WASHINGTON — Washington Nationals right-hander Michael Soroka went on the 15-day injured list with a strained biceps in his pitching arm after hurting himself in his first start with the club.
The 27-year-old Soroka left his start against the Toronto Blue Jays with what he called “a feeling that shouldn’t be there” after spiking a slider in the sixth inning.
Soroka gave up four runs and took the loss in Washington’s 5-2 setback that day, part of a 1-5 start to the season for the Nationals entering a home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
This is the latest in a long string of health issues for the pitcher, who finished second behind New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso in NL Rookie of the Year voting and sixth in NL Cy Young Award voting in 2019 with the Atlanta Braves.
Soroka tore his right Achilles tendon in 2020, then later injured the same tendon while walking into Atlanta’s ballpark. He missed the entire regular season in 2021 and 2022.
After going 0-10 with a 4.74 ERA in 79 2/3 innings across 25 appearances for the Chicago White Sox last season, including nine starts, Soroka signed a one-year contract for $9 million with Washington.
To take Soroka’s spot on the roster, Washington recalled right-hander Jackson Rutledge from Triple-A Rochester. Rutledge was a first-round pick in the 2019 amateur draft and began this season in Rochester’s bullpen.
He made three appearances for the Nationals in 2024, including one start.
Which makes his current occupation, as the CEO of Quebec-based bat company B45, a little more than ironic.
“Now my job is to make sure the bats don’t break anymore, make sure the ball goes farther,” Gagné said in a phone interview this week. “That was my enemy back in the day.”
Where Gagné was once a hitter’s menace, collecting 161 of his 187 career saves with the Dodgers from 1999-2006, the retired 49-year-old right-hander is now one in the business of helping them hit.
Ten years ago, he helped front an ownership group that bought B45, long among the more innovative manufacturers in the world of bat-making. And, a little more than a year ago, it put him on the cutting edge of the sport’s newest hitting creations.
Last spring, B45’s pro sales rep, Kevin Young, was making an annual tour of Major League Baseball’s spring training complexes to visit clients. During his stop at New York Yankees camp, Young was approached by team analyst Aaron Leanhardt, a former MIT-educated physics professor who had come up with a distinctly original idea.
“He was like, ‘Hey, do you guys do this?’ ” Young recalled.
In Leanhardt’s hand was an early prototype of the so-called torpedo bat.
Originally conceived of by Leanhardt while working in the Yankees’ front office, the bowling-pin-shaped torpedo model eschews the typical characteristics of traditional bat designs. The fattest part of the barrel is actually closer to the handle, with the idea of redistributing more mass to an area where some hitters make more frequent contact. The rest of the lumber is rounded into a more tapered shape at the end.
Former Dodgers reliever Eric Gagné is the CEO of the Quebec-based bat company B45, which produces torpedo bats. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
In the early days of this year’s season, torpedo bats have become all the rage for big-league hitters. They burst into the public consciousness after a torpedo-heavy Yankees lineup mashed 15 home runs in their season-opening series. And now, they are showing up in almost every big-league clubhouse.
“They had 100 different bat models [already], shaped this way, shaped that way,” said veteran Dodgers slugger Max Muncy, one of many MLB hitters who placed an order for his own torpedo bat this week. “But nothing’s ever been as drastic as what this is.”
In the baseball world, however, such innovations require the help of equipment companies to gain a foothold.
And while torpedo bats might just now be making their first public splash, Gagné’s company has been manufacturing them ever since Leanhardt first approached Young last spring.
“It looks a little awkward … but it makes total sense,” Gagné said. “When you do make contact in the sweet spot, you want the best results. And when you’re hitting two circular things together at 100 mph, you want to make sure that impact zone is greater.”
B45 is no stranger to cutting-edge bat design.
Two decades ago, the Canadian company was the first to bring birch-made bats to what was then a maple- and ash-dominated market; using yellow birch lumber harvested in Quebec to design bats that lasted longer and, thanks to the physical characteristics of the wood type, would actually get firmer over time, resulting in fewer breaks and long-lasting barrel strength.
“We were the first company to start [making bats with] yellow birch,” said Olivier Lépine, the company’s longtime production manager. “If we can improve the game a little bit, we’re always willing to do something like that.”
Gagné entered the picture in 2015, joining a group of investors to buy the company as he looked for opportunities to remain involved with baseball in his post-playing career.
Now, as he described it, he’s an “ideas guy” within the B45 operation, using his knowledge of getting hitters out over a 10-year MLB career to innovate improvements to what they swing at the plate.
“I always thought the extension of us [players] was our equipment,” Gagné said. “I wasn’t really interested in the business side of it. I was just more interested as a player in: What fits right? What’s cool? What’s not cool?”
And right now, nothing is cooler than the newfangled torpedoes.
“I think guys will try it. I mean, how do you not, right?” Dodgers co-hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc said, noting how the offensive outburst from the Yankees — whose list of torpedo-bat hitters includes Giancarlo Stanton, Jazz Chisholm and Cody Bellinger among others — immediately captured the attention of the rest of the league.
“You see those kinds of outcomes, of course,” Van Scoyoc added.
Behind the scenes, however, the rise of the torpedo bat has been a long time coming. As far back as last spring, companies like B45 have been putting them into production.
Using measurements and design specifications provided by Leanhardt, B45 crafted the awkwardly shaped barrels with the use of computer-programmed automatic knives. They shipped the bats to their Yankees clients, but were unsure if the idea would catch on in baseball’s mainstream.
“The [initial] feedback was good, but after that, we didn’t hear anything,” Lépine said. “We didn’t know if players would like it or not.”
That’s why, this year, Young brought torpedo samples with him on his spring training tour to showcase to a wider range of players. For many, it was the first they’d heard about the idea — even before the Yankees’ season-opening home run explosion.
“I was one of the first guys going through spring training with torpedo bats,” Young said. “So everywhere I went, people were like, ‘Oh shoot, what is this?’ They had a lot of questions about it.”
Now, Young said, more than 50 of B45’s big-league hitters have placed orders for their own torpedo-bat models.
And while B45 doesn’t have any current Dodgers clientele, several members of the team’s lineup have received torpedo shipments from their personal manufacturers.
“We’re gonna learn about it and study it,” Van Scoyoc said. “All the players want hits, so they’re gonna do anything they can to get a hit.”
It still remains to be seen just how game-changing the torpedo model proves to be. Dodgers personnel have emphasized that a hitter’s technique remains the biggest factor in success at the plate. Lépine echoed those sentiments, noting that, “I doubt that a 25-home run guy is gonna become a 40-home run guy because of the bat, or if a .225 hitter will become a .300 hitter or something like that.”
Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy hit a two-run double to tie Wednesday's game against the Braves in the eighth inning with his old bat after using a torpedo bat for his first three at-bats. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Muncy, the first Dodgers player to use a torpedo bat during Wednesday’s game against the Atlanta Braves, needed only three at-bats to learn the new design wasn’t for him, switching back to his standard model before hitting a game-tying double in the eighth inning.
“I felt like the bat was causing me to be a little bit off-plane, a little bit in and out of the zone,” said Muncy, who noted he usually hits the ball closer to the end of the barrel, and might have been thrown off by the torpedo bat’s different weight distribution. “This is something that takes the weight out of the end of the bat, so maybe it's just not for me.”
But as long as some players find the torpedo bat to suit their swing, companies like B45 will continue to make them — hopeful the sport has found at least one innovative breakthrough to help hitters counter-balance the sport’s significant recent advancements in pitching development, with increases in pitching velocity and movement on breaking balls putting a drag on offense in the modern game.
“The technology, the data, has been really a huge advantage for pitchers, for sure,” said Gagné, now on the other side of the hitter-pitcher dynamic through his work with B45. “So we’re trying to create the bat that makes [hitters] feel good at the plate, that they can trust. It’s really an extension of their own body. So we’re trying to make it where they’re comfortable with it.”
MILWAUKEE — The Cincinnati Reds’ re-creation of the dead-ball era has them doing something that hadn’t happened in the major leagues in 65 years.
Cincinnati has lost 1-0 in each of its last three games. According to Sportradar, no team had lost by that score three straight times since the Philadelphia Phillies did it in May 1960.
It’s only occurred six times in MLB history, and four of those instances were over a century ago. Nobody has ever lost 1-0 in four straight games.
The other teams to lose 1-0 in three consecutive games were the Brooklyn Superbas in 1908, the St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators in 1909 and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1917.
“Nobody’s happy with what’s happened the last three games,” Reds manager Terry Francona said after the string of 1-0 losses continued in the opener of a four-game series at Milwaukee. “We’ll figure It out together. I feel strongly about that.”
Cincinnati’s lineup showcased its potential in a 14-3 victory over the Texas Rangers, but the Reds haven’t scored since.
Texas’ Nathan Eovaldi outdueled Carson Spiers. Jack Leiter and four Texas relievers combined for 10 strikeouts as the Reds wasted a brilliant performance from Hunter Greene.
Cincinnati’s Nick Lodolo gave up four hits and one unearned run in 6 2/3 innings, but he took the loss because the Reds mustered just two hits.
“It’s part of the game, you know?” Lodolo said. “I’ll be honest with you. Obviously I want us to score, but I’m not really thinking about it. I’ve got to do my job at the end of the day, regardless. We’ll turn it around. I guarantee that.”
That’s the attitude Francona wants to see from his pitchers as Cincinnati’s hitters try to break out of their slump.
“We’re not going to have a situation where it’s ‘us’ when we win and it’s ‘they’ when we lose,” Francona said. “We’ll do this together.”
Francona said there’s no common thread between the games that explains his lineup’s struggles. The Reds have faced different styles of pitchers each time.
Eovaldi is a veteran right-hander who went the distance while allowing four hits and no walks. Leiter’s a hard-throwing rookie right-hander. Cortes, a veteran left-hander, doesn’t have the velocity of Eovaldi or Leiter but effectively mixed his cutter and changeup with his fastball.
Cincinnati’s struggles may have been particularly frustrating because Cortes looked so awful in his last start, a 20-9 loss to the New York Yankees. Cortes allowed homers on each of his first three pitches that day and ended up yielding eight hits and five walks in two innings of a game that drew attention to the Yankees’ use of “torpedo bats.”
The Reds made Cortes look like an entirely different pitcher.
“It was embarrassing, what happened to me last time,” Cortes said. “I think, as a starter, you’ve got 30 or 32 of these. There’s going to be a lot of bad ones throughout the way. You’ve just got to learn how to brush them off and go to the next one. That’s what I did.”
The Reds’ lone hit off Cortes came from Jose Trevino, who delivered a one-out double in the third off his former Yankees teammate. Cincinnati’s only other hit was a single by Jeimer Candelario off Elvis Peguero in the seventh.
Cincinnati has a combined nine hits, three walks and 27 strikeouts during the skid.
“To be totally honest, you see this all the time throughout a baseball season,” Trevino said. “Pitchers will pick up the hitters and the hitters will pick up the pitchers. It will all switch at some point. We’re going to need them. They’re going to need us. And at some point, we’re all going to be together. That’s just how the baseball season goes.
“Right now, our pitchers are doing really well and our hitters, we’re grinding. It’s not like we’re out there trying to give outs away. We’re out there putting some good at-bats together. We’re going to turn this thing around. I have full confidence in this team.”
Mark Vientos is no stranger to the Citi Field atmosphere. The 25-year-old slugger has played 101 games at the ballpark since making his big league debut with the Mets in 2022, and his 2024 breakout season featured some clutch moments that unfolded before raucous postseason crowds.
But there's still one early-career milestone that Vientos is eager to check off the list. The starting third baseman will finally play in his first home opener with the club on Friday afternoon, facing the Toronto Blue Jays.
Most of the sights, sounds, and smells of Citi Field will be plenty familiar to Vientos. But the festivities and atmosphere for a home opener are always special. The excitement of a long-awaited homecoming is what the players and fans deserve every spring.
"This is sick, I'm so excited to be back here," Vientos said ahead of Friday's game. "I think we do a lot of this work, a lot of the grind and a lot of the passion, for the fans. They bring it to the field every game... What is it, a week and a half waiting for this moment?
"I've been anxious and I'm about to do it right now... This is my first home opener over here. I haven't experienced it. I can only imagine [the atmosphere] because of the playoffs last year. I feel like it's super emotional, just to sit back and realize what you're doing..."
As long as the emotions are in check, wearing the home uniform may give Vientos the jolt he need at the plate. The Mets' season-opening road trip consisted of only six games, but he's currently hitting a measly .083 with two doubles and two walks across 26 plate appearances.
Of course, the consistency and power will come for Vientos, who delivered 27 home runs, 22 doubles, and 71 RBI in 111 games last season.
The annual home opener is also meaningful to the coaching staff. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza has been in the dugout for several in his career, and he expects his second with the club to be just as thrilling as his first.
"It's always great to be home again, playing in front of your fan base," Mendoza said. "It's a unique atmosphere. The way the fans are into every pitch. They're right there behind you. It's a really good feeling, it's coming from a really good place. It's fun. It's kind of hard to describe, but it's such a special place here."
The Mets have a recent history of success playing Game 1 of 81 at Citi Field, as they've won eight of their last 10 home openers.
It was a short-lived return to The Bronx for reliever Adam Ottavino, as the Yankees designated him for assignment on Friday, the team announced.
In a corresponding move, the team reinstated closer Devin Williams from the paternity list.
Ottavino, 39, signed a deal with New York on April 1 and pitched in two games. The right-hander allowed no hits, struck out two, and walked two over 1.1 innings of work.
The veteran was released by the Boston Red Sox after failing to make the roster out of spring training.
Ottavino first played for the Yanks from 2019 to 2020, owning a career-best 1.90 ERA in 2019. He then spent the 2021 season in Boston, followed by three years with the Mets from 2022-2024, pitching to a 4.34 ERA and 1.28 WHIP across 60 appearances during the 2024 season.
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees hit the road for the first time this season to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three-game series starting on Friday...
Preview
Can Max Fried bounce back?
Fried's debut in pinstripes was underwhelming, to say the least.
Facing the Brewers last Saturday, the veteran allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks across 4.2 innings. Not the kind of performance you'd expect from the highest-paid left-handed pitcher, but he gets his chance to show why the Yankees made him their big offseason signing after Juan Soto left.
Now, the southpaw doesn't have the greatest history against the Pirates (3-1, 4.28 ERA in seven career starts, including a 6.86 ERA in four starts at PNC Park) but the Yankees need their ace -- in the absence of Gerrit Cole -- to show up and set the tone for the weekend series.
Devin Williams' return
Williams, like Fried, didn't have the Yankees debut that anyone expected. Although he came away with the save on Opening Day last Thursday, he struggled mightily and almost blew his first save opportunity in pinstripes.
The closer didn't receive another save opportunity before he left the team to be with his family for the birth of their child, but he was reinstated from the paternity list on Friday morning. His absence was felt in the Yankees' loss to the Diamonbacks on Tuesday. With Luke Weaver moving to the closer role, Tim Hill and Mark Leiter Jr. allowed five runs in the eighth -- an inning that would have otherwise been for Weaver -- that led to the loss. Now that the back of the bullpen is whole again, the results should be better this weekend.
Cut down on strikeouts
The Yankees' offense is struggling with the strikeout. This is nothing new, but this past series against Arizona showed some holes in the swings of just about every Yankees hitter.
In the three-game series, the Yankees struck out 37 times, including 16 on Wednesday -- 13 were from Zac Gallen. The Yankees won't be facing some of the best pitchers in baseball this weekend -- they're luckily avoiding phenom starter Paul Skenes -- but the lineup needs to show us something and cut down on the punchouts already.
Apr 1, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Jasson Domínguez (24) hits a solo home run in the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Yankee Stadium. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Who is leading off?
Austin Wells led off on Opening Day, but the second-year catcher hasn't hit first since, despite the Yankees taking on numerous right-handers. Paul Goldschmidt has already led off four times, Ben Rice has done it once. The Yanks will face just one right-handed starter this weekend, so we'll see if Wells returns to the leadoff spot. But we will likely see Goldschmidt on Saturday and Sunday against Pittsburgh's two southpaws.
Will Warren encore?
Warren broke camp due to injuries to the Yankees' rotation, but the young right-hander pitched very well in his first start this season. He allowed just two runs on one hit and four walks across 5.0 innings against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.
The Yankees and manager Aaron Boone were very impressed with Warren's start and he'll hope to build on that in Pittsburgh.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Anthony Volpe
The young shortstop is having a power surge to start the season and is looking more and more comfortable at the plate. This could easily be Aaron Judge's spot, but let's change it up.
Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?
Max Fried
It's hard to imagine Fried producing a second consecutive underwhelming start. Despite his past struggles in Pittsburgh, this will be the time he pitches well.
Which Pirates player will be a thorn in Yankees' side?
O'neil Cruz
"Did you know he was named after the Yankees outfielder?"
Jokes aside, Cruz is an up-and-coming slugger who has an impressive mix of power and speed. He may not be effective against lefties (.200 lifetime average), but he'll be in the lineup against probable starters Marcus Stroman and Warren, two righties.
Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices.
Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”
To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.
For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.
Fans line up outside Angel Stadium for opening day in 2016. Only three MLB ballparks — Dodger Stadium, Fenway Park and Wrigley Field — are older than Angel Stadium. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
The Angels play their home opener Friday, the dawn of their 60th season in Angel Stadium.
Only three major league ballparks are older: Dodger Stadium, Fenway Park and Wrigley Field, all of which have been refreshed and revitalized for new generations of fans.
Angel Stadium remains in limbo, with an increasingly uncertain future.
For the better part of two decades, the Angels and the city of Anaheim have discussed, debated and twice agreed upon plans to enhance the stadium and secure the team’s future there. The city walked away from both deals, and for now, Angels owner Arte Moreno has little interest in trying again.
Anaheim mayor Ashleigh Aitken still plans to pursue a new deal.
“It will be an issue to, hopefully, sooner rather than later, bring to resolution,” she told me.
Among the city’s options: selling the stadium and surrounding property to a third party, then letting that party deal with Moreno.
That option appears unlikely, but the possibility could give the city a bit of leverage at a time Moreno has the upper hand.
A more likely option appears to be the course of least resistance: The Angels exercise the final two options on their stadium lease, giving them control over development on the stadium site through 2038, with the city continuing to get no stadium rent from the Angels and no tax revenue from the parking lots it has failed to develop for 60 years.
Any sale would be subject to the Surplus Land Act, a state law that prioritizes the sale of public land for affordable housing. In January, Anaheim invited Angels president John Carpino to a meeting in which three city attorneys, the city manager, five other city officials and the city’s real estate consultant briefed Carpino on how the law could be applied to a potential new deal with the Angels.
The Angels shrugged. Two weeks later they told the city they would exercise their initial option to extend their stadium lease through 2032. Two weeks after that Moreno told the team website: “Maybe we’ll get a new mayor and council that want us to stay.”
One month after that Aitken told me she could not respond to that remark because she had not heard about it.
“Of course we want to keep baseball in the city of Anaheim,” Aitken said at a park dedication. “But it is going to be something that is going to inure to the benefit of both of us, so we can build more parks like this, we can build bigger libraries, and we can make sure that our fire and public safety have all the assets they need.”
"Of course we want to keep baseball in the city of Anaheim," Anaheim mayor Ashleigh Aitken, above at an Angels game in 2023, said recently. "But it is going to be something that is going to inure to the benefit of both of us." (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
That was the promise behind the two previous versions of a deal: The Angels would pay to renovate the stadium and build a village around it, and the city would reap the tax dollars from development.
In 2013, then-mayor Tom Tait essentially torpedoed the deal that city staff and consultants had negotiated with Moreno, arguing that leasing the property to the Angels for $1 per year made no sense when the land was worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
In 2022, three years after the city council approved selling the land to Moreno at a cash value announced at $325 million and later disclosed to be $150 million, the council killed the deal. In the interim, an FBI affidavit revealed then-mayor Harry Sidhu, under investigation for public corruption, had passed confidential property appraisal information to the Angels as the city negotiated with them.
Last month before Sidhu was sentenced to two months in federal prison, prosecutors said a city document shared with the Angels outlined how the team could complete the deal and then “flip the land for millions more than they paid for it.”
Under the two proposals that collapsed, the city negotiated only with the Angels rather than put the property up for bid and see what developers might offer, with or without a stadium included. The city could take bids this time.
However, the Angels’ ability to veto development on the land through 2038 likely means a bidder would heavily discount an offer, to account for the cost of buying now and possibly not building for another decade.
“The number would be so low that the city would be better off waiting,” said Louis Tomaselli, the Irvine-based executive managing director of JLL, a real estate and investment management firm.
The Angels play rent-free under the current lease because, under Disney ownership in 1996, they paid $97 million toward a stadium renovation that cost $117 million.
The city planned to make back its $20 million and much more — “a slam dunk,” the city manager said then — by putting up restaurants, shops, hotels, offices and sports and entertainment venues on a 45-acre slice of the 150-acre Angel Stadium property.
These days teams routinely demand the right to develop the land around their stadium — and cash in. The Atlanta Braves, for instance, generated $67 million in revenue last year from the Battery, a neighborhood next to the ballpark where fans eat, shop, play, work and live.
In Anaheim, for three decades, the city has done nothing with the stadium-adjacent land it has the right to develop.
The city could build atop that land today. Perhaps Moreno would not care. Or perhaps he would consider a new bid for all the stadium land, rather than risk the rise of a half-built parking lot from which he would generate no revenue.
However, one expert downplayed the prospect of the city developing just that section of the land, suggesting Anaheim would be wary of opening the door for a patchwork village to sprout atop the sea of pavement.
“You don’t want 10 different developers owning that site with different visions,” said Kurt Strasmann, executive managing director at the Newport Beach office of real estate giant CBRE. “You need one central plan.”
The most logical man with the plan would be Moreno, likely in partnership with a real estate developer. The city could strike a deal with him that not only could secure the team in Anaheim but also eliminate the very real prospect of litigation over who should have been paying what to keep up the stadium in recent years.
The city could demand Moreno drop the Los Angeles name from his team and revert to the Anaheim name, but he rejected that request during the 2019 negotiations and almost certainly would do so again.
“That will be a fair part of the discussions,” Aitken said. “I have always been an advocate that the Angels should have the city’s name at the forefront, especially considering that [property] is our largest asset. That is something that is a high, high priority for me.”
That could leave the city with the option to put the land up for bid, then let the winning bidder negotiate with Moreno about the stadium. In the meantime, Anaheim could cash in on a nine-figure land sale, then generate property taxes and sales taxes from the stadium site. City staffers warned the council last week Anaheim faces a projected $41-million deficit in the 2026-27 fiscal year. Oakland sold its stadium last year and used the money to avoid cuts in its police and fire departments.
It is improbable that a developer would buy the land without some understanding with Moreno about the long-term future of the Angels, but it is not impossible.
It also is improbable, but not impossible, that a developer would buy the land, start building around the stadium while the Angels' lease runs its course, then demolish the stadium and build out the rest of the site. Moreno is 78. If the city wants out and a developer wants in, there may not be an assurance the team stays in Anaheim beyond the current lease.
In any bid scenario — for part of the property or all of it, with a stadium or without one — the city would not be obligated to accept a bid.
The city says there are no negotiations underway with the Angels, and the state housing agency — the one that administers the Surplus Land Act — says it has not worked with the city on any new stadium plan. Council members, however, have received individual briefings on the act.
The Angels have called Anaheim home since 1966. The last 10 seasons have been losing ones, and attendance has fallen 32% from its peak. Tomaselli, the commercial real estate executive from Irvine, said the city could maximize the land value without a stadium on the property.
Shohei Ohtani, center right, joins fellow Dodgers to celebrate Jackie Robinson Day before a game against the Washington Nationals at Dodgers Stadium on April 15, 2024. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)
Calls immediately came for the Dodgers to follow the lead of champions like the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia Eagles, who boycotted the White House during Trump’s first term as a rebuke of everything he stands for.
One of those voices was my fellow Times columnista Dylan Hernández, who wrote last week that if the Dodgers follow through on the invite, they will be “bending the knee to hateful forces similar to the ones they challenged when breaking their sport’s color barrier.”
But showing up doesn’t necessarily have to mean bowing down.
Boycotts are a time-honored tradition in sports. In 2020, the Milwaukee Bucks refused to play to protest the police shooting of a Black man in Wisconsin, leading to similar actions by teams across the NBA, Major League Soccer, baseball and the WNBA. College athletes have walked out of practices to protest racism on campuses. Countries forgo the Olympics for political reasons all the time.
But the most powerful and best-remembered political protests by athletes are when they take their actions to, well, where the action is. Think Tommie Smith and John Carlos standing in silence, shoeless, gloved fists raised in a Black Power salute, during the 200-meter medal ceremony at the 1968 Olympics. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the 2016 season while the national anthem played — a move that may have ultimately cost him his career. Heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali criticizing the Vietnam War and anti-Black racism in the prime of his career.
Those sportsmen brought dissent where it needed to be heard: in the face of power, during their brightest moments, at risk to their livelihoods. And history has absolved them all.
Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow gives President Trump a team jersey as they take part in an event honoring the 2019 College Football National Champions, the Louisiana State University Tigers, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., in 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
White House visits by championship teams are a silly affair, quickly forgotten. But they're now a tradition of American sports, so I get why Dodgers president Stan Kasten tried to justify the decision to Hernández by saying, “It’s what [the players] all come to associate with being world champions. Everyone wanted to go, and so we did.”
But for him to insist, as he did to Hernández, that there's nothing political about it is as laughable as the proposed Dodger Stadium gondola. That’s why the team should not only swing by the White House on Monday, they should do it with the weight of L.A. on their minds.
I don’t expect the Dodgers to lash out at Trump and his policies, which have been one giant middle finger to California and everything it stands for. But just being there can be a powerful rebuke, if they own it.
Have Shohei Ohtani, the reigning National League MVP and the greatest baseball player in the world, shake Trump's hand to allow headlines to bloom about Trump's 24% tariffs on Japan. What, will the president next crack down on foreign athletes in the name of fostering American talent?
Everyone should wear No. 42 jerseys in honor of Robinson, who famously broke baseball’s color line and also fought segregation in the military. The Department of Defense initially took down an article on its website about Robinson's military service — and his refusal to move to the back of an Army bus — until facing furious pushback from everyone with a sense of decency.
All of those gestures are simple and doable and speak volumes. Sometimes, merely showing up and not hiding who you are is how to fight back best.
Opponents of Trump can’t scream into the void, or among themselves, and think that’s resistance enough. They shouldn’t cede the traditions of this country, like the flag, the White House and democracy, to a tyrant like Trump just because he has wrapped himself in them.
Going to the White House does not normalize Trump — it’s a reminder that the place is ours, not his.
Besides, L.A. shouldn’t shut out Trump from our lives, especially while he’s in power. He needs to be dealt with in any way possible — and that includes meeting him in person.
The Dodgers can't possibly think that just posing for photos and handing Trump a commemorative jersey qualifies as time well spent. Or maybe it's all wishful thinking on my part. For all the hype about being there for fans and reflecting L.A. at all times, the Dodgers have historically cared only about one thing: the Dodgers.
So my last argument for the team to do something significant with their visit makes it all about them.
Guys: Y'all pioneered the type of globalism and multiculturalism that Trump loathes, that L.A. now exemplifies and that continues to power the best franchise in baseball. It's time to stand tall for the Dodger Way at the moment it matters the most.
SAN FRANCISCO — When the Giants return home Friday, they will unveil upgrades to their famous Coca-Cola bottle and the concessions at the field level. Fans can try new items like an elote hot dog, miso ramen and bacon ranch buffalo pretzel. The light shows have been sharpened in year two with that technology, and on Tuesday, the Giants will wear their new City Connect jerseys for the first time.
The most eye-popping change, though, will come in an area that most in the public will never have access to.
The organization is putting the finishing touches on the entryway to the home clubhouse, which now includes a case for the three World Series trophies. When players walk through the front door every day, they will get a reminder of the best stretch in franchise history, and eventually the wall will be covered with photos of past Giants stars and notable moments.
“I just want them to understand the history of the Giants, and even beyond those three World Series trophies, just the type of players that have come through and what the San Francisco Giants mean to the city of San Francisco,” new president of baseball operations Buster Posey said last week. “We’re planning to have some pictures behind the trophies of parade celebrations or what have you. I just think it’s important. This is a storied franchise and those were obviously a big part of it.”
The addition of the trophies was first brought up by Brad Grems, the organization’s senior manager for the home clubhouse and Major League equipment. Last year, that wall was home to a mural and a television that showed still photos from games, but as the new regime thought about changes in the offseason, Grems couldn’t help but think about what it’s like to walk into the clubhouse at Dodger Stadium.
When Dodgers get out of their elevator, they stroll down a long hallway filled not only with World Series trophies, but also Cy Young Awards, MVP trophies, Rookie of the Year trophies, Gold Gloves and more. That’s common in a lot of MLB ballparks. Nobody spends more time around the actual Giants jerseys than Grems, and he wanted players to know what it has always meant to wear orange and black.
“There needs to be a sense of pride when these guys walk from the parking lot through that hallway,” he said. “It’s setting an expectation of what it means to be a Giant and what it means to put that uniform on. It brings back that allure and legacy.”
When the previous regime was in charge, many in the organization noticed that there seemed to almost be a targeted effort to shy away from anything that had to do with the dynasty. This spring, the Giants made subtle changes to return to their roots, putting up some new photos at Scottsdale Stadium and inviting a huge crowd of former Giants standouts to come to camp as guest instructors.
Grems mentioned the trophies in a meeting about two weeks after Posey was hired and the new boss was immediately on board. Players haven’t seen the full remodel yet, but they were excited by the presence of the trophies — the Giants have two sets, and still will keep the other one on the concourse for fan photos — when they hosted a two-game exhibition series at the end of the spring.
“I think it’s awesome. You should celebrate winning and your history,” Matt Chapman said. “When I was with the Blue Jays they had the two World Series trophies right in the entrance to the clubhouse and I thought it was cool, so I’m glad we’re doing it. That’s Giants baseball right there. I think it just sets the tone.”
The Giants also plan to spend all season celebrating 25 years at Oracle Park, starting today, with a ceremony that will include Barry Bonds, Rich Aurilia and other members of the 2000 team. Posey didn’t hesitate when asked which moment stands out from his own career. In 2012, he caught Matt Cain’s perfect game, the only one in franchise history.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve watched Arias make that last play at third and I still get nervous when he falls backwards,” he said, smiling. “That’s just the epitome of a team game to me. A seemingly meaningless game, I don’t know what the score was, but the electricity in the stands was like nothing else other than a playoff game and that was in June.”
Cain’s massive fist pump after the 27th out surely will be represented on that wall of photos in the clubhouse, and you can bet there will be a Gregor Blanco reference, too. It’s the first phase in a remodel that so far has also included new lighting to make the entrance to the clubhouse feel cooler in general. Grems was especially proud that the lighting includes the words “Mike Murphy’s clubhouse.”
Murph’s office used to be the first thing anyone saw when they walked into the clubhouse, but for the past half decade that space was used by analysts, who now have been moved elsewhere. The room at the front of the clubhouse now will belong to members of the front office. The real stars of that hallway, though, are the three trophies.
“I didn’t know that was happening, but I absolutely loved it,” Logan Webb said. “The first time I saw it I was walking by with someone and we were like, ‘Let’s make sure there’s space for another one.'”
SAN FRANCISCO — When the Giants return home Friday, they will unveil upgrades to their famous Coca-Cola bottle and the concessions at the field level. Fans can try new items like an elote hot dog, miso ramen and bacon ranch buffalo pretzel. The light shows have been sharpened in year two with that technology, and on Tuesday, the Giants will wear their new City Connect jerseys for the first time.
The most eye-popping change, though, will come in an area that most in the public will never have access to.
The organization is putting the finishing touches on the entryway to the home clubhouse, which now includes a case for the three World Series trophies. When players walk through the front door every day, they will get a reminder of the best stretch in franchise history, and eventually the wall will be covered with photos of past Giants stars and notable moments.
“I just want them to understand the history of the Giants, and even beyond those three World Series trophies, just the type of players that have come through and what the San Francisco Giants mean to the city of San Francisco,” new president of baseball operations Buster Posey said last week. “We’re planning to have some pictures behind the trophies of parade celebrations or what have you. I just think it’s important. This is a storied franchise and those were obviously a big part of it.”
The addition of the trophies was first brought up by Brad Grems, the organization’s senior manager for the home clubhouse and Major League equipment. Last year, that wall was home to a mural and a television that showed still photos from games, but as the new regime thought about changes in the offseason, Grems couldn’t help but think about what it’s like to walk into the clubhouse at Dodger Stadium.
When Dodgers get out of their elevator, they stroll down a long hallway filled not only with World Series trophies, but also Cy Young Awards, MVP trophies, Rookie of the Year trophies, Gold Gloves and more. That’s common in a lot of MLB ballparks. Nobody spends more time around the actual Giants jerseys than Grems, and he wanted players to know what it has always meant to wear orange and black.
“There needs to be a sense of pride when these guys walk from the parking lot through that hallway,” he said. “It’s setting an expectation of what it means to be a Giant and what it means to put that uniform on. It brings back that allure and legacy.”
When the previous regime was in charge, many in the organization noticed that there seemed to almost be a targeted effort to shy away from anything that had to do with the dynasty. This spring, the Giants made subtle changes to return to their roots, putting up some new photos at Scottsdale Stadium and inviting a huge crowd of former Giants standouts to come to camp as guest instructors.
Grems mentioned the trophies in a meeting about two weeks after Posey was hired and the new boss was immediately on board. Players haven’t seen the full remodel yet, but they were excited by the presence of the trophies — the Giants have two sets, and still will keep the other one on the concourse for fan photos — when they hosted a two-game exhibition series at the end of the spring.
“I think it’s awesome. You should celebrate winning and your history,” Matt Chapman said. “When I was with the Blue Jays they had the two World Series trophies right in the entrance to the clubhouse and I thought it was cool, so I’m glad we’re doing it. That’s Giants baseball right there. I think it just sets the tone.”
The Giants also plan to spend all season celebrating 25 years at Oracle Park, starting today, with a ceremony that will include Barry Bonds, Rich Aurilia and other members of the 2000 team. Posey didn’t hesitate when asked which moment stands out from his own career. In 2012, he caught Matt Cain’s perfect game, the only one in franchise history.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve watched Arias make that last play at third and I still get nervous when he falls backwards,” he said, smiling. “That’s just the epitome of a team game to me. A seemingly meaningless game, I don’t know what the score was, but the electricity in the stands was like nothing else other than a playoff game and that was in June.”
Cain’s massive fist pump after the 27th out surely will be represented on that wall of photos in the clubhouse, and you can bet there will be a Gregor Blanco reference, too. It’s the first phase in a remodel that so far has also included new lighting to make the entrance to the clubhouse feel cooler in general. Grems was especially proud that the lighting includes the words “Mike Murphy’s clubhouse.”
Murph’s office used to be the first thing anyone saw when they walked into the clubhouse, but for the past half decade that space was used by analysts, who now have been moved elsewhere. The room at the front of the clubhouse now will belong to members of the front office. The real stars of that hallway, though, are the three trophies.
“I didn’t know that was happening, but I absolutely loved it,” Logan Webb said. “The first time I saw it I was walking by with someone and we were like, ‘Let’s make sure there’s space for another one.'”
The Los Angeles Dodgers placed their star slugger on the 10-day IL on Thursday after the World Series MVP sprained his surgically repaired right ankle in a slip in the shower at home last weekend. The incident happened Sunday, an off day for the defending champions.
Freeman has played in just three games so far. He missed the season-opening Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs with left rib discomfort and sat out this week’s three-game series against his old team, the Atlanta Braves.
The Dodgers are off to an 8-0 start and open a six-game trip Friday at Philadelphia.
Freeman described the shower slip as a “freak accident” and said his wife, Chelsea, joked: “I thought I was going to deal with this when you’re 70, not when you’re 35.” Even his 4-year-old son, Brandon, piled on, saying, “Daddy, you got another boo-boo.”
Freeman sprained his right ankle on a play at first base in late September and struggled in the first two rounds of the postseason, but it was hardly evident during the World Series. He homered in the first four games and had 12 RBIs as the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in five games.
His wife had to drive him to Dodger Stadium on Sunday for a three-hour treatment session. By the time it was over, he was able to drive himself home. An X-ray showed no serious damage.
Freeman is 3 for 12 with two homers in three games this season — his fourth with the Dodgers. An eight-time All-Star, he was National League MVP with Atlanta in 2020.
The Yankees' offense is on a power trip to start the 2025 season thanks in large part to two players: Aaron Judge (of course) and Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Judge is having a run befitting of a two-time MVP and arguably the best hitter in baseball. Through six games, the Yankees Captain is batting .417 with an OPS of 1.648 to go along with five home runs (most in the AL) and 15 RBI. That includes his productive performance in Thursday's win against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
After losing the first two games of the series, the second coming after an overall poor team performance on the offensive side, Judge got the scoring going in the first inning, launching a three-run home run to give the Yankees a lead they would not relinquish. Judge's blast was the first of three hit by the Yankees who scored nine runs total, the most they've scored since their incredible weekend series against the Brewers.
When asked who kickstarted the offense, Chisholm Jr. made it clear who it was.
"Aaron Judge," Chisholm Jr. said with a laugh. "As a team, guys keep getting on for him and he keeps on performing and showing us why he’s the MVP of the league and one of the best players to ever play this game. We’re all just trying to be like him. We all tell him every day that we want to be you when we grow up but at the same time we’re out here playing a team game and we have our big brother leading us and it helps a lot."
One large talking point this offseason was how the Yankees' offense would perform without Juan Soto. The slugger complemented Judge so well, and it helped the Yankees get to their first World Series since 2009.
While manager Aaron Boone puts out different configurations of the lineup, the one constant is Judge. And this season's version of Judge has, at least early on, been more impressive than previous years.
"Last year he hit 58 [home runs] and had a bad first month," Chisholm Jr. said of Judge. "So imagine right now what he’s about to do. I’m just trying to keep up."
Judge won the 2024 AL MVP on the back of batting .322 while smashing 58 home runs and driving in 144 runs. That's after he had an awful March and April when he hit .207 and launched just six home runs heading into May.
But this start could mean bigger things for Judge and the Yankees, and that point isn't lost on Chisholm Jr.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. credited Aaron Judge for kick-starting the offense:
"We all just try to be like him. We all tell him every day 'we want to be you when we grow up'. At the same time, we're just out here playing a team game and we've got our big brother leading us" pic.twitter.com/3cN8JFBBRZ
"That’s what I’m saying, I’m just trying to keep up," the young infielder said. "He’s amazing, man, just trying to follow him, pick his brain and watch him and learn from him every day. See him go in there every day even with the poise. Even if he doesn't homer, he went 3-for-4. He’s starting to steal bags now, it’s starting to get ridiculous out of him, man What can you do with someone who is doing it like that?"
Judge did go 3-for-4 with a home run and double while driving in four runs in Thursday's game, and yes he stole a base. But Chisholm Jr. has also been a big part of the early success of the Yankees offense.
Coming over in a trade with the Marlins at last year's deadline, Chisholm Jr. has gotten off to a fast start, hitting .292 with four home runs -- tied for second on the team with Anthony Volpe -- and driving in eight runs. Last season, Chisholm Jr. hit .256 with 24 homers, but 11 of those came as a member of the Yankees.
These early 2025 numbers affirmed Boone's decision to hit the left-handed Chisholm Jr. behind Judge. The Yankees skipper half-joked after the game that whenever Judge only gets a single or double he sometimes feels Judge should have done more in that at-bat. It's something he's come to expect from Judge.
When Boone's comment was brought to Judge's attention, the captain smirked and said he liked it when his manager continued to push him but gave credit to his teammate hitting behind him for taking the pressure off of him early in the season.
"I gotta go out there and do my job, especially with how Jazz has been swinging the bat behind me," Judge said. "I’ll take my singles, take my doubles if he’s going to go out there and hit homers like he’s doing right now. It doesn’t have to always be a homer with a guy like that behind me."
"I’m ok compared to him," Chisholm Jr. said when his own early-season success was brought up. "I’m trying to get to his level right now. I told him I’m not going to fall too far behind him. I gotta keep up with him."
That mentality is something Judge says has permeated throughout the clubhouse this season. Each player is trying to push each other to be better and so far, it's working.
"I told [Jazz] I was going to catch him in stolen bases this year," Judge said. "We’re both trying to beat each other. It’s going to be a good year. We’re going to go out there and continue to push each other. Everybody in this whole clubhouse strives to be great, especially after last season when we weren’t able to finish the job. Guys are motivated to go out there and do something special."
The Yankees have started strong out of the gate with a 4-2 record heading into their first road series, starting Friday in Pittsburgh. But they know if they hope to make it back to the World Series, and "finish the job" they'll need to keep it up.
Oh, and the race for stolen base supremacy between Judge and Chisholm Jr. is tied at 1-1 after six games.
NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge became the third-fastest New York Yankees player to reach 500 extra-base hits with a three-run homer in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night, trailing only Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig.
Judge lined a 1-1 fastball from Merrill Kelly to the opposite field and into the Yankees bullpen for a 3-0 lead. The two-time AL MVP added a run-scoring single in the fourth inning as the Yankees moved ahead 7-3 and has five homers and 15 RBIs in six games this season.
Judge has 320 homers, 175 doubles and five triples in 999 games.
DiMaggio reached 500 extra-base hits in 853 games and Gehrig in 869.
Bob Meusel is fourth at 1,091, followed by Robinson Cano (1,130) and Mickey Mantle (1,138).
The Baltimore Orioles (3-3) begin a weekend series Friday in Kansas City against the Royals (2-4).
Dean Kremer is slated to take the mound for Baltimore against Seth Lugo for Kansas City
The O's dropped a series earlier this week to the Red Sox. Thursday, Charlie Morton struggled again. The veteran gave up five earned runs in five innings.
KC scored 11 runs to open their series against Milwaukee but proceeded to score just two runs in losing the final two games of the series. Wednesday, they lost 3-2 in 11 innings.
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 Orioles at Royals
Date: Friday, April 4, 2025
Time: 7:40PM EST
Site: Kauffman Stadium
City: Kansas City, MO
Network/Streaming: MASN, FDS
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 Orioles at the Royals
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Orioles (+100), Royals (-120)
Spread: Royals 1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Orioles at Royals
Pitching matchup for April 4, 2025: Dean Kremer vs. Seth Lugo
Orioles: Dean Kremer (1-0, 8.44 ERA) Last outing: 3/29 at Toronto - 5.1 IP, 5ER, 5H, 2BB, 6Ks
Royals: Seth Lugo (0-0, 5.40 ERA) Last outing: 3/29 vs. Cleveland - 5 IP, 3ER, 4H, 3BB, 4Ks
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 Orioles at Royals
The Orioles have covered the Run Line in each of their wins but have failed to do so in each of their losses
The Royals' last 3 games against the Orioles have stayed under the Total
Kansas City is 2-4 on the Run Line this season
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 Friday’s game between the Orioles and the Royals
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Orioles and the Royals:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Baltimore Orioles +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
