Category: MLB

The regular season is nearing the two month mark, but the Brewers and Cubs have not played yet this season. That changes tonight as the two teams open the first of four series, which could end up deciding the NL Central.

The season is just over a quarter of the way done, and the National League is starting to split a little. There’s a clear top six teams in the league right now holding on to the playoff spots. Five teams — Brewers, Cubs, Dodgers, Cardinals, and Padres — are within 1 1/2 games of each other right now, and the Brewers are playing three of those teams in the next nine games. If you count the series against the Padres from last week, they are playing all four of the other teams in a 15-game stretch. It may be too early to win a division or secure a playoff spot, but positioning is still important, even this early in a season.

The young rotation will be tested in the next week and a half, and that starts with Brandon Sproat today. He has improved as the season has progressed, but is still young and has struggled as well. In his last start against the Padres, he allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed six hits and two walks while striking out six. This will be his first start against the Cubs.

The Brewers will also have a rested bullpen to work behind Sproat. Aaron Ashby, Shane Drohan, Trevor Megill, and Abner Uribe have all not pitched in the last two days. Drohan in particular could use some work in this series since he has not pitched in a week — he struck out two in 2/3 of an inning against the Padres last Tuesday.

For the Cubs, Shota Imanaga will open the series. He has bounced back from a questionable 2025, posting a 2.32 ERA over nine starts. His home run rate is significantly lower — just five allowed all season — and his strikeout rate is up to 9.8 K/9. In his last start against the Braves, he allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings, striking out six. Over his career against the Brewers, he has a 5.73 ERA in four starts over 22 innings.

The Brewers have loaded their lineup for tonight’s game, getting as many of their big hitters as they can into the lineup. Christian Yelich will DH and Andrew Vaughn will play first base, with Jake Bauers heading into left field so the Brewers can get all three of them in the lineup. Jackson Chourio will shift over to center field for just the third time this season, and first time this season when Bauers is playing in left field. Sal Frelick fills out the outfield alignment in right field. Brice Turang is at second as usual, with Joey Ortiz and Luis Rengifo manning shortstop and third base, respectively. William Contreras is behind the plate to round out the defense.

First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. It will be on Brewers.TV and the Brewers Radio Network.

Big series on deck

📺: https://t.co/eycfmE2vgm
📻: WTMJ#ThisIsMyCrew x @NicoletLawpic.twitter.com/uw7Jfn4WcO

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) May 18, 2026

A new homestand starts today.

Watch the game live on @WatchMarquee. pic.twitter.com/XjtEDVJ2uj

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 18, 2026

We get the first of four against the Yankees today.

There were little bits of Jays news this afternoon:

• Spencer Miles will either start or follow an opener Thursday.
• Alejandro Kirk caught Shane Bieber’s side session. He says the thumb hurts more hitting than catching.
• Bieber will throw a live BP tomorrow.
• Max Scherzer threw 22 pitches today.
• Nathan Lukes starts a rehab tomorrow. So he’ll be back in a few days.

Tonight’s lineup is……interesting:

Of course, not of those right-handed batters are hitting at all. Maybe tonight will be the night they do.

The Yankees return to the Bronx on Monday night looking to stop a frustrating stretch after dropping a series to a last-place team over the weekend in Queens. Despite flashes of offense during the Subway Series, the Yankees once again struggled to put games away.

Now, with a four-game series against the reigning American League champions on tap, the Yankees hope they can quickly turn the page on an ugly road trip. That stretch saw the team go 2-7 while also losing Jasson Domínguez (hurt in the getaway-day game immediately prior), José Caballero, and Max Fried to the injured list.

The Blue Jays have had a rough go to start the season, but they did top the Yankees in 8 of 13 meetings last regular season and, of course, took the American League Division Series in a four-game set, losing just once. The Yankees send Ryan Weathers to the mound after the young left-hander turned in arguably the best start of his MLB career last time out in Baltimore.

Weathers carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning before the Orioles finally broke through and eventually spoiled the outing after Brent Headrick surrendered the lead. Even with the tough-luck result, Weathers continues showing signs that he is settling into his role in the Yankees rotation.

Tonight also carries a small bit of family history for the lefty. Ryan’s father, David Weathers, was not only a former Yankee, but also originally drafted by the Blue Jays back in 1986. Ryan has only faced Toronto once previously at the big-league level, though that outing went quite well. In his final start of the 2024 season for the Marlins, Weathers tossed 6.1 innings of one-run ball against the Blue Jays while allowing just three hits and striking out six.

Weathers will face several familiar Blue Jays bats including George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Additionally, the Yankees get their first look at right-handed infielder Kazuma Okamoto, who came to Toronto from Japan this past offseason.

Toronto counters with veteran left-hander Patrick Corbin. Now 36 and on his third team in as many seasons, Corbin signed with Toronto after the season had already begun as injuries to José Berríos, Shane Bieber, and Trey Yesavage quickly stretched the organization’s pitching depth. To his credit, Corbin has provided Toronto with respectable innings so far this season, posting a 3.93 ERA through seven starts.

In fact, Corbin has quietly improved since appearing on the verge of being mashed out of the league from 2021 through 2024 with the Nationals. Yankees hitters will likely have opportunities against him, but Corbin’s slider remains capable of creating ugly swings if hitters become too aggressive.

That patience may be especially important for a Yankees lineup still searching for consistency behind Ben Rice, Aaron Judge, and Cody Bellinger. While the Yankees remain firmly in the playoff picture, the offense continues feeling capable of much more than what it has shown. However, one has to wonder how much longer some of these leashes are and what other options might eventually become available.

Tonight the Yankees give Rice a partial day off at designated hitter while slotting Paul Goldschmidt at first base and in the leadoff spot due to the southpaw Corbin on the bump. The Yankees are going right-hand heavy, with Amed Rosario starting at third base and Max Schuemann getting the nod in left field. J.C. Escarra will handle catching duties for the second-straight game and round out the lineup; he’s a lefty but Austin Wells is mired in an ugly slump, so Escarra will get another look while Wells takes a beat.

Monday night may not feature the flashiest pitching matchup on paper, but both teams badly need length from their starters. Toronto continues trying to survive a battered rotation while the Yankees would love to avoid leaning too heavily on a bullpen that has already seen its fair share of recent drama and heavy usage. Note that righty reliever Yovanny Cruz was recalled today and is out in the ‘pen now and could provide support as well. The 26-year-old has been a pro since 2017 and has pitched in multiple organizations, but this would be his long-awaited MLB debut.

After a rough finish in Queens, the Yankees now return home hoping a trip back to Yankee Stadium can help right the ship as the division race starts heating up deeper into the summer. Let’s boogie in the Bronx!

How to watch

Location: Yankee Stadium – Bronx, NY

First pitch: 7:05 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES, SN1

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280, SN590 THE FAN

Streaming: Gotham Sports App, MLB.tv (out-of-market only)

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Monday Matchup. #RepBXpic.twitter.com/UICp0ys1gR

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 18, 2026

Hello, New York 👋 #BlueJays50pic.twitter.com/W0aVZdL2yj

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) May 18, 2026

Detroit Tigers (20-26) vs. 

Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site: Covering the Corner
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: LHP Framber Valdez (2-2, 4.32 ERA) vs. RHP Slade Cecconi (2-4, 5.60 ERA)

Player	G	IP	K%	BB%	GB%	FIP	fWAR
Valdez	9	50.0	18.8	7.6	52.8	4.04	0.6
Cecconi	9	45.0	18.5	8.3	42.8	5.05	0.1

UPDATE: Start time will be delayed by weather.

Due to inclement weather in the area, the start of tonight's Tigers-Guardians game will be delayed. Further updates will be provided when available.

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) May 18, 2026

Go Rays!

Despite missing out on a sweep, the Nats still had a successful weekend against the O’s. They will look to keep the good times rolling against another rival in the Mets. The first time the Nats and Mets played, the Nationals managed to win two out of three. Now, they will match up for four games against a Mets team that is playing better baseball.

The Nats are making a couple lineup changes to open this series. Jorbit Vivas will replace Nasim Nunez at second base. Drew Millas will also do the catching instead of Keibert Ruiz. Besides that, it will be the same group as yesterday. Jake Irvin has not been great lately, but he will look to right the ship tonight.

https://t.co/iUBDqlACVs

→ https://t.co/iUBDqlACVs (https://t.co/iUBDqlACVs) pic.twitter.com/etjn1usqFg

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) May 18, 2026

The Mets are getting some big contributions from younger players. Carson Benge has settled in after a rough start to his big league career. A.J. Ewing has been fantastic to start his big league career. Those two and Juan Soto have been the heavy hitters in this Mets lineup. Bo Bichette has had a tough start to his Mets career, but we know the talent is there. Christian Scott is on the bump for the Mets tonight.

Tonight's starters in D.C. #LGMpic.twitter.com/0cM8nc5Nrv

— New York Mets (@Mets) May 18, 2026

Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 6:45 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

This series is a big NL East clash. After beating the Yankees in the subway series, the Mets are looking to make a move up the standings. The Nats are going to try and hold them off. This will be a very fun four game series to watch. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

The Orioles start a very tough stretch of baseball tonight. Six of their next nine games are against the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays, who have the most wins in the American League. You can check out details of the Rays’ season so far in our series preview, but suffice it to say they have been kind of the opposite of the Orioles this year.

This is the first time the Orioles have visited Tropicana Field since 2024, after the Rays spent 2025 at a spring training site while their ballpark was repaired.

Some Orioles batters appear to be heating up, and it would be a nice change of pace if they would actually follow through and stay good. Gunnar Henderson and Coby Mayo are showing signs of life. Tyler O’Neill has started hitting balls harder. Even Colton Cowser hit a home run. Pete Alonso remains ice cold.

Trevor Rogers gets the ball for the Orioles tonight, and it would be another nice change of pace if he could manage to look anything like the Trevor Rogers of 2025. Come on, Trev! We want to believe!

For the Rays, it’s lefty Shane McClanahan. Gulp. He has a 2.27 ERA and an active 21.2-inning scoreless streak. I’m gonna be honest, I don’t feel like the Orioles have a chance against this guy. But maybe I’ll be wrong. That’s why they play the games, as the saying goes.

Orioles lineup

Taylor Ward (R) LF
Gunnar Henderson (L) SS
Adley Rutschman (S) C
Pete Alonso (R) DH
Tyler O’Neill (R) RF
Coby Mayo (R) 1B
Jeremiah Jackson (R) 2B
Weston Wilson (R) 3B
Blaze Alexander (R) CF

LET BASALLO FACE LEFTIES! Also, I can’t wait to see what kind of shenanigans Blaze Alexander gets up to in center field.

Rays lineup

Yandy Díaz (R) DH
Jonathan Aranda (L) 1B
Junior Caminero (R) 3B
Ryan Vilade (R) RF
Jonny DeLuca (R) CF
Chandler Simpson (L) LF
Nick Fortes (R) C
Taylor Walls (S) SS
Carson Williams (R) 2B

Let’s go O’s!

The 20-27 Royals have fallen back into a tie with the Detroit Tigers for last place in the AL Central. The Royals managed to blank the Cardinals in a 2-0 victory yesterday, but that was after six straight losses. This team seems to ping-pong from elation to despair a lot. Right now, there’s a little too much despair.

Hopefully a return to the K can add some hope. After that miserable road trip, the Royals welcome the similarly-despondent 19-27 Boston Red Sox to Kansas City. The Red Sox are also recent losers, having dropped 2 of 3 games against each of the Braves, Phillies, and Rays over the past week+.

Just a few weeks ago, the Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora and a whole bunch of his staff. Wilyer Abreu, Willson Contreras, and Ceddanne Rafaela are about the only hitters having a good season for the Red Sox. Offseason trade target Jarren Duran has scuffled pretty badly to a .183/.243/.305 line. Trevor Story similarly struggled before recently being put on the IL. They’ve had some decent starting pitching but their star – Garrett Crochet – pitched to a 6.30 ERA before also being put on the IL.

The Royals have their own issues, of course. Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino are similarly struggling in the middle of the lineup. Cole Ragans is on the IL. The bullpen is suspect.

The Royals will put Seth Lugo on the mound to start. He’s somewhat returned to form with a 3.76 ERA, but there are a lot of mixed signals there. His strikeout rate is stable compared to prior years but his walk rate is up. His BABIP is wayyyy up. The key thing is that he has limited home runs – he has somehow given up only 1 homer all season. That will paper over a lot of issues but I doubt that is sustainable.

The Red Sox start Sonny Gray, who is in the final year of a 3/$76M contract. In his older age (Gray is 36), he’s pivoted to being Mark Buehrle. Very low strikeout rate, low walk rate, low homers. Limits damage on contact. Gray has managed a 3.18 ERA doing this. It’s unprecedented for Sonny – this would be the lowest strikeout rate of his career, by a lot.

A stoppable force meets a movable object. Let’s see which team blinks and scurries away.

Keep in mind the original game time was 6:40pm US Central. Apparently because of the possibility of bad weather, the game has been moved up to 6:10pm US Central. You can watch on Royals.tv or listen on 96.5 The Fan or the Royals Radio Network.

Lineups:

Hello again, friends! It’s time to watch the Red Sox flail away once more on a Monday, this time in Kansas City, where the game has been moved up by 30 minutes to hopefully avoid bad weather, now boasting a 7:10 EDT start time. On the bright side, Sonny Gray, one of the team’s best stories this year (not that it’s saying much) takes the mound against Kyle Isbel. On the less bright side, a) the aforementioned weather and b) this is still a lineup that has Mickey Gasper DHing and batting second. Woof. Anyhow:

By contrast, the Royals’ #2 hitter plays shortstop very well and is currently the No. 2 favorite to win the AL MVP award. The wise man bowed and spoke and all that jazz. Here’s the full lineup:

Dat’s all.

The NL East leading Atlanta Braves, who have the highest winning percentage, Division lead, and Swag Level^TM in the league, have made a transaction before tonight’s game with the Miami Marlins.

The #Braves today reinstated OF Ronald Acuña Jr. from the injured list and placed INF Kyle Farmer on the 10-day injured list, backdated to May 16, with a strained right forearm.

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 18, 2026

The Braves have reinstated Ronald Acuña from the 10-day Injured List. Ronald has been recovering from a Grade 1 hamstring strain since May 3rd. Acuña has been taking batting practice and running in the outfield during the last home stand, but have been insistent that he won’t return until he can play the outfield. However, he will not immediately be inserted into tonight’s starting lineup. But with Walt Weiss at the reins, anything could happen. He could start tomorrow on the Miami Marlins’ IBD Day. Well, they do like beaning Ronald. There’s a dad joke in there somewhere that you can write yourself.

To make way for Acuña, Kyle Farmer will join the Injured List with a strained right forearm. It’s tough to tell if this is a “strained right forearm”, or one that will require scans, X-rays and some extended time off. So the listed outfielders tonight will be Acuña, Jose Azocar, Michael Harris, and Mike Yastrzemski, although Mauricio Dubon plays where he wants.

They weren’t kidding around about Tarik Skubal’s accelerated rehabilitation timeline.  

Less than two weeks after having surgery to remove a loose body from his left elbow, the two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner was back on a mound Monday, May 17 at Comerica Park. Unfortunately for the struggling Detroit Tigers it was the bullpen mound, but it does make a June return seem possible.  

It’s a rare ray of hope for the Tigers, who have gone 2-10 since Skubal went on the injured list May 4.  

Skubal threw long toss in the outfield before rain forced him inside for a bullpen session, according to reports. It was his second mound session since surgery. He is beginning his return to a five-day schedule of throwing.  

MLB POWER RANKINGS: Phillies are so back after firing manager for horrid start

On May 6, Skubal underwent a Nanoscope procedure, a less invasive method than traditional arthroscopic surgery. The Tigers had hoped this would fast-track his return.  

So far, it appears to be doing that, but manager A.J. Hinch refuses to be pinned down on a timeline.  

In seven starts before the injury, Skubal went 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP, striking out 45 and issuing just six walks over 43 1/3 innings.  

Over the past two seasons, Skubal went 31-10 with a 2.30 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 469 strikeouts in 387 1/3 innings. He won back-to-back AL Cy Young Awards and led the AL in ERA both years. In 2025, he posted a 2.21 ERA and a 241-to-33 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 31 starts.  

Skubal, who had Tommy John surgery in college and flexor tendon surgery in August 2022, is in his walk year. He is a free agent after this season and expected to command one of the largest pitching contracts in MBL history.  

The Tigers entered Monday's play at 20-27, battered by injuries and in a wide-open AL Central race.  

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tarik Skubal returns to mound after elbow surgery

Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:

📍 Philly#RingTheBellpic.twitter.com/cKNbgjb4fc

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 18, 2026

For the Reds:

Back at it in Philly

Powered by @PNCBankpic.twitter.com/mSJgfpTRGP

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 18, 2026

Let’s talk about it.

Tonight’s game between the Red Sox and Royals has already been moved up by 30 minutes, and for good reason. Originally scheduled for a 7:40pm (eastern time) first pitch, we’re not set to go at 7:10pm eastern.

Why you ask? Well, let’s just say Mother Nature is cooking up a whopper in the central Great Plains. By late afternoon, conditions will support numerous severe thunderstorms firing across Kansas and southern Nebraska. And, as you might expect, severe weather in this part of the country in the spring isn’t to be trifled with.

These supercells will be capable of producing large hail, strong winds, frequent lightning, and even some destructive, long-track tornadoes. As the evening progresses, these cells will likely merge into a large squall line that races into northwest Missouri where the Red Sox will be playing the Royals and probably have just fallen to 0-18 with runners in scoring position.

Below is a simulated radar from the HRRR model showing the projected conditions each hour between 6:00pm and Midnight eastern time:

Now, here’s the good news: Kauffman Stadium is located on the southeast side of Kansas City, which should buy a little bit more time before the terrible tempest arrives.

However, the exact speed of the storm is going to depend partially on how fast / if the individual supercells in Kansas and Nebraska form into a solid line as shown on the simulated radar above. If they do, they will move quicker, arrive faster, and of course be a bigger threat to cut the game short.

On the other hand, if the supercells stay separate and don’t form into a big line, they will move slower. But here’s the catch, the separated supercells scenario is also more capable of producing larger hail, and yes, one of those destructive, long-track tornadoes.

In other words, if we get that scenario and this games goes extra innings, somebody might be visiting the land of Oz.

Mets lineup

Carson Benge – RF
Bo Bichette – SS
Juan Soto – DH
Mark Vientos – 1B
Brett Baty – 3B
Marcus Semien – 2B
A.J. Ewing – CF
Tyrone Taylor – LF
Luis Torrens – C

SP: Christian Scott (RHP)

Nationals lineup

James Wood – RF
Luis Garcia – 1B
Brady House – 3B
CJ Abrams – SS
Daylen Lile – LF
Jacob Young – CF
Jose Tena – DH
Jorbit Vivas – 2B
Drew Millas – C

SP: Jake Irvin (RHP)

Broadcast info

First pitch: 6:45 PM EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2