Category: Baseball

Over the past couple of weeks, the Phillies have established a pattern: They’ll play well in one game of a three-game series and make a ton of mistakes in the others. They would do well to reverse that pattern – or even better, avoid the mistake-prone games altogether – because the first place Braves are coming to town this weekend.

Atlanta Braves

Record: 12-7, First place in National League East

The last time they met

The Braves visited Citizens Bank Park for a four-game set at the end of August 2025 and lost three of the four to put a serious dent in their playoff hopes. The opener was the Kyle Schwarber four home run game in which the Phillies squeaked out a 19-4 win.

FOUR HOME RUNS IN ONE NIGHT FOR KYLE SCHWARBER 🤯💣pic.twitter.com/N75d9OgR9C

— DraftKings (@DraftKings) August 29, 2025

What’s the deal with the Braves?

Their many injuries should have put a dent in the Braves’ chances this year, and ultimately, they might! But thus far, the Braves’ have been able to overcome their lengthy list of wounded players.

The Atlanta Braves IL currently has:

Sean Murphy
Ha-Seong Kim
Spencer Schwellenbach
AJ Smith-Shawver
Spencer Strider
Hurston Waldrep

With Jurickson Profar suspended for PED’s. Atlanta still having a Top 3 record in baseball to this point is incredible pic.twitter.com/MfhKXdtKpF

— AT (@BaseballWRLD_) April 16, 2026

Their starting pitching has been excellent. All five of the pitchers currently in their rotation have ERAs under 4.00, led by Bryce Elder at 0.77 through four starts. Elder isn’t scheduled to start this series, but the guys who will go are Martin Perez, Chris Sale (he’ll face off against Cristopher Sanchez on Saturday), and Grant Holmes, and they’ve been strong too.

Offensively, the Braves are second in the NL in runs scored (behind the Nationals?). Catcher Drake Baldwin is building off last year’s Rookie of the Year campaign, and Matt Olson is hitting up to his usual standards. They’ve also gotten surprising offensive contributions from shortstop Mauricio Dubon. The two-time Gold Glover has been an adequate at best hitter through most of his career, but he’s batting .333 in the early going.

Featured Brave: Dominic Smith

As expected, the Braves’ best hitter in the early going has been designated hitter Dominic Smith. Wait, what?

I hadn't looked at Dominic Smith's Baseball Savant page, and kind of assumed he was way overperforming his expected stats,

but the dude is in the 100th percentile for xBA and 92nd percentile for xSLG pic.twitter.com/iscomQJSKW

— Min Sub (Mitchell) (@MinSub4) April 15, 2026

Smith was once a top 100 prospect for the Mets, but aside from an oddly strong campaign in the shortened 2020 season (he finished 13th in MVP voting!) he never established himself as much more than a quad-A player. He’s spent the last few years bouncing around the league, and after an unimpressive season as a bench player with the Giants in 2025, he signed with the Braves as a free agent.

Serving as the team’s primary DH, he’s off to a hot start, batting .381 with three home runs. There’s a strong likelihood that this start is unsustainable (IYKYK) and in a few weeks, Smith’s numbers will be back into the ordinary realm. But who knows? Smith wouldn’t be the first player to experience an odd breakout campaign in his early 30’s.

What about the Phillies?

The offense has been inconsistent, the starting pitching has been disappointing, and the relief pitching has become leaky. But perhaps the most annoying thing about the Phillies’ recent play is the sloppiness. They’ve made a lot of poor plays in the field and baserunning mistakes. If they want to turn this around, that’s the first thing that they can clean up.

Non-Phillies thought

This should be quite the weekend for Philadelphia sports. Not only will the Braves come to town, but the Sixers and Flyers begin their playoff runs. Both the basketball team and hockey team are in a similar situation: They’re the underdogs in a series against a traditional rival who has largely gotten the best of them over the years. (This might be the best scenario for the fans. As I’ve learned, Philadelphia sports fans greatly prefer underdogs with lessened expectations.)

As a special cherry on top, this weekend is also Wrestlemania! Looks like I might need to set up multiple televisions, although the last time I did that was for game five of the NLDS and the Eagles on Thursday Night Football, and that night went very poorly.

The matches for each night of #WrestleMania 42 have officially been unveiled: pic.twitter.com/jazoDgjKD8

— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) April 7, 2026

Pennant year song battle

Everybody Wants You has been defeated! It’s a Mistake by Men at Work is our new title holder.

The next contender comes from 2008 and describes how the Phillies have too often looked this season: Clumsy by Fergie:

Vote now:

Closing thought

While I don’t think the Phillies are as bad as they’ve looked, nor are the Braves as good as they’ve played. And it’s still only mid-April, so things can – and probably will – change in a hurry. That said, it would be great if the Phillies could win this series and avoid digging themselves too deep of a hole early in the season.

A frustrating series sweep at the hands of the San Diego Padres has Seattle scuffling into an important homestand. The Mariners were swept down in Arlington a week ago, helping pump this Texas team into first place in the early days of the AL West. Those Rangers now provide a threat and an opportunity for Seattle similar to what the M’s had with their hosting of the Houston Astros last weekend: win and reset the division, lose and not only slide in the standings but likely cede the season series in a division where tie-breakers have been hugely important in recent years.

Game	Time	Mariners Starter	Rangers Starter	Mariners Win%	Rangers Win%
Game 1	Friday, April 17 | 6:40 pm	RHP Logan Gilbert	RHP Jacob deGrom	57.2%	42.8%
Game 2	Saturday, April 18 | 4:15 pm	RHP George Kirby	RHP Nathan Eovaldi	58.4%	41.6%
Game 3	Sunday, April 19 | 1:10 pm	RHP Bryan Woo	LHP MacKenzie Gore	59.8%	40.2%

Overview	Rangers	Mariners	Edge
Batting (wRC+)	92 (12th in AL)	113 (2nd in AL)	Mariners
Fielding (FRV)	21 (3rd)	-29 (12th)	Rangers
Starting Pitching (FIP-)	91 (1st)	100 (7th)	Rangers
Bullpen (FIP-)	94 (6th)	97 (10th)	Rangers

While the bullpen has thinned with injuries to RHPs Luis Curvelo and Chris Martin, the Rangers look otherwise as they were a week ago. Time with the Dodgers and Athletics left them licked but not battered, and their series split with Sacramento left both clubs tied atop the AL West. Not yet standout, but stable, Texas looks like around a .500 club in the early going. That’s been better than the rest of the division, but without much ascension it keeps the M’s fully in range for resetting the table.

Player	Position	Bats	PA	K%	BB%	ISO	wRC+
Brandon Nimmo	RF	L	652	21.6%	7.7%	0.174	114
Wyatt Langford	LF	R	573	26.4%	12.9%	0.190	118
Corey Seager	SS	L	445	19.6%	13.0%	0.216	138
Jake Burger	1B	R	376	24.7%	3.2%	0.183	89
Evan Carter	CF	L	220	18.6%	8.6%	0.144	107
Joc Pederson	DH	L	306	21.2%	11.1%	0.147	76
Josh Jung	3B	R	511	25.2%	5.3%	0.139	91
Josh Smith	2B	L	563	17.8%	9.8%	0.115	100
Danny Jansen	C	R	337	25.5%	12.5%	0.184	103

From a previous series preview:

The Rangers brought in Brandon Nimmo this off-season and so far he’s proved a valuable pickup, providing thump and on-base for the Rangers out of the leadoff spot. Wyatt Langford, hitting out of the two-hole, has been slower to get it going, but you know that, like with some of the Mariners’ own struggling stars, it’s just a matter of time. Corey Seager, batting third, has continued to be Corey Seager, and Jake Burger, with two homers on the year already (aka the same number Cole Young has), bats cleanup. The Nimmo-Langford-Seager-Burger set gives the Rangers, who are pretty evenly balanced handedness-wise (Must Be Nice), a nice L-R-L-R punch at the top of the lineup. 

Beyond that things get a little murky: Evan Carter is off to a strong start, but buried in the bottom of the lineup for some reason. The two Joshes (Jung and Smith) and Ezequiel Duran are in a time-share among the non-Seager infield positions. Joc Pederson continues to exist to make Rangers fans Mad Online. So far, this is looking similar to Rangers teams of the past, but Nimmo at the top of the lineup is an x-factor, much like Donovan is for the Mariners. Hopefully the Mariners will be getting their x-factor back for this series.

Probable Pitchers 

Updated Stuff+ Explainer 

• Stuff+ scores for Mariners starters

Pitcher	IP	K%	BB%	HR/FB%	GB%	ERA	FIP
Jacob deGrom	172.2	27.7%	5.5%	13.8%	37.8%	2.97	3.64
Logan Gilbert	131	32.3%	5.8%	14.8%	38.9%	3.44	3.35

Pitch	Usage vRHB	Usage vLHB	Velocity	Stuff+	Whiff+	BIP+	xwOBA
Four-seam	50.0%	42.3%	97.5	110	98	83	0.299
Changeup	2.8%	19.3%	89.8	107	129	107	0.294
Curveball	1.9%	8.1%	80.9	99	115	102	0.240
Slider	45.3%	30.3%	90.4	109	118	96	0.273

From a previous series preview:

Last year, Jacob deGrom made 30 starts for the first time since 2019 and crossed the 150 IP threshold for just the fifth time in his career. That health was the result of a conscious effort to pitch with a little less intensity. His fastball velocity was down about a tick from where it was at his peak, though it still averaged 97.5 mph. From a results standpoint, he ran his lowest strikeout rate since 2016 and the highest FIP of his career. Even in his diminished form, he was still one of the better pitchers in baseball, and as they say, the best ability is availability.

deGrom lasted five innings in his previous start against the Mariners, allowing just a single run on a hit and a walk with six strikeouts. He was lifted after throwing just 78 pitches, probably in an effort to keep his early season workload low. 

Pitcher	IP	K%	BB%	HR/FB%	GB%	ERA	FIP
Nathan Eovaldi	130	26.0%	4.2%	9.6%	50.3%	1.73	2.80
George Kirby	126	26.1%	5.5%	12.8%	44.1%	4.21	3.37

Pitch	Usage vRHB	Usage vLHB	Velocity	Stuff+	Whiff+	BIP+	xwOBA
Four-seam	50.0%	42.3%	97.5	110	98	83	0.299
Changeup	2.8%	19.3%	89.8	107	129	107	0.294
Curveball	1.9%	8.1%	80.9	99	115	102	0.240
Slider	45.3%	30.3%	90.4	109	118	96	0.273

From a previous series preview:

Nathan Eovaldi has also been forced to figure out how to do more with less (fastball velocity). Last year, he dropped the usage of his four-seam fastball by nearly 15 points, added a sinker to his repertoire, and increased the usage of his cutter and curveball. The result was a pitch mix that was a lot less predictable and a lot less dependent on his deteriorating velocity. Unfortunately, elbow and shoulder injuries derailed the success he was seeing with his new approach, and he spent most of the second half of the season on the shelf.

Eovaldi allowed two runs in six innings against the Mariners last week. He gave up six hits and two walks while striking out seven.

Pitcher	IP	K%	BB%	HR/FB%	GB%	ERA	FIP
MacKenzie Gore	159.2	27.2%	9.4%	11.6%	37.2%	4.17	3.74
Bryan Woo	186.2	27.1%	4.9%	12.8%	40.8%	2.94	3.47

Pitch	Usage vRHB	Usage vLHB	Velocity	Stuff+	Whiff+	BIP+	xwOBA
Four-seam	51.7%	42.3%	95.3	99	95	91	0.379
Cutter	6.1%	0.1%	90.3	96	177	111	0.259
Changeup	13.8%	0.0%	86.2	91	152	134	0.285
Curveball	27.9%	12.4%	81.6	106	112	67	0.293
Slider	0.5%	45.2%	86.7	98	122	87	0.235

From a previous series preview:

MacKenzie Gore was the Rangers’ big offseason acquisition in January. After being included in the blockbuster Juan Soto trade (the first one from Washington to San Diego), Gore has established himself as a solid frontline starter over the last few years. His secondary weapons are all fantastic — he’s the only pitcher in baseball to feature four pitches with whiff rates north of 35% — but he’s often let down by an inconsistent fastball. When he’s locating his heater well, it can give opposing batters fits. But too often — and particularly during the second half of the season when he’s worn down significantly — his locations will leak into the middle of the zone and batters will punish the pitch.

Gore was dominant against the M’s last week, throwing five shutout innings, and allowing just a single hit with nine strikeouts.

---

The Big Picture:

Team	W-L	W%	Games Behind	Run Diff	Recent Form
Rangers	10-9	0.526	—	+12	W-W-L-L-W
Athletics	10-9	0.526	—	-10	W-L-W-W-L
Angels	10-10	0.500	0.5	+7	W-L-W-L-W
Mariners	8-12	0.400	2.5	+4	W-W-L-L-L
Astros	8-12	0.400	2.5	-10	L-L-W-W-L

For as annoying as getting swept was by a NL club, the consequence was a single lost game out of first place, albeit two clubs sharing that space. As noted, the Rangers and A’s share the top of the table, with Sacramento hosting the plucky-but-still-sucky ChiSox for three before jetting up to Seattle next week. Anaheim, meanwhile, takes their turn with the Padres in Orange County after a showcase series split in the Bronx that saw Mike Trout go slug for slug with Aaron Judge. Houston is back home as well, hosting the Cardinals in a former NL Central rivalry that always carries the front office edge of St. Louis’ data stealing scandal against the Astros over a decade ago. Those Redbirds are outdoing expectations in the early going, based heavily upon a breakout campaign from 24 year old OF Jordan Walker.

Garret Anderson, long time major league outfielder who spent most of his career with the Anaheim Angels, has passed away, the team announced this morning. Anderson was 53.

Anderson was originally a fourth round pick of the Angels in 1990, and during his career he was a member of the California Angels, the Anaheim Angels, and the Los Angeles Angels. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 1990, finishing just 6 points behind Marty Cordova, and finished fourth in the Most Valuable Player voting in 2002.

Anderson was a three time All Star and two time Silver Slugger winner. 15 of his 17 seasons in the majors were with the Angels. He finished his career with the Braves in 2009 and the Dodgers in 2010.

Anderson was a hit machine, and his contact ability combined with his durability had him seen as a potential 3000 hit guy. He ended his career with 2529 hits, 287 home runs, and a .293/.324/.461 slash line.

The Angels will be wearing a memorial patch in his honor for the remainder of the 2026 season.

The San Diego Padres are nearing a sale to a group led by José E Feliciano, co-founder of private equity firm Clearlake Capital and co-owner of Chelsea FC, and his wife, Kwanza Jones, for a Major League Baseball-record $3.9bn, according to multiple reports.

The Wall Street Journal and the Athletic reported on Friday that the group was closing in on a deal. The sale requires approval by 75% of MLB’s 30 owners. The reported price would surpass the $2.42bn Steve Cohen paid for the New York Mets in 2020.

Everton owner Dan Friedkin, Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores and Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob were the other reported finalists.

The deal would mark the end of a contentious process that began when the Seidler family, who have owned the Padres since 2012, announced in November they were exploring a sale of the team.

Related: Baseball should be riding high. Instead the salary cap debate has it gearing up for war | Howard Bryant

After the death of chair Peter Seidler in 2023, his widow Sheel Seidler sued her brothers-in-law to in an attempt to prevent another brother, John, from taking control of the team instead of her. Sheel Seidler dismissed the bulk of her claims earlier this year, and John Seidler currently serves as San Diego’s control person.

Feliciano, whose net worth is an estimated $3.9bn, and Clearlake Capital own more than 60% of Chelsea. The ownership group also includes Mark Walter, Todd Boehly and Hansjorg Wyss.

The Padres have made the playoffs in four of their last six seasons and reached the National League Championship Series in 2022.

The record sale price is likely to be a talking point in baseball’s upcoming labor negotiations. The collective bargaining agreement expires 1 December. The owners are expected to push to implement a salary cap, but the MLB Players Association has argued that franchise valuations are continuing to rise without a cap.

The average MLB franchise is worth $2.95bn, up 13% year-over-year, according to valuations released last month by CNBC. The New York Yankees led at $9bn, followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers ($8bn), who are co-owned by Boehly and Walter.

The most recent sale of an MLB team was the Tampa Bay Rays last year for $1.7bn.

Friday notes…

• MEET THE METS: The Mets arrive with a 7-12 record. The Cubs have played only seven of 18 games against teams that had winning records going into the games. The have won three and lost four. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• BASEBALL IN SUNSHINE: The Cubs have hit 19 home runs this season. Eleven have come in day games. If they hit five this weekend in the three games against the Mets, their total in sunshine will reach 10,000 since 1901, first season of the Modern Era. They have hit 6,535 at home and 3,460 on the road. The Cubs have homered 4,426 times at night: 1,051 at home and 3,375 on the road. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• THE NICO FILES: Nico Hoerner, last 10 games since the second game of the doubleheader April 5 at Cleveland: .356/.408/.556 (16-for-45) with three doubles, two home runs, four walks, seven runs scored and 15 RBI.
• RISPy BUSINESS: Over the last two games, the Cubs are 11-for-28 (.393) with 16 RBI with runners in scoring position, a huge improvement over their previous five games from April 8-13, in which the club went 10-for-58 (.172) with 13 RBI with RISP.

Cubs lineup:

It's good to be back home, @ofcwrigleyfield.

Tune in live on @WatchMarquee! pic.twitter.com/kUmBPUFgR7

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 17, 2026

Mets lineup:

CHI 📍 #LGMpic.twitter.com/DS5q6Gmjd8

— New York Mets (@Mets) April 17, 2026

Edward Cabrera, RHP vs. Kodai Senga, RHP

Edward Cabrera was really good his first two starts, not so much last time out against the Pirates. Even so, his outing last Sunday was decent.

As a former denizen of the NL East, Cabrera has faced the Mets a lot. Last year: two starts, nine innings, 10 hits, five runs (three earned), six walks, 11 strikeouts. Other than the walks, that’s not too bad. The only current Mets player who has more than a handful of at-bats against Cabrera is Francisco Lindor, and Cabrera has handled him pretty well: 3-for-18 (.167), but six walks.

Cut down on the walks, Edward, and you’ll be just fine.

Kodai Senga had two decent starts to begin 2026 and then got shelled by the A’s last Saturday: eight hits, seven runs, two home runs in just 2.1 innings.

Senga has not faced the Cubs since 2023 and I include this boxscore link to show you how much the Cubs have changed since then. No current Cub has more than six career at-bats against Senga.

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Wrigley Field.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. It’s also on MLB Network (outside the Cubs and Mets market territories).

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Mets site Amazin’ Avenue. If you do go there to interact with Mets fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

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.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

The Nationals pulled away with one of their wildest wins in years yesterday afternoon in Pittsburgh, beating the Pirates 8-7 in 10 innings. This game had it all, from a bases-clearing ground ball to short, a hit by pitch and wild pitch giving the Nats the lead in the late innings, and a single in the 9th tying and the game and almost winning it, but Oneil Cruz of the Pirates inexplicably didn’t head for home. Thanks to Orlando Ribalta coming in and slamming the door in the 10th inning for his first big league save, the Nationals split the 4 game set with the Pirates, making them 5-2 on the road trip and 9-10 overall as they head back home.

So here we are once again, the Nationals one game under the .500 mark and looking to even their win and loss columns. They will get a chance to do so this time at home against a San Francisco Giants club that has struggled to find its footing so far in 2026, led by first-time big league manager and former decorated college coach (of my university, go Vols) Tony Vitello. The Giants enter the series against the Nats 7-12, having scored the least amount of runs of any team in baseball. They’ll now get a chance against a Nationals pitching staff that is tied for the most runs allowed.

Despite a lineup filled with some of the better sluggers in the sport, the Giants have gotten little production out of their lineup to start the season, with shortstop Willy Adames and second baseman Luis Arraez being the only ones performing up to par so far. After that, it’s been a struggle for their stars such as Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman, and Heliot Ramos to get things going.

The Giants have received solid production from their pitching staff to begin the season, and the Nationals will face some of their top arms in this 3-game set. Their ace, Logan Webb, currently has an ERA over 5, but his 3.21 FIP suggests his luck should be turning soon. They’ve received strong starts to the season from some surprise names as well, such as Landen Roupp, Keaton Winn, and Erik Miller.

Game One – Friday 6:45 PM EST

SFG: RHP Logan Webb (1-2, 5.25 ERA)

WSH: RHP Zach Littell (0-1, 4.20 ERA)

After getting shelled on Opening Day by the Yankees, Webb has rebounded nicely in his last 3 starts, going 6 innings and allowing 4 runs most recently against the Orioles. Lefties have him well against him so far in 2026, with a .292 average, potentially an opportunity for the Nats lefties to do some damage.

Littell has been exactly as advertised in his 3 games for the Nationals so far in 2026, going 5 innings in each outing and allowing 3 runs or fewer. He did that in appearances against strong lineups such as the Phillies and Brewers, and now he will get a chance against a struggling Giants lineup at home.

Game Two – Saturday 4:05 PM EST

SFG: RHP Adrian Houser (0-2, 5.06 ERA)

WSH: RHP Cade Cavalli (0-1, 4.60 ERA)

Houser has pitched to an ERA above 5 to begin 2026, but his FIP is actually a respectable 3.67, meaning there may be some bad luck going on for him currently. The Orioles got to him in his last start, knocking him out after 4 2/3 innings with 4 runs.

Cavalli’s command failed him in the 2nd inning of his last start against the Pirates, walking 3 batters and giving up 4 runs before being pulled after getting just 4 outs. The walks have been an issue for Cavalli in all 4 starts this year, as he’s now up to 12 walks in 15 2/3 innings pitched on the season. He’ll look to find his footing back at home against a struggling Giants lineup.

Game Three – Sunday 1:35 PM EST

SFG: LHP Robbie Ray (2-2, 2.42 ERA)

WSH: RHP Miles Mikolas (0-3, 11.49 ERA)

Ray has looked ultra sharp to begin the 2026 season for the Giants, throwing 6 2/3 innings scoreless 2 starts ago against the Phillies, and most recently 5 innings of 2-run ball against the Reds. He’s mowed down righties to a .148 batting average in 2026, but lefties have performed somewhat better, hitting .235.

Mikolas went 3 1/3 innings and allowed 3 runs in his last outing after PJ Poulin opened the game, and it was somehow almost his best appearance for the Nats yet. I’m not sure how much else Toboni and the front office need to see out of him before they pull the plug, but he’ll have a chance against the currently worst lineup in baseball to prove he can at least get to 5 innings and save the bullpen some work.

Can They Get Over The Hump?

The Nationals have finally gotten to a point where the schedule softens up a little bit, getting to play the Giants, Braves, and White Sox over their next 3 series and 10 games. They’ve been so close to getting over the .500 hump again for the last week or so, and have a chance to finally get it done at home.

The Dodgers had four off days through the first three weeks of the regular season, including a Sunday off plus three Thursdays in a row without a game. Their longest stretch thus far has been six days in a row with games. But the schedule is about to get much busier.

The Dodgers have four games at Coors Field in Denver beginning Friday night, before completing the road trip in San Francisco for three games. Then comes a homestand against the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins. That’s 13 days in a row with a game.

Get ready for the pitching carousel to really get moving. Going into the trip, the Dodgers bullpen is about as well set up as possible, outside of concerns about Edwin Díaz. Dodgers starters in three games against the New York Mets pitched 21 2/3 innings, leaving a well-rested bullpen going into this weekend. Dodgers relievers this season have pitched 58 1/3 innings in 18 games, the second-smallest workload in MLB.

That said, playing 13 days in a row will be taxing on any pitching staff. If anything goes awry, that could have a ripple effect over a few games. Reinforcements will be needed, and fresh arms will be required. You can count on it.

Last season, the Dodgers had five stretches of at least 10 game days in a row, and here are all the pitchers they added to the active roster during those times.

May 2-11

10 days, 3 additions

J.P. Feyereisen was called up, with Yoendrys Gómez designated for assignment. Then Feyereisen was optioned the next day to call up Landon Knack. Evan Phillips went on the injured list and Matt Sauer came up.

May 30-June 11

13 days, 9 additions

Noah Davis was called up when Luis García went on the injured list. Will Klein was acquired from the Mariners and Davis was optioned. Ryan Loutos was called up and Chris Stratton was designated for assignment. Klein was optioned after one day with José Ureña signed to a major league deal. Justin Wrobleski was called up with Knack optioned. Chris Stratton was re-signed with Loutos designated for assignment. Michael Kopech and Kirby Yates were activated off the IL, with Tony Gonsolin landing on the IL and Stratton designated for assignment again. Sauer was called up and Ureña was designated for assignment.

June 13-22

10 days, 3 additions

Emmet Sheehan was activated off the IL, and Sauer was optioned. One day later, Sheehan was optioned and Jack Little called up. Little was sent down one day later with Klein recalled.

August 15-27

13 days, 4 additions

Paul Gervase was called up with Alexis Díaz sent down. Gervase was optioned one day later with Sauer called up. Sauer was also optioned after one day with Tanner Scott returning from the injured list. Yates returned from the IL with Blake Snell going on paternity leave. Snell was activated three days later with Alex Vesia placed on the injured list.

September 12-21

10 days, 1 addition

Kopech was placed on the injured list, and Klein was recalled.

The September stretch came when active roster limits allow for 14 pitchers instead of 13, making it easier to absorb heavier workloads. But last season during the period with 13 active pitchers, the team had four stretches of playing at least 10 days in a row, and added at least three pitchers to the active roster during each stretch.

Having Shohei Ohtani fully stretched out now, and him not counting against the 13-pitcher roster limit, will mitigate the need for coverage somewhat, but pitching roster moves still seem inevitable for this stretch of games over the next 13 days.

Today’s question is how many pitchers will the Dodgers add to the active roster from April 17-29?

Garret Anderson, one of the greatest and most beloved players in Los Angeles Angels history, has died at the age of 53, the team announced April 17.

Anderson, a three-time All-Star who helped lead the Angels to the 2002 World Series championship, played the majority of his 17-year career with the Angels. He holds franchise record for games played (2,013), hits (2,368), runs scored (1,024), RBIs (1,292), and total bases (3,743). He ranked second behind only Hall of Famer Derek Jeter for the most hits from 1997-2003.

Anderson, the 2003 All-Star Game MVP and Home Run Derby winner, had been working for the Angels as a broadcaster.

“The Angels organization is mourning the loss of one of our franchise’s most beloved icons," said Angels owner Arte Moreno in a statement.  “Garret was a cornerstone of our organization throughout his 15 seasons and his stoic presence in the outfield and our clubhouse elevated the Angels into an era of continued success...

"Garret will forever hold a special place in the hearts of Angels fans for his professionalism, class, and loyalty throughout his career and beyond. His admiration and respect for the game was immeasurable. We extend our deepest condolences to Garret’s wife Teresa, daughters Brianne and Bailey, son Garret ‘Trey’ Anderson III, and his entire family.”

Anderson, who became only the second player in baseball history in 2000 to hit more home runs (35) than walks (24), finished fourth in the AL MVP race in 2002 when the Angels won the World Series. He hit .306 with 29 homers and 123 RBIs, while scoring a career-high 93 runs.

Anderson retired in 2011 and was inducted into the Angels’ Hall of Fame in 2016.

“It is with mixed emotions that I have decided to retire from baseball," Anderson said in his retirement statement. “I know I will miss many aspects of the game, the grind of playing every day, hitting with the game on the line, the clubhouse banter, making a good defensive play, the guys, the roar of the crowd after a win, and the friendships made throughout the years. It was truly a privilege to play this wonderful game and for that I want to thank several individuals."

Anderson grew up in Granada Hills, California, and was selected in the fourth round of the 1990 amateur draft. He spent five years in the minors before making his MLB debut July 27, 1994 against Oakland with his first hit off Ron Darling. He finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting in 1995 behind Marty Cordova of the Minnesota Twins.

He was one of the game’s most durable players, playing an average of 156 games per year his first eight seasons. He finished with 2,529 hits and a career .293 batting average.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Garret Anderson dies at 53: Angels legend won World Series in LA

Your 2026 New York Mets: Hello darkness, my old friend…

“It’s not a good showing right now. They’re pissed, frustrated, obviously not happy about it. And I want them to be pissed.” -Carlos Mendoza [The Athletic]

…I’ve come to talk with you again

“If we don’t score runs, it’s hard to win.” -Francisco Lindor [The Athletic]

Because a vision softly creeping

“It’s surprising, but you go through these things — maybe this is a bit extreme, probably. I don’t really got much to say other than we can’t explain it, and we’ll keep on working to figure it out.” -Bo Bichette [The Athletic]

Left its seeds while I was sleeping

“We’re not doing damage on pitches in the strike zone, guys are being passive, guys are getting ahead of us, and then we’re chasing and hitting the ball on the ground. Right now it’s just quick innings.” -Carlos Mendoza [The Athletic]

And the vision that was planted in my brain

“Each April I’ve been here has been pretty similar, where we don’t score as many runs as we’d like and then the weather warms up and balls start flying out of the ballpark. We probably haven’t scored quite as many runs as we’d like, but that’s a pretty talented position player group that’s going to get going. We’re going to score runs.” -David Stearns [The Athletic]

Still remains

“Guys have got to start playing better. It’s as simple as that. They’re too talented. But right now, we’re not seeing anything on the field.” -Carlos Mendoza [MLB]

Within the sound of silence

“It’s weird because that’s not [Francisco Lindor]. It’s hard to explain. And he’ll be the first one. He’ll tell you that he’s got to be better. But yeah, never seen some of those plays that he’s just out of position at times.” -Carlos Mendoza [ESPN]

In restless dreams I walked alone

“Not sure. I feel like I’m locked in. I feel like I’m in the game. It just happens. Got to be better.” -Francisco Lindor [ESPN]

Narrow streets of cobblestone

“[Francisco Lindor’s] the same guy. He shows up. He prepares. He works as hard as anybody. He wants to win. I don’t think it’s got anything to do with who’s in the lineup and who’s not. It’s weird.” -Carlos Mendoza [ESPN]

‘Neath the halo of a street lamp

“I went after the ball and Marcus was there and didn’t make it to second base and we didn’t turn the double play.” -Francisco Lindor [New York Post]

I turned my collar to the cold and damp

“The biggest thing was I wasn’t able to control very many pitches near the strike zone or over the plate.” -Kodai Senga [New York Post]

When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light

“It wasn’t a bad pitch, but I’ve seen [Nick Kurtz before]. He has a very good swing. He is a power hitter. He is a tall guy. He did what he needed to do with that pitch. I tip my hat to him.” -Freddy Peralta [MLB]

That split the night

“I know we are way better than this. We have a great team. We believe in each other and I know that we are going to do better… I know there are a lot of people who want us to win. We want to win, too. Sometimes this is baseball. We have to get through this.” -Freddy Peralta [MLB]

And touched the sound of silence

“Honestly, when you’re out there, you don’t really feel the score. At least in my opinion, you’re just out there trying to execute each pitch. Obviously at any given moment, somebody can clip you for a home run, or things can get haywire. But you’re just trying to execute each pitch.” -Nolan McLean [MLB]

“You wish we could have gotten it done for [McLean] — and for everyone else here. But it’s one of those where he pitched his butt off today. Even though he wasn’t feeling the best probably at the beginning of the game, then all of the sudden he gave us the momentum every single inning. We’ve got to do our best to win games like this.” -Francisco Lindor [MLB]

“I played hard, I played with passion every single day. I’m a fiery guy, but you know I cared. I wanted to win, I wanted to do well. I think the fans knew that. I want to be known as a player who played the game the right way, gave it his all, and enjoyed being in the Mets organization.” -Jeff McNeil [Twitter]

“Biweekly” is kind of a dumb word. It means both “twice a week” and “once every two weeks,” and apparently, there’s no effort to create a new word to mean one of those, so that “biweekly” can be reserved for the other. To be clear, by “biweekly” here, I mean “every two weeks.”

In the offseason, someone suggested that we do a more regular check-in on the Braves and their players. I used to do monthly recaps, but those weren’t really ever a “check in,” and there were only six of them a year. (Plus, I didn’t do the September one sometimes.) On the flip side, doing a very frequent check in series can feel a bit like whiplash, because baseball is a game of accumulation of marginally different rates of stuff happening over long-ish periods, so talking about what happened in one week feels weird. So, there you go, that’s how I got to biweekly. Hopefully this fulfills the request for a “check in.” If there’s something you want to see in this pseudo-review, let me know.

How are the Braves doing?

Through mid-April, the Braves are, nominally, doing pretty well. They’re 12-7, which pro-rates out to a 102-win season if kept up over the entirety of the campaign.

• They have baseball’s third-best record.
• They lead the division by three games (over the Marlins and Nationals).
• They have baseball’s second-best run differential and BaseRuns differential. (BaseRuns is basically just the set of outcomes possible at the plate — walks, singles, doubles, outs, etc., weighted by how valuable they are. BaseRuns differential is basically just the difference between the different types of outcomes the batters have collected, and what the pitching and fielding have allowed to opposing batters.)
• They’re top five in pretty much every position player thing (fWAR, fielding value, offensive outputs, offensive inputs).
• The pitching is a little iffier: they have the league’s best ERA-, but the eighth-best FIP- and 12th-best xFIP-. The defense, and some luck, are going a very long way to making this team look like it has elite run prevention, even though it’s probably somewhat worse than that (but still above-average).

One very amusing consideration is whether you feel the Braves are doing great or not probably depends on your expectations. If you were emotionally pummeled by 2025 (and maybe even by 2024 for whatever reason), 2026 might feel awesome so far. But, the Braves were projected to be a solid team this year, so a 12-7 stretch across a fairly easy schedule (by my estimate, only four teams have had an easier schedule so far) has had very limited impacts on the Braves’ expected end-of-season wins or playoff fortunes. As of April 16, they are projected (FanGraphs Steamer/ZiPS blend, point estimate) for 90 wins, with playoff odds of 84 percent; preseason, it was 90 wins and playoff odds of 79 percent. So, on the one hand, yeah, woo, go Braves — still undefeated in series. On the other hand, this is probably what they should’ve been doing.

A few other considerations:

• If you go game-by-game in terms of odds, the Braves should’ve been somewhere between 10-9 or 11-8. Their “best” win (lowest pregame odds) was the rubber game in Anaheim (8-2), while their “worst” loss was the Athletics game where they started Jose Suarez. So, nothing that weird happened in these first few weeks in terms of specific games.
• The Braves are substantially underperforming their run differential and BaseRuns differential. If they weren’t, then I think everyone would be impressed by their record. But, on the flip side, they’re actually not underperforming their xwOBA offensively for once, which is why I can title this post “so far, so good” and not “welp the increased drag on the balls is killing them once again, hope it improves in the summer.”

How are the hitters doing?

Alright, enough text.

It’s a little irresponsible to include that last column, hence the grayscale, but I wanted to keep it to show how these will change over time. The trio of Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson, and Dominic Smith are killing the ball, with results even better than their inputs. Mauricio Dubon is almost there, but his inputs are notably worse — though much improved from when he was just getting a bunch of hits with almost no oomph very early in the season.

Actually, let’s do a different view:

This should be fairly self-explanatory, but in case it isn’t, bubble size is scaled based on PAs so far. Really, three things to note here beyond much of the team raking: Mike Yastrzemski is sad, Ozzie Albies is lucky, and Michael Harris II is unlucky.

Only one player (Josh Naylor), has both more PAs than Harris, and a bigger xwOBA underperformance. Harris’ inputs are fairly close to say, Olson’s — but their outputs so far are worlds apart. On the flip side, only Yandy Diaz has more PAs than Albies and a bigger overperformance (though a lot of guys are close in terms of PAs and overperformance). It’s not weird to have these sorts of things be true for any few-week stretch, but Albies has a history of overperformance and Harris has a history of underperformance so… watch this space?

Context-less stats are all well and good, but these guys are playing games where they come up in specific situations. We all know about Smith’s heroics — his 1.12 WPA so far is actually seventh in MLB among position players right now. His game-winning double against the Marlins resulted in the third-highest WPA game for a batter so far this season. That said, I also want to give a shoutout to Olson, who currently leads the team with six games with a WPA above .06. He hasn’t had that huge hit yet, but his consistent production has made big hits unnecessary in many games, as well. And, of course, there’s Austin Riley, whose challenges with the WPA vortex are well-documented at this point. I won’t dwell on it too long, but Riley’s -0.78 WPA is just barely outside the bottom ten in baseball right now, with the biggest insult layered on top of insult coming from the fact that his worst WPA game so far was supposed to be a day off, and instead he ate -0.18 WPA after coming in late and making two outs in key situations.

How are the pitchers doing?

We’re very much in small sample land here:

Bryce Elder has been killing it. Chris Sale was killed in one start, so his through-four-starts line is very un-Sale-like. Grant Holmes and Reynaldo Lopez are somewhat concerning, but it’s only been a few outings, and maybe they find their footing — they were both better in their most recent starts, despite the Marlins sprinkling BABIP all over their box score lines. Still, each of these guys have had positive WPA so far (in large part thanks to the stellar defense behind them) — even if Elder is the unquestionable rotation MVP of these first few games of the season.

I’m not going to bother with reliever stuff at this point because, well, the bullpen innings leader right now is Osvaldo Bido, who just got DFAed. That said, I do want to note that Raisel Iglesias is currently second on the team among pitchers in fWAR with 0.4 — a far cry from his terrible start that kind of doomed the Braves before they ever got going last year. He’s been nearly perfect, and has four of the team’s ten shutdowns (which is a relief appearance with +.06 WPA or more). Among the “steady” relievers that are expected to stay on the roster, only Aaron Bummer has had a rocky start, but we’re still talking just like five innings here.

---

Anyway, that’s what I got. What else would you like to see (or not see) in future biweekly updates (remember: that means every two weeks here!)?

Major League Baseball just received its most startling data point in a year that will be defined by them.

The San Diego Padres are a (nearly) $4 billion franchise.

Forget existential crises, attention economies, disparate and increasingly complex TV situations and, dare we say, salary caps and luxury tax thresholds. If the industry - and that includes owners, players and fans - ever needed a crystal clear sign that the game is healthy, that spending some money might actually make you a little money in the end, the impending purchase of the Padres will be it.

Private equity baron Jose E. Feliciano - and that's apparently a career prerequisite for owning a ball club these days and wife Kwanza Jones - are on the verge of a $3.9 billion transaction to buy the club from the Seidler family trust, the Wall Street Journal reported.

It is a staggering amount, not just because it's a 62.5% increase on the record $2.4 billion Steve Cohen spent to buy the New York Mets in 2020. Hey, inflation is a bear and franchises appreciate. It happens.

Just not like this, and not for a club like the Padres.

We've heard the two to three strikes against them for years: San Diego is bordered by the Los Angeles region (and its two MLB franchises) to the north, Mexico to the south and the desert to the east. The Padres were also the very first team whose local broadcast situation collapsed to the point MLB had to take over production and distribution, way back in 2023.

So just how did the Padres, their TV model collapsing, their geographic situaton no better, go from a $600 million valuation when the club was last purchased in 2012 to nearly twice the purchase price of the Mets, who have their own lucrative TV network and a position in the game's largest media market?

Well, sometimes when you spend a little money, you can make it back.

The Padres' ownership group - Ron Fowler and then the Seidler family, with the late patriarch Peter Seidler still talked about reverentially around Petco Park - has been on one for the last eight years. It started with a slow drip - a nine-figure contract in 2018 for first baseman Eric Hosmer, an overpay that let the world know San Diego was open for business.

It went into hyperspace mode a year later, with a $300 million guarantee to Manny Machado. And since then, Seidler's checkbook and GM AJ Preller's impetuous and sometimes insane but always forward-looking transactions have kept it pushing at Petco.

Ah, Petco Park. No worse than the fourth-greatest park in the game yet a place that could never attrack more than 1.9 to 2.1 million fans in eight of 10 seasons from 2009 to 2018.

Now, look at 'em.

The attendance meter has only gone up, up, up since 2019, COVID notwithstanding, and in 2023, the club's first full season after Preller traded for Juan Soto, the team cracked the 3 million mark for the first time since Petco's opening year of 2004.

Preller has barely slowed doling out big paychecks (Xander Bogaerts, $280 million, Machado $350 million after an opt-out) and neither have the turnstiles stopped whirring. The club drew a franchise-record 3.4 million last season and are behaving like they have the entire market to themselves (which, along with the San Diego Surf, they do, after the Chargers left).

Now, we said the game was healthy, not perfect.

The club's frenetic spend has slowed since Seidler's tragic passing in November 2023. Many a modern executive would term their payroll commitments "unsustainable," and they'd probably be right.

Yet this was no Ponzi scheme. The Padres' four playoff berths the past six seasons were very real, as were the millions who populated their ballpark. As is the $3.9 billion reportedly about to make the Seidler heirs wealthy beyond their imagination.

Jose E. Feliciano set to become Padres' new owner

MLB needed this, in a sense. Commissioner Rob Manfred expressed satisfaction, but hardly rabid enthusiasm, over the Baltimore Orioles' $1.73 billion purchase price. The Tampa Bay Rays sold for a similar $1.7 billion and now hope to leverage political clout to strong-arm a stadium in Tampa.

The Padres have no such worries. Petco isn't going anywhere and, apparently, neither are the fans, who have come out more than 40,000 strong for 10 of the Padres' first 13 home dates.

Yes, the Padres. Which is one reason why the upcoming labor war won't engender too many sympathetic cries from players. Management and labor will hammer out a deal knowing that the true Armageddon comes in 2028, when MLB's entire national TV inventory hits the market.

But this purchase price is a pretty big tell, and another argument that the sport should not screw up what it has going on right now in favor of a civil war.

After all, the Padres are a $4 billion team, and a bigwig like Feliciano - co-founder of Clearlake Capital Group and part owner of the Chelsea soccer club - viewed them as a good investment, still. No telling if he can continue pushing them toward a first World Series title.

Yet the franchise is already an example of what's possible even in a decidedly imperfect economic landscape.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Padres MLB record sale to new owner Jose E. Feliciano, Kwanza Jones

The latest news on the Houston Astros and from around MLB:

It’s a good thing the Astros went and acquired all that starting pitching depth:

He will be the ninth different starting pitcher for the Astros in 21 games. https://t.co/gDZkVMoi4A

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) April 17, 2026

Starting pitching woes have led to the Astros leaning harder on their bullpen than any team in baseball:

The Astros bullpen is bearing the brunt of early pitching and injury woes. No team entered Thursday with more multi-inning relief outings than the Astros, who added three in a loss to Colorado and will use their ninth different starter in 21 games Friday: https://t.co/N4MnXHrwPe

— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) April 17, 2026

Are the Astros missing their chance to extend Cam Smith?

The Astros’ window to extend Cam Smith is closing. Will they even try? – https://t.co/Aq17DbkKos

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) April 17, 2026

While Astros pitchers are having big trouble with walks, they aren’t the only ones:

Overlooked in all the commotion over ABS: The strike zone is different and smaller. The current walk rate of 9.9% would be the highest since 1950.

Here's how pitchers are adjusting:https://t.co/qSpOF1zYwO

— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) April 16, 2026

There is a strategy to challenging. The Astros lost both their challenges early and it cost them later in the game with some bad calls to their hitters:

Listening to Rockies commentators discuss how losing both challenges allowed their pitchers to expand the zone. And they took advantage of it. Something to think about.

— PjB (@paulajbecker) April 17, 2026

What is this ump doing??? pic.twitter.com/6afx01saoi

— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) April 17, 2026

What has teams signing young prospects to big extensions earlier than ever?

Why are MLB prospects signing record contracts? 'Smart business' in Age of Dodgers https://t.co/j8puzdTToP

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) April 16, 2026

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2026/04/15/kevin-mcgonigle-contract-extension-mlb-biggest/89626582007/

Bob Nightengale takes at look at MLB’s biggest surprises and disappointments this season:

MLB's biggest surprises, disappointments: Mets are an absolute mess https://t.co/L47nIS2tfk

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) April 16, 2026

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2026/04/16/mlb-biggest-surprises-disappointments-mets-giants-red-sox-twins/89638120007/

Mike Trout is hitting .246 but he has 7 HR, several of the tape measure variety. Time for the Hype Train:

Column on Trout now free for all to read. https://t.co/2O4jcxiUxe

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) April 16, 2026

The San Diego Padres are about to be sold to a private equity firm owner for a record-setting price:

José E. Feliciano, Kwanza Jones near deal to buy Padres for MLB-record $3.9 billion: Sources https://t.co/9Q0yddk6Gm via @NYTimes

— Britt Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) April 17, 2026

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7203881/2026/04/17/san-diego-padres-sale-jose-e-feliciano/

Mets GM taking heat for their bad start punctuated by an 8-game slide.

https://t.co/XDE8LBhwEl MLB Insider: Are Mets paying price for David Stearns’ winter choices?

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) April 16, 2026

Jon Heyman on Mets manager, Padres Fernando Tatis Jr, FA SP Lucas Giolito, and Yankees pitching logjam:

https://t.co/P8XWu676pE MLB notes and thoughts: Don’t blame Mendoza for Mets mess

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) April 17, 2026

At 37, there may not be much left in the tank for Mark Canha, but can’t blame him for trying:

Veteran OF Mark Canha asked for his release today from the Rangers to seek big league opportunities elsewhere

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) April 17, 2026