We’re going to the butcher’s bill early today because it’s long and I don’t have any more animal cruelty stories (thank goodness). Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell will undergo surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow. The Dodgers are hopeful the former two-time Cy Young Award winner will return before the end of the season.
The Dodgers acquired lefty Eric Lauer in a trade with the Blue Jays. Toronto gets cash. Lauer takes the place of lefty Jack Dreyer, who goes on the IL with left shoulder discomfort.
Orioles third baseman Jordan Westburg, who hasn’t played yet this year, is now out for the season with ulnar collateral ligament surgery. Dayn Perry writes that the pressure is now on the rest of the Orioles to step up.
Just under a year ago, Wilber Flores hit three home runs in one game for the Giants. Now a free agent, Flores can’t find a team that wants him. (The Athletic sub. req.) So he’s also playing for Tijuana. Sam Blum and Dennis Lim with both Tijuana stories. (If you want a blast from the past, Flores and Turner are teammates on the Toros with Junior Lake.)
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 13: Mickey Moniak #22 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a three run home run in the fifth inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 13, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies have, to put it lightly, struggled over the past few years. However, one bright spot every year is the selection of a team’s All-Star representative(s). The Rockies have only had one representative each year since 2021:
Germán Márquez (2021)
C.J. Cron (2022)
Elias Díaz (2023)
Ryan McMahon (2024)
Hunter Goodman (2025).
Looking ahead to this year, one player is making a case for himself to represent the Rockies in the Midsummer Classic in Philadelphia: Mickey Moniak.
Moniak posted career highs in games played (135), runs (62), hits (117), total bases (225), triples (8), home runs (24), RBI (68), walks (22), stolen bases (9) and OPS (.824).
He began the 2026 campaign on the 10-day IL after he sprained his finger diving back into first base on a pickoff attempt during spring training. However, he’s been on a tear since being reinstated on April 3 and is leading in numerous categories, both for the Rockies and around Major League Baseball.
Here’s how he ranks among NL and MLB leaders so far in 2026 (all stats current through the evening of May 17):
Stat
Number
NL Rank
MLB Rank
NL OF Rank
Rockies Rank
AVG
.298
12th
—
5th
2nd
SLG
.645
1st
2nd
1st
1st
OPS
.996
1st
5th
1st
1st
Total Bases
91
7th
9th
T-2nd
1st
Home Runs
12
T-4th
T-7th
T-2nd
1st
Extra-Base Hits
23
T-3rd
T-4th
T-2nd
1st
AB per HR
11.8
2nd
7th
1st
1st
In addition to the above stats, Moniak has had four multi-homer games in 2026 — which leads the Majors — and had an 18-game hitting streak from April 15-May 6. And on Wednesday, the 28-year-old fell a single shy of the cycle with a career-high tying five RBI, and his nine total bases were the most for a Rockie on their birthday.
If All-Stars were selected today, Moniak would have a case alongside St. Louis’ Jordan Walker and Washington’s James Wood. Wood was an All-Star last year, while Walker would also make his first All-Star team is selected. Here’s how Moniak stacks against them:
Stat
Number
NL OF Rank
Next Number
Player
AVG
.298
5th
.293
Michael Harris II (ATL)
SLG
.645
1st
.584
Jordan Walker (STL)
OPS
.996
1st
.955
Jordan Walker (STL)
Total Bases
91
T-2nd
91
James Wood (WSH)
Home Runs
12
T-2nd
12
James Wood (WSH)
Extra-Base Hits
23
T-2nd
23
Jordan Walker (STL)
AB per HR
11.8
1st
13.3
Jordan Walker (STL)
As you can see, not only does Moniak rank among NL outfield leaders, but in some cases, he’s far ahead of the next ranking player. That is particularly true of SLG, OPS and AB/HR.
In addition to Wood, the rest of the 2025 honors belonged to Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL), Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC), Kyle Tucker (CHC), Corbin Carroll (AZ), Kyle Stowers (MIA), and Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD). Acuña, Crow-Armstrong and Tucker were the starters, while the other four were reserves.
Mickey Moniak vs. The Rockies
Not only does Moniak rank among league leaders, but he leads the Rockies in numerous categories — often by a wide margin.
Stat
Number
Rockies Rank
Next Number
Player
AVG
.298
2nd
.275
TJ Rumfield
SLG
.645
1st
.506
Hunter Goodman
OPS
.996
1st
.844
Troy Johnston
Total Bases
91
1st
82
Hunter Goodman
Home Runs
12
1st
11
Hunter Goodman
Extra-Base Hits
23
1st
19
Hunter Goodman
AB per HR
11.8
1st
14.7
Hunter Goodman
Most of the time, he ranks just above Hunter Goodman, who is making his own case to be the first Rockies back-to-back All-Star since Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon did it from 2017-2019. The thing that would give Goodman the edge over Moniak is that the catcher field is less crowded than the outfield, but Moniak is still leading his teammates in enough categories that position might not matter.
Mickey Moniak 2026 vs. Charlie Blackmon 2019
The last Rockies outfielder to make an All-Star Game was Charlie Blackmon in 2019. (He was also selected in 2017 and 2018.) It was also the last time the Rockies fielded multiple All-Stars.
The rosters were announced on June 30 that year, and here’s how Blackmon stood out entering the reveal:
Stat
Number
NL Rank
MLB Rank
NL OF Rank
AVG
.337
3rd
4th
3rd
SLG
.653
3rd
3rd
3rd
OPS
1.036
3rd
4th
3rd
Triples
7
1st
T-2nd
1st
Home Runs
20
7th
T-8th
T-4th
Blackmon also had two multi-homer games in that stretch, and went on two separate 11-game hitting streaks from April 16-28 and May 1-14.
In 2019, Christian Yelich (MIL), Cody Bellinger (LAD) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL) were selected as starters, while Blackmon was selected by his peers as a reserve alongside David Dahl (COL) and Jeff McNeil (NYM).
The case for Mickey Moniak to be an All-Star
The case speaks for itself. Moniak is among league leaders in numerous offensive categories. When you’re in the same conversation as players such as Kyle Schwarber, Matt Olson, Bryce Harper and Max Muncy, you’re doing something right.
That said, Moniak likely won’t be selected as a starter — the last Rockie to have that honor was Nolan Arenado in 2019. However, if Moniak keeps playing the way he has been, he will likely be selected by his peers as a reserve.
Do you think Moniak will be an All-Star, or will that honor go to Goodman? Or do you think the Rockies will have multiple All-Stars for the first time in seven years? Let us know in the comments!
It was not a good day for the Isotopes pitching staff against the Oklahoma City Comets (LAD). Starter Erasmo Ramírez lasted just three innings and gave up nine runs on 10 hits. Bryson Van Sickle then came in and gave up six (four earned) on three hits and Ryan Miller gave up two on three hits. Welinton Herrera (No. 17 PuRP) and Mason Green combined for three shutout innings (Herrera threw two perfect innings with three strikeouts), but then TJ Shook gave up three more in the final inning to seal the blowout loss. The pitching staff gave up three home runs, and only one was a multi-run homer in the fifth inning.
Offensively, Adael Amador went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and two runs scored. Chad Stevens, Blaine Crim and Jose Cordova also recorded multi-hit games, and Crim and Nic Kent also hit homers of their own.
The Yard Goats fared better than the Isotopes, as they walked off the Portland Sea Dogs (BOS). Starter Konner Eaton struggled, giving up four runs (one earned) on four hits with two walks, five strikeouts and two home runs. Luckily, Carlos Torres bailed him out with two hits and two strikeouts over two innings, and Cade Denton ended up with the win after allowing just one run on one hit with two walks and a strikeout.
Bryant Betancourt ended up being the hero for the Goats, hitting a two-RBI double in the bottom of the ninth.
It was a low-scoring affair in Spokane, but the Indians came out on the losing side of it. They jumped out to an early 1-0 lead over the Hops (AZ) in the first, but it was given back in the bottom of the inning. Roynier Hernandez scored on a pickoff error in the third to put the Indians up 2-1, but that was the end of the scoring as the Hops scored twice in the fifth and once again in the eighth. Hernandez was the only Indians player to have multiple hits (2).
On the pitching side, each player gave up at least one run but Hunter Mann’s was unearned in his 2.2 innings of work.
It was a high-scoring affair in Fresno, but unfortunately the Grizzlies weren’t quite able to overcome an eight-run sixth inning by the Rawhide (AZ). The game was tied 2-2 after the first, and then the Grizzlies scored six in the third to go up 8-2. It started with Tanner Thach being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Clayton Gray. Then Derek Bernard reached on an error to score Roldy Brito, and then Jack O’Dowd hit a grand slam. But then the Rawhide scored eight in the sixth with an RBI double by Pedro Catuy, a two-run triple by Ivan Luciano, an RBI single by Jose Alpuria, a two-run homer by Enyervert Perez and then another two-run homer by JD Dix to put them up 11-8 after the inning. Kyle Fossum grounded into a force in the seventh, but Bernard and O’Dowd were able to score. But then Jakey Josepha singled to tack on another run in the eighth, 12-10, and Alpuria doubled and Cunningham singled to put the Rawhide up 15-10. Gray doubled to score Matt Klein, then Brito singled to score Fossum and Gray. And finally Ethan Holliday singled to score Brito, but that was the end of it: 15-14.
Tanner Gordon flew to and from Albuquerque in place of Jimmy Herget twice last week. After being recalled on April 14, he was optioned down on Tuesday when Herget came off the bereavement/family emergency list. However, he barely touched down before he was summoned back on Thursday when Herget went on the IL with right shoulder impingement. And naturally, after being in five different cities in 48 hours, Gordon had to pitch four innings at PNC Park after starter Chase Dollander went down with an elbow injury in the second inning. He allowed one run on three hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
Michael Lorenzen signed with the Rockies with the hopes of solving Coors Field. Unfortunately, that has not happened yet, as the right-hander has put up a 2-6 record and 7.03 ERA (10.03 at Coors Field). On Sunday, he yielded nine hits and seven runs (six earned) in 4.2 innings in the loss to the Diamondbacks. Lorenzen addressed the media after the game, and we’ll have to see if he’s able to right the ship.
The Rockies’ in-game host has connections both to Colorado and to Major League Baseball. Patrick Saunders caught up with Gianna about her history in both, and how she is making her way in a tough industry.
SPRINGFIELD, MO - APRIL 08: Liam Doyle #19 of the Springfield Cardinals pitches during the game between the Tulsa Drillers and the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 in Springfield, Missouri. (Photo by Kaylee Vaughan/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Last week, I shared how the hitting prospects in the system were doing. Wasn’t really planning for it to be a weeklong thing, it’s just that the Cardinals seem to have that many prospects worth monitoring. And I definitely didn’t cover everyone too. This week, I’ll cover the pitching prospects. Let’s get started.
Maybe it’s because he got to Memphis so fast, but I am truly confused as to how long it is taking Mathews to adjust to AAA. Maybe it’s the ball and he’s uniquely affected. Maybe it’s just that some pitchers need more development time at some level. Whatever it is, I really wish he could get his walk rate to a level where I would feel comfortable promoting him to the big leagues. 18% is a nonstarter and it’s not like his other stats are good right now either.
I am suddenly not concerned about Mathews at all after seeing how Hence has pitched this year. He is not currently in Memphis to the best of my knowledge, being sent to the complex league to work out whatever exactly is affecting him right now. The talent is still there. Either the mechanics or the health isn’t however. Hopefully, it works out as well as the Joshua Baez experience.
Tekoah Roby, RHP – 24 (VEB’s #11 prospect)
Underwent Tommy John surgery on July 28th last season. If he pitches at all this year, I doubt he’ll have much time to do more than be a multi-inning relief pitcher.
Mautz hasn’t really had a walk problem before this season, so there really does seem to be something to having to adjust to pitching with a different ball. And of course harder competition. I’m not worried about Mautz only because he wasn’t really ever on my radar to pitch at the big league level this season except maybe a spot start later in the season. Would have surprised me more if he was immediately good in Memphis.
Ixan Henderson, LHP – 24 (VEB’s #17 prospect)
Henderson was shut down due to a flexor strain in his elbow and was slated to miss at least the first two months of the season. I haven’t heard any updates since spring training.
Hunter Dobbins, RHP – 26 (acquired in the Sonny Gray trade)
Dobbins is currently a bit of a confusing pitcher. His Memphis stats suggest we basically have another Andre Pallante waiting in the wings. Which… actually it’s support by his lone MLB start too. He got a ton of groundballs, but couldn’t locate the zone. Pallante, despite lacking control, walks less than you would think. I don’t think Dobbins is exactly kicking down the door with his performance, though it’s good enough that he’s the clear choice if you need a starter.
Richard Fitts, RHP – 26 (acquired in the Willson Contreras trade)
I understand that Zimmermann is this year’s version of Curtis Taylor. I kind of want to see what he’s like in relief though. His K/BB numbers are excellent and it’s clear he can’t start at the MLB level – he’s just too homer-prone. He allowed three homers in yesterday’s game so that FIP is going to get way worse. He had a 6:1 K/BB so that xFIP won’t be hit that badly. Anyway, he was a reliever for 7 total games at the MLB level and he had a 14:0 K/BB ratio. I see more potential in him than Jared Shuster.
Hansen began the year injured, but has worked his way back to full heath at this point. If you focus on his batters faced, they have steadily increased to a season high of 22 in his most recent start, even though he only went 4.1 IP and he managed 5 innings in a previous start. It got momentarily derailed when he got rocked in a start where he lasted just 1.2 IP, hence the high ERA. It’s going pretty well for Hansen so far though. Would like to have another viable player to call up if needed in the Memphis rotation. It’s pretty much just Dobbins right now.
Sem Robberse, RHP – 24
Robberse underwent Tommy John surgery on May 14th of last season, so it’s entirely possible he could be starting rehab in the near future. Very far from being an MLB impact of course.
The Cardinals are kind of playing the in-between game with Rincon, where he’s not a starting pitcher, but he’s a little more than a reliever. He has started 3 games, but not been asked to face more than 15 batters in any appearance. I’m not sure if his innings are being limited or if he’s truly not a starter anymore, but I do find it a bit strange they seem to have given up on him as a starter.
His lone start wasn’t a real start, Rajcic is a full-blown reliever. Just wanted to put that out there. Jake Wood has been a big advocate to consider promoting him to the big league and it’s easy enough to see why. Probably not future as a starter and excelling as a reliever at the moment.
Winquest somehow has three hit by pitches in his three innings of work which do factor into his overall stats. It’s a similar negative penalty to a walk. Despite a solid K%, he hasn’t actually had a good appearance in Memphis yet – he’s allowed a run in each one. He had 2 Ks and no walks or HBPs in one appearance, but also allowed a homer. He is also now injured with an undisclosed injury. So much for bullpen help here.
For a minor league Rule 5 pickup, this is as good of a start as you can ask for. Yes, I know his ERA and FIP are ugly in Memphis. And it’s unfortunate he’s already allowed four homers this year. But he proved to be too good in AA pretty much immediately which is encouraging for a guy who spent last year pitching only rehab innings essentially.
Ryan Fernandez went from someone they couldn’t send down because he needed to work out his issues at the MLB level to a guy who can’t get called up even if he’s pitching well in Memphis (and a brief time at the MLB level) despite the Cardinals having a bad bullpen pretty quickly honestly. It is nice to have someone who I think deserves to get called up if a spot is needed at least.
I mean… Roycroft has to be getting close to entering DFA territory if a 40 man spot is needed. In his last four appearances, including last night, he’s allowed 10 earned runs in 4.1 IP. He may have been the punching bag on May 9th because innings were needed and he faced 13 batters, which is 5 batters more than he’s faced in any other appearance. He allowed six runs in that appearance.
People have suggested Gastelum for the MLB bullpen. He doesn’t appear that close to being MLB ready to me. It does not help his case that he is not on the 40 man roster. Typically if you are on the outside looking in with regards to the 40 man, you need to have great stats to get the call-up. He does not have that.
Good news. I can adjust many stats based upon how a pitcher pitched the night I’m writing this, but FIP and xFIP are not those stats. And Hales pitched a great inning yesterday and his FIP and xFIP will both drop. He struck out 2 in a scoreless innings with no walks and only a hit allowed. The bad news is that his BB% only dropped to 16.9%, so that’s going to need to fall a lot farther down before you consider a promotion.
Okay we at least have two relief pitchers worth promoting if they are needed. Obviously Blewett is a bit more complicated, not being on the 40 man and not having any options if promoted. The team BABIP in Memphis must be .330 because I am seeing a lot of high BABIPs.
In Doyle’s last three starts, he has a 37 K% and 5.6 BB%, so I think he’s at the right level. His advanced stats for the whole season are solid, though nothing special and I would expect a higher GB% at some point. But yeah if you were concerned about his first few starts, his last few starts make me think he’ll see Memphis sooner rather than later.
Not the most impressive stats, and you can really see the value in not walking guys when comparing him and Doyle. Doyle doesn’t have a particularly low BB%, and yet he has a significantly lower xFIP than Cjintje pretty much just because of walks. Cjintje also has four HBPs and man I really wish HBPs wasn’t playing such a big role in some of these pitching lines, because a 12.2 BB% is high, but I found it weird how bad his xFIP was. If you add the HBPs to the walks, it’s a 14.6 BB/HBP% which is really bad. He did strike out 10 in his most recent appearance so clearly there’s a lot of potential here.
Cooper Hjerpe, LHP – 25 (VEB’s #15 prospect)
Hjerpe underwent Tommy John surgery on April 15th last season. I haven’t seen any updates on his rehab, but he should probably pitch this season and I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing him in the MLB bullpen in September.
Everyone raise your hand if you thought Lin was going to outpitch Cjintje after a month and half of play. Now stop lying because you guys did not vote him onto the top 20 prospect list this past season. He’s still walking too many batters, but at least he’s striking out nearly a third of hitters and his walks are in a better place than last season certainly. Let’s hope he keeps this up.
Molina is now in his third organization and at least two of them have been pretty aggressive in promoting Molina, which is interesting because he was a 7th round pick. He’s advanced like a Day One pick. He started 11 games at Low A for the Rangers before they promoted him, and 12 total games at High A before the Cardinals put him in AA. Because the dude can miss bats.
If I wrote this before yesterday’s start happened, there’d be a lot more reason for optimism about Davis, but he had a horrendous start yesterday, walking five and only striking out two while giving up 5 runs. His FIP is going to be a lot worse and so will his xFIP. So that one’s a bummer. I also felt they were particularly aggressive with Davis, as he made just 8 starts at High A last year.
I can’t be the only one whose first instinct on seeing this guy and his stats and thought: “Who’s this guy?” Honestly, there wasn’t much reason before this year to pay attention. He was a 17th rounder in 2024 and spent most of 2025 in A ball, only striking out 19.8% of hitters in Low A. He struck out 39% of batters in High A, but it was just 15 innings. But he also was promoted to Springfield as well, and had a 1.00 ERA, albeit with a 15% K rate. Clearly that 39% K rate told us more than I think I would have guessed at the time as well as his permanent promotion to Springfield. These are great stats. This is a late round gem, even if he ends up hitting a wall. He’s not even old for his level. Score one for the scouting department on this one.
Saladin appears to be a full-time reliever, which is a bummer after his 2024 season, but appears to be the right choice. He didn’t have a great 2025, he would have started being old for his level if they kept him at High A, so they both promoted him and moved him to the bullpen. He’s been wild. Hasn’t allowed a homer, but a crazy high BABIP. Yesterday he threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts, so his FIP and xFIP will see some improvement. Just needs to control the walks.
Okay, well the Cardinals know more than me. News at eleven. Love has been pretty bad lately, and in fact gave up four runs in a relief appearance yesterday. I don’t know if he’s working on something, I don’t know if he’s fighting through an injury, but the Love I wanted to promote has exited the building.
Most of you probably know this – hell most of you probably don’t pay attention to this – but when I list the age of a player, I am listing the age they are considered for that year. Which can lead to thinks like me calling Watson 24-years-old despite not turning 24 until June. If he was born a month later, he’d be considered 23. That’s just the way it works. Anyway, he actually allowed three of his four homers in his last appearance, which really dragged down his numbers.
Oh hey I made a good call. In a post earlier this year, I said Love should be promoted to Memphis. That has not aged well, I also said Findlay should be promoted to Springfield. It happened less than a week later. And Findlay has rewarded that promotion so far.
Again, let’s give a hand to the scouting department. Burns was drafted in the 14th round of the 2024 draft. Granted, if you told me a later round draft pick had made it to AA, I wouldn’t be that shocked if it was a reliever. Thompson is shocking to me because he’s a starting pitcher. That’s taking nothing away from Burns however, who has been a three true outcomes guy: strikeout, groundball, or walk. He’s allowed two homers in 19.1 IP and has been supremely unlucky to do so since 25% of his flyballs allowed have been homers (average is 12%)
Uhhhh, what in the hell? How is this line even possible? This is legitimately an unbelievable line. I don’t know what to do with this. He has allowed 24 balls in play, which is a crazy low number considering he’s thrown 13.1 IP. Out of those 24, 16 have been hits. Does he occasionally just want to make things hard and just yell “I’m throwing three fastballs right down the middle” because how can you be this unhittable and have a .667 BABIP against. I want to write 2,000 words about this.
Anyway, that’s a good place to end. Hunter Hayes does not have stats worth sharing but he did strike out four and walk none a 2.1 inning relief appearance yesterday, so hopefully that means he turned a corner.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 17: Brayan Bello #66 of the Boston Red Sox returns to the dugout following the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on May 17, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
What we don’t have going for us at the moment, though, is quality outings from Brayan Bello. The birthday boy was unfortunately shelled on Sunday, as he gave up eight earned runs in five innings en route to the loss against Atlanta. Bello will not be pitching in this upcoming series in Kansas City, which is set to begin tonight at 7:40 p.m. EST.
My question to you folks is simple: what’s next for Bello?
He had two very solid outings preceding yesterday’s disaster, as both of those appearances featured an opener from the bullpen eating the first inning before handing things over to number 66. Is this simply a matter of reverting back to that strategy, or do you think the problems with Bello go deeper than that? Do we have to ride things out with him—especially with Crochet still on the mend—or do we have to consider sending him down to Worcester to get his act together? I want to hear from you.
SEATTLE, WA - MAY 17: Gavin Sheets #30 of the San Diego Padres celebrates with teammate Manny Machado #13 after hitting a solo home run in the first inning during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Sunday, May 17, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Rod Mar/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Last week saw to divisional matchups in the National League West, and NL West teams lost the two series against other NL teams outside the division. The San Diego Padres dropped two of three against the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Colorado Rockies lost two out of three against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
But the division mostly took out any such frustration against the American League. The Dodgers and Padres, the two teams at the top of the standings and the only two teams in the division with a winning record, swept the Angels and Seattle Mariners, respectively, over the weekend. The San Francisco Giants won two out of three against the A’s in West Sacramento. The Arizona Diamondbacks did lost two of three to the Texas Rangers, but overall the division went 9-3 in interleague play for the week.
Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly at age 37 pitched the first complete game of his career on Thursday night, his 178th career start, in a 9-1 rout of the Colorado Rockies. The folks at AZ Snake Pit have more. Kelly had just the second complete game at Coors Field since the start of 2023, along with Stephen Kolek of the San Diego Padres on May 10, 2025. There are 94 complete games in the history of the ballpark, which is now in its 32nd season.
Jake Cronenworth out with a concussion. Padres have gotten contributions from other players, like Miguel Andujar and Gavin Sheets (three go-ahead home runs in the ninth inning), which Thomas Conroy chronicled at Gaslamp Ball.
Rockies right-hander Chase Dollander exited his Thursday start and was placed on the injured list on Friday. There’s no timetable yet for his return, but optimism that he won’t need surgery. From Evan Lang at Purple Row:
Dollander described his injury as “just a very minor UCL sprain. That’s just what the MRI showed. I have a little information around the ligament, nothing to be too concerned about. Just thanking God that it wasn’t more than that. Obviously, it’s probably the best case scenario. Trying to look at the positive side.”
WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - MAY 17, 2026: Gunnar Henderson #2 of the Baltimore Orioles circles the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of an interleague game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on May 17, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. The Nationals beat the Orioles, 7-3. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Happy Monday, Camden Chatters! I hope you had a nice weekend. Things started off poorly for the Orioles with two losses to the Nationals, including an embarrassing 13-3 rout on Saturday. But they finished the series with a solid 7-3 victory to salvage one game.
The offense yesterday was powered by home runs from guys who had been struggling. Gunnar Henderson, Coby Mayo, and Colton Cowser all went deep yesterday, which felt pretty good. If those guys can rebound, it would work wonders for the offense.
No offense to Cower or Mayo, but Henderson is the one who matters most. And he had himself a fine weekend. On Friday, in the team’s 3-2 loss, Henderson singled and doubled in five trips to the plate. But he hit the ball hard four times up, with exit velocities of 97.5, 100.1, 106.1, and 111.9. He went hitless on Saturday, but did pick up a walk. And yesterday, Henderson had a four-hit game, including a double and a home run. His exit velocity in those four hits? 100.3, 100.3, 105.6, and 106.7.
It has only been one weekend’s worth of games, and I am not declaring Gunnar to be back. But I feel like I am ready to start asking the question. If he keeps hitting the ball hard, we’ll have our answer soon. He has been in the 57th percentile of exit velocity this year, averaging 89.1. In 2023-25, he was around the 90th percentile. A hard-hitting Gunnar is a good Gunnar.
He and the rest of the team will face a tough test over the next 10 days, where six of their nine games will be against the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays. They have won every series they’ve played this month and have only lost four all year. Weirdly, all of those series losses have come against the NL Central. They have not been swept. You can check back to this website at 10 a.m. to read Paul Folkemer’s series preview, which will tell you all the ways the Rays will beat the Orioles this week.
One last thing: former Oriole Grayson Rodriguez made his 2026 debut yesterday. It had been 655 days since his last start back on July 31, 2024. I wish I could say he had a triumphant return. Against the Dodgers, Rodriguez allowed seven runs on seven hits and four walks in just 3.2 innings. Here’s hoping he feels good physically after the start and that he can keep going.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have four Orioles birthday buddies, including the legendary Brooks Robinson. Robinson spent his entire 23-season career with the Orioles. He won 16 Gold Gloves, was an 18-time All-Star, won two World Series, was named American League MVP, World Series MVP, All-Star Game MVP, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983. He was also the nicest human of all time. Brooks Robinson passed away in 2023 at the age of 86.
Believe it or not, Brooks Robinson isn’t the only former Oriole and Hall of Famer born on this day. Today is Reggie Jackson’s 80th birthday. Jackson spent one season, 1976, with the Orioles.
Also born on this day is 2026 Oriole, Trey Gibson. Gibson has pitched in two games with the Orioles this year, and is currently with Triple-A Norfolk. We’ll see him in Baltimore again this season, I’m sure. Happy 24th birthday, Trey!
Last (and also probably least, sorry), today is Luis Terrero’s 46th birthday. Terrero appeared in 27 games with the 2006 Orioles.
On this day in 1957, the Orioles and White Sox were playing in Baltimore with a 10:20 curfew put in place to ensure the White Sox could catch the last train out of town. At 10:19, Oriole Dick Williams hit a ninth-inning, game-tying home run. The game was called for curfew as he touched home plate. The two teams later replayed the game, and the Orioles won. Why didn’t the White Sox pitcher just stall for one minute? That’s what everyone else wondered too.
In 1983, the Orioles and White Sox were again playing, and White Sox pitcher Rich Dotson pitched a one-hitter against the Orioles. Unfortunately for him, the one hit was a home run by Dan Ford. Storm Davis and Tippy Martinez combined to pitch nine shutout innings for the O’s.
In 1990, the Orioles tied an American League record with eight straight singles in the first inning against the Rangers’ Bobby Witt (who wouldn’t become Bobby Witt, Sr. for 10 more years). The Orioles scored seven runs in that first inning and went on to win, 13-1.
And on this day last year, the Orioles lost to the Nationals, 10-4. Zach Eflin started for the Orioles and was torched for eight runs, including a six-run second. The Orioles had nine hits, including solo home runs by Jackson Holliday, Gunnar Henderson, and Cedric Mullins.
BINGHAMTON, NY - JULY 06: Jacob Reimer #23 of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies reacts during the game between the Hartford Yard Goats and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Mirabito Stadium on Sunday, July 6, 2025 in Binghamton, New York. (Photo by Matt Kipp/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Syracuse got on the board in the top of the first on a pair of extra base hits off the bats of Nick Morabito and Christian Arroyo, but Scranton recouped both runs in the bottom of the third. Syracuse took the lead once again in the top of the sixth, this time on a Yonny Hernandez RBI single, but the RailRiders took the lead permanently in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs off of Alex Carillo and taking a 5-3 lead. The Mets had a couple of opportunities, getting the tying run up in the eighth and ninth, but weren’t able to cash in.
Binghamton trailed early on, at one point as much as 6-1, but the bats came through. In the fourth, they plated three runs, in the fifth, they plated two, and in the sixth, they scored four more, taking the lead. Jacob Reimer had a big game, going 3-3 with two doubles and a homer, raising his batting line from .200/.328/.355 coming into this game to .221/.346/.416; the infielder has quietly been enjoying a solid May after a very poor April and is hitting .279/.373/.581 on the month.
The Emperors scored a pair of runs off of Brady Miller in the second and one more in the third; that would end up being all they needed to win, as the Cyclones managed just a single run on the afternoon, a Trace Willhoite RBI single in the seventh. With the loss, the Cyclones lost the series two games to four and have just four wins in the entire calendar month of May.
St. Lucie got on the board in the bottom of the first on an AJ Salgado RBI double and held onto the lead for the rest of the ballgame. Branny De Oleo plated two more in the bottom of the fourth to give the Mets a little breathing room, which came in handy when Nicolas Carreno allowed a run in the sixth. That run ended up being the only one that the Hammerheads would score on the afternoon, and all’s well that ends well.
It has been a rough month for the Detroit Tigers, who have just four wins in 15 tries so far in May after dropping two of three to the Toronto Blue Jays in the first leg of their seven-game homestand. The visitors struck early on Sunday, getting a pair of runs in the first and third innings, and the offense simply could not catch up, resulting in a 4-1 loss.
On Monday, the Cleveland Guardians come to town for a four-game set that is as important as one can be before crossing the 50-game mark of the season. The Guards have won five of their last six, including a series-winning 10-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.
The Tigers have their current de facto top starter taking the mound on Monday night, left-hander Framber Valdez. The 32-year-old is coming off a quality start last time out that saw him allow two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven New York Mets batters en route to a 10-inning team loss.
Amazingly, Valdez has not faced Cleveland since 2023, when he threw a complete-game no-hitter for the Houston Astros back when it was still called Minute Maid Park. What Tiger fans would do to see that happen again…
Opposite him is right-hander Slade Cecconi, who has been more or less replacement-level this season, logging just one quality start while turning in mixed results for Cleveland. The 26-year-old’s last start was solid, throwing four shutout innings on five hits and a walk while striking out seven Los Angeles Angels in a team win.
Cecconi faced Detroit twice last season, turning in a pair of quality starts, allowing one and two runs, respectively. He earned the win in the first game, 3-1, but was saddled with a 2-1 loss in the second.
Take a look below at how the two match up for Monday evening’s American League Central battle.
Detroit Tigers (20-27) vs. Cleveland Guardians (26-22)
Time (ET): 6:40 p.m. Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site:Covering the Corner Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 48: LHP Framber Valdez (2-2, 4.32 ERA) vs. RHP Slade Cecconi (2-4, 5.60 ERA)
1945 – Luis Olmo of the Brooklyn Dodgers hits a triple and home run, each with the bases loaded, in the Dodgers’ 15-12 victory over the Chicago Cubs. No major league player has done that since. Olmo adds a double for good measure.
1950 – At the Polo Grounds, Rube Walker hits a grand slam in the sixth inning for the Chicago Cubs. In the bottom of the inning, Monte Irvin also hits a grand slam for the New York Giants. It is the first time in major league history that each team hit a grand slam in the same inning. The game is called on account of rain after six innings, and the Giants win, 10-4.
1956 – Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees hits home runs from both sides of the plate for the third time in his career, setting a major league record. Mantle includes a perfect 4-for-4 day, helping New York to an 8-7 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
1968 – Detroit’s Al Kaline hits his 307th HR, surpassing Hank Greenberg for the most HRs as a Tiger
1969 – Rod Carew of the Minnesota Twins steals second base, third, and home plate during the 3rd inning of an 8-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Carew pulls off the trifecta against the battery of Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan. Carew becomes the first player in 28 years to steal three bases in sequence in the same inning. Cesar Tovar also steals two bases in the game.
1999 – Edgar Martinez hits three home runs, tying a major league record with five homers in two games, to give the Seattle Mariners a 10-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Martinez homered twice in the opener of the series.
2002 – After sitting through a two-hour rain delay, the Boston Red Sox defeat the Seattle Mariners, 4-1, behind the pitching of Pedro Martinez. Martinez strikes out the side in the 1st inning on nine pitches, the 17th immaculate inning since 1970. Martinez is now 10-0 with a 0.93 ERA against the Mariners.
2010 – Carlos Silva improves his record to 5-0 as the Cubs beat the Rockies, 6-2. A huge disappointment for the Seattle Mariners the last two seasons, Silva has found his old form with Chicago, forcing manager Lou Piniella to make a difficult decision: who will be bumped from the starting rotation to make room for Carlos Zambrano, set to return after an unconvincing stint in the bullpen.
1830 – Edwin Budding of England signs an agreement for the manufacture of his invention, a lawn mower. Saturdays are destroyed forever.
1863 – US General Ulysses S. Grant begins siege on Vicksburg, Mississippi; after 47 days of battle siege, Confederate Lt. General John C. Pemberton’s troops surrender.
1896 – US Supreme court affirms legitimacy of racial separation (Plessy v Ferguson), a doctrine that came to be known as “separate but equal”.
1952 – Professor Willard Libby says England’s prehistoric monument of Stonehenge dates back to 1848 BC.
1965 – American engineer Ray Dolby founds Dolby Laboratories in London, England.
1980 – Eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington state triggers the largest landslide in history, killing 57 people and causing over $1 billion in damage.
2002 – Micky Ward beats Arturo Gatti by majority decision in a junior welterweight boxing bout in Uncasville, Connecticut; ‘The Ring’ Fight of the Year; first fight in their legendary trilogy.
2024 – 706 people called Kyle gather in Kyle, Texas, attempting to break the record for a gathering of people with the same name (record is 2,325 Ivans 2017).
Special Music-related stories on this date:
1959 “Castin’ My Spell” by The Johnny Otis Show hits #52.
1959 “Judy” by David Seville hits #86.
1959 “Russian Band Stand” by Spencer & Spencer hits #91.
1963 “If You Wanna Be Happy” by Jimmy Soul hits #1.
1999 “Millennium” 3rd studio album by the Backstreet Boys is released – one of the best-selling albums of all time with over 30 million copies sold.
2018 K-pop boy band BTS release their album “Love Yourself: Tear”, sells 135,000 first week (This is for you K-pop boy bands).
2025 English rock band “The Who” announce the resignation of Zak Starkey, their drummer since 1996; Starkey claims that he did not quit, but was fired – later revising that he instead “had been retired”.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 17: Jake Bauers #9 of the Milwaukee Brewers runs the bases during the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Sunday, May 17, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Andrew Ritter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Last Week’s Results
Monday: Off Day
Tuesday: Brewers 6, Padres 4
Wednesday: Padres 3, Brewers 1
Thursday: Brewers 7, Padres 1
Friday: Brewers 3, Twins 2
Saturday: Brewers 2, Twins 1
Sunday: Twins 5, Brewers 4
Division Standings
Cubs 29-18
Brewers 26-18 (1.5 GB)
Cardinals 27-19 (1.5 GB)
Pirates 24-23 (5 GB)
Reds 24-23 (5 GB)
Last Week
Cubs: 2-4
Brewers: 4-2
Cardinals: 4-2
Pirates: 2-4
Reds: 2-4
Top Pitching Performance of the Week
Is it time to rename this section to “What impressive performance did Jacob Misiorowski pull off last week?” It’s starting to feel that way with how well he’s been pitching. He followed up his performance against the Yankees last week with a seven shutout inning, 10-strikeout day on Wednesday. He only allowed four hits, did not walk a batter, and did that in 93 pitches. That start could have gone even longer had he not felt a cramp in his leg again when going out for the eighth inning. Misiorowski hasn’t allowed a run in the month of May and the last run he allowed came on April 25 against the Pirates.
There’s also some honorable mentions to go around. Kyle Harrison would be making an appearance here more often if it wasn’t for Misiorowski. He pitched five shutout innings on Thursday, allowing just five hits while striking out seven. Chad Patrick is transitioning to the bullpen and it’s going well. He had a scoreless inning on Tuesday, but that was just the warmup for his four shutout innings on Saturday. He allowed just one hit and struck out three as he recorded a four-inning save. Coleman Crow and Logan Henderson also had good starts for the Brewers, each allowing just a single run in five innings of work. Henderson has 56 strikeouts through his first nine major-league games, which is one more than Misiorowski had in his first nine.
Jake Bauers is making himself known in his final year before free agency. In four games last week, he went 7-for-15 with four doubles, two RBI, and one stolen base. He had a .467/.529/.733 batting line and boosted his overall line to .281/.358/.489 this season. One of his biggest hits came on Friday, when he hit an RBI double to put the Brewers ahead for good. He’s also on an 18-game on-base streak that goes back to April 21.
Honorable mention goes to Joey Ortiz. He put together a .308/.412/.615 batting line last week with a double, home run, and two runs batted in. His home run was his first since July 19 of last season.
Injury Notes & Roster Moves
The Brewers’ batting order returned to full strength as Christian Yelich was activated from the IL on Tuesday. Tyler Black was optioned back to Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move. However, that lasted just one day and then Yelich was back to day-to-day with back tightness. He didn’t need a repeat trip to the IL, and was back in the lineup for Sunday’s series finale against the Twins.
The pitching carousel was in full swing for the Twins’ series. Prior to Friday’s opener, the Brewers recalled Coleman Crow to make the start and optioned Brian Fitzpatrick to Triple-A. The next day, Crow was optioned and Peter Strzelecki’s contract was selected for Saturday’s game. Strzelecki didn’t even get to pitch and was designated for assignment before Sunday’s game, and Robert Gasser was recalled for Sunday’s start.
Brandon Lockridge had an MRI that came back clear of any fractures or tears. He began riding a stationary bike on Wednesday. He officially has a bone bruise and is expected back in mid-to-late June.
Jared Koenig threw his first bullpen session on Tuesday. He’s been out most of the season with a UCL sprain.
Jacob Misiorowski had another start end early when he felt another cramp when warming up in the eighth inning of Wednesday’s game. He felt fine the next day and is expected to start on Tuesday against the Cubs.
Rob Zastryzny was sent to Nashville on a rehab assignment on Thursday. He pitched in Thursday’s game for Nashville, pitching a clean inning with a strikeout.
Brandon Woodruff threw a bullpen session on Thursday and was pleased with it. His next step is another bullpen session today in Chicago.
Akil Baddoo was sent to Nashville on a rehab assignment on Friday. He played in Friday’s game, going 0-for-2 at the plate and played five innings in left field.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W, 5-3 vs. Syracuse Mets
SS George Lombard Jr. 2-4, RBI — tied the game on an infield hit in the sixth, also hit a ball 106.3 mph in the first (though a groundout) DH Yanquiel Fernández 0-2, 2 BB, RBI, K — drew bases-loaded walk to put Scranton ahead 2B Marco Luciano 1-4, 2B, RBI, K, fielding error LF Oswaldo Cabrera 0-2, BB, RBI, 2 K, SF DH Ernesto Martínez Jr. 0-4, K C Payton Henry 1-3, BB 3B Jonathan Ornelas 0-4, 2 K CF Duke Ellis 1-3, BB, K RF Kenedy Corona 0-3, BB
Carlos Lagrange 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 6 K — per YES Network’s Conor Foley, four-seamer averaged 100.2 mph, topping out at a season-best 103 mph, smokin’ (though still might be a reliever long-term) Dylan Coleman 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 0 K (win) Kervin Castro 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K Bradley Hanner 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (save)
Double-A Somerset Patriots:L, 7-10 vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies
LF Jace Avina 1-5, 4 K DH Garrett Martin 1-4, 2B, 3 K RF Jackson Castillo 0-4, K SS Tyler Hardman 1-4, HR, RBI, K, fielding error — go-ahead homer briefly made it 7-6, Somerset (also I guess they’re trying to add versatility because he’s normally a third baseman) 3B Coby Morales 2-4, 3 RBI, 2 K, SB — Patriots’ second three-run homer of the day put them ahead 6-1 CF DJ Gladney 0-4, 3 K C Manuel Palencia 1-2, 2 BB, K, SB 1B Miguel Palma 1-4, HR, 3 RBI — three-run blast in the second 2B Duncan Pastore 1-3, BB
Chase Chaney 4.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R (5 ER), 3 BB, 6 K, 2 HR — fortunate to be spared the loss as he let 6-1 Patriots lead go by the wayside Chris Kean 1 IP, 3 H, 4 R (4 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, HR, HBP, throwing error (loss) — gave up back-breaking three-run dinger to Jacob Reimer Hayden Merda 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K Michael Arias 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K Matt Keating 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:L, 3-6 vs. Frederick Keys
SS Kaeden Kent 0-3, BB C Eric Genther 2-4, K DH Kyle West 1-4, K LF Wilson Rodriguez 0-2, 2 BB 2B Roderick Arias 0-4, RBI, 2 K 3B Enmanuel Tejeda 1-3, 2B, BB, 2 RBI, K — only run-scoring hit of the day for the ’Gades on his double 1B Josh Moylan 0-4, 2 K CF Camden Troyer 0-4, 2 K RF Cole Gabrielson 1-3, BB, K
Franyer Herrera 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, HBP, throwing error (loss) — most consequential pitch might have been plunking 2025 first-rounder Ike Irish on the wrist Tanner Bauman 1.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, HR Wilmy Sanchez 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K — bullpen combined for Thomas Balboni Jr. 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HBP, pickoff error Hansel Rincon 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K Chris Veach 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
— Hudson Valley Renegades (@HVRenegades) May 17, 2026
Low-A Tampa Tarpons:L, 0-5 vs. Dunedin Blue Jays — shut out on five hits
3B Jackson Lovich 0-4, 3 K SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 1-4, throwing error 1B Hans Montero 0-3, BB, K, picked off LF Luis Puello 0-4, K CF Willy Montero 2-3, 2B — the lone multi-hit day in the batch DH Engelth Urena 0-3, K C Ediel Rivera 0-3, K RF Luis Durango 1-3 2B Santiago Gomez 1-3, SB
Tyler Boudreau 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 7 K, fielding error (loss) — 11 swings and misses from his fastball/slider/changeup/curveball mix, not that bad a day honestly for the 2025 undrafted free agent, just needs to work on that PFP since his E1 led to the two runs Bryce Warrecker 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K Brennan Stuprich 3 IP, 1 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 4 K, HR, balk
May 17, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (28) prepares to take the field before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Above .500 before Memorial Day. Who’d have thunk it?
It does help that they are playing some of the middle class teams in baseball instead of repeating viewings of the upper crust, but the Phillies are still playing good baseball right now, getting back to the spot we thought they’d be in.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 14: Ryan O'Hearn #29 of the Pittsburgh Pirates rounds third after hitting a two run home run in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at PNC Park on May 14, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates were swept by the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday, with even staff ace Paul Skenes failing to secure a win for the Buccos. That was Pittsburgh’s third straight loss, as they sit tied in the basement of the NL Central with the St. Louis Cardinals, both with 24-23 records on the year. But they got some evern worse news on Sunday, when they were forced to place outfielder / first baseman Ryan O’Hearn on the 10-day DL with a strained right quad. Jake Mangum was called up to replace O’Hearn.
O’Hearn has been one of the Pirates’ key offseason acquisitions, batting .289 for the year with 7 homers and 29 RBIs for the season, becoming a key cog in Pittsburgh’s offensive resurgence this season. However, according to Bucs GM Ben Cherington, the quad strain is moderate and will sideline O’Hearn for about four weeks. So that’s a full month without their one of the top bats for the Buccos. It’s an unfortunate injury for Pittsburgh’s second best batting average.
His replacement Mangum was also an offseason acquisition for the Bucs, though he came over in trade, while O’Hearn signed as a free agent. Mangum can get it done in the field, but the Bucs will take a hit at the plate when Mangum plays over O’Hearn. Mangum is hitting .253 on the season with no homers and 3 RBIs in 75 at bats. He was 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout on Sunday.
Last season, with Tampa Bay, Mangum played in 118 games in did hit .296, but with 3 homers and 40 RBIs. He can get it done in the average department, but the Bucs are definitely going to take a power hit.
The Pirates are now off today after being swept, but they’ll return to action on Tuesday, when they will head to St. Louis to take on the Cardinals in what will be a battle for one of them to get out of the basement of the NL Central. The first game of the three-game set starts at 7:45pm Tuesday.
Dylan File had a rough day on the mound, and the Hens offense just couldn’t string enough runs together as they dropped the series four games to two in Omaha on Sunday.
The Hens took an early lead when Ben Malgeri led off the game with a double. An Eduardo Valencia single and a Jace Jung sacrifice fly made it 1-0, but as it went most of the day, they couldn’t add on runs.
File quickly surrendered the lead as Omaha scored two in the bottom of the firs, but Tomás Nido cracked a solo shot in the second that made it 2-2. Omaha came right back with a three run bottom of the third punctuated by a Brett Squires two-run homer. Luke Ritter led off the fourth with a solo shot to make it 5-3, but that was as close as they’d get.
Pitching dominated the rest of the way. Ricky Vanasco spun a perfect inning with a strikeout in the fourth, and Tanner Rainey worked two innings, allowing a run that made it 6-3. Woo-Suk Go continues to pitch really well and handled the seventh and eighth in perfect fashion with three strikeouts, but no rally by the Hens’ offense was forthcoming.
Nido: 2-4, R, RBI, HR, K
Ritter: 2-4, R, RBI, HR, K
File (L, 1-4): 3.0 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: The 22-23 Hens come home to welcome in Indianapolis for six starting Tuesday night.
Carlos Peña was knocked around in a short start, but the duo of Brett Callahan and John Peck continue to be the run scoring engine for the SeaWolves and brought them back in the middle innings to win the first of two on Sunday.
Peña gave up a pair of solo shots in the first, and Peck answered back with a solo shot in the bottom of the first. Peña then pitched a scoreless second before giving up two more solo shots to start the third. The Squirrels seemed to have him dialed in and could read what was coming but Peña’s low powered stuff doesn’t play well over the middle of the plate. Uniquely so on this day.
Dariel Fregio took over after Peña allowed a double to follow the homers, and he was able to settle things down.
In the bottom of the third, Andrew Jenkins singled and rode home on Callahan’s seventh home run to make it 4-3, Richmond. Peck followed with a single and stole second base, and Thayron Liranzo walked, but Justice Bigbie flew out to end the inning.
Brett Callahan crushes a 2-run homer to deep left center and the SeaWolves are back within a run. It’s his 7th home run of the year, and he’s now batting .310 with 3 homers against left-handed pitching this year. pic.twitter.com/0w1VZ0cG2n
The rest of the comeback didn’t take long. Chris Meyers and Izaac Pacheco doubled to open the fourth. That scored Meyers and tied the game 4-4. Pacheco took third on a balk, and Jenkins walked. Pacheco would eventually scored on a Seth Stephenson ground out and Callahan dropped a ball into left field on an error that brought home Jenkins. 6-4 Erie.
Luke Taggart handled the fifth and sixth, allowing a run that brought the Squirrels within one run. Moises Rodriguez got into a little trouble in the bottom of the seventh. A walk started things, and then a single moved the runner, Scott Bandura, to third base. Parks Harber bounced one back to Rodriguez, who made a nice play to fire home to Liranzo, who dropped the tag and prevented the tying run. Rodriguez shut it down from there to earn his first save of the year.
The offense was out of gas for Game 2. The SeaWolves managed just two hits and two walks over seven innings, and never really threatened to score.
Kenny Serwa held the Squirrels down for four scoreless innings in his start, but the offense couldn’t take advantage. Yosber Sanchez allowed a run in the fifth, and Tyler Owens one in the sixth. It wasn’t much of an offensive performance on either side, but the Squirrels came out ahead and split the series.
Serwa: 4.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves head out to Altoona this week with a 20-19 record, while the Flying Squirrels continue to rule the division at 28-10 for the first half.
Great Lakes Loons 4, West Michigan Whitecaps 0 (box)
The Whitecaps lost their 19th game out of their last 20 on Sunday as their brutal May continues.
Gabriel Reyes managed to hold the Loons to just one run over five innings, despite walking five hitters on the day. The Whitecaps didn’t get much of a threat going until Luke Shliger was hit by a pitch and stole second base, and then Cristian Santana and Caleb Shpur walked to load the bases. However, their were already two outs and Ricardo Hurtado struck out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Reyes walked the first two hitters and they pulled off a double steal. Reyes struck out the next hitter, and then a grounder to Santana at third turned into an out at home plate as he fired home in time. Reyes then picked of Jose D. Hernandez off third base to escape.
That was about as interesting as it got in this one. The ‘Caps made a bunch of nice defensive plays, but the offense was lifeless. Sounds familiar. They were still right in it until Ethan Sloan allowed three runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Shpur: 1-3, BB, SB
Strong: 1-4, 3B
Reyes (L, 0-3): 5.0 IP, ER, H, 5 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: The 13-26 Whitecaps come home to lick their wounds this week as the South Bend Cubs come to town. Manager Rene Rivera needs to find a way to turn things around.
The resurgence of young pitching in the Tigers’ system has seen Ben Jacobs and Malachi Witherspoon off to good starts this spring. Kelvis Salcedo is still stretching out after missing time early in this season, but he continues to show off the best stuff in the system. Owen Hall is finally pitching consistently and seems bound to join the Flying Tigers out of rookie ball shortly. We can probably add Charlie Christensen to the list.
The Tigers’ 15th rounder last summer out of the University of Central Arkansas, Christensen features a quick, snappy release from a low arm slot and a good slider-changeup combination. He’ll need to add velocity, as he’s currently 91-92 mph with his sinker, but at 6’4”, 190 pounds, he has the frame to build on. He profiles as a sinkerballer, but the low release also begs for him to develop a riding fourseamer.
The right-hander punched out seven in four scoreless innings of work on Sunday, walking one and allowing two hits. He struck out the side twice, and the slider in particular was just lethal.
For the second time today Charlie Christensen strikes out the side on 13 pitches. pic.twitter.com/yfa0WRdSLK
The game was scoreless until the Flying Tigers broke through in the top of the fourth. Jude Warwick was hit by a pitch and Jesus Pinto walked to open the inning, and they went on to pull off the double steal of second and third. A Zach MacDonald sacrifice fly scored Warwick, and walks to Carson Rucker and Edian Espinal followed to load the bases. That got starter James Tallon yanked, but his relief immeditaely gave up a bases clearing double to Beau Ankeney. 4-0 Lakeland.
In the top of the fifth, Pinto singled with one out, and after MacDonald struck out, Rucker blasted his fifth home run of the season to make it 6-0 Lakeland.
That was, of course, the high water mark for the Flying Tigers. Preston Howey allowed a run in the sixth and Jan Carabello coughed out three more as the Threshers closed the game to two runs. Pedro Garcia allowed a run in the eighth, and then blew the save as the Threshers walked them off.
Ankeney: 2-4, 3 RBI, 2 2B, K
Pinto: 1-2, 2 R, BB, K, SB, CS
Salas: 2-4, 2B
Christensen: 4.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, BB, 7 K
Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers head down to Palm Beach on Tuesday to open a series with the Cardinals.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 16: Austin Wells #28 of the New York Yankees runs during the game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on May 16, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
What an awful road trip. The Yankees got swept in Milwaukee, lost two of three to an underwhelming-as-hell Orioles team, and then did the same against the Mets, who entered as one of the worst teams in baseball. The 2-7 trip ended when David Bednar couldn’t hold a three-run lead in the ninth, evaporating the edge on a three-run blast by Tyrone Taylor. They then stranded the zombie runner and lost in the bottom of the 10th. That’s some bad baseball, folks.
Now, they get to play the Blue Jays! It doesn’t matter that they’ve been kind of whatever thus far in 2026; it’s not as though the O’s or Mets were rolling when the Yankees faced them this past week. So… joy.
For our Question of the Day today, we want to know what you would do to try to get the Yankees out of this funk. I only have one request: Please do not say “Fire Aaron Boone,” “Fire Brian Cashman,” or “Hal Steinbrenner should sell the team.”
Even if you think these are valid solutions, we’re trying to remain in the realm of plausibility here. None of those guys are going anywhere at the moment (if indeed ever), so consider something that could actually happen right now, in mid-May 2026. Be more creative! It sounds like the Yankees might bring a fresh reliever aboard for this series, so something along those lines could be an idea if there’s a particular target or two.
Here’s my pitch: Bench Austin Wells for this full series. I suppose if the game situation calls for him to come in off the bench and catch a couple innings, that’s fine. But the point is to largely give him a mental reset.
This isn’t about any confidence in backup J.C. Escarra, as I really have none; he may hit as poorly (or worse) as Wells. They just need to try to get Wells right though; he looks completely lost at the plate. There’s no real cavalry coming because Ben Rice is essentially a pure first baseman now (probably for the best to preserve his bat anyway because 2025 Cal Raleigh seasons are just so damn rare) and the catching alternatives at Triple-A are late-20s former big leaguers Payton Henry and Ali Sánchez. So just turn the keys over to Escarra for a few days and let Wells attempt to work things out behind the scenes. It’s brutal out there and all-too-reminiscent of Chris Stewart.
Let us know your pitch!
It’s a light slate today on the site ahead of the opener of the four-game set against the Jays. Jeremy will have the preview of the pitching matchups for this series and I’ll have the Rivalry Roundup coverage of yesterday’s notable American League action. Later, Nick will offer an 80th birthday salute to the one and only “Mr. October,” Reggie Jackson, and Madison will ask for your mailbag questions.
