The Los Angeles Dodgers are hoping to get a much-needed spark back in the lineup.
Mookie Betts, who has been out since April 4 with a right oblique strain, has been activated from the 10-day injured list and will start at shortstop and bat second in the order in the series opener against the San Francisco Giants on Monday, May 11, the Dodgers announced.
"I don't know if there's gonna be a jolt of energy or not," Betts told reporters in the dugout pregame. "I just know that I'm here, I wanna play and I wanna win. Hopefully that gets the guys going as far as focusing on the game and taking care of wining ball games, but we'll see. Only time will tell when it comes to that."
Rookie infielder Alex Freeland was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move.
The four-time World Series champion went on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City over the weekend in which he went 2-for-5 with a walk and played 11 innings in the field over two games. Entering May 8, manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Betts could come back as early as May 11 if he came away from both rehab games feeling well.
The current plan, according to Roberts is to ease Betts back into action. There isn't much opportunity built into the schedule to get Betts rested and recovered with the Dodgers playing 10 games in the next 10 days through May 20, so expect Roberts to give him some days off over that stretch. Right now, the current plan is for Betts to play two in a row before a planned off day on May 13.
"I think he's going to want to be in there regularly, but we'll kind of see," Roberts told reporters. "But this is more just based on the front-end progression."
The Dodgers are hoping that getting Betts back into the lineup will provide some production that has been missing as their offense has stalled to a collective .204 batting average over the last five days with a .658 OPS in that span.
"I think that we certainly have enough talent to be better than we have," Roberts told reporters on Sunday. "But adding Mookie’s at-bat quality, I think, will certainly help. We just haven’t been as consistent as a group as we should be, even without Mookie. But yeah, he certainly raises the floor."
Betts himself struggled to start the season, slashing .179/.281/.429 through eight games, but had finally broken through for his first multi-hit game of 2026 with a home run and two RBI on April 3, one day before he injured his oblique on a check swing.
But in his first game back in five weeks, the Gold Glove finalist isn't worried about trying to overcompensate or do too much.
"It's gonna take us all. It is what it is," Betts told reporters. "We're gonna go through our ups and our downs but it's important for everyone to know that it's gonna take all of us, and not just one guy getting through our struggles."
"I just want to go out and help the team win, whatever it takes... I'm in a really good spot, everything's pretty normal now."
After missing the last 32 games (oblique strain), Mookie Betts speaks to the media after getting activated off the injured list for the series opener… pic.twitter.com/8kx8n46RoL
Ryan Weathers throws a pitch during his May 11 start for the Yankees.
BALTIMORE — In his first start since “[throwing] my guts up for several hours” nine days ago, Ryan Weathers took a hurl at history.
The Yankees left-hander took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning before allowing a leadoff single to Adley Rutschman Monday night at Camden Yards, dominating the Orioles while allowing only two walks and striking out nine through the first six frames.
Ryan Weathers throws a pitch during his May 11 start for the Yankees. Getty Images
Weathers last started on May 2 against these same Orioles, after which he returned home and got sick, resulting in losing nine pounds and being scratched from his scheduled start on Thursday.
After recovering, he threw a bullpen session on Friday in Milwaukee, clearing the way for him to start on Monday.
The 26-year-old, whose career-high in innings pitched before Monday was eight, entered this start with a 3.03 ERA on the year.
May 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) takes batting practice prior to the game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
“I didn’t realize how long it takes to really heal. I felt pretty good pretty fast, actually. But some of the movements I just couldn’t do, lingered for a long time,” Betts said Monday at Dodger Stadium. “I was trying to hurry, but the docs were like, ‘It takes a month for it to just heal.’ Then you have to do all your prep to get back to playing. So you can’t really rush time.”
“Two games of rehab, taking batting practice, a day of live at-bats is not ideal, but I think with Mookie, you just don’t know,” manager Dave Roberts said. “The hope is that he can hit the ground running.”
Betts is keeping things simple.
“Things feel pretty close to the same. I remember all the drills that I did, but the more I focused on my swing, the worse it got. I think hit, take care of myself, and just play the games,” Betts said. “Whatever the game gives you is what it gives you. I’m not trying to focus on how my swing feels.”
The Dodgers plan to give Betts days off this week on Wednesday and Saturday, to ease him back into the lineup. Miguel Rojas will likely start at shortstop against Robbie Ray of the Giants on Wednesday.
“It’s more on the front end, just kind of how it’s been a while since he played. So the two-on, one-off, two-on, one-off, then after six days I think he’s going to want to be in there regularly,” Roberts said. “We’ll kind of see, but this is more about the front-end progression.”
But they will read and react depending on how Betts is feeling, and at least on Monday he says he feels pretty good.
“I’m fine. I expect I’ll just keep playing,” Betts said. “Everything is pretty normal.”
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 05: Orbit of the Houston Astros performs prior to the first inning of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Daikin Park on May 05, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After laying an egg the size of The Bean in Chicago (sorry, Cloud Gate, one day Anish Kapoor will be called to account for that particular boondoggle), the Mariners limp into Houston for an important AL West showdown. Today I learned Kapoor also has a related work in Houston, Cloud Column, which is basically Cloud Gate but standing up, known by some Houstonians as “El Frijole”, and if it wasn’t for amount I enjoy Claes Oldenburg I’d say maybe public art was a mistake.
(Look at the lone picture I could find of Cloud Column and tell me this isn’t the most Houston take on art. The photograph is itself better art.)
Lineups:
Houston is wearing their city connects on a Monday. Who wants to connect with their city on a Monday?
News:
The Mariners will have to get along without Jose A. Ferrer for at least a couple of games, as he’s on the paternity list. Domingo Gonzalez is up from Tacoma, and you can read about him here.
Also, everyone send your best thoughts and beliefs, Tinkerbell-style, to the corner of Edgar and Dave:
Matt Brash, on the IL with right lat inflammation is scheduled to throw a bullpen today in Seattle. He is eligible to return to the #Mariners May 15.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MARCH 26: Manager Oliver Marmol #37 of the St. Louis Cardinals chats with St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom prior to a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Tampa Bay Rays on Opening Day at Busch Stadium on March 26, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I made myself wait 24 hours to write this so I’m not sharing something that’s a result of the disappointment of Sunday’s heartbreaking loss in San Diego. I’m satisfied that it’s the perfect time to get myself mentally prepared for what the rest of this St. Louis Cardinals season will likely become. Is this team really gonna be a contender or pretenders? I think it’s time to refocus on what this season really needs to be.
First, a quick refresher on something I shared right before the season started. It was February 11, 2026 when I shared the reasons why I was unrealistically optimistic about the 2026 St. Louis Cardinals season. I stand by my predictions then that this year’s Cardinals team would be better than most of the preseason predictors said they would be. One and a half months into the campaign, this team has overachieved and has proven my faith in them warranted. However, I have been watching the first 40 games with my heart more than I have with my head and the latter is tapping me on the shoulder about the big picture of what this season needs to be and what it likely won’t be. I asked this question in The Feed and it seems like a majority are of the same opinion as I am. This is a team of happy pretenders.
I want to be clear that I’m not waiving the white flag of surrender or conceding anything. I still think it’s within the realm of possibility that the 2026 St. Louis Cardinals team massively overachieves and makes the playoffs. However, it’s time that I whoa myself up and stop focusing on that chance. My instinct watching the first couple months of the season is to scream “go get some bullpen help, Chaim!”. That might still happen to some degree, but I think there is zero chance that the Cardinals front office suddenly goes all in to get the pieces we need to be a serious competitor, nor should they.
Here’s what I’m telling myself. The St. Louis Cardinals bullpen is simply not within striking distance of being fixed this year. Last time I looked at the numbers, the Cardinals arms strikeout rates and pitch-to-contact rates are near the cellar among all Major League teams. Riley O’Brien has been a big bright spot (not including what happened Sunday afternoon), but the rest of the bullpen has been inconsistent and I hold my breath anytime we’re entering the final 3 innings of the game with a small lead. We’re not one or two arms away from having a playoff-worthy bullpen.
I will add that I do think and hope that President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom will trade from our incredible minor league catching depth to improve our roster, but I highly doubt you’re going to see him do something that is designed for 2026 and not future seasons.
The Cardinals starting staff is also full of bright spots and disappointments. Michael McGreevy is starting to look like the ace of the staff while Matthew Liberatore has been disappointing. Dustin May got off to a rough start, but has become more like the Dustin May when he was a Dodger. Kyle Leahy has shown promise pitching above league average and Andre Pallante has had his typical high groundball rate, but low strikeout rate results.
There’s nothing negative that I can say about the St. Louis Cardinals offense other than I question if the current pace is sustainable. I said before the season that the Cardinals would be a much more dangerous team than expected if Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman performed up to potential. We’ve seen Jordan break out, but Gorman remains a low .200’s hitter that isn’t that different than the Nolan Gorman of previous years other than he is making more contact. JJ Wetherholt has been a stellar leadoff hitter with excellent on-base results with some power, but his average is sub-par, too. Overall, the St. Louis Cardinals bats are to be applauded so far. Top 10 in MLB in runs scored. Tied for 6th in home runs hit. Ranked 8th in OPS among all teams. What’s not to love? A little pessimistic voice inside me is whispering that it will be hard to expect them to remain on the current pace.
I have been reminded by many that last year’s disappointing St. Louis Cardinals team was 8 games above .500 going into the all-star break and that’s a valid point to remember. History tells us that team faded massively, but this year’s Cardinals club has a much better personality than that one. They’re young, aggressive and relentless and I fully expect they will continue to play better-than-average baseball. I predicted a winning record just above .500 before the season started and I stand by that prediction. However, I don’t see how we suddenly obtain enough pitching (starting and relief help are needed) to be a real playoff contender. I’m telling myself to reel in my expectations and enjoy the positive stuff we’ve seen happen during this rebuilding season. JJ Wetherholt is having a great rookie season. Jordan Walker has become the Jordan Walker we always hoped he could be. Michael McGreevy has gone next level. If the St. Louis Cardinals shock the baseball world and become a real playoff contender, I’ll be thrilled to be wrong. I just think it’s best to get ready for what the 2026 season will most likely become which is a Cardinals team winning more than expected, but still with eyes toward building a perennial contender for the future and not necessarily this season.
LOS ANGELES — Rafael Devers had three hits in 10 at-bats when the Giants visited the Tampa Bay Rays at the end of the last trip, which was promising, but hardly a definitive sign that he was back to being one of the game’s most dangerous left-handed hitters. But in the middle of that series, there was a subtle signal.
Devers fouled a pitch off during one of the losses and then smirked at the pitcher. He is someone who doesn’t let outsiders into his world — even after Monday’s big game at Dodger Stadium, he turned down interview requests — but in that moment, it was clear that he felt more like his old self.
A week later, Devers seems fully back. And the Giants are in much better shape because of it.
Devers reached base four times Monday in a 9-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers and got the scoring started with his third home run in five games. The Giants have won three of four, but are still just 17-24. It’s a lot easier to feel optimistic, though, when you have your best hitters pulling most of the rope, and right now it seems that they’re coming around.
Devers was joined by Willy Adames, who drove in three runs, and Heliot Ramos, who reached base three times and had two RBI. Matt Chapman is still searching, but the heart of the lineup looks much more dangerous than it did even a few days ago, and Devers is leading that charge.
“The lineup, you know, feeds off him a little bit,” manager Tony Vitello said. “I think it’s unfair to put too much responsibility on someone’s shoulders or ask them to be who they’re not. I don’t think Rafi is ever going to be like a direct-traffic guy, like a point guard or quarterback, but he really is a team leader for a lot of reasons, and one is just like when he’s vibing it’s impossible not to be in the same mood that he is.
“He’s fun to be around. He’s comedic, and then he also wants to win. And he kind of has that mojo or vibe going right now, and I think other guys kind of fall in line with it. So the swing in the bat was good, but I also appreciate that part of it.”
The Giants broke the game open against a wild reliever in the ninth, but it was tied at three heading into the seventh. With one out, Jung Hoo Lee, Luis Arraez and Casey Schmitt singled. Devers, who was swinging through belt-high fastballs for all of April, took a steady stream of four-seamers from Alex Vesia and drew a go-ahead walk. Adames added two huge runs with a single to right.
The Giants are 3-1 against the Dodgers this season, but tougher tests are ahead. They missed Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller while taking a weekend series from the Pittsburgh Pirates, and inconsistent right-hander Roki Sasaki was waiting when they arrived in L.A. on Monday.
On Tuesday night, it’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto. After that, it’s Shohei Ohtani, who is in such a deep slump that he might sit the final two games of this series as a hitter, but also carries a 0.97 ERA through six starts.
Vitello said Bryce Eldridge, the subject of just about all of Monday’s pregame conversation, will start Tuesday either at first base or DH. The other spot will belong to Devers, who was the DH on Monday and led a balanced attack for a team that has been desperately searching for more days like this one.
“Overall, the at-bats were really good,” Vitello said. “And Rafi kind of led the way.”
TODAY’S GAME: The Houston Astros (16-25) and Seattle Mariners (19-22) play the first game of a four-game series this evening at Daikan Park with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. CT.
RHP Peter Lambert (2-2, 2.42 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros, opposite LHP George Kirby (4-2, 2.94 ERA) and the Mariners.
ABOUT TENG: RHP Peter Lambert tries to continue a string of strong starts that have seen him arguably be the Astros second best pitcher since he was called up..
Last App: Lambert spearheaded the only win against the Dodgers in the three game series as he outdueled Shohei Ohtani over seven sparkling shutout innings.
VS. THE MARINERS: The Astros have faced the Mariners 233 times in their history going 132—101 in the all-time series. They are 0-4 against the Mariners this season
The Astros went 5-8 against the Mariners last season including being on the business end of a three game sweep in September that helped the Mariners clinch the AL West.
REMEMBERING RENÉ: The Astros will hold a moment of silence tonight for Hall of Fame broadcaster René Cárdenas, who sadly passed away yesterday…Cárdenas was a true pioneer in broadcasting as the original Spanish-language broadcaster for the Colt .45s when the franchise was born in 1962…Cárdenas called Astros games for 14 seasons (1962-75) and after a long stint with the Dodgers, returned to the Astros Spanish broadcast in 2007…he called select Astros games since that year, while also covering the team for La Prensa, a Nicaraguan newspaper…Cárdenas was inducted into the Astros Hall of Fame in 2024.
TODAY’S AVAILABILITIES: The Astros clubhouse will be open to approved media at Daikin Park from 3-3:50 p.m. CT…Astros Manager Joe Espada will be made available in the Astros dugout at approx. 3:50 p.m.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Sunday, May 10, 12:40 p.m. CT
Location: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 10: Members of the Atlanta Braves celebrate after the Atlanta Braves defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, May 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tom Wilson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
What a week for Braves country, huh? Two major deaths, almost back-to-back, of notable icons, starting with Ted Turner and shortly after, Bobby Cox. The Braves took the series win against the two-time national champs, the Los Angeles Dodgers. And, surprise surprise, their pitching is holding up solid.
There’s a lot to talk about regarding the team, with a returning face in the lineup to face off against the offense-powered Chicago Cubs. Let’s get this conversation started as we look to a new week of Braves baseball.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 7: general view of the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners during the third inning at Globe Life Field on April 7, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
DIAMONDBACKS
RANGERS
Ketel Marte – 2B
Brandon Nimmo – RF
Corbin Carroll – RF
Ezequiel Duran – 2B
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Corey Seager – SS
Adrian Del Castillo – DH
Josh Jung – 3B
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Evan Carter – CF
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Joc Pederson – DH
Lourdes Gurriel – LF
Alejandro Osuna – LF
Gabriel Moreno – C
Jake Burger – 1B
Ryan Waldschmidt – CF
Kyle Higashioka – C
Michael Soroka – RHP
Cal Quantrill – RHP
Any time we go to Globe Field, memories immediately go back to the 2023 World Series, when we faced the Texas Rangers in this ballpark. It’s interesting to note that neither team has made it back to the postseason since then. Indeed, at least the D-backs have come close: the Rangers failed to post a winning record in 2024 or 2025, missing out on the playoffs by eight and six games respectively. The two sides have similar records right now as well, with Texas’s 19-21 a mere half a game behind Arizona’s 19-20. However, in the mediocre AL West, that’s good enough for the Rangers to be in second, two games back of… the Athletics? Wait, what?
Yeah, the last time before this year the A’s had sole possession of first was June 19, 2021 – y’know, back when they were in a different city, and weren’t embarrassed to name it. But, then, the AL as a whole is strikingly mediocre, with only three teams above .500: the Yankees, Rays and A’s. It’s because just four teams have winning records in interleague play, and none of those are better than 5-4. Right now, the National League is 25 games above .500 in interleague play, at 315-290. Texas are 7-8, taking two of three from the Cubs, Phillies and Pirates, but losing to the Dodgers and getting swept by the Reds (y’know back when they didn’t suck).
Last time the Diamondbacks were here was in August last season, and we took two out of three. We lost the opening game on a walkoff, 7-6, but rebounded to take the next two contests, by margins of 3-2 and 6-4. Andrew Saalfrank got the save in the final game. How long ago that all seems. We’ll see if Michael Soroka can keep the sterling streak of starts going. He was certainly a hard-luck loser last time, allowing just the one run over 6.1 innings. But that was enough in a 1-0 loss. In his last three start, the D-backs have scored a total of two runs, so hopefully he gets a bit more support tonight.
Oct 18, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; The bullpen for the Texas Rangers reacts after third baseman Josh Jung (not pictured) hit a two-run home run during the fifth inning of game three of the ALCS against the Houston Astros in the 2023 MLB playoffs at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Brody Bumila did his best to boost his 2026 MLB Draft stock on Saturday, May 9.
The 6-foot-9 left-handed pitcher posted video-game numbers in his latest start for Bishop Feehan (Mass.) High School. In a perfect game seven-inning performance for the Shamrocks against Moses Brown, Bumila struck out an astonishing 20 hitters.
The 20 strikeouts broke a 60-year-old school record, with Bumila finding the majority of his success due to his fastball that can reach 100 miles per hour. The pitch helps rank him as the No. 22 Draft prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft, according to MLB Pipeline.
20-strikeout‼️ no-hitter and up to 100 mph from 6-foot-9 Brody Bumila.
2026 high school LHP was overpowering tonight for Bishop Feehan in Massachusetts. Heavy fastball attack and mixed in a quality changeup.
Bumila also worked in an advanced changeup, which kept the Quakers' lineup off balance, despite them finding a way to put the first run of the season against him on the board.
According to MLB.com, the lengthy pitcher creates 19-20 inches of induced vertical break on his fastball due to his tall frame. He has 69 strikeouts in just 27 innings of work this season.
The last left-handed pitching prospect to come out of Massachusetts was Marlins' prospect Thomas White, who is ranked No. 12 overall. Thomas went 35th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft and is widely expected to make his MLB debut sometime this summer.
Bumila led the Shamrocks to a state championship in basketball earlier this academic year.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MAY 10: José Caballero #72 of the New York Yankees dives back to first base against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on May 10, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees are dealing with their fair share of injuries these days, but most of them are cases that they have known about for a while and are currently rehabbing or working their way back. There were no new concerns… until Monday.
Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reported that infielder José Caballero, who had been solid as a fill-in for injured shortstop Anthony Volpe, hurt the middle finger on his right hand while sliding back to base on Sunday.
Per the insider, Caballero has received treatment, but feels enough discomfort to warrant an MRI, which is definitely not what the team wanted to hear. There is a chance the finger is not fractured, and the infielder himself believes that’s not the case, but we know better than trusting players on their own physical ailments.
After the conclusion of Monday’s game, Caballero is expected to return to New York to see a hand specialist as well as Dr. Christopher Ahmad, the Yankees’ physician, to get a look at the injury. Bombers’ manager Aaron Boone told Phillips that “there’s definitely some concern” over Caballero’s finger.
Aaron Boone said "there's definitely some concern" over José Caballero's finger. He's gonna go back to NY to see a hand specialist and Dr. Ahmad after tonight's game. #Yankeeshttps://t.co/BymUichwJO
Caballero had a rough start to his season, but has improved considerably in recent weeks. He is slashing a solid .259/.320/.400 with four home runs, 18 runs scored, 13 RBI, 13 stolen bases, and a 104 wRC+. He’s already at 1.1 fWAR, fourth on the team among position players behind Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Ben Rice.
Caballero had been so good that the Yankees recently optioned starting shortstop Anthony Volpe to the minor leagues after his own rehab stint was up. If the former needs a trip to the injured list, the latter will almost certainly be back on the major league roster.
Max Schuemann is playing shortstop for the Yankees on Monday’s opener against the Baltimore Orioles in Caballero’s absence.
Feb 27, 2026; Port Charlotte, Florida, USA; A detail view of Toronto Blue Jays spring training hat during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
So a day with actual Jays’ news. Barger to IL, Lauer to anywhere else. Pinango back and Yariel back on the 40-man and the 26-man all at the same time.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 19, 2026: Gavin Kilen #5 of the San Francisco Giants bats during the first inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Cincinnati Reds at Scottsdale Stadium on March 19, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
It’s time for another massive roundup covering the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates and all their weekend games, starting on Friday. That’s a whole lot of baseball to get to, so let’s get to it!
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
The big news on the farm is, of course, that San Francisco traded catcher Patrick Bailey, which brought 2 very valuable assets to the Minor League system: the No. 29 pick in July’s draft, and LHP Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson. Tugboat is more than just a great name for a very large man: he’s also a very strong pitching prospect who has been dominating the Eastern League this year. The 23-year old, who was taken in the 10th round of the 2023 draft out of Central Arizona College, has a 1.59 ERA and a 2.58 FIP in 6 starts this year, with 36 strikeouts against 9 walks in 28.1 innings. He has a low-mid 90s fastball, tons of deception, and some great command. Welcome to the system, Tugboat!
Joining Wilkinson in Richmond is RHP Ben Peterson, who was promoted from High-A Eugene. Richmond RHP Logan Martin was placed on the Injured List.
In sadder news, the Giants released a pair of players: Richmond RHP Cameron Pferrer and LHP Dylan Carmouche.
And in happier news, Richmond LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL) was named Pitcher of the Week in the Eastern League, while High-A Eugene shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) was named Player of the Week in the Northwest League!
AAA Sacramento (20-17)
Friday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Reno Aces 2-1 [box score] Saturday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Reno Aces 4-2 [box score] Sunday: Sacramento River Cats beat the Reno Aces 9-7 [box score]
With Bryce Eldridge (No. 1 CPL) and Jesús Rodríguez (No. 16 CPL) in the big show, the most notable part of Sacramento’s roster right now is the rehabbing players. A trio of Major Leaguers are rehabbing with the River Cats right now, and they all showed good things over the weekend.
Catcher Daniel Susac (No. 20 CPL) is the most notable of the 3, simply because of the shocking Patrick Bailey trade on Saturday, which sets Susac up to to play a huge role in the Majors going forward. He played twice over the weekend — once at catcher and once at designated hitter — and went 4-7 with a hit by pitch and a strikeout. Tony Vitello said a few days ago that Susac won’t join the Giants for their series against the Dodgers (a 4-game set that begins tonight) but it certainly seems like he’s close to returning, and splitting catching duties with Rodríguez.
Harrison Bader played all 3 games, starting twice in center field and once at designated hitter, before getting activated ahead of Monday’s game. After going just 1-7 with 2 strikeouts on Friday and Saturday, the right-hander exploded on Sunday when he reached base in all 4 plate appearances, with a solo home run, 2 walks drawn, a hit by pitch, and a stolen base.
Bader had just a .338 OPS and a -9 wRC+ with the Giants before landing on the IL, so the hope is that his time in Sacramento got his bat back on track. The Giants could certainly use an offensive boost at the position, as Drew Gilbert hasn’t exactly been lighting the world on fire in Bader’s absence (Gilbert has a .634 OPS and an 80 wRC+).
There wasn’t much notable offense to speak of beyond the rehabbing pair. Third baseman Buddy Kennedy and first baseman/third baseman Jake Holton continued looking like decent AAA depth in their debut seasons in the organization. Kennedy hit 2-8 with a 2-run home run and a strikeout, and now has a .918 OPS and a 144 wRC+; Holton went 2-10 with a solo home run, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts, which gives him a .739 OPS and a 107 wRC+ in his 1st season of AAA ball.
Outfielder Grant McCray, who played all 3 grassy positions over the weekend, has fallen back into a slump following a brief hot stretch. The lefty went 1-13 with 3 strikeouts over the weekend, which moved his batting average back to the interstate, whole lowering his OPS to .647 and his wRC+ to 79.
The 3rd rehabbing player was on the mound, as LHP Erik Miller opened Sunday’s game with a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and striking out a batter. Miller expressed optimism that his IL stint would be short, and that’s great news to anyone who has watched the Giants bullpen lately.
As for the prospects pitching, Sacramento used a trio of notable starters, with 3 very different results: bad, good, and in between.
The bad belonged to RHP Carson Seymour, who “started” Sunday’s game after Miller’s rehab inning. Seymour made it through 5 innings, but it was a bit of a mess. He allowed 8 hits (which included a homer and 2 doubles), hit a batter, and gave up 5 runs. He only walked 1 hitter, which is good, but he also only struck out 2.
It’s been a disappointing season for Seymour, a 27-year old who made his MLB debut last year. While he’s done a good job limiting walks, Seymour has only struck out 27 batters in 33 innings, and just doesn’t appear to have the electric stuff he has at times shown in the past. On the whole, it’s a 5.18 ERA, a 5.08 FIP, and perhaps a tenuous hold on his roster spot.
The OK start belonged to RHP Blade Tidwell (No. 9 CPL) on Saturday. Tidwell is back to getting stretched out in the Minors after some time in the Major League bullpen, and he showed some really nice things. The power righty struck out 5 batters in just 3.2 innings, while allowing 3 hits (which included a home run to rehabbing Carlos Santana), 1 walk, 2 runs, and 1 earned run. It will be interesting to see what Tidwell’s role is the next time he’s called into Major League duty.
And the best start belonged to LHP Carson Whisenhunt (No. 8 CPL) who had an awesome showing on Friday, pitching 5 innings while allowing just 4 hits, 2 walks, and 1 run, with 8 strikeouts. Whisenhunt’s season has been up and down, but he’s been pretty darned good lately: in his last 3 starts, the 25-year old has pitched 16 innings and ceded just 10 hits, 4 walks, and 4 runs, while striking out 21 batters. With that, Whisenhunt has lowered his ERA to 4.25 and his FIP to 3.51, and has now increased his year-over-year strikeout rate in AAA from 7.9 to 10.8. Highly encouraging stuff!
RHP Trent Harris (No. 29 CPL) made 2 appearances out of the bullpen and was great, throwing 3 shutout innings and allowing just 2 hits, while striking out 4. He could definitely play his way into the bullpen’s plans in the 2nd half of the season, as could RHP Marques Johnson, who needed just 16 pitches to throw 2 perfect innings on Saturday, with 2 strikeouts. Johnson has been great at everything this year except suppressing walks (he’s issued 13 in 14.2 innings), so it was nice seeing him throw 13 of 16 pitches for strikes.
AA Richmond (25-7)
Friday: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Akron RubberDucks 9-6 [box score] Saturday: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Akron RubberDucks 12-5 [box score] Sunday: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Akron RubberDucks 6-0 [box score]
Whisenhunt isn’t the only high draft pick southpaw who is starting to come into his own. Over on the other side of the country, LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL) is quietly starting to shown some real signs of development after a disappointing 2025.
Whitman, the compensation round pick the Giants got when they lost Carlos Rodón in free agency, started on Sunday and dominated the Ducks with 5 shutout innings. The 24-year old Kent State alum gave up just 3 hits on the day — all singles — and walked 1 batter, while striking out 8. That’s one of the best starts this season, not just for Whitman but for the entire farm!
The biggest issue for Whitman in his career has been allowing hits, but lately he’s started to make significant improvements on that front. This 5-inning, 3-hit outing came after last week’s 6-inning, 1-hit showing, and just like that, the southpaw has dipped to a very respectable 26 hits allowed in 33.1 innings. That’s a massive improvement over last season, when he gave up 129 hits in 117.1 innings.
I would argue that the hits are the biggest improvement Whitman has made, but it’s certainly not the only improvement. Year over year, his strikeouts per 9 innings has jumped from 9.5 to 11.6 and his walks per 9 have lowered, from 3.6 to 3.0. Those numbers rank 5th and 10th, respectively, out of the 51 Eastern League pitchers with at least 20 innings thrown this year, while his FIP (2.99) is all the way up to 3rd. The ERA is lagging a bit behind, at 4.05.
Whitman was a top-10 prospect in our CPL a year ago before stagnating in AA last year, so it’s great to see him excelling. If he keeps this up, he could be in Sacramento’s rotation for the 2nd half of the season.
That was the standout pitching performance, though LHP Cesar Perdomo certainly had a start worth mentioning on Friday. The 24-year old had a funny game, giving up 6 hits, 2 walks, and 5 runs in just 4.2 innings … but struck out 9 Akron batters. Hot and cold! It’s been a pretty solid AA debut for the Venezuelan, who has a 3.81 ERA and a 3.09 FIP through 6 games. He’s walking a few too many batters (12 in 26 innings), but has 29 strikeouts, has allowed just 19 hits, and hasn’t given up a home run.
RHP Mitch White pitched 2 perfect innings with 4 strikeouts to earn the save on Friday. White, a 26-year old who who is making his professional debut after the Giants signed him out of indy ball, has started his career with 18 strikeouts against 5 walks in 13.2 innings, and has a 2.63 ERA and a 4.29 FIP.
No hitter had a superstar weekend, but plenty had good outings. Most notably, third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) smashed his 1st AA home run, as part of a weekend where he went 3-9 with a double, a walk, and 2 strikeouts.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) May 9, 2026
Harber missed about a month while rehabbing a hamstring injury sustained during Spring Training, but is wasting no time getting up to speed. While there are still signs of rust — most notably the 30.6% strikeout rate — Harber is rocking an .888 OPS and a 132 wRC+. His 2-run shot on Saturday may have been his 1st homer at the level, but he already has 8 doubles in just 13 games.
Second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL) had his best game of the year on Friday, when he hit 3-4 with a 2-run home run and a double, though he also committed an error. The 22-year old switch-hitter followed that up by hitting 2-4 with a strikeout on Saturday, though he went 0-3 with 3 strikeouts and a hit by pitch on Sunday.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) May 9, 2026
Velasquez isn’t making a ton of noise this year, at a level he’s been at since late 2024, but it’s still been a nice year, as he has a .775 OPS and a 110 wRC+. Most notably, Velasquez has really cranked up the power: during his stint with Richmond in 2024, he had just a .061 isolated slugging percentage, and that mark was only .059 last season. This year it’s all the way up at .141. If that can maintain, that will be huge.
The only other player to homer was catcher Adrián Sugastey, who went 2-3 with a 2-run blast and a sacrifice bunt in the only game he played over the weekend. Like Velasquez, the 23-year old Sugastey is trying to shine in his 3rd year with the Squirrels. And while his numbers still aren’t particularly good, he’s improved virtually all of them for the 2nd year running. In his 3 stints with Richmond, his average has gone from .210 to .231 to .283; his on-base percentage from .241 to .284 to .302; his isolated slugging percentage from .094 to .111 to .167; and his wRC+ from 55 to 84 to 92.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) May 10, 2026
Decent weekends for center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) and left fielder Scott Bandura. Davidson hit 4-12 with 1 double, 1 walk, and 0 strikeouts, while Bandura went 4-11 with 3 walks, 3 strikeouts, 1 sacrifice fly, and 3 stolen bases. The 23-year old Davidson now has an .809 OPS and a 109 wRC+, while the 24-year old Bandura has a .932 OPS and a 146 wRC+, with 10 stolen bases in 12 attempts.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) May 10, 2026
High-A Eugene (25-8)
Friday: Eugene Emeralds lost to the Vancouver Canadians 4-2 [box score] Saturday Game 1: Eugene Emeralds beat the Vancouver Canadians 7-5 (7 innings) [box score] Saturday Game 2: Eugene Emeralds beat the Vancouver Canadians 5-1 (7 innings) [box score] Sunday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Vancouver Canadians 13-8 [box score]
The Giants 1st-round pick last year — and the 1st draft pick ever by Buster Posey — began his debut full season with a flurry back in early April. And then he started slumping in a big way. And now he has started bouncing back in an even bigger way.
On Saturday, in the 1st game of a doubleheader, the lefty shortstop had about as good of a day as you can have in a 7-inning game: he went 3-4, with all 3 of his hits being extra-base knocks: a pair of doubles and a 3-run home run, all as part of a day in which he knocked in 5 of the team’s 7 runs.
In all, the recently-turned 22-year old hit 9-15 with 2 home runs, 2 doubles, 1 walk, and 0 strikeouts on the weekend, with the only negative play being when he was caught stealing. What a dynamic string of games! Not only that, but Kilen played shortstop in all 4 games, including both ends of Saturday’s doubleheader.
Kilen had been having really good at-bats coming into the weekend, but it was still very nice to see the power play, as his big game on Saturday broke a streak of 9 straight games without an extra-base hit. On the year, he’s up to an .876 OPS and a 138 wRC+, with just a 16.1% strikeout rate, and the Giants have to be utterly thrilled with all of that. It’s extremely early days, but he’s looking like a fantastic draft selection.
The 2nd draft pick Buster Posey made has had a slightly rockier season, but you wouldn’t know it based on the weekend, as right fielder/center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) had a delightful string of games as well. The 3rd-round pick hit 6-15 over the quartet of games, with 2 doubles, 2 walks, 1 strikeout, 1 stolen base, and 1 caught stealing. The 22-year old lefty has really started to find his swing lately, and has a 6-game hitting streak with just 1 strikeout. You can certainly see Posey’s affinity for contact in these recent draftees: the Rutgers product has a .732 OPS and a 110 wRC+, with just a 15.8% strikeout rate (and a matching 15.8% walk rate). He’s also up to 13 stolen bases in 16 attempts.
Left fielder Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL) had a hilarious game during the double-header: despite being a contact maven, he didn’t put the ball in play at all, as he drew walks in all 3 of his plate appearances, and then proceeded to steal a pair of bases. That’s one way to offense, and a way that is completely foreign to the Major League Giants!
Gutierrez did have an 0-4 on Friday, but he followed up Saturday’s walk excursion by hitting 1-3 with 2 walks on Sunday, bringing his walk rate up to 16.2%, which isn’t tremendously out of the ordinary, as it was 12.6% is Low-A a year ago. His batting average, however, has tumbled from .351 to .209 (though his strikeout rate is still very low) … so even though he’s walking a lot and has had an uptick in power, he has just a .716 OPS and a 103 wRC+ in his High-A debut. Super fun player, still!
A quartet of Emeralds hitters joined Kilen with home run trots: left fielder/right fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) hit 4-10 with a solo blast, a walk, a strikeout, and a caught stealing, moving his OPS to .681 and his wRC+ to 78; first baseman Jakob Christian (No. 40 CPL) went 2-8 with a solo shot, 2 walks, a hit by pitch, and 3 strikeouts, and is sitting on a 1.279 OPS and a 245 wRC+ through 8 games; third baseman Walker Martin hit just 2-12 with 4 strikeouts and his 11th error of the season, but blasted a 3-run home run, and now has a .707 OPS and a 98 wRC+; and infielder Zander Darby went 3-12 with a 2-run dinger, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts, and a caught stealing while playing first, second, and third base, moving his OPS to .894 and his wRC+ to 143.
Diaz’s season in particular has been a touch funny: the 20-year old has the speed and defense to make you think he might be a light hitter, yet he has 5 home runs and a .191 isolated slugging, marks that rank among the top on the team, all while sporting just a 19.2% strikeout rate. Yet despite that, he only has a .225 batting average and a 4.0% walk rate, and that has resulted in poor numbers overall.
It was definitely a series where the hitting was more interesting than the pitching, but there was a standout performance on the mound, from someone it was great to see excel: LHP Luis De La Torre (No. 14 CPL). LDLT started Friday’s game and absolutely shined in 4 innings, giving up just 1 hit, 3 walks, and 1 unearned run, while striking out 7 batters.
It’s been a little bit of a troubling season for De La Torre after his breakout 2025, as the strikeouts and ground balls have been way down, and the walks have been way up, so it was nice seeing him dominate a lineup, even if there were still a lot of walks. Those 7 Ks are what we’ve grown accustomed to for the 22-year old, who had 109 strikeouts in just 74.1 innings last year, between the ACL and Low-A. Hopefully this is the start of him finding his groove in the Northwest League, as he entered the game with just 14 strikeouts in 15 innings.
The other notable starters didn’t have such good days, as LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL) gave up 2 hits, 5 walks, and 2 earned runs in 3.2 innings in his 3rd start of the year, though he struck out 6. The strikeouts are definitely playing to the level for Bresnahan, who has 16 punchouts in just 11.2 innings. And RHP Yunior Marte (No. 25 CPL) allowed 4 hits, 3 walks, and 3 runs in 4 innings, with 4 strikeouts. The 22-year old, who came to the Giants in the Mike Yastrzemski trade, has been pretty dynamic this year, with a 2.25 ERA and a 3.71 FIP. He only has 26 strikeouts in 28 innings, but has only allowed 16 hits all year.
A pair of relievers had great games: RHPs Ryan Vanderhei and Liam Simon. Vanderhei retired all 7 batters he faced, with 4 strikeouts, marking his 3rd straight scoreless appearance. The 2023 10th-round pick has had a dynamic year in relief, with a 2.00 ERA, a 3.21 FIP, and 11.5 strikeouts per 9 innings, against just 3.0 walks. As for Simon, he struck out 2 batters in a no-hit inning, while issuing 1 walk, as he finally appears to be shaking off the injury rust. Simon could not find the strike zone to save his soul after returning from Tommy John, as he walked 31 batters in 27.2 innings last year … then started this season with 9 walks in 4 innings over 4 appearances. But since then? He’s pitched in 5 games and allowed just 2 walks in 5 innings, while striking out 10 and only allowing 1 hit. You love to see it!
Low-A San Jose (19-14)
Friday: San Jose Giants beat the Fresno Grizzlies 4-3 [box score] Saturday: San Jose Giants lost to the Fresno Grizzlies 8-7 [box score] Sunday: San Jose Giants lost to the Fresno Grizzlies 8-2 [box score]
A pretty uninteresting group of games for the Baby Giants, who really didn’t have standout performers on either side of the ball. Like Sacramento, however, San Jose had a few players rehabbing. Most notably, Major League RHP Jason Foley began his rehab assignment on Sunday, though it didn’t go great. Foley made it through just 0.2 innings while ceding 2 hits and a walk which, combined with some rough defense, resulted in 4 runs, though just 1 earned run. He also struck out a batter. The start of rehab assignments is just about getting on the field and getting used to playing again, so nothing to read into the poor results.
LHP Nick Margevicius, who has MLB experience but was signed to a Minor League deal, also is beginning a rehab assignment, as he started Saturday’s game, which was his 2nd outing during his rehab (the 1st came in the ACL). He got ripped up, allowing 8 hits, 6 runs, and 5 earned runs in 3.1 innings, with just 1 strikeout. So it goes.
The best pitching performance belonged to RHP Cody Delvecchio, last year’s 12th-round draft pick out of UCLA. The 22-year old was awesome on Sunday, striking out 7 batters in 4 innings, while giving up 5 hits, 0 walks, and 1 run. All of Delvecchio’s hits were singles, and he threw 43 of 64 pitches for strikes. The Giants are surely quite pleased with his 28-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 22 innings this year, though the rookie has just a 4.09 ERA and a 5.01 FIP, the result of having given up 3 home runs already this year.
Shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) had a great day on Friday, when he hit 2-3, drew a walk, and stole 2 bases. The rest of the weekend didn’t go so well, as he had Saturday off and had an 0-4 on Sunday, but my goodness what a season he’s having. It’s now a .977 OPS and a 144 wRC+ for Level, who has 10 stolen bases in 12 attempts and just a 15.7% strikeout rate, to make no mention of the quality defense. If he and Kilen keep this up, I’m guessing we see double promotions sometime in July.
Third baseman Dario Reynoso had an up-and-down performance, hitting 3-11 with 2 doubles, 2 walks, and 2 stolen bases, but also 5 strikeouts. He has a .989 OPS and a 152 wRC+. Left fielder Jose Astudillo hit 2-7 with a walk and stole 3 bases (his 1st 3 of the year), and now has an .808 OPS and 123 wRC+ through 7 games, after getting a late start to the season. He’s only struck out 1 time this year.
Friday: ACL Giants lost to the ACL Mariners 2-1 (7 innings) [box score] Saturday: ACL Giants lost to the ACL Rockies 6-1 (7 innings) [box score]
A very boring set of games down in the desert. That included mild-mannered weekends for the pair of stars on the ACL Giants team, as shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) hit 1-4 with a double and 2 strikeouts, while shortstop/third baseman Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) went 2-8 with a double and 3 strikeouts. The future is incredibly bright thanks in large part to those 2, but they weren’t enough to lead the Giants to success in these games.
Left fielder/right fielder Oliver Tejada had the best weekend among the hitters, as he went 2-4 with a walk and a hit by pitch, though he also committed an error. Otherwise, it was slim pickings: outside of those 3 players, the team managed just 3 hits in the 2 games.
The pitching wasn’t too much better. RHP Brayan Narvaez, a 21-year old from Venezueala, had a nice game on Friday, tossing 2 no-hit innings with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts in his 2nd game. This is Narvaez’s 1st year stateside after 3 seasons in the DSL, so he’s hoping to run with the opportunity.
RHP Luke Mensik, an 18-year old taken in the 17th round a season ago, struck out 5 batters in 4 innings on Saturday, though he gave up 3 hits, 3 walks, and 2 runs. Always exciting to see High School pitchers in the ACL, though it hasn’t been the smoothest start to his career for Mensik through 2 games.
Home run tracker
5 — Lisbel Diaz — [High-A] 5 — Zander Darby — [High-A] 4 — Buddy Kennedy — [AAA] 4 — Gavin Kilen x2 — [High-A] 4 — Walker Martin — [High-A] 3 — Harrison Bader — [1 in MLB; 2 in AAA] 3 — Jake Holton — [AAA] 2 — Diego Velasquez — [AA] 2 — Adrián Sugastey — [AA] 1 — Parks Harber — [AA] 1 — Jakob Christian — [High-A]
BOSTON, MA - MAY 10: Pitcher Nick Martinez #28 of the Tampa Bay Rays points to a teammate after a nice fielding play during the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on May 10, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
