MLB News
Game two is underway, with the Washington Nationals looking to bounce back after being walked off in yesterday’s matchup in extras. The Atlanta Braves are expecting to win the series with Grant Holmes on the mound today.
Check back in for a recap on how it all unravels at Truist.
First pitch is set for 4:10 p.m.
The Kansas City Royals sit at 20-30 with nine losses in their last ten games, and Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco are not here to sugarcoat it. This episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast takes an unflinching look at a team that has the talent to compete but has struggled to put it together consistently when it matters most.
The episode opens with a full breakdown of the sweep against the Boston Red Sox, a result that crystallizes the disconnect between what this roster is capable of and what it has actually delivered. Pitching inconsistencies, injuries, and an offense that has gone quiet at the wrong times are all examined in detail, alongside a candid discussion of the managerial decisions and organizational choices that continue to generate debate among the fanbase.
The playoff picture gets honest treatment as well. With the AL wild card race remaining competitive, Jacob and Jeremy assess what a realistic path forward looks like and what would need to change for this team to claw back into contention before the trade deadline forces the front office’s hand.
The back half of the episode shifts to the farm system, and it is one of the more comprehensive prospect breakdowns the show has delivered in recent memory thanks to Preston Farr. Carson Roccaforte’s development draws significant attention, and the hosts work through the depth at Omaha alongside evaluations of Shields, Lamkin, Lombardi, and several of the exciting names emerging at the lower levels of the system. International signings and recent draft trends also factor into a conversation about what the next wave of Royals talent could look like.
The episode closes with a preview of the upcoming series against the Seattle Mariners, some reflection on fan sentiment and media narratives surrounding the club, and the kind of honest but grounded optimism that has defined this podcast through the tough stretches.
Need your Royals fix? Head to royalsreview.com for news, analysis, and to engage with Royals fans around the world! Follow us online:
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Prior to Saturday's game against the Marlins in Miami, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza spoke with reporters about a variety of topics...
Mendoza confirmed the team's pitching plans over the next two games, saying that Christian Scott will go on Sunday in the series finale against the Marlins and Nolan McLean will start Monday's series opener back home vs. the Reds.
David Peterson and Jonah Tong would be the next in order for Tuesday and Wednesday's games against Cincinnati. Although Mendoza said the team could also go with an opener, like they did with Tobias Myers, and is taking it "day-by-day."
"We got some of the guys here. We got Freddy tomorrow, got Scotty tomorrow, Nolan's going to go Monday," Mendoza said. "Obviously, Peterson and Jonah are going to play a part. We just got to decide whether if we're going to go openers, kind of like day-by-day. We feel good with them starting, but we'll get creative if we need to."
Tong pitched well in his season debut against the Marlins, throwing three "very encouraging" scoreless innings of relief. It was reported on Friday that Tong will stay with the team and pitch during the Reds series after they optioned Zach Thornton to Triple-A, and Mendoza said that while they don't have a long-term decision, the right-hander will likely get another chance in the coming days.
"We haven't talked about it. He's a big part of this team and this organization," Mendoza said. "We're going to continue to give him opportunities. He's got to continue to throw the ball well. What we saw yesterday was very encouraging and that's what we expect from him.
"Again, we'll see how it goes turn-by-turn, but we expect a lot from him."
Jared Young last played on April 12 due to a meniscus tear and is just about ready to make his return to New York. He is currently rehabbing with Triple-A Syracuse, but their game was rained out Saturday. Mendoza said it's probable he will rejoin the team during the upcoming six-game homestand against the Reds and Marlins again.
"There's a chance, there's a chance. But again, they got rained out today," Mendoza said. "But there's a good chance we'll see him in the next homestand."
Like Young in Syracuse, A.J. Minter was set to pitch again on Saturday as his final hurdle before returning, but Mendoza said the team will now make a decision on his next steps after he throws Sunday.
Minter will likely fill the void of recently DFA'd Craig Kimbrel in the bullpen, as RHP Jonathan Pintaro was promoted Saturday to help in the meantime.
Trying to work his way back to the bigs, Kodai Senga threw 58 pitches into the fourth inning on Friday in his first rehab appearance for St. Lucie. Mendoza mentioned he's unsure if the righty will pitch again for St. Lucie, but they will determine the next steps when they see him back in New York on Monday.
"Feels good, I haven't heard much to be honest with you. So no news is good news, Mendoza said. "But I watched the outing, as long as he continues to feel good, that's what matters here."
Mendoza added: "He's going to go to New York now. We'll probably see him when we get back on Monday and then we'll go from there on what's the next step."
Senga had gone 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA over five starts prior to hitting the IL on April 28 due to lumbar spine inflammation. His velocity was noticeably down during that early-season stretch, but now it appears to be heading in the right direction.
"Whenever he's throwing mid-90s, it's a sign that he's feeling healthy," Mendoza said. "We saw I think it was 96 [mph] yesterday. So yeah, I mean obviously the velo's important for him, especially when the forkball's in play. But again, he's got a lot of weapons, but the velo is part of it."
San Diego Padres catcher Rodolfo Durán signed with the Friars in January of 2025 as a minor league free agent after playing in the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals organizations after signing with the Phillies in 2014.
An international free agent signing at the age of 16 out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Durán was with the Phillies until November of 2021. Granted minor-league free agency after spending his entire time in the Phillies minor league system, Durán signed with the Yankees in December of 2021.
After two seasons in the Yankees minor leagues, Durán signed a minor-league free-agent deal with the Kansas City Royals. That resulted in a one-season stay, and he was again a free agent after the 2024 season.
The Padres assigned the catcher to the El Paso Chihuahuas after his first Spring Training in Padres camp. After adjusting to a new organization, Durán split time behind the dish with Luis Campusano. In 2025, Durán played in 86 games and hit .288/.344/.503 with 16 home runs and 73 RBI. After one year in the Padres system, Durán re-signed with the Friars for the 2026 season.
In his daily newsletter, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, reported that Durán chose to re-sign with the Padres because he got more opportunities. “They gave me the opportunity. Last year I played a lot. As a free agent, as a minor leaguer, you want to play and you want to keep showing them what you got and to get that chance.”
In spring of 2026, he was invited to major league spring camp and played in 16 games with a .250/.419/.667 line, hitting three home runs with eight RBI. He was sent to the Chihuahuas roster after an impressive spring.
The catcher the Padres signed to be their third catcher, Blake Hunt, was hurt early in camp and Durán quickly stepped forward as the third catcher behind Freddy Fermin and Luis Campusano. In the first 23 games he played in 2026 for the Chihuahuas, Durán hit .238/.356/.429 with four home runs and 20 RBI.
In his first season with El Paso, Durán used his cannon of an arm to throw out 20 of the 71 runners attempting to steal. With a pop time of 1.88, Durán is in the elite level of catchers. After rising to the third catcher position in the organization, Durán spoke with John Conniff of MadFriars.com about what has improved in his game since coming to the Padres.
“My consistency has become much better, especially with my defense. That had been the biggest thing I needed to work on coming here.”
Durán also spoke about his leadership role and wanting to improve his work with the pitchers, giving them confidence that he is there for them. “I want them to know that I got them.”
The Padres had a scare with primary catcher Freddy Fermin earlier in the season when he was hit by foul balls behind the plate and looked like he might miss time. The Padres brought Durán in for the taxi squad in case he was needed. Fermin did not go on the IL and Durán returned to the Chihuahuas. But when Luis Campusano fouled a ball off his foot in early May, Durán finally got his chance. Campusano went on the injured list on May 7 with a fractured big toe. Durán made his debut that night, catching Michael King versus the St. Louis Cardinals.
He got his first major league hit, a home run, against Seattle on May 16. He almost had two home runs in that game but was robbed at the center field wall by Julio Rodriguez, who made a leaping grab. Yesterday, against the Athletics, Durán was the catcher for Walker Buehler and got his second major league hit. He also had two walks, bringing his total to three free passes.
Durán does not have an impressive slash line with the Padres. He is hitting .188 with a .611 OPS but has a 41.7% caught stealing rate behind the plate. He has been particularly proficient with the ABS system, challenging nine pitches and winning eight of those challenges.
Both King and Buehler have credited him with helping them battle through difficult starts and his manager, Craig Stammen, gave him credit for the Padres only win against the Dodgers in their recent series.
“(That) was definitely a Rodolfo Durán game. If he’d have got that line drive to left field to fall in, he couldn’t have had a better game, honestly. Threw a couple guys out, caught a shutout. We feel really comfortable with him behind the plate. When we got him last year as a six-year free agent, we didn’t know a ton about him, and he just proved that he’s everything we needed and wanted from a guy that could be our third catcher.”
When Campusano, who still has not started any rehab work, returns, the Padres will have a decision to make. Front-line starter Fermin has had an abysmal start to the season. His hitting line of .149/.240/.195 is the worst of active, full-time players. He has 13 hits with four doubles and three RBI in 87 at-bats. He has taken multiple punishing foul balls behind the plate in his starts and has had a recent poor performance with ABS challenges.
Fermin has options and could use a break to reset his swing, and some time with ABS in the minor leagues might not be a bad option. It seems unlikely that the organization will keep an 11-year minor league catcher on the roster and send an experienced major-league catcher to the minors. But it is shown that Durán is more than capable and has more power potential than Fermin.
The defense and offense shouldn’t be any worse, and the offense could be better, with Durán getting a shot with the Padres and Fermin taking a break to work on some skills. It would undoubtedly be a short-term move but giving Durán more time to show what he can do would not be the worst thing.
Weather permitting, here’s the Guardians lineup:
Here’s the Phillies lineup:
Let’s go, Guardians!
Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:
For the Guardians:
Let’s talk about it.
SP: Freddy Peralta (RHP)
SP: Max Meyer (RHP)
First pitch: 4:10 PM EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
First Pitch: 3:10 pm CDT
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN / WCCO 830 / The Wolf 102.9 FM / Audacy
I’m not really sure why I’m more optimistic right now about the 2026 Twins than I have been at any point of the season so far. My best guess is that, by all accounts, the team is not as catastrophically bad as they could be, on pace for a high-70s win total, and holding down a third-place position instead of dwelling in the cellar. Minnesota is only three games below .500 — a manageable deficit — and are actually one of only six teams in the American League with a positive run differential (+1, but it counts.)
They have an identical record to the reigning league champions, and a better record than recent Wild Card Detroit, Wild Card hopeful Kansas City, struggling Houston, upstart Baltimore, and their current opponents in the Boston Red Sox. The prospect pipeline has also begun to kick into gear, and players are being optioned/DFA’d at a rate relatively commensurate with their on-field performance.
What’s more, the starting pitching has gotten even healthier! As of this morning, Taj Bradley has been reinstated to the active roster, and will take the ball against Boston this afternoon.
Bradley is making his first start since May 5th, a six-inning win against the Washington Nationals, with eight strikeouts. Bradley has probably been the Twins’ best starter statistically, leading the regulars in ERA+, ERA, K/9, and bWAR, among other fields. His reactivation also bumps another poor performer off the active roster, itself a net positive.
For the Red Sox, it’s old friend Jovani Moran opening the doors for what will presumably be Brayan Bello and his -1.4 bWAR. The fifth-year starter has been absolutely smacked around to start the season, posting a 7.16 ERA with what might be the worst fastball in the American League (-13 run value and league-average velo.)
The Twins go for another series win against Boston here this afternoon. GO TWINS GO!
Hold onto your hats (and your hearts) folks. We have Jovani Moran on the mound to start, who’ll soon make way for Brayan Bello. Bello has been good in two relief/opener outings with this guardrail in place but with an overall 2-5 record, a 7.15 ERA, and a WHIP of 1.80, he feels like a gamble at all times.
Marcelo Mayer hasn’t moved to shortstop—yet—he’s still holding down 2B until Sunday’s game. We have Isiah Kiner-Falefa at short today, Nick Sogard at third. Connor Wong is catching with Chad Tracy’s favorite, Mickey Gasper, at DH. Let’s see if we can string something together, starting today. Go Sox.
First pitch is at 4:10 PM ET on NESN and WEEI.
It’s a trifle unlikely that a strategy of nine-up-nine-down-nine-run-inning-five-more-innings-without-a-hit will work two games in a row, so the White Sox may want to try a different form of attack today.
That approach will start against Adrian Houser, who was Chicago’s best pitcher last year — 6-2, 2.10 ERA — before being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays at the deadline. Houser hasn’t fared so well this season, with a 5.25 ERA and -0.6 bWAR, though he’s only given up four earned runs in 17 2/3 innings over his last three starts. The righty doesn’t strike out many (26 in 48 innings), which may present a problem for him against the Three True Outcomes members of the White Sox lineup.
At the top is Sam Antonacci, who went into the record books barely a month into his major league career last night when he became only the 11th batter to get hit by a pitch twice in one inning.
The White Sox counter with Bryan Hudson, the opener for (presumably) Erick Fedde. The southpaw sports a fine 1.57 ERA (though 1.348 WHIP), but is usually only good for one inning. Fedde is 0-4 with a 4.30 ERA and got knocked around by the Cubs last time out. They’ll face a Giants lineup that’s last in the majors in runs per game.
First pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. Central. It’ll be 63 degrees under partly sunny skies, with wind blowing from left field at 14 mph and gusts up to 23. Usual broadcast suspects.
Jays are in tough against Paul Skenes.
The Jays say that Addison Barger will start throwing and hitting tomorrow. And Tommy Nance and Joe Mantiply should start throwing tomorrow too. And Max Scherzer is throwing as well, he threw 30 pitches n the bullpen yesterday.
Go Jays Go
Being down 4-0 after the first inning put a damper in the series opener on Friday night in Milwaukee, but the Dodgers offense at least nominally threatened for most of their 5-1 loss to the Brewers.
The Dodgers batted 22 times with at least somebody on base on Friday, compared to 15 plate appearances with the bases empty. That feels weird to say in a game that the Dodgers only had three hits.
All three hits were singles, and all came with nobody out. the one non-leadoff hit was in the seventh inning, when Dalton Rushing singled after Teoscar Hernández reached on an error. Throw in six walks — three of which also led off an inning — and Max Muncy getting hit on his right wrist by a pitch, and the Dodgers had their chances, but they didn’t do much with them.
That seventh inning produced the only run for Los Angeles, with two flyouts scoring Hernández from second base. the Dodgers had one hit in 17 at=bats with anyone on base on Friday, and no hits in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position.
Logan Henderson pitched five scoreless innings, the 10th starting pitcher to last at least that long without giving up a run to the Dodgers this season. Only the Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres, at 11 starts each, have had more such games against them.
So far this season, MLB teams bat 55.9 percent of the time with nobody on base, and 44.1 percent with someone on. Dodgers splits are similar, batting 54.6 percent of the time with nobody on base. They are fourth in MLB in plate appearances with people on base, and sixth in PA with runners in scoring position.
But that was flipped on Friday, batting just 40.5 percent of the time with no one on. It’s out of line with the other three low-hit games this season:
All those opportunities on Friday led to only one run for the Dodgers, who have been held to three or fewer runs 12 times in their last 22 games. Getting to four runs has been the magic number for Los Angeles this season, winning 27 of their 29 games when scoring at least that many. They are 3-3 when scoring exactly three runs, and just 1-14 when scoring two or fewer runs.
The Texas Rangers have claimed first baseman Blaine Crim on waivers from the Colorado Rockies, the team announced today. To make room for Crim on the active roster, the Rangers have moved pitcher Carter Baumler from the 15 day injured list to the 60 day injured list.
Crim, who turns 29 next month, was originally a 19th round pick of the Rangers back in 2019. He spent a little over a week in the majors with Texas in 2025 when the team sent Jake Burger down to AAA for a reset, and went 0 for 11 with a walk and an HBP in 13 plate appearances over 5 appearances. He was put on waivers later in the season and claimed by the Colorado Rockies. In 15 games with the Rockies last year, Crim slashed .241/.295/.556.
Crim has had a disappointing 2026 campaign thusfar, slashing .256/.339/.449 in 36 games for the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes, who play in a much more hitter-friendly environment than Round Rock. My assumption is that, given the underwhelming performance by the Rangers’ righthanded bench bats in the majors this season, and the overall lack of righthanded hitting depth in AAA, Texas saw Crim as someone who could provide from depth in that regard.
Baumler was a Rule 5 pick from the Baltimore Orioles this winter. He was left unprotected due to his having very little professional experience due to an extensive injury history. He made the Rangers out of spring training, but appeared in just four games before going on the injured list. He made three rehab appearances before being pulled off due to a rotator cuff strain.
Baumler going on the injured list doesn’t prevent him from meeting the requirements of spending the season on the major league roster for purposes of meeting the Rule 5 requirements, but he does have to spend at least 90 days on the active roster. If he does not do so, the Rule 5 restrictions would remain in place until he does spend 90 days on the active roster. Baumler spent 10 days on the active roster this year before going on the injured list, so if he spends the rest of the year on the injured list, he would have to spend 80 days on the active roster next year before he could be sent to the minors.
Mattingly drops Garcia in batting order, sticks with Turner at the top originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Over the winter, the Phillies took a $10 million gamble that Adolis Garcia would be the formidable right-handed bat that they’ve long lacked.
At the Memorial Day weekend checkpoint, Garcia hasn’t come close to being that.
He entered Saturday night’s game against Cleveland with just one hit in 35 at-bats over his previous 11 games. For the season, he was hitting .203 with four homers, 14 RBIs and a .596 OPS, which was significantly worse than the lackluster .675 OPS he registered with Texas the last two seasons. That performance fueled the Rangers’ decision not to tender him a contract over the winter.
Earlier this season, manager Don Mattingly gave struggling hitters Alex Bohm and Trea Turner a couple of days off to reset. But without “a true alternative, a guy who’d totally be an upgrade offensively,” Mattingly had Garcia in right field Saturday night. However, he dropped Garcia to eighth in the batting order, the lowest he’s hit all season.
“Just trying to get him going,” Mattingly said. “The defense in right field has been tremendous and with this pitching staff, defense is important.”
Entering Saturday, Garcia had just two extra-base hits in his previous 21 games.
“I think it’s still in there,” Mattingly said. “The last homestand, I felt like, ‘This cat’s on the way.’ He was hitting balls in the middle of the field. His outs to center field were hard. His at-bats looked better. Then he got off track a little in Boston and Pittsburgh. I feel like it’s still there. You see it. We’re trying to find it. If he can get it going, he can really help us.”
While Garcia was dropped in the order, Turner remained in the leadoff spot. Mattingly is not considering a change there, despite Turner’s .288 on-base percentage and .234 batting average.
Turner won the National League batting title at .304 last season. He had a .355 on-base percentage.
Turner lowered his chase rate to 31.2 percent last season. It has increased to 34.6 percent this season.
“Trea looks like he’s getting better,” Mattingly said. “You feel like it’s coming. It’s not like all of a sudden he forgot how to hit. He’s heading in the right direction. There’s no need to panic and put someone else there.”
Despite his faith in Turner, Mattingly made it clear the team needs more.
“If we’re going to get where we want to go, these guys have got to go,” he said. “Trea’s a big part of that, and that’s not putting undue pressure on him. But Trea’s going to have to be Trea. (Kyle) Schwarber is going to have to be himself. (Bryce) Harper is going to have to do his thing. Bohm … It’s going to take all of them to get to where we want to go.
“It’s not fantasy baseball where you can just go out and make all these deals and all of a sudden we’ve got all these guys we like. ‘Hey, I like this guy, can we get him?’ It doesn’t work like that. This is our team. We have to be the best team we can possibly be, help our guys be the best they can be, count on them and trust them.”
The Red Wings (Nationals AAA) had the WooSox’s number for the duration of the night, as only two Worceter batters recorded a hit (Matt Lloyd and Braiden Ward.) But it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Jack Anderson got shelled, allowing six runs off nine hits including two home runs, both in the first inning, and Seth Martinez had a rough bullpen outing. It was 12-1 after six innings, and truth be told, given that Worcester was taken for sixteen hits and seven walks, it could have been uglier than that.
John Holobetz put in six shutout innings and kept the Fightin’ Phils (Phillies AA) honest as Portland now wins their second consecutive game by a combined score of 3-1. Before I spend a paragraph on the reason you all clicked (picture below) I want to say that I kind of like John Holobetz, who some may know as the return in the Quinn Priester trade, and I think there’s a chance the 24-year-old could be an MLB level multi-innings guy within the next 12 months. His fastball touches 96 but averages around 93 so nothing too spectacular there, but it has good movement and gathers a lot of swings and misses at the top of the zone. And now, for the reason for these two runs amidst a mostly stagnant offense…
The Sea Dogs’ offense was almost entirely off the back of Franklin Arias and his two solo shots to boost his total to 10; he’s on pace to hit 30. I mean, what else is there to say? Arias has consistently had an OPS over 1.000 the entire season. He has the power the Red Sox so obviously lack this season. And yet, we don’t know yet if he can hit MLB pitching, and I think it should stay that way for at least another year. I do think Arias’ time in Double-A is over and a call up to Triple-A is overdue and I also think with Trevor Story being, well… not good, there’s no way, if you’re Craig Breslow, you look at the 2027 and beyond iteration of the roster and not figure Mayer and Arias as your infield, and that’s without even picturing where Mikey Romero goes organizationally. But, with Arias being 20, there’s no real reason to rush it and risk messing up a bonafide middle infield power hitter.
Today’s one-game day in Frederick, MD (Orioles High-A) remains untouched as Game 1 of Friday’s doubleheader was outright cancelled following a nasty storm and Greenville will play yesterday’s game two in a double-header tomorrow starting at noon.
Jay Allmer has had a tough season. He’s been touched up in Portland and Greenville and has been sent down to Low-A to re-tool, and honestly, probably to regroup. He seemed to have it figured out against the Howlers (Guardians A) as he struck out three and navigated the ship in relief on choppy offensive waters. Last year’s 16th round pick, Jason Gilman, had a really good start, allowing two hits and one run, and couldn’t get the last out for the decision win. Avinson Pinto, the shortstop who turns 19 next week, gave the team a lot to celebrate with a clutch seventh-inning long ball to put them up for good.
Jose Bello pitched into the sixth and looked great, giving up three hits and just one run, but ultimately ran into some trouble in the sixth of this abbreviated contest. The game went to extras at 1-1 as just two guys in the Salem offense had knocks (Kleyver Salazar and Stanley Tucker each had two.) Nicolas De La Cruz struck out five in his two innings but, ultimately, walks did him in and he got walked off looking for the final out that would have sent the game to the ninth.
Have a skippy Saturday.