Category: MLB

WASHINGTON — The kid was No. 8 for one night, but “The Kid” will get it back Wednesday.

Nick Morabito, recalled from Triple-A Syracuse by the Mets on Tuesday, was issued uniform No. 8 for his major league debut — the number worn by Gary Carter from 1985-89.

Following a fan backlash on social media, the club announced Morabito’s number will change before Wednesday’s game.

Carter’s number is not retired by the Mets. It was last worn by Desi Relaford in 2001.

Among those displeased that Morabito received Carter’s old number was the team’s radio voice, Howie Rose.

“It appears that most fans are opposed to the Mets releasing #8 (to call up Nick Morabito) after having not issued it for 25 years,” Rose posted on X. “There’s been a debate over whether Gary Carter’s number should be retired, but to release it this 40th anniversary season of 1986 just seems wrong.”

Carter, a Hall of Fame catcher, helped the Mets win their last World Series in 1986. Although discussion about retiring his number has occurred in recent years, Carter’s candidacy has not received enough support from the committee that recommends such actions to ownership. Carter’s candidacy is hurt by the fact he played just five seasons for the Mets.

Carlos Beltrán’s No. 15 will join the list of retired numbers later this season. Tom Seaver (41), Mike Piazza (31), Jerry Koosman (36), Keith Hernandez (17), Willie Mays (24), Dwight Gooden (16), Darryl Strawberry (18) and David Wright (5) are the former Mets players with retired numbers.

Additionally, the club has retired numbers for managers Casey Stengel (37) and Gil Hodges (14). Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 is retired throughout MLB.

Morabito became the third rookie outfielder to debut for the club this season, joining Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing.

The 23-year-old Morabito, who grew up in northern Virginia, received his homecoming as the starting left fielder against the Nationals in the ballpark where he grew up watching players like Bryce Harper and Juan Soto.

Morabito brings the Mets a right-handed bat, replacing veteran Austin Slater, who was designated for assignment.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS

In 41 games for Syracuse this season, Morabito owned a .253/.364/.390 slash line with four homers and 14 stolen bases.

“I feel like in all aspects of my game I have been able to do pretty well,” Morabito said. “I feel like the first month of the year I was able to show a little bit more power to hit that many homers and I think that was pretty good for me. It was something I worked on in the offseason, just try to elevate the ball more.”

Morabito gives manager Carlos Mendoza the potential of starting an all-rookie outfield on any given day. But Mendoza indicated the plan is still to integrate Soto (who started at DH on Tuesday) into the left field mix.

“We feel like the way [Morabito] has been playing this year in Triple-A, doing everything we are asking him to do, offensively, defensively, running the bases, continue just to learn to how to play the game,” Mendoza said. “And we felt like right now we’re looking for our best 26 guys that are going to help us win baseball games here, and he’s here for a reason.”

If nothing else, the Mets have infused athleticism into their outfield with the three rookies.

“It’s exciting and I think when you look around the league, that is the kind of trend,” Mendoza said. “You have got guys that can run, they can play multiple positions, they put the ball in play and play elite defense. It just allows you to manage the game in a lot of different ways.

After a sluggish start, Benge has emerged among the Mets’ hottest hitters. He entered play with an .877 OPS over his previous 23 games. Included was a three-hit performance Monday in the Mets’ 16-7 victory over the Nationals.

Ewing — who was promoted to the Mets at the start of their last homestand and was absent from Tuesday’s starting lineup with Tyrone Taylor starting in center field — reached base 14 times in his first seven major league games.

“You see how aggressive we are on the bases, bunting, putting the ball in play, hit and run, playing a little bit of small ball while also having a few guys that can hit the ball out of the ballpark,” Mendoza said. “It’s exciting and just more weapons for you to attack.”

I spent the last hour in one of the lower circles of hell, a Rogers phone shop. I needed a new phone, something that should have taken 10 minutes……

Anyway, speaking of circles of hell, the Jays are playing at Yankee Stadium again. But Dylan Cease is on the mound to battle the demons.

Go Jays Go.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals, May 19, 2026, 7:45 p.m. ET

Location: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet-PIT

Pitching Matchup: Mitch Keller (4-2, 3.59 ERA) vs. Matthew Liberatore (2-2, 4.40 ERA)

The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road today against the St. Louis Cardinals looking to grab a win.

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BD community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!

First Pitch: 6:40 PM CDT

TV: Twins.TV Presented by Progressive, FOX9 KMSP, Gray Media

Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy App, LosTwins.com

Know thine enemy:The Crawfish Boxes

ICYMI: Royce Lewis was optioned to AAA and Ryan Jeffers was placed on the IL, with Orlando Arcia and Alex Jackson coming up to replace them. You can read more about that here.

The good news is that Byron Buxton is back in the lineup, leading off as the DH.

The Los Angeles Dodgers (29-19) will try to catch the San Diego Padres (29-18) for the NL West lead. The Padres shut out the Dodgers 1-0 in the first game of the series on Monday. The scheduled starting pitchers are Emmet Sheehan for the Dodgers, with a 4.54 ERA, and Griffin Canning for the Padres, with a 10.64 ERA.

How to watch Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres

• Date: Tuesday, May 19

• Time: 9:40 p.m. ET / 6:40 p.m. PT

• Where: PETCO Park, San Diego, CA

• TV Channels: Padres.TV Presented by UC San Diego Health, SportsNet LA

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

Team records

• Los Angeles Dodgers: 29-19 (No. 2 in NL West)

• San Diego Padres: 29-18 (No. 1 in NL West)

Odds

• Spread: San Diego Padres +1.5

• Moneyline: San Diego Padres +134 (41.0%) / Los Angeles Dodgers -160 (59.0%)

• Over/Under: 8.5

Starting pitchers

Los Angeles Dodgers: Emmet Sheehan (3-1, ERA: 4.54, K: 49, WHIP: 1.25)
San Diego Padres: Griffin Canning (0-2, ERA: 10.64, K: 14, WHIP: 2.18)

Weather: 71°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 40,222 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass

The Houston Astros starter was scratched from his scheduled start today vs. Minnesota.

The Astros have placed RHP Lance McCullers Jr. on the 15-day IL (retro 5/16) due to right shoulder inflammation.

The team also optioned UT Shay Whitcomb to Triple-A Sugar Land.

Houston has reinstated CF Jake Meyers and RHP Nate Pearson from the Injured List.

McCullers becomes the fourth member of the Astros’ Opening Day starting rotation to land on the IL.

Jason Alexander is making the start tonight for Houston.

Has your heart rate returned to normal after last night?

The Yankees pulled out one of the tightest wins you can ever have on Monday night, but they must also turn around and face one of the game’s best in game two of this big series. Fortunately, they’ll be able to counter with a pitcher that truly seems to be rounding into his own form, and while Will Warren isn’t quite as good as Dylan Cease, I’m not sure Dylan Cease is as good as he’s been pitching right now.

Cease boasts a stunning 34-percent strikeout rate, the best of his career so far this season. A solid walk rate accompanies the whiffs, but what’s really helped him this year is the lack of home runs. Just a single baseball has left the yard in 52.1 innings this year, driving his FIP down to 1.80. Now, good pitchers typically don’t give up many home runs, but everyone leaves a ball or two over the plate once in a while. The Yankees are a good home run-hitting team, so they may be able to serve Cease up some immediate regression.

Do note that Cease is very much in the Blake Snell mold — he throws a lot of pitches and takes his time. For all his talent, it does suck to watch him.

Warren, meanwhile, has pushed himself to another level this year. His FIP stands at 3.00, and that from your No. 4 pitcher is a wonderful thing to have. Strikeouts are up, walks are down, and when guys are making contact he’s posted a new career best for lowest hard-hit rate. He still nibbles around the zone too much for my liking, especially once batters reach base, and cleaning that up is the next step in his continued development.

Speaking of development, Spencer Jones is back in the lineup, batting eighth and pulling DH duties. Austin Wells is behind the plate in the daily game of “can you stand there with a bat” that the Yankees play with their catchers.

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.

Go Rays!

Detroit Tigers (20-28) vs. Cleveland Guardians (27-22)

Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site: Covering the Corner
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Keider Montero (2-3, 3.65 ERA) vs. RHP Parker Messick (5-1, 2.35 ERA)

The Boston Red Sox (20-27) will try to win their second straight over the Kansas City Royals (20-28) Boston won 3-1 in Monday’s series opener. Starting pitchers are scheduled to be Ranger Suarez for Boston, with a 2.44 ERA, and Bailey Falter for Kansas City, with a 10.13 ERA.

How to watch Boston Red Sox vs. Kansas City Royals

• Date: Tuesday, May 19

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET / 4:40 p.m. PT

• Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO

• TV Channels: Royals.TV, NESN

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

Team records

• Boston Red Sox: 20-27 (No. 5 in AL East)

• Kansas City Royals: 20-28 (No. 5 in AL Central)

Odds

• Spread: Kansas City Royals +1.5

• Moneyline: Kansas City Royals +110 (45.6%) / Boston Red Sox -132 (54.4%)

• Over/Under: 8.0

Starting pitchers

Boston Red Sox: Ranger Suarez (2-2, ERA: 2.44, K: 40, WHIP: 0.95)
Kansas City Royals: Bailey Falter (0-0, ERA: 10.13, K: 4, WHIP: 2.63)

Weather: 65°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 38,427 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass

There’s a pair of ghastly statistics relevant to the Red Sox offense and this matchup that are so absurd, they almost sound fake.

1. Tonight’s starter, Ranger Suarez, has allowed ZERO Earned Runs in five of his last six outings, and the Red Sox are just 3-3 in those games.
2. The Red Sox have scored three runs or fewer in eight consecutive games overall (and only one of those was a Suarez start).

Ahead of this evening’s middle game in Kansas City, the baseball gods are trying to do everything in their power to give poor Ranger some runs. Specifically, they sent Kris Bubic, the original Royals starter to the IL, and replaced him with Bailey Falter, who has a 10.13 ERA. Falter’s appeared in only three major league games this season, all out of the bullpen, and (as you can see from his ERA) all have not gone well.

But this is the Red Sox offense, and since Falter throws left handed, the starting lineup won’t include either Masataka Yoshida or Marcelo Mayer. Instead, we’re getting an infield that includes Caleb Durbin at third, Nick Sogard at second (which I actually like), and Isiah Kiner-Falefa at short. (Andruw Monasterio is the DH.)

Jarren Duran and his .181 batting average still gets to bat left-handed from the lead off spot though.

⚾️ First Pitch: 7:40pm — Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO

📺 TV: NESN

📻 Radio: WEEI

The Milwaukee Brewers (27-18) will try to narrow the gap for the NL Central lead with the Chicago Cubs (29-19). The Brewers won the series opener 9-3 on Monday. Scheduled starting pitchers are Jacob Misiorowski for Milwaukee, with a 2.12 ERA, and Ben Brown for Chicago, with a 1.60 ERA.

How to watch Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs

• Date: Tuesday, May 19

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET / 4:40 p.m. PT

• Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL

• TV Channels: Marquee Sports Network, Brewers.TV

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

Team records

• Milwaukee Brewers: 27-18 (No. 2 in NL Central)

• Chicago Cubs: 29-19 (No. 1 in NL Central)

Odds

• Spread: Chicago Cubs +1.5

• Moneyline: Chicago Cubs -102 (48.3%) / Milwaukee Brewers -118 (51.7%)

• Over/Under: 8.0

Starting pitchers

Milwaukee Brewers: Jacob Misiorowski (3-2, ERA: 2.12, K: 80, WHIP: 0.90)
Chicago Cubs: Ben Brown (1-1, ERA: 1.60, K: 34, WHIP: 0.86)

Weather: 71°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 41,363 | Roof: Open | Surface: Grass

It’s time to change the username for the Pirates’ struggles against left-handed pitching. 

The password? Jhostynxon Garcia playing in the Pirates outfield.

Pittsburgh promoted the right-handed slugger to join the major league club on Tuesday prior to the first of a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. The team optioned infielder/outfielder Nick Yorke following Sunday’s loss to Philadelphia. 

The No. 4 prospect in the organization, according to MLB Pipeline, Garcia hit only .205 in 19 games at Triple-A Indianapolis. 

He suffered a back injury in late April and played six games in Bradenton as part of a rehab assignment.

Garcia crushed the ball, hitting .364 with eight hits, including three home runs. He returned to Indianapolis on May 12 and slugged three homers against Louisville, recording a five-hit day.

A 23-year-old power hitter who can play all three outfield positions, Garcia will likely be relied on as an everyday piece to the Pirates’ improved lineup.

Garcia has large shoes to fill with first baseman/right fielder Ryan O’Hearn expected to miss up to a month due to a quadriceps injury.

Garcia was traded to Pittsburgh from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for righty Johan Oviedo and two prospects as part of a five-player deal. The Pirates also acquired pitcher Jesus Travieso. He made his MLB debut with the Red Sox last season, but only played five games.

The Pirates (24-23) begin an important stretch of games against their division rivals after being swept by the Cardinals (27-19) from April 27-30.

Pittsburgh is averaging nearly five runs per game and is fourth in baseball in hits per game (8.6), plus sixth in on-base (.332) and tied for sixth in batting average (.248).

The Pirates sit in fourth place in the NL Central, play three games in Toronto this weekend, and will host the Cubs for four games at PNC Park beginning Monday.

It is a day of change for the Nationals. Former top 2 pick Dylan Crews is back in the fold after spending the first month and a half in the minors. Fellow former top pick Brady House was sent down to make way for Crews, which is a real shakeup to this team.

Crews will be going right in the lineup, playing center field and hitting sixth. After getting hit last night, Jacob Young is not in the lineup, though Blake Butera indicated he should be back soon. Otherwise, the lineup will be fairly similar. Jorbit Vivas will move to third base and Nasim Nunez will return to second. Foster Griffin will be on the mound looking to bounce back from his worst start of the season.

The Mets also have a new face in the lineup. DMV kid Nick Morabito will make his MLB debut in his home town. He will play left field and hit 7th. Tyrone Taylor will play center field tonight, and AJ Ewing will get the night off. Otherwise, it is the same lineup for the Mets. Nolan McLean has emerged as an elite arm in his rookie year and he will be on the mound tonight.

Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 6:45 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

After last night’s loss, the Nats are going to have to regroup and bounce back. They have shown an ability to shake off tough losses, and will have to do it again. Hopefully Foster Griffin will be back to his best. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

The second of the four-game series between the Mets and Nationals at Nationals Field will be delayed due to impending weather in the area, the team announced.

No new start time was announced.

"The start of today’s game has been delayed due to inclement weather," the team announced on social media. "We are monitoring the situation and will provide an update as more information becomes available."

Nolan McLean is set to take the mound against the Nationals' Foster Griffin (4-2, 3.53 ERA). 

Mclean is coming off one of his best starts of the season when he struck out seven batters in seven innings against the Trigers. The Mets rookie is entering Tuesday's start with a 2-2 record and a 2.92 ERA across nine starts. 

Griffin had a tough start in his last time out. Against the Reds, Griffin allowed nine runs on seven hits and three walks across 4.1 innings.