Category: MLB

MLB News

Posted on

Yankees giving Luis Gil another 10 days before resuming throwing program

Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided a few injury updates prior to Wednesday’s series finale against the Kansas City Royals.

Here’s what the skipper had to say regarding some key members of the pitching staff, as well as slugger Giancarlo Stanton:

Luis Gil

The reigning AL Rookie of the Year was scheduled to resume throwing this week as he recovers from a lat strain, but after undergoing another MRI, the Yankees decided to push his timeline back another 10 days.

According to Boone, Gil’s rehab is going “fine,” but the right-hander hasn’t quite reached the level of healing needed to resume throwing. 

“It’s just the level of healing. So it’s got to get to, I don’t know, 80 percent,” Boone explained. “When they start, there are checkmarks of when you start the throwing program. It’s going how it should, it’s just we need another 10 days.”

Jonathan Loaisiga

After missing almost all of the 2024 season due to an internal brace procedure to repair the UCL in his pitching elbow, Loaisiga continues to move in the right direction.

“Lo’s in a good spot,” Boone said. “[He threw] his second live. I think he’s got a couple more before he starts his rehab. He’ll travel with us to Tampa so he’ll throw another live this weekend and then one early next week and then be ready to start a rehab assignment. But he’s been a in a good place now for a while. Excited about where he’s at.”

Giancarlo Stanton

Stanton, who has not played this season due to tendinitis in both elbows, will also travel with the club to Tampa, and he is getting closer to taking live at-bats, though Boone said the Yankees don’t have a specific date in mind for when those live Abs might begin.

Jake Cousins

Cousins, who has not pitched yet this season due to a right forearm strain, won’t throw live batting practice for another “couple of weeks,” per Boone, but he will soon begin throwing side sessions.

Posted on

Hometown kid Trivino settles things down as Giants win another

Hometown kid Trivino settles things down as Giants win another originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

PHILADELPHIA — In the offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies put accordion doors in front of the seats in their visiting bullpen, allowing relievers to hide from the elements and raucous fans if they want to. As cold and windy as it’s been in Philadelphia this week, it’s those fans who provide the harshest welcome to Giants relievers when they start warming up. 

The visiting bullpen at Citizens Bank Park is legendary for allowing fans to practically be on top of relievers who are warming up, and Philly being Philly, they aren’t kind about getting that extra access. Lou Trivino learned that the hard way on Wednesday night. 

As Trivino started to get loose, he heard the usual array of personal insults. He couldn’t help but smile, and he kept himself from yelling back. He wanted desperately to inform the fans around him that he’s from Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, a 45-minute drive from the ballpark. He grew up rooting for Pat Burrell and Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard. He’s one of them.

“It’s Wawa or bust,” he said late Wednesday night, providing his credentials. 

As Trivino got loose, though, he found that not everyone around him was bringing taunts. He saw old high school and Legion Ball teammates, and others he hasn’t seen in years. They waved and he waved back, and then he went out and settled what otherwise was the most disjointed game of the year.

Both bullpens got loose in the first inning, and it wasn’t just the area around those mounds where curse words could be heard. The Giants’ bench watched in frustration as Robbie Ray threw 39 pitches in the bottom of the first and walked four despite being gifted a 4-0 lead, and by the bottom of the fourth, the game was tied. 

But Trivino took over in the fifth and had a clean inning. By the time he left the mound, the Giants led 11-4, and that was the final score. Trivino picked up his first win since Aug. 21, 2022, and it was very, very well earned. 

“He had to go through the middle of their order there, through the lefties. It really did settle things down,” manager Bob Melvin said. “He threw strikes, didn’t walk anybody, that was huge to give us two innings like that. And really [Spencer Bivens] at the end, as well, and [Camilo Doval] came in and got a clean inning and threw the ball really well, too.

“What started out a little rough on the pitching end ended up pretty clean.”

Trivino, Doval and Bivens combined for five one-hit innings and five strikeouts. On a night when Ray walked five and Phillies pitchers issued nine free passes, the late-game trio walked just one. That crispness allowed the offense to take over, and the Giants ended up running away with a win on a very ugly night of baseball. 

Ray was a big part of that early, and he said afterward that he had trouble finding his direction to the plate in the first inning because his front side was flying open too fast. He was disappointed that he wasn’t able to adjust on the fly. The Phillies took advantage, striking back for a pair of runs as Ray tried to find his command. 

Ray ended up pitching four innings for the second time on this trip that has seen the lineup score 20 runs in his two starts. Rain halted the first one, and the Giants’ bullpen put a stop to Philadelphia’s momentum Wednesday. 

“They’ve been picking us up,” Ray said. “It’s time to reciprocate.”

If there is an early red flag for this team, it has been starting pitching that is shakier than expected. But the bullpen also might be as good as any in baseball, something Trivino learned the hard way. 

Injuries kept the veteran right-hander out of the big leagues for two years, but he saw San Francisco as an appealing home, in large part because Melvin had him in Oakland. What Trivino did not realize when he signed was how deep the bullpen mix was, and he had to fight harder than expected to make the team. 

Trivino won a job in camp, and he said Wednesday that the win meant more than he ever could have imagined. It came with family members and friends in the stands, and it’ll make it a bit easier to swallow the 36 tickets he’s leaving on Thursday for the series finale. 

The crowd this week has included Trivino’s parents and in-laws, and after the win, he recalled a conversation he had with his father this spring. Every year, it’s the same thing. His father asks how the team is looking, and the son responds that it’s spring training and you just never know. But this March, the younger Trivino felt something different. He told his dad the Giants were going to surprise everyone.  

“I think we’re very good,” Trivino said. “The pitching is outstanding, the hitting is outstanding, the defense is fantastic. It’s great, and it’s a good feeling to be part of something like this.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Posted on

Mets fight back late but fall to Twins in extras, 4-3

The Mets dug out of a late 3-0 hole but fell to the Twins, 4-3, in 10 innings on Wednesday in Minnesota in the finale of their three-game series.

Here are the takeaways...

- Trailing 3-0 in the top of the eighth inning, the Mets mounted a furious rally to tie the game. Francisco Lindorled things off with a single, Pete Alonsoripped a double down the left field line to drive in Lindor, Jesse Winker smoked a double to right field to bring Alonso home, and Luisangel Acuña smacked a two-out single off the glove of shortstop Willi Castro to even things up.

Edwin Diaz pitched the bottom of the ninth, and after walking leadoff batter Harrison Bader -- who was caught stealing second base -- Diaz locked in to strike out Edouard Julien (swinging on a slider) and Byron Buxton (swinging on a fastball) to force extra innings.

The Mets had runners at first and second with no one out in the 10th inning, but Winker grounded into a 4-6-3 double play (on a ball that came off the bat around 100 mph) before Brandon Nimmo popped out in foul territory on the first pitch he saw.

In the bottom of the inning, Ty France led off by lining a single to center field off Reed Garrett to win it.

- With Griffin Canning scratched from his start due to illness, Huascar Brazoban served as the opener and pitched well, recording the side in order in the first inning. After Brazoban issued a leadoff walk in the second, he was replaced by Justin Hagenman -- who was called up from Triple-A Syracuse before the game ahead of his big league debut.

Hagenman was impressive, allowing just one run on three hits while walking one and striking out four in 3.1 efficient innings. The only run charged to Hagenman came in to score after he exited, with Badersmacking a single off Jose Butto to left field through the drawn-in infield to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning.

Butto suffered more damage later in the frame, allowing a two-out single to Buxton that increased the Twins' advantage to 2-0.

With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, an egregiously bad call by the first base umpire cost the Mets a run. On what should've been an inning-ending ground out to first base, Butto received the throw from Alonsoand stepped on the bag -- beating Castro by a full step. But Castro was ruled safe, and while Butto was in disbelief with his back turned to home plate, Ryan Jeffers came around to score from second base.

- The Mets' first real threat came in the fifth inning, when they loaded the bases with one out on a pair of singles and a hit-by-pitch. But Juan Soto, who was first-pitch swinging, hit a weak grounder between first and second base with the infield halfway in that resulted in an unassisted double play. Lindor was tagged out a few feet off first base before Julien stepped on the bag.

- There were a few unforced errors by the Mets on Wednesday -- one that cost them and one that didn't.

With Winkeron second base and no one out in the second inning, he was waved home on a single to left field by Nimmo-- despite Winker not being in an advantageous spot and Bader fielding the ball in shallow left field. Winker was out at the plate.

In the fifth inning, Acuñaleft second base uncovered on Buxton's single. That allowed Buxton to advance to second, where he was stranded.

- Brett Baty showed some good signs at the plate, contributing a pair of singles. His second hit was a line drive to left field.

Game MVP: Justin Hagenman

In his MLB debut, Hagenman saved the Mets' bullpen and kept them in the game.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets open a four-game series against the Cardinals on Thursday at Citi Field at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

David Peterson or Griffin Canning is expected to get the start for New York, opposed by Andre Pallante for St. Louis.

Posted on

What we learned as Jung Hoo Lee, Giants' offense erupt in big win over Phillies

What we learned as Jung Hoo Lee, Giants' offense erupt in big win over Phillies originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

PHILADELPHIA — The Giants have talked a lot over the past two weeks about how they’re winning all different types of ball games. You can add this one to the list: “Win what’s probably going to be the ugliest game of the year.”

On a night when both starting pitchers nearly got knocked out in the first inning and the teams combined for four walks with the bases loaded, the Giants pulled away from the Philadelphia Phillies for an 11-4 win. What ultimately was the winning run scored on an airmailed throw from center field that got past the catcher and a pitcher who wasn’t backing up the plate and bounced into the dugout.

But a win is a win, and they’re piling up right now. 

The Giants poured it on after reliever Lou Trivino settled everything down and they retook the lead. They put up a second four-spot of the night in the seventh inning to get to 13-5 on the year.

Splitting a series at Citizens Bank Park is tough enough, but the Giants will try and get greedy on Thursday behind right-hander Jordan Hicks.

Here are three things to know from a long Wednesday night in Philadelphia … 

Fitzmagic

On the bus ride over from New York on Sunday night, Tyler Fitzgerald had a .237 average and .582 OPS. By the end of Wednesday’s game, he was sitting at .314 and .842, numbers that are better than last year’s breakout. 

Fitzgerald was a single shy for the cycle on Monday and two days later, he had two singles and a double, with two runs scored and an RBI. His slugging percentage is up to .490, which is good anywhere, but downright elite from a second baseman. You know you have a deep lineup when that’s your No. 9 hitter. 

Oh, and he also did this:

The patience the Giants displayed this spring and over the first couple of weeks of the season is paying off big time. 

Marathon Men

Aaron Nola faced nine batters in the top of the first and gave up four runs on four hits and two walks while throwing 35 pitches. Robbie Ray somehow threw even more pitches in his half of an inning that took 37 minutes and saw both managers get their bullpens up. 

Ray needed 39 pitches to get through the bottom of the first, giving back two of the four runs on walks with the bases loaded. He issued four free passes in the lengthy half-inning and threw just 16 strikes. According to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, this was the first game since 2001 in which both starting pitchers walked home a run in the first inning, and just the fourth time it has happened since 1974. 

Because baseball is forever unpredictable, the two faced just seven combined batters in a quick second inning.

Rough Trip

Ray got a strange win on Friday night when the rain led to the official scorer crediting him despite throwing just four innings. He lasted four innings Wednesday, too, and it was a battle to even get that far. 

Ray walked five and struck out five in the first two innings alone and ended up with those five walks and eight strikeouts. He also gave up six hits, including a two-run blast to Bryce Harper that briefly tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. Harper walked on four pitches in each of his first two plate appearances and he wasn’t going to wait around; the slider wasn’t even a strike, but he yanked it into the seats in right.

Ray became the first MLB pitcher to walk five and strike out eight in four innings since … Robbie Ray in 2020. He took his first no-decision of the year and his ERA jumped to 4.19.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Posted on

Dodgers legend Manny Mota suffers stroke: 'We hope he can recover all his functions'

Manny Mota bumps fists with a fan as he greets fans before a spring training baseball game
Dodgers great Manny Mota greets fans before a spring-training game against the Texas Rangers on March 9, 2024, in Phoenix. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)

Dodgers legend Manny Mota, who won a World Series with the organization as a player in 1981 and as a coach in '88, suffered a stroke Monday night.

"He is in recovery, where he is responsive to commands and is resting comfortably," the Dodgers wrote Tuesday on X.

His son, Dodgers broadcaster José Mota, told ESPN Deportes on Tuesday that his "dad never lost consciousness during the incident and is currently doing well."

On Tuesday morning, Mota told Grandes en los Deportes that his 87-year-old father was taken to the hospital after the stroke and that he "responded quickly to treatment." He added that his dad "is responding to commands to move his body and try to speak.”

“He's alert and responding," José Mota said. "Today is crucial. We'll see the results of removing the clot. At his age, it's difficult to predict, but we hope he can recover all his functions.”

Read more:'Los Angeles ... is our home.' Manny Mota, Dodgers have been nearly inseparable for 75 years

A pinch-hitting specialist, Manny Mota appeared in games over 20 MLB seasons, including the final 13 with the Dodgers. Mota, an outfielder from the Dominican Republic, was an All-Star in 1973 and retired in 1982 with a career batting average of .304 and a then-record 150 pinch-hits.

Mota remained with the team in various roles, including coaching from 1980 to 2013, the longest tenure in franchise history, and working with the Spanish-language TV broadcast team from 2013 to 2020.

In 2023, Mota was inducted into the team's Legends of Dodger Baseball, a group that also includes Steve Garvey, Don Newcombe, Fernando Valenzuela, Orel Hershiser and Dusty Baker. Ron Cey is slated to be inducted this summer.

Dodgers minority owners Magic Johnson and Billie Jean King are among those who have taken to X to express their love and support for Mota.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Posted on

Fantasy Baseball Steals Report: Brewers aggressive while Mets tough to run on

As stolen bases continue to rise league wide, I will be here every Wednesday to help you track important stolen base trends so you can find more speed for your fantasy teams.

Stealing a base is as much about the opposing pitcher and catcher as it is the base runner themselves. So, being able to spot which teams and pitchers specifically are being run on most often will help you to figure out who can steal a heap of bases over the next week.

Last week, we identified J.T. Realmuto and the Phillies as a team to avoid when streaming stolen bases. While Realmuto was behind the plate, opposing base-stealers were just 3-for-7 over the past week. In the one game Rafael Marchán caught, they stole three successfully.

MLB: Tampa Bay Rays at Texas Rangers
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Jonathan Aranda’s power, Shane Smith’s changeup, and speed in LA
Why the Dodgers could shake up their roster.

Before we get to this week’s important trends, here is the stolen base leaderboard over the past seven days.

Player
SB
CS
Trevor Story
4
0
Randy Arozarena
4
0
Bryce Harper
3
0
Shohei Ohtani
3
0
Luis Robert Jr.
3
0
Jake Meyers
3
0
Xavier Edwards
3
1
José Caballero
3
2
Jarren Duran
3
1
Sal Frelick
3
0

Story has found his groove both at the plate and on the base paths of late. Arozarena benefited from series against both the Astros and Rangers, which is great for base stealers. Also, it’s pretty to see Harper so high on this list without a teammate like Trea Turner, who’s much better known for stealing bases.

Now, here is the overall stolen base leaderboard on the season.

Player
SB
CS
Oneil Cruz
8
0
Pete Crow-Armstrong
7
1
Jake Mangum
7
0
Nico Hoerner
6
1
Manny Machado
6
0
Leody Tavares
6
1
Fernando Tatis Jr.
6
0
Jarren Duran
6
1
Xavier Edwards
6
1
Jake Meyers
6
1
Luis Robert Jr.
6
2
Trevor Story
6
0

Next, here are some players with no stolen bases that we’d hoped would be more aggressive.

Player
SB
CS
Masyn Winn
0
0
Marcus Semien
0
1
Bo Bichette
0
1
Luis Rengifo
0
1
Brandon Nimmo
0
1
Brandon Marsh
0
1
Jonathan India
0
1
Brayan Rocchio
0
2

Now, let’s go over the most important stolen base trends over the past week.

Fantasy Baseball Stolen Base Targets

Once again, the Astros and Rangers Remain teams to target if you’re seeking stolen bases. They are the only teams in baseball who are throwing out under 10% of base stealers and things don’t seem to be improving.

Somehow, both Jonah Heim and Kyle Higashioka have allowed the most and fourth-most stolen bases by any catcher in the league while splitting playing time fairly evenly. Of course, it’s not all their fault as Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom have been two of the worst pitchers in baseball at holding runners on.

Kumar Rocker, Jack Leiter, and Chris Martin have also graded poorly here, as runners are taking large leads on them and getting massive jumps when they do decide to steal.

With the Astros, Yainer Diaz has continued to be exposed behind the plate. Yet, Victor Caratini, who was thought to give some defensive relief once or twice a week, has allowed eight stolen bases so far without catching a single runner.

Their pitchers have been a bit better at keeping runners close too, so this is a situation that leans a bit more towards the catchers.

They will have series against the Padres and Dodgers respectively this coming weekend and I expect those teams to run wild.

Brewers Picking Up Pace

Second in the league with 217 stolen bases as a team last season, the Brewers didn’t run much over their first week or so of play. Mainly, because they had their doors blown off by the Yankees over opening weekend and started the season 0-4.

They are 9-5 since though and have gotten back to their base stealing roots. They swiped a league-high 11 bags over the past seven days including four on Tuesday night against the Tigers.

It’s been a team-wide approach too, without any one player shouldering that load. Frelick appeared on the leaderboard earlier as someone who’s been running. He was joined by Brice Turang and Joey Ortiz as Brewers that stole multiple bases over the last week.

In all, seven different different players stole a base and only one was caught. They should continue to run this weekend against the Athletics, who have been one of the worst teams at stopping the running game this season.

Can’t Run on the Mets

No team has been better at throwing out would-be base stealers this season than the Mets.

Opponents have attempted just 12 and have been thrown out seven times. A 42% success rate is obscenely bad and that few attempts says that the league knows not to run on them.

This is even more impressive because through a month of play last season, the Mets were the easiest team to run on in the league. In fact, they were on pace to allow the most stolen bases in the history of the sport.

It’s been a complete 180° turnaround since then and catcher Luis Torrens is a huge reason why. Acquired from the Yankees for a measly $100,000, he replaced the hapless Omar Narvaez – who is now on the White Sox – while Francisco Alvarez was out with a thumb injury and immediately stabilized their catcher position.

He threw out 13 of 28 base stealers last season and his competency behind the plate helped the team begin what would wind up as a historic turnaround.

Past Torrens, Mets’ pitchers like Clay Holmes, David Peterson, and José Buttó have been excellent at holding runners on. Also, long-time minor leaguer Hayden Senger has been up with the club this year for the once again injured Alvarez.

Senger has won the Mets’ minor league platinum glove before and is excellent behind the plate. He and Torrens have become one of, if not the best, catching defensive tandem in the league.

Posted on

Mets option reliever Max Kranick; Griffin Canning to start Thursday vs. St. Louis

The Mets optioned right-hander Max Kranick to Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday morning, a move necessitated by calling up Justin Hagenman to pitch against the Minnesota Twins.

While that move may be surprising on the surface, it makes sense considering that the 27-year-old Kranick still had options, so the Mets could send him down without having to try to sneak a player through waivers.

“This is something that we’ve talked to them [about],” Carlos Mendoza said. “Guys that have options, sometimes it has nothing to do with performance. It’s just things that happen through a major league season that are out of their control. It’s not their fault, but it’s just the nature of the business, so here we are.”

Kranick has been terrific in the early going for the Mets, pitching to a 1.54 ERA in seven appearances, combining to pitch 11.2 innings of relief.

And while Mendoza didn’t flat out say it, there’s a decent chance that Kranick is back in the very near future. The Mets have not yet placed outfielder Jose Siri on the IL, and when they do, they’d be able to bring Kranick back right away instead of having to wait 15 days before being able to call him back up, per MLB rules.

“We’ve got to get through today first,” Mendoza said. “Let’s win a series today and we’ll see what happens after the game.”

Hagenman, 28, will make his major league debut at some point during Wednesday’s rubber match against the Twins, with Huascar Brazoban getting the start as an opener. Hagenman was called up to make his debut because starter Griffin Canning had to be scratched because of an illness.

Prior to Wednesday's game, Mendoza said he was confident Canning would be able to pitch on Thursday or Friday, and that indeed will be the case, as the Mets confirmed after the loss to Minnesota that Canning will start on Thursday, with David Peterson pitching on Friday.

Posted on

Mets at Twins prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for April 16

Its Wednesday, April 16 and the Mets (11-6) are in Minneapolis to take on the Twins (6-12).

Huascar Brazoban is slated to take the mound for New York against David Festa for Minnesota.

These teams have split the first two games of the series. The Twins won last night, 6-3. Former Met Harrison Bader went 3-4 and drove in a run to lead Minnesota's offense. Pete Alonso hit his fifth home run of the season in a losing effort for New York.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Mets at Twins

  • Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2025
  • Time: 1:10PM EST
  • Site: Target Field
  • City: Minneapolis, MN
  • Network/Streaming: SNY, MNNT

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Mets at the Twins

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Mets (+106), Twins (-126)
  • Spread:  Twins -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Mets at Twins

  • Pitching matchup for April 16, 2025: Huascar Brazoban vs. David Festa
    • Mets: Huascar Brazoban (0-0, 0.79 ERA)
      Last outing: 4/14 at Minnesota - 2IP, 0ER, 0H, 1BB, 1K
    • Twins: David Festa (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
      Last outing: 4/11 vs. Detroit - 4.2IP, 0ER, 3H, 1BB, 4Ks

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Mets at Twins

  • The Twins are 8-10 on the Run Line this season
  • Mets' road games this season are 7-4 to the UNDER
  • Juan Soto hit his 3rd HR of the season last night
  • Francisco Lindor has committed 4 errors in 17 games this season

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for today’s game between the Mets and the Twins

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Mets and the Twins:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the New York Mets at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Posted on

Braves activate Spencer Strider off IL to start vs. Blue Jays

TORONTO — Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider will return to the mound against the Blue Jays, his first big league start since an April 2024 surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

The Braves activated Strider off the injured list and optioned right-handed reliever Zach Thompson to Triple-A.

The Braves are off to a slow start, and the return of Strider could provide a big lift. He went 20-5 with a 3.86 ERA in 2023, finishing with a major league-best 281 strikeouts in 186 2/3 innings and placing fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting.

Strider struck out 13 in 5 1/3 innings in a dominant rehab start at Triple-A, allowing one run and three hits. He threw 90 pitches, 62 for strikes, and reached 97 mph with his fastball.

Strider, 26, last appeared in the majors on April 5, 2024, against the Diamondbacks in Atlanta.

Right-hander Chris Bassitt starts for the Blue Jays in the rubber match against the Braves.

Posted on

Brewers call up Logan Henderson as they seek reinforcements for injury-riddled pitching staff

MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers recalled Logan Henderson from Triple-A Nashville, bolstering a pitching staff dealing with multiple injuries.

Before its 5-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee owned a 4.93 ERA that ranked 28th in the majors, ahead of only the Colorado Rockies (4.99) and Washington Nationals (5.50).

“We need help,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “We need all the help we can. All hands on deck. Whether or not he ends up staying for an extended period of time or not will depend on him and other people’s health and that type of thing. We’re excited to have him.”

The Brewers made room for Henderson by sending right-hander Elvin Rodríguez to Nashville. Rodríguez had an 0-2 record and a 7.53 ERA in four appearances, though he had allowed only one run over five innings of relief in a 9-1 loss to the Tigers.

Henderson was 2-1 with a 3.21 ERA in three games with Nashville this season while striking out 24 and walking 10 over 14 innings.

He gave up five runs in his first start of the season but has thrown 10 shutout innings since. In his last appearance, he struck out eight while allowing no hits and two walks in five innings.

“The first couple of starts, I had a hard time filling up the strike zone,” Henderson said. “The last start was really good for me, heading into the right direction. I like where I’m at right now.”

Henderson went a combined 7-6 with a 3.32 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 81 1/3 innings for four different minor league teams last season. The Brewers selected him out of McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas, in the fourth round of the 2021 amateur draft.

Murphy said he likes the variety in Henderson’s arsenal.

“In today’s game, there’s more chuckers and heavers than there are pitchers,” Murphy said. “I think this is a time when you’ve got to have kind of a combination of both in your repertoire. He’s starting to throw the ball really well, command it and have a variety, so we’re excited to have him.”

Henderson will try to boost a pitching staff that has been decimated by injuries. The list of Brewers pitchers on the injured list includes Aaron Ashby (right oblique), Aaron Civale (left hamstring), Nestor Cortes (left elbow), Robert Gasser (left elbow), DL Hall (left lat), Tobias Myers (left oblique), Connor Thomas (left elbow) and Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder).

Milwaukee would love for Henderson to make the same kind of impact that Quinn Priester has produced since he was acquired in a trade with Boston. Priester carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and combined with four relievers on a one-hitter.

In two starts with the Brewers, Priester has allowed one run over 10 innings. He was pitching with Boston’s Triple-A affiliate before joining the Brewers.

It was the Brewers’ fourth shutout win of the season. But they also have allowed at least nine runs in four different games already.

Part of the problem is that all those injuries have taxed a bullpen that was one of Milwaukee’s greatest strengths last year, when the Brewers won a second straight NL Central title.

The Brewers have a bullpen ERA of 5.94 that ranked 28th in the majors, ahead of only the Los Angeles Angels (6.29) and Washington (6.91). Last year, Milwaukee’s 3.11 bullpen ERA ranked second, behind only the Cleveland Guardians’ 2.57.

That bullpen has shown signs of life lately, though. In the Brewers’ last two games, their relievers have allowed just one run over nine innings.

Posted on

Orioles GM says he doesn’t see panic but team has plenty of concerns amid slow start

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles and general manager Mike Elias could have used a fast start this year.

Instead, most of their biggest offseason questions are still pertinent.

The Orioles are 6-10 after a 6-3 loss to Cleveland. That’s after some second-half struggles in 2024 and a first-round loss to Kansas City in the playoffs. Baltimore still has plenty of talent, but also some real issues — perhaps more than seemed likely after the Orioles won 101 games in 2023 and had a farm system still churning out standout prospects.

“I certainly haven’t seen any signs of panic, and we’re continuing to retain the same approach on a night-to-night basis. I try not to get too high when things are going great, and try not to get down when we’re losing,” Elias said. “That’s how you have to approach baseball.”

The Orioles lost Corbin Burnes in free agency, and the three main starters they added were all older players on one-year contracts. So there was some skepticism about whether the rotation would hold up.

And that was before the injury bug went to work. Grayson Rodriguez hasn’t pitched at all this season, Zach Eflin went on the injured list, and Albert Suárez will miss significant time. Plus, neither Kyle Bradish nor Tyler Wells has returned from elbow surgery.

So the new arrivals — Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton — have needed to perform, and it hasn’t gone great. They were a combined 1-5 with a 6.68 ERA following Morton’s start against Cleveland.

“I feel like we’ve already tapped into, basically, the depth,” Elias said. “To say that on April 15 was not the plan. Obviously, we knew Bradish was going to be out. But to have Grayson and Eflin on the shelf simultaneously this quickly into the season, at no point were we forecasting that, or expecting that. And that’s just the truth.”

Kyle Gibson, the third significant starter added, signed in late March and is in the minors. He’s expected back with the Orioles by May. As for Baltimore’s brigade of injured pitchers, Elias said Eflin will start playing catch in a few days, Rodriguez has thrown a couple bullpens, and Bradish threw a bullpen recently. Wells is expected to start his mound progression in the next two weeks.

Posted on

Cubs option Matt Shaw to Triple-A after disappointing start to third baseman’s career

SAN DIEGO — The Chicago Cubs have optioned top prospect Matt Shaw to Triple-A Iowa after a disappointing start to the rookie third baseman’s career.

Shaw, the No. 13 pick in the 2023 amateur draft, is just 10 for 58 with one homer and three RBIs. He has 18 strikeouts in 68 plate appearances.

“We want to get a productive player back,” manager Craig Counsell said before the Cubs played the San Diego Padres. “Sometimes you have to take a step back to do that. At this level it’s production and the point we’re at, obviously you give guys time to work through it but we just thought we saw enough where we kind of needed to take a break from this level and get some at-bats at Triple-A.”

Counsell, a former major league infielder, said it’s normal for young hitters to struggle.

“He’s just been up against it a little bit to start the year,” he said. “Sometimes it is just some success that kind of reframes it some and gets you good feelings back and good vibes back and gets you back to being that offensive threat.”

The Cubs also placed right-hander Eli Morgan on the 15-day injured list because of an elbow impingement. Infielder Vidal Bruján was reinstated from the 10-day IL, and right-hander Nate Pearson was optioned to Iowa.

Left-hander Luke Little and right-hander Daniel Palencia were recalled from Triple-A before the Cubs’ game at San Diego.

Counsell said Morgan felt something in his elbow when he got two outs in a 10-4 loss. The team will figure out what’s next when it returns to Chicago..

Morgan, acquired from Cleveland in November, has a 12.27 ERA in seven appearances. He went 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA in 32 appearances last season for the AL Central champion Guardians, who had the best bullpen in the majors in 2024.

The Cubs were leading the NL Central at 11-8 entering their game against the Padres. They lost ace Justin Steele to a season-ending left elbow injury.

Posted on

Pirates place Endy Rodriguez on the 10-day injured list with a lacerated right index finger

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates placed catcher/first baseman Endy Rodriguez on the 10-injured list with a lacerated right index finger.

Rodriguez was catching when he got hurt during a 10-3 victory over Washington. He was hit on the hand by a pitch in the dirt by Paul Skenes, and the injury required five stitches.

The Pirates recalled right-hander Chase Shugart from Triple-A Indianapolis.

Rodriguez has made nine starts at first base and five at catcher this season, hitting .178 with two RBIs.

The injury leaves the Pirates thin at two positions.

Henry Davis is their only healthy catcher, with Joey Bart missing his fourth straight game because of lower back soreness. Catcher Abrahan Gutierrez joined the team from Indianapolis but was not immediately added to the active roster.

Primarily a catcher, Rodriguez had been playing first base while Spencer Horwitz recovers from right hand surgery. Utility player Enmanuel Valdez started at first base for a second straight night.

Posted on

Rockies at Dodgers Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for April 16

Its Wednesday, April 16 and the Rockies (3-14) are in Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers (13-6). Germán Márquez is slated to take the mound for Colorado against Bobby Miller for Los Angeles.

Los Angeles won yesterday's meeting, 6-2, to go up 2-0 in the series. Will Smith smacked the only homer of the game and Jack Dreyer recorded his second win of the season after 1.2 innings on 28 pitches and four strikeouts.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Rockies at Dodgers

  • Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2025
  • Time: 10:10PM EST
  • Site: Dodger Stadium
  • City: Los Angeles, CA
  • Network/Streaming: COLR, SNLA

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Rockies at the Dodgers

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Rockies (+252), Dodgers (-314)
  • Spread:  Dodgers -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!

Probable starting pitchers for the Rockies at Dodgers

  • Pitching matchup for April 16, 2025: Germán Márquez vs. Bobby Miller
    • Rockies: Germán Márquez, (0-2, 4.60 ERA)
      Last outing: 4.2 Innings Pitched, 5 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 1 Walk, and 3 Strikeouts
    • Dodgers: Bobby Miller, (2-4, 8.52 ERA in 2024)
      Last outing: Making his season debut

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Rockies and the Dodgers

Rotoworld Best Bet

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes Bobby Miller to go Under 5.5 strikeouts versus Colorado:

"Bobby Miller is making his first start of the season tonight and while the Rockies are a more than acceptable opponent, I like the Under 5.5 strikeouts at -125 odds. Miller does not have an outs prop for tonight, which means 5.0 innings or going more than two times through the order is unlikely. Even when Miller went 5.0-plus innings last year, he was 4-2 to the Under on this number and 10-3 to the Under overall. I'd go down to 4.5 for +110 or better if that pops up before first pitch."

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Rockies and the Dodgers:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Los Angeles Dodgers on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Colorado Rockies at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Posted on

Red Sox at Rays prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for April 16

Its Wednesday, April 16 and the Red Sox (9-10) are in Tampa to take on the Rays (8-9).

Sean Newcomb is slated to take the mound for Boston against Zack Littell for Tampa Bay.

These teams have split the first two games of the series. Boston won last night, 7-4. Alex Bregman went 5-5 with a couple of home runs to lead the Sox to the win.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Red Sox at Rays

  • Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2025
  • Time: 7:05PM EST
  • Site: George M. Steinbrenner Field
  • City: Tampa, FL
  • Network/Streaming: NESN, FDSNSUN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Red Sox at the Rays

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Red Sox (+121), Rays (-143)
  • Spread:  Rays -1.5
  • Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Red Sox at Rays

  • Pitching matchup for April 16, 2025: Sean Newcomb vs. Zack Littell
    • Red Sox: Sean Newcomb (0-2, 4.97 ERA)
      Last outing: 4/11 at White Sox - 4IP, 6ER, 6H, 2BB, 6Ks
    • Rays: Zack Littell (0-3, 6.88 ERA)
      Last outing: 4/10 vs. Angels - 4IP, 7ER, 8H, 1BB, 4Ks

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Red Sox at Rays

  • Tampa Bay is just 6-11 on the Run Line this season
  • The Rays' last 4 games have gone OVER the Total
  • Alex Bregman is now hitting .321 for Boston this season
  • Rafael Devers is 1 for his last 18 and is sporting a .222 average for the season

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Red Sox and the Rays

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Red Sox and the Rays:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Tampa Bay Rays on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Boston Red Sox at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 9.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)