Jorge Polanco, signed to a two-year, $40 million contract with the hopes that he could transition from the middle of the infield to first base, has been hurt most of the season and played poorly when on the field.
Brett Baty, introduced to the position during spring training, has been inconsistent in the field and at the plate. He’s shown flashes of his lefty power, but ended an 0-for-10 skid going 1-for-3 in Wednesday’s 14-2 loss to Washington at Citi Field.
And then there’s Mark Vientos, who has struggled badly on both sides of the ball, looking to recapture at least the power he displayed two years ago, which seems to be more and more of a distant memory.
Mets third baseman Mark Vientos (27) falls off the bag, allowing a batter on during the ninth inning when the New York Mets played the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Altogether, they entered Wednesday with the fourth-worst OPS at the position this season (.581), a year after Pete Alonso helped them to the second-best OPS in the majors (.861).
Neither has stood out defensively, either.
And according to FanGraphs, the group has the second-lowest WAR (-0.5).
Asked about the spot, Carlos Mendoza said the duo of Baty and Vientos has “handled the position fine,” adding Vientos has been OK defensively.
But the manager acknowledged: “Offensively, we expect more.”
In fairness, the lack of production has been a failure of almost the entire lineup — not just at first base.
Jorge Polanco (11) throws out Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Ryan O’Hearn at first base during the seventh inning of a baseball game. APPete Alonso of the Baltimore Orioles blows on his finger gun as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run. Getty Images
But it’s felt there especially, since they had such a consistent threat at first with Alonso.
“They took a strength and made it a weakness,’’ one National League scout said. “I think Baty can hit, but he shouldn’t be at first base. If they had just kept him at third, where he looked comfortable last year, I think he would have come on at the plate. But they’re making it harder on him, all to get another guy who’s out of position [former shortstop Bo Bichette] into the lineup.”
Mets third baseman Brett Baty (7) fields a throw during the first inning when the New York Mets played the Pittsburgh Pirates. Robert Sabo for NY Post
With Polanco nursing both a right wrist contusion and Achilles discomfort — and considered week to week by David Stearns — the Mets figure to go with Baty and Vientos.
“We signed Polanco to play there and he’s had health issues,’’ Mendoza said.
This game started out like it might be something special for Jameson Taillon, but then the home-run bug bit him again.
Jamo recovered from that to throw seven strong innings and the Cubs squeaked out a 5-4 win over the Padres with some nails relief pitching from Ben Brown and Hoby Milner, winning the series and ending a road trip that has to be termed a success with a 3-3 mark against two very good NL West teams.
As they have so many times, the Cubs had plenty of baserunners early. They loaded the bases with one out in the first on a Nico Hoerner single (a popup that dropped between two Padres infielders!), another hit by Alex Bregman and a walk drawn by Ian Happ. Unfortunately, Michael Busch hit into a double play to end the inning.
The Cubs got on the board in the second. Michael Conforto hit a deep fly to center that glanced off Jackson Merrill’s glove for a double. (Yet another reminder that defense matters.) Conforto went to third on a ground out by Matt Shaw, but had to hold there when Pete Crow-Armstrong grounded to first.
That ball was a hanging sweeper and PCA did not miss it, homering for the second time in as many games. He seems to have finally locked in and I hope for a big homestand from him beginning Friday.
Taillon retired the first 14 Padres he faced before he, too, was victimized by a sweeper that didn’t sweep. Miguel Andujar homered to break up any thought of a no-hit or perfect game bid. Look where this pitch was!
Way above the zone and Andujar just yanked it out of the yard.
Maybe that rattled Taillon a bit, because then he walked Jake Cronenworth and Nick Castellanos, who came into this game with a .151/.196/.208 slash line, smacked his first home run of the year to tie the game.
Home runs have been an issue for Jamo this year. That’s nine home runs allowed in 34.2 innings, yikes. Nevertheless, Taillon settled down after that and retired seven of the final eight Padres he faced. Overall Taillon had a good outing — seven innings, 95 pitches (66 strikes), three hits, one walk, six strikeouts.
More on Taillon’s afternoon from BCB’s JohnW53:
Jameson Taillon is the Cubs’ third starter this season to complete seven innings. Shota Imanaga and Edward Cabrera did it against the Phillies, two days apart, April 21 and 23. Imanaga gave up one run on three hits and one walk; Cabrera, three runs (two earned) on six hits and no walks.
Taillon had pitched six innings in three previous starts.
Taillon’s longest as a Cub was eight innings, with one hit and two walks, at New York against the Yankees on July 7, 2023. He has gone 7.1 twice, both in 2024. This was his 10th of 7.0, for a total of 12 of at least 7.0, in 86 starts as a Cub.
While Taillon was holding the Padres down after the home runs, the Cubs took the lead back. Busch led off the sixth with a walk and was forced at second by Conforto. Matt Shaw doubled, with Conforto stopping at third.
With only one out, that’s a risky contact play. Conforto never hesitated and made a great slide under the attempted tag by Luis Campusano and the Cubs had a 4-3 lead.
Corbin Martin entered to throw the eighth. It did not go well. He walked the first three hitters he faced. That brought Ben Brown into the game, raising the question: Why didn’t Craig Counsell just start the inning with Brown?
Also, here’s a not-so-fun fact about Martin, from John:
Martin became just the 10th Cub since 1901 to walk the only three batters he faced.
The first four were in 1910-37, then Eddie Solomon in 1975, Chuck McElroy in 1993, Justin Berg in 2011, Steve Cishek on April 3, 2019, at Atlanta, and Dan Winkler on April 8, 2021, at Pittsburgh. The Cubs won only two of the previous games: 6-3 at Philadelphia in 1993 and 4-2 at Pittsburgh in 2021.
Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a deep fly to center field that made it 5-4. Brown then induced Manny Machado to hit into an inning-ending double play [VIDEO].
That was just about the best possible result you might expect with a reliever coming in to a bases-loaded, nobody-out situation. Brown did an excellent job here, recording the three outs on only five pitches, and he’s clearly well into Counsell’s circle of trust.
Mason Miller, who gave up two runs to the Cubs Monday night, entered to throw the ninth. This is the first time this year, in his 15th appearance, that Miller pitched when the Padres were trailing. With one out, he walked Bregman and wild-pitched him to second. But Happ struck out on an ABS challenge and Busch hit a deep fly into the gap that Merrill ran down to end the inning.
Brown stayed in to close things out. He struck out Xander Bogaerts and got Ty France to ground to third. The Padres sent Gavin Sheets up to pinch hit for Andujar, and Counsell countered with left-hander Hoby Milner. The Padres burned Sheets and sent up Ramon Laureano to bat for him.
That is absolutely outstanding relief work from Brown and Milner, who recorded six outs in about the highest-leverage situations you can imagine, on just 14 pitches. Really good stuff — and as pointed out on the broadcast, that was just the second save of Milner’s career, the other one coming two years ago for the Brewers.
Some last notes on this big win from John:
The Cubs have won all three games this season in which their starter completed seven innings. Last year, they were just 13-10, including five straight losses and seven of eight from Aug. 2 to the end of the season.
This was just the 12th game since 1901 in which the Cubs allowed four runs on three hits. The first three were in 1914, 1944 and 1956, then there have been eight since 1987. The previous one was at home vs. the Giants on Sept. 1, 2016. That was only the second the Cubs won, both by 5-4. The first was at home vs. the Mariners in 2007.
They lost four times by 4-3, once by 4-2 and four times by 4-1.
None of the previous games were vs. the Padres.
Two of the hits were homers in one earlier game, a 4-3, 12-inning loss at home against the Phillies on Aug. 11, 2009.
The Cubs will certainly have a happy flight back to Chicago this evening and enjoy their off day at home Thursday. Then they will open a three-game series against the Diamondbacks Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Colin Rea will start for the Cubs. The D-backs, who have an afternoon game Thursday in Milwaukee, have not yet listed a starter but if they stay on rotation, it will likely be Zac Gallen. Game time Friday is 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network (and MLB Network outside the Cubs and D-backs market territories).
Sep 3, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Ryan Bergert (38) pitches during the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
You can never have enough pitching.
The Royals acquired Ryan Bergert from the Padres last summer hoping he could provide additional depth to their starting rotation. He impressed with a 4.43 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 40.2 innings over eight starts, but was sent to Omaha to begin this season. He exited his third start with right elbow discomfort.
The Royals announced today that Bergert successfully underwent Tommy John surgery this week to reconstruct his right ulnar collateral ligament. The typical timeline after Tommy John surgery requires 12-16 months of recovery.
Bergert had a 3.66 ERA in 76.1 innings in his debut season last year, split between the Padres and Royals. He was acquired with pitcher Stephen Kolek for catcher Freddy Fermin last July. Kolek is currently out with an oblique injury, although he has begun a rehab assignment in Omaha.
MLB.com reporter Anne Rogers also reports that Royals pitching prospect Ben Kudrna underwent an olecranon stress fracture fixation surgery on his elbow. The typical recovery time for that injury is 3-6 months. Kudrna had a 5.30 ERA in 105.1 innings in the minors last year, and made just one start for Omaha. MLB Pipeline ranks him as the #9 prospect in the organization.
Apr 29, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Seattle Mariners second baseman Cole Young (2) hits a two RBI single against the Minnesota Twins during the ninth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Much is made about the so-called ‘sophomore slump’ in sports — you never know how a young player will respond as their opponents do anything and everything in their power to adjust to their game. After a slow start over the first couple of weeks, Cole Young has stabilized, and then some. It’s only fitting that he provided the exclamation point to close out the first full month of the year.
Behind a pair of clutch hits from Young in the late innings, the Mariners came from behind to defeat the Twins 5-3 Wednesday to take the series and guarantee a .500 record at the end of April.
Facing a drawn-in infield, down a run with one out in the ninth, Young snuck a grounder back up the middle to score two runs and give the Mariners the lead — and it wasn’t the first time on the afternoon that he came up huge. Just two innings earlier, he drove a double into the opposite-field gap to produce a tying run with two outs. Both of the hits came with two strikes.
“When we have that type of a hitter in those kinds of situations, you feel really good about your chances,” manager Dan Wilson said about having Young near the bottom of the order. “He’s really delivered.”
Things were looking bleak at multiple points later in the game, especially with the Mariners struggling to get runners into scoring position against Twins starter Taj Bradley, who eclipsed 110 pitches over seven innings and allowed only four hits and two walks. Prior to Young’s game-tying double in the seventh, Bradley’s only run was surrendered on a solo homer by J.P. Crawford in the third.
Thanks in part to Young, however, the Mariners were able to make the most of their few scoring opportunities, going 3-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
Meanwhile, for Mariners pitching, it felt like they couldn’t catch much of a break. George Kirby worked 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on eight hits — none of which came on hard-hit balls. Balls were dropping where fielders weren’t, and soft contact wasn’t resulting in outs the way they might’ve hoped.
Despite that, Kirby nearly made it through his outing unscathed, passing the game off to the bullpen with the game in reach. His two runs allowed both came across on a weak flare by Brooks Lee that dropped in for a two-out single in the fourth.
To add injury to insult, Matt Brash left the game after throwing only two pitches to begin the bottom of the eighth. Wilson said postgame that Brash has been feeling some discomfort in his side and that he will be evaluated again tomorrow.
Gabe Speier was sprung into action as a result. He allowed a Ryan Jeffers single to center, and pinch runner James Outman was able to steal second base to move into scoring position with nobody out. Though Speier was able to strike out both Kody Clemens and Luke Keaschall to get the first two outs of the inning, pinch hitter Victor Caratini was able to slip a base hit just under a ranging Crawford’s glove to score the go-ahead run.
Needing only three outs to close the game out, the Twins called upon righty Eric Orze to face the 5-6-7 of the Mariners order. His first six pitches of the ninth were balls, and Randy Arozarena was able to work a lead-off walk as a result. After Orze bounced back to strike out Luke Raley, Dominic Canzone singled to right and move the tying run just 90 feet from home plate. Leo Rivas pinch-ran for Canzone and stole second to set up Young’s game-winning single.
Cal Raleigh tacked on another run with a sacrifice fly later in the inning, giving Andrés Muñoz some additional breathing room in the bottom half. This time, Muñoz had no problem, setting down the Twins in order to pick up his sixth save and close out a 5-1 roadtrip for the M’s.
The Mariners will return home to face the Royals for three games starting Friday night at 6:45 pm on Apple TV.
Apr 28, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers (15-15) vs. Atlanta Braves (21-9)
Time/Place: 7:15 p.m., Truist Park SB Nation Site: Battery Power Media: Detroit Sportsnet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: LHP Tarik Skubal (3-2, 2.72 ERA) vs. RHP JR Ritchie (1-0, 2.57 ERA)
MILWAUKEE, WI - AUGUST 25: Hoan Bridge over Lake Michigan, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on AUGUST 25 2012. (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
DIAMONDBACKS
BREWERS
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Brandon Lockridge – LF
Ketel Marte – 2B
Brice Turang – 2B
Corbin Carroll – RF
William Contreras – C
Adrian Del Castillo – C
Jake Bauers – 1B
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Gary Sanchez – DH
Lourdes Gurriel – LF
Luis Rengifo – 3B
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Greg Jones – RF
Jose Fernandez – DH
Blake Perkins – CF
Alek Thomas – CF
Joey Ortiz – SS
E. Rodriguez – LHP
Brandon Sproat – RHP
Roster moves
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 40.
Recalled from Triple-A Reno: LHP Philip Abner (No. 50)
Optioned to Reno following last night’s game: RHP Andrew Hoffmann
Probably a necessary move, simply for an extra arm. Though the chart above doesn’t necessarily show it, the D-backs bullpen has been wheezing. Jack went into more detail about that earlier today, due to a combination of short outings by starters and close contests. But it is interesting to note that Arizona are below MLB average, both in terms of bullpen innings, and batters faced. They are above the median in relief outings – but at 101, only five percent above it (96). So why is it a problem for Arizona? Part of the reason might, oddly, be the stability of the D-backs bullpen.
This is only the second “true” change to the bullpen since Opening Day, over a month ago. The first was DFA’ing Joe Ross, who was replaced by Taylor Rashi. When he was optioned to Reno to make way for the return of Merrill Kelly, Brandon Pfaadt got bumped to the bullpen. But that has been it. Consequently, Arizona has used only 11 relievers all year, and that includes James McCann. The teams atop the bullpen usage by innings, the White Sox and Nationals have also used the most relievers – a startling twenty-one already in Chicago’s case, almost twice as many as the D-backs. Arizona has been leaning heavily on the same arms since the beginning of the season.
We can see this if we look at the average number of outings per reliever. Take the total number of relief appearances, and divide by the number of relievers used. For Arizona that comes out to 9.2 games per reliever, well above the median (around 7.5). The real problem is the lack of reliable bullpen arms for Arizona. We don’t have many credible alternatives in Reno who can be rostered in and out to give others a blow. Not helping matters: as Jack notes, only Hoffman and Juan Morillo have options, so can be sent to the minors. Well, technically, Pfaadt does too, but I’d not expect him to be enjoying buffet food anytime soon.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 28: Drew Millas #14 of the Washington Nationals shows his foul catch of a hit by Mj Melendez #1 of the New York Mets to end the first inning at Citi Field on April 28, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last night was one of those games you just have to flush down the drain. The Nats were never in it, and fell 8-0. Those types of games happen in a 162 game season. It is all about responding well the next night. They will have a chance to do that with an improving Cade Cavalli on the mound.
With a lefty on the mound, Blake Butera made a few alterations. James Wood will get off his feet for the first time in a while and get the nod at DH. That means Joey Wiemer will play right field. Curtis Mead will get the start at first base, as he looks to heat up again after cooling off lately. Keibert Ruiz will be the man behind the dish. Cade Cavalli had his best start of the season last time against the Braves, and he will look to follow up that outing in style.
The Mets are not making many changes. Juan Soto is still only healthy enough to DH. Brett Baty will start at first, while Tyrone Taylor will play center field. Carson Benge will move back to his natural right field position. David Peterson is on the mound tonight, and he has had a lot of success against the Nats in his career.
The Nats offense has cooled off considerably the past week or so. They will look to get back on track tonight. This team has been pretty resilient after heavy losses so far this season, so hopefully that can continue tonight. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
The Rangers’ Brandon Nimmo left Wednesday’s game with right hamstring tightness.
During the bottom of the fifth inning against the Yankees in Arlington, the ex-Mets outfielder went from second to third base on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Joc Pederson.
After the play, Nimmo was checked on by the Rangers’ trainer and manager Skip Schumaker and left the game after a brief conversation near the bag.
Nimmo appeared to grab at his right hamstring before walking off the field.
A replay showed Nimmo moving gingerly to third base.
Nimmo downplayed the injury in a postgame press conference, saying he and Schumaker were “being cautious” in pulling him from the contest.
“I fully expect to be available Friday,” he added.
Texas Rangers’ Brandon Nimmo (24) walks off the field with head athletic trainer Matt Lucero in the fifth inning on April 29, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. AP
A long-term loss of Nimmo would be a major blow for a Rangers team that has enjoyed his presence in the lineup through the first month of the season.
The Mets haven’t quite enjoyed their half of the trade.
Semien is hitting just .214 with one longball in 103 at-bats headed into Wednesday’s play.
Texas Rangers right fielder Brandon Nimmo (24) hits an RBI sacrifice fly during the third inning against the Athletics at Globe Life Field. Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
The Mets have been one of the worst teams in baseball to date, sitting at 10-19 in a tie with the Phillies for last in the NL East, but Nimmo claims there’s still time to turn it around.
“Listen, I don’t think anything surprises me anymore,” Nimmo said Monday before the Rangers’ series opener against the Yankees. “I was part of that team that started off [0-5 in 2024], and then from May 15 on was the best team in baseball. So I’ve been on both sides of it. I wouldn’t say I’m surprised. Baseball, it takes a long time to have a good or bad season.
“So there’s still plenty of time for them to right the ship. And there’s still plenty of time for teams that are hot to go bad. So I wouldn’t say I’m surprised anymore. I’ve seen baseball go a lot of different ways. So now it’s just like, ‘Well, yep, that’s baseball.’ Baseball’s a crazy game.”
A.J. Minter continues to progress well on his road back to the Mets’ bullpen.
The left-hander looked strong throwing a bullpen session at Citi Field on Tuesday, and he came back in feeling good Wednesday morning, Carlos Mendoza said.
Minter is expected to rejoin Syracuse and make his next rehab appearance on Friday.
Mendoza said that the plan is for him to throw on Sunday as well, working twice in three days for the second time, and then the team will see how he’s feeling from there.
The 32-year-old hasn’t pitched in a big-league game since suffering a season-ending lat injury during a game against the Nationals last April.
He has enjoyed success as he continues building his workload, allowing just two runs (one earned) in six appearances over three levels of the minors.
Getting Minter back in the mix would be a huge boost to New York’s pen.
The southpaw had gotten off to a tremendous start to his time as a Met prior to the injury, pitching to a 1.64 ERA while striking out 14 batters across 13 appearances.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 28: Ozzie Albies #1 and Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves high five during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Truist Park on April 28, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves are looking to stack another series win on their record tonight before the calendar flips to May.
Ritchie vs. Skubal starts at 7:15 pm ET tonight on BravesVision.
A most unusual occurrence − the Los Angeles Dodgers losing a series at home to the Miami Marlins − ended in a most unusual fashion: An unassisted double play from the second baseman.
Xavier Edwards and the Marlins made it happen, though, as the Marlins pushed across an eighth-inning run and held on for a 3-2 victory that ended when Edwards bagged superstars Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman at first to end it.
The situation: Freeman chopped a ball toward first base that Edwards fielded in the basepath. Ohtani realized that if he'd continue running, Edwards would have an easy double play by tagging him out and tossing to first.
So Ohtani froze in the basepaths and then shuffled back toward first, trying and failing to twist away from Edwards' tag attempt. Meanwhile, Freeman was lumbering down the line.
Edwards' deft manuevering resulted in a tag of Ohtani and, not breaking stride, a tap of the first base bag with his right foot a step ahead of Freeman to end the game. He spiked his first baseman, Connor Norby, in the process, but the Marlins were otherwise safely out of town.
Kodai Senga revealed to reporters on Wednesday afternoon that the lumbar spine inflammation forcing him to the sidelines wasn’t a recent development.
The righty dealt with the issue at times during spring training and early in the regular season, but he was able to pitch through it so he didn’t come forward.
The injury became too much to manage and effected Senga’s performance, though, so he finally met with trainers following a third consecutive rough outing on Sunday.
“There were games I felt good and I was able to pitch well,” he said through an interpreter. “But these past couple of games the results show it was unfortunately something I was not able to manage -- I was determined I could get through it, but it got to a point I wasn’t able to.”
The numbers certainly showed that over his latest outings.
After beginning the year with a pair of decent showings against the Cardinals and Giants, Senga failed to compete three full innings of work in two of the next three.
Even in the game he did reach that mark, he was pulled in the fourth.
His ERA now sits at an ugly 9.00 with a 1.95 WHIP after allowing 16 runs (15 earned) on 17 hits and five homers while issuing eight free passes and striking out just seven batters over that span.
“It’s just not good enough,” Carlos Mendoza said following Sunday’s loss.
The 33-year-old doesn’t know exactly how this will effect him the rest of the season, but his main focus right now is just getting healthy and back out on the mound.
When exactly that will be still remains to be seen.
Senga won't throw for the next seven-to-10 days after being given an epidural on Tuesday, then he will sit down with the doctors and trainers to see where things go from there.
“The expectation is that the injection will calm down the nerve irritation,” he said. “The medicine kicks in at different points for different people, so I’m not exactly sure when it’s going to start hitting, but we’ll see how the body responds.”
Sep 12, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Andre Pallante (53) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
The St. Louis Cardinals continue was has been a very enjoyable vacation in Pittsburgh so far this week as they and the Pirates will tangle in game 3 Wednesday night. Andre Pallante gets the start for St. Louis while Pittsburgh will hope Bubba Chandler can turn them around. If weather allows it, first pitch scheduled for 5:40pm central time, but there is rain in the forecast.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 29: Matt Brash #47 of the Seattle Mariners walks to the dugout after pitching against the Minnesota Twins during the eighth inning of the game at Target Field on April 29, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Brash exited the game with an injury after throwing two pitches. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners won Wednesday’s series finale against the Twins, giving them a 5-1 record on the road trip, but suffered a potentially serious loss in their bullpen. Matt Brash departed Wednesday’s game against Minnesota after throwing just two pitches with what manager Dan Wilson called “discomfort in his side.”
Brash entered with the game tied 2-2 in the eighth to face leadoff man Ryan Jeffers. His first pitch, which Jeffers fouled off, was a 96.3 mph sinker, which is about a full tick slower than his average, but not so much as to be immediately worrying. On replay, though, you can see Brash shrug a little after throwing the pitch:
Brash’s next pitch came up on Statcast as an 89 mph changeup, and it sailed past Cal Raleigh’s glove, clear to the backstop. Cal Raleigh immediately signaled for the trainer, who came out along with Dan Wilson. Once again, it was obvious on replay that Brash was wincing with that little shrug motion.
During the mound visit, Wilson did most of the talking, shaking his head: no, no, no, as Brash clearly argued to stay in. Speaking to the media postgame, Brash said he recognized he did need to come out of the game but was processing during the mound visit, thinking of the pitcher behind him who would be thrown into a difficult situation taking over mid-batter.
“I’ve never done that before,” said Brash post-game. “I was kind of like – not arguing with Dan, but he was telling me to come out, and I was trying to process in the moment. I didn’t want to put Gabe [Speier] or anyone in a tough spot having to come in without warming up…I just knew I’d be hurting the team, not being able to compete at the best of my ability.”
“It was tough,” said Wilson. “He didn’t want to come out of the game, but it’s something where – he’s had a couple of days here, so we just didn’t want to take any chances. We’ll get a look at it tomorrow and go from there.”
Brash, who missed the 2024 season and the first month of 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery, was pitching for the second day in a row and the fourth time in six days. The team has ramped Brash up slowly this spring post-injury, but with Luis Castillo going short in the series opener and Logan Gilbert only completing five innings in yesterday’s game, and the close nature of each of the final two games, the leverage arms in the bullpen were relied upon heavily.
Postgame, Dan Wilson said that Brash is “fine,” but acknowledged he’s been battling “a little discomfort” in his right side, which is what prompted his removal from the game.
“I’m okay,” said Brash postgame. “I’ve been dealing with some side stuff for a couple days now. It bugged me a little yesterday in my outing, but I felt fine pregame today. But as soon as I put some effort into the ball, I could feel it.”
Brash said he could feel the discomfort yesterday in his outing, specifically on his fastball extension, but chalked it up to the cold, saying he felt good after his outing and felt good pregame today. It was only when warming up in the bullpen that he started to feel the discomfort returning, and recognized immediately something was off when he threw his first two pitches.
Oblique injuries can be tricky to diagnose, beginning as a nagging pain that comes and goes, and can easily get worse quickly. Brash said although he doesn’t think his injury is anything “super serious” and called today’s decision to remove him from the game “precautionary”, he recognizes the importance of not letting this specific injury get worse. On the Mariners pitching staff this season, Bryce Miller has already demonstrated the difficulty of rehabbing an oblique, something Brash would be well familiar with. He’ll get imaging tomorrow and the team will know more then. This story will be updated when that information is made available.
“Sucks, for sure,” said a frustrated Brash. “It’s tough, but we’ll figure it out.”
Apr 16, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Sproat (23) walks off the field against the Toronto Blue Jays in the second inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers picked up their second straight win on Tuesday and aim to make it three in a row—and their first series victory in over a week—on Wednesday evening at home versus the Diamondbacks.
Yesterday, Chad Patrick battled wildness (and vision problems and vomiting, apparently) but allowed just two earned runs in five innings, and the Brewer offense broke through for a massive, Brewersy sixth inning that was the backbone of a 13-2 victory. Tonight, Milwaukee sends Brandon Sproat to the mound to face the veteran lefty Eduardo Rodriguez.
Before we get to the pitching matchup, though, there are a couple of roster notes to cover. We’ll start with the good news: Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn were both officially sent to Triple-A Nashville to begin rehab assignments. They’re expected to be available to the Brewers on Monday for the beginning of next week’s series in St. Louis.
The not-as-good news is in relation to lefty Ángel Zerpa, who looked good with Team Venezuela during the World Baseball Classic but has had a rough start to the 2026 season. It turns out there could be a reason for that. Zerpa has been sent to the 15-day IL with what is being called “left forearm tightness,” which is not what you want to hear when it comes to pitchers. Even more troublingly, Pat Murphy’s concern level appears high:
Pat Murphy didn't reveal a diagnosis yet for Angel Zerpa but indicated that he could be sidelined for a while with a significant injury.
"It's highly concerning."
They pulled him mid-inning on Saturday in part because they were concerned by how his stuff looked. Zerpa's sinker…
It sounds like the best-case scenario that Brewers fans should hope for for now is that Zerpa does not require elbow surgery. Best wishes to him in his recovery, and we’ll hope to hear from a healthier Zerpa again before the season is over.
To replace Zerpa on the roster, the Brewers have called up another lefty, Brian Fitzpatrick. Drafted in the tenth round in 2022 out of Rutgers, Fitzpatrick will be making his major-league debut whenever he first appears in a game with the Brewers. Fitzpatrick is not really considered a prospect—he turns 26 on June 1st and did not appear on FanGraphs 53-man list of top Brewers prospects. But he’s off to an excellent start at Triple-A Nashville this season, and has not allowed an earned run in 10 1/3 appearances. Fitzpatrick was primarily a starter until midway through the 2024 season, but he’s been pitching out of the bullpen since. Last season, he earned a 1.82 ERA in 23 appearances (34 2/3 innings) for Double-A Biloxi, but had a hard time in 13 appearances after a promotion to Nashville. Things have been much smoother this season, and we’ll se how things go whenever he gets a shot.
Pitching tonight for the Brewers is Brandon Sproat, who has showcased enticing stuff even when he’s been bad this season. Sproat is still rocking a less-than-desirable 6.45 ERA, but his last two starts have been encouraging; on April 16th against Toronto, he had one of the best Brewers starts of the season when he allowed one run and walked only one batter in a 2-1 victory, and he followed that up by allowing three runs in 5 1/3 innings (while walking two) in a duel with Tarik Skubal in Detroit on Thursday. Sproat walked as many batters in each of his first three outings as he did in his last two combined, so keeping those walks down seems like a big key to his success.
For Arizona, Eduardo Rodríguez got off to an incredible start but has not been as good in his last two outings. The 33-year-old lefty began the season by allowing just one earned run across his first three starts (which spanned 18 innings), but he’s allowed four runs in five innings each of his last two times out (in games against the Orioles and White Sox). Rodríguez is in his 11th season as a big leaguer, has thrown over 1300 innings, and is closing in on his 100th career win (he enters the night with 96); I know that wins don’t matter, but it’s hard to rack up 100 wins in modern baseball, and it is a testament to his durability and longevity.
With the left-handed starter tonight, the Brewers send out their “yikes” outfield of Brandon Lockridge, Greg Jones, and Blake Perkins, and with Joey Ortiz in at shortstop, runs may be hard to come by. Luis Rengifo is starting at third base, with William Contreras behind the plate and Gary Sánchez at DH. Brice Turang and Jake Bauers round out the starting nine. Of note in the Diamondbacks’ lineup is the presence of Ildemaro Vargas, who last night extended his hitting streak to 21 games (24 if you count the end of last season).
First pitch tonight is at 6:40 p.m. on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
