Category: MLB

Rhett Lowder’s best outing of the 2026 season came back on April 4th against the Texas Rangers. The Cincinnati Reds righty fired 6.0 IP of scoreless, 3 hit ball that day, and he did so pitching to catcher Jose Trevino for the first (and, so far, only) time this year.

That’s largely because Trevino hit the shelf immediately after that game with pain in his back. But after three weeks on the shelf, Trevino is back with the Reds and immediately in action today in the series finale against the Detroit Tigers.

And, he’ll have Lowder chucking baseballs his way as the Reds starter for the day.

Cincinnati goes for the series sweep over the Tigers on Sunday in Great American Ball Park, with Lowder hurling the first pitch of the day at 1:40 PM ET.

Here’s how both teams will line up as the Reds look to tie a bow on an already electric Hall of Fame induction weekend:

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Milwaukee Brewers, April 26, 2026, 2:10 p.m. ET

Location: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet

Pitching Matchup: Carmen Mlodzinski (1-1, 3.28 ERA) vs. Kyle Harrison (1-1, 3.06 ERA)

The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road today against the Milwaukee Brewers looking to grab a win.

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Here’s the Guardians lineup:

Here’s the Blue Jays lineup:

Let’s go, Guardians!

It’s been a weird weekend at Camden Yards. Neither of the games have been close, and the Red Sox have fired half of their coaching staff. Saying it that plainly would make you think the Orioles have outclassed the Red Sox all series. But that wouldn’t be true.

Sure, the O’s looked amazing in the opener, but they really stunk up the place in the sequel. And yet, the Red Sox front office chose to do the firing of World Series-winning manager Alex Cora and many of his underlings right after their team won a game by 16 runs. The optics of that are odd, though the team’s 10-17 record overall gives it more logic.

Chad Tracy will step into Cora’s shoes. He was an MLB player for parts of ten seasons, most of those spent with the Diamondbacks. More recently, the 45-year-old has been a coach in the Red Sox system. Up until Saturday he was manager of their Triple-A squad, the Worcester Red Sox.

For the Orioles, it’s business as usual. Saturday’s game was so terrible that they may as well flush it and move on. They have a series to win, against a division opponent no less. With a day off coming on Monday everyone should be available to get the W. That includes closer Ryan Helsley, who was activated from the bereavement list earlier today. Albert Suarez was DFA’d to make room. You have to imagine the O’s hope they can get Suarez back to Triple-A Norfolk, but he may have opportunities elsewhere.

Orioles lineup

1. Taylor Ward, LF
2. Gunnar Henderson, SS
3. Adley Rutschman, DH
4. Pete Alonso, 1B
5. Tyler O’Neill, RF
6. Samuel Basallo, C
7. Jeremiah Jackson, 2B
8. Dylan Beavers, CF
9. Blaze Alexander, 3B

RHP Kyle Bradish (1-2, 3.96 ERA)

Red Sox lineup

1. Jarren Duran, LF
2. Willson Contreras, 1B
3. Roman Anthony, DH
4. Wilyer Abreu, RF
5. Ceddanne Rafaela, CF
6. Marcelo Mayer, 2B
7. Caleb Durbin, 3B
8. Connor Wong, C
9. Andruw Monasterio, SS

LHP Connelly Early (1-1, 2.88 ERA)

After a full day of rain in New York City on Saturday, the Colorado Rockies and New York Mets will pick things up where they left off, with a Sunday doubleheader to make up for the postponed game.

The Rockies won a close one on Friday night in the city that never sleeps, withstanding some late pressure to take down the Mets 4-3.

The win felt like a huge relief in a number of ways. For one, it was a nice way to bounce back after dropping a tight, series-deciding game in San Diego on Thursday. The Rocks have kept things competitive fairly often this season, but have wound up on the wrong side of close results. Holding on for a win the day after a blown save feels like a nice spark.

It also put a halt to the momentum New York was trying to build. Entering this series with Colorado, the Mets had just won two straight against the Minnesota Twins after making headlines for a 12-game losing streak. The pressure is now back on.

The win also marked just the fourth road win for the Rockies this year. Signs point to it being a pivotal one.

In promising news (knock on wood), the Rockies only series wins this season — against the Toronto Blue Jays on the road and the Houston Astros at home — came after they took the series opener. Friday’s victory puts them in position to win another.

Two teams looking for wins will try to do so with two pitchers each looking to bounce back from rough outings in their latest starts.

After some rotation shuffling as a result of the rainout, the Rockies are sticking with Jose Quintana (0-2 in three starts, 6.23 ERA) who was projected to start on Saturday, while the Mets are opting to go with Nolan McLean (1-1 in five starts, 2.67 ERA). Quintana was initially set to faceoff against Kodai Senga, who will instead pitch in the second game of the afternoon.

Quintana’s starts have been shaky to say the least. He’s been vulnerable to early runs and currently has more than double the number of walks (nine) as he does strikeouts (four). In his last game, the 12-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Quintana gave up six runs on eight hits including two home runs, before he was yanked after five innings. Before that, he only made it 3.2 innings in a 3-1 loss against the Houston Astros, giving up all three of those runs on three hits and four walks.

Conversely, McLean has been reliable for deep outings this season, averaging just over 6.0 IP in his five starts. While he hasn’t posted a win since his April 3rd outing against the San Francisco Giants, he has escaped his starts without enduring much damage.

McLean has given up only three hits a game on average, with only nine earned runs surrendered across those five starts. He’s been good for a ‘K’ as well, striking out eight or more batters in four of his starts. McLean’s last outing was his worst of the season, giving up five hits, three runs, and one homer in a 5-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins earlier in the week.

The Rockies offense will likely have to withstand a long day from McLean to garner some much-needed run support for Quintana, who will look to clean things up against a Mets offense that has had its own struggles. While not quite the high-ERA slugfest that Quintana vs. Senga was projected to be, the game one Quintana vs. McLean matchup is an embodiment of two teams trying to find their rhythm.

First Pitch: 11:40 a.m. MDT

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)

Mets SB Nation Site:Amazin’ Avenue

Lineups:

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Mets lineup

1. Bo Bichette – SS
2. Juan Soto – DH
3. Luis Robert – CF
4. Mark Vientos – 1B
5. Marcus Semien – 2B
6. Brett Baty – 3B
7. Tyrone Taylor – RF
8. Tommy Pham – LF
9. Luis Torrens – C

Nolan McLean – RHP

Rockies lineup

1. Edouard Julien – 2B
2. Mickey Moniak – RF
3. TJ Rumfield – DH
4. Troy Johnston – 1B
5. Kyle Karros – 3B
6. Brett Sullivan – C
7. Ezequiel Tovar – SS
8. Jake McCarthy – CF
9. Jordan Beck – LF

Jose Quintana – LHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 1:40pm EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2

One day after being run-ruled, a stud freshman just beginning to stretch out his arm and some bullpen guys shut out the dominant Tejas Long Fed-offense. It was a beautiful thing.

Today, we get a chance to take a really tough series.

On the Mound

Sunday @ 12:00pm on ESPN2

Vanderbilt #88 Fr. RHP Wyatt “Ice Town” Nadeau (1-2; 5.40 ERA; 11.97 K/9)

vs. Tejas #53 Grad. LHP Luke “Lefty-canoe” Harrison (4-2; 4.09 ERA; 9.59 K/9)

The Lineup

See you in the comments.

Last week was a sweep for the Braves, today could lead to another series win… if the Phillies don’t carry over from yesterday and find a way to break their streak.

The Braves will have to get runs on the board as early as possible, while the Phillies will have to endure in the latter half of the matchup, as the Braves are known to score leads in later innings to secure their wins.

First pitch is set for 1:35.

Preview

Lineups

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The Chicago Cubs will look to start a new winning streak as they wrap up their series with the Los Angeles Dodgers this afternoon.

Chicago had previously won 10 straight before Saturday’s loss, and my Cubs vs. Dodgers predictions like them to take the rubber match at Dodger Stadium. 

Find out more in my free MLB picks for Sunday, April 26.

Who will win Cubs vs Dodgers today: Cubs moneyline (+110)

The Chicago Cubs may have lost on Saturday, but that does little to change how impressive they’ve been over the past two weeks.

Chicago outscored its opponents 72-31 over its latest 10-game winning streak, and the red-hot Shota Imanaga is set to take the mound on Sunday. The Japanese southpaw boasts a 1.13 ERA and a 0.542 WHIP over his last four starts.

The Los Angeles Dodgers aren’t at full strength right now, with Max Muncy sitting today, along with injuries to Mookie Betts and Edwin Diaz. That’s enough for me to give the Cubs the edge, and I’m taking them to win outright.

COVERS INTEL: The Cubs are hitting .321 with a .934 OPS over their last 11 games, which includes smashing 21 homers in that span.

Cubs vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Over 9 (-110)

These are two of the best offenses in the majors, and it has shown over the past two seasons, as they’ve combined to hit the Over in five of their last six head-to-head meetings. 

The Dodgers currently rank second in the majors with 5.67 runs per game this year, with the Cubs right behind them at 5.52.

Any concerns about Los Angeles’ minor offensive slump should have been put to rest after its 12-run outburst yesterday, and Chicago has simply been on fire lately.

Even with a solid pitching matchup, there’s too much firepower to keep the total from reaching double digits.

Cubs vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: Cubs +110 | Dodgers -130
• Run line: Cubs +1.5 (-190) | Dodgers -1.5 (+160)
• Over/Under: Over 9 (-110) | Under 9 (-110)

Cubs vs Dodgers trend

The Cubs are 10-1 straight up in their last 11 games overall. Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Cubs vs Dodgers and game info

Cubs vs Dodgers latest injuries

Cubs vs Dodgers weather

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It’s a new era of Red Sox baseball with Chad Tracy at the helm for his first game. While we won’t know for sure what will look different with Tracy in charge, here are a few quick takeaways from the lineup.

• Roman Anthony is back in the lineup and not leading off for the first time this season. He’s hitting out of the three spot, which is really stupid if you ask me, but what do I know.
• Connor Wong is catching for the second day in a row. It’s worth noting that Tracy has managed Wong previously and has not managed Carlos Narvaez outside of Spring Training. Narvaez also was benched earlier this season for presumably disciplinary issues. That’s a playing time battle to monitor going forward.
• Trevor Story is on the bench in favor of Andruw Monasterio. Story has been vocally upset about the firings. Marcelo Mayer remains at second base…for now.

1:35 pm first pitch on NESN+ (because of the Bruins) and WEEI.

Lineups

The Mets and Rockies play a doubleheader at Citi Field on Sunday, but before the games began, manager Carlos Mendoza provided a few updates...

Brett Baty being aggressive

While Baty had been mired in an early-season slump, the young infielder/outfielder has been showing signs of turning things around. Over his last seven games, Baty is slashing .375/.474/.625 with a home run, 5 RBI, highlighted by a three-run monster home run against the Twins on Thursday.

"I think he’s being aggressive with pitches in the strike zone and not missing them," Mendoza said. "Using the whole field, pull side, going the other way. And then the chase I think has gotten better too because he’s not missing those pitches early in the count."

Baty is playing third base in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader, with Bo Bichette moving to shortstop. 

Jorge Polanco update

Mendoza was asked once again about the status of Jorge Polanco, who is on the IL with a sore wrist but was also dealing with soreness in his Achilles. 

The manager said that the veteran is still dealing with "a little bit of both," noting the wrist is still an issue when Polanco swings from the left side. However, Polanco is continuing to progress with baseball activities. 

"He’s outside doing some running, so he started doing that outside today," Mendoza said. "Hitting off the tee, flips, so continuing to progress with baseball opportunities."

Polanco was placed on the IL on April 18.

Happy Sunday. I thought I was over the jet lag, when I slept great on Friday night, then last night I couldn’t sleep at all.

Anyway, today we have our first look at Yohendrick Pinango. I remember, back in my school days, the teach would have to say Yohendrick Pi, so that the 12 other Yohendricks didn’t think he was talking to them.

The other interesting thing about this lineup is that Ernie Clement is leading off. I think having a guy who swings at everything leading off is pretty strange. I like him batting with someone on base better. I also think that he’d be a good choice if you wanted to hit and run. But 1/6th of the way through the season, Clement has 1 walk.

On the other hand, I don’t know who I’d put in the lead off spot. I’m all for trying Vlad there, but I’m pretty sure the club will never do that.

Yesterday’s Umpire Scorecard. Quinn Wolcott wasn’t terrible.

Today in Jays History, seven years ago, Vladimir Guerrero made his MLB debut.

Now he is 1001 games into his career. He has a .289/.367/.494, with 185 home runs (and 28 steals). Not a bad start at all.

And the Red Sox fired their manager, Alex Cora (and pretty much their whole coaching start). I’m not a Red Sox fan and I’m no more of a fan of Cora but I rarely take joy in someone losing a job.

It does make me wonder what the plan is for their game today. I suggest picking six guys out of the crowd and randomly aside them a role, Manage, Bench Coach, Pitching Coach, First and Third Base Coaches. Might as well have fun with it.

And I missed this yesterday:

One of my favourite plays ever (in an April game).

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The Kansas City Royals go for the sweep of the Los Angeles Angels at Kauffman Stadium tonight. 

Headlined by Halos right-hander Reid Detmers, here are our favorite Angels vs. Royals predictions and MLB picks for Sunday, April 26.

Angels vs Royals props for April 26

Pick	Odds
Reid Detmers Over 5.5 strikeouts	-108
Bobby Witt Jr. to record an RBI	+135
Nolan Schanuel 2+ total bases	+125

Angels vs Royals player prop picks

Reid Detmers Over 5.5 strikeouts (-108)

Reid Detmers has looked superb in his return to the rotation. Through five starts, the Los Angeles Angels southpaw owns a 2.76 xERA and 3.05 FIP to go along with a healthy 25.8% strikeout rate.

Detmers has always been able to miss bats, and his 13.3% swinging-strike rate suggests even more Ks are on the way. Hitters haven’t been able to pick up his pitches, leading to a 90th-percentile chase rate.

The Kansas City Royals have struggled offensively against left-handers, posting a 70 wRC+ with a 24.5% strikeout rate. That sets up as a favorable matchup for Detmers, who is averaging 6.2 punchouts per start.

Bobby Witt Jr. to record an RBI (+135)

One Royal who could find success against Detmers is Bobby Witt Jr. The star shortstop is heating up after a slow start, slashing .360/.433/.520 over the last seven days.

Witt has been especially strong against LHP this season, going 9-for-23 at the dish with a 1.027 OPS. Detmers has been lethal against lefties (.161 AVG and 25.7% K-BB%), so run production might boil down to the right-handed Royals bats.

Kauffman Stadium has typically provided a boost for Witt, who’s hitting .311 with a 142 wRC+ in 328 career home games. The Royals have plated 18 runs through the first two games of the series, and Witt stands a good chance of knocking in a run if the offense stays hot.

Nolan Schanuel 2+ total bases (+125)

Seth Lugo takes the mound for Kansas City. The veteran struggled against left-handed bats (1.47 WHIP) a season ago, and with a Stuff+ of just 88, there’s little reason to expect those platoon splits to improve.

Enter Nolan Schanuel, who owns a 107 wRC+ against right-handed pitching while keeping strikeouts in check (14.6% K rate). Lugo posted an underwhelming 9.9% K-BB% against lefties in 2025, and pitching to contact against Schanuel could lead to a few base knocks or an extra-base hit.

Lugo is a soft-tosser who relies on a deep arsenal to keep hitters off balance. He ranks in the 99th percentile in breaking-ball run value, but Schanuel is hitting .286 against off-speed pitches.

How to watch Angels vs Royals and game info

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It’s Sunday once more, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! This week, the Yankees took to the road to face a pair of down-on-their luck rivals, heading up north to Boston and south to Houston for the first time this season. As always, with every road trip, comes a flood of social media posts. What have the Bombers been up to while traveling this week? Let’s get started!

Tales from the Bitter North

It may have been cold, but the Yankees — and the Yankees broadcasters — got into some shenanigans up in Boston, meeting with old friends, freezing their rear ends off, and, in the case of Meredith Marakovitz, once again breaking Wally’s heart.

It wasn’t all fun and games, though. While in Boston, the Yankees visited Walker, a seven year old Yankee fan at Boston Children’s Hospital who is waiting for a heart transplant. Ben Rice, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and Aaron Boone went to the hospital directly, and Aaron Judge and others phoned in.

Game Belts

As happens when the Yankees win some ballgames, they passed the Game Belt around quite a bit this week.

Congrats, Ryan!

Yankees starter Ryan Weathers, the son of former Yankees reliever David Weathers, went on the paternity list during this week’s series against the Red Sox. Fortunately, on Thursday, he took to Instagram to announce the birth of his son. Congratulations to the Weathers family — if the pattern holds, we look forward to seeing him in pinstripes in 2056!

Dave’s Thoughts

As always, Yankees radio voice Dave Sims took to Instagram to react to the Yankees’ games this week.

Instagram Shenanigans

The Yankees and YES Network had some fun on the ‘gram this week. First, the Yankees posted another Question of the Day, where we learned which players… like to take their shoes off on the plane. Maybe it’s different in first class, but I don’t know, that just seems unsanitary to me.

Then, the YES Network had some fun with a social media trend about editing photos. Of note, look in the corner — you’ll see that, in this fictional universe, the YES account has exactly 99 unread messages. Coincidence? I THINK NOT!

The Cincinnati Reds continued their roster revamp on Sunday morning, activating catcher Jose Trevino off the injured list after he’d been out of action at the big league level since back on April 4th.

Trevino, 33, has logged just 12 PA so far this season as a back issue has been dogging him since the first week of the season. To date, he’s just 1 for 11 with a walk and 3 K, though last year provided evidence that his value comes in ways much more nuanced that just with the bat. He’s an accomplished defender and manager of the pitching staff, and hopefully getting him back in the mix will help solidify a starting rotation that’s had some serious bumps through the first month of the season.

PJ Higgins was optioned back to AAA Louisville to make room on the roster, as the Reds relayed – with a sidenote that pitcher Nick Lodolo was sent out to begin his own rehab assignment.

Trevino notably caught Brady Singer more often than not during the 2025 season, starting 22 of the 32 games in which the former Kansas City Royal righty started. In those 22 games, Singer allowed opposing hitters just a .701 OPS, whereas he yielded an .863 OPS ing the 6 games started by Tyler Stephenson. His 3.58 ERA and 2.74 K/BB were also notably better when pitching to Trevino than when he pitched to Ty Steves (6.14 ERA, 1.42 K/BB).

It was less pronounced with Andrew Abbott, who was excellent regardless last year, but the southpaw did yield a lower OPS to opposing batters in the 10 games he threw to Trevino (.602) than he did when pitching to Stephenson 18 times (.668).

That’s not to say that having Trevino back will completely solve all issues those two starters have faced so far in 2026, but the hope is that it sure won’t hurt to have his game-calling back in the mix.

Trevino will be right back in action on Sunday, as he’s in the starting lineup slated to catch righty Rhett Lowder for the second time this year. In their first outing together, Lowder fired 6.0 IP of scoreless ball against the Texas Rangers back on April 4th.