Apr 22, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Nathan Lukes (38) runs after hitting a single during the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images
I guess the headline says it, Nathan Lukes hits the IL with a left hamstring strain. Yohendrick Piñango gets the call up. Yimi Garcia was moved to the 60-day IL to make room for Yohendrick.
Piñango is hitting .288/.370/.488 with 3 home runs in 22 games. He is a left-handed batter and also throws left-handed. He’s split time between left and right field, which surprised me because they usually place lefties in right field. I’m interested to see him place. He’s on the bench for today’s game.
Yohendrick is #13 on our top 40 prospects list this year. Tom M wrote:
The return for Nate Pearson at the 2024 deadline didn’t look like much at the time. Pinango signed with the Cubs out of Venezuela in 2018, and while he lit up the DSL the next summer he was pretty unremarkable over the three minor league seasons following the pandemic. A torrid first month of the 2024 season at A+ popped him onto the radar and probably lead to the trade. He bombed in his first 33 games in the Jays system, posting a .518 OPS at AA New Hampshire. It all came together in 2025, though. Pinango torched the Eastern league to the tune of .298/.406/.522, earning a promotion to AAA Buffalo. He cooled down there, but still posted a roughly average line with lots of walks, solid K numbers, and some pop.
Pinango has always been a solid contact hitter, but his breakout was fueled by trading an aggressive approach for a very selective one. He now watches more strikes than would be ideal, but he rarely chases and waits on pitches he can hammer. As for the hammering part, his max exit velocity in Buffalo was over 115mph. Only 30 major leaguers last year could say the same. his 91.9mph average exit velocity and 47.6% hard hit rate were both comfortably plus. The lone offensive knock on him is that while he hits enough fly balls, his best power comes a low angles, producing line drives and hard grounders instead of home runs. If he can fix that, he could be a cleanup calibre hitter, and even if he can’t the combination of patience, contact and strength is enough for a viable offensive profile.
There’s a lot of pressure on the bat, as Pinango is a below average runner whose ugly routes and iffy arm make him a liability even in left field. If it comes together offensively he can be a regular regardless, but anything short and he’s likely a bench bat or not an MLB player.
I hope we get to see him play some.
Today’s lineup against a lefty. Okamoto moves up.
Today’s Lineups
GUARDIANS
BLUE JAYS
Steven Kwan – CF
Myles Straw – RF
Chase DeLauter – DH
Ernie Clement – 2B
Jose Ramirez – 3B
Vladimir Guerrero – 1B
Rhys Hoskins – 1B
Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
Angel Martinez – LF
Eloy Jimenez – DH
David Fry – RF
Daulton Varsho – CF
Juan Brito – 2B
Davis Schneider – LF
Bo Naylor – C
Andres Gimenez – SS
Brayan Rocchio – SS
Tyler Heineman – C
Joey Cantillo – LHP
Kevin Gausman – RHP
Max Scherzer on ‘getting punched in the face’. Really, he can’t say much else, but I don’t know if there is anything left in that arm. The team hasn’t announced if Trey Yesavage will make one more minor league start or if he’ll be put in Scherzer’s (or Lauer’s) spot next time through the rotation.
"You get punched in the face, spit it out, figure out what's wrong and go back out there." – Punched in the face indeed, as Max Scherzer can't get out of the third inning yet again. https://t.co/ggTFI1IzRq
The Detroit Tigers dropped their series opener against the Cincinnati Reds, 9-8, in a walk-off on Friday night after building an early lead and sitting through a two-hour rain delay.
On Saturday, they look to even things up behind right-hander Jack Flaherty. Opposite him on the mound for Cincinnati is fellow righty Brady Singer. Here’s a quick look at how they match up.
Detroit Tigers (14-13) vs. Cincinnati Reds (17-9)
Time (ET): 7:15 p.m. Place: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, Ohio SB Nation Site:Red Reporter Media: FOX, Tigers Radio Network
Game 28: RHP Jack Flaherty (0-1, 3.47 ERA) vs. RHP Brady Singer (1-1, 5.32 ERA)
In just a handful of games, Munetaka Murakami has completely defied expectations on the South Side. | (Photo by Michael Hirschuber/Getty Images)
I was wrong.
When the White Sox signed Munetaka Murakami to a two-year, $34-million deal, I immediately jumped to the conclusion that something was wrong with him. A cursory glance at his NPB stats snowballed into a statistical analysis on his hypothetical impact on the 2025 Sox before he even stepped foot in the batter’s box, and ultimately landed on a conclusion that Murakami would be underwhelming.
While my predictions and assessments were grounded in logical projections and modeling, I’ll quote Dodgers and Blue Jays managers Dave Roberts and John Schneider from their latest interview with Jeff Passan: “Baseball happened.”
Murakami’s first 26 games in the big leagues has far exceeded expectations. While he unfortunately has lived up to his expectation of being an all-or-nothing hitter with a 40.3% whiff rate and 32.1% strikeout rate (ranked in the bottom-first and -eighth percentiles), his “all” has been nothing short of historic. Murakami’s healthy .256/.398/.622 slash line and towering 1.020 OPS indicate that he’s already near his ceiling of being the Japanese Babe Ruth.
Before the Sox’s 5-4 win over the Nationals, Murakami’s name was already etched in the history books for tying Shohei Ohtani’s record for most consecutive games with a home run by any Japanese-born player, owning the longest MLB rookie home run streak, and tying the franchise record homering in five consecutive games.
But his 11th home run was different.
Coming off the bat at 104 mph and traveling 415 feet, Murakami’s elegant and seemingly effortless lefty swing on Friday night flipped a switch numerically and emotionally:
Murakami is now tied with Houston’s Yordan Alvarez for the most home runs in baseball and ranked among MLB’s Top 10 in wOBA (.430), xwOBA (.433), barrel percentage (25.5%) and hard hit percentage (65.5%). You can’t deny that the stats themselves are impressive, but attitude and passion can’t be boiled down into a single measure. What my math failed to account for is how Murakami’s presence on the team would impact the team’s momentum.
His Statcast 11 run value, measuring run creation, has rubbed off on his teammates and fueled Chicago’s palpable shift in style and grittiness that hasn’t been felt in years. The Sox have won 11 games before April has concluded, marking the first time since 2021 that Sox have finished with double digits in the win column at this point. And in 2021, the Sox went on to win the AL Central for the first time in 13 years. The excitement radiating off the players is felt by Sox fans who have endured anything but for the last three years, and now the rest of baseball is noticing.
For the next two years, Murakami isn’t just here to trend and collect his cash. He’s here to make a statement about himself and the Sox. Even when he invariably faces tough stretches, Murakami has already earned every penny in his contract by simply giving Sox fans hope that this new chapter is finally here. For that alone, Murakami has soared beyond expectations this spring, and I couldn’t be happier that my calculations didn’t account for this.
The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers both feature Top-5 offenses, which were on full display in a 10 run series opener.
My Cubs vs. Dodgers predictions see another high-scoring affair in the cards Saturday night.
Let’s take a closer look at my daily MLB picks for April 25.
Who will win Cubs vs Dodgers today: Dodgers (-140)
Colin Rea has pitched very well for the Chicago Cubs but his two best starts came against an 8-18 Philadelphia Phillies team.
There are also a couple of concerns in his numbers. For one, he ranks 26th among today’s projected starters in soft contact rate. He’s not generating much.
That’s not a great recipe heading into a matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who rank first in hard hit rate against righties this season.
He also ranks 40th percentile or worst in whiffs and K%. He doesn’t miss many bats, and that could lead to problems against a powerful Dodgers offense.
COVERS INTEL:Six Dodgers batters possess a wOBA of .360 or higher against Rea’s pitch mix.
Cubs vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Over 9.5 (+100)
The Dodgers rank first in average, second in OBP, and fourth in runs per game. They also hit the ball as hard as anybody, and Rea has not induced a lot of soft contact.
Chicago should score plenty of runs as well. They have plated at least six runs in six consecutive road games, and 4+ in eight of 10 away dates this season.
Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki is sporting a 6.11 ERA and allowing more than two homers per nine innings, which doesn’t set up well facing a Cubs team that slots fifth in homers.
Todd Cordell's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets:5-3, +1.18 units
Over/Under bets:2-6, -4.72 units
Cubs vs Dodgers odds
Moneyline: Chicago (+130) | Los Angeles (-150)
Run line: Chicago +1.5 (-145) | Los Angeles -1.5 (+125)
Over/Under: Over 9.5 (+100) | Under 9.5 (-120)
Cubs vs Dodgers trend
The Los Angeles Dodgers have hit the Moneyline in 35 of their last 50 games (+6.45 Units / 7% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Dodgers.
How to watch Cubs vs Dodgers and game info
Location
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Date
Saturday, April 25, 2026
First pitch
7:15 p.m. ET
TV
FOX
Cubs starting pitcher
Colin Rea (3-0, 3.00 ERA)
Dodgers starting pitcher
Roki Sasaki (0-2, 6.11 ERA)
Cubs vs Dodgers latest injuries
Cubs vs Dodgers weather
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Apr 24, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) looks on after striking out during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images
The Dodgers offense spent most of the last week wasting an incredible stretch by the starting rotation, coupled with a suddenly vulnerable bullpen having their worst week of the season. That fueled five losses over the last seven games, and now the Dodgers on Saturday turn to Roki Sasaki, the black sheep of the rotation still looking for some semblance of success to build on.
Los Angeles scored eight runs in their last four games, with four of those runs scored on Friday night though none after the fourth inning. The Dodgers inability to tack on runs has cost them dearly during this dismal stretch, which includes three or fewer runs in six of their last 12 games.
Shohei Ohtani is hitless in his last 12 at-bats, has two hits in 20 at-bats since his last extra-base hit, and is 7-for-43 (.163) since his last home run 13 days ago. Teoscar Hernández is also hitless in his last 12 at-bats and two for his last 28. Even Andy Pages after his impossibly hot start has three hits in his last 25 at-bats.
Sasaki has recorded between 12 and 15 outs in his four starts this season, so Saturday sure feels like a day for Jake Eder to soak up some innings in relief and then get optioned back to Triple-A Oklahoma City to make room for a fresh arm on Sunday with four more games in this stretch of 13 games in 13 days.
On this day 21 years ago, Pablo Ozuna scored one of his two runs as a sparkplug from the leadoff spot, helping the White Sox to their best 20-game start in team history. | (Photo by Jose Carlos Fajardo/Contra Costa Times) (MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images)
1951 White Sox slugger Eddie Robinson hit the first rooftop home run by a Chicago player at Comiskey Park. Robinson’s blast was off of Al Widmar of the Browns, in the third inning of an 8-6 White Sox win. It was the eighth all-time home run over the roof.
Robinson hit 29 home runs that year and drove in 117 runs, as the Sox went 81-73-1.
1968 By losing 3-2 at Minnesota despite outhitting the Twins, 12-3, the White Sox fell to 0-10, the worst 10-game start in franchise history. The scoring would reverse the next day, mercifully snapping Chicago’s losing streak.
1969 Speaking of roof shots, 18 years later Buddy Bradford put a home run over the roof, capping a four-run first that put the White Sox ahead of the Twins, 4-1. Minnesota battled back ahead, 5-4, but the home team prevailed on a bases-loaded single from Carlos May for a walk-off win. It seems odd to say for a team that would finish 68-90 and fifth of six in the AL West, but the thrilling victory pushed the White Sox to 8-5 and into their only day in first place all season.
The towering shot was Bradford’s only hit of the game. It was the fourth White Sox roof shot ever, and the 18th overall.
2004 Coming over from the Bulls organization, Brooks Boyer was named White Sox vice president of marketing, replacing the taciturn and aloof Rob Gallas. Boyerimmediately instituted a series of great ad campaigns (including “Sox Pride” and “Win or Die Trying”) that keyed interest, tweaked the Cubs and generated excitement among the fan base. Things have taken a turn since those early salad days, including running popular play-by-play man, lifelong White Sox fan and Chicago native Jason Benetti into the arms of division rival Detroit.
2005 With a 6-0 win at Oakland, the White Sox improved to 16-4 — topping the 1973 team (15-5) for the best 20-game start in franchise history. Jon Garland moved to 4-0 with a 116-pitch shutout, yielding just four hits and a walk against three strikeouts. The Sox offense jumped on Barry Zito, with Pablo Ozuna (2-for-3, two runs, two steals) and Chris Widger (2-for-4, two-run homer) the unexpected standouts.
2014 It was the first big moment in what would be a stellar White Sox career for José Abreu. The Cuban native smashed a two-out, walk-off grand slam off Grant Balfour to beat the Rays, 9-6. The rookie tallied three hits and six RBIs in the game.
Abreuwould cap off his rookie season by garnering the American League Rookie of the Year award from both The Sporting News and the BBWAA for blasting 36 home runs, with 35 doubles, 80 runs scored, 107 RBIs, a .317 batting average and leading the league in slugging percentage (.581).
2016 Relief pitcher Matt Albers threw his 30th consecutive scoreless outing, breaking the White Sox record set by Jesse Crain. Albers’ streak dated back to Aug. 5, 2015 and spanned 33 innings. Ironically, Albers’ streak was snapped in a game several days later, on April 30 in Baltimore, when a José Abreu error caused two unearned runs to cross the plate, charged to Albers.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 25: Eugenio Suarez #7 of the Cincinnati Reds looks on and blows a bubble of gum against the Minnesota Twins on September 25, 2020 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Cincinnati Reds slugger Eugenio Suárez was a late scratch from the Friday evening lineup in the team’s series opener in Great American Ball Park against the Detroit Tigers. Nathaniel Lowe – who eventually ended up swatting a walk-off dinger – was moved into the DH spot for the game, and the initial hope was that it would merely be a one-off lineup change.
As it turns out, though, Suárez is going to head to the injured list. The back problem is actually an oblique issue, albeit a hopefully minor one, and that’s going to land Geno on the shelf for at least 10 days. So said Terry Francona to Charlie Goldsmith last night.
Francona said Suarez is going to the IL with a low grade oblique.
The Reds have not yet announced a corresponding roster move (or Suárez to the actual IL) just yet, but outfielder JJ Bleday was removed from his game with AAA Louisville early on Friday evening. Bleday slugged 20 homers for the Athletics as recently as 2024 and is off to a roaring start in AAA this year (.341/.462/.659 with 6 homers in 104 PA), and as replacements to the offense go, he’s about as good as one can hope for.
Notably, Suárez hitting the shelf removes a corner infield option from the roster, and instead of backfilling with someone with experience there (such as Noelvi Marte), Cincinnati’s front office is apparently turning to Bleday due to the flexibility of the rest of the roster. Spencer Steer has spent more time in the outfield this year that in previous seasons, but he’s got experience all over the infield if need be. Lowe, too, is an accomplished 1B with a Gold Glove under his belt, and his ability to play there regularly would allow Sal Stewart to play more 3B on days when Francona decides they actually need someone who can swing a bat there better than Ke’Bryan Hayes.
That’s the beauty of building a roster with positional flexibility, I suppose. When one player goes down with injury, it allows the front office to select the best offensive option they can instead of having to go glove-first.
My best guess is that you’ll see Lowe in the lineup at DH or 1B every time the team faces a RHP while Geno is on the shelf. That’s a pretty damn good insurance policy, as we witnessed just last night.
BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 14: Trevor Rogers #28 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 14, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles hit so many home runs last night that they put up a message on the video board that there were no more fireworks to be had. This turned out to not be the case in the most literal sense, as the small little post-victory burst of fireworks still went off. It was fun, though. Their challenge for today: Do something almost as fun.
Due to expected rain later in the day, what had been scheduled for a 4:05 start was moved up, with the agreement of both teams and the league, to this 12:05 start time. It’s an early start for an MLB game. If that’s a disruption to anybody’s routine, hopefully it throws off the Red Sox more than the Orioles.
Also hopefully the shift in the start time doesn’t cause any problems for people who were hoping to get their hands on the Orioles hockey jersey giveaway, which seems to be one of the more desired ones on the list in the 2026 season. It looks like a neat one and unique compared to the usual array of shirts and hats with maybe a hoodie mixed in.
This is a reeling Red Sox team. We got to see some of why in last night’s game. The list of the struggling players includes today’s Boston starter, Garrett Crochet. He’s rocking a 7.88 ERA across his first five starts. As this is only year 1 of a five-year, $170 million contract for Crochet, I dare not hope that he will continue to be so bad. The batted ball luck has not been on his side, with a .368 BABIP allowed. That’s likely to come down. He’s still been getting elite numbers of strikeouts.
A win here would put the Orioles back above .500. The 2025 Orioles were never above .500 again after having a 3-2 record through their first five games. At times, this year’s team has felt eerily familiar to last year’s. Other times, they have shown they might be better able to weather their early problems and avoid the collapse that removes any possibility of something good happening later.
Orioles lineup
Taylor Ward – DH
Gunnar Henderson – SS
Adley Rutschman – C
Pete Alonso – 1B
Tyler O’Neill – RF
Jeremiah Jackson – 2B
Leody Taveras – CF
Coby Mayo – 3B
Blaze Alexander – LF
This is an “OK, we’re facing a lefty today” lineup that upsets me a lot less than some of the ones we’ve seen recently, because the only totally out of position guy is Alexander in left field. Hopefully it works out.
The Orioles are sending their own lefty the mound in the form of Trevor Rogers. So far in 2026, he’s not making like it’s 2025 again. I’ve said before and will say again that he was never going to carry a sub-2 ERA over a full season this year. Hopefully he can pitch well enough today to start lowering himself towards a 3.25 or so. If he can hold around there, I think the Orioles would be happy with that.
Ernie Clement cashed his base total for a sixth time in his last seven games last night, and with a southpaw on the mound for Cleveland today, I’m expecting that trend to continue this afternoon.
Read on for my Toronto Blue Jays vs. Cleveland Guardians predictions and MLB picks for Saturday, April 25.
Guardians vs Blue Jays predictions
Guardians vs Blue Jays best bet: Ernie Clement O 1.5 total bases (+110)
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement to go Over his base total has been a pretty safe bet over the past week, as he’s 6-1 to the Over in his last seven outings.
Throughout this seven-game stretch, Clement is averaging 2.57 bases per game with six extra-base hits.
With a hit rate like that, it’s too much value to pass up his bases total again at plus-money (+110).
Additionally, with Cleveland Guardians lefty Joey Cantillo on the mound, it’s a great matchup for Clement, too. He had a terrific .900 OPS against lefties last season and owns a .317 average against them again so far this year.
COVERS INTEL:Right-handed batters, like Clement, own a .786 OPS against Cantillo this season with six extra-base hits.
Guardians vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)
When Kevin Gausman has his splitter dancing, he’s nearly unhittable. This is often the case when facing this lineup, which owns just a .196 average against him with 26 K’s in 92 at-bats.
I’ll take the Over 5.5 strikeouts tonight for Gausman against a team that struggles against the splitter.
I’ll double down on the Gausman strikeout market by taking Guardians' Bo Naylor to strike out. He struggles against Gausman, going 0-5 in his career with three K’s.
Guardians vs Blue Jays SGP
Ernie Clement Over 1.5 total bases
Kevin Gausman Over 5.5 strikeouts
Bo Naylor Over 0.5 strikeouts
img loading="lazy" width="100%" height="null" src="https://img.covers.com/editorial/2026/jaysmlcbp.jpg" alt="Canada’s best price for Jays"
Get the best Jays ML odds at BET99 — every game.
Guardians vs Blue Jays home run pick: Kazuma Okamoto. (+425)
I’ll make this a half-unit wager.
Cantillo has been prone to giving up quite a bit of power. He ranks in the 31st percentile in hard-hit rate and in the 28th percentile in average exit velocity.
The Jays third-baseman owns a .571 batting average against lefties who throw him that pitch with a 60% hard hit rate. He also owns a 1.107 OPS over the last seven days.
Mike DiStefano's 2026 Transparency record
Best bets: 6-18, -9.15 units
SGPs: 3-21, -8.25 units
HR picks: 4-20, -1.35 units
Guardians vs Blue Jays odds
Moneyline: Cleveland +127 | Toronto -140
Run line: Cleveland +1.5 (-165) | Toronto -1.5 (+145)
Over/Under: Over 8 (-105) | Under 8 (-115)
Guardians vs Blue Jays trend
The Toronto Blue Jays have hit the Team Total Under in 13 of their last 20 games (+5.50 Units / 24% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Guardians vs. Blue Jays.
How to watch Guardians vs Blue Jays and game info
Location
Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
Date
Saturday, April 25, 2026
First pitch
3:07 p.m. ET
TV
Sportsnet One
Guardians starting pitcher
Joey Cantillo (1-0, 3.20 ERA)
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Kevin Gausman (1-1, 2.54 ERA)
Guardians vs Blue Jays latest injuries
Guardians vs Blue Jays weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 08: Brent Rooker #25 of the Athletics hits a sacrifice fly during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on April 08, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caean Couto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Great news — Brent Rooker’s recovery from an oblique strain is way ahead of schedule, so much so that the A’s hinted he could be activated as soon as during this season. With the day off Monday, perhaps the more likely outcome is that Rooker rejoins the team Tuesday when they return home to take on the Kansas City Royals.
Getting Rooker back is definitely a plus for the A’s as he recently hit his 100th HR as an Athletic after just 3+ seasons in the green and gold. He was off to a slow start but was heating up and looking like his old self when he took the fateful swing that landed him on the IL.
Sure Rooker strikes out more than you would ideally like (28.1% for his career) and his slow starts make watching him the first couple weeks of the season painful. But the weakness he brings to a roster is not at the plate where overall you will take him and be glad he’s on your side.
Rooker is not a good fielder, capable of playing the corner outfield but severely limited in his range or overall acumen. His best position is DH, which works well so long as the rest of your players excel in the field. But the 2026 A’s are not built that way. They have multiple players who give back value in the field and you just hope they provide enough offense to make it worthwhile to start them.
The most glaring example is Max Muncy, whom optimists point out is still relatively new to 3B and whom pessimists rebut by noting that his range and his throwing arm have been concerns ever since he turned pro. But now Platinum Glove candidate Denzel Clarke has hit the IL leaving the A’s with outfield decisions to make, and suddenly plus outfield defense is no longer a given.
And there is the matter of Carlos Cortes. Cortes may not wow anyone with his glove but my oh my is he wowing with the bat. With each passing day he is becoming more and more indispensable and his success is looking less and less fluky or driven by small samples.
Cortes’ career body of work is still rooted in “small sample” territory with 161 PAs. Nonetheless, he is currently a career .320/.354/.573 hitter with a 14.9% K rate who only seems to be getting better as he gets more regular playing time.
A glance at Cortes’ Statcast page screams “not a fluke!” and he isn’t even profiling as a platoon player: so far this season Cortes has had 3 plate appearances against LHPs and has produced a single and 2 doubles. He’s 5 for 8 in his career thus far against southpaws.
It seems clear the A’s need to keep Cortes’ bat in the lineup until further notice, at least against RHPs, even though his recent work in RF in Seattle was frighteningly shaky and might have cost the A’s a chance to sweep the series. Right now his bat is so good you have to find a spot for him — even if the ideal one is about to be rightfully claimed by Rooker.
Options do abound for solving this conundrum, they just come with caveats of which we must be emptor. Here are some of the options for a primary alignment:
1. Rooker DH, Soderstrom LF, Butler CF, Cortes RF
This one feels likely and comes at a great cost: Butler is a poor defensive CFer (worse than you might think as he doesn’t get to balls that look like maybe they just weren’t reachable, but which most CFers catch thanks to a better read, route, and speed), and Cortes is certainly worse than Butler in RF. How much is not yet clear — he’s probably much better than he looked in the Seattle dome but he’s slow and a bit awkward in the field. So you have to sacrifice a fair amount of defense to get all 4 bats in the lineup, and one of them, Butler, isn’t even hitting so far this season.
2. Rooker DH, Soderstrom LF, Gelof CF, Cortes RF
This one might best balance keeping your outfield sufficiently speedy and athletic with finding spots for 3 of your best hitters. It also assumes Gelof is as solid as he looks so far in CF, and more significantly it assumes the A’s are willing to sit the outfielder they committed to, just a year ago, with a significant contract extension.
3. Rooker DH, Soderstrom LF, Gelof CF, Butler RF
This one feels unlikely since it puts 2 questionable hitters in the outfield and their best hitter, so far in 2026, on the bench. But Cortes was no more than a 4th outfielder coming into the season and this gives you the best defensive look, so it’s on the table as a “defense first” option that presumes Gelof and Butler might hit far better than they have in the recent past. Certainly both are talented and have shown, over a half season, flashes of brilliance at the plate.
You can find other iterations if you put Rooker in the outfield, but the A’s aren’t going to do that because he is pretty clearly the worst fielding outfielder of the bunch (-22 DRS/-18 OAA career). Cortes is clearly superior so no point in flipping them.
Does one of these 3 options feel to you like the best one, and if so does it seem realistic the A’s might choose it as their most common alignment on the upcoming homestand? Or is there a 4th option you favor, and think might be realistic?
One way or the other the A’s are going to faced with some difficult decisions around how they employ Butler and Cortes, how much they commit to Gelof, and whether they emphasize hitting or outfield defense. It’s a really nice problem to have to get Rooker back in the lineup — and it still creates problems that don’t have obvious or foolproof solutions.
Portrait of Russ Ford (1883 - 1960), Right Handed Pitcher for the New York Yankees during the Major League Baseball American League season circa May 1913 at the Polo Grounds Stadium in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Keystone View Company/Archive Photos/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If I asked you to name a great single season from a player in Yankees’ history, you can probably come up with a few strong options. That player will probably also be a legend in franchise history. Feats like Joe DiMaggio’s 1941 with his 56-game hitting streak, Aaron Judge’s 62 homers in 2022, and Ron Guidry’s Cy Young 1978 probably come to mind first. Hell, any one of a number of Babe Ruth campaigns could be your answer.
The thing about individual seasons as opposed to great careers is that it’s possible to have an outstanding season and then somewhat fade back in obscurity. You’re more likely to be a pretty good player overall if you put up a great season, but random successes aren’t unheard of.
In Yankees history, Russ Ford had a couple solid campaigns in general, but then also had one of the best single pitching seasons in franchise history — despite being someone whose name you might not know. With today being his birthday, let’s look back on the original Ford pitching standout and his unbelievable 1910 season.
Russell William “Russ” Ford Born: April 25, 1883 (Brandon, Manitoba, Canada) Died: January 24, 1960 (Rockingham, NC) Yankees Tenure: 1909-13
Born in 1883 to Walter and Ida Ford — the latter of whom was a second cousin of soon-to-be U.S. president Grover Cleveland — Russ Ford was born in Manitoba, Canada. In his childhood, the Ford family — which also featured Russ’ older brother and fellow future big league pitcher Gene — emigrated to the United States and eventually settled in Minneapolis.
While there, he caught the eyes of some teams, and began to pitch in the minor leagues after his schooling. Ford started off his baseball career with the Springfield Senators in 1905. He played the next couple season with them, the Cedar Rapids Rabbits, and the Atlanta Crackers. It was with Atlanta in 1908 where he figured something out that would forever change him as a pitcher.
One day in Atlanta in 1908, Ford was warming up before the game on what had been a rainy day. He was a little bit wild, and one pitch got away from the catcher and struck an upright on the stands which they had been throwing under. After the ball was returned to him, Ford started to notice some odd movement on his next couple throws. He examined the ball and noticed that it had been scuffed up a bit where it had hit the upright. He then started to grip the ball opposite the scuff, and suddenly began to see some severe movement, as he had discovered what was set to take him to the big leagues.
The then-New York Highlanders picked up Ford after the 1908 season, and he ended up making the roster out of spring training for 1909. Tabbed for his MLB debut in the 11th game of the season, Ford ate some innings after Highlanders starter Jack Quinn got knocked out early by the Red Sox. Ford went four innings that day, allowing six runs. Shortly after that, he was assigned to the minor leagues, joining the Jersey City Skeeters. He had a good season there, experimenting with using an emery board to scuff up the ball, leading to him returning to the big leagues for 1910, when he would have his legendary season.
With his emery pitch, Ford hit the ground running when he returned to the big leagues in 1910. After coming out of the bullpen once, he was given his first major league start on April 21st. Tasked holding down that year’s World Series champions, the Philadelphia Athletics, Ford fanned nine batters en route to a complete-game shutout victory. Of Ford’s first nine MLB starts, only one didn’t end in a Yankees win, as he racked up 51 strikeouts across them.
Arguably the most impressive outs of Ford’s rookie season came on July 19th. Facing off against the St. Louis Browns, Ford’s defense behind him let the pitcher down, as an error allowed St. Louis to score a run in the top of the first. After that, Ford was dominant, at one point retiring 19 hitters in a row. As the offense took and grew a lead, Ford continued his dominance, and still had allowed no hits as the game moved to the ninth inning.
After issuing a walk and then getting the first out of the inning, Ford allowed a blooper hit by Danny Hoffman that was headed towards shortstop. However, Highlanders shortstop Roxey Roach misjudged the fly ball, allowing it to gently drop in for a Browns hit. Ford got out of the inning after that, finishing with a one-hitter, but came incredibly close to a no-no, which would’ve been the first in Highlanders/Yankees franchise history.
In total, Ford finished his rookie season with a 26-6 record, a 1.65 ERA (160 ERA+), a 1.87 FIP, 209 strikeouts, and would’ve led the league with just 5.8 H/9, had that been a stat calculated at the time. MLB awards didn’t exist back then, but Ford would’ve been in strong consideration for several of them. He almost certainly would’ve been a Rookie of the Year lock, and while this was the Walter Johnson Era and a Cy Young would’ve been a longshot, he would’ve earned some down-ballot consideration for that and the MVP. Ford’s 26 victories that season also set an AL rookie record, which still stands and will likely never be broken.
From 1911-13, Ford was still somewhere between good and very good, but he never quite matched 1910 again. He dealt with arm fatigue in 1913, which led to the Highlanders/Yankees’ contract offer for 1914 including a sizeable pay cut. That led him to leave the team and jump to the newly founded Federal League with the Buffalo Buffeds. He looked the part in 1914, leading the FL in a number of pitching stats.
However, the leagues all began to ban the use of the emery ball, and that plus Ford’s injury issues led to a massive drop-off in 1915. The Federal League also disbanded after 1915, and no AL or NL team were interested in the pitcher. He played in the minors before a few years but could never get back to close to his best. He eventually left baseball and move to his wife’s native North Carolina, where he passed away in 1960. Years later, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame honored the Manitoba-born Ford by inducting him in 1989.
Ford was not remotely good enough for long enough to merit induction to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, but that one season in 1910 is a better single season than many Hall of Famers have ever had.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
Apr 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images
Game time was moved up due to inclement weather. Can this be the shakeup that begins to turn things around for the Sox? We’ll just have to see how this plays out.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 20: Manager Blake Butera #10 of the Washington Nationals walks across the field during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park on April 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Overall, I think Blake Butera has done a solid job in his first few weeks as Nats manager. Sure, there are some bullpen decisions you could question, but he does not have many great options. However, I thought the Nats first year manager showed his inexperience in a big way last night.
Clearly there was a script to use both Miles Mikolas and Riley Cornelio. After opener PJ Poulin surprisingly got five outs, the ball was handed to Mikolas. The veteran right hander was solid, going 3.2 innings, allowing 2 runs. He was not outstanding, but he gave the Nats a chance to win.
When Mikolas ran into trouble in the 6th inning, Butera turned to Richard Lovelady, not the debuting Cornelio. That move made sense as there was a stack of left handed hitters coming up. The Nats got out of that inning only allowing one run, which set up the 7th inning.
With the Nats holding a 3-2 lead, Butera had a choice. He could either stick to the script and use Cornelio, or use more traditional high leverage relievers. Butera turned to Cornelio, which ended up being a mistake. It was just an unfair spot to put the kid into. Cornelio is a starter by trade, and does not really have experience in the bullpen.
He was inevitably over-amped and did not have his command in this outing. After walking the first two batters of his career, Cornelio then made an error on a bunt hit to him. The White Sox ended up taking the lead in that inning. After the Nats tied the game in the top of the 8th, Butera should have turned to another reliever. I get the plan was to use Cornelio for multiple innings, but it was pretty clear the kid did not have it.
Instead, Butera kept Cornelio in the game. Just like his first inning, Cornelio was erratic and allowed the go-ahead run to score. This was a situation where Butera should have used some feel instead of sticking with a script that was not working.
Blake Butera saw the 7th inning and decided to bring Cornelio back out for the 8th…
This is a really rough couple days for Blake Butera.#Natitude
That was not the only mistake Butera made last night either. He tried to run the first and third play again, this time with nobody out. It is pretty clear that teams know the Nats have that play in their back pocket. Butera has lost the element of surprise and probably should not run that play for a while.
He also elected not to pinch hit for Nasim Nunez in the top of the 9th inning in a one run game. I get Joey Wiemer and Curtis Mead are better against lefties, but I have more faith in them to make something happen than Nunez. Overall, it was just a rough night for Butera.
The biggest mistake was that Cornelio move though. It was just unfair to the kid, who was clearly emotional after the game. Putting a debuting starting pitcher in a high leverage relief role is just not a smart idea, and it predictably backfired.
The Nationals decided to throw Riley Cornelio into the fire tonight, and it didn’t go well for the rookie, who was holding back tears after taking the loss. https://t.co/4J6vLq9Lpr
I do not want to rag on Butera too much. I still like Butera as a manager and think he has brought much needed energy to this clubhouse. His youthful enthusiasm is something that has been missing for a couple years now. However, he showed his inexperience last night and hopefully he can learn from his mistake.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 22: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on April 22, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The latest news on the Houston Astros and from around MLB:
Some injury updates for the Astros:
Tatsuya Imai threw a bullpen today and “looked good,” manager Joe Espada said. His next step is a Minor League rehab outing.
Yordan Alvarez is pulling the ball at a career-high rate early this season. Astros staff view that not as a conscious effort but a byproduct of other things Alvarez is doing to fuel his torrid start: https://t.co/OhJv2YPgI3
How ugly was it for Lance McCullers Jr. vs. Yankees Friday? Only 5 swings and misses.
Lance McCullers Jr. against the Yankees: 5+ IP, 6 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 92 pitches, 51 strikes, 31 swings, 5 whiffs, 95.4 mph average exit velocity. After five starts and 25.1 innings, McCullers' ERA is 6.75
Why won’t the Astros open the roof at Daikin Park? The team wouldn’t make anyone available to discuss. Some players past and present prefer it open. Other teams with roofs — including one in Texas — try to open whenever possible. Story with @SamBlum3 – https://t.co/6Sxn1cit9f
Paul Skenes with 7 shutout innings. He had a perfect game through 6 2/3 innings. His career ERA: 2.01 He has now had an MLB-record 23 scoreless starts in his first 63 starts, per @CodifyBaseball
The Milwaukee Brewers hope to bounce back on Saturday in the second game of their series against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.
They were nearly the victim of a Paul Skenes perfect game last night, but our MLB odds have them favored to continue Pittsburgh’s 15-game streak of alternating victories with defeats.
Here are my Pirates vs. Brewers predictions and MLB picks for the side and total for Saturday, April 25.
Who will win Pirates vs Brewers today: Brewers (-134)
He ranks in the 98th percentile in fastball velocity, whiff rate, and strikeout rate.
Add in an extension that sits in the 99th percentile, and it’s problematic for a Pittsburgh Pirates lineup that has the seventh-highest whiff rate in the majors. The Pirates also chase a fair amount, but have the fifth-lowest chase contact rate.
Mitch Keller is outperforming his xERA and xFIP by nearly a full run. He’s facing a serious platoon disadvantage, and his command issues will be exploited by a Milwaukee Brewers lineup ranked second in walk rate.
COVERS INTEL:Jacob Misiorowski has generated a 43.6% whiff rate on his four-seam fastball, up from 32.5% a season ago.
Pirates vs Brewers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-133)
While I expect the Brewers to get to Keller, I am not expecting a high-run output. Milwaukee ranks fourth-worst in both ISO and xwOBA, and third-worst in xwOBAcon.
The Brewers have made up for that by drawing walks and ranking fifth in generating runs on the basepaths. Even so, I can’t see them posting a big number.
Misiorowski’s biggest issue has been home runs, but the Pirates rank just 20th in ISO.
Both bullpens rank in the top half of the league in xFIP and are rested after yesterday’s game. They’ll limit damage in the late innings to push this total Under.
Jason Ence's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 1-3, -2.23 units
Over/Under bets: 4-0, +4.08 units
Pirates vs Brewers odds
Moneyline: Pirates +122 | Brewers -127
Run line: Pirates +1.5 (-178) | Brewers +1.5 (+170)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+113) | Under 8.5 (-117)
Pirates vs Brewers trend
The Pittsburgh Pirates have hit the Game Total Under in 20 of their last 30 away games (+10.25 Units / 31% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Pirates vs. Brewers.
How to watch Pirates vs Brewers and game info
Location
American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
Date
Saturday, April-25, 2026
First pitch
7:10 p.m. ET
TV
MLB.TV
Pirates starting pitcher
Mitch Keller (2-1, 2.79 ERA)
Brewers starting pitcher
Jacob Misiorowski (1-3, 3.04 ERA)
Pirates vs Brewers latest injuries
Pirates vs Brewers weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
COVERS INTEL:
