ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 26: Eli White #36 of the Atlanta Braves high fives Jorge Mateo #2 of the Atlanta Braves after hitting a two-run home run in the second inning during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Truist Park on April 26, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Michael Harris II was seen favoring his ailing quad during last night’s win over the Tigers, and as such, it’s not surprising to see him get another breather in a short turnaround matinee game, especially given that Framber Valdez throws with his left hand. The absence of Harris is part of a wholesale rejiggering of the bottom of the order on getaway day: Kyle Farmer starts at DH and hits seventh, Jorge Mateo is in at shortstop and hitting eighth while Mauricio Dubon moves to left field, and Eli White will man center and hopefully not have another nightmarish miscue that directly leads to a loss.
The Tigers are largely starting familiar faces, though the well-hitting Dillon Dingler will get a rest as Jake Rogers takes over with the tools of ignorance. It remains a fairly terrifying top half of the lineup for Detroit that Bryce Elder will have to navigate — Martin Perez and JR Ritchie did okay-ish, so we’ll see if Elder can do his part.
There’s not very much familiarity here between Elder and the Detroit batters. Only five batters in the lineup have faced him, none have more than six PAs, and the collective line is a .224 wOBA and .297 xwOBA in a whopping 17 PAs. Ho-hum.
On the flip side, the Braves have a fair bit of familiarity with Valdez given his veteran status (plus, Mauricio Dubon was his teammate for a while). Matt Olson, White, Mateo, and Ozzie Albies all have double-digit PAs against him — Albies has crushed him with a .553 wOBA / .400 xwOBA. Really, there’s mostly good history here among everyone except Dubon and Drake Baldwin (who haven’t faced Valdez yet), with a collective .344 wOBA and .330 xwOBA in 79 PAs. Austin Riley, Albies, and Farmer have also gotten some key knocks off Valdez in their shared postseason history.
As a bit of personal amusement, this will be Kyle Farmer’s first start of the year. He has 10 PAs so far this season, with a 92 wRC+ that comes from outhitting his xwOBA a bit.
Boston, MA - October 6: Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and President/CEO Sam Kennedy listen to a question during the Red Sox end-of-season press conference with team leadership at Fenway Park on October 6, 2025. (Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Red Sox Hit Piece Week rolls on, everyone! Today it’s Alex Speier, arguably the current dean of the Red Sox beat, who has a big piece diving into the ways that the relationship between Craig Breslow and Alex Cora slowly fractured over the past few years. The juiciest nugget in this one? “Breslow contemplated significant changes to the coaching staff and especially the hitting group (including Fatse ― beloved by players: ‘Top, top hitting mind and work ethic in the hitting world,’ said one) both during and after the 2025 season… [W]hen Breslow raised the idea of staff change to Cora, the manager made his feelings clear: If Breslow wanted to do so, he’d have to fire Cora.“ (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
And it’s clear that Breslow’s desire to fire the coaching staff last season wasn’t merely a case of a CBO wanting to bring in his own guys — there were meaningful conflicts about how best to do the job: “At one point last year… Breslow asked the Red Sox coaching staff to begin documenting every pregame hitting and defensive drill done by each player, which some coaches found excessive and time consuming, further fueling a perceived lack of trust between the staff and the front office.” Moreover, one unnamed player credits Alex Bregman with, at one point, stepping in to defend the hitting coaches and protect their jobs. (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)
Following his dismissal, Cora was given a chance to pen a farewell email to the Red Sox staff. Here it is. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
Many of the players appear to still be taking the dismissals hard. And that doesn’t just apply to Alex Cora. Connor Wong spoke out about losing Jason Varitek, who he says was “like a dad” to the whole team. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
Given the age discrepancy, it would be pretty weird if Terry Francona said Varitek or Cora were like dads to him, but he did say that Alex Cora is “one of my favorite people in the world.” (Connor Ryan, Boston.com)
We have no idea how John Henry feels about Alex Cora, because John Henry continues to refuse to acknowledge the general public that funds his baseball team. But Sam Kennedy defended his boss’s silence: “John Henry is deeply engaged with this organization… he doesn’t always do it in the most public-facing way. He’s very selective in terms of how he engages with the media, but that should not ever be confused with a lack of involvement or care.” (Scott McLaughlin, WEEI)
With all of the former Red Sox players speaking out (though anonymously in many cases), you may have thought that Mookie Betts would get involved. But, naturally, Mookie is too smart for that:
Mookie Betts said he hasn’t spoken to Alex Cora:
“That ain’t got nothing to do with me and I stay out of that.”#Dodgers#RedSox
Meanwhile, there is still baseball to be played and the Red Sox didn’t exactly cover themselves in glory up in Toronto this week. That certainly applies to Brayan Bello, who was demonstrably upset about being removed from the game by Chad Tracy yesterday. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
Besides Tracy, here’s a look at some of the other new faces in the Red Sox dugout (Amin Touri, Boston Globe)
NEW YORK, NY - UNDATED: Mike Schmidt #20 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a home run during a game against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, New York on an unspecified date. (MLB Photos) | MLB via Getty Images
As fans continue to digest the news of Rob Thomson’s dismissal as Phillies manager, at least one legendary member of the franchise isn’t wild about the idea of firing a manager so early in the season.
Speaking to me on Monday, prior to Thomson’s firing, for my Hittin’ Season podcast, powered by WHYY, Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt said, as a player, letting go of the skipper at this juncture of the season is a bad look for the players in the clubhouse.
“I think letting the manager and coaches go is an embarrassing thing to the players,” Schmidt said. “They feel bad enough. And Rob, I think Rob is a fantastic manager.”
Thomson was let go after parts of five seasons as the Phils’ manager, coming off back-to-back NL East championships but also a string of disappointing postseasons and a 9-19 record and the worst run differential in Major League Baseball. Schmidt says the players are acutely aware of their role in this situation.
“They know what’s going on. The media doesn’t need to tell them. They feel awful.”
Schmist says the team is the victim of a small sample size.
“I looked at the box score the other day with the batting averages going up and down the box score, and they were horrendous, actually. That will all change over time. A month and a half from now, that will change. They can’t continue to lose at this rate. They just can’t. They’ll start winning 2 out of 3, 3 out of 4, and the confidence will come back, the players will start to feel it.
You’ve got to get rid of this sense of focusing on how many they’ve lost in a row and start thinking, ‘I hope we don’t lose another one’ and start thinking about having fun. When you start losing like that, it’s not necessarily fun to go out and play. It’s hard to describe. People would say, ‘Well they’re paying you $25 million a year, you ought to have fun, right?‘ It doesn’t work that way. Something will happen to change this, they’re just too good.
Before you know it you find yourself creeping back, creeping back to .500 and then boom, next thing you know you’re two or three games over, and you have a whole new lease on life.”
One thing the Phillies have in their favor is playing in an era in which getting off to a dreadfully slow start is more permissible. With three wild card teams and three division winners, teams can rally after a rough first couple months. Schmidt, who never played during a time when more than two division winners in each league made the postseason, is not a fan of a larger postseason field.
“I wouldn’t want to play the way they have it now. We had four. And we only played two rounds, the NLCS and World Series. I much prefer that, without question. But the way it is right now, the Phillies are still going to have to get to 90 wins. Maybe 88. It depends on the NL East. And they are some really good teams out west. San Diego, L.A. You get too far behind the other teams, then it’s hard to even grab one of those last playoff spots. But you can’t worry about that, you got to just go grind every day.”
Regardless of how the 2026 season ends, it appears inevitable that the sport is headed for a lockout once the final pitch of the World Series is thrown. Owners appear determined to push for a salary cap and floor to combat the disparity between ultra-spending teams like the Dodgers and Mets, and the under-spending teams like the Reds, Pirates, A’s and Rays.
“I’d assume [The Player’s Association] would hold strong [on a salary cap]. We did back in ‘76 when free agency was on the table. Players are entitled to make what they can make in a free market. I’m assuming it’ll be a rough off-season this year, as a former player.”
Schmidt is currently engaged in a campaign aimed at educating youth sports participants about the dangers of not using sunscreen while playing sports. Schmidt talked at length about his battle with melanoma as an adult, diagnosed in 2013 with Stage 3, undergoing surgery, immunotherapy and radiation to treat cancer that had spread to his lymph nodes. His desire is for parents and kids to avoid those kinds of troubles with skin cancer as an adult.
“Once it gets to the point it was with me, you can’t say that it won’t come back. Cancer is an awful thing. So I joined the Richard David Kahn Melanoma Foundation and it gives me a chance for me to tell my story. To give back and talk to kids and adults about the dangers of the sun’s rays. Try to convince kids and adults they need to wear protection. We decided to bring it up to Philadelphia, I started a 501c3, the Mike Schmidt Initiative.
So many great things are happening with us, and I’m getting an opportunity to tell my story and hopefully affect as many people as we can. Our mission is to stop skin cancer. That’s what we’re trying to do.“
If you would like to learn more about Mike Schmidt’s history with melanoma and his work with young athletes to prevent skin cancer, visit MelanomaFoundation.com.
You can watch the full interview on WHYY’s YouTube page here.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - APRIL 22: Cincinnati Reds Pitcher Brandon Williamson (55) delivers a pitch to the plate during the regular season game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Tampa Bay Rays on April 22, 2026, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Cincinnati Reds lefty Brandon Williamson exited Wednesday evening’s start against the Colorado Rockies after having thrown just 58 pitches across 3.0 IP. It was the latest in a series of frustrating starts for the 28 year old, who for the season has actually walked more hitters (20) than he’s struck out (19).
After the game, it was announced that he was dealing with ‘shoulder fatigue,’ something that’s 100% within the realm of expectations at this point after he missed all of 2025 while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery (and also dealt with shoulder issues before that). The hope, of course, was that it wouldn’t be serious, though the Reds announced on Thursday that Williamson had been placed on the injured list in the wake.
The #Reds today recalled RHP Zach Maxwell from Triple-A Louisville and placed LHP Brandon Williamson (left shoulder fatigue) on the 15-day injured list.
According to AP reporter Jeff Wallner, Williamson received an MRI and the results showed ‘no structural issues,’ which is obviously a great sign.
Francona said the MRI showed no structural issues with Brandon Williamson's shoulder, which is good news. He received an injection today. Williamson was placed on the 15-day injured list. RHP Zach Maxwell was recalled from Louisville. #Reds
Reliever Zach “Big Sugar” Maxwell was recalled from AAA Louisville to take his place on the active roster, for now.
Maxwell, of course, is a reliever, and he’ll add depth to the relief corps for the next few days alongside the recently recalled Luis Mey for the time being. What the Reds do when Williamson’s spot in the rotation comes back around remains to be seen, however.
Nick Lodolo shined in his first rehab start with the Dayton Dragons in High-A Midwest League action earlier this week, but he’s slated for a second rehab start on Saturday. So, it’s likely that it won’t be him who is called upon to slide into the starting rotation. Chase Petty, however, is on the 40-man roster and already has had his first cup of coffee at the big league level, and he started last night against the Omaha Storm Chasers for AAA Louisville and would be on regular rest to take a turn in the team’s rotation.
Apr 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) reacts after popping out with the bases loaded in the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The Mets announced a flurry of roster moves ahead of their 1:10pm series finale with the Nationals this afternoon in Queens. Luis Robert Jr., who has been sidelined with back issues since Monday, was put on the 10-Day Injured List retroactive to Monday with ‘lumbar spine disc herniation.’ In a corresponding move, Eric Wagaman, who the Mets claimed off of waivers on Monday from the Twins, was recalled.
Wagaman has made 603 plate appearances in parts of two seasons with the Angels and Marlins and has appeared at the corner outfield and infield spots.
On the offensive side of the team, Robert joins Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco, and Jared Young on the Injured List.
Carl Edwards Jr, who tossed six solid innings for the Mets in two appearances, was designated for assignment. Austin Warren was recalled to take his spot on the roster.
It is unfortunate to lose Edwards who has been quite good in limited time while the Mets have a number of pitchers on the roster who have not looked nearly as good as Edwards. Because he is out of minor league options, the Mets have to hope that Edwards passes through waivers and does not elect free agency if they want to keep him in the organiation.
Warren has been impressive in his brief major league playing time as well, but the bullpen churn is already becoming an issue when rostering multiple long relievers.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 19: Houston Astros outfielder Zach Cole (16) bats during a MLB spring training game against the New York Mets at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 19, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (16-13) lost 5-2 (BOX SCORE)
Sugar Land got on the board in the 2nd inning on an Unroe RBI double. Gordon got the start and tossed 3.2 scoreless innings. The offense got another run on an Alexander walk. Mancini struggled out of the pen allowing 4 runs and the Aces picked up one more later. The offense was quiet the rest of the way as Sugar Land fell 5-2.
Colton Gordon, LHP: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Joey Mancini, RHP: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Tom Cosgrove, LHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Sam Carlson, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Hudson Leach, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (10-13) lost 10-4 (BOX SCORE)
Pearson made a rehab start for the Hooks but struggled allowing 4 runs over 2 innings. The offense got on the board in the 4th on a Whitaker 2 run double. In the 5th they scored 2 more runs on a Sullivan single and Guillemette groundout. Mayer pitched in relief and allowed 3 runs over 4 innings, though he struck out 8 batters. The pen allowed a couple more runs and the offense was shut down the rest of the way as the Hooks lost 10-4.
A+: Asheville Tourists (5-18) lost 11-6 (BOX SCORE)
Asheville got on the board in the first inning with a run scoring on a balk. They got 2 more runs in the third on a Frey 2 run HR, his first of the year. Santos got the start and went 5.1 innings allowing 4 runs, 2 earned. Asheville got a run in the 5th on a balk, a run in the 6th on a Cruz sac fly and a run in the 7th on Batista sac fly. The pen struggled though allowing 7 runs and the offense was unable to comeback as Asheville fell 11-6.
Yeriel Santos, RHP: 5.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Alain Pena, RHP: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Nate Wohlgemuth, RHP: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (10-13) won 5-1 (BOX SCORE)
The Woodpeckers got on the board in the 2nd inning on a Wakefield RBI single. In the 3rd inning, Neyens added an RBI double. The offense picked up 3 more runs in the 4th on a Ramirez RBI single and Cole 2 run double. Potter got the start and pitched well striking out 3 over 3 scoreless innings. He was relieved by Oakes who allowed 1 run over 4.2 innings while striking out 6. Rosario closed it out with 1.1 scoreless innings.
Wyatt Langford is gearing up for a return this weekend, but weather and other externalities are making it hard for him to get live at bats in either a rehab start or simulated game.
Josh Smith is getting a chance to “reset,” and Ezequiel Duran will be starting at second base for multiple games for the first time this season.
Brandon Nimmo left yesterday’s game with a tight right hamstring but says he isn’t expecting to miss any games because of it.
Nimmo has a history of hamstring issues and says that the important thing is to not try to push through it or it will get worse.
The Rangers chase rate is among the lowest in the league on the road and among the highest in the league at home, leading Evan Grant to ask if Globe Life’s park effects are all in the Rangers’ heads.
Evan Grant looks at the Rangers 15-16 record at the end of April and finds cause for optimism, saying that it was a tough month and we saw things that bode well for the rest of the season.
Nathan Eovaldi pitched the way we expect Nathan Eovaldi to pitch last night, shutting out the Yankees over seven innings and giving the offense a chance to close out the series with a win.
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees open a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles in the Bronx on Friday...
5 things to watch
Return of Anthony Volpe?
Volpe is on the cusp of returning. The Yankees haven't announced whether the shortstop will be activated off the IL this weekend or if he will even start right away, but it's something that's worth monitoring.
Volpe is seemingly ready to come back after he hit .303 with a homer, three RBI, and two stolen bases across 10 minor league games.
Whenever Volpe returns, the everyday lineup will get a shakeup. Will that affect how manager Aaron Boone uses his players, and how will the utility players like Jose Caballero and Amed Rosario respond?
And speaking of...
Jose Caballero's playing time to take a hit?
If Volpe gets his starting shortstop job back, that means Caballero will be more of a bench player.
It's a shame considering Caballero has had a strong start to the 2026 season. Through 30 games, Caballero is slashing .267/.313/.400 with an OPS of .713 with three home runs, 11 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. He's also been very good defensively.
The calls for Volpe to be on the bench will be louder if he doesn't get off to a good start when he returns, but that will especially be the case if Caballero gets benched.
What benefits Caballero is his versatility. In his career, he's played second base, shortstop, third base, and in the outfield. With Ryan McMahon's continued struggles, Rosario could see starts at the hot corner against a left-handed starter.
Jasson Dominguez's status
Dominguez was called up to give the Yanks a bat after the youngster killed it down in Triple-A and when Giancarlo Stanton landed on the IL. But now Dominguez could be landing on the IL as well.
New York Yankees left fielder Jasson Dominguez (24) prepares to take batting practice before a game against the Philadelphia Phillies during spring training at BayCare Ballpark. / Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Dominguez suffered a left elbow contusion after being hit by a pitch in Wednesday's loss to the Rangers, and will receive more imaging when he gets back to New York.
Will Dominguez be able to just sit and wait for his elbow to heal, or will the Yankees need to make another move? If Dominguez does land on the IL, who will be called up? Volpe could take Dominguez's spot on the roster and leave Max Schuemann on the team until Stanton returns.
However the injury news falls for Dominguez, it's a shame for the youngster who has worked his way back to the team and was hoping to prove that he belongs.
Can David Bednar dominate again?
Bednar has been very effective this season, but he's been more cardiac-inducing than dominant of late.
In his last two outings (Monday and Tuesday against the Rangers), he's allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits and a hit batter. He eventually locked down saves in both games, but the Yankees could use easier ninth innings this weekend.
Of his 13 appearances this season, he's allowed one or fewer baserunners just five times.
Starting rotation continues to roll
The Yankees' rotation is one of the best in baseball and they hope to keep that going in this four-game series.
Using Elmer Rodriguez on Wednesday gives the rotation an extra day of rest, which could benefit them all. Will Warren and Ryan Weathers take the mound to start the series and hope to build on their last starts.
Max Fried, after not allowing a run in his last two starts (14 innings), will take the mound on Sunday. With Garret Crochet on the IL and Tarik Skubal not pitching to his usual Cy Young level, another dominant start would put Fried at the top of early Cy Young race.
And speaking of the top pitchers in the AL, Cam Schlittler is making waves in the early going. He outdueled Jacob deGrom on Tuesday and will take the mound for the series finale on Monday.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Aaron Judge
The captain has three home runs in his last seven games and that'll continue this weekend.
Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?
Cam Schlittler
Schlittler is just on a roll. It's hard to imagine the Orioles putting an end to that streak of great starts.
Which Orioles player will be a thorn in the Yankees' side?
Gunnar Henderson
The shortstop has nine home runs entering play Thursday, and the lefty could utilize the short porch.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 21, 2026: Dixon Williams #63 of the Atlanta Braves bats during the second inning of a Spring Breakout game against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
It was a lackluster day down on the farm, but there were a handful of individual performances to highlight. So let’s dive into Wednesday’s action.
(18-11) Gwinnett Stripers 9, (14-15) Charlotte Knights 10
Despite holding a three-run lead headed into the home half of the seventh inning, Gwinnett failed to hold on to it, resulting in the one-run loss to Charlotte as the Stripers dropped game two of the series.
Gwinnett jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning thanks to an RBI-groundout off the bat of Jair Camargo which scored Brett Wisely.
After Charlotte tied things up in the bottom of the frame, the Stripers retook the lead in the top of the third — scoring three runs to take a 4-1 lead.
Whenever you score nine runs on 10 hits, the odds for winning are probably going to be heavily in your favor. That was not the case for Gwinnett on Wednesday.
The biggest detriment came in the form of starting pitching, as Elieser Hernandez got the start on the mound and proceeded to give up six runs on nine hits while striking out three before he was pulled in the sixth inning.
As the score suggests, Gwinnett’s offense more than held its own on the night. Luke Williams launched his third homer of the year in the top of the sixth inning — a solo shot that traveled 391-feet over the left field wall.
On a defensive note, first baseman Aaron Schunk made an incredible play in the bottom of the third inning where he tracked down a fly ball in foul territory and made the catch despite his momentum carrying him over the dugout railing. Somehow Schunk held on to the ball and made the out in what was a stellar play.
Sean Murphy — who continues to rehab in an attempt to make his way back to the big league roster — also came through with an RBI-single in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 6-6 as well.
It’s been a rough go of it for Murphy on his rehab stint as he’s only posted an OPS of .469 in 10 games. However, he may be turning a corner as he has five hits in his last three games, including a pair of doubles and 4 RBI.
It was yet another rough outing for Garrett Baumann, as the tall righty suffered through a lackluster start again for Columbus as the Clingstones — like their triple-A counterparts — came up short in the one-run loss.
Across five innings of work, Baumann surrendered six runs on eight hits while also issuing four walks and striking out three. In 22.1 innings on the mound this season, Baumann has allowed 22 runs (20 earned) on 30 hits, while giving up at least one homer in each of his five starts thus far. He is carrying an ERA of 8.06 after Wednesday’s outing.
While his strikeout rate is up a click at 23.4%, Baumann’s walk rate has also skyrocketed along with it; going from 6.4% to end the 2025 season, to 13% in 2026. His fly ball-home run ratio is also trending in the wrong direction, as 30% of balls hit in the air against Baumann leave the yard.
It’s as close to a disastrous start to a season as you can get for Baumann, who was hoped to be on the verge of taking that next step toward becoming the next elite starting pitching prospect in Atlanta’s system. Instead, he has taken several steps backwards and could be on the verge of being sent down to high-A Rome with the hopes he gets things back on track.
Otherwise, Baumann may be destined for a bullpen role if he’s not able to make things work as a starter. Regardless, it’s extremely concerning.
Getting back to Wednesday’s action, David McCabe stole the show at the plate for Columbus, as the designated hitter went 2-5 with a home run and a double to pace the Clingstones’ offense. McCabe also drove in two of Columbus’ five total runs on the night.
The Emperors rode an early hot start — in which they scored all but one of their nine total runs in the first four innings — to a victory to get back above .500 on the season.
Cedric De Grandpre got the start on the mound and arguably put up one of his best performances thus far. Across five innings of work, De Grandpre did allow three runs, but managed to strike out eight on the day while keeping his offense in the game.
Of course, it wouldn’t take much to keep the bats in it as Rome outhit Bowling Green 11-4.
Dixon Williams continued his hot start at the plate following his delayed start to the season, as he went 2-5 with a homer and three RBI on the day for Rome. Going 2-5 with a homer and three RBI, Williams raised his season OPS to .953 with his stellar performance on Wednesday as he continues to get up to speed after starting the season on the injured list.
One thing to keep an eye on is Isaiah Drake, who was removed from Rome’s game in the top of the second inning on Wednesday and replaced by Logan Braunschweig. While there has been no official report as to why he was replaced, Braunschweig put up a solid night by going 3-4 with two RBI to his credit.
(13-11) Augusta GreenJackets 0, (8-16) Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 6
Long story short: it simply wasn’t Augusta’s night on Wednesday as the GreenJackets were shutout in the loss.\
Derek Vartanian got the start and while he was somewhat solid — five innings pitched while allowing two earned runs on three hits and six strikeouts — his offense failed to provide him with any meaningful support on the day.
Overall, Augusta was was outhit 7-5 as the GreenJackets simply failed to string together any sort of meaningful offense on Wednesday.
One positive was Tate Southisene, who managed to go 2-4 on the night, while Juan Mateo — who went 2-3 with Augusta’s only extra-base hit in a double — also put up respectable numbers for the GreenJackets on Wednesday as well.
TULSA, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 19: Zyhir Hope #13 of the Tulsa Drillers swings the bat during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Experiencing both ends of a 4-3 result in a day with only three games, as the matchup between Great Lakes and Peoria got rained out, the Dodgers’ minor league affiliates lost two out of three.
Player of the day
While James Tibbs III deserves an honorable mention for his 3 for 5 efforts that ultimately couldn’t help the Comets escape a loss against the Express, it’s the duo of Zyhir Hope and Frank Rodriguez who get the nod here. Playing in a low-scoring game against the Missions, Hope and Rodriguez were responsible for virtually the entirety of the Drillers’ offense.
Hope’s two-run shot accounted for half of the Drillers’ scoring output, reaching five home runs on the year and doing so with a batting average above .300. Rodriguez reached safely in all three of his plate appearances with a solo shot, an RBI double, and a walk. By himself, Rodriguez was responsible for half of the Drillers’ four hits.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
The Comets were playing catch-up right from the start as starter Logan Allen got jumped to allow a three-spot in the first. Allen settled in and gave the offense ample time to get back into it, and they did by responding with three runs of their own in the fifth, only for Allen and the bullpen to immediately cough up the lead in the bottom of the same frame.
Opportunities were plentiful for the Comets, finishing the game with nine hits, one more than their opponent, and also six walks. In fact, alongside Tibbs, two other hitters had multi-hit performances. Overall, they stranded 12 base runners to go down to a 13-16 record.
Double-A Tulsa
It was a bullpen game for the Drillers, and one well-executed on their way to a 4-3 win. Lefty Evan Shaw started a game for the first time in 2026 and covered two innings before handing it over to the rest of the ‘pen. Hobbs ran into a home run issue in the fourth, allowing a pair of them, but luckily, they were both solo shots and represented the last scoring that the Missions would have.
As the pitching staff allowed just three runs, the Drillers didn’t need a whole lot to win this game, and they kept that in mind with a four-hit performance, not even half of their opposition’s total. Hope was joined by catcher and ninth-hole hitter Fernando Rodriguez in leaving the yard. The winning hit came from Rodriguez as well, with an RBI double in the seventh.
The Drillers’ production was so pedestrian, all things considered, that as the ninth-hole hitter, Rodriguez didn’t even get an extra at-bat in the game, only coming to the plate three times.
High-A Great Lakes
The game was postponed.
Class-A Ontario
Cam Leiter opened things off with a solid 1.2 innings of scoreless baseball, but Jesus Tillero didn’t have the same success as the bulk pitcher. Tillero allowed all four of the runs conceded by the Tower Buzzers in this 4-3 defeat at home, going down to an 11-11 record.
Twenty-year-old first baseman Easton Shelton hasn’t had the best of starts to his season, but he did manage to hit his third home run of the year, now with a .224 batting average. Designated hitter Chase Harlan had the best performance among Tower Buzzer hitters, with a hit, one RBI, and a couple of free passes, reaching base three times.
Transactions
The Great Lakes Loons activated right-handed pitcher Nicolas Cruz and shortstop Jordan Thompson from the IL.
Wednesday’s scores
Round Rock 6, Oklahoma City 3
Tulsa 4, San Antonio 3
High-A game postponed
Ontario 3, Lake Elsinore 4
Thursday’s schedule
2:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Brooks Auger) vs.Peoria (Leonel Sequera)
High-A game 2: Great Lakes (TBD) vs. Peoria (TBD)
4:45 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Jackson Ferris) at Round Rock (Austin Gomber)
5:00 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Patrick Copen) vs. San Antonio (Fernando Sanchez)
6:35 p.m. PT: Ontario (Marlon Nieves) vs. Lake Elsinore (Bryan Balzer)
KANSAS CITY, MO - APRIL 26: Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinny Pasquantino (9) kisses Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone (14) after his game-tying home run during a MLB game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Kansas City Royals on April 26, 2026, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
There have been some high highs and low lows for Jac Caglianone since being drafted by the Royals. He blitzed through the minors spending just 29 games in A ball, 38 in AA, and 12 in AAA before debuting with the big league club last June. That debut did not follow the stratospheric trajectory of his minor league experience. This season, Jac has gotten another chance to show that he belongs. So far, he is taking advantage of it.
Caglianone’s 2026 numbers are not going to jump off the page at anyone. His line of .263/.344/.425 is definitely in the good-but-not-great category. However, it is leaps and bounds better than his line of .157/.237/.295 last year.
These raw numbers are not what I am starting to get excited about, though the on-base percentage is much higher so far than I was expecting. It is the underlying numbers, both offensive and defensive, that suggest he is developing into a solid everyday player. Here are his Baseball Savant percentiles in 2025 vs. 2026 to help illustrate what I mean.
Jac has improved his overall skillset almost across the entire board. He is still a flawed player, mostly because of hi chase rate, whiff rate, and K%. However, he has elite exit velocity and is now getting to it at a much higher frequency. That has pushed his expected stats up into the area where it looks like he is going to be a well above-league-average hitter.
On top of that, his fielding is much, much better than last year. The arm strength was always there, the accuracy is starting to come too, so his throwing looks like it is going to be quite the weapon in right field. A full offseason of preparation to play outfield has also improved his range value immensely and he looks way more comfortable running around in the grass. We do not have a large enough sample size to say he is an above-average defender yet, but he has been so much better than last year that I am optimistic he will, at the very least, not be a liability out there. He even improved his sprint speed over last year, though that is more on a percentile basis than actually changing the top end speed. He is never going to be a burner running down balls deep in the gaps at that size.
That expected value is predicated on how hard he hits the ball plus being able to barrel the ball much more often than last year. Going from a 12% barrel rate to 17% may not sound like a ton to most people, but that is a 42.5% improvement and enough to put him in the elite. We knew he could hit the ball hard and now he is accessing that ability much more frequently.
The main reason he has not posted elite numbers yet has to do with his chase rate, swing and miss rate, and his launch angle. He is chasing less than last year, so that is exciting even if he is still below-average. This might mean he will progress to a higher peak as he swings at better pitches, but for now he is still missing and striking out too much. The launch angle is the one that is keeping the balls from leaving the park in droves. A miniscule 3.8 degree launch angle is just not where you want a power hitter to be – Eric Hosmer struggled with this during his career. For Caglianone to become the 40+ home run monster we all want him to be, the ball has to get in the air more.
If you chart every ball he has put in play so far, the trend line is slightly positively sloped, but modestly enough that without the line it is hard to tell any trend at all. For Cags to become the Royals’ fearsome middle of the order slugger, this needs to have way fewer negative angles and many more in that 10 to 40 degree range.
As Jac is right now, he is on pace to end the season around 2-3 Wins Above Replacement. That means he is playing as an average-to-slightly above-average everyday major leaguer, despite the flaws. He just turned 23 a few months ago and his progression, plus his power potential, indicates that he is almost certainly going to be a good player. It looks like he may have already surpassed his lower-end threshold.
If he is now an above-average hitter, and an average-ish defensive right fielder, then he is a solid player the Royals can depend on for the next half decade. But he has to get the K% below 30% to pull that off. His ceiling is still very high, and I think we have a decent chance of witnessing something special with the combination of Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, Carter Jensen, and Jac. After last season, Cags was the one that seemed like it just might not happen, but now I am fairly optimistic he is one of the cornerstones that this team can build on.
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 29: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 and Myles Straw #3 dump sports drink onto Ernie Clement #22 of the Toronto Blue Jays during his post-game interview after their MLB game against the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre on April 29, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, the Yankees ended up losing on Wednesday, although it’s tough to put too much blame on the rookie. Rodríguez definitely seemed to be dealing with some nerves, as he walked three batters, but only allowed two runs in four innings. The bigger issue in the game was that the Yankees’ offense was shutout, as they continue to regularly get baffled by Nathan Eovaldi. It didn’t help that Jasson Domínguez left early after getting plunked on the elbow. He’ll need testing beyond the MRI that he had in Texas.
While the Yankees ended an otherwise very good road trip with a loss, let’s see what their competition from around the AL did in Wednesday’s action.
Toronto Blue Jays (14-16) 8, Boston Red Sox (12-19) 1
The Blue Jays’ lineup pounded Boston starter Brayan Bello, dropping the Red Sox to 2-2 since the unceremonious firing of Alex Cora and remaining in the AL East cellar.
The game got off to a decent enough start for the Red Sox as they took an initial lead on a Willson Contreras’ homer in the top of the first inning. However, that ended up being the only run they scored. Blue Jays’ starter Eric Lauer was OK, holding Boston to just that one run on five hits in 4.1 innings. The Red Sox just did not remotely take their chances. Despite nine hits for the game, they were 1-for-8 with runner in scoring position and left eight on base for the day.
That allowed the Blue Jays to get their way back into the game and then eventually blow Boston out of the water. They took the lead for the first and only time in the third inning. Rookies Kazuma Okamoto and Yohendrick Pinango each come up with RBI hits in the third as Toronto put up a three spot. Ernie Clement followed that with a two-run homer — his first of the year — the following inning to fully assert the Blue Jays’ control.
As mentioned, it wasn’t the best of days for Bello, as he departed after just 3.2 innings, having given up four runs, taking his ERA to 9.12 on the season. Toronto ended up tacking on a few more runs later on ensuring that Boston would’ve had a hard time coming back even if they did take their chances.
Other Games
Seattle Mariners (16-16) 5, Minnesota Twins (13-18) 3: Cole Young’s two-RBI single helped the Mariners to a three-spot in the top of the ninth allowing them to rally for a win. The Twins themselves had only taken the lead in the bottom of the eighth, but they were unable to put the finishing touches on another good outing from resurgent starter Taj Bradley.
Cleveland Guardians (16-16) 3, Tampa Bay Rays (18-12) 1: Travis Bazzana is still hitless in his young career, but the rest of the Guardians’ lineup did enough to help Cleveland get the win. Gavin Williams was very good for the Guardians, holding the Rays to just one run on five hits in 7.2 innings. At the plate, Chase DeLauter led Cleveland with two RBI in his 2-for-3 day.
Atlanta Braves (22-9) 4, Detroit Tigers (15-16) 3: Tarik Skubal overcame a bad first inning to get back on track, which eventually led to his offense taking the lead. However, the Tigers’ bullpen then couldn’t hold on, as the surging Braves eventually won on a Matt Olson walk-off home run against former teammate Kenley Jansen. Ozzie Albies’ first-inning homer ended up being the only damage they did against Skubal in seven innings, but Detroit’s three runs of offense ended up being not enough to withstand Atlanta’s ninth inning.
Apr 13, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Brendan Donovan (33) throws to first base for a ground out against the Houston Astros during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
G’day everyone and a happy Mariners off-day to you!
The M’s closed out April with a clean 16-16 record. All things considered, I’m pretty satisfied with that (especially after a rough start to the year). How are you feeling about the team one month in?
In Mariners news…
The Mariners got some good news about Matt Brash last night, who is dealing with some mild right side discomfort which he doesn’t seem too concerned about. He will undergo a more thorough evaluation by team doctors today.
Jared Greenspan explained how the Rockies pitching staff has managed to turn things around just one month into the new regime.
Blue Jays infielder Davis Schneider told the personal story behind his recent partnership with Emergent BioSolutions, who have manufactured a nasal spray to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose if administered quickly enough.
Officially one month into the season, the ESPN staff gave a panic meter score to every underperforming contender.
In 2025, the Cubs were relatively healthy. That’s easy to forget. The headline injuries, Justin Steele, Kyle Tucker and Cade Horton were to some of the team’s biggest stars. Nico Hoerner and a number of other offensive players had some various bumps and bruises. A couple of the starting pitchers missed some time. Javier Assad basically missed most of the season injured. As a stark contrast, the injured list has already been a revolving door for the 2026 team. Without going down any rabbit holes, I suspect that at no time in 2025 did the Cubs have this many players on their injured list at any one time.
The injuries, particularly the ongoing injury of Steele and the season-ending injury for Horton, could certainly be an excuse for this team. Losing two guys who you hoped could eventually be cornerstones of your rotation could be devastating. To be sure, there are a lot of chapters still to be written and that might well eventually be the demise of this team. Even with a host of relievers also being lost to injury, this team has once again emerged in the early going as one of the better teams in baseball.
Wednesday afternoon in San Diego, the Cubs pitching staff was dominant during seven innings. Obviously, baseball is a nine inning game. Jameson Taillon started and was dominant during six innings. But he pitched seven of them. After five perfect innings, he had a sequence of homer-walk-homer and saw a three-run lead evaporate. Corbin Martin had been terrific to date for the Cubs and was called on for the first time in a high leverage situation. But he had no command of his pitches at all and walked the bases loaded before being pulled. In short, the pitching was uneven. But on this day, seven good innings was enough.
It was enough, because the relentless Cubs offense continued its excellent work. The Cub offense now leads MLB in on-base percentage. They have the most walks and the third most hits. Their slugging percentage ranks fourth. A stat shown during the broadcast noted that the Cubs have the most plate appearances with runners on base — by a very wide margin. They had more than 10 percent more such plate appearances than any other team. This offense has been incredibly special in the early going.
In this game, the Cubs had nine hits, three of then doubles and two of them homers. They drew five walks and had a hit batter. Xander Bogaerts made a terrific play to start a double play snuffing an early rally. And the Padres got fortunate on a ball that Nick Castellanos misplayed in left field that could have cost them a run but for the ball bouncing out of play. The Cubs got five runs and it could certainly have been more. But it was enough.
The Cubs’ play in March and April doesn’t end up looking great on paper now that we have reached the end of the month. The 19-12 record is great. But the strength of schedule read .494, the lowest of any of the teams in the NL Central. Of course, that is massively weighed down by the performance of the Mets and Phillies in April. The Phillies are 10-19, which is awful. Bear in mind, though, they are a much more respectable 9-13 when they play the rest of the league. I just today listened to the Kyle Schwarber episode of Lovable Reunion and the group felt that the Phillies had a legit chance at a championship. For that to be true, that team is going to have to go on one heck of a tear.
The reality of the Cubs’ March and April is that they battled adversity and they not only survived, but they thrived. As I said earlier, there are a lot of chapters still to be written. We’ve all heard that old phrase a million times. You can’t win a championship early in the season, but you can lose one. That’s surely being said to the Mets and Phillies elsewhere. This Cubs team positioned itself to be a contender. Now, we turn to the next chapter and see if they can continue that. In a National League that has nine of 15 teams over .500 through the end of April, nothing is going to be easy.
Three Positives:
Matt Shaw had three hits including a double and a homer. He scored twice and drove in a run. He also what looked like a solid game at second base.
Jameson Taillon threw seven innings and allowed only three hits, one walk, three runs and struck out six. He was perfect through four innings and threw a perfect seventh.
Ben Brown pulled off a quintessential reliever accomplishment. He faced four batters and recorded five outs. That was because he inherited the bases loaded with no outs and the middle of the Padres lineup approaching. He did allow an inherited run to score, but got a double play ball on a nice play by Shaw.
Game 31, April 29: Cubs 5, Padres 4 (19-12)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Ben Brown (.515). 1.2 IP, 4 BF, K
The highest WPA by a Cub in 2026 to date
Hero: Matt Shaw (.251). 3-4, HR, 2B, RBI, 2 R
Sidekick: Pete Crow-Armstrong (.142). 1-4, HR, 3 RBI, R
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Corbin Martin (-.353). 0 IP, 3 BF, 3 BB, ER
Goat: Michael Busch (-.211). 0-4, BB
Kid: Moisés Ballesteros (-.085). 0-5
WPA Play of the Game: With the bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning, the Padres trailed by one. Ben Brown got Manny Machado to ground into a double play. (.327)
*Padres Play of the Game: With two outs and a runner on first in the fifth inning, the Padres down two, Nick Castellanos hit a two-run homer. (.277)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 30 Winner: Pete Crow-Armstrong received 93 of 165 votes
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 3/Bottom 3)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Nico Hoerner +9.5
Michael Conforto +7
Moisés Ballesteros/Daniel Palencia +5
Matt Shaw/Pete Crow-Armstrong -8
Jacob Webb -9
Current Win Pace: 99.3
Up Next: The first off day after 13 straight games in which the team went 10-3. They will host the Diamondbacks (16-13) on Friday. The D-backs play in Milwaukee to finish their series with the Brewers Thursday afternoon. The two teams split the first two games in the series. Colin Rea (3-1, 4.61, 27.1 IP) is scheduled to start. Last time out, Rea was rocked for six runs on six hits and four walks in 3.1 innings in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. The Diamondbacks haven’t officially announced a starter yet for the game but if they stay on their normal rotation, it will likely be Zac Gallen.
Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) celebrates with left fielder Carlos Cortes (26) after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. | John Froschauer-Imagn Images
With just about twenty percent of the MLB season completed, the A’s remain atop the American League West Division by one game over the Seatle Mariners. It’s the slimmest of leads and with so munch of the season still to go, it’s still a meaningless position.
So, looking back what do you think is the biggest positive so far this season. To me it’s Shea Langeliers doing exactly what we hoped he would do; build on last season’s success and improve his game this year. At the end of the day today, he’s tied for second in all baseball with thirty-eight hits, tied for fifth in the MLB with eight homers and is batting .314 with a .933 OPS. Kotsay moves him all over the upper half of the lineup and he performs daily.
Aaron Civale leads the starters in ERA with a 3.23, followed by J.T. Ginn at 3.24 and then Jeffrey Springs at 3.79. Springs leads the club in Wins and Quality Starts with three of each and most innings pitched so far with 35.2. What surprises AN readers most about this year’s pitching?
Enjoy some A’s weekday baseball! Let’s hear your thoughts!
We are having a blast treating our Green & Gold fans to BP passes, a guest in-game host, seat upgrades, and signed memorabilia! pic.twitter.com/x9l467JNz1
