Carlos Rodon made his second rehab start, this time with Somerset, on Thursday night and was dominant.
The Yankees southpaw struck out four batters in his first two innings, including the side in the second. Portland's Nelly Taylor ambushed Rodon to lead off the third, lining a single to right field. Rodon bounced back, getting the next three batters out in order with his fifth strikeout included.
Portland would get a one-out hit off of Rodon in the fourth, and that runner would reach second on a passed ball. But Rodon left them stranded, and pushing his scoreless innings to four. But that wouldn't last long, as Miguel Bleis homered to lead off the fifth and end Rodon's shutout. Rodon shrugged it off to get through the inning, but seemingly ran out of gas in the sixth. After three straight balls, Franklin Arias lined a single to lead off the sixth. Marvin Alcantara followed with a single. Rodon got Nate Baez to fly out before he was replaced after 75 pitches (51 strikes). The runners he left did not score, putting an end to Rodon's night.
Rodon allowed one run on five hits while striking out eight batters across 5.1 innings.
Rodon is close to returning to the Yankees rotation after two successful rehab starts. However, manager Aaron Boone is pumping the brakes on any thought Rodon could make a start with the big league club as early as May 5.
The Yankees will take their time with Rodon since they have enough depth to withstand it, and will hope to continue to build their southpaw up.
Rodon threw 65 pitches (43 strikes), allowed one hit while striking out four in 4.1 scoreless innings in his first rehab start with High-A Hudson Valley last Friday.
New York was hoping to stretch Rodon out to around 75 and they got their wish. It's likely Rodon will have at least one more rehab appearance, but the Yankees will see how Rodon feels coming off this start before determining next steps.
Carlos Rodon pitched into the sixth inning and struck out 8️⃣ batters in his second MLB rehab start.
Apr 11, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop Nasim Nunez (26) scores from first base against the Milwaukee Brewers in the ninth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers are back on the road, as they’ll face their first repeat opponent of the season in the Washington Nationals. Three weekends ago, the Brewers were swept by the Nationals at home, as they stretched their losing streak to five after being outscored 18-10 over the three-game set. They’ll look to avoid a repeat of that series this weekend in Washington, D.C.
Since that sweep a few weeks ago, the Brewers have gone 8-7, with series wins over the Blue Jays, Marlins, and D-backs but series losses to the Tigers and Pirates. They sit at 16-14 on the season. On the other side, Washington has gone 8-9, with series wins over the White Sox and Mets, series losses to the Braves and Giants, and a four-game split with the Pirates. They sit at 15-17 on the season.
Since that last series, the Brewers have lost a few more key players to injury. Christian Yelich went down in the series finale against Washington, and he’s still shelved with a groin strain. Pitchers Angel Zerpa and Brandon Woodruff both went down this week, as Zerpa is reportedly expected to miss a big chunk of time with forearm tightness, and Woodruff exited his start early with diminished velocity — it’s unknown at this time if there’s an injury, but regardless, there’s cause for concern. Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn are both on rehab assignments with Triple-A Nashville, and the Brewers expect them to return to the team on Monday in St. Louis. Quinn Priester, Rob Zastryzny, and Jared Koenig are also out, with Priester the closest to returning as he’s also on a rehab assignment.
Washington’s IL is filled with pitchers, as they’re without Clayton Beeter, Josiah Gray, DJ Herz, Cole Henry, Trevor Williams, Ken Waldichuk, Travis Sykora, and Jarlin Susana. All of those players are out for extended periods, with Beeter likely the first one back. He went on the IL earlier this week as he deals with forearm soreness, but MRI results revealed no structural damage, and the team expects a mid- to late-May return.
While the Brewers still haven’t found a true power stroke over the last couple of weeks, the team found a way to score 13 runs on both Tuesday and Thursday in wins over Arizona. Brice Turang leads the offense with a .291/.422/.505 line, with four homers, eight doubles, 20 RBIs, 26 runs, and seven steals. Gary Sánchez, Jake Bauers, William Contreras, Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, and the recently recalled Tyler Black have also been key contributors of late. David Hamilton and Luis Rengifo have both shown flashes of potential in the last week, and Greg Jones, Brandon Lockridge, Joey Ortiz, and Blake Perkins round out the active roster. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .241/.338/.364 (.702 OPS ranks 20th), with 22 homers (28th), 160 runs (sixth), and 36 steals (tied for first).
The young Nationals lineup is paced by CJ Abrams and James Wood. Wood leads the team with 10 homers and seven doubles this year, while Abrams leads in most other categories, as he’s hitting .296/.405/.556 with eight homers, four doubles, 26 RBIs, 16 runs, and five steals. Brady House, Keibert Ruiz, Curtis Mead, Daylen Lile, Jacob Young, Luis García, and Nasim Nuñez round out the regulars for Washington, with Joey Wiemer, Jorbit Vivas, José Tena, and Drew Millas providing depth. Of note: Wiemer is still hitting .327/.413/.582 over 23 games, partially maintaining his numbers after that red-hot start. As a team, the Nats are hitting .243/.325/.393 (.718 OPS ranks 12th), with 37 homers (tied for 10th), 175 runs (second), and 32 steals (tied for fourth).
For Milwaukee, Aaron Ashby, Grant Anderson, Abner Uribe, DL Hall, and Trevor Megill are part of the “winning” bullpen, with Anderson leading the team in appearances and Ashby and Hall leading in ERA. Ashby also leads the bullpen with 30 strikeouts, which ranks tied for second on the team (along with Kyle Harrison) behind only Jacob Misiorowski. After the Zerpa injury, the rest of the Brewer bullpen features Jake Woodford and youngsters Shane Drohan and Brian Fitzpatrick (who I just learned I share a birthday with). As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.74 team ERA (sixth), including a 3.70 starter ERA (seventh) and a 3.78 bullpen ERA (10th). They’ve struck out 281 batters (tied for seventh) over 267 1/3 innings.
PJ Poulin leads the Nationals with 16 appearances this season, though that includes four “starts,” as he has a 4.11 ERA over 15 1/3 innings. Washington doesn’t have a conventional closer, as Gus Varland leads the team with three saves, but Beeter has a pair of saves, and Paxton Schultz and Orlando Ribalta also have a save apiece. Longtime Oriole Cionel Pérez has struggled with the Nats, pitching to a 7.07 ERA over 14 innings. Brad Lord, Schultz, and Richard Lovelady have been solid, but Mitchell Parker (4.76 ERA) and Andre Granillo (8.53 ERA) have struggled. As a staff, the Nationals have a 5.08 team ERA (29th), including a 5.33 starter ERA (28th) and a 4.90 bullpen ERA (23rd). They’ve struck out 249 batters (tied for 21st) over 289 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Friday, May 1 @ 5:45 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (1-2, 3.31 ERA, 3.24 FIP) vs. RHP Jake Irvin (1-3, 4.85 ERA, 4.10 FIP)
Misiorowski has now made six starts this season, and he still has a mixed bag. He leads the NL with 51 strikeouts over his 32 2/3 innings, but he’s also walked 13 and leads the majors with five hit batters. He looked pretty good but not great last Saturday against the Pirates, as he allowed three runs on six hits, a walk, and two hit batters over six innings, striking out nine in a no-decision as the Brewers would ultimately lose in extras. This will mark Miz’s first career appearance against Washington.
In his fourth season with the Nationals, Irvin, 29, still hasn’t found much major league success. After leading the NL in losses in 2024, he led the majors in earned runs and homers allowed last season, turning in -0.4 bWAR over 33 starts. He’s been a bit better this season, with a 4.85 ERA and 4.10 FIP over 29 2/3 innings, allowing just four homers while striking out 34. Irvin’s last appearance came over the weekend, when he went 5 2/3 scoreless innings against the White Sox, striking out nine as he allowed just four hits and a hit batter. Now a familiar opponent for the Brewers, Irvin went five innings with three runs allowed and five strikeouts against Milwaukee on April 10. In seven career starts against Milwaukee, he’s 0-5 with a 6.42 ERA and 27 strikeouts over 33 2/3 innings.
Saturday, May 2 @ 3:05 p.m.: LHP Kyle Harrison (2-1, 2.28 ERA, 3.08 FIP) vs. LHP Foster Griffin (3-0, 2.67 ERA, 4.34 FIP)
Harrison, who looked shaky in Detroit last week, bounced back last weekend in his best start as a Brewer and maybe the best start of his MLB career. Over six scoreless innings, he allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out 12, lowering his ERA to 2.28 through five starts. Harrison started against the Nationals back on April 11, taking the loss after being hit in the knee by a throw to first on the game’s first play. He went 4 1/3 innings in that one, allowing two runs and striking out one. For his career, he’s 0-2 with a 4.26 ERA and 16 strikeouts over 19 innings against the Nats.
Griffin, 30, is in his first season back in the majors after spending the last three years in Japan. He’s quietly found success with Washington this year, with a 2.67 ERA, 4.34 FIP, and 30 strikeouts over 33 2/3 innings pitched across six starts. Griffin’s last outing was also a good one, as he went seven scoreless innings with eight strikeouts against the White Sox, allowing just two hits, two walks, and a hit batter. The former first-round pick made his first and only appearance against the Brewers back on April 11, when he went 5 1/3 scoreless innings with one strikeout in a winning performance.
Sunday, May 3 @ 12:35 p.m.: RHP Chad Patrick (2-1, 2.57 ERA, 4.30 FIP) vs. RHP Zack Littell (0-4, 7.85 ERA, 9.05 FIP)
Patrick has become a consistent piece of Milwaukee’s rotation over the last season-plus, as he’s made six appearances (four starts) this season, with a 2.57 ERA and 4.30 FIP over 28 innings. While he’s only struck out 16 and allowed 22 hits and 13 walks, he’s done a pretty solid job keeping opposing teams off the scoreboard. He picked up the win (while reportedly dealing with vomiting and some vision issues) against Arizona earlier this week in a blowout, as he went five innings, allowing two runs on one hit and five walks with a season-high five strikeouts. Patrick took the bulk role in Milwaukee’s April 10 game against Washington, pitching three innings in relief after Ashby opened the game. He went three scoreless, allowing just three hits and a walk with no strikeouts. That was his first and only appearance against the Nats.
Littell, who has become a dependable major league starter over the last few seasons with the Rays and Reds, has not had a great start with the Nationals. Through six appearances (five starts), he has a 7.85 ERA, 9.05 FIP, and just 16 strikeouts over 28 2/3 innings. He also leads the league in homers allowed at 13. His last appearance came on Tuesday against the Mets, when he got beat up for eight runs (just four earned) on five hits (two homers) and three walks, striking out one over 3 2/3 innings in his third consecutive loss. In those three appearances, he’s allowed eight runs in each (24 runs total, 18 earned), pushing his ERA from 4.20 to near 8.00. He pitched five solid innings against Milwaukee in their series finale on April 12, allowing three runs on six hits (three homers), striking out three over five frames. For his career, he’s 0-1 with a 2.35 ERA and 21 strikeouts across 30 2/3 innings against the Brewers.
How to Watch & Listen
Friday, May 1: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Saturday, May 2: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Sunday, May 3: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Prediction
Last time the Brewers faced the Nats, I predicted a series win because “the Brewers… have the advantage in just about every facet.” Instead, Milwaukee was swept as they struggled throughout the weekend. I’ll double down on my original prediction, though, and pick the Brewers to win two of three this time around.
Jul 4, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A general view of Target Field during the National Anthem prior to the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Tampa Bay Rays. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - APRIL 30: Cam Smith #11 of the Houston Astros celebrates after hitting a three run home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning in game two of a doubleheader at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 30, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You could hardly get a better representation of the 2026 Orioles season than the doubleheader that they played against the Astros on Thursday. In one game, they swung the bats well and got some pretty good pitching and they blew out the Astros. Check out Paul Folkemer’s recap of the first game. That one was much more fun than this second game, in which the Orioles combined pretty bad pitching, pretty bad defense, and hitting that, while fine, was not enough to overcome these other things. They lost, 11-5, to split the doubleheader and close out their month of April at 15-16.
There is a meme that goes around that begins with, “Inside you there are two wolves.” A legend of no fixed origin, this is a tale told by an elder to a young person about inner conflict, how our best selves are battling against our worst selves. Which one wins? Whichever one you feed. These 2026 Orioles feed their good wolves some days and their bad wolves other days. Then there’s this doubleheader, where they fed both. They are the same team that looks very different at different times. Only over a longer stretch of the season will we know which wolf will win.
The bad wolves appeared from the beginning of the game. To be sure, the Orioles were helped along by luck going the Astros way, such as when Houston got its first baserunner with one out on an infield single hit by Yordan Alvarez, of all people. Usually, getting Alvarez to hit a ball only 57mph is going to be a good thing. However, starting pitcher Brandon Young could not hold the Astros there, allowing another single.
With two men on base, Houston’s Dustin Harris floated a line drive out to right field in the direction of Tyler O’Neill. The Orioles right fielder gave just about the most ungraceful pursuit of the ball this side of Heston Kjerstad, then as it bounced up, he bobbled the bounce. Runners scored from second and third base on this two-out single. Harris scored when Yainer Diaz hit a ball back up the middle that Jeremiah Jackson was unable to field cleanly. If I had the power, I would have put this one in the error column.
So, at this point there are two runs in, two outs, and two men on base. The runs allowed by Young were not entirely his fault. He had the opportunity to limit the damage and get out of it. And he… gave up a home run to Cam Smith. Who is Cam Smith? Exactly. He came into the game with a .670 OPS for the season. Don’t give up a home run to that guy! On the other hand, who is Brandon Young? Exactly. He had a 6.24 ERA in the majors last season and after today’s clunker has a 6.75 ERA for 2026.
This was a classic of what I call the Jake Arrieta Memorial Inning – the Orioles version of Arrieta, that is. He was always getting into trouble that was not entirely his fault and then, presented with the chance to get out of it, he frequently failed. Bad luck, bad defense, and bad pitching put the Orioles down by five runs before they ever got to bat. Young allowed one more run for good measure because he gave up a homer to Alvarez. I can’t get too mad about that one.
That was only the first two innings worth of stuff happening to Young! Before he was done with, he was charged for ten runs, of which seven were earned. Four runs crossed in the fourth inning, many of which stemmed from an error in which Jeremiah Jackson, who delighted everyone with a grand slam in the first game, missed a catch at second base on a fielder’s choice. Again, the defense let him down but Young could not help himself.
One might have hoped to see a bit more from the Orioles hitters against Houston starter Lance McCullers. Whenever I write his name, I want to say Carson McCullers, but that’s an author, not the baseball player. Carson McCullers wrote a book called The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, maybe the most depressing book that I’ve ever read in my life. More depressing than this Orioles game, which is saying something.
Anyway, the baseball player McCullers brought a 6.75 ERA for 2026 into today. Did the Orioles make him look like it? Eh. They scored three runs in his six innings, so it could have been worse, but only getting two hits when batters have been OPSing .835 against McCullers this season is kind of a bummer. Also, it didn’t matter that much, since the Orioles gave up eleven runs. It’s tough to win when you give up eleven runs.
Now 31 games into this season, the Orioles are both the team that blew out a last place Astros team, 10-3, and the team that was blown out by a last place Astros team, 11-5. They are a team that hit two grand slams in one game and a team that keeps bungling stuff that shouldn’t be bungled, to say nothing of its challenges with guys in positions that require range only they don’t seem to possess the range or instincts to make up for a lack of range. Either one could win out as the season moves along. Or they will remain in tension and remain near .500. That’s still a lot better than last April and May.
Things get tougher for the Orioles starting tomorrow, when they begin a four-game set against the Yankees, the team that has, by far, the best record in the American League. The O’s will see the Yankees seven times in their next 16 games, with another three games against the first place Braves. It’s going to get harder. If the Orioles are actually bad, we’ll find that out in the next month.
As of this writing, there is no scheduled Orioles starting pitcher for the 7:05 Friday series opener. I’m guessing Cade Povich gets recalled from Norfolk. The O’s will be facing righty Will Warren, who has a 2.59 ERA up to this point in the season.
Apr 30, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (11) advances to third base during the fourth inning of the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
Despite leading twice in this afternoon’s ballgame, the Royals fell behind in the bottom of the second and never again challenged the Athletics.
The Royals led off the scoring in the bottom of the first on a two-out RBI single by Starling Marte, the first of his three singles of the afternoon. Maikel Garcia, who doubled on the first pitch of the game, scored. Unfortunately, with the bases still loaded, Carter Jensen struck to end the frame. Jensen’s day at the plate would not improve.
In the bottom of the first, Garcia stayed in the spotlight, this time missing a grounder he normally snags, which turned into a double for A’s DH Shea Langeliers (Stephen King’s favorite Athletic) and men on second and third with none out. With one out, the A’s had the bases loaded, but Royals starting pitcher Noah Cameron minimized the damage by giving up only one run.
Garcia homered in his second at-bat of the afternoon, this time in the top of the second, to put the Royals up 2-1. Garcia had an injury scare in the bottom of the first when the Athletics tied things, but he stayed in the game, later adding another double. He finished the day 3-for-5 with two doubles, a homer, two runs, a stolen base, and one RBI.
But the A’s took control in the bottom of the inning and never ceded it. Langeliers doubled in Lawrence Butler to tie the game before Nick Kurtz doubled in both Langeliers and Jacob Wilson. Kurtz would then score on a little dribbler hit to Loftin who made an off-line throw to Salvador Perez, today’s first baseman, who failed to handle it.
5-2, Athletics.
The game settled down after that. The A’s starting pitcher, Jeffrey Springs, threw a lot of pitches in a short period of time before leaving due to the injury. The A’s bullpen took over, tossing six innings of five-hit, two-run ball. In the bottom of the seventh, the A’s scored another run before Elias Diaz homered in the top of the eighth to cut the lead to 6-3.
That was pretty much it. Jac Caglianone reached base in the top of the ninth, and with the Royals down to their last out, Vinnie Pasquantino pinch-hit. Like a lot of Royals today, he hit the ball hard, but right at an Athletic.
Game, set, match. Oakland takes the day, 6-3, and the series, 2-1.
Now the Royals are off to Seattle to take on the Mariners in a weekend series.
ST. LOUIS, MO - AUGUST 17: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers slides safely after stealing second base in the third inning during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Saturday, August 17, 2024 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jeff Curry/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
In the biggest return to St. Louis Cardinals since Albert Pujols, Katie Woo made time in her Hollywood schedule to come onto Cardinals on My Time to talk the upcoming series! I know you all miss her, but she has been enjoying her well-deserved promotion to cover the most talked about team in baseball.
Don’t worry! Katie misses us too, but not as much as she misses the “best pretzels in the world” from Busch Stadium. We had an awesome time getting to talk to one of our all-time favorites and break down the differences between the two organizations, from the fanbase to ownership. We had a blast and hope you do too!
In this episode, we discuss:
The “Hollywood” Life: Katie addresses her transition to LA, her aggressive new driving habits, and why she still misses those Busch Stadium press box pretzels.
Shohei Ohtani & The Dodgers: What it’s actually like to cover the “Beatles of Baseball” and why there’s no ego in the star-studded LA clubhouse.
The Chaim Bloom Era: Katie’s perspective on the Cardinals’ front office shift and why she believes the “Runway” (we mean, rebuild) is heading in the right direction.
Young Core vs. Veteran Stars: Analysis of Jordan Walker’s growth and the pressure (or lack thereof) on the Cardinals’ young roster.
Series Preview: Which pitching matchups to watch and why Katie is leaning “Dodger Stadium” for the views, but “Busch Stadium” for the vibes.
We ended it with a little LA vs. St. Louis “This or That” and she made some tough decisions, but it was a fun way to head into the tough three-game series this weekend!
Apr 30, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics third baseman Darell Hernaiz (2) hits an RBI single against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
The Athletics and Kansas City Royals battled in the rubber game of their three-game series Thursday afternoon in West Sacramento. After exchanging early blows, the Athletics took the lead and never gave it back, fending off several Royals comeback attempts to win 6-3.
The Royals scored first against A’s starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs. The first batter of the game, third baseman Maikel Garcia doubled. With two outs and the bases loaded, outfielder Starling Marte singled to right, giving his team an early 1-0 lead. Springs proceeded to limit the damage by striking out Carter Jensen, the lone lefty in his team’s lineup, to end the inning and get out of the bases-loaded jam.
The A’s immediately answered back against Kansas City’s starting pitcher Noah Cameron. Shortstop Jacob Wilson singled to right and then designated hitter Shea Langeliers doubled down the left field line past Garcia at third. With one out, right fielder Colby Thomas walked to load the bases. That set the stage for third baseman Darell Hernáiz, whose hard-hit infield single off of Garcia’s hand scored Wilson to tie the game at one. Like his counterpart, Cameron got out of a bases loaded jam by retiring the next two A’s hitters.
Garcia showed his wrist was ok, hitting a two-out solo home run in the second inning that just eluded leaping left fielder Carlos Cortes to put his team back in front.
Once again, the A’s answered. Lawrence Butler walked, Wilson singled and Langeliers lined his second double in as many innings to score Butler and tie the game. The team’s potent offense was not done yet. First baseman Nick Kurtz, who struck out in an RBI opportunity in the first inning, crushed a two-RBI double to give the Athletics their first lead of the game.
With two outs, Kurtz scored from second when Royals second baseman Nick Loftin threw errantly to first after ranging to field the grounder off Hernáiz’s bat.
With the A’s holding a 5-2 advantage heading into the third inning, it was the Royals turn to rally. However, Springs finally turned in a shutdown inning, striking out Jensen for a second-straight at-bat as the Royals stranded two runners on base.
Following three laborious innings, right-handed reliever Luis Medina replaced Springs, who went to the clubhouse with the team’s trainer. According to the team’s MLB.com reporter Martin Gallegos, Springs exited the game with right hip soreness.
As a result, the team had to turn to their bullpen earlier than they would have liked. Medina got the first two hitters he faced out before the Royals loaded the bases via a double, walk and a hit by pitch. The A’s reliever averted disaster by getting first baseman Salvador Perez to harmlessly fly out to Butler in center field.
In the middle innings of this game, the Athletics offense went quiet, although Cortes did single in the fifth, extending his hitting streak to ten games. Cameron settled down after his early struggles. He allowed just two more hits and worked into the sixth inning before being removed with one on and one out.
Medina ended up getting the win. He threw 51 pitches over 2 2/3 scoreless innings. The Royals squared up several pitches against the A’s long reliever, but failed to bring a run home. Scott Barlow replaced Medina with two Royals on base and two outs in the sixth. He got Kansas City’s outfielder Lane Thomas to ground out as the Royals continued their struggles with runners in scoring position.
Seeking insurance runs, Langeliers led off the bottom of the seventh with his third double of the afternoon. Today was the first time he had ever hit three doubles in one game. With first base open, the Royals intentionally walked Kurtz, extending his record-breaking walk streak to 19 consecutive games. Hernáiz made the visitors rue that decision as his third infield single of the game scored Langeliers to pad the A’s lead.
In the top of the eighth, the Royals got one back. Facing left-hander Brady Basso, catcher Elias Díaz hit his first home run of the season over the right-field fence to trim the deficit to three. That was the closest they would come. Right-hander Jack Perkins only gave up one hit in a scoreless ninth, securing his third save and more importantly the series victory.
Tomorrow, the first-place A’s begins a weekend series against fan-favorite Stephen Vogt’s Cleveland Guardians. Right-hander J.T Ginn is scheduled to start for the A’s. He is good to go despite exiting his last start early with arm soreness. Ginn will be opposed by Guardians’ left-hander Joey Cantillo, who is 1-1 with a 2.97 ERA through his first six starts of the season.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - APRIL 25: Bailey Ober #17 of the Minnesota Twins pitches in the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on April 25, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Parker S. Freedman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First Pitch (CT):6:40 PM TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App Know Yo’ Foe: Bluebird Banter
Bad news: The Twins keep losing extremely winnable games either due to offensive ineptitude, a bullpen built like it’s 2003, or a combination of the two.
Good news: every other team in the AL is also bad.
As I write this, there are only 3 teams in the entire American League with a record over .500, and none of them are in the AL Central. Despite this losing streak and sitting at 13-18 overall, the Twins sit just 2.5 games back of both the division and a Wild Card berth on the final day of April. The record isn’t ideal, but if you told me that going into the season, I would be absolutely thrilled.
Bailey Ober will do his best to keep the bullpen from factoring into the game, but he’ll have to do it facing Jays starter Kevin Gausman, who looks to have regained his All-Star form in his age 35 season. Ober has reinvented himself despite the lack of velocity, relying on movement and deception to induce weak contact rather than the strikeouts he used to generate. He’s walked way too many batters this season, especially compared to his historic numbers, but especially now that he doesn’t have the strikeout stuff he used to.
Toronto’s lineup has been ravaged with injuries early this year, but that is beginning to turn already with All-Star George Springer making his return after fracturing his toe in the last series between these two clubs. They’re still missing All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk, starting outfielders Addison Barger, Nathan Lukes and Anthony Santander, and an entire starting rotation that several teams would consider an upgrade.
Meanwhile, Austin Martin gets the start in right field as Matt Wallner continues to struggle. Gausman’s signature pitch is his filthy splitter, something that works much better against lefties than righties, so that also likely played into Derek Shelton’s decision to give Martin some run. His .476 OBP helps too, of course.
Wait a minute, the White Sox aren’t the worst team in baseball? It’s time for fans to pick their heads up and enjoy this moment. | (Patrick Gorski/Imagn Images)
Somehow, the White Sox have managed to meet the wildest of expectations in the first month of the 2026 season. Get embarrassingly swept? Check. Sweep the defending AL pennant-winner? Check. Lose several players for the season? Again, check. Be somehow one of the best but also worst teams in several hitting and pitching categories? You guessed it, check.
In the first article of a monthly series examining the health of the franchise from minors to majors, I’m diving into what has and hasn’t worked for Chicago in April, and realistic improvements the Sox need to make.
The gap between quality andquantity prospects still exists The Sox still haven’t figured out how to put “calculated” and “call-ups” in the same sentence. Only two of the 14 guys promoted from Triple-A seem to be panning out. Sam Antonacci assumed his role as the spark plug in the lineup and has repeatedly shown that sometimes you have to play the cards you’re dealt and walk your way to home plate. He has demonstrated that he can stay true to the player he was in the minors by avoiding strikeouts — only three in the month — and inducing walks, resulting in a .347 OBP that has helped keep offensive pressure and momentum going throughout the game.
Noah Schultz’s seven runs and 18 strikeouts/no walks in his first three games have led many to believe he’ll be a complementary lefty arm alongside Anthony Kay in the rotation. Every other call-up arm has gone through the cycle of being optioned back to Charlotte or outright DFA’d.
Braden Montgomery is the next top prospect awaiting a debut, and his arrival will make or break the next two years of the White Sox farm system. If he can stay afloat and contribute at least a 1.2 WAR or better, which would signal adequate contributions from a rookie, the South Siders will be able to wipe the carousel of failed prospects from their minds and feel confident that they can at least identify and maintain a semblance of a talent pipeline. If Montgomery, reasonably and humanly, struggles, there will be much more finger-pointing at the minor league brain trust.
Balance is the key to sustained success April has seen a turn away from extremes toward a more gradual balance. Chicago’s -3 run differential and 13-13 record mark the emergence of sustained, watchable baseball. For the first time since June 2023, the team’s monthly record was at .500 or better. These baby steps may seem rudimentary, but they are a big leap for the franchise.
Beyond the watch test, several key stats back this up. Only 33% of the lineup has a negative WAR, and no one has a WAR worse than -0.6 (cough, cough, Andrew Benintendi). And only one pitcher currently on the 26-man roster has a negative WAR — Jordan Leasure. Finally, the only category the Sox rank last in between team hitting and pitching metrics is doubles, which doesn’t say much about their ability to hit or get on base. Even after their 20 strikeouts against the Brewers on Opening Day, the Sox have surprisingly laid off pitches outside the zone to place 12th-best in chase percentage (28.7%).
Given where they were a year ago, this team has some good stuff going for them. It’s hard to nitpick when they’re playing how they are, especially after winning three of their last four series. Though Munetaka Murakami is by far the best player on the team, the rest of the pack isn’t that far behind. As the headline says, things could be much worse.
Summary Metrics
Prospect Confidence (Percentage of prospects that are contributing meaningfully?): 15%
Average Innings Watched (Average number of innings fans have patience for): 6 1/3
Rebuild Index (1 is full rebuild, 5 is sustaining current pace, 10 is aggressively pursuing the World Series): 4
Freddy Peralta said following his last outing that the thought of working deep into games has come into his mind at times early on this season.
While the right-hander had struggled to complete six innings over his first six outings in a Mets uniform, Carlos Mendoza said that he wasn’t too concerned.
“He’s an ace, he’ll get there,” the skipper emphasized.
And just five days later Peralta was able to get there, as he delivered the Mets six efficient innings in what ended as a disappointing series finale loss to the Nationals.
It wasn’t always pretty, though, as he was hurt by his own error at one point.
After issuing a leadoff walk in the second, Peralta botched a comebacker which could’ve been a routine double play had it been let go to the shortstop or fielded cleanly.
Instead, he threw it away and the Nats scratched across the first two runs of the game.
“You know, mistakes happen,” he said. “I knew that [Ronny] Mauricio was behind me but the reaction of the play that I had there was just trying to catch the ball and then I felt stupid because I made the error, but things happen.”
Washington struck again in the third, but then Peralta settled in nicely after the Mets’ offense picked him up, retiring the next eight before running into trouble in that elusive sixth inning.
Thoughts of those struggles began to creep back in as he issued back-to-back walks, but the righty was able to calm himself and retired the next two to escape the threat.
“I’m not going to lie when that happened it came into my mind again,” Peralta admitted. “I was just focused and telling myself I have to get the job done and I was able to do it -- still getting better and I know there’s a lot more in there.”
Peralta finished with three runs (one earned) on four hits, three walks, and six strikeouts as he completed six innings for just the second time this year.
The effort ended up being wasted, though, as Luke Weaver gave up a go-ahead two-run homer to CJ Abrams in the top of the eighth to result in another ugly Mets loss.
“I think it’s frustrating because we all want to win,” Peralta said. “We’ve been putting the work in every day to win but this game is really hard and things are not going our way right now.”
Apr 29, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer (4) congratulates catcher Brandon Valenzuela (59) on hitting a solo home run against the Boston Red Sox in the eighth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
George Springer is back in the lineup and hitting lead off in the first of four games against the Twins.
And Pinango is in the lineup too. It looks like they are going to give him some playing time. Brandon Valenzuela gets a start again, after a great game yesterday.
Austin Martin is having a great start to the season, with a .311/.476/.426 line in 27 games
Today’s Lineups
BLUE JAYS
TWINS
George Springer – DH
Byron Buxton – CF
Jesus Sanchez – RF
Trevor Larnach – LF
Vladimir Guerrero – 1B
Ryan Jeffers – C
Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
Josh Bell – DH
Daulton Varsho – CF
Austin Martin – RF
Ernie Clement – 2B
Kody Clemens – 1B
Yohendrick Pinango – LF
Luke Keaschall – 2B
Andres Gimenez – SS
Brooks Lee – SS
Brandon Valenzuela – C
Royce Lewis – 3B
Kevin Gausman – RHP
Bailey Ober – RHP
And there is a bunch of ‘injury news’:
Addison Barger will start a rehab assignment Sunday. It might be as short as three games.
Jose Berrios will throw his between start bullpen in Buffalo tomorrow and then they will decide if he will start against the Twins Sunday or have one more start with the Bisons.
Alejandro Kirk has started throwing the ball, but he won’t be hitting or catching for a bit yet.
The life of a manager:
Rob Thomson, when asked what he will do now after being fired by the Phillies: "I got no idea. I really have never spent a summer in 42 years at home, so I really don't know. Thank God my wife put a pool in a couple years ago, so maybe I'll go for a swim or something.''
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 29: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates his walk-off home run with teammates against the Detroit Tigers at Truist Park on April 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Heading into this series, this matchup felt like a very tricky proposition for a Braves team that came into this rolling at a very high level. Atlanta was clicking but they’d have to deal with three formidable starting pitchers in the form of Casey Mize, Framber Valdez and Tarik Skubal. If the Braves were going to keep their run of not dropping series going, it was likely that they’d be put to the test — whether that meant simply outlasting the opposition and getting into Detroit’s bullpen or just plain ol’ beating the Tigers at their own game.
As it turned out, the Braves ended up getting just enough offense on Tarik Skubal that they were able to get into Detroit’s bullpen and win it (in dramatic fashion) and that was after they took advantage of Casey Mize going down with an unfortunate injury in the first game. The Braves ended up passing the test after all and now it’s time to see exactly how they managed to pull it off.
For everybody who’s been waiting to see Ronald Acuña Jr. really get going this season, this game was proof that he’s still got it in him to make a significant impact on any given game. Both of the hits that he had in this one were doubles — he had both of those by the third inning and his second one plated Mike Yastrzemski to put the Braves up in the third inning. Matt Olson brought Acuña home with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 and then later on in the fourth inning, Acuña made a jumping catch at the wall to ensure that Kevin McGonigle didn’t at least extend the inning with an extra-base hit.
Once the final three innings of the game rolled around, the Braves were still in control thanks to Martín Pérez delivering five scoreless innings while only giving up two hits. He did walk four batters but he struck out five batters as well, so Pérez was once again able to deliver positive value from his spot in the rotation. That was a good thing, since Yaz was able to provide some insurance with an RBI single in the seventh inning and then Ozzie Albies crushed a two-run dinger to make it a 5-0 game. Aaron Bummer gave up a dinger to Wenceel Pérez in the ninth to ruin the shutout but it didn’t ruin the result as the Braves picked up a pretty solid win to get the series going.
This one essentially came down to the Braves bookending this game with two big flies. The first one gave the Braves a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Ozzie Albies continued his hot run by hitting a dinger at the expense of All-World pitcher Tarik Skubal. Sadly for the Braves, the lead didn’t last too long.
Detroit tied it up on their first attempt in the top of the second after Kevin McGonigle delivered an RBI single on a looping liner and then JR Ritchie made a rookie mistake by throwing away a pickoff attempt on an 0-2 count with two outs. The error brought in another run and just like that, the game was tied. The tie was eventualy broken in the third inning after Riley Greene hit a long ball that put Detroit in front. Tarik Skubal had a lead to work with and eventually cruised his way through seven innings of work.
Fortunately, Ritchie went 5.1 innings and Atlanta’s bullpen was able to hold the Tigers at just three runs. That was crucial since the game really got going again once Detroit’s beleaguered bullpen got involved. It took a lot of effort on Kyle Finnegan’s part to keep the Braves from tying it in the eighth inning but Kenley Jansen wouldn’t be as fortunate. In fact, Jansen failed to get just one out — Ozzie Albies coaxed a walk out of him (which should’ve been the first sign that Jansen was in real trouble) and then Matt Olson took what he saw from that plate appearance and waited until he got a cutter that was middle-middle and sent it flying into the night sky. By the time it landed, the Braves were winners and Truist Park was in complete bedlam.
This one got off to an encouraging enough start, as the Braves got off to an early lead after pushing across one run in both the second and third innings. Eli White delivered the first RBI knock and then Maurcio Dubón followed it up with an RBI single of his own to give the Braves an early 2-0 edge. Bryce Elder delivered another strong six innings of work where he only gave up one run on his way out. He did have to deal with a bunch of traffic as he gave up six hits and three walks but he escaped most of the jams he found himself in and managed to make sure that the Braves held the lead while he was out there.
Framber Valdez was able to match Elder’s six innings and he kept the Tigers in the game. This time, it was Atlanta’s bullpen that eventually stumbled. Joel Payamps got the ball for the eighth inning and the Tigers jumped on him immediately with a Kerry Carpenter triple and an RBI double from Matt Vierling that tied the game up at two. While Payamps was able to strike out Dillon Dingler to get his first out, he left the game right after that with two men on and one out for Aaron Bummer to work with.
Bummer walked the bases loaded and then surrendered a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2 Detroit. Bummer actually didn’t do too badly keeping it at 3-2 but unfortunately, José Suarez had another rough outing which put the game to bed. Suarez got the first two outs but walked Wenceel Pérez (who had come into this game with a wRC+ of 25 (twenty-five), mind you), who ended up scoring on an RBI single that was exacerbated after Mike Yastrzemski booted the ball in the outfield while attempting to field it. Dillon Dingler delivered the finishing blow with an RBI double and the three-run deficit proved to be too much for the Braves on this particular day. You can’t win ‘em all!
As far as this series goes, it was certainly huge for the Braves to get the series win out of the way with the first two wins — the win during the Skubal game was particularly big as well, as it’s always a bonus to pick up a win with that dynamo on the mound for the Tigers. Aside from the mistake pitch to Ozzie Albies, Skubal was very tough on the Braves. Fortunately, Atlanta was able to take advantage of Detroit’s bullpen in both of the first two games of the series and that ended up giving them the edge.
The Braves are now done with the month of April and they’re 12 games over .500. Again, this is a reminder that Atlanta spent a grand total of one (1) day over .500 during the entire 2025 season and the last time the Braves had reached these heights was back in late-September when they were busy fighting and clawing for a Wild Card spot.
Needless to say, things have gotten a lot better for the Braves and the fact that they were able to keep this up for a whole month and also able to do it with a few key players still on the inured list or struggling a is a very good indicator for the future. The team isn’t perfect and there’s still some shoring up that needs to be done as the pitching starts to slow down a bit but at the same time, they’ve done this while banking in 22 wins in their first 32 games. The gap between them and the rest of the NL East is still there and as long as the Braves can at least maintain a decent type of form, Atlanta’s going to be A-OK going forward as the season progresses.
They will now be embarking on another gauntlet of sorts — nine games on the road against West division clubs. A trip to Coors Field is always tricky and unpredictable, the Mariners could also provide a tough test in Seattle and the Dodgers are the Dodgers. For now, it’s good to know that the Braves will embarking on that long trip with plenty of confidence and wins under their belt so far. Long may it continue!
On a day when enough had gone right that the Mets had a one-run lead and their three back-end relievers available to hold it, one of them faltered yet again.
This time, it was Luke Weaver, who surrendered a two-run, go-ahead homer to Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams that put the Mets down a run.
Still, trailing by a run in the bottom of the eighth, the Mets received a gift: The Nationals once again decided to pitch to Juan Soto. He rewarded their generosity with a ringing double high off the center field wall that put the tying run in scoring position with no one out and the No. 3, 4, and 5 hitters in their lineup coming up. The tide was turning.
Then it went back out: Austin Slater grounded out. Mark Vientos lined out. Tyrone Taylor lined out. The chance slid away and so did another game. The Mets lost another series. They will have the worst record in baseball on the first of May.
“Not good enough, obviously. Not a secret,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “That’s not gonna do it. We’ve gotta start winning series. That’s not good enough.”
As the Mets suffered through a 12-game losing streak, then continued to sputter after it ended, two other struggling teams in major markets fired their managers. Mendoza’s future has been a topic of whispered conversations around the industry and on-screen conversations beamed around the country.
But neither Steve Cohen nor David Stearns nor any players have pointed to Mendoza’s leadership as a problem in recent weeks. If anything, Cohen and Stearns have indicated a desire to be patient, and an understanding that if change is needed, Mendoza is not the only place to make it.
As of late Thursday afternoon, as reporters filed into the Mets clubhouse where players solemnly packed bags for Anaheim, no indications surfaced that a change was coming. Indeed, that eighth inning – set up in part by the run that scored after Mendoza asked MJ Melendez to bunt against a lefty in the sixth despite Melendez homering earlier against a righty – made another argument that the Mets' problems are more structural than managerial.
For example: The man who stepped to bat after Soto doubled was Slater, the second-latest right-handed hitter added to the Mets dilapidated roster this week, pinch-hitting for the lefty Melendez. The Mets added Slater to their roster earlier this week after he struggled in early-season duty with the Marlins. In his second at-bat in the last week, and second ever as a Met, Slater grounded out to shortstop.
Then came Vientos, hitting cleanup because someone had to do it. Luis Robert Jr. hit the injured list, where fellow candidates Francisco Lindor and Jorge Polanco are also currently at. The day game after the night game was Francisco Alvarez’s day off. In fairness to Vientos, he had come through with a go-ahead hit two innings earlier. But this time, he lined out to second. Vientos is hitting .236 with a .638 OPS this season. League average is .242 and .714.
The Mets’ last chance was Taylor, also picked for platoon advantage, but by no means a part of this team’s initial vision for the heart of its order. Taylor hit the ball well but lined out to left field. Soto never moved. The Mets are similarly stuck.
So far, Stearns has been as patient with his lineup as he has been with his manager. In giving Tommy Pham a shot, then trying Slater instead, and cycling recently acquired infielder Eric Wagaman onto the roster to replace Robert on Thursday, Stearns has only made moves when forced to do so around the margins. Depending on how the Mets play over the next few weeks, his relative patience will look either admirable or unconscionable.
He and the Mets did make another move for a hitter Thursday, claiming veteran infielder Andy Ibáñez off waivers from the Athletics. He can play second, third, and first and has also played some major league games in the outfield in parts of six big league seasons. He has 28 career homers and a .688 career OPS.
Exactly how they will use him remains to be seen, and he is hardly the only player on the roster whose path to contributing is not clear. David Peterson and Sean Manaea, both of whom struggled in the Mets’ 14-2 loss to the Nationals Wednesday night, are also in sustained limbo.
The Mets’ willingness to give both repeated chances to rediscover their old form made sense in the first few weeks of the season, just as it did with Kodai Senga. The sample was small and the urgency less great.
But Peterson has not missed enough bats and Manaea’s stuff has not been explosive enough to give him any margin for error. And as the sample has grown, the urgency has, too.
The Mets placed Senga on the injured list with lumbar spine inflammation this week, the most comfortable answer to the question of how to remove the struggling veteran from the rotation without giving him away.
Manaea is being paid $25 million this year. Even for Cohen, that is a lot of money to pay someone cut in May. Plus, Manaea at his best was a crucial part of the Mets rotation that somehow carried them to the National League Championship Series in 2024.
But the Mets are also through churning through middle relief options these days: Reserving a spot for a struggling starter-turned-long-man in Manaea means losing one that could be used for the kind of helpful short reliever the Mets need. Peterson appeared to be a reliable long reliever during his seven innings of relief work over two outings last week. But the Mets already have a reliable long reliever in Tobias Myers. Traditionally constructed teams do not usually carry two.
And yet, even with all those shortcomings, the Mets still found themselves six outs away from a series win Thursday afternoon before these 2026 symptoms surfaced again.
“It just feels like there’s a little bit of a culture that’s just adapted to it unintentionally. It’s just how winning and losing goes,” Weaver said. “… Sleep is lost. Your mind wanders. You just kind of get into a fixation you don’t really need to be in. I think the answers are kind of in those words: It’s simplifying the process and maybe doing less. Maybe it’s less reps. Maybe it’s more about just enjoying why you do this for a living, trying to find your inner kid and the joy of why you play the game.”
Some things are improving. 23-year-old Carson Benge, for example, seems to be learning how to contribute in the majors the way he did in the minors early in his career. Mets hitting coaches advised Benge to close his stance a bit and the change seems to be working. The rookie is 8 for his last 24 in his last seven games.
“I feel like I can get in [swing] positions that would take me longer if I was more open," Benge said. “So it just kind of cuts down time.”
And Thursday’s starter Freddy Peralta, who had only finished the sixth inning once in his first six Mets starts, found a way to push through the mental block he admitted had been forming around that frame.
“One thing I know for sure is we are all preparing the right way here,” Peralta said after allowing one earned run in six innings Thursday. “… Unfortunately, things are not going our way. But I want to say that we are preparing to win some games and we are trying hard.”
Maybe that cloud of pressure Weaver admitted has settled in over the Mets can only be vanquished with drastic action. Maybe, and maybe soon, Cohen and/or Stearns will decide that firing Mendoza is their best chance to jettison it. Maybe a roster shakeup of some kind, perhaps via trade, will feel more likely to help. For now, they are not changing anything and will begin May in a state of prolonged crisis. Nothing has changed for their Mets, either.
Andy Ibáñez | (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The Mets have claimed Andy Ibáñez, a 33-year-old infielder who was recently designated for assignment, off waivers from the A’s. In very limited major league playing time this season, Ibáñez hit .118/.167/.118 with a -24 wRC+ to start this season.
Before this season, Ibáñez had spent parts of the previous five seasons in the big leagues with the Rangers and Tigers. In total, he hit .254/.305/.389 with 28 home runs, 10 stolen bases, and a 92 wRC+ in 1,220 plate appearances over that span.
A right-handed hitter, Ibáñez is out of options, and whether the Mets add him to their active roster or attempt to send him to Syracuse remains to be seen. The vast majority of his major league innings have come at second and third base, positions that are occupied by everyday players Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette, respectively. At the moment, the Mets’ lone backup infielder on the big league roster is Eric Wagaman, who was called up earlier today. He has options remaining and could be sent to Triple-A Syracuse.
The Chicago Cubs are 19-12 and sitting just a game back of the division-leading Reds despite running what has essentially been a rotating cast of relievers in the late innings for the better part of three weeks. Caleb Thielbar was Craig Counsell’s de facto closer in Daniel Palencia’s absence before landing on the injured list himself. At peak injury chaos, the Cubs found Palencia, Thielbar, Phil Maton, Porter Hodge, Riley Martin, Shelby Miller, Ethan Roberts and Hunter Harvey all on the injured list simultaneously. That’s not an injury list, it’s a catastrophe.
The fact that Ben Brown has been quietly excellent through all of this has been clutch. Brown’s thrown 22.2 innings with five earned runs and 22 strikeouts on the young season. In San Diego he threw some of the highest leverage work of his career, including a bases-loaded, no-out, game saving escape act before also getting two outs in the ninth [VIDEO].
There are rumors that Palencia might return as soon as this weekend according to The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney:
Cubs closer Daniel Palencia (lat strain) has made enough progress that the team is considering activating him Friday for the start of a three-game series against the Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field.
Honestly, that can’t happen fast enough. Craig Counsell clearly does not trust Brown to get the last out of a game, which is why he opted for the platoon advantage that (checks notes) Hoby Milner provides to secure the series victory against the Padres. Don’t get me wrong, it worked and I’m grateful for every out the 35-year-old lefty has recorded so far in 15 innings this season. I’m just also extremely skeptical it will keep working with just five strikeouts, four walks and 10 hits during those innings. I’m also not sure any of our nervous systems can take the type of stress a 2.40 ERA built on a 5.39 FIP induces for more than a few weeks.
A note of caution: while Palencia’s return is welcome, the injury he was dealing with is concerning. What was originally called a left oblique strain was later clarified as a lat strain. Neither diagnosis is particularly comforting for a pitcher whose entire value proposition is built on explosive arm action throwing 102 MPH gasolina.
Maton could be a candidate for saves as Palencia works his way back. Once Harvey and Thielbar rejoin the team, which could happen later in May, Counsell will once again have a deep roster of genuine late-inning arms to deploy. And who knows, maybe an added bonus of this bullpen injury disaster is that Ben Brown gets the experience and confidence to be added to that high-leverage crew.
At the risk of handing it to Jed Hoyer and company, the fact that the organization had the depth to weather a storm like this for any amount of time is impressive. The fact that they’ve done it with a .613 win percentage is almost miraculous. The collection of cost-effective veterans with injury histories, alongside a trusted development pipeline, has been stress-tested hard this April and has largely passed with flying colors.
