Davey Lopes batting for the Cubs in 1985 | | Getty Images
Davey Lopes was an outstanding second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers for most of the 1970s and early 1980s, playing for them in four World Series and getting a ring in 1981. He was part of a famous infield that included Steve Garvey, Bill Russell and another guy who later played for the Cubs, Ron Cey.
Lopes passed away Wednesday, about four weeks shy of his 81st birthday, reportedly from complications from Parkinson’s disease.
Lopes was a prolific base stealer in his early years, in an era when stolen bases were a huge part of the game. He led the NL in steals in 1975 with 77 and in 1976 with 63.
He was thought to be done after 1981 at age 36, so the Dodgers traded him to the A’s for a minor leaguer. He had two decent years in Oakland and the Cubs acquired him one day before the deadline to qualify for the postseason roster in 1984, Aug. 31, as the player to be named later in a June 15 deal that had sent pitcher Chuck Rainey to the A’s.
Lopes didn’t play much for the Cubs in September 1984, just 16 games and 23 plate appearances, mostly as a pinch hitter and defensive replacement. And he appeared in just two of the NLCS games that year, once as a defensive replacement, the other as a pinch-hitter.
In 1985, though, with injuries taking their toll on the Cubs, Lopes played in 99 games, mostly as an outfielder, though he did play a bit of third base. He had a good year, batting .284/.383/.444 with 11 home runs in just 275 at-bats. And Lopes also stole 47 bases that year and was caught just four times. The 47 steals is still the MLB single-season record for any player age 40 or older.
Lopes was hitting well for the Cubs in 1986, batting .299/.419/.490 with 17 steals in just 59 games, but the team was well out of contention so they traded him to the Astros around the trade deadline for pitcher Frank DiPino, who had a couple of undistinguished seasons in the Cubs bullpen.
He did establish one distinction for the Cubs franchise before he left. On July 2, 1986, Lopes hit a walk-off home run against the Expos. At age 41 years, 60 days, Lopes is the oldest Cub ever to hit a walk-off homer. Here is video, from this Instagram post from last year when Justin Turner became the oldest Cub to do that since Lopes (and they are the only two aged 40 or older to hit walk-off homers for the Cubs).
After his playing career, Lopes coached for the Rangers, Orioles and Padres and managed the Brewers for two full seasons in 2000 and 2001 before he was fired 15 games into the 2002 season. Later he returned to coaching with the Padres and also coached with the Nationals, Phillies and Dodgers before retiring after the 2017 season.
Lopes had a 42.4 bWAR career and stole 557 bases, which ranks 26th all-time. He was definitely a Hall of Very Good player and I remember that 1985 season well — he just ran all over the place. He wasn’t a Cub very long, but that year was memorable.
Sincere condolences to Lopes’ family, friends and many fans around baseball.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Davey Lopes, a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ record-setting infield of the 1970s and ‘80s and one of baseball’s premier base stealers, died Wednesday. He was 80.
The Dodgers were informed of his death in Rhode Island by his former wife, Lin Lopes.
Lopes was a four-time All-Star during his 10 years with the Dodgers. He played in four World Series, winning the 1981 championship. He holds the franchise record for most games played at second base with 1,134. His 1,145 games batting leadoff are second in the organization only to Maury Wills (1,279).
Lopes was 27 years old when he made his MLB debut on Sept. 22, 1972.
The next season, Steve Garvey, Bill Russell, Ron Cey and Lopes began the first of 8 1/2 consecutive years starting together in the infield.
Lopes established himself as one of the most prolific base stealers in baseball. He stole 418 bases as a Dodger, second-highest career total in franchise history behind Wills (490). Lopes holds the franchise record with an 83.1% career success rate (minimum 100 steals).
On Aug. 4, 1974, Lopes became the first Dodger since Wills to steal four bases in a game, and 20 days later, he tied the NL record with five steals against the Cardinals. In 1975, Lopes recorded a then-MLB record 28 consecutive steals without being caught.
He led the majors in 1975 with 77 steals and the National League in 1976 with 63. In 1978, he stole 45 bases in 49 attempts.
In 1978, Lopes had the best World Series of his career, starting with two home runs in Game 1 against the New York Yankees. He also won a Gold Glove that season.
After leaving the Dodgers, he played for the Oakland Athletics (1982-84), Chicago Cubs (1984-86) and Houston Astros (1986-87). He stole 557 career bases — 26th in MLB history — while hitting .263 in 1,812 regular-season games with 155 home runs, 614 RBI, 232 doubles and 50 triples.
After his playing days, Lopes managed the Milwaukee Brewers from 2000-02. He coached with the Orioles, Padres, Nationals, Phillies and Dodgers.
He won a second World Series as the Phillies’ first-base coach before returning to the Dodgers as the baserunning and first-base coach from 2011-15. He spent his final two seasons in the majors as the Nationals first base coach in 2016-17.
Lopes is survived by his brothers, Patrick and John, and sisters, Jean, Judith, Mary and Nina.
Nobody likes getting called out at work — especially when doing so happens on a JumboTron in front of tens of thousands of folks.
Some MLB umpires are “stewing” about the new Automated Ball-Strike Challenge (ABS) system and believe it’s creating a “near-impossible standard” for their jobs, according to The Athletic.
The caveat is that umpires agreed to this system in their last collective bargaining agreement, as The Athletic noted, meaning they are not blameless for this new world.
An ABS challenge at Citi Field. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
That lack of accountability from umpires is why ABS received such a push, with fans and players alike wanting fewer games determined by human judgement that can sometimes be faulty.
The ABS system seemingly has earned positive reviews for fans, rewarding batters for good eyes or pitchers for painting the black.
The system is designed to not let those types of calls blow the game.
“We’ve only really had one game where it’s been a lot – I think there were 11 challenges in the game,” former Met and current Royals starter Seth Lugo told The Athletic.
“We were all thinking that the umpire (Andy Fletcher) was starting to get pissed off and someone asked him about it and he was like, ‘This is great. I’m getting better in-game, so this is cool.’”
One issue is that the system does not have a buffer zone, meaning it doesn’t afford umpires who miss even a strike by .01 of an inch any grace.
Mike Estabrook had a rough night during a Yankee sgame. AP
That call is ruled a ball, the same as if a pitch missed the zone by six inches.
MLB umpires reportedly gripe that ABS is not a perfect system since MLB officials previously told the Athletic they are 95 percent confidence ABS will locate a pitch within 0.39 inches of its location and they are 99 percent the system would track the pitch within 0.48 inches of where it ultimately lands.
Umpires would prefer if they received the same kind of help, but it has not been OK’d.
“Major League umpires hold themselves to the highest standard and deeply care about getting calls right. We appreciate the professionalism of our umpires and their commitment to the good of the game and the wishes of fans,” MLB’s senior executive Michael Hill told The Athletic.
The ABS system shown at Yankee Stadium. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“As they adjust to the new zone, we commend the umpires for being the most accurate as a group in history, building off last season’s historic high with a 93.5 percent accuracy rate on pitches this year (through April 7), up 0.8 percent through the same number of games in 2025 (92.7 percent). We are also pleased that on the closest of pitches, those being challenged, umpires have been correct nearly half of the time (46.2 percent).”
The Athletic cited data from Tap To Challenge showing the top 11 umpires averaged less than one inch on their misses, although Bucknor averaged 1.36 inches, the seventh-worst mark in the sport.
Orioles righty and longtime starter Chris Bassitt defended the umpires.
Michael Harris III challenging a call. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“I don’t think people realize 0.2, 0.3 inches off the plate — they’re like, oh my gosh, I can’t believe you missed that call,” he told the publication. “Go get a ruler out, please, and realize how much they just missed it by. He barely missed it.
“This guy is throwing 96 mph, and the ball moved 18 inches sideways. You have no idea what you’re talking about. You’ve never even seen this. So the fact these umpires are that good, let’s not take that away from them. These umpires are literally that good. I could not be more in favor of keeping umpires in this game.”
Apr 7, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners right fielder Luke Raley (20) hits his head on the ground returning to first base during the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers scored three runs while the Seattle Mariners scored zero runs.
We had ourselves a real Shed classic today with two good starters on the mound and runs at a premium. Zeros were traded between Texas’ MacKenzie Gore and Seattle’s Bryan Woo before the Rangers finally broke through with a crooked number inning halfway through the game.
The Rangers probably should have had more runs as they hit a couple of balls in the early innings that would have been home runs in more than half of the parks in the league. As we know, no balls hit at The Shed go for home runs so they were forced to wait until they could manufacture a rally aided by Seattle’s questionable gloves.
That rally came in the bottom of the 5th when, after a quick out and Woo cruising, the bottom of the order made something happen. Danny Jansen reached via an infield single on a play that third baseman Brendan Donovan couldn’t make. Josh Smith followed with a sharp single and then No. 9 hitter Ezequiel Duran came back from an 0-2 count to single to load the bases.
With the top of the order up, the Rangers had their chance to score the runs that would make starter Gore the pitcher of record and Brandon Nimmo did just that with an assist from Seattle first baseman Connor Joe. Filling in for usual first baseman Josh Naylor on a getaway day in Arlington, Joe attempted a force play at home but his throw was wide of catcher Mitch Garver, who was in behind the plate to get Cal Raleigh off his feet.
Jansen scored on the play and Smith came around on the errant throw as well. A Corey Seager sac fly followed to give Texas a 3-0 lead. Following that breakthrough with Seager’s flyout accounting for the only RBI, the Rangers turned to the bullpen needing another four innings from their relievers.
Chris Martin pitched a scoreless frame and then Luis Curvelo made his 2026 debut with two scoreless innings. Skip Schumaker turned to Cole Winn in the 9th for a scoreless inning and save and the Rangers have their first sweep of the season while finishing their homestand 3-3 despite beginning it 0-3.
Texas now sits at 7-5 and are atop the American League West while the swept Mariners begin their much-hyped season at 4-9.
Player of the Game: Josh Smith had a couple of hits and made perhaps the best contact for Texas on the day. He was flat out robbed of a home run by former Ranger Rob Refsnyder in the 3rd. Brandon Nimmo also had a couple of hits and technically produced the winning run with his grounder that Joe threw away.
However, despite a shorter outing than would have been liked, starter Gore was the standout for Texas today.
The young lefty was nearly unhittable during his five innings of work with his only hit allowed coming after a dropped popup in foul territory by Jansen off the bat of old friend Garver. Otherwise, Gore struck out nine and had the Mariners looking silly with swing-and-miss stuff.
Gore did walk a couple in the first inning before he had settled in and that contributed to his high pitch total early, but overall he was excellent and has had a superb start (2-0, 2.76 ERA) to his tenure with Texas.
Also, just in general the pitching staff was fantastic with only two hits allowed all game. Overall, the Rangers allowed just three runs total in this series against Seattle and have allowed just 12 runs in their first six games at home this year including no more than two runs in any of the previous five games.
They may not be scoring much at The Shed, but they’re not giving up many runs either.
Up Next: The Rangers get a day off on Thursday to rest up their bullpen before opening a series on the West Coast against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a matchup between the two most recent World Series winning franchises. RHP Kumar Rocker is expected to make the start for Texas in Friday’s opener opposite RHP Tyler Glasnow for Los Angeles.
The first pitch in Friday’s opener from UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium is scheduled for 9:10 pm CDT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.
Apr 5, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker (55) walks to the mound during the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The last three World Series winners will be represented in the series opener between the Dodgers and Texas Rangers on Friday night at Dodger Stadium. The Rangers after winning the 2023 Fall Classic went 78-84 in 2024 and 81-81 in 2025. This year, former Dodgers infielder Skip Schumaker is in his first year managing in Texas.
Tyler Glasnow starts the series opener, moved up a bit in the pecking order given the six-man rotation at the moment plus Thursday’s off day. Glasnow last pitched Saturday in Washington D.C., and will be on five days rest on Friday night. Emmet Sheehan, who pitched on Friday, April 3 against the Nationals, will start on Saturday vs. Texas.
Kumar Rocker starts Friday for Texas, making his second start of 2026. The right-hander allowed two runs in five innings last Saturday in a loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
Both Soler and López have been suspended seven games and were fined an undisclosed amount, MLB senior vice president of on-field operations Michael Hill announced via press release. The suspensions had been scheduled to begin in the final of the three-game series between the Angels and Braves on Wednesday afternoon, but MLB announced that both players are appealing the decision, which will put any suspension on hold until the process is complete.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Chad Bishop later reported that López and MLB have reached a settlement to reduce his suspension to five games, effective immediately.
"It's obviously disappointing losing a guy like Jorgie, in the clubhouse, obviously what he's been doing on the field for us," Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said after their 8-2 loss on Wednesday. "But at the same time, I'm 100% behind what he did. I felt like that was what he needed to do and I support him 100%. He's appealing it, so we'll see how it goes after that."
The confrontation began brewing after Soler hit a two-run home run off López in the bottom of the first inning on Tuesday, the fifth in 23 career at-bats off of his former teammate. López appeared to have retaliated by plunking Soler with a pitch inside that got him on the wrist/hand area, after which Soler was visibly frustrated.
Then in the fifth, all hell broke loose.
MASSIVE brawl breaks out in Anaheim as Jorge Soler and Reynaldo López throw punches at each other after Soler took exception to a high-and-in pitch. pic.twitter.com/SOHkZjVqNn
López threw a ball up and in that flew over the head of Soler while teammate Nolan Schanuel took second on the wild pitch. Soler stayed in the batters box the entire time, staring down López.
"I have good numbers against him," Soler told reporters in Spanish after the game. "I hit a home run, my second time up he hits me in the hand, and then threw me another one up and in. This is the big leagues, you can't be throwing that."
Soler told reporters he asked López if he was okay, to which he responded with a bad word. Soler then took a few steps toward the mound and began to charge as López raised his arms. The two 2021 World Series champions exchanged haymakers on the diamond like it was a heavyweight boxing match as benches cleared until Braves manager Walt Weiss tackled Soler to the ground.
Both Soler and López were ejected from the game, which would go on to be a 7-2 win for Atlanta.
While Soler believes that López was intentionally trying to hit him, López maintains that it was an accident.
“We spent time together as teammates and so I just think it was a misunderstanding because I would never do anything,” López told reporters in Spanish. “I wasn’t trying to hit him and there was never any intent on my part to hit him at all at any point.”
It was initially speculated around the league that López would get a heavier punishment because he held the ball during the fight and struck Soler in the helmet with it at one point, but that was apparently not the case.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 08: Joey Cantillo #54 of the Cleveland Guardians throws a pitch during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field on April 08, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Cantillo was great today. He unfortunately didn’t finish the 6th, but went 5.2 solid innings walking only 2 Royals hitters. He struck out 9, and did a fantastic job of limiting hard contact. He had some trouble locating his fastball, but all of his other pitches were consistently in the zone. Entering today’s game, Guardians starters averaged a tick over 5 innings a start (5th in MLB), and posted a 2.77 ERA (2nd in MLB). The rotation has been fantastic so far. They’re striking out over 10.5 hitters per 9 innings, although they are walking roughly 4.5 hitters/9. Both their walk rate and HR rate are bottom 10 in MLB, but they’ve managed to limit damage otherwise. It helps that, so far, they’ve induced the 11th most groundballs in MLB. The pitching staff, today, notched their 10th game with 10+ strikeouts, the most in MLB (2nd most has 7). To the offense!
The Guardians had 16 hits today which, per MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins, tied their season-high from 2025. They only had 15+ hits 3 times last season. Definitely an encouraging sign that they’re having outbursts like today’s so early in the season.
Cole Ragans did not get out of the first inning today. He was first hit in the hand by a Jose comebacker, but stayed in the game.
Cole Ragans got hit with a comebacker and left the game with injury.
Brito has been fantastic so far. 2 MLB games, 2 multi-hit games, 2 XBH. So far, he’s chasing a little more than you’d like, but it’s early. But, he’s barely whiffing, and putting up really good exit velocity numbers for someone this new to MLB. He’s averaging 98+ mph on his batted balls and has been really aggressive in the zone (97th percentile zone-swing%).
Cantillo’s only earned run of the day came on a Bobby Witt double to left. The other run came on a fielding error by Kwan (although it could’ve just as easily been charged to Martinez).
It was pretty quiet until the 8th, when Brito and Hedges singled back-to-back (Hedges, by the way, has a 174 wRC+ on a .933 OPS). Rocchio worked a 3-1 count and, after an iffy 3-1 strike call, singled to right. Kwan walked to load the bases, and then Martinez smoked an oopsie slider into the seats in right-center. The Royals brought in a position player to pitch, which is always a welcome sight. For reference, the last position player to pitch against the Guardians was Luke Maile on September 8 of 2025… also for the Royals. That game also ended 10-2.
In other news, the Guardians announced today that Gabriel Arias will miss 4-8 weeks with a hamstring strain.
Guardians provided an update on Gabriel Arias after he got further evaluated. Expected to miss 4-8 weeks.
The Guardians have won 3 straight series against playoff contenders. They head south this weekend for a 3-game set with the Braves. It’ll be Cecconi vs. Elder on Friday night.
The Angels’ Jorge Soler and Braves’ Reynaldo López, both at the center of the on-field dust up at Angel Stadium, were suspended seven games for the incident.
Both players are appealing their suspensions, per The Post’s Jon Heyman.
Los Angeles Angels’ Jorge Soler (12) and Atlanta Braves’ Reynaldo López (40) fight during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. AP
A chaotic benches-clearing fight broke out between the teams during Atlanta’s 7-2 win that even saw Soler, the Angels’ designated hitter, and López, the Braves’ starting pitcher, throw punches at each other.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Soler took a pitch from López up-and-in that went to the backstop, allowing the Angels’ Nolan Schanuel to go from first to second base.
Soler appeared to take exception and López threw his arms out as the two exchanged words before the former came charging out to the mound, setting off the brouhaha.
“I asked him if everything was OK and the answer he gave me, I didn’t like it,” Soler said through a translator, according to MLB.com. “That’s why I went out there.”
Braves starter Reynaldo Lopez (40) winds up to hit the Angels’ Jorge Soler during a brawl on April 7, 2026. @JomboyMedia/X
“It’s just a shame, the situation and how things unfolded,” López said, per MLB.com. “On my part, there was never any intent to hit him at any point. So, again, it’s just a shame.”
Soler had hit a home run off López in the first inning of the game, the fifth of his career against the right-hander.
The pair were teammates with the Braves during the second-half of the 2024 season after Soler was acquired from the Giants in a trade.
NOT STREAKING, YET: The Cubs and Red Sox are the only two teams that have not won at least two games in a row. The Orioles did it for the first by winning yesterday. The 28 other teams have won two or more a total of 42 times: four streaks each of five and four games, five of three games and 19 of two. Last season, the Cubs had 25 winning streaks: one of five games, four of four and 10 each of three and two. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
THE BATS FINALLY GOT GOING: The Cubs’ 16 hits last night raised their team batting average for the season by 22 points, to .221, which ranks 22nd among all teams, between the Red Sox (.223) and Diamondbacks (.213). The Dodgers lead, at .292, and six more teams are above .250, including the Rays, whose .260 is fifth best. The Angels are at .200; the Guardians, .197; and the Mariners, .191. The Reds are last among National League teams, at .204, 27th overall. The 29 other teams combined are .234. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Derrek Lee led off the eighth inning with a home run. That broke a 2-2 tie and the Cubs held on for a 3-2 win over the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. It happened 20 years ago today, Saturday, April 8, 2006.
For the second year in a row, Colin Rea is being asked to step into the rotation to replace an injured starter. Last year in place of Justin Steele, Rea was really good. Over his first seven starts after taking Steele’s rotation spot, Rea posted a 2.72 ERA and 1.239 WHIP and allowed just four home runs in 36.1 innings.
Hopefully Matthew Boyd won’t be out long and Rea can go back to the long relief role he does so well. (Or Rea can stay in the rotation replacing Cade Horton.)
He made a competent start Sept. 13, 2025 vs. the Rays at Wrigley Field, allowing three runs in 5.1 innings, striking out five with no walks.
Joe Boyle came to the Rays in a trade with the A’s before the 2025 season and he spent much of the year in Triple-A before being recalled in July. He had a few decent starts and some not-so-decent and it was an unremarkable season.
This year Boyle has a 3.18 ERA and 0.882 WHIP in two starts covering 11.1 innings, with 13 strikeouts. He’s never faced the Cubs and only four Cubs have ever seen him, none for more than four at-bats, so let’s hope the Cubs have a good scouting report.
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
Apr 8, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Shane Drohan (55) pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images
It ends up being just a .500 road trip for the Brewers across Kansas City and Boston as Milwaukee dropped the rubber match Wednesday afternoon against the Red Sox, 5-0.
Sonny Gray had the goods from the beginning. The Brewers were able to get some traffic on the bases against him, but could never capitalize with the big hit. Sal Frelick led off the game with a ground-rule double to right, but was left stranded quickly. Gray ended up covering 6 1/3 IP, scattering just three hits, walking two, and striking out two.
Shane Drohan made his MLB debut today and will end up being a start to forget for the 27-year-old lefty. Drohan made it through just 2 2/3 IP, allowing three hits, three runs, four walks, and a pair of strikeouts. Of the 63 pitches he threw, just 28 of them were strikes.
Grant Anderson was able to make it through 1 1/3 IP scoreless, Aaron Ashby had a scoreless inning, then Jake Woodford covered the final three innings for the Brewers bullpen and gave up a pair of runs late that allowed the Red Sox to get to that comfortable 5-0 lead.
The Brewers had just four hits on the day. With no Brice Turang and no William Contreras in the lineup, it was going to be an uphill battle for the Brewers lineup against Gray to begin with.
The Brewers now fall to 8-4 on the season after a 3-3 road trip. They’ll have a day off tomorrow before starting their next homestand against the Washington Nationals for the weekend, before the reigning AL Champion Toronto Blue Jays come to town to begin next week.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 7: Benches clear as pitcher Reynaldo López #40 of the Atlanta Braves and right fielder Jorge Soler #12 of the Los Angeles Angels fight on the field during the fifth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 7, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The verdict is out for Los Angeles Angels’ Jorge Soler and Atlanta Braves’ Reynald López. Per Jeff Passan, both players will be receiving a seven-game suspension following last night’s viral altercation.
Los Angeles Angels DH Jorge Soler and Atlanta pitcher Reynaldo López have been suspended seven games for the big brawl in Anaheim last night in which Soler charged the mound and López punched him while holding a baseball in his hand.. Both are appealing.
It was the bottom of the fifth inning, where everything took place. López threw a pitch high and tight off the backstop, which Soler didn’t appreciate after previously being hit by a pitch in his second at-bat. Once he charged the mound after what looked to be words exchanged between him and López, hands were thrown, and though punches from both sides didn’t connect, there was footage of López using the ball he kept in his hand as his weapon of choice. It ended with a tackle from Braves manager Walt Weiss to Soler…well, until the bullpen ran out to get the last of the action…
This punishment would also include an undisclosed fine following their actions, starting today.
Keep in mind, however, that this is the initial status before the appeals are reviewed.
Hey, on the bright side…at least Weiss got away scot-free.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler and Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo López each received seven-game suspensions from Major League Baseball on Wednesday after they were ejected following their participation in a brawl Tuesday night.
Michael Hill, MLB’s senior vice president for on-field operations, also announced the players received undisclosed fines. The suspensions were scheduled to begin with Wednesday’s game but will be on hold as each player is appealing.
Soler homered off López in the first inning of Tuesday night’s game. In his next at-bat, Soler was hit by a 96 mph fastball from López. In the fifth, Soler charged the mound after López threw a high-and-inside wild pitch that tipped off catcher Jonah Heim’s mitt.
As Soler began walking toward the mound, López held up his hands as the two glared at each other before both started throwing punches.
The right-handed López held the baseball in his right hand as he used it to throw a punch at Soler.
Players and coaches stormed out of the dugouts and bullpens and Braves manager Walt Weiss tackled Soler, the 2021 World Series MVP with Atlanta.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 08: Cole Ragans #55 of the Kansas City Royals exits the game after being injured during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on April 08, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a rough start to the game today in Cleveland. Cole Ragans took the hill in the bottom of the first and started out by striking out Kwan and Martinez. It was looking like he might be dominant, which the Royals could have used going for the series win. Then Jose Ramirez singled off of Ragans, literally.
The come-backer hit Cole in his pitching hand, but he was determined to stay in. That lasted only two batters. David Fry walked on four pitched and then Chase DeLauter hit a 2-RBI double, at which point Ragans was pulled and in came Luinder Avila. Avila allowed DeLauter in, so Cole was charged with 3 runs in just 2/3 of an inning for the start. An already taxed Kansas City bullpen then had to piece together the rest of the game.
Avila did a reasonable job getting through 3 innings, but too many baserunners and too many pitches meant he only got through 3 innings and gave up another run, so the Royals ended up down four to nothing. It was not a good performance, though I am giving him bonus points for warming quickly and coming in well before he was expecting to on the day. The offense started to battle back in the 4th when Bobby Witt Jr. ended the longest stretch of his career without an extra base hit with an RBI double.
Alex Lange was next out of the pen and went 2 1/3 innings to get the team through the 6th. He gave up another run, but Starling Marte also added another run with a double that scored Lane Thomas in the 5th. The run was ruled unearned since the Kwan mishandled the ball off of the wall for an error. Joey Cantillo came one strike away from getting through 6 innings for Cleveland. He had quite a start at 5 2/3 innings, 3 hits, 2 walks, 1 ER, and 9 strike outs. For the second game in a row, the Royals had some issues with striking out. Yesterday, KC struck out 14 times and followed it up with 14 again today.
It seemed like the Royals had a chance to rally at that point as Steven Cruz came in and got through a clean 7th. Unfortunately, the 8th went about as poorly as could have for Cruz. It went single, single, RBI single, walk, grand slam, and strikeout. Five runs was enough that Tyler Tolbert came in and gave up a single then got a double play.
That was a tough end to a disappointing series that sees the Royals fall to 5-7 on the season. Up next is four games at home against a bad White Sox team. Hopefully they can use that to get back on track.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 22: Jesus Rodriguez #55 of the Sacramento River Cats bats against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning of an exhibition game at Sutter Health Park on March 22, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I don’t know about you, but I sure am happy that Minor League Baseball is back. It’s probably easier to be excited about the Minors since the San Francisco Giants aren’t worth being excited about, but it’s also just great having so much baseball around, and optimism in the air.
All four of the Giants A-ball affiliates started a new series on Tuesday night, so let’s dive into the exciting action. Spoiler alert: they all won!
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
AAA Sacramento (5-3)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Las Vegas Aviators (A’s) 5-3 Box score
In case you missed the Major League news, catcher Daniel Susac (No. 20 CPL) is apparently the best hitter in baseball. He’s 6-7 with a triple and a walk to start his career!
That will probably calm down at some point, but if it doesn’t — and especially if San Francisco’s offense keeps struggling — then the Giants will look for ways to get his bat in the lineup more. But it’s hard to do that, because there are only a pair of ways to get Susac more at-bats: start him at catcher more often, or play him at DH. The former means regularly benching the best defensive baseball player on the planet, and the latter is a very risky move with a backup catcher.
One potential solution down the road? Add catcher Jesús Rodríguez (No. 16 CPL) to the Major League roster.
Rodríguez was the favorite to win the backup catcher position before the Giants acquired Susac in the Rule 5 Draft, and the dude can absolutely hit. After a slow start to the year, the righty has been turning it on lately, and had his best game of the season on Tuesday, when he hit 2-4 with a home run, 3 runs batted in, and a walk.
That’s a mighty impressive swing for someone who isn’t associated with a lot of power!
If Susac and Rodríguez play as well as the Giants expect them to, then the team will have a very good problem on their hands. It helps that Rodríguez can also competently play the non-shortstop infield positions, and can even fake it in the corners of the outfield. And it helps that he has 2 option years remaining, and that Susac will have 3 if he can make it through this year on the roster.
That’s putting the cart ahead of the horse, but the Giants are very high on Rodríguez, who is already on the 40-man roster and who still has a few weeks left of being a 23-year old. If he has more days like this, the team will start looking for ways to get him an MLB debut.
Speaking of contact hitters acquired in deadline deals whom the team is high on, second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL) also had himself a day, hitting 1-3 with a home run and a walk.
Get used to the hits and get used to the walks, as Furman will rack up both of them in huge quantities. The home runs? Probably don’t need to get used to those, but they’re fun when they arrive.
Furman impressed at his first Spring Training this year, and the 24-year old, who was a 4th-round pick by the Guardians in 2022, got an opening assignment in AAA despite just 22 career games in AA due to injuries. So far he’s making the Giants look very smart there, with a .989 OPS and a 191 wRC+ in 10 games with Sacramento. That’ll play!
In less happy news, it was a rough day at the office for first baseman Bryce Eldridge (No. 1 CPL), who went 0-4 with a strikeout hat trick. Fans have been clamoring for the Giants to call up Eldridge to save the offense and, well, that talk requires a few chill pills.
It’s pretty clear that the Giants optioned Eldridge with the intention of having him work on his swing-and-miss struggles, and it’s equally clear that there’s still work to be done. Eldridge is up to a 33.3% strikeout rate which, for context, is 9th-highest out of 78 qualified PCL hitters. And while some of that is coming from a slightly passive approach — which has also led to a sky-high 18.8% walk rate — much of it is due to having some exploitable zones.
I’m not sure whether this is the good news or the bad news, but Eldridge has been doing a good job staying in the zone this year, and just is missing hittable pitches (though that passivity is also showing, as he’s 25th percentile in zone swing rate). His chase rate is in the 75th percentile in AAA this year, which is great … but it makes his 9th-percentile whiff rate a little terrifying. His in-zone contact rate is just 19th percentile, while his swinging strike rate is 32nd percentile.
I would stop short of calling any of that concerning — it’s only 10 games — but it certainly paints a picture of a prospect who has a lot of development to do before making the Majors, which isn’t a knock for a 21-year old. Hopefully it all comes together for Eldridge, as the combination of passivity and lack of contact has also brought down his good underlying metrics: he’s just 33rd percentile in average exit velocity and 54th percentile in maximum exit velocity, while still searching for his 1st home run of the season.
The other 40-man hitters: left fielder Drew Gilbert hit 2-4 with a walk, raising his OPS to .824 and his wRC+ to 141; right fielder Will Brennan hit 1-4 with a double, putting his OPS at .861 and his wRC+ at 125; and center fielder Grant McCray went 0-3 with a walk, a strikeout, and his 1st stolen base of the year, and now has a .639 OPS and a 90 wRC+.
There was great news on the pitching front: RHP Joel Peguero (No. 27 CPL) made a rehab appearance. Peguero, who was a Minor League journeyman before making his MLB debut last season, figures to play a key role in the bullpen this year, though it may or may not be as soon as he’s back into game shape and in a rhythm. The Giants could certainly use his 100-mph heat out of the bullpen though, and on Tuesday he looked the part, pitching a perfect 6th inning with 2 strikeouts. A very welcome sight.
Speaking of people who will help the bullpen this year, RHP Spencer Bivens had a quality outing as well, tossing 2 scoreless innings while giving up 2 hits (both singles), and striking out 1. He’ll certainly be back in the bigs at some point; he perhaps doesn’t have the nastiness or the upside of the players currently in San Francisco, but he’s a very trustworthy bit of bullpen depth.
While the bullpen shined (that pair, plus RHPs Braxton Roxby and Michael Fulmer combined for 4.1 shutout innings), it was a tough start for LHP John Michael Bertrand, who struggled with command. Bertrand allowed 4 hits (including a home run) in 4.2 innings, but more concerning was the 4 walks he issued, against just 1 strikeout. All of that combined for a 3-run outing, which raised his ERA to 5.40 and his FIP to 6.34 through a pair of starts. The funky southpaw, who recently turned 28, will never be a big strikeout guy, but he gets enough ground balls that, if he can keep the walks in check, he could provide value at the next level in some capacity.
Richmond kept their strong start to the season going, though it was a fairly uninteresting game for the air-bound rodents. The offense only had 6 hits on the game, but half of them belonged to second baseman Dayson Croes, who hit 3-4 with a double and a strikeout. That was the only extra-base hit of the game for Richmond.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 8, 2026
Croes, who has a 1.055 OPS and a 183 wRC+ through 4 games, was one of the more fun stories on the farm last year. The left-hander from Aruba was signed last year — as a 25-year old — out of indy ball, which is something the Giants have been doing a fair amount of lately. The Giants moved him quickly from the Complex League to High-A, to AA, and finally to AAA, and he hit very well at every stop. Despite an .882 OPS and a 137 wRC+ in 14 games with Sacramento, the Giants opted to have the now-26 year old begin the year back in Richmond.
The reasoning there is probably as simple as wanting to prioritize AAA at-bats for fellow second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL), and honestly, they’re very similar players. Both make a ton of contact (Croes had a .300 average last year, and just a 15.1% strikeout rate), but don’t have a lot of power (Croes had 3 home runs in 90 games), and have suspect defense at second base. Really, it’s a similar profile in AA, AAA, and the Majors for the Giants at second!
While Croes had the best game, the best news was that center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) made his season debut. Davidson missed the first series of the year while on paternity leave (congrats!) but returned on Tuesday, and fit right in, hitting 1-3 with a walk. He’s one of the most must-watch prospects in the farm this year … not just because he’s one of the organization’s top prospects, but because he held his own in a 42-game sample in Richmond last year … meaning he could be promoted to AAA fairly early if he plays well.
Right fielder Jonah Cox only hit 1-3 with a strikeout, but my goodness did he make an impact on the other side of the ball, with an A+ Jo Adell impression.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 8, 2026
The pitching featured piggy-backing starters, and the player who actually started was the star on that front. LHP Cesar Perdomo, a recently-turned 24-year old from Venezuela, made his AA debut and it went quite well, as he gave up just 4 hits and 0 walks in 3.2 innings, while striking out 4 batters. Perdomo allowed just 1 run, and it was unearned following a passed ball by catcher Adrián Sugastey.
Perdomo has always had good control, and last year walked just 2.7 batters per 9 innings in High-A, so it’s great to see that carrying with him up a level. He threw 48 of his 66 pitches for strikes.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 8, 2026
The other “starter” was RHP Darien Smith, who pitched innings 5-8. Smith, a 26-year old who signed as an undrafted free agent in 2024 and made his debut in 2025, wasn’t quite as clean as Perdomo in his introduction to AA. He only gave up 2 hits in 4 innings, but 1 of those hits was a home run, and he walked 3 batters with just 2 strikeouts. Still, he did a good job limiting damage, as that solo home run was the only run he allowed.
High-A Eugene (4-0)
Eugene Emeralds beat the Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays) 4-3 Box score
Eugene’s perfect season continued. 4 games, 4 wins! They’re basically the Daniel Susac of Minor League Baseball teams.
The Emeralds are a sneaky-fun team this year, in part because their roster is full of so many players given exciting new challenges, and we’ll get to see how they do there. One such player is left fielder Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL).
Gutierrez’s opening assignment in High-A is not surprising, given the way that he thoroughly dominated Low-A pitchers en route to an .896 OPS and a 150 wRC+ last year. But injuries have slowed the lefty hitter’s career to this point, including ending his 2025 campaign early. In all, he played just 22 games in the Dominican Summer League, 3 games in the Arizona Complex League, and 60 games in the Cal League. He’s raked every stop along the way, but that still makes it quite a challenge to move up to a higher-level for the 21-year old from Mexico.
Challenge accepted, apparently. Gutierrez’s 3rd game at the level was his best, as he hit 1-3 with a home run, a walk, and a strikeout. Gutierrez, who is far from the largest player on the field, is never going to be a big power guy — that was just the 4th home run in his MiLB career — but he can do damage in a wide variety of ways. I’m excited to watch him this year.
FIRST High-A HR ✅
Carlos Gutierrez hit a solo shot sent a high fastball over the fence in LF to give the Ems a 3-0 lead last night.
Speaking of exciting players with exciting opening assignments, shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) is in High-A this year, despite just 10 highly subpar games in Low-A after getting drafted in the 1st round a year ago. And if you’re wondering if he actually belongs at this level, let me give you 2 different things to think about:
Thing the first: He hit 2-5 in this game Thing the second: That was the worst of his 4 games
Yes, Kilen has been outrageous to start his Eugene tenure. The lefty, who also struck out, is now 8-16 with 2 home runs, 2 doubles, 3 walks, and just 2 strikeouts to start the year. He’s always had the feel of a player who could move quickly if things click and … well … perhaps things are clicking.
Kilen was the team’s 1st draft pick in 2025, and their 2nd, right fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) also has joined him in High-A. Cohen, a left-handed hitter taken in the 3rd round, has some outrageous contact skills, though we haven’t gotten to see those on display yet in the Northwest League. We have, however, seen how he can impact the game in other ways, such as on Tuesday when he was held hitless in 3 at-bats, but drew 2 walks and stole 2 bases. Through 32 career games, Cohen has now drawn 24 walks (with just 17 strikeouts) and stolen 11 bases. That’s a fun player, especially if he can provide above-average outfield defense and/or play center field, both of which seem possible.
There were some bad days to get to, unfortunately. Center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) is struggling with the adjustment to High-A pitching, as he went 0-4 and struck out 3 times. Jordan has the best power/speed combo of any Giants prospect, but fell to the 4th round in 2024 due to a huge strikeout issue. He did an incredible job starting to get that in check in Low-A last year, but so far has struck out 11 times in 18 plate appearances in High-A. Hopefully it’s just an adjustment period.
Speaking of strikeouts, catcher Diego Cartaya went 0-3 with 3 strikeouts and a walk. The Giants are smartly moving Cartaya — who has a lot of experience in AAA — down to a low level as they attempt to reset the former prized jewel of the Dodgers’ system. But so far it’s been ugly, as he’s 0-11 with 8 strikeouts to start the season. And third baseman Walker Martin, who has put up some big numbers early in the year, went 0-3 with a walk and a strikeout, and committed his 3rd error in as many games.
On the mound, LHP Charlie McDaniel made his season debut, and it went well. An undrafted free agent, McDaniel did well in his inaugural season a year ago, with strong numbers in Low-A, but those numbers fell apart in High-A. He’s back in Eugene to attempt to conquer the level, and so far, so good. In 3 shutout innings, the southpaw gave up just 1 hit and 1 walk, while striking out 2 batters. He didn’t have the best command, as he threw 29 of 45 pitches for strikes, but still a very nice start to the season.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for RHP Cade Vernon, the team’s 10th-round pick in 2024. The Murray State product had a rough High-A debut over the weekend, and followed it up with a brutal outing on Tuesday, ceding 2 hits, 4 walks, and 2 earned runs in just 1.2 innings out of the bullpen. It’s been a rude introduction to the Northwest League for Vernon, who has now allowed 9 baserunners and 4 earned runs in 3.1 innings.
Low-A San Jose (3-1)
San Jose Giants beat the Visalia Rawhide (D-Backs) 11-9 Box score
There were a lot of great days for the Baby Giants, but the night belonged to center fielder Andy Polanco, who had a phenomenal game. Polanco was perfect in this outing, hitting 4-4 while smacking a triple and stealing a base. A day to remember!
Speedster Andy Polanco with his first big game of the season for the San Jose Giants, going 4-4 and stealing a base. He's done well in center field so far, and there could be strength gains as he gets older. pic.twitter.com/uAUq1JCG4T
— Giant Prospective (@giantprospectiv) April 8, 2026
Polanco has flown under the radar after being an 11th-round pick out of high school in 2024. But the right-handed hitter, who turns 21 in a few weeks, has some pretty exciting skills, especially with his legs. He spent his entire debut season in 2025 at the Complex League, where he showed a strong ability to handle center field, while also stealing 22 bags in 25 attempts in just 47 games.
So far he’s he followed that up well in Low-A, with 3 stolen bases in as many attempts and games, and strong defense as well. It doesn’t hurt that, after posting an 85 wRC+ in Arizona, he has a 240 wRC+ in San Jose … but, something something sample size.
There were 4 other hitters who shined, and if you’ve been reading these Minor League roundups, you’ll probably know exactly who those 4 are. The Nos. 1-4 hitters in San Jose’s Tuesday lineup were the 4 hitters who starred in their opening series, and all 4 starred in this series opener. They’re carrying the team!
At the top of the lineup was the shining gem of San Jose’s roster, shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL), who had his 3rd multi-hit game of the 4-game season, going 2-5 with a double, a stolen base, and 3 runs batted in. Level had a breakout 2025 and he is on his way to another breakout campaign, as he’s started the year hitting 9-18 with 3 extra-base hits, 2 walks, and 3 stolen bases, for a 245 wRC+.
It’s too early to wonder how long he stays in San Jose if he keeps hitting like this, but then again … the just-turned 19-year old switch-hitter sits near the very top of the prospect rankings for a good reason.
Hitting 2nd in the order was Level’s double play partner, second baseman Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL), who hit 3-5 with a double. Meola, a right-handed hitter who was the team’s 4th-round pick in July, is known for his glove more than his bat, but he’s quickly trying to change that … and not by doing anything bad with his glove. After a solid 16-game debut last year, Meola has started his 1st full season by hitting a casual 7-17 with 4 doubles, 2 walks, and just 1 strikeout, which has resulted in a 171 wRC+.
Lorenzo Meola with a double off the wall, and the Giants take the lead back in the 6th! pic.twitter.com/LJPY67T9E7
Then came the beef of the order: batting 3rd was catcher Junior Barajas, who continued his stellar debut season by hitting 1-4 with a double, a hit by pitch, and a strikeout. The 11th-round pick last year got a lot of hype in his 1st offseason, and so far he’s making it look justified, by hitting 6-15 with 4 doubles, a 215 wRC+, and strong defense behind the dish.
And in the cleanup spot was someone hoping to become the next great undrafted success story in the organization, first baseman Hayden Jatczak, who hit 2-5 with a double and 2 strikeouts. Jatczak is on the older side for a Low-A hitter — he turns 25 in August — but it’s hard to argue with 6-13 with 4 extra-base hits, 7 walks, and a 284 wRC+ through 4 career games. Talk about an introduction!
It was not a good pitching game for San Jose. 3 of their 5 pitchers gave up not just runs, but multiple runs, while the other 2 were shaky in scoreless outings. It began with one of the most high-profile pitchers in the system, RHP Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL). Martinez was one of the breakout stars of 2025, and he has some truly nasty stuff. Some of it was on display Tuesday, as he struck out 4 batters in just 3 innings.
But he also gave up 4 hits, which included a home run and a triple, while walking 2 and ceding 3 runs. Martinez, a 21-year old who was signed out of Venezuela 3 years ago, really shined in his short time with San Jose last year, following a late-season promotion. In 6 games, he posted a 2.86 ERA and a 3.96 FIP, so it’s safe to assume that his season debut was something of an outlier.
LHP Ricardo Estrada and RHP Fernando Vasquez both got rocked fairly hard, while RHP Ubert Mejias pitched 2.1 no-hit innings with 2 strikeouts, but also walked 2 batters.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - APRIL 03: Michael McGreevy #36 of the St. Louis Cardinals throws a first inning pitch against the Detroit Tigers during the Tigers home opener at Comerica Park on April 03, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will wrap up the first road trip of the 2026 season with a Wednesday afternoon contest against an old friend. While the Cardinals have Michael McGreevy scheduled to make the afternoon start, the Washington Nationals will send Ron BurgundyMiles Mikolas to the mound. Miles has had a rough start to the season with an 0-2 record and an ERA of 14.46. Let’s hope the Cardinals increase that number Wednesday afternoon.
