomfortable.’ But now, I smoke balls at him … and he’s just so under control.”
Another moment of frustration came last Sunday in New York, when Betts athletically snared a bouncing ball on his forehand up the middle … but then airmailed a backhanded, off-balance flip throw to second base while trying to turn a potential double play.
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts throws to first base during Monday's game against the Cleveland Guardians. (David Dermer / Associated Press)
“That was the first time ever in my life I’ve had to do that,” Betts said days later, prompting him to seek out more advice from Woodward and veteran shortstop teammate Miguel Rojas. “Miggy was telling me I can’t stress about it, because he got to mess that play up in high-A [when he was first learning the position]. Woody told me he got to mess that play up in double-A. I’m messing this play up for the first time ever in my life — in the big leagues.”
For Betts, it can be a frustrating dynamic, having to endorse inevitable such struggles as he seeks his desired defensive progress.
“I definitely feel I’ve grown a lot, just from the routine perspective,” he said. “But I don’t want to hurt the team, man.”
Which is why, in the days immediately afterward, he then incorporated underhand flip drills into his pregame work as well.
“You’re going to have to go through those moments to learn, to understand,” said Rojas, who has been a sounding board for Betts ever since last year’s initial position switch. “I don’t consider that an error. I consider it a mistake that you’re gonna learn from. Because that play is gonna happen again.”
“It’s like life in general. It’s about learning from your mistakes,” Freeman echoed. “And not that that [flip play] was a mistake. But it’s like, ‘Now I know how to adjust off of that.’ If he was not even trying to attempt things, then you’ll never know what you can really achieve out there. I think he’s learning his limits of what he can do. And I think that’s the key to it.”
Such moments, of course, also underscore the inherent risk of entrusting Betts (who still has a grand total of only 132 career MLB games at shortstop) with perhaps the sport’s most challenging position.
It’s one thing for such a blunder to happen in a forgettable late May contest. It’d be far less forgiving if they were to continue popping up in important games down the stretch.
There’s also a question about whether Betts’ focus on shortstop has started to have an impact on his bat, with the 32-year-old currently hitting just .254 on the season while suffering incremental dips in his underlying contact metrics.
The root of those struggles, Betts believes, stems more from bad habits he developed while recovering from a stomach virus at the start of the season that saw him lose almost 20 pounds. Then again, even though he has been able to better moderate his daily pregame workload compared with the hours he’d spend every day fielding grounders last season, he is still “learning a whole new position at the big-league level,” Freeman noted, “and all his focus has been on that.”
It all creates a relatively tight needle for Betts and the Dodgers to thread the rest of the year. Betts not only has to make continued strides on defense (and prove, at a bare minimum, he won’t be a downgrade from the team’s other in-house options, such as Rojas or Tommy Edman), but, he also needs to get his swing back in a place to be an impact presence at the top of the lineup.
“It’s a lot to take on, to be a shortstop in the big leagues,” Freeman said. “But once he gets everything under control, I think that’s when the hitting will pick right back up.”
It figures to be an ongoing process, one that could have season-defining implications for the Dodgers’ World Series title defense.
Still, in the span of two months, Betts has shown enough with his glove for the Dodgers not to move him — making what started as a seemingly dubious experiment into a potentially permanent solution.
“People around baseball should be paying a little more attention to the way he’s been playing short,” Rojas said.
“He's had a lot of different plays that he's been able to kind of see in games,” added Roberts. “He's a guy that loves a challenge, and he's really realized that challenge and keeps getting better each night."
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees continue their West Coast road trip by taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game series starting on Friday...
Preview
World Series rematch
A lot of baseball fans had this series circled on their calendars. It’s a rematch of the 2024 World Series, which the Dodgers won in five games. Of course, it’s how they won that made the series a classic for Dodgers fans and a nightmare for the Yankees faithful.
While this isn’t the World Series, this weekend will be a good barometer of where both teams are at this point in the season. For the Yanks, it’s a very different team. It’ll be intriguing to see how this new-look Yankees team plays against a Dodgers team that has been a bit of a disappointment, considering their high spending this offseason.
The Yanks also have a chance to stick it to the Dodgers, who criticized New York's World Series team.
Can Aaron Judge leave error in the past?
Speaking of last year’s World Series, Judge had one to forget.
Although he was just 4-for-18, Game 5 saw him smash a home run that was going to cap off a great win. Unfortunately, Judge’s error in center field sparked the Dodgers’ comeback and helped cause the Yankees' elimination.
How will Judge play against the Dodgers? Could he leave that error in the past? The fans will surely get on the reigning AL MVP, and the best way to silence them is with his bat.
Can Yankees get to Yoshinobu Yamamoto?
The Yankees were in hot pursuit of Yamamoto during the 2023 offseason, but the right-hander chose the Dodgers. Now, in his second season, the 26-year-old has dominated the league, with a 1.97 ERA.
In his rookie campaign, he owned the Yankees. In his one regular season start, he allowed just two hits in seven scoreless innings. In his start against the Yanks in the World Series, he allowed only one run on one hit in 6.1 innings pitched.
The Yankees will see Yamamoto this weekend, and New York will want to get to him in this matchup. If for nothing else, to prove they can if they were to meet again in October.
May 13, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried (54) pitches to the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Max Fried's biggest test yet
Fried continues to be near perfect with the Yankees. He’s 7-0 and has a minuscule 1.29 ERA entering Friday’s start, but the series opener against the Dodgers will be a test for Fried.
Fried has 10 career starts against the Dodgers and has a 3.18 ERA, which includes a 3.21 ERA at Dodger Stadium. Last season as a member of the Braves, Fried allowed seven runs in 13 innings against the Dodgers, so the reigning champs know the southpaw very well. The Yankees need their ace to pitch well to have a chance to win this series.
Ryan Yarbrough or Carlos Rodon?
For the series finale, the Yankees have yet to announce their starter.Yarbrough pitched on Monday while Rodon pitched Tuesday, which means either starter could start on Sunday.
Manager Aaron Boone has a decision to make, but both have been excellent of late. Yarbrough has allowed just five runs in his four starts (20 innings) since moving into the rotation from the bullpen. Rodon has dominated, allowing five runs over his last four starts (24 innings) and striking out 33 batters over that span.
The Yanks have a great chance to win with either one on the mound.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Aaron Judge
The Yankees captain usually steps up when the team needs him, and they'll need him this weekend.
Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?
Max Fried
Until proven otherwise, Fried is the safest bet.
Which Dodgers player will be a thorn in the Yankees' side?
Freddie Freeman
The World Series MVP burned the Yanks last October and he can do so again. The 35-year-old is having an amazing season, batting .359 with a 1.044 OPS, nine home runs, and 36 RBI
PHOENIX — The Pittsburgh Pirates are about to reach a crisis point when it comes to the future of the franchise.
Do they sign stellar starting pitcher Paul Skenes, the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year, for at least five seasons to cover his pre-arbitration and arbitration years, or do they trade him before he even gets to that point?
If they don’t trade or sign him, his price in each of his three arbitration years could prove to be very prohibitive for a franchise that has a $114.2 million payroll for tax purposes this season per Spotrac, which is 26th in Major League Baseball. That’s the second-lowest payroll in the National League to Miami’s $85.2 million.
Skenes, who is earning a second-year minimum salary of $875,000 this season, has not yet held contract talks with the Pirates, the right-hander said after earning the win in a 10-1 drubbing of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday at Chase Field.
“That hasn’t happened,” Skenes, the No. 1 draft pick from 2023 out of LSU, said. “This is about the here and now. I’m not in any rush for a decision to be made like that. I don’t think they are, either.”
Skenes is this decade’s Gerrit Cole, as far as the Pirates are concerned. Cole was picked first overall by the Pirates in the 2011 draft and was ultimately traded to the Houston Astros in 2018 before he could reach free agency—something that still irks Cole. The right-handed pitcher went on to sign a nine-year, $324 million contract with the Yankees in 2019; he is out this season and into next after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. That deal was way too rich for Pittsburgh’s blood then, and it certainly would be even at half that amount now.
Skenes, turning 23 on Thursday, is constrained by the early restrictions the collective bargaining agreement places on young players. Even Detroit’s Tarik Skubal, who won the American League Cy Young Award last year, is a little more advanced, making $10.15 million this year after signing a one-year contract to avoid arbitration. He has one more year of arbitration before heading into free agency in 2027.
Skenes? “I’m tied up until 2030, I think,” the Pirates ace said.
And already the trade rumors are rolling. Does he pay any attention to all that?
“What trade rumors?” he said. “I don’t think any of that is for real.”
But unless the Pirates make a contractual overture, the rumors will persist.
One would think it would be in the Pirates’ best interest to do something long-term at what might now be a discount price. For example, the Diamondbacks signed outfielder and speedster Corbin Carroll in 2023 at age 22 for eight years, $111 million, wiping out his arbitration years and early free agency, which doesn’t begin by rule until a player has finished his sixth season. That gives the club more control and the player some much-needed security. MLB contracts are guaranteed if a player is hurt.
In Skenes’ case, he was the NL All-Star starter last year at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas and a player the Pirates would want to build around, you’d think.
“No doubt,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “A [player like] Paul Skenes doesn’t come around very often, maybe ever. There are few pitchers like that. When I was younger I got to play with [Justin] Verlander and [Max] Scherzer. You see the same thing in Paul. He’s definitely the kind of guy you want to build around.”
But that depends upon the Pirates and their thrifty ways. The club’s assistant general manager Bryan Stroh was on the road trip but declined to make himself available to answer questions about the subject.
In essence, the Pirates don’t get much of an attendance bump when Skenes is starting at PNC Park as opposed to the rest of their home schedule. They average 17,120 fans a game at PNC Park, 26th in MLB, and 18,937 in the five starts thus far this season that Skenes has made—and that includes the 37,713 who showed up on April 19 in a loss to Cleveland when the team gave away a Skenes bobblehead.
Demand was so high for the bobblehead that fans lined up early across the Roberto Clemente Bridge into downtown Pittsburgh. Initially, only the first 20,000 through the gates were to obtain the prized possession. But when owner Bob Nutting saw the commotion, he guaranteed a bobblehead to all fans in attendance handing out a voucher when fans scanned their tickets. It was such a great promotion that the Pirates are planning to give away a Paul Skenes Superman bobblehead for their game against the Texas Rangers at PNC Park on June 22.
Perhaps that’s to avoid these kind of attendance results: 8,291 to see Skenes pitch in an April 8 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals and 13,633 to see Skenes lose to the Chicago Cubs on May 1.
The largest crowd to see Skenes pitch this season was 53,055 at Dodger Stadium on April 25. The right-hander excelled that night by pitching into the seventh inning in a win, holding the Dodgers to no runs, five hits while striking out nine on 108 pitches.
Similarly, on Wednesday he allowed no runs on four hits while whiffing seven on 96 pitches before Kelly plucked him with two out in the seventh in front of another strong road crowd of 25,202.
If he’s more popular on the road and less of a payday at home, the Pirate might as well trade him than extend. But that all remains to be seen.
“It’s all probably a long way away,” Skenes said. “We have a good core and good opportunity to do so something significant in Pittsburgh.”
The frustration building from fans over Soto's start is understandable.
Soto is hitting a paltry .224/.352/.393 in 247 plate appearances over his first 55 games as a Met. In addition to the numbers not being there, Soto hasn't looked like himself at the plate. He seems to be lunging at times, is not displaying his trademark confidence, and looks a bit off overall.
While Soto doesn't look quite right yet as he gets acclimated to a new team, a new league, and the pressure that comes with signing the biggest contract in the history of North American professional sports, he has also been almost impossibly unlucky on the balls he has put in play.
In the 13 main batting stats tracked by Baseball Savant, Soto is near the top of the league in 12 of them, including xBA (90th percentile), xSLG (95th percentile), average exit velocity (94th percentile), barrel percentage (84th percentile), hard hit percentage (95th percentile), chase percentage (100th percentile), and walk rate (98th percentile).
For Soto, two things can be true -- he doesn't look like himself yet, but he's also been wildly unlucky. That means it's fair to believe that his breakout is around the corner, whether it's this weekend against Colorado's woeful pitching staff or soon after.
The Rockies are an abomination
It will likely take just one season for the 2024 Chicago White Sox to be cleared from the record books after they became the worst team in baseball history.
Chicago's futility will almost certainly be exceeded by the Rockies, who enter this series with a horrendous 9-47 record. That's an 18-94 pace. Extrapolate it a bit more and you get a team that is on track to finish with around 130 losses, which would make the 2025 Rockies the worst team in modern baseball history by a wide margin.
This really shouldn't be too surprising, when you consider that their ownership won't spend enough to support the team, that their front office can't get out of its own way, and that they have a farm system that is in the bottom half of the league despite bad records (and high draft picks) year after year. The recipe for disaster was there, and now it's an actuality.
The Rockies have scored the fewest runs in the majors (177) despite playing their home games in the thin air of Coors Field. They've also allowed the most runs in the majors (352), meaning they have a league-worst -175 run differential.
During this series, the Mets should be able to feast on Colorado's starting pitching trio of Kyle Freeland (5.86 ERA, 1.68 WHIP), Antonio Senzatela (6.50 ERA, 1.94 WHIP), and Carson Palmquist (8.78 ERA, 2.03 WHIP).
The entire Mets pitching staff has been a revelation this season, but it's Senga and Holmes who have stood out the most.
And with Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning starting to regress to the mean a bit -- while Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea areclose to returning but still at least a few weeks away -- New York might need to lean on Senga and Holmes a bit more.
New York Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes (35) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Citi Field. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Senga, who gets the start on Saturday, has a 1.46 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, and has allowed just two home runs in 55.2 innings over 10 starts.
Holmes, who toes the rubber on Sunday, has a 2.98 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 60.1 innings over 11 starts.
Not to be forgotten is David Peterson, who is building off his strong 2024 campaign. In 58.0 innings over 11 starts, Peterson has a 2.79 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. The left-hander gets the ball for Friday's series-opener.
Acuña hasn't been getting much playing time lately, with Brett Baty becoming a lineup mainstay and Jeff McNeil being in there pretty regularly as well.
New York's recent deployment of Jared Young as the DH (meaning Mark Vientos or Baty at third base) has helped to further shrink Acuña's lineup presence.
Earlier this week, manager Carlos Mendoza talked about Acuña's current role.
"This is a guy that doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low," Mendoza said. "Pretty mature for his age and he has a really good understanding of his role right now and the impact that he brings to the team.
"He knows that even though he’s not in the lineup, there’s going to be an opportunity for him to come in and impact it in a good game -- whether it’s by making a defensive play, by stealing a base, by scoring from first base on a ball in the gap, or by giving us a good at-bat, putting the ball in play. I think he obviously continues to develop. There’s a lot of tools there, but I like how he’s handled it so far mentally."
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Juan Soto
It's time.
Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?
Kodai Senga
Senga stymied the powerful Dodgers during his last start, allowing one run in 5.1 innings.
Which Rockies player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?
Michael Toglia
Toglia hasn't had a great season to this point, but his power is real.
Its Thursday, May 29 and the Nationals (25-30) are in Seattle to take on the Mariners (30-24).
MacKenzie Gore is slated to take the mound for Washington against Emerson Hancock for Seattle.
These teams have split the first two games of this series with each side waxing the other. Seattle won Game 1, 9-1, and Washington won last night, 9-0. Trevor Williams threw six innings of three-hit, shutout ball to earn the win for the Nationals. The bottom five hitters in Washington's lineup went a combined 10-21 and drove in six runs to pace the attack.
Lets dive into the series finale and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Nationals at Mariners
Date: Thursday, May 29, 2025
Time: 9:40PM EST
Site: T-Mobile Park
City: Seattle, WA
Network/Streaming: MASN, RSNW, FS1
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Odds for the Nationals at the Mariners
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Nationals (-109), Mariners (-110)
Spread: Mariners 1.5
Total: 7.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Nationals at Mariners
Pitching matchup for May 29, 2025: MacKenzie Gore vs. Emerson Hancock
Nationals: MacKenzie Gore (2-5, 3.47 ERA) Last outing: 5/23 vs. San Francisco - 6IP, 1ER, 2H, 3BB, 9Ks
Mariners: Emerson Hancock (2-2, 5.95 ERA) Last outing: 5/23 at Houston - 6IP, 3ER, 9H, 0BB, 3Ks
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Nationals at Mariners
The Mariners have won 13 of their last 20 home games against teams with losing records
The Over is 12-7-1 in the Nationals' last 10 road games and the Mariners' last 10 at home combined
The Nationals have covered in 4 of their last 5 road games and they are profiting 1.91 units
Julio Rodriguez is 8-30 (.267) over his last 7 games
James Wood has hit safely in 9 of his last 10 games with 14 hits in 37ABs (.378)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Nationals and the Mariners
Rotoworld Best Bet
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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 Nationals and the Mariners:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Seattle Mariners on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Run Line in this game.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.
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Its Thursday, May 29 and the Rays (28-27) are in Houston to take on the Astros (30-25).
Shane Baz is slated to take the mound for Tampa Bay against Ryan Gusto for Houston.
The Astros have won four in a row. Last night Lance McCullers Jr. enjoyed his best start of the season allowing three runs over six innings while striking out 12 in Houston's 5-3 win over the Athletics.
The Rays have won seven of their last eight including a 5-0 win yesterday over Minnesota. Drew Rasmussen allowed one hit over six shutout innings to earn his fourth win of the season.
These teams met a little over a week ago and the Rays took two of three in Tampa against the Astros.
Lets dive into today's matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Rays at Astros
Date: Thursday, May 29, 2025
Time: 8:10PM EST
Site: Minute Maid Park
City: Houston, TX
Network/Streaming: FDSNSUN, SCHN
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Odds for the Rays at the Astros
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Rays (-104), Astros (-116)
Spread: Astros 1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Rays at Astros
Pitching matchup for May 29, 2025: Shane Baz vs. Ryan Gusto
Rays: Shane Baz (4-3, 4.94 ERA) Last outing: 5/24 vs. Toronto - 5.2IP, 1ER, 4H, 3BB, 4Ks
Astros: Ryan Gusto (3-2, 4.59 ERA) Last outing: 5/23 vs. Seattle - 4.1IP, 2ER, 4H, 3BB, 6Ks
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rays at Astros
The Astros have won 8 of their last 10 games at home
Each of the Rays' last 3 road games with the Astros have stayed under the Total
The Rays have covered in 4 of their last 5 games showing a profit of 4.63 units
Jose Altuve was held without a hit last night (0-4) snapping his 5-game hitting streak (12-21)
Cam Smith is riding a 6-game hitting streak (9-23)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Rays and the Astros
Rotoworld Best Bet
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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 Rays and the Astros:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Houston Astros on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Tampa Bay Rays at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
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Its Thursday, May 29 and the Athletics (23-33) are in Toronto to take on the Blue Jays (27-28).
Jacob Lopez is slated to take the mound for Oakland against José Berríos for Toronto.
The Jays have won two of their last three. Bo Bichette went yard in the ninth inning yesterday and five pitchers combined on a one-hitter against the Rangers in Arlington as Toronto won 2-0.
The Athletics have lost 13 of their last 14 games. They were outscored 16-4 in their two-game series against the Astros. Yesterday Luis Severino allowed just one earned run over six innings, but the bullpen imploded, and Houston rolled to a 5-3 win.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Athletics at Blue Jays
Date: Thursday, May 29, 2025
Time: 7:07PM EST
Site: Rogers Centre
City: Toronto, ON
Network/Streaming: NBCSCA, SN1, MLBN
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Odds for the Athletics at the Blue Jays
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Athletics (+122), Blue Jays (-145)
Spread: Blue Jays -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Athletics at Blue Jays
Pitching matchup for May 29, 2025: Jacob Lopez vs. José Berríos
Athletics: Jacob Lopez (0-2, 2.57 ERA) Last outing: 5/23 vs. Philadelphia - 7IP, 1ER, 3H, 1BB, 8Ks
Blue Jays: José Berríos (1-2, 4.22 ERA) Last outing: 5/24 at Tampa Bay - 6IP, 3ER, 3H, 1BB, 3Ks
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Athletics at Blue Jays
With Jose Berrios starting, the Blue Jays have won 3 straight home games against the Athletics
The Under has cashed in the Blue Jays' last 3 and 5 of the last 6 games
The Blue Jays are showing a profit of 2.11 units on the Run Line in their last 5 games at Rogers Centre
Vlad Guerrero Jr. is 6-26 (.231) over his last 7 games
George Springer has but 1 hit in his last 15 ABs (.067)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Athletics and the Blue Jays
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Athletics and the Blue Jays:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Toronto Blue Jays on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Toronto Blue Jays at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
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Its Thursday, May 29 and the Braves (25-28) are in Philadelphia for a doubleheader against the Phillies (35-19).
Chris Sale is slated to take the mound for Atlanta against Zack Wheeler for Philadelphia.
Due to last night's rainout, this is the second game of a day / night doubleheader. Game 1 of the series went to Philadelphia. The Phillies knocked off the Braves 2-0 on Tuesday. Ranger Suarez improved to 4-0 striking out eight Braves over the course of six shutout innings.
Lets dive into this matchup featuring the team's aces and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Braves at Phillies
Date: Thursday, May 29, 2025
Time: 6:45PM EST
Site: Citizens Bank Park
City: Philadelphia, PA
Network/Streaming: FDSNSO, NBCSP, MLBN
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Odds for the Braves at the Phillies
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Braves (+102), Phillies (-122)
Spread: Phillies 1.5
Total: 7.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Braves at Phillies
Pitching matchup for May 29, 2025: Chris Sale vs. Zack Wheeler
Braves: Chris Sale (2-3, 3.36 ERA) Last outing: 5/23 vs. San Diego - 7IP, 1ER, 4H, 1BB, 6Ks
Phillies: Zack Wheeler (6-1, 2.42 ERA) Last outing: 5/23 at Athletics - 6.2IP, 0ER, 3H, 2BB, 8Ks
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Braves at Phillies
4 of the Phillies' last 5 games have gone UNDER the Game Total
The Phillies have won outright 10 of their last 11
The Braves are 23-30 on the Run Line this season
The Braves have lost outright 5 of their last 6 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!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s Game 2 between the Braves and the Phillies
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Braves and the Phillies:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Philadelphia Phillies on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Atlanta Braves at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.
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Major League Baseball has made a strategic investment in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), which begins its inaugural season next week.
Financial details of the investment were not disclosed, but the investment amount was “eight figures,” or at least $10 million, according to someone familiar with the details. It is the biggest financial commitment ever by MLB directed towards softball.
MLB intends to work with the AUSL and its players on sales and marketing, events, distribution, digital and social platforms, and content. AUSL athletes are expected to be incorporated into MLB’s All-Star Game and its postseason. Select AUSL games will air on MLB Network and MLB.TV, and the investment will support league operating costs and growth initiatives.
In MLB’s announcement of the news, commissioner Rob Manfred said the deal reflects MLB’s confidence in the vision of AUSL, in the talent of the players and in Kim Ng’s leadership.
Last month, Ng, previously an advisor to AUSL, was named the league’s commissioner. Ng is well-known in MLB circles; she was the first woman appointed as a general manager of a major men’s North American franchise, having worked as GM of the Miami Marlins from 2020 to 2023. She has spent more than 30 years in MLB, including assistant GM stints with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, as well as a decade as an executive in the league office.
MLB has supported softball through various initiatives over the years, including as a sponsor of USA Softball and the Women’s National Team. It sponsors the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association), and supports various youth programs, such as PLAY BALL, the Nike RBI program, the Elite Development Invitational and Breakthrough Series. MLB also employees softball legends Jennie Finch and Natasha Watley as global ambassadors.
MLB’s investment was made via the league’s investment fund, Baseball Endowment, L.P. (BELP). Each team owns 3.3% of BELP, and that share is worth $40.5 million, per the Atlanta Braves’ most recent SEC filings, or $1.2 billion cumulatively for the 30 clubs.
Athletes Unlimited was founded in 2020 by Jon Patricof and Jonathan Soros. In addition to the AUSL, it owns and operates women’s basketball and volleyball leagues. AU has run softball events for the past five years in Rosemont, Ill., where players accumulated individual points during games to crown a winner. In August, 60 players will again compete for the individual title during the AUSL All-Star Cup, a 21-game competition.
The 2025 AUSL season will feature four teams playing 24 games, starting June 7.
“He came in yesterday for treatment,” the Phillies’ manager said before Game 1. “He’s in there now, I believe. Still had swelling, still was in pain, but it was a lot better than we expected.”
After his team’s 5-4 afternoon win, Thomson reiterated that Harper was “feeling better.”
Thomson moved Alec Bohm to first base for both legs of the doubleheader. Edmundo Sosa got two starts at third base.
Could Harper be a pinch-hitting option while out of the lineup?
“He hasn’t even swung the bat yet, so I’m not really sure,” Thomson said. “I wouldn’t put him in a game until he’s comfortable swinging.”
Thomson was asked why the Phillies didn’t retaliate following the first-inning HBP.
“Because it’s not on purpose,” he said. “Simple as that. If I think somebody’s throwing at one our hitters, I don’t know what I’d do. But if it’s a pitch that gets away from a pitcher, which I believe it was and I think everybody in our clubhouse thinks it was, that’s baseball. It happens.”
When Harper does return, Thomson certainly wouldn’t mind seeing his right elbow protected at the plate with a guard.
“I think it’s a little uncomfortable for him,” he said. “I think he feels like it restricts him a little bit, but I hope he wears it.”
