Category: Baseball

The Detroit Tigers kick off a six-game road trip on Friday with a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Coming off a rough homestand that saw the team drop four of six — including a three-game sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox — maybe a little time away from Comerica Park will do the team some good.

The Motor City Kitties kick off the weekend with right-hander Keider Montero taking the mound for his seventh start of the season. The 25-year-old has been a steady presence in the rotation after taking over for Justin Verlander and is coming off his best game so far, in which he threw 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits (including a solo home run) and a walk while striking out in a home win against the Texas Rangers.

Montero has already faced Kansas City once back on April 16 in Detroit, failing to figure in the decision after surrendering four runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out five over six frames in a team win.

Left-hander Kris Bubic will climb the hill for the home team in a season that has been a slight step back so far — but it is still early. The last time he faced the Tigers was that same game that Montero threw in, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks while striking out three over 4 2/3 innings.

Hopefully, bad Bubic shows up on Friday night and Montero throws a gem for the Ole English D. Take a look below at their numbers so far in the 2026 campaign.

Detroit Tigers (18-20) vs. Kansas City Royals (17-21)

Time (ET): 7:40 p.m.
Place: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
SB Nation Site:Royals Review
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 39: RHP Keider Montero (2-2, 3.48 ERA) vs. LHP Kris Bubic (3-1, 3.32 ERA)

MONTERO

BUBIC

Remember how the Phillies climbed out of their run differential hole with a 9-0 win over the Athletics the other night?

That was fun.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Edmundo Sosa was in the lineup at third base for the Phillies last night as Alec Bohm got a night off while struggling.
• Trea Turner is taking a lot of batting practice to “try not to suck.” ($) He might need to take a little bit more then.
• Yesterday, the Phillies claimed someone named Grant Holman off waivers from the Tigers. No idea who this man is.

MLB news:

• Getting rid of the shift hasn’t really done much to bring back base hits. Is it really that big of a deal to anyone ($)?
• The Yankees are going to give Spencer Jones a major league look with Jasson Dominguez needing an injured list timeout.
• You know what you need today? You need a new MLB mock draft for the upcoming player draft. You know you wanted one.

Greetings, Brew Crew Ball community. The Brewers are back in town, as they’ll host the Yankees and Padres over the next week. We’ll start things off this week with a question: Which opposing MLB stadium would you most (and least) like to visit to catch a game?

Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-baseball sports, the Brewers, you name it. As long as it’s appropriate and is allowed by our moderators, it’s fair game here.

You know the drill.

This is now an open thread:

Authors Note: I wrote this article before last night’s nail biter at San Diego. Think of the ninth inning last night as confirmation of what I wrote. It was poetic justice that it occurred in San Diego. You’ll know why if you finish the article.

I continue to resist the urge to parse into various statistics and metrics until they’ve had a chance to stabilize. Gosh I want to dig into Walker’s metrics like nobody’s business. But we haven’t hit that point with most yet, and discipline is required. However, K% supposedly stabilizes around 70 batters faced, and there aren’t too many K oriented pitchers on this roster. Riley O’Brien is right near that threshold, and I’ve been curious what some of the under-the-hood metrics look like with him. We will look together.

Riley was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay organization in 2017 (8th round). He made it as far as AA, when he was traded to the Reds during the infamous 2020 season, in which there was no MiLB season. He opened 2021 at AAA and made a cameo (as in one) MLB appearance with them that year. He was traded early in 2022 to Seattle for the even more infamous PTBNL. He was 27 years old and idled at AAA the whole year. His story was consistent across his MiLB career – his K%-BB% ratio was too poor to suggest MLB success, although his raw stuff was clearly appealing. Interesting, back then, he had an arsenal of Cutter, Sweeper and Change. He came to the Cardinals in a cash consideration trade in November of 2023. That season, at Tacoma, his stats had veered noticeably. Higher K rate, lower BB rate, FIP < 4. I assume that is what the Cardinals saw … a late bloomer with K and BB rates bordering on elite.

I got a chance to see him early the following Spring (2024) and he certainly had impressive stuff, so he passed the eye test on day 1. He got hurt late in camp as I recall and he was out until late July. His 2024 Spring appearances were impressive enough that a month of rehab at AAA brought him to the MLB team. It was a bit rough, and I believe he got dinged up again. He started the 2025 season at Memphis but made it back to MLB in late May. Not everything was roses, but in the aggregate, he had some really nice season totals. FIP 3.61. ERA- 51. FIP- 89 (on those last two, 100 is average and lower is better). He did enough to be included on the short list of pitchers expected to close in 2026, following the trade of Ryan Helsley the previous deadline. You pretty much know the story so far this year, so I won’t repeat. Now we look under the hood.

High level – the results

Off to the left we see Riley’s current season Statcast page. A sea of red. Always a good thing. Without sharing last year’s image with you, I can tell you he has improved Chase%, Whiff% and K% and BB% from 2025 to 2026. All but the Whiff% are now in the elite zone.

What is not to like? One might not care for the below average run value of the off-speed pitches. For the record, he has thrown 2 of those pitches this year (changeups). So, ignore that.

The pitch mix

Down below, you can see the pitches Riley has used and how they get allocated. 58% sinker (who wouldn’t?) averaging 98.3 mph. Note that the sinker has higher than average drop. As in about 10% more drop that MLB average and also about 10% more ride (in on RH batters).

His second-most used pitch is the Sweeper (ST) at 25% usage. Similar to the Sinker (SI), the Sweeper action is well outside the average range, both in sweep (horizontal run) and in drop. Both values are 20% more than MLB average.

His third-most used pitch is reserved for LH batters. Overall, he uses it 16% of the time, but to LH batters that number is closer to 22%. The slider is pretty much an average pitch. As I wrote earlier, he has thrown 2 changeups (CU). Not sure why. Since it looks and acts like his Sinker, I would think it would keep batters honest. Maybe he just hasn’t needed to yet.

Note that early in his career he was Cutter and Sweeper oriented, with a few 4S FBs thrown in. So, he has ditched the Cutter and added a Sinker to replace the 4-seam and sharpened his Sweeper. That, folks, in the St. Louis Cardinals pitching lab for you, right there.

Pitch Shapes

To go another layer deep, let’s look at the movement profiles of these pitches.

You can see the top-scale red for both vertical and horizontal movement associated with his Sinker and Sweeper. That tells me he has elite level movement on two-axes on two different pitches. No wonder he is not a starter. He is just a two-pitch pitcher! Oh, wait. That is what an elite reliever looks like. Am I sure? Here are the pitch shape characteristics of another reliever who is pretty good. Mason Miller.

Of course, Mason is of the Mariano River devastating slider class of closer, but you get the point (I hope).

Ok, one more level down in the data and I’m done.

Deception

A key for a pitcher is to be able to disguise their pitches, which they do a number of ways. One of the most looked at is spin direction. Really sharp-eyed hitters can detect the direction of the ball’s spin. Some spin angles look like red dots (the seams) while other look more like a fan.

In Riley’s case, his two best pitches (SI and ST) have the exact opposite spin direction, meaning the hitter won’t see a difference. By the time a RH hitter detects whether the ball is riding in on him (SI) or floating away (ST), it’s hard to adjust, especially with the velo difference between the two. Part of his success is how these two pitches play off each other.

How the stuff plays

No charts, but some data points. Riley has showed improvement in Stuff+ 4 years running. Last year he was 106, this year 110. That is the look of a pitcher refining, not making leaps. His Location+ has followed the same general trend. Last year, Location+ was commendable 107 and this year has risen to 118. While a 1.5% walk rate is probably not where he will end the year, these numbers suggest his command is not fluky, either.

Historically, O’Brien’s big bugaboo has been walking batters. His 2026 walk rate is currently at an unsustainable 1.5%. BB% rates don’t stabilize until closer to mid-year, so this will be one area where we can expect regression. His K% rate is 28.4% (good) and has reached the stabilization level I referenced earlier. Looking at his career, he could regress a bit, but unlikely to move too much.

The future

If Riley O’Brien was 25 years old, we’d be looking at a long-term closer gig ala. Helsley. But he is not. He is 31 years old, presumably on the downward side of the aging curve. While he has six years of team control (2025 included), he is unlikely to be a long-term closer here (or anywhere). But short-term?

Come the trade deadline, the Cardinals are going to have an interesting choice to make. Closers, especially elite ones, tend to command a handsome dowry around Aug 1. If you look into the Cardinals pipeline, there are a few guys in that line that have “reliever risk” attached to their name, and closer stuff on their Prospect Savant page.

Will the remaining control make him valuable to the Cardinals upcoming window of contention? Or will his age and the burgeoning pitching make him expendable? Almost with certainty, they will ask for and require a king’s ransom to move a player with the kind of stuff and control he has. I would tend to think last year’s Mason Miller trade might be a decent guidepost and if I remember, that took a #1 prospect (De Vries) to pry him off the A’s roster. That might be a little rich for some teams, but probably not much less than would be needed to move him. Bloom is in a win-win with this one.

Robby Snelling is set to make his Major League debut for the Miami Marlins on Friday, May 8.

The left-handed starting pitcher is ranked as the No. 32 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, and the No. 2 prospect in the Marlins' farm system. Snelling, 22, was traded to Miami on July 30, 2024, in a package with three other prospects for left-handed reliever Tanner Scott.

Snelling has rebuilt his value as part of the Marlins' organization, posting a 1.86 ERA (second lowest in the International League) with 44 strikeouts (tied for the second most) in six starts this season for the Marlins' Triple-A affiliate, Jacksonville.

However, before Snelling became a baseball prospect, he was also a standout linebacker for his high school, Reno McQueen High, in Reno, Nevada.

Here's a look back at his high school career, which almost led to a commitment as a two-sport star in a major conference:

Robby Snelling, baseball star

Snelling's talent as a baseball player was always evident, excelling as a two-way star in the sport. As a senior, he earned Gatorade Nevada Baseball Player of the Year honors in 2022, after finishing with an 8-0 record record and a 0.56 ERA.

He set the single-season Nevada state strikeouts record with 146. He also struck out 20 hitters in a seven-inning game, giving him the state single-game record. At the plate, he hit for a .450 batting average and showed off his power with 21 home runs at the 2021 All-Star High School Home Run Derby at Coors Field in Denver. He also hit 94 mph on the radar on the mound.

Snelling originally committed to Stanford for baseball in 2019, shortly after his freshman season in high school. He, however, de-committed from the Cardinal in 2021, as his football recruitment picked up.

He committed to playing both baseball and football at Arizona, but decommitted when Jay Johnson took the head baseball coaching position at LSU. Snelling eventually signed with LSU and Johnson, who first offered him when he was a seventh grader.

Snelling never made it to campus in Baton Rouge, as the San Diego Padres drafted him with the 39th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. He signed a $3 million contract with the organization.

Robby Snelling, star linebacker

Even with the success in baseball, Snelling was a star on the football field as well. In addition to playing linebacker, he was also the starting quarterback for Reno Queens as a senior, helping lead his team to the NIAA 5A State Championship game.

According to 247 Sports Composite rankings, Snelling was a four-star linebacker in the 2022 recruiting cycle. He was ranked No. 311 overall in the country, No. 31 at linebacker, and No. 7 overall in the state.

Snelling had over 20 offers from Division I schools to play football, including Oregon, Arizona, Auburn, and Arizona State.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Robby Snelling's journey from two-sport high school star to MLB debut

Memphis Redbirds 11, Toledo Mud Hens 4 (box)

Bryan Sammons threw a decent game, but the bullpen crumbled to dust on Thursday as the Redbirds ran away with this one.

Sammons gave up a pair of runs in the top of the second, but otherwise kept things clean over five innings of work.

In the bottom of the second, Corey Julks drew a two-out walk and scored on a triple to right field from Cal Stevenson. Max Burt walked, and Luke Ritter singled in Stevenson. Tyler Gentry followed with a single of his own, but Burt was cut down at the plate to make it a 2-2 game.

That’s where things stood until the bottom of the sixth, when Gage Workman struck out but reached on a wild pitch. He stole second, and Corey Julks brought him in with a single to make it 3-2.

So things were looking good, and Eric Silva had spun a clean sixth to start his outing. However, in the seventh he was mauled for four runs and Tyler Mattison had to take over, giving up two more runs of his own. Things didn’t improve for Mattison in the eighth as he surrendered three more runs, and this one was all over.

Workman singled in the eighth and Eduardo Valencia followed with a single of his own. A double play ball from Corey Julks got Workman in from third for the Hens final run.

Workman: 2-4, 2 R, K, SB

Gentry: 2-4, K, SB

Sammons: 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 5 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Friday night in Toledo.

Erie SeaWolves 4, Harrisburg Senators 2 (box)

Sean Hunley got the start in this one, and got the SeaWolves off on the right foot. He surrendered a run in the bottom of the second, but otherwise blanked the Senators into the fourth inning.

Peyton Graham opened the scoring with a solo shot in the top of the second. That was his first long ball of the season. In the fourth, he did it again, cranking another solo shot to left field.

So it was 2-1 SeaWolves, and E.J. Exposito cracked a solo shot of his own in the top of the seventh.

John Stankiewicz took over from Hunley successfully, and Moises Rodriguez handled the sixth, but then allowed a run in the seventh that made it 3-2 SeaWolves. In the eighth, Chris Meyers walked, and Izaac Pacheco smoked a triple to right field to score him.

Wandisson Charles closed out the final two frames. He allowed two hits, but no walks, and struck out three to collect the save

Graham currently has his on-base percentage over .420 and is doing a decent job keeping the strikeouts in check while walking a ton. He needs the power to start showing up at the Double-A level so this was a nice game for him. More is required.

Graham: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 HR, K

Callahan: 3-5, K

Pacheco: 2-4, RBI, 3B

Hunley: 3.1 IP, ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves winning streak stands at eight games heading into Friday night’s 7:00 p.m. ET first pitch in Harrisburg.

Dayton Dragons 8, West Michigan Whitecaps 5 (box)

While the SeaWolves are winning, the Whitecaps funk has turned into an 11-game losing streak as Dayton made it three in a row in this series. Once again, the bullpen was the problem as the Dragons pulled away late.

Garrett Pennington put the Whitecaps on the board first with a monster solo shot over the batter’s eye in center field in the bottom of the first inning.

Lucas Elissalt gave up a solo shot to Alfredo Alcantara in the top of the second which tied the game. The right-hander then allowed a three-run shot to Ariel Almonte in the fourth.

So it was 4-1 Dragons, but the Whitecaps fought back in the bottom of the fourth. Pennington and Bryce Rainer drew one-out walks to set them up. Clayton Campbell singled to right, loading the bases, and Andrew Sojka drove in two runs with a single to left. Junior Tilien struck out, but Juan Hernandez walked on a close pitch to load the bases, and Dragons manager Julio Morillo didn’t like it and was tossed after some chirping. The Dragons went to their bullpen, and Caleb Shpur singled in Campbell and Hernandez to make it 5-4 Whitecaps.

Unfortunately, Zack Lee allowed a run in the fifth, and then two more in the sixth. Ethan Sloan took over and allowed one of his own. The offense went cold the rest of the way, and that was that.

Pennington: 1-3, 2 R, RBI, HR, BB

Sojka: 1-3, R, 2 RBI, BB, K

Elissalt: 3.2 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps will try to break the streak at 6:35 p.m. ET on Friday.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 4, St. Lucie Mets 1 (box)

Malachi Witherspoon was absolutely electric in front of the home crowd in this one as the Flying Tigers took a 2-1 lead in the series.

The young right-hander punched out 10 Mets on Thursday. He allowed a run in the first, but only one hit and a walk through the rest of his five innings of work. He pumped 52 of 72 pitches for strikes and racked up 22 whiffs. Just as importantly, he really only threw a small batch of non competitive pitches the whole outing. There was no question about Witherspoon’s stuff coming out of college. His changeup hasn’t really been much of a weapon so far, but the fourseam and the slider are regularly plus pitches, and his curveball an average one. He’s been up to 99 mph this spring already. If he can stay in control like this consistently, he’s going to move very quickly.

Zach MacDonald quickly got that run back with a solo blast, his ninth homer of the year, to lead off the bottom of the first. Two batters later, second baseman Jack Goodman followed suit with a shot to center field for a 2-1 lead.

Pedro Garcia took over from Witherspoon in the sixth and fired three scoreless frames. In the bottom of the sixth, Beau Ankeney was hit by a pitch and Carson Rucker walked. A wild pitch advanced the runners 90 feet, and Javier Osorio came through with two-run single for a little insurance.

Jatnk Diaz collected his first save in the ninth.

MacDonald: 2-4, R, RBI, 2B, HR

Goodman: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, BB, 2 K

Witherspoon (W, 1-0): 5.0 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 10 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Friday.

FCL Blue Jays 3, FCL Tigers 2 (box)

Enderson Delgado: 2-4, 2B

Maikol Orozco: 1-4, R, K

Ronald Ramirez: 1-3, BB, K

Jack Bushnell: 2.2 IP, R, 0 ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 3 K

After a minor blip on Wednesday night, the Yankees got back to their winning ways, bruising their way past the Rangers en route to a series win. I’m sure Wednesday’s limp offensive effort, which bled into a slow start to the game on Thursday, had some fans worried that the offense was about to head into a slump, but no matter. The Yankees crushed the Ranger bullpen, easing their way to a 9-2 win before heading to Milwaukee.

Ahead of the series with the Brewers, Jeremy previews the three games in Milwaukee. Also, Sam reviews Thursday’s American League action, and Nick profiles Art López, an outfielder who played for the Yankees in 1965 and turns 89 today. Later, Kento continues his history on the Yankees’ journey at first base between Mark Teixeira and Ben Rice, Jonathan praises the work of Tim Hill (and the Yankees for finding him), and Madison delivers the answers to this week’s mailbag.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees at Milwaukee Brewers

Time: 7:40 p.m. EST

Video: YES Network, Brewers.tv

Venue: American Family Field, Milwaukee, MI

Questions/Prompts:

1. Well, what do you expect from Spencer Jones now that he’s been thrust onto the major league roster?

2. Will the Knicks put the Sixers in a 3-0 hole tonight?

PHOENIX — Pittsburgh PiratesCy Young winner Paul Skenes kept talking, but without the slightest hesitation, leaned over, rapping his knuckle against the adjoining locker, knocking on wood.

It’s an uncomfortable subject, one that terrifies every pitcher, but it’s a cold, cruel reality in the baseball world.

Pitchers get hurt. They require surgeries.

Seasons are ruined. Careers are shortened.

“I’ve never really had to deal with stuff like that," Skenes tells USA TODAY Sports. “It’s not something I like to think about."

Yet, on the morning of Skenes’ last start Wednesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks before yielding just two baserunners in eight shutout innings, he was in his hotel room sending a text message to Detroit Tigerstwo-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

Skubal, his Team USA teammate in the World Baseball Classic, underwent elbow surgery in Los Angeles on Wednesday to clean out bone chips, which is expected to sideline him about two months.

“I mean, it’s unfortunate," Skenes tells USA TODAY Sports. “I don’t know, I’ve never really had to deal with stuff like that. But he has.

“I’ve seen his routine now, up close and personal in the WBC. He has a really good routine. He’s going to come back, and he’s going to be really good."

Skubal’s surgery comes just two weeks after Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz underwent elbow surgery to remove five “loose bodies’ in his elbow. Diaz pitched for Team Puerto Rico in the WBC.

“I’ve heard that a lot of pitchers probably have it,’’ Skenes says, “but who knows?"

It’s no secret that as much as MLB embraces the WBC, and players love participating, there are risks. Maybe it’s just a cruel coincidence, but the landscape is littered with pitchers who have been injured besides Skubal and Diaz, and others who have struggled in the early going.

– Chicago Cubs closer Daniel Palencia, who closed out the WBC championship game for Venezuela, went on the injured list in April with a strained oblique. 

– Cubs starter Matthew Boyd went on the IL with a biceps strain in April, and then sustained a freak knee injury to his meniscus Wednesday playing with his kids.

– San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb, who is battling left knee discomfort, is 2-4 with a 5.06 ERA.

– Michael Lorenzen, who pitched for Italy, is 2-3 with a 6.09 ERA with the Colorado Rockies.

– Taijuan Walker, who pitched for Mexico, went 1-4 with a 9.13 ERA before being released by the Philadelphia Phillies.

It’s believing season in Major League Baseball.

This weekend, all but one team will pass the 40-game mark, a very unofficial but nonetheless meaningful checkpoint that signals the season is already – gulp – one quarter complete. And it’s officially OK to start buying what you’re seeing.

Oh, that’s not a hard and fast rule. Fans can believe the New York Mets won’t lose 99 games, and Fernando Tatis Jr. won’t finish with zero home runs, and they’ll probably be correct.

But for many trends, the cement has set even if it’s not totally dry. With that, we take a look at six paces that are defining the season – and would certainly look startling come the end of September:

61: Home runs for Munetaka Murakami

OK, this one might be tough to maintain. That doesn’t diminish what the 6-foot-2, 213-pound Murakami has done in his first season in the world’s premier league.

Sure, the worrywarts were right: Murakami is striking out 34.4% of the time, his 55 punchouts leading the AL. His whopping 43.9% whiff rate is near the very bottom of the majors. Yet he’s clearly running into enough balls, and his expected slug (.568) practically mirrors reality (.565).

Additionally, his .369 on-base percentage was only slightly dented by the move to MLB, as he posted a .379 OBP his last full season in Japan. An elite 22% chase rate certainly helps that, allowing him three shots to unleash his “A” swing against pitches in the zone.

His two-year, $34 million deal is possibly the White Sox’s finest free agent investment ever. In concert with slugging middle infielder Colson Montgomery and emerging ace Davis Martin, Murakami has helped the 17-20 Sox push memories of 121 losses seem much longer than two years ago.

110: Wins for the Cubs, Braves and Yankees

OK, so these teams probably won't maintain their .684 winning percentage, right?

Well, you probably didn't figure that the Cubs would win (at least) 15 games in a row at Wrigley Field, either. Heck, a streak that long hasn't happened since 1935, but Chicago is now a stunning 18-5 at the Friendly Confines after a raucous four-game sweep of the Reds, who went from second to last place in a hurry.

Now, however, the Cubs will have to carry on without lefty Matthew Boyd, who tore meniscus in his knee. Then again, they lost ace Cade Horton for the season and lefty Justin Steele suffered a setback on the rehab trail and still, the club is 26-12, tied with Atlanta and the Yankees for the best record in baseball.

Once again, Shota Imanaga is off to a fantastic start, with 11- and 10-strikeout games already. Yet April and May are by far the two best months of his career (2.28 ERA, 3.83 the rest of the time). Put it this way: If Imanaga can sustain, the Cubs may just run off with their first full-season division title since 2017.

SNY | John Flanigan: Yankees outfielder Jasson Domínguez suffered a low-grade AC sprain in his left shoulder after crashing against the wall while making an impressive defensive play on Thursday. He tested negative for a concussion, but the shoulder injury sent him to the 10-day injured list anyway; they’ll continue to monitor for concussion symptoms as well.

It was a scary scene as Domínguez stayed face down for several moments before the training staff arrived. It’s a tough break for him, as he had rightfully earned a promotion to the majors with a 138 wRC+ in Triple-A Scranton. He leaves behind a 71 wRC+ in eight games with the Bombers and is expected “in a few weeks,” but the Yankees can’t offer a timetable at this juncture.

New York Post | Andrew Crane: To take the Martian spot, the Yankees will call up young outfielder Spencer Jones in advance of this weekend’s series in Milwaukee. The slugger, who ranks sixth in MLB Pipeline’s organizational prospects list, currently leads Triple-A with 41 RBI and has 11 home runs and a 143 wRC+ in Scranton. Jones’ role is still unclear, but he will need to prove he can limit the strikeouts at the highest level to secure consistent playing time. Still, it’s a huge day for him and his family.

New York Yankees on SI | Devon Platana: Lost in all the hoopla was the fact that Brendan Beck, the Yankees’ 21st prospect according to MLB Pipeline, made his MLB debut with the team on Thursday. He pitched as a bulk reliever after opener Paul Blackburn and allowed two runs in three innings, with a couple of hits, three walks, and one strikeouts. “A dream come true to come up here and do it at Yankee Stadium,” he said after the game. Good for Beck, who was sporting a 5.11 ERA in Triple-A.

SNY | Ben Pawlak: Reliever Kervin Castro will be called up to the active roster today, replacing Beck to give the Bombers a fresh arm. He has a 3.14 ERA in 14.1 frames in Scranton. The 27-year-old, who was a candidate to make the team out of camp, last appeared in the majors in 2022 with the Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco Giants. Expect him to return to the minors by Sunday at the latest, when Carlos Rodón returns to the rotation.

FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: John Sterling was a national treasure. Respected by the entire broadcasting industry and nearly universally loved by New York fans, his voice brought joy to multiple generations of Yankees supporters. Jaffe had some beautiful words for him just a few days after his passing. “Dressed in a suit and tie even though listeners couldn’t see him, prone to dropping a reference to a midcentury Broadway musical while celebrating a Yankees home run, and delivering his lines with a booming baritone capable of reaching the cheap seats, Sterling brought a unique and dramatic flair to the job,” he said, and that last sentence sums up his style to perfection.

Matthew Liberatore gave the St. Louis Cardinals the strong start they needed to begin their west coast swing as his nasty curveball and a power surge from Alec Burleson made the difference in a victory over the San Diego Padres 2-1 late Thursday night.

Matthew Liberatore looked both shaky and nasty in the bottom of the first inning. After getting the first two outs, he walked Manny Machado. Fernando Tatis Jr. singled to left moving Machado to second and Xander Bogaerts singled to right scoring Machado and giving the Padres a 1-0 lead.

The St. Louis Cardinals bats were quiet until the top of the 4th inning when Alec Burleson turned on a Michael King pitch and jacked it over the right field wall with an impressive exit velocity of 111 mph tying the game 1-1.

After a 1st inning where he looked vulnerable, Matthew Liberatore shut the Padres down giving the Cardinals six strong innings only allowing the 1 earned run on only 3 hits with 6 strikeouts and 3 walks. Michael King was equally impressive for San Diego as he also pitched a solid six innings allowing only 1 hit, but that one hit was the one from Burleson that left the park.

The Cardinals would take the lead in the top of the 7th inning when Jordan Walker missed a home run by maybe a foot crushing a line drive off of the left field wall for a double. He then scored when Masyn Winn hit a ball down the right field line to a helpless-looking Nick Castellanos who stumbled toward the ball as it bounced past him and continued to the right field wall as Walker scored and Winn cruised into third base giving St. Louis a 2-1 lead.

George Soriano entered the game in the bottom of the 7th inning giving up an infield single to Tatis Jr, but he was thrown out by Pedro Pagés even though the tag by JJ Wetherholt was unsuccessfully challenged by the Padres. That caught stealing muted any potential Padres threat in the 7th inning.

The bottom of the 8th inning belonged to JoJo Romero. He had no problems with Ty France, Nick Castellanos or Rodolpho Duran shutting the Padres down 1-2-3. That helped the Cardinals from having to deal with super-reliever Mason Miller as San Diego brought in Jason Adam to handle the top of the 9th inning as they still trailed 2-1. He was greeted by Jordan Walker who hit a laser shot into left center that he turned into a hustle double. Nolan Gorman then worked Adam for a 9-pitch walk. Yes, miracles do happen. Unfortunately, Masyn Winn was unable to get a sufficient bunt down as the Padres were able to get the force at third base for the first out. Nathan Church hit a weak fly to left field for out number 2 with neither runner being able to advance. Pedro Pagés was retired for the final out shutting down the Cardinals 8th inning threat.

Riley O’Brien came in to close out the Padres in the bottom of the 9th inning. He was tasked with facing the top of the San Diego lineup. He quickly retired Merrill on a weak groundout to JJ Wetherholt. Miguel Andujar struck out and failed to use the ABS challenge that probably wouldn’t have saved him anyway. Manny Machado grounded out to Masyn Winn to end the game giving the Cardinals a tight victory.

The St. Louis Cardinals will send Michael McGreevy to the mound for Friday night’s contest against Griffin Canning. First pitch is scheduled for 8:45pm central time and will be an Apple TV exclusive so finding a free 7-day trial is your friend.

Brendan Beck could have stopped playing long before Thursday arrived. 

A second-round pick out of Stanford in 2021, he did not make his professional debut until 2023 because of Tommy John surgery.

He pitched in just 10 games that season before a follow-up elbow procedure was required, which erased his entire 2024 season, too. 

The 2025 campaign became the breakthrough, when the right-hander ascended all the way to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

And Thursday was the pinnacle, when he became a major league pitcher. 

Beck was called up for his moment and for a Yankees victory, contributing three-plus innings in which he allowed two runs in a 9-2 win over the Rangers in The Bronx. 

“You always want it to happen, and you think it’s going to happen,” the 27-year-old from Southern California said. “When it actually does, it’s still a dream.” 

The Yankees knew before Wednesday’s game that Ryan Weathers, who had been sick, would be scratched from Thursday’s start.

Beck, who had been up and down with SWB but was coming off a strong effort, was lined up to pitch Thursday.

So after an afternoon game in Worcester, Mass., on Wednesday, the Yankees told Beck to be ready depending upon the night’s events. 

As it turned out, Will Warren lasted four innings, and Yerry De los Santos, who could be and would be optioned, was needed for long relief.

Thus Beck was the best choice as a bulk pitcher, and SWB manager Shelley Duncan delivered the news in a hotel lobby. 

Beck packed his bag and had hopped in a car destined for New York by about 9:30 p.m.

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His wife, who was in Scranton, raced to the city.

His parents, sister and brother — Tristan, who is in the Giants organization — all made red-eye flights from California to see the No. 21 Yankees prospect make his debut. 

Following opener Paul Blackburn, Beck let up a lot of hard contact — his first two at-bats were a 110.9-mph lineout from Jake Burger and 108.2-mph lineout from Evan Carter — and had location issues, walking three in three innings — but navigated through the Rangers lineup 1 ¹/₂ times with some help from his defense. 

“Held his own out there. Gave us a chance to win,” manager Aaron Boone said of Beck. “Walked a few guys, and some of the hard contact found gloves, which was good. But he looked in control out there. Gave us just what we needed.” 

Ezequiel Duran’s home run in the third inning dented Beck, and he walked Alejandro Osuna in the fifth before Tim Hill entered and allowed Osuna to score.

But from there, Brent Headrick, Jake Bird and Camilo Doval locked down a game with which the Yankees ran away. 

A game that Beck has awaited for a long time. 

“I’ve been through a lot of stuff,” said Beck, who was optioned back to SWB after the game, “but I think everyone has things they have to overcome.” 

José Caballero was out of the starting lineup a day after getting plunked in the left elbow, which necessitated X-rays that came back negative, but entered the game in the eighth inning. 

Max Schuemann got the start at shortstop and went 1-for-4 with an RBI double, his first hit and RBI with the club. 

Cody Bellinger (3-for-4, two runs, a triple and two RBIs) is slashing .394/.465/.606 with runners in scoring position this season. 

Ben Rice did not play for a fourth straight game because of the left hand contusion he sustained Sunday.

Rice, who ran in the outfield before the game, has not done much baseball activity since sustaining the injury “because he hasn’t wanted to aggravate it,” Boone said. 

The Yankees still do not believe he will need an IL stint.

The Atlanta Braves are coming off a series loss to the Seattle Mariners and have a challenging weekend ahead. After losing their first series of the season, the West Coast road trip has moved on to Los Angeles, where the Braves take on the Dodgers in a three-game set. 

Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, and Bryce Elder are each expected to start against a talented LA pitching staff. The Braves are tied for the best record in the league with 26 wins and 12 losses, while the Dodgers enter play with a 23-14 record. Fortunately, the Braves are 14-6 on the road, and this could shape up to be a great series should Atlanta’s performance remain consistent. 

The series gets underway Friday night at 10:10 ET.

More Braves News:

With an abundance of moving parts in the starting rotation, we discuss what the Atlanta pitching staff looks like in the near future. 

Tate Southisene continues his strong start with the Augusta GreenJackets after driving in three on Wednesday. More in the minor league recap. 

MLB News:

The Boston Red Sox have placed outfielder Roman Anthony on the 10-day injured list due to a sprained ligament in his finger. The move is retroactive to May 5.

The Philadelphia Phillies claimed right-hander Grant Holman off waivers from the Detroit Tigers and optioned him to Triple-A. 

Chicago Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd will undergo meniscus surgery and is expected to miss at least a month. Fortunately, the club does not expect a major meniscus repair. 

From the Feed:

After clearing waivers and being outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett, the Carlos Carrasco saga continues. 

A Braves beat writer has joined The Athletic.

Right-handed pitcher Tyler Ferguson was acquired from the Athletics and sent to Triple-A Iowa.

Right-hander Kenten Egbert was promoted from High-A South Bend to Iowa.

Iowa catcher Casey Opitz was activated off the Development List.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were broadsided by the Columbus Clippers (Guardians), 4-2.

Connor Noland gave the I-Cubs a solid start, going five innings and giving up two runs on four hits. Noland did walk five batters while striking out five. One of the five walks issued was intentional.

Paul Campbell pitched the other four innings and got the loss after he gave up back-to-back solo home runs in the eighth inning. Campbell’s final line was two runs on three hits over four innings. He struck out four and walked no one.

Iowa managed just five singles in this one. First baseman BJ Murray was 1 for 3 with a walk.

A nice play on defense by second baseman Scott Kingery.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were harried by the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 4-1.

Grant Kipp had an impressive start, allowing just one run on three hits over five innings. Kipp struck out eight and walked no one.

Jace Beck relieved Kipp and took the loss after he allowed one unearned run on one hit over two innings. Beck struck out four and walked one.

The Smokies only run came on a home run by first baseman Owen Ayers in the bottom of the second inning. It was Ayers’ ninth home run this year and third for Knoxville.

Ayers was 1 for 4.

Here’s the Ayers home run.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs nailed the Lansing Lugnuts (Athletics), 9-2.

Eli Jerzembeck’s High-A debut went about as well as the Cubs could have hoped for. Jerzembeck pitched three scoreless innings and gave up just one hit. He walked two, hit two and struck out three.

I don’t know if Jerzembeck would have be taken out anyways after 51 pitches, but the game was delayed 92 minutes by rain after three innings. Alfredo Romero took over when the rain stopped and he got the win. He gave up two runs on three hits over four innings. Romero struck out two, walked two and hit one batter.

South Bend scored nine runs on just seven hits and none of them were home runs. First baseman Cole Mathis had one of the two doubles, which drove home two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Mathis was 1 for 4.

Left fielder Kane Kepley went 2 for 4 with a walk and an RBI double in the sixth inning. Kepley also stole one base.

Center fielder Christian Olivo was 2 for 4. He scored twice and drove in two runners.

Shortstop Ty Southisene hit a two-run single in the fifth. He was 1 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. He also scored once.

The Mathis double.

Southisene’s two-run single.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans boiled the Hickory Crawdads (Padres), 9-7.

Mason McGwire continued his strong start to the season by allowing three runs on six hits over four innings. Only one of the three runs McGwire allowed was earned. Most impressively, he struck out seven and walked just one.

Braylon Myers relieved McGwire and got the win. Myers gave up four runs on four hits over three innings. Myers struck out four.

Riely Hunsaker got his first career save by retiring all six batters over the final two innings. Hunsaker struck out one.

Catcher Logan Poteet hit a solo home run in the fourth, his fifth on the year. Poteet was 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored.

Center fielder Alexey Lumpuy clubbed a two-run home run in the sixth. Lumpuy was 1 for 5.

The Pelicans took the lead after they scored six runs in the eighth inning. They took the lead when shortstop Alexis Hernandez hit a two-run single in that inning. He was 2 for 5 with a stolen base.

Second baseman Jose Escobar was 2 for 3 with two walks. He scored one run.

Poteet’s home run.

Lumpuy’s home run.

The Hernandez two-run single.

ACL Cubs

Beating the Diamondbacks, 7-6 in the 7th.