MILESTONE INCOMING: A win tonight will be the Cubs’ 1,250th vs. the Phillies. The game will be the 2,401st in the rivalry, which began in 1883. The Cubs have won more games against three teams: the Pirates (1,287), Cardinals (1,281) and Braves (1,256). They have played 223 more games vs. the Pirates, 125 more vs. the Cardinals and 62 fewer vs. the Braves. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TIME TO BREAK THIS STREAK: The Cubs have not won a series at Philadelphia since they swept three games July 22-24, 2022. In each of the past three years, they went 1-2. In the last two, they lost, won and lost. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
YOU GO, CARSON: Carson Kelly, last nine games since April 3: .414/.528/.621 (12-for-29) with three doubles, a home run, seven walks and five runs scored.
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Sammy Sosa’s three-run homer in the seventh broke a 1-1 tie and the Cubs went on to defeat the Pirates 5-1. It happened 25 years ago today, Sunday, April 15, 2001.
Shōta Imanaga was just magnificent in his last start, last Friday against the Pirates — six no-hit innings with 10 strikeouts.
His only career start vs. the Phillies happened July 3, 2024 at Wrigley Field. He allowed three runs in six innings, striking out eight. That might work tonight (but don’t give up two home runs, as he did that day at Wrigley, to Rafael Marchán and Alec Bohm).
Jesús Luzardo has made three starts this year and been hit hard in two of them, by the Rangers and Diamondbacks. He did have a good outing vs. the Rockies, with 11 strikeouts.
I’d like to think the Cubs offense is on par with the Rangers and D-backs. But we will see.
Luzardo was tough against the Cubs last year, throwing 12 innings and allowing three runs (two earned) with 15 strikeouts.
For whatever it’s worth, Luzardo’s good outing this year came on the road and he was hit hard twice at CBP.
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - APRIL 15: Blaze Alexander #23 and Johnathan Rodríguez #62 of the Baltimore Orioles collide as they make an out against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the second inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 15, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You do not have to be a savvy baseball mind to look at a major league outfield consisting of Weston Wilson, Blaze Alexander, and Johnathan Rodríguez and wonder if there has been some mistake. The Orioles didn’t actually seriously think that was going to work out well when Wednesday’s starting lineup was submitted, did they? A series of defensive botch jobs cost the Orioles early, stamping out what might have otherwise been a fun game as the offense was the first group this year to get to Arizona’s Eduardo Rodriguez.
Eventually, things went to extra innings and Tyler Wells imploded thoroughly, sending the Orioles to an 8-5 loss to the Diamondbacks to close out this homestand. So much for the good vibes from Monday’s big comeback win.
The ingredients were there for things to go better for the Orioles today. Kyle Bradish came out of the gate amped up, pumping 97 and 98 while striking out two of the game’s first three batters. If only he could have struck out everyone, because pretty much every time the ball was hit to the outfield, something weird and bad happened.
The warning signs were also there in that very first inning. Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll batted with one out and hit a fly ball that hung up for a long time, heading towards right field. Any outfielder with modest speed gets there easily. Unfortunately, the Orioles right fielder today was Rodríguez, a big guy whose foot speed is lumbering at best. Statcast gave this ball a .060 expected batting average. It was a double. On this occasion, the O’s were not harmed.
Bradish’s bottom of the lineup gave him a small early lead. Two-out doubles in the second, one by Coby Mayo and one by Sam Huff – a third catcher called up just to start today’s game – put the Orioles ahead. Mayo’s double came after a weird scene where the home plate umpire, John Tumpane, quickly assessed Mayo as challenging a pitch when he never touched his helmet. One of the O’s ABS challenges was burned up just like that.
Arizona struck back with two outs in the top of the third. Their rally started with Carroll drawing a walk, the only one that Bradish issued on the day. A single gave the D-backs runners on the corners. Cleanup hitter Adrian Del Castillo rocked a fly ball to left field that kept carrying about as far into the left field/bullpen corner as it can go. Left fielder Weston Wilson gave chase despite getting a bad break on the ball and ran far enough to get his glove on the ball.
Wilson bricked the catch. Adding to the bleak comedy of the play, Wilson then bumped into the wall behind him and had an almost cartoon-like slow slide to the ground. Alexander had to race over from center field to back up the play. Initially, this was scored as an error on Wilson, a perspective that seemed obvious on the live play. The scorer soon reversed themselves and turned this into a two-run triple.
That’s a joke. I don’t mean a joke in the sense of “I’m telling a joke by saying something that didn’t really happen.” No. It really happened. I mean that the decision is a joke. Perhaps not as bad of a joke as this outfield defense.
This is not to say that all of Bradish’s problems can be blamed on his outfield defense. Arizona got to him fairly and clearly when a couple of bottom-of-the-lineup guys did their own back-to-back doubles to put the Diamondbacks back on top in the fourth inning.
It could have been fun in spite of all of this. The Orioles retook the lead in the fifth inning. Wilson partially atoned for his earlier miscue by hitting a single. This left him on base when early-season star Jeremiah Jackson homered into the vicinity of the Bird Bath in left-center field. Jackson drove in three runs in the game and now has a .949 OPS for the season. He’s continued to be a pleasant surprise since his debut last August.
The lead, alas, did not last for long. Bradish gave the run back in the top of the sixth. Bradish would have had two earned runs in six innings were it not for the scorer’s reversal. Instead, four earned runs on eight hits and a walk in six innings leaves him with an elevated 5.49 ERA. The Orioles will need better to go somewhere good this year.
The teams traded runs in the seventh. Ketel Marte dropped a smooth bunt to lead off the inning with a base hit. The next batter was Carroll, who hit a fly ball with a lot of hang time that fell in front of Alexander in center field. I will say a real center fielder should have caught it, with the observation that the expected average on this ball was .250.
Reliever Grant Wolfram got one grounder into the drawn-in infield, preventing the run from coming home. The next guy, Del Castillo, hit a chopper that deflected off the glove of a leaping Wolfram. By the time Gunnar Henderson fielded the ball behind Wolfram, there was no chance to throw the runner out at home.
Henderson figured prominently as the Orioles tied the game once again. He led off with a single, stole second base, then scored on a little squibber hit by pinch-hitter Leody Taveras. One might wonder why Taveras wasn’t in the starting lineup for defense alone, without even getting into his hitting well early on this year. He delivered the game-tying hit, setting the 5-5 score that eventually went into extra innings. The Orioles went three-up, three-down in the eighth and ninth. There was no real walkoff potential.
That brings us around to Wells. He was, in essence, the only choice for the tenth inning. The Orioles had used four relievers before him. The excellent-so-far Rico Garcia had pitched the two previous days and was probably unavailable. Albert Suárez was the only other guy out there.
This was our first 2026 Orioles experience with the zombie runner, the Manfred Man, or however you like to refer to the guy who starts on second base in extra frames. Arizona had a fast guy lined up in the form of Carroll. They even spotted Wells an out. They made the tactically-questionable choice to have their #3 hitter bunt Carroll to third base on the road, when the Orioles would still have the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the inning.
Wells didn’t make them pay. What he did do was give up a home run to Del Castillo, the catcher’s first of the season, giving him five RBI in the game. He gave up two more hits and the Diamondbacks had an 8-5 lead at the end of it. No Orioles batter reached base in the bottom of the tenth and the frustrating game finally ended.
Would it have gone so much better if Tyler O’Neill was not on the injured list and if Taylor Ward was not used as the designated hitter? I am not so sure that it would have. The Orioles did not construct this roster with corner outfield defense as a priority. This is not the first game where we’ve seen the effects of that. It’s just the most egregious because the second wave of guys, playing out of position, might be even worse than the first wave.
After getting us to feel good about them on Monday, the Orioles are back down to .500 at 9-9. They now head to Cleveland, where they’ll start a four-game series with the Guardians on Thursday evening. Cleveland is 10-9 so far this season. Shane Baz and Parker Messick are the scheduled starting pitchers for the 6:10 game.
Yankees top prospect George Lombard Jr. has been spectacular to start the Double-A season, and on Tuesday night he continued that success against one of baseball's best.
Lombard enjoyed himself a 2-for-4 showing in Somerset’s win over Reading, with one of those knocks being a well-struck RBI double off Phillies ace Zack Wheeler.
Wheeler, of course, was making his fourth rehab appearance with the Fightin Phils as he continues recovering from surgeries for a blood clot and thoracic outlet syndrome.
He got the best of Lombard in his first two at-bats, though, striking him out and getting him to fly out to center before giving up the first-pitch double in the sixth.
Afterwards, the three-time All-Star spoke highly of the young sluggers potential.
“I thought he was taking good swings all night,” Wheeler told reporters. “You can tell he’s a good, strong kid and he has a good bat path -- he’s going to be a good player, so I hope I don’t have to face him too much.”
Lombard's glove has been his calling card to this point, but so far this season his offense has followed suit.
The 21-year-old is now hitting .429 with a stellar 1.372 OPS though eight games.
He’s racked up four multi-hit showings, six extra base-hits, and has stuck out just five times over that span.
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, who was with Somerset to kick off his rehab assignment, also had nothing but good things to say about the organization's top young talent.
“I thought he looked great out there,” Volpe said. “He made great plays in the field, put together good at-bats, smoked the ball to right -- he’s a really hard worker and a really good kid, so it’s going to be exciting.”
With Volpe in the lineup, Lombard got his first start of the season at third base, giving the Yankees a glimpse of their potential left-side of the infield down the line.
And the youngster was sure to put on a show defensively as well, taking care of all of his opportunities, including a pair of slick plays to rob the Fightin Phils of hits.
If Lombard can keep this up, perhaps he'll receive the call to Triple-A before long.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - AUGUST 5: Josh Hader #71 of the Houston Astros throws a pitch in the ninth inning during a game against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on August 5, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today, the Houston Astros released updates on many of the 13 players they have on the Injured List:
• RHP Cody Bolton (right mid-back inflammation) was placed on the IL today and is currently not throwing.
• RHP Hunter Brown (right shoulder sprain), RHP Tatsuya Imai (right arm fatigue) and RHP Cristian Javier (right shoulder strain) are rehabbing in Houston, but currently not throwing.
• LHP Josh Hader (left biceps tendinitis) tossed a 19-pitch live BP yesterday in Houston.
• RHP Nate Pearson (right elbow surgery) threw 2.0 innings in an extended Spring Training game on Saturday (April 11).
• LHP Bennett Sousa (left oblique strain) is out on a minor league rehab assignment now. He pitched last night for Double A Corpus Christi, working 1.0 scoreless inning on eight pitches (seven strikes).
• OF Zach Dezenzo (right elbow sprain) is rehabbing in Florida. He has progressed to a position specific throwing program while continuing normal hitting.
• OF Jake Meyers (right oblique strain) and SS Jeremy Peña (right hamstring strain) are rehabbing in Houston, focusing on rehabilitation exercises.
Sam Antonacci mashed for all of 2025 and into spring 2026, and is now rewarded with a trip to The Show. | (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The South Side isn’t messing around with its prospects.
If last year was a youth wave, this year promises to bring a youth tsunami. On Wednesday, Springfield native Sam Antonacci was the third prospect of the 2026 season to be called up from Triple-A, immediately following the long-awaited arrival of Noah Schultz.
Antonacci’s breakout in the minors last year had everyone at SSS hoping and waiting for him to debut for the White Sox, and his time is now. After a brilliant cup of coffee at Low-A Kannapolis after the draft, Antonacci crushed it in his first and only full season of affiliate ball, in 2025. His .291/.433/.409 slash line and 48 stolen bases across Rookie, High-A and Double-A ball won him MiLB’s Southern League Player of the Week in June, a Southern Atlantic League All-Star nod in September and the very coveted SSS’s Minor League Player of the Week in July.
If not for a fella named Caleb Bonemer, Antonacci very like would have been our SSS Player of the Year in the minors.
Still, last year’s stats pale in comparison to his strong Triple-A start in 2026. After impressing in Spring Training and getting some international notice as a member of Italy’s surprising WBC squad, Antonacci reported to Triple-A and mashed: .313 with a towering .500 OBP and 15 walks, and a .341 BABIP — beware, pitchers! The patient Swiss Army knife of a player is also diversifying his glove work from the infield to now leaning heavily in left field, with 11 of his 14 games played coming there. The writing is clearly on the wall for Andrew Benintendi, but Will Venable will have his chance to play musical chairs with the lineup.
To make room for Antonacci, the White Sox designated outfielder Dustin Harris for assignment.
Between Antonacci’s composure at the plate and track record for being one of the most reliable hitters in the minor league system, he should be just the spark plug needed to keep this offense out of long, dry spells.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - APRIL 14: Emilio Pagán #15 of the Cincinnati Reds throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Great American Ball Park on April 14, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Cincinnati Reds closer Emilio Pagán picked up his 5th save of the 2026 season on Tuesday night, coaxing a deep fly-out off the bat of San Francisco Giants pinch hitter Daniel Susac to help wrap up a closely fought 2-1 victory.
That was obviously the good news. The bad news – or potentially bad news, at least – was that he clearly seemed to grimace while delivering the pitch. Since it coincided with the end of the game, coverage of said grimace was a bit scant, and we were instead left waiting to find out just exactly what happened.
Was it a knee? Was it something innocuous?
According to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon, it’s a hamstring issue for Pagán, one that comes with a bit of optimism about the recovery time needed.
Sheldon later clarified that it’s his left hamstring, not right.
The Reds have already announced a starting lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Giants, and they’ve made no roster moves in concurrence with said lineup. So, it’s safe to say that Pagán isn’t going to need a trip to the IL to get this right – at least, not yet.
My best guess is that they’ll slow-play this and hope it improves significantly with a day or two of rest, and that he’ll be unavailable to pitch while that’s going on. That would open up potential save opportunities elsewhere in the bullpen, something both Connor Phillips and Brock Burke have taken advantage of already in the early portions of this season.
If things don’t improve quickly, though, we could see a backdated move to the IL for Pagán. The problem there, though, is that there isn’t a clear replacement for his services in AAA. Zach Maxwell has a save and is on the roster, but he’s struggled mightily in his first 7 games of the year. Both Tejay Antone and Lyon Richardson have ample experience and are pitching well, but neither currently holds a spot on the 40-man roster. Luis Mey would probably end up getting the call, as he’s allowed just 2 ER in 6.0 IP with an 8/2 K/BB, though he has also yielded 3 unearned runs to date.
For now, we’ll hedge that Pagán truly did ‘dodge a bullet’ and that this will be a non-story in short order. Of course, it would be nice if the Reds offense would actually score enough runs to make ‘needing a closer in 1-run games every single day’ less of an importance for a change, too.
So far this homestand, the Los Angeles Dodgers have quietly handled the New York Mets, with the pitching staff allowing only one run in 18 innings. The run was a leadoff shot from Francisco Lindor off of Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Tuesday’s game, and otherwise no Met has crossed the plate in L.A.
Wednesday the Dodgers look to finish the sweep by sending Shohei Ohtani to the mound. Ohtani still is in possession of both longest active on-base streak at 48 games, and longest active streak of consecutive innings pitched without an earned run, at 28 2/3. The on-base streak almost ended Tuesday night, but the Mets decided to intentionally walk him in the eighth inning, even though he was 0-3 for the evening.
In each of his last two outings, Ohtani has gone exactly 6.0 innings, allowing a total of five hits and issuing four walks. There was an unearned run in the outing against the Toronto Blue Jays, dropping his longest active pitching streak from scoreless to unearned runs.
This will mark the first time that Ohtani will face the Mets as a pitcher, leaving the Chicago Cubs as the only team he will not have yet faced. As a hitter, his lifetime slash line against them is .294/.417/.603 with five homers and 13 RBI.
The Mets will send right-hander Clay Holmes to the mound, who is 2-1 with a 1.50 ERA. In his last outing, Holmes left the mound in the sixth inning with the team trainer. He was dealing with left hamstring tightness but is still slated to make the start Wednesday evening.
On the offense side, the Mets have only scored 10 runs in their last five games, with the bulk of those coming in a loss to the Athletics in which they scored six runs. They were shutout in three of those games. Tuesday night marked the seventh loss in a row.
Bo Bichette in particular will be looking to continue to assert some dominance over Ohtani. His last plate appearance against Ohtani came in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series produced a three-run homer, which most of Toronto thought would be the death nell for the Dodgers.
As always, both teams will wear number 42 on their uniforms, in honor of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in 1947.
Wednesday night’s game will be available exclusively on ESPN, the first one of the season for ESPN. Orel Hershiser will join Ron Darling as the respective teams’ color analysts, with Joe Buck the play-by-play guy.
LOS ANGELES — Major League Baseball will honor Jackie Robinson when every player, coach and umpire will wear his No. 42 to mark the 79th anniversary of the infielder breaking the sport’s color barrier.
Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. He went on to win Rookie of the Year honors, become a six-time All-Star and the 1949 National League MVP. He played in six World Series, and won his only championship in 1955 with the Dodgers.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets will hold a joint reflection ceremony at the centerfield statue of Robinson at Dodger Stadium.
“A special day, especially for me as a Latino. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t because of him,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Talk about dealing with pressure at this level, imagine what he dealt with back in the day.”
Two of Robinson’s granddaughters will join the teams at Dodger Stadium, not far from Robinson’s adopted hometown of Pasadena. He was a four-sport star at Pasadena Junior College before going on to UCLA, where the Georgia native was better known for football than baseball.
Also on hand in Los Angeles will be recipients of scholarships from the Jackie Robinson Foundation.
For the first time in at least two decades, the percentage of Black players on opening day rosters increased this season. Major League Baseball says 6.8% of players on opening day rosters, injured lists and the restricted list were Black, up from 6.2% at the start of the 2025 season and 6.0% at the start of 2024.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 8: Jared Oliva #56, Harrison Bader #9 and Jung Hoo Lee #51 of the San Francisco Giants walk off the field after the inning during a game between Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on April 8, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants have had the worst outfield in the Major Leagues this year, and now it’s getting a shakeup. However, it’s not the performance that is causing that shakeup, but rather injuries.
On Wednesday, ahead of their game against the Cincinnati Reds, the Giants announced that starting center fielder Harrison Bader and fourth outfielder Jared Oliva had both been placed on the 10-Day IL. Bader, whose IL stint is retroactive to April 12, has a left hamstring strain, which appears to be a lingering issue from a Spring Training injury. Oliva is headed to the IL with a left wrist hamate fracture, though it’s unclear when that injury was sustained (he did have what appeared to be a very minor collision with the wall in yesterday’s loss).
Taking their places on the roster are outfielders Drew Gilbert and Will Brennan, who have been recalled from AAA Sacramento.
It could be a blessing in disguise for the Giants. Their outfield has been miserable, but it seemed unlikely that they would bench Bader, Jung Hoo Lee, or Heliot Ramos anytime soon. You don’t ever wish for an injury, but it does open the door for some new players to get some playing time, and potentially run with it. Both Brennan and Gilbert have been playing well — not great, but well — in Sacramento this year. Brennan is hitting .392/.389/.549 with one home run and a 149 wRC+, while Gilbert is slashing .289/.389/.400, with one home run and a 122 wRC+. Both players have regularly been playing all three outfield spots in AAA.
As for the injured players, Bader’s first year with the Giants has been a disaster thus far, as he’s hit just .115/.145/.192 with one home run, a -7 wRC+, and a team-worst -0.6 fWAR. Oliva has hit 1-7 while playing almost exclusively as a pinch-runner prior to filling in for Bader. It’s a tough break for Oliva, who beat the odds to make the Opening Day roster, and will now likely be shelved for quite a while.
It will be interesting to see how Tony Vitello and the front office allocate playing time for the new outfield arrangement, especially since Gilbert and Brennan are both left-handed hitters replacing right-handed hitters (on a team woefully lacking in lefties). Gilbert is an exciting prospect who is wholly unproven at the MLB level, while Brennan is a known entity but has been a comfortably below-average hitter in 866 career plate appearances in the pros. We also don’t know how the Giants view the center field defensive situation with Bader sidelined: Gilbert has looked good there in limited action, Brennan has been serviceable with a fair amount of experience there, and Lee spent all of last year as the center fielder, and slid over to fill in for Bader on Sunday.
These are the first transactions that the Giants have made on the hitting front this year, despite being at or near the bottom in virtually every offensive category. That’s been doubly true for the team’s outfielders who, as a unit, rank 29th in batting average (.189), 30th in on-base percentage (.221), 29th in slugging percentage (.264), 30th in walk rate (4.2%), 30th in wRC+ (36), and 30th in fWAR (-1.6).
The New York Mets try to snap a seven-game skid as they face the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight.
L.A. will have two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani on the mound, and my Mets vs. Dodgers predictions are betting on him to shut down New York's ice-cold offense.
Here are my best free MLB picks for this NL clash on Wednesday, April 15.
Who will win Mets vs Dodgers today: Los Angeles RL -1.5 (+105)
Shohei Ohtani has allowed just five hits and one run (none earned) through 12 innings this year.
Ohtani also anchors a Los Angeles Dodgers offense that leads the majors in OPS (.838), with that surging to .912 over the last week. They'll get to New York Mets righty Clay Holmes, who has a 4.08 FIP in 34 starts since last year.
The Mets are 28th in the majors in OPS (.625), with that dropping to .473 over the last seven days, as Juan Soto remains sidelined. They simply don't have the bats to keep up with the Dodgers' firepower.
COVERS INTEL: Since the start of 2025, opponents have slugged just .240 against Shohei Ohtani's four-seamer, while the Mets are slugging .342 against four-seam fastballs this year.
Mets vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Under 8 (-115)
I'm expecting regression for Holmes against L.A.'s elite offense. However, he's still been solid since making the move to the rotation and has a 3.59 xERA this year.
Both teams also have strong bullpens. Mets relievers rank sixth in ERA (2.94) and eighth in WHIP (1.20), while Dodgers relievers are ninth in ERA (3.25) and sixth in WHIP (1.19).
The main reason to bet the Under is how bad New York's offense has been without Soto. The offseason departure of Pete Alonso was a huge blow, and Francisco Lindor (.194 BA) and Marcus Semien (.243 OBP) have been awful.
Rohit Ponnaiya's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 4-5, -1.68 units
Over/Under bets: 5-1, +3.75 units
Mets vs Dodgers odds
Moneyline: Mets +165 | Dodgers -200
Run line: Mets +1.5 (-125) | Dodgers -1.5 (+105)
Over/Under: Over 8 (-105) | Under 8 (-115)
Mets vs Dodgers trend
The Mets are 0-7 in their previous seven games, while the Dodgers are 9-2 in their last 11. Find more MLB betting trends for Mets vs. Dodgers.
How to watch Mets vs Dodgers and game info
Location
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Date
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
First pitch
10:10 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Mets starting pitcher
Clay Holmes (2-1, 1.50 ERA)
Dodgers starting pitcher
Shohei Ohtani (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Mets vs Dodgers latest injuries
Mets vs Dodgers weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Mar 18, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Angel Chivilli (57) throws a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the ninth inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Yankees’ bullpen started the year on fire, protecting leads left and right and enjoying a few breakout performances from unexpected pitchers — or at least that’s what it looked like. Now, a few weeks into the season, the unit has looked leaky and inconsistent in recent games.
This has caused the Yanks to make some roster decisions after returning Cade Winquest to the St. Louis Cardinals to make room for Luis Gil in the rotation last week. One such move came after Monday’s rollercoaster win, when they demoted Jake Bird. Then, in search of another fresh arm after Tuesday’s 7-1 loss, they optioned Bird’s replacement, Yerry De los Santos, to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barres after pitching two innings.
To replace De los Santos on the active roster, New York has decided to bring up Angel Chivilli, whom they acquired in a late-January trade with the Colorado Rockies, sending T.J. Rumfield in return.
Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees recalled RHP Angel Chivilli (#57) from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Chivilli, a Brian Cashman project not dissimilar from Bird, posted a 7.06 ERA in 58.2 innings last year in Colorado, with a 6.03 FIP and a much more decent 4.86 xFIP. He surrendered 1.9 home runs per nine.
The stuff is what intrigues New York more than the numbers. The 23-year-old has a fastball that averaged 97.1 mph last year, good enough to rank in the 88th percentile. It doesn’t have an impressive movement profile, though. Chivilli’s two breaking balls—a slider and a changeup—are far more promising and actually yielded excellent results last year, with a 45.4 percent and a 42.6 percent whiff rate, respectively.
The Yankees had high hopes for Chivilli, but a 12.38 ERA in spring training cost him a spot on the Opening Day roster. Instead, the organization sent him to Triple-A, where he has thrived with 8.1 dominant innings of a perfect 0.00 ERA, two walks, and nine punchouts.
Chivilli will get his first true chance in prinstripes, hoping to become a trusted reliever in a bullpen that needs sure things.
Just like that, there’s $435.5 million worth of contracts to four unproven players, none signed by the rich Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets or Yankees.
So, what’s the explanation?
Well, executives, GMs and agents around the game say teams think they are making shrewd business investments. There’s nothing sinister behind these contracts. There’s no hidden agenda with a likely work stoppage eight months away. It has nothing to do with a potential salary floor for small- and mid-market teams.
It has everything to do with these same small- and mid-market teams looking out for their future, knowing that if they don’t act now, they’ll be losing these players when they hit free agency.
“Just look at who’s doing these contracts," one GM told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s the same teams. These are the same teams that aren’t the most desirable places for free agents, so they’re locking up their guys now.
“That’s all it is. It’s not that complicated."
The GM spoke on the condition of anonymity for competitive reasons.
Indeed, it's not as if these franchises are premier destinations for free agents.
The Brewers, who reside in MLB’s smallest market, havent signed a free agent for more than the five-year, $80 million contract they gave outfielder Lorenzo Cain in 2018. Yet, they’ve been aggressive signing their own players to extensions, from All-Star outfielder Christian Yelich’s nine-year, $215 million extension to outfielder Jackson Chourio’s eight-year, $82 million contract before he played an MLB game.
Pittsburgh has hardly been a hotbed for free agents. The Pirates’ largest free-agent contract was a three-year, $39 million to pitcher Francisco Liriano in 2015. Ryan O’Hearn’s two-year, $29 million free-agent contract this winter was their largest for a position player since Russell Martin’s two-year, $13 million deal in 2013. Their best path to keeping their talent is with extensions, signing outfielder Bryan Reynolds’ eight-year, $106.75 million deal in 2023 and All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen to a six-year, $51.5 million extension in 2012.
The Mariners, who have had trouble attracting hitters to Seattle after their ill-fated 10-year, $240 million contract for Robinson Cano, wasted little time signing Julio Rodriguez to a 12-year, $209.3 million extension five months into his Rookie of the Year season in 2022. They also struck gold when they signed catcher Cal Raleigh to a six-year, $105 million extension last March, before his record-setting 60 home run season for a catcher and runner-up finish to Aaron Judge in the AL MVP race. The contract has already saved the Mariners tens of millions considering Raleigh makes just $11 million this year and will earn $12 million in 2027.
“It’s the same teams signing players to extensions, knowing that if they don’t lock them up," one executive said, “they’re going to lose them. They don’t have the luxury of waiting to see if they can out-bid other teams in free agency.
“Really, it’s smart business."
There’s a reason why the Cincinnati Reds would love to lock up rookie first baseman Sal Stewart and the Cleveland Guardians with rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter, too. If they don’t pay them now, will they have the opportunity to keep them later?
These teams wouldn’t be offering extensions if they didn’t believe their players would out-perform their contracts, even with a player like Pratt, who had never played a game above Class AA until this year. There are definite risks involved. While the Mariners are gambling on Emerson to be a star, they previously swung and missed on an extension for Evan White.
If nothing else, agents say, these extensions are proving that the game is doing quite well financially.
“Look at the Pratt deal," one agent said. “This isn’t the Dodgers handing out $50 million to an unproven player. This is the smallest market club handing out $50 million well before they’d have really any obligation to play him. You have the smallest-market team willing to take that $50 million bet, which speaks to their belief in the player, but also speaks to how well the game is doing right now."
These mid- and small-market teams believe they can not only protect themselves in the future by buying out free-agent years, but also saving themselves money in salary arbitration, too. Tigers two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubals’ record-setting $32 million salary arbitration award sent shock waves in the industry. If Skubal can compare himself to any pitcher in the salary arbitration process by winning the Cy Young awards, what would have stopped Raleigh from comparing himself to Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto’s $23.875 million contract a year ago?
And if the new collective bargaining agreement lowers free agency from six years to five years, or permits players to reach salary arbitration earlier than the standard three years, the extensions could look like a steal.
Time will tell.
But for now, the mid- and small-market teams who know they can’t keep up with the Dodgers and Yankees’ spending sprees, believe it’s a necessary gamble.
ALTOONA, PA - SEPTEMBER 04: Scott Bandura #5 of the Richmond Flying Squirrels looks on during the game between the Richmond Flying Squirrels and the Altoona Curve at Peoples Natural Gas Field on Thursday, September 4, 2025 in Altoona, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Sydney Kaschalk/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Only three of the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates were in action on Tuesday, as poor AAA Sacramento just can’t get in a game. The River Cats had both of their weekend games cancelled due to rain, which followed them as they traveled north from Sacramento to Tacoma, postponing their game on Tuesday. They’ll try again tonight, in what will hopefully be their first game since Friday, and the teams are scheduled for a doubleheader on Thursday. Now let’s get to the action.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
Help is on the way for San Francisco. Major League LHP Sam Hentges, who started his rehab assignment over the weekend with a perfect inning for Low-A San Jose, was moved up to AAA Sacramento. He’ll likely pitch a few times for the River Cats, and then be activated and added to the Major League roster.
Sacramento had to make space for Hentges on the roster, and they did so by sending RHP Will Bednar (No. 24 CPL) back to AA Richmond. That’s a bit of a bummer for Bednar, who was a non-roster invitee, and already dealt with the disappointment of beginning the year on the Development List, presumably also for roster logistics purposes. Bednar pitched well in a pair of games for the River Cats, with 4 strikeouts and just 2 baserunners in 3 scoreless innings. He’ll surely be back in Sacramento when roster space allows it.
According to Baseball America’s Jesús Cano, LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL), whose season was delayed by a spring injury, threw 3 innings in a simulation game at Papago yesterday, and reached 97 mph. The reigning Cal League Pitcher of the Year should be in High-A soon.
And finally, the Giants announced on Wednesday that AAA Sacramento outfielders Will Brennan and Drew Gilbert had been called up, as Major Leaguers Jared Oliva and Harrison Bader are headed to the IL. That means there will be some transactions in a flurry to get enough outfielders to the River Cats.
If the Squirrels weren’t on fire before, they certainly are now. After losing their opener, Richmond has now won 9 consecutive games, as they’re off to a truly brilliant start to the season. Then again, all of the affiliates are off to a brilliant start … if only the team in San Francisco could get the memo!
Richmond won this game on the back of hits, hits, and then some more hits, as they totaled 17 in the contest en route to their 11 runs.
It started at the top of the lineup, where a pair of hitters set the table with 3-hit days. Leading off was left fielder Scott Bandura, who had a brilliant day, hitting 3-4 with a pair of doubles, while also adding both a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly. That flurry of productive contact rewarded Bandura with a whopping 5 runs batted in for the day.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 15, 2026
Bandura is really putting on a clinic on how to master a level the 2nd time around. The left-handed hitter, who was taken in the 7th round of the 2023 draft, was promoted to Richmond late last year, and had some struggles as he got his feet under him. Bandura posted a .626 OPS and an 88 wRC+ in 45 games with the Squirrels last year, but even those numbers look a little worse with some digging, as they were propped up by a lot of walks. The now-24-year old hit just .199, and struck out 30.6% of the time.
But the old adage of “one to measure, two to rake” doesn’t just apply to individual at-bats. Bandura appears to have applied that to his time in the Eastern League, as he’s raised his average to .333, while slashing his strikeout rate in half, all the way down to 14.9%. That, combined with his 6 extra-base hits, has given him a .913 OPS and a 140 wRC+ through 10 games this year.
We’re still a few months of good performance away from talking about Bandura in AAA, but it’s not exactly the rosiest of outfield situations in Sacramento. Hopefully Bandura keeps putting pressure on, and can earn a 2nd consecutive midseason promotion.
Hitting behind Bandura was second baseman Dayson Croes, who went 3-6 and also bopped a pair of doubles, while knocking in 3 runs. It’s been a sensational start to the year for Croes, a 26-year old who was signed out of indy ball a year ago. But that really shouldn’t surprise anyone, as the lefty was awesome in his stint with Richmond a season ago … and also awesome in his stint with Sacramento.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 15, 2026
But the Giants are having Croes repeat AA, despite those strong results, primarily because fellow second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL) has earned the AAA priority. Croes is taking it in stride, by taking all of his good numbers in AA last year and making them even better: his average has jumped from .307 to .349, his on-base percentage from .354 to .391, his slugging percentage from .400 to .488, and his walk rate from 6.0% to 6.5%, while his strikeouts have dropped from 18.1% to 15.2%. All of that has resulted in an .880 OPS and a 134 wRC+. Unfortunately, it does feel like Croes will be unfairly stuck in AA for a while, unless the Giants decide they want him (or Furman) to try a new position, which seems unlikely given that they both struggle to handle second as is.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 15, 2026
If the top of the lineup was the star that drove the team to victory, the bottom of the lineup was one hell of a wingman. The trio that hit in the 7-9 slots — catcher Drew Cavanaugh (No. 19 CPL), third baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL), and right fielder Turner Hill — positively shined. Cavanaugh offered up the latest data point that his 2025 breakout season was not a fluke, as he hit 2-3 with a double, a walk, and a hit by pitch, while also striking out and getting caught stealing.
The 7 extra-base hits in 7 games is the headline-grabber for Cavanaugh, but I’d argue that the most important thing he’s shown is improved contact. He only got into 14 games for Richmond last year, but hit just .186 with a 26.8% strikeout rate and a 14.8% swinging strike rate. This year? A .435 average, a 9.1% strikeout rate, and a 7.6% swinging strike rate. Those numbers will come down (or up, as the case may be), but when you start that great, you have room to fall while staying in a strong place. The result, for now, is a blistering 1.432 OPS and a 262 wRC+. So watch out, those who fear the talking heads: the Patrick Bailey discourse has already become insufferable thanks to Daniel Susac and Jesús Rodríguez, don’t let Cavanaugh join the party!
As for the other pair, Velasquez hit 2-4 with a hit by pitch to raise his OPS to .798 and his wRC+ to 128, while Hill went 2-4 with a walk, bumping his OPS to 1.007 and his wRC+ to 164. I expect both of those players — who initially made it to Richmond in 2024 — to get their first real glimpse of AAA at some point this year (I say “real” because Hill has been an emergency fill-in for the River Cats on numerous occasions over the years). It’s certainly notable that Velasquez, who is still somehow only 22 years old, played third base in this game for the 1st time in his career. Some of that may be due to roster logistics in Richmond, but it also may be a way to prepare him for AAA since, as mentioned, Furman is blocking second base.
While it was the top and bottom of the order that carried the team, the prettiest swing of the day belonged to the heart of the order, as center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) left the building with a gorgeous swing of the bat in the 7th inning.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 15, 2026
That salvaged an otherwise poor day for Davidson — he finished 1-5 with 3 strikeouts — but my goodness, that really might be the prettiest swing in the organization. The 23-year old is showing there’s still plenty for him to work on in AA — neither his .240 average nor his 28.6% strikeout rate are telling the organization that he’s almost ready for AAA — but he’s also emphasizing his game-changing abilities. So far he has 3 home runs in just 7 games, all while holding it down in center field. Perhaps it’s that new dad strength I’ve heard so much about!
The pitching was better than the score would suggest, as 5 of Hartford’s 7 runs came in the 9th inning, when RHP Cameron Pferrer got roughed up and couldn’t make it through the inning, forcing long reliever RHP Shane Rademacher into emergency duty to record the final out.
But the piggybacking starters pitched quite well, with RHP Logan Martin and LHP Jack Choate (No. 37 CPL) handling the Yard Goats quite adeptly. Martin, who was making his 2nd start with the organization after coming over this winter in the Mason Black trade, had a bounce-back game after a rough AA debut. The 2023 12th-round pick, who will turn 25 later this season, gave up just 3 hits and 1 walk in 4.1 innings, with 4 strikeouts and only 1 run allowed.
The strikeouts and walks will be worth watching for Martin, as they may determine whether he’s able to continue developing as a starter or will have to move to a relief role at some point. He only had 7.7 strikeouts against 3.6 walks per 9 innings in High-A in 2025, and the Giants will need to see improvement on that front.
Speaking of fluctuating between starting and relieving, it’s still not entirely clear what role Choate has, but he played it damn well on Tuesday, giving up just 2 singles and a walk in 3.1 innings, while striking out 6 batters (he also gave up an unearned run). Choate, a soon-to-turn 25-year old whom the Giants selected in the 9th round in 2022, has been playing something of a hybrid relief/piggybacking starter role, with 7.2 innings through 3 appearances this year. So far his strikeout stuff — which has always been surprisingly high given his lack of velocity — has taken a leap forward, from 10.8 per 9 a year ago, to 15.3 this season. That’s still a very small sample size though, so we’ll see how that holds. Either way, it’s been a great start to the year for Choate, who is trying to prove he belongs in AAA as he nears the 150-inning mark in AA.
High-A Eugene (8-2)
Eugene Emeralds beat the Everett AquaSox (Mariners) 7-1 Box score
A really phenomenal pitching showing for the Emeralds, who allowed just 4 hits on the day. They did issue 6 walks, but 4 of those came from RHP Trey Dillard who, like Pferrer with Richmond, entered the game late, struggled, and had to be relieved for the final out of the game.
But the 3 pitchers who came before him pitched wonderfully. It started with LHP Charlie McDaniel, who took down 3 scoreless frames with just 1 hit, 1 walk, and 1 hit batter, while striking out 4. McDaniel wasn’t the most efficient — he needed 52 pitches for those 3 innings, with just 32 strikes — but 4 strikeouts and 0 extra-base hits paint the picture of someone who made hitters uncomfortable all day long. Through 2 starts, the 24-year old UDFA has yet to allow a run.
Next up was LHP Esmerlin Vinicio, who is having a much-needed awesome season. Vinicio threw 19 of 30 pitches for strikes while tossing 2 shutout innings with just 1 hit allowed, and striking out 2 batters.
It feels like Vinicio has been in the system forever, though he only just turned 23 years old. He’s still lacking physicality, though this year he no longer looks like he could blow away with a strong gust of Pacific Northwest wind. Most importantly, after a few seasons of really struggling with walks, Vinicio has shown much better command through an admittedly tiny sample size: he’s issued just 1 walk in 4.2 innings, with 6 strikeouts (he’s also only given up 1 hit, and 0 runs). Vinicio, who was signed in 2019 out of the Dominican Republic, might need a strong year to stay in the organization.
And then it was RHP Ryan Slater, San Francisco’s 18th-round pick in 2024. He was utterly dynamic in 2 scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk while striking out 5 batters. Slater had a solid debut season last year with Low-A San Jose, but so far he’s been much better in High-A … though he’s only pitched 5 innings. Still, a great start to the year for the 23-year old, who has a 1.80 ERA and a 2.89 FIP.
Despite the 7 runs, it was a fairly mild-mannered day for Eugene’s offense, as they had 7 hits, just 2 extra-base hits, and 2 walks. But they made the most of their swings, no one more so than catcher Onil Perez, who hit 1-3 with a strikeout, but bashed his 1st home run of the season.
Perez was once one of the better catcher prospects in the system, but has fallen on some tough times as of late, which has resulted in a 4th consecutive year getting reps in the Northwest League. He did finally put up some good numbers with Eugene last year, but really struggled in AA. That, combined with the emergence of Drew Cavanaugh, pushed Perez back down a level, and now he’s 2nd on the depth chart behind Diego Cartaya.
He entered this game just 1-12 on the year, but every hit helps, and that’s doubly (or perhaps quadruply) true for big flies. The season is long, so there’s plenty of time for Perez — who is only 23 — to find his swing again.
Second baseman Zander Darby had the only multi-hit game for the Ems, as he went 2-4 with a stolen base and a strikeout. It’s been a dreamy start to the year for the 23-year old lefty, who was a 12th-round pick in 2024, as he has a 1.029 OPS and a 178 wRC+ through 8 games (ignore the 29.4% strikeout rate and 0.0% walk rate). Darby had an excellent 2 months with Low-A San Jose last year, but struggled mightily in his month to end the year with Eugene. Nice to see him adapt to the level and start to take care of it.
Quiet — but not bad — games for the team’s pair of top prospects. Center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) hit 1-3 with a walk, while shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) went 1-4 with a double and a strikeout. Jordan, who has an .804 OPS and a 112 wRC+, has just 1 strikeout in his last 4 games, after amassing 13 Ks in his 1st 5 games of the year. Kilen, who has a 1.067 OPS and a 176 wRC+, has 7 extra-base hits in just 9 games, as July’s 1st-round pick is off to a brilliant start to his 1st full season.
Low-A San Jose (7-3)
San Jose Giants lost to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels) 12-6 Box score
The San Jose Giants did something we all desperately wish the San Francisco Giants would do: they hit a lot of home runs. Unfortunately, the end result for the Baby Giants was something the Adult Giants are all too familiar with: a loss.
But it wasn’t due to the long ball, as San Jose bopped a trio of big flies.
The 1st one came on the very 1st pitch of the day, from the very best prospect on the team, shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL).
Level returned to the lineup after missing a few games, and wasted no time making his impact with a gorgeous swing of the bat. It was his only hit of the day, as the 19-year old switch-hitter ended the game 1-4 with a walk, a strikeout, and his 1st error of the season.
There have been a lot of star performers in the Minors for the Giants this year, but I’d argue no one has had a better year than Level, who is building on last year’s breakout campaign by hitting 15-31 through 7 games, with 3 home runs, 5 doubles, 4 walks, just 7 strikeouts, and 3 stolen bases, all while playing solid defense at shortstop. Level has started to pop up at the very end of some top 100 lists and, if he keeps performing even remotely like this, I think he’ll likely be residing in the top 50 in every midseason prospect list. Really couldn’t ask for a better beginning to the year for someone who, it’s worth repeating, is more than 2 years younger than the average player in the Cal League.
If Level is the MVP of the farm system at this point, then catcher Junior Barajas is first or second-team All-Farm. Last year’s 11th-round pick continues to rake in his debut season, as he hit 1-4 with a home run and a walk.
Rod Barajas Jr. gets in on the action today with his third home run of the year. He is now tied with Jhonny Level (and a couple more prospects) atop the Cal League long ball standings. pic.twitter.com/jwIJBP3CTF
The 21-year old lefty isn’t playing every day due to his position, but he’s making the most of his playing time, going 10-31 with 3 homers, 4 doubles, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts, for a 1.124 OPS and a 166 wRC+. Like Level, Barajas is doing that with solid defense at a premier position, as he’s wasted no time looking like the Giants latest late-round steal. We need more than 7 games before we can give him that crown, but still … the Giants have to be thrilled with what they’re seeing.
And rounding out the home run party was designated hitter Broedy Poppell, who hit 1-3 with a walk and his 1st career home run. That’s always worth celebrating!
Like Barajas, Poppell was a late pick by the Giants last year, as he went in the 13th round for a meager $50K signing bonus. The switch-hitter, who turns 24 soon, has been awesome in his debut season, hitting 6-20 with 5 walks against just 4 strikeouts. Normally an outfielder, Poppell is a little bit more a control the zone guy than a home run hitter, despite what he did Tuesday. That was his 1st extra-base hit, but he has more walks than strikeouts, which was also the case in his 2 seasons as a starter at Florida A&M.
Also a nice day for second baseman Dario Reynoso, who hit 2-4 with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. The right-handed hitter, who just turned 21, has had something of a mixed bag of a season in 2025. Last year he dominated the Complex League (.999 OPS, 158 wRC+), but was awful in his short stint with San Jose (.472 OPS, 45 wRC+). Things are much rosier in his 2nd pass through the level, as he has a .785 OPS and a 125 wRC+. But the issue with his 2025 was that he struck out a lot … even while decimating ACL pitchers, Reynoso had a red flag strikeout rate of 31.7%, which rose to 38.6% in San Jose. It’s still a troubling number this year, at 31.3%. And finally, there’s the power issue: Reynoso sported a .258 ISO in the ACL last year, thanks to 10 home runs and 27 total extra-base hits in just 53 games. He has just 1 extra-base hit this season, and through 22 total games in Low-A only has 4 … all of which have been doubles.
I’m stalling on the hitters because the pitchers weren’t good and I don’t want to talk about them. RHP Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL) got the start, and it was a great game until it wasn’t.
Martinez was on absolute cruise control for a while, as he was perfect through the 1st 3 innings. But he ran into so much trouble in the 4th inning that he didn’t make it out of the frame, as he gave up 2 hits (both singles), 2 walks, and a hit batter, while only recording 2 outs. That, combined with RHP Mauricio Estrella allowing 2 of the inherited runners to score, tattooed 4 earned runs on Martinez’s ledger in just 3.2 innings, despite looking great for most of the game, and recording 5 strikeouts.
The 21-year old Martinez has yet to replicate last year’s breakout campaign, as he has a 9.45 ERA and a 6.57 FIP through 2 starts. But that’s a tiny sample size, and he has 9 strikeouts in 6.2 innings. There can be no denying that he has some of the best stuff in the system, he just needs to harness it.
RHP Melvin Pineda also showed off the strikeout stuff despite some struggles. The 2021 international signee from Venezuela, who turns 22 next month, gave up a hit, a walk, a hit batter, and a run in just 1.2 innings, but struck out 4 batters. He has 10 strikeouts through 5.2 innings this year.
CLEARWATER, FL - MARCH 1: Shelley Duncan of the New York Yankees looks on before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark on March 1, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Crowds flocked to see the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders during their first home series of the season last week at PNC Field in northeastern Pennsylvania. Total attendance for five dates was 17,043, the team’s largest Opening Week attendance since 2019.
Fans saw the RailRiders split the six-game series with the Durham Bulls.
In the opener, the RailRiders overcame a six-run deficit in theie final three at-bats for a 7-6 win. A wild pitch and RBI double by big-league veteran Paul DeJong in the bottom of the sixth brought the RailRiders within 6-2. Another wild pitch and a Yanquiel Fernández sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh narrowed the margin to 6-4. Then in the bottom of the eighth, two balks brought in the tying runs. Familiar Yankees face Oswaldo Cabrera followed with a sacrifice fly to give the RailRiders the victory.
Manager Shelley Duncan said it was the type of win that can define the character of a team.
“The energy these guys had … a lot of teams would sometimes implode, give up,” Duncan said. “But these guys stayed locked in every pitch. They went out there and continued to have good at-bats, just chipping away. Not trying to do too much, not trying to force that big inning, not trying to force the comeback in one inning.”
Ali Sánchez kept that special feeling going in the series’ second game. After the Bulls scored a run in the top of the ninth to tie the game, the catcher homered with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to give the RailRiders a 5-4 triumph.
“They kept grinding and it ended up paying off,” said Duncan of his team’s spirit. “They had trust in themselves that things would happen. It’s something special.”
Durham won the next two games, 10-2, and, 4-2, in the first game of a doubleheader. The RailRiders used a six-run fourth inning to take the second game of the twinbill, 9-5. The Bulls claimed the series finale, 4-3, to salvage a split.
Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones led the way for the RailRiders against Durham.
Domínguez batted .316 (6-for-19) in the series with seven walks and five stolen bases in six games. “The Martian” has been batting in the leadoff spot this season and is tied for seventh in the International League in batting at .354 (17-for-48) with two home runs, eight RBIs and seven stolen bases.
Jones, meanwhile, hit .278 in the series (5-for-18) with one home run, eight RBIs and two stolen bases in six games. He walked five times and struck out five times. That last number is interesting since in his first eight games and 33 at-bats, he whiffed 19 times. His eight RBIs gave him 17 for the season, which is tied for the International League lead.
Reliever Danny Watson picked up two of the three wins in the series and fellow reliever Yovanny Cruz had the other. Cruz is 3-0 with one save. His three wins are tied for the league lead.
The split in the Durham series left the RailRiders with a 9-6 record, two games behind the Memphis Redbirds in the International League standings. They now head north up Interstate 81 for a six-game series with the Syracuse Mets that was scheduled to begin Tuesday.
Syracuse (7-8) is coming off a series in which it lost four of six to the Buffalo Bisons. Nick Morabito leads the Mets at .295 (13 for 44) with two home runs and five RBIs. Cristian Pache has a team-best 10 RBIs while batting .233 (10 for 43) with one home run. Right-hander Jonah Tong, the Mets’ No. 2 prospect, was scheduled to start the opening game of the series. (Neither he nor the RailRiders’ Brendan Beck fared well.)
Also on the Syracuse roster is veteran Jose Rojas, who played for the RailRiders last season and was selected to the International League All-Star team. He led the league with 32 home runs and 105 RBIs and tied for the lead with 35 doubles while batting .287. He tied the franchise record for home runs in a season set in 2011 by Jorge Vasquez and was the second player in franchise history with 100 or more RBIs in a season, falling one short of the mark of 106 set by Torey Lovullo in 1999.
We’re still in small sample size territory as the calendar turns to tax day, but the Cubs are just a titch under 10 percent of the way through their season. The results have been disappointing to say the least, even though it’s early. While there are signs of optimism, the scoreboard doesn’t lie and neither do the standings, which you can see here:
The word that comes to mind immediately is “yikes.”
Admittedly, there are some close losses in those nine early contests and some of the Cubs bullpen arms haven’t gotten off to a great start. Additionally, there are a number of key hitters for the Cubs who should be performing better off to slow starts, I mean, just look at this table sorted by wRC+ for Cubs hitters with at least five plate appearances (not including Tuesday’s game):
Name
Team
G
PA
HR
R
RBI
SB
BB%
K%
ISO
BABIP
AVG
OBP
SLG
wOBA
xwOBA
wRC+
Moisés Ballesteros
CHC
14
40
2
6
7
0
7.50%
22.50%
.194
.385
.333
.375
.528
.396
.351
152
Miguel Amaya
CHC
11
31
1
5
4
0
16.13%
29.03%
.160
.400
.280
.419
.440
.395
.325
151
Nico Hoerner
CHC
16
72
1
9
10
5
12.50%
11.11%
.167
.327
.300
.403
.467
.391
.357
148
Michael Conforto
CHC
11
27
0
3
3
0
22.22%
33.33%
.095
.500
.286
.444
.381
.389
.406
147
Carson Kelly
CHC
14
50
0
5
4
0
18.00%
16.00%
.073
.394
.317
.440
.390
.388
.406
146
Ian Happ
CHC
14
65
4
8
7
0
12.31%
33.85%
.263
.258
.211
.308
.474
.341
.333
116
Dansby Swanson
CHC
16
65
3
13
9
1
18.46%
27.69%
.192
.188
.173
.323
.365
.319
.334
101
Seiya Suzuki
CHC
4
18
0
1
1
0
22.22%
16.67%
.000
.273
.214
.389
.214
.310
.297
95
Alex Bregman
CHC
16
74
2
3
6
0
10.81%
13.51%
.108
.222
.215
.297
.323
.287
.297
80
Matt Shaw
CHC
15
49
2
3
6
1
6.12%
20.41%
.159
.212
.205
.250
.364
.273
.322
71
Pete Crow-Armstrong
CHC
16
68
1
9
5
4
4.41%
30.88%
.063
.286
.203
.239
.266
.225
.229
39
Michael Busch
CHC
15
60
0
6
3
0
11.67%
20.00%
.038
.171
.135
.233
.173
.202
.246
24
Batters w/ at least 5 plate appearances
Again, every small sample size caveat in the world applies to these stats, but the Cubs absolutely need Alex Bregman, Matt Shaw, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch to right the ship and get their wRC+ above 100 ASAP. That’s a Short Porch for another day, though. Today we’re talking about starting pitching.
The Cubs started the season with a rotation that included Cade Horton, Shōta Imanaga, Edward Cabrera, Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon. Seventeen games into the season Cade Horton is out for the rest of the year after they found damage to his UCL, Matthew Boyd is on the injured list due to a biceps issue and the rotation is Shōta Imanaga, Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon, Colin Rea and Javier Assad.
But the bench of pitchers is basically depleted. The next man up would likely be Ben Brown who was moved to the bullpen this season after struggling as a starting pitcher. While fans may be clamoring to see top prospect Jaxon Wiggins, he’s dealing with unspecified “soreness” at the moment. In case you’re wondering how the front office is feeling about this pitching situation, reporting from The Athletic yesterday indicated the Cubs are one of the teams checking in on Lucas Giolito, who managed to piece together a season with a 3.41 ERA in 2025 over 145 innings pitched, despite a FIP of 4.17 and an xERA of 5.01.
The bottom line is that the Cubs’ depth is being tested early and it doesn’t look like the current 40-man or farm system have adequate answers for a team who fancies itself as being much better than their current record.
COVERS INTEL: Since the start of 2025, opponents have slugged just .240 against Shohei Ohtani's four-seamer, while the Mets are slugging .342 against four-seam fastballs this year.
