Category: MLB

For the first time of 2026, the Dodgers on Thursday won’t have Shohei Ohtani starting for them in any capacity, a planned rest day during the final game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium.

The decision to have Ohtani not hit on either Wednesday or Thursday came before Tuesday’s game, when Ohtani hit his first home run in 16 days. He then followed that up with seven scoreless innings on the mound on Wednesday, lowering his MLB-leading ERA to a scant 0.82.

“It might be a good thing to take a little bit of a load off his plate offensively,” manager Dave Roberts said on Tuesday.

That means no start for Ohtani on Thursday, though Roberts did say Ohtani would be available to pinch-hit later in the game if needed. Roberts also had advice for Ohtani’s first real rest day of the season, which is directly in the middle of a stretch of 13 game days in a row for the Dodgers.

“I would say show up late, start the day much later, build up some R and R,” Roberts said. “But as the game goes on, start reading the scoreboard and seeing if the situation potentially could arise, to then prepare for that spot.”

Teoscar Hernández had his second multi-hit game of the series on Wednesday night as he filled in at designated hitter while Ohtani was focusing only on pitching. Dalton Rushing has the other three non-Ohtani starts at DH this season, collecting a home run and double in his 11 at-bats, with four RBI. Throw in Alex Call’s pinch-hit double on May 5 in Houston, the non-Ohtani designated hitters are hitting .313/.313/.625 (5-for-16) with two doubles, a home run, five runs scored and five RBI in four games, with another coming Thursday night.

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Emmet Sheehan gets the start for the Dodgers to close out the homestand, after opening the homestand with seven strikeouts and one run allowed in 4 2/3 innings last Friday against the Atlanta Braves.

Landen Roupp starts for the Giants. The Dodgers scored only one run against the right-hander on April 21 in San Francisco. Roupp walked five in that win but also allowed just one hit and struck out seven. He leads San Francisco with a 28.8-percent strikeout rate this season.

The Dodgers are 8-5 in the final game of series this season, but just 3-4 in such games at home. Thursday is the end of the fourth homestand of the season, with the Dodgers splitting the final games in each of their first three homestands of 2026.

Thursday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Giants
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Time: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Fresh off of winning a series in Dodger Stadium to cap off a successful road trip out West, the Atlanta Braves are now looking to keep this fantastic run going by not just picking up a series win against the Chicago Cubs but capping off the three-game set with a series sweep of the current NL Central leaders.

The pitching has been a big reason behind Atlanta’s success in this series so far (and the season as a whole), as the raves have only given up three runs on five hits through both games so far. The Cubs came into this series slumping after having been shut out during their final two games at Texas and the Braves have done a good job of extending that misery with their efforts on the mound and their defensive quality as well.

It only figures to get better for the Braves coming into this game, as it’s Chris Sale’s turn in the rotation. Outside of a rough outing in Anaheim against the Angels last month, Sale has ben pretty consistent and a very steady figure in the rotation so far — which is exactly what you’d expect from the future Hall-of-Famer. Sale’s last outing saw him perform well enough to keep the Braves competitive against the Dodgers but ultimately, the three runs (two eanred) that he conceded were enough for the Dodgers to eke out a win. Still, those two earned runs were the most that Sale had given up in any outing outside of the one against the Angels — all of the others saw him give up at least one run or fewer while going at least six innings as well.

That’s to say that Chris Sale has been very consistent on the mound so far for the Braves and you always have to like Atlanta’s chances of winning any given game that he’s pitching in. While this does seem like an ideal situation for Sale and the Braves to thrive in considering how anemic the Cubs lineup has been in recent days, one thing to keep an eye on is that the Cubs have done pretty well against left-handed pitching so far this season. As a team, they’re hitting .267/.364/.425 against lefties with 15 home runs, a .352 wOBA and 126 wRC+ and that wRC+ mark is the top mark in all of baseball so far. If the Cubs do wake up tonight, it may not be all that surprising.

With that being said, it also wouldn’t be surprising if they just kept on struggling. The Cubs have faced left-handers Dylan Lee (who FanGraphs has noticed is doing a fantastic job so far) and Martín Pérez for three innings combined over the course of this series and they’ve collected zero hits, zero walks and struck out six times against the two of them. It is possible for left-handers to have success against the Cubs and maybe we’ll see that from Chris Sale tonight.

If they continue to struggle, then the relevant stat could be that the Cubs’ lineup isn’t nearly as imposing away from The Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field. At home, the Cubs are hitting .263/.364/.496 with a .377 wOBA, 29 homers and a wRC+ of 128. Away from the North Side, those numbers go down to .227/.319/.378 with 23 homers, a .317 wOBA and a wRC+ of 100. Now granted, it’s not hardly surprising to see a team hit better at home than on the road but for comparisons’ sake, the Braves wRC+ goes from 123 at home to 119 on the road. That much of a drop off is enough to take notice of and maybe it could be that the Cubs are just a different team once they put on the road grays (or blues).

So while the Braves may have the advantage in their attempt to go for a sweep, it won’t be easy. That’s because the Cubs are sending Ben Brown to start tonight’s game. There’s been a lot of uncertainty about whether or not the Cubs want to make Brown a starter instead of keeping him in the bullpen and as of right now, he’s got the nod to be a starter. His most recent outing was a successful one where he tossed four scoreless innings against the Rangers and that was part of a lovely stretch that he’s been on since April 11 where he’s thrown 19 innings and given up three runs (with only one of those being earned) on 10 hits and five walks while striking out 16 batters.

While that start against the Rangers was actually a spot start, the Cubs clearly believe in Brown enough to give him a shot against this very potent Braves lineup at Truist Park, so we’ll see if Chicago’s faith in their talented pitcher will be paid off. He’s entering this game with an ERA of 1.82 (46 ERA-) and a FIP of 2.63 (66 FIP-) so if he keeps that up, he will provide some tough opposition for the Braves this evening.

If it comes down to it, the Braves may just have to once again find a way to get to their opposition’s bullpen and make something happen in the later innings. As it turns out, the Braves have been the best-hitting team in baseball from the seventh inning onwards. Atlanta is hitting .275/.344.459 with a wOBA of .353 and a wRC+ of 125 in the seventh, eighth and ninth inning of games so far — all of those numbers are either at the top of the baseball leaderboards or in the top five when it comes to that particular stat, so it’s pretty clear that if the bullpen does get involved, the Braves are capable of turning the game around at that point in time.

The pitching matchup is certainly intriguing and it’s one that makes you think that the Braves can afford to get greedy and go for a sweep here. Going 5-1 against two of the best teams in the National League so far would be a true statement of intent to the rest of baseball that this Braves team means serious business here in 2026. You could argue that that statement has already been made with their series win but a sweep just seems so much nicer, doesn’t it? It’s not going to be an easy task for the Braves but with the way they’ve been rolling so far, it’s not hard to believe that they can pull it off. Let’s see what happens, y’all.

Game Info

Game Time: Thursday, May 14, 7:15 p.m. ET

Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA.

Watch: BravesVision

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

A.J. Ewing blasted his first major league home run in Thursday’s game against the Detroit Tigers.

Leading off the bottom of the third inning, the Mets' outfielder jumped on a Keider Montero 93 mph fastball, hitting a line-drive laser over the wall in right. 

The solo home run traveled 405 feet and came off the bat at 110.5 miles per hour.

"That was really cool," Ewing said after the game. "The first homer, that was awesome."

The Mets' highly touted prospect scored the game-winning run in extras on Wednesday night, hustling in from second on Carson Benge's 10th-inning single, and now he has his first major league round-tripper.

Take a look:

A.J. EWING'S FIRST CAREER HOME RUN! pic.twitter.com/vkJDNHlk1U

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 14, 2026

Ewing finished the game 2-for-4 and is slashing .333/.538/.889 while filling up the stat sheet with a home run, a triple, four walks, three RBI, four runs scored and a stolen base after his first three-game series in the big leagues.

Not exactly known for his power after hitting just 15 dingers in 251 minor league games in his career, including two in 30 games between Double-A and Triple-A this year, Ewing believes it can still happen every now and then.

"I think it can be a part of my game," the rookie said. "I don’t think it’s gonna be my identity, I’m gonna spray the ball, hit a lot of line drives and put myself in position to get on base a lot, but I think that when I catch stuff out in front it can happen for sure."

Last night the A’s tied up this inter-league three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals at Sutter Health Park in West Sac, and today we get the rubber match at 12:05 PM. The Athletics currently reside in first place in the American League West with a 22-20 record, while the Cards are in third place in the National League Central Division with a 24-18 record.

Taking the mound for the Athletics today is 28-year-old lefty Jacob Lopez. So far on the year, Lopez has a 3-2 record with a 6.11 ERA over 35.1 innings. He’s started in seven of his eight appearances and has struck out twenty-eight batters.  He’ll face off against 25-year-old righty Michael McGreevy.  He’s 3-2 on the season with a 2.11 ERA in his eight starts this season.

McGreevy will go up against this lineup for the Mark Kotsay’s A’s today:

Lopez will battle this batting order for the visiting Cardinals:

Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics – Talk 650 KSTE, A’s Cast

The Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox wrap up their three-game series. The teams split the first two games. Jesús Luzardo takes the mound for Philadelphia with a 5.77 ERA, while Ranger Suarez starts for Boston with a 2.77 ERA.

How to watch Philadelphia Phillies vs. Boston Red Sox

• Date: Thursday, May 14

• Time: 6:45 p.m. ET / 3:45 p.m. PT

• Where: Fenway Park, Boston, MA

• TV Channels: NESN, NBCSP

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• Philadelphia Phillies: 20-23 (No. 3 in NL East)

• Boston Red Sox: 18-24 (No. 5 in AL East)

Odds

• Spread: Boston Red Sox +1.5

• Moneyline: Boston Red Sox -104 (48.8%) / Philadelphia Phillies -115 (51.2%)

• Over/Under: 7.5

Starting pitchers

Philadelphia Phillies: Jesús Luzardo (3-3, ERA: 5.77, K: 57, WHIP: 1.40)
Boston Red Sox: Ranger Suarez (2-2, ERA: 2.77, K: 32, WHIP: 0.95)

Weather: 54°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 37,755 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass

After last night’s fully-cursed game, the Mariners have just one game to play before they get to get out of Houston and return home to Seattle. Luis Castillo will take the ball for Seattle.

Lineups:

News:

Unfortunately it’s bad news for the Mariners. Cal Raleigh is headed to the IL for the first time in his career with an oblique strain. Obliques! They are evil! Read more here.

Game Information:

Game time: 11:10 PT

TV: Mariners.TV, with Aaron Goldsmith, Dave Valle, Jay Buhner and Brad Adam

Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Rick Rizzs and Gary Hill Jr.

The Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves end their three-game series between divisional leaders. The Braves won the first two games. Starting pitchers are scheduled to be Ben Brown for the Cubs, with a 1.82 ERA, and Chris Sale for the Braves, with a 2.20 ERA.

How to watch Chicago Cubs vs. Atlanta Braves

• Date: Thursday, May 14

• Time: 7:15 p.m. ET / 4:15 p.m. PT

• Where: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

• TV Channels: BravesVision, Marquee Sports Network

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• Chicago Cubs: 27-16 (No. 1 in NL Central)

• Atlanta Braves: 30-13 (No. 1 in NL East)

Odds

• Spread: Atlanta Braves -1.5

• Moneyline: Atlanta Braves -162 (59.3%) / Chicago Cubs +136 (40.7%)

• Over/Under: 7.5

Starting pitchers

Chicago Cubs: Ben Brown (1-1, ERA: 1.82, K: 27, WHIP: 0.91)
Atlanta Braves: Chris Sale (6-2, ERA: 2.20, K: 56, WHIP: 0.88)

Weather: 71°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 41,149 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass

The Seattle Mariners placed catcher Cal Raleigh on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain, the team announced Thursday, May 14.

Raleigh left Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros in the ninth inning after experiencing pain on his right side. Raleigh lands on the injured list for the first time in his career, and in a corresponding move, catcher Jhonny Pereda was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma.

Mitch Garver will take Raleigh's place in the lineup for Thursday's game against Houston and is batting eighth.

After hitting 60 home runs and finishing second in the American League Most Valuable Player voting, the 29-year-old Raleigh has gotten off to a horrible start in 2026.

He snapped an 0-for-38 hitless streak, in Seattle's May 12 victory, with two singles, his first hits since April 27.

“Logan (Gilbert) gave me some good advice to wash off the bad mojo or juju from the baseball gods,” Raleigh told the Associated Press. “So yeah, it worked. He was right, so I got to give him credit where credit’s due.”

Raleigh is batting .161 with seven home runs and 18 RBIs for Seattle, which enter the day two games back of the Athletics for first place in the AL West.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cal Raleigh oblique injury lands Mariners star on injury list

Columbus Clippers 8, St. Paul Saints 3

What a season it has been for Kahlil Watson! He went 2-5 with a 2 RBI double to raise his average to .276 and his OPS to .931. Juan Brito also went 2-5 with an RBI triple. He is hitting .281 with a .903 OPS in AAA this season. Stuart Fairchild went 2-4 with a walk, and Kody Huff continues his great season going 2-3 with a walk. He is now hitting .318 with an OPS of .980.

It was a solid start for Rorik Maltrud. He gave up 3 runs in 5 innings pitched but also had 7 strikeouts to just 1 walk. His ERA on the season sits at 2.50. Daniel Espino pitched 2/3 of an inning and had two more walks, something he has been struggling with lately. Trent Denholm wound up getting the win by pitching 3.1 scoreless innings of relief with 5 strikeouts.

Akron RubberDucks 5, Chesapeake Baysox 3

We are calling this one the Juan Benjamin game. Benjamin went 4-4 with two doubles and was responsible for 3 of the 5 RubberDucks runs. Alfonsin Rosario went 1-4 with a double, Alex Mooney went 1-3 with an RBI single.

It has been a rough season for Dylan Delucia. This start wasn’t too bad but he still allowed 4 runs on 7 hits in his 4 innings pitched. His ERA on the season sits at 8.14. Adam Tulloch, Reid Johnston, and Jay Driver combined for 5 scoreless innings of relief with 5 strikeouts to just 2 walks.

Lake County Captains 16, Dayton Dragons 6

What a day it was for the Rake County Captains. They really made that nickname proud last night. Luke Hill continues to have an awesome season, he went 4-5 with two Home Runs. Nolan Schubart had 3 walks and hit a grand slam. Aaron Walton might be the highest rising position player prospect in the system after homering again today, he is hitting .319 with a 1.027 OPS on the season. They have to get him to Akron soon. Jace Laviolette went 1-4 with a double and a walk, and Dean Curley went 1-3 with two walks and an RBI single.

It hasn’t been the season that Rafe Schlesinger was hoping to have. He allowed 3 more runs today in 3.1 innings pitched and his ERA is up to 5.33 on the season. The main takeaway from this game on the pitching side has to be Cam Schuelke. His ERA is down to 0.55 on the season after throwing 2 scoreless innings of relief with 3 strikeouts and 1 walk.

Hill City Howlers 7, Wilson Warbirds 3

Dauri Fernandez went 2-4 with an RBI double and a walk. He is now hitting .288 with a .769 OPS on the season. Cannon Peebles went 2-4 with a walk and an RBI single. Jose Pirela homered again and continues his nice season. Tyler Howard went 2-4 with a 2 RBI ground rule double.

Nelson Keljo continues to look awesome. He tossed 4 more scoreless innings tonight with 4 strikeouts and 2 walks. His ERA is down to 1.69 on the season. Ryan Prager made his Single A debut today and threw 2 scoreless innings of relief with 2 strikeouts.

TODAY’S GAME: The Houston Astros (17-27) will continue their seven-game homestand today as they look to earn a four-game series split with a win against the rival Seattle Mariners (21-23).

Astros starter RHP Mike Burrows (2-4, 5.04 ERA), who tossed 7.0 shutout innings his last time out, will oppose RHP Luis Castillo (0-4, 6.57 ERA) and the Mariners in this series finale.

ABOUT BURROWS: RHP Mike Burrows owns a 2.50 ERA (5ER/18IP) in his last three starts and is coming off the best start of his young career on Friday at CIN (0ER/7IP).

Burrows is acclimating himself to the AL West, as he was acquired from the Pirates this offseason as part of a three-team, six-player trade in which the Astros sent OF Jacob Melton and minor leaguer RHP Anderson Brito to the Tampa Bay Rays, while the Rays sent IF Brandon Lowe, OF Jake Mangum and LHP Mason Montgomery to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

ROCK CLIMBING: The Astros are facing RHP Luis Castillo for the 11th time in his career today and for the second time this season, with the first coming on April 11 in Seattle when the Astros tagged him for seven runs on 3.1 innings.

DH Yordan Alvarez took Castillo deep in that game and now has three career home runs and a lifetime .474 (9×19) average off the three-time All-Star.

VS. SEATTLE: The Astros and Mariners are playing their second series of 2026 and after today will not see each other again until August.

With a win last night, the Astros snapped a nine-game losing streak to Seattle, which spanned back to 2025.

ABOUT THE SKIPPER:Manager Joe Espada recorded his 192nd career managerial victory last night, which moved him past Harry Craft (1962-64) into 12th in club history. He now immediately trails Jimy Williams (215) for 11th on that all-time list.

LANCE REACHES 900 K’S: RHP Lance McCullers Jr. surpassed 900 career strikeouts last night as he fanned six in his 5.1 innings pitched. McCullers became the 15th player in franchise history to reach 900 strikeouts and the quickest to do so in terms of appearances (154g).

THE ORDER: The Astros have used 44 different lineups in their 44 games in 2026. Only LF Yordan Alvarez has started every game in the same spot in the lineup (hitting second), although he will bat 3rd today.

1B Christian Walker has played in every game (43 starts).

CLIMBING THE CHARTS: With two RBI last night, 2B Jose Altuve reached 900 career RBI, making him the fifth player in franchise history to reach that mark.

He also checks in with 238 career homers as a second baseman, needing one more to tie Lou Whitaker for seventh place all-time in MLB history among second basemen.

THE SHEW FITS: SS Braden Shewmake went 2×5 last night, which extended his current hitting streak to a career-long eight games.

Shewmake has hit .364 (12×33) with three homers and a 1.000 OPS in 13 games since being acquired by the Astros in a trade from the Yankees on April 19.

WALKER, TEXAS HAMMER: 1B Christian Walker is hitting .296 (24×81) in his last 21 games (since April 20) with six homers and 13 RBI.

Among AL players this season, Walker ranks tied for third in RBI (29), sixth in extra-base hits (20), seventh in total bases (84), and seventh in SLG (.525).

GUN ‘EM DOWN: In just 21 games, C Christian Vázquez has thrown out nine baserunners attempting to steal (in 25 attempts), which ranks tied for first in the AL and fourth in the Majors.

TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2017 – The Astros spoil Derek Jeter Night at Yankee Stadium, erupting for six runs in the 1st inning off RHP Masahiro Tanaka en route to a 10-7 win on national TV. 3B Alex Bregman hits his first career grand slam in the big 1st inning. The win gave Houston a split in what was a Mother’s Day doubleheader.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Thursday, May 14, 1:10 p.m. CT

Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX

TV: Space City Home Network

Streaming: SCHN+

Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

Thursday Matinee.

⚾️: 1:10pm
🏟️: Closed
📺: @SpaceCityHN
🎙️: @SportsTalk790 | Spanish: 102.9 HD2#ChaseTheFight x @reliantenergypic.twitter.com/HAqYSIqFnl

— Houston Astros (@astros) May 14, 2026

One more in the Lone Star State. #TridentsUppic.twitter.com/RKbjJjjUG5

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) May 14, 2026

The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers close out their four-game series. The Giants won the first two games before Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers shut them out 4-0 on Wednesday. Scheduled starting pitchers are Landen Roupp for San Francisco, with a 3.09 ERA, and Emmet Sheehan for Los Angeles, with a 4.79 ERA.

How to watch San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

• Date: Thursday, May 14

• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET / 7:10 p.m. PT

• Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA

• TV Channels: MLB Network, SportsNet LA, NBCS BA

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• San Francisco Giants: 18-25 (No. 4 in NL West)

• Los Angeles Dodgers: 25-18 (No. 2 in NL West)

Odds

• Spread: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5

• Moneyline: Los Angeles Dodgers -173 (60.7%) / San Francisco Giants +144 (39.3%)

• Over/Under: 8.0

Starting pitchers

San Francisco Giants: Landen Roupp (5-3, ERA: 3.09, K: 51, WHIP: 1.10)
Los Angeles Dodgers: Emmet Sheehan (2-1, ERA: 4.79, K: 43, WHIP: 1.35)

Weather: 68°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 56,000 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass

Update 11:39am MT: Thomas Harding reports that Dollander was removed due to right arm tightness.

#Rockies RHP Chase Dollander left today's game with right arm tightness.

— Thomas Harding (@harding_at_mlb) May 14, 2026

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Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chase Dollander left today’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates after facing two batters in the second inning.

After giving up a leadoff double to Endy Rodríguez and then walking Jared Triolo, he shook his right arm and was visited by Keith Dugger and Warren Schaeffer on the mound before being lifted.

Dollander threw 28 pitches, 17 for strikes while allowing three runs (all earned) on five hits with a walk. Two of the runs were scored on a two-run homer from Ryan O’Hearn in the first inning.

Brennan Bernardino entered in relief, and recently-recalled Tanner Gordon will likely pitch most of the innings today.

The reasons for Dollander leaving the game are not known at this time, but Purple Row will continue to follow this developing story.

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The Royals have not been happy road warriors. Their loss to the White Sox last night ensures they will have lost six of their first seven road series, the only success being a sweep in Seattle. They are just 6-14 overall on the road, the second-worst record in baseball.

The road woes have been a complete team effort – both the hitting and the pitching have been noticeably worse away from Kansas City.

The team moved the fences in at Kauffman Stadium to give hitters a more neutral environment. Runs are up 35 percent at the K – they averaged just 3.71 runs-per-game there last year. At home, the Royals are an offensive juggernaut. They have the seventh-best home offense in baseball with a wRC+ of 115. Royals hitters have a line of .265/.349/.436 at home. They have the fifth-best on-base percentage and the second-highest hard-hit rate. Maikel Garcia is hitting .351 at home. Michael Massey is hitting .333 with three home runs in 14 games at the K. Seven Royals hitters are hitting .298 or better at home.

The road is a completely different story. Royals hitters are batting just .213/.284/.341 on the road – only the Phillies have been worse. Their hard-hit rate falls from 37.1 percent at home to just 29.9 percent on the road, fifth-worst in baseball. Garcia is hitting just .207 on the road. Isaac Collins went hitless in his first 28 at-bats on the road.

Pitchers have endured similar struggles. Their 5.05 road ERA is the fifth-worst in baseball. Royals pitchers have the third-worst home run rate on the road, while they have the tenth-best home run rate at home. Cole Ragans has a 7.97 ERA on the road, second-worst among qualified pitchers. Royals relievers have a 5.57 ERA on the road, although admittedly that figure is distorted by a six-run blowup by Carlos Estévez in Atlanta.

For all their struggles last year, the 2025 Royals were not a particularly bad road team. They finished 39-42 away from the K, scoring more runs on the road. Could the changes to Kauffman Stadium be a possible culprit for the offense? It has boosted offense at home, but could there be a “hangover” effect? Coors Field famously inflates offensive numbers for Rockies hitters, but it also seems to make their road numbers worse as hitters adjust their approach when playing in Denver, but struggle to readjust for road games. Could Royals hitters be eyeing the shorter porches at Kauffman, messing up their approach on the road?

Their home run totals on the road don’t seem to dip too much, rather it is their road batting average of .213 that is an outlier. Some bad luck could be contributing to that – their road BABIP is .261, second-worst in baseball. It could also be a matter of small sample size and matchups. Three of the teams they have visited – the Braves, Guardians, and Athletics, all sit in first place, and another – the Yankees – have one of the best records in baseball.

Still, the Royals will need to figure out their road struggles soon. Some home/road disparity is normal. But the Royals haven’t just been worse away from Kansas City – they look like an entirely different team.

First Pitch (CT):12:40 PM
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App
Know Yo’ Foe: Fish on First

The Twins go for the series victory and first series win vs an NL team in 2026. Zebby Matthews was recalled today to make the start, his first of the season, while the Twins’ lineup will see lefty Braxton Garrett, also making his first start of the year.

After losing the battle for the final rotation spot to Mick Abel, Zebby has been passed over several times as injuries have come up, with the Twins opting for the likes of Connor Prielipp and Kendry Rojas, and Zebby’s AAA numbers make that decision obvious. In 34.1 innings, Matthews has a 4.72 ERA/6.09 FIP/4.28 xFIP while striking out just 21.9% of batters and walking a career high 7.4% of them. His diminished velocity from Spring Training hasn’t really improved and, more importantly, his breaking pitches aren’t really breaking. He’s been better over his past three starts in St. Paul, but this many walks for a player who relies on pinpoint accuracy is concerning. We’ll see if he can turn things around today!

Roster notes:

• RP Travis Adams was optioned to make room for Zebulon
• Struggling Matt Wallner finally got demoted in favor of utility man Ryan Kreidler. Kreidler is likely a placeholder until one of Alan Roden, Emmanuel Rodriguez, or Walker Jenkins is healthy, but it’s a disappointing run for a player the Twins were hopeful could be part of their next core. With so many top prospects on the brink of debuting, there’s a chance we may not see the Forest Lake native with the Big League squad again.
• In the meantime, Austin Martin will get a chance to play every day and see if his hot start is sustainable. Martin has established himself as a key role player, but he’ll get a few weeks to see if he can be more than that.
• Byron Buxton is getting a rare day off. He’s been either their best or second-best player this season (I see you Ryan Jeffers) but even superheroes need breaks occasionally. The Twins don’t have an off day for another week so this seemed like a good time get him off his feet after a monster Wednesday performance.

Lineups

Twins	Opponent
SP: Zebby Matthews	SP: Braxton Garrett (LHP)
1. Austin Martin, RF	1. Xavier Edwards, 2B
2. Brooks Lee, SS	2. Liam Hicks, C
3. Ryan Jeffers, C	3. Otto Lopez, SS
4. Josh Bell, DH	4. Kyle Stowers, LF
5. Victor Caratini, 1B	5. Christopher Morel, 1B
6. Luke Keaschall, 2B	6. Jakob Marsee, CF
7. Royce Lewis, 3B	7. Leo Jimenez, DH
8. Ryan Kreidler, CF	8. Owen Caissie, RF
9. James Outman, LF	9. Javier Sanoja, 3B