Category: Baseball

Game Recaps

Diamondbacks get production from entire lineup in win over Giants by Alex Weiner [Arizona Sports]

Not to be lost on Monday was a solid performance from D-backs starter Zac Gallen, who delivered his first quality start (six-plus innings, three earned runs or fewer) since April 1. That was the game when he blanked the Detroit Tigers for six innings, outdueling Tarik Skubal.

Gallen allowed two runs in the first three innings but settled down, retiring the final seven batters he faced. He only threw 81 pitches in the blowout.

Arenado’s 1st inning slam sets the tone in D-backs 10-run win by Steve Gilbert [DBacks.com]

Everyone got into the act with each member of the starting lineup collecting at least one hit, as the Diamondbacks won for the fourth time in their last five games.

Nolan Arenado set the tone with a grand slam as the fourth batter in the first inning, and Gabriel Moreno added a two-run shot in the fifth.

Diamondbacks News

Diamondbacks’ A.J. Puk to start facing live hitters in big step toward return by Alex Weiner [Arizona Sports]

Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher A.J. Puk is scheduled to face live hitters at Salt River Fields on Tuesday, the first time he will do so since undergoing elbow surgery last summer, manager Torey Lovullo said on Monday.

Puk entered 2025 as a co-closer with Justin Martinez, and they along with starter Corbin Burnes made up the big three, so-to-speak, of key pitchers who needed season-ending elbow surgeries. Puk is ahead of Martinez (potentially August) and Burnes (July target) on their respective return timelines.

If all goes well on Tuesday, Puk could return to game action this weekend in the Arizona Complex League.

Examining five struggling D-backs: Reasons for optimism and concern by Brent Maguire [DBacks.com]

Zac Gallen, RHP

Reasons for optimism: Gallen has a 5.65 ERA in nine starts but he still has plenty of time to turn it around. The velocity and pitch movement are largely in line with his career norms and he’s still only 30, so there aren’t many physical reasons to fret too much. Even with the decline he’s shown in recent years, he’s never been this bad, and some ERA indicators (4.69 FIP, 4.51 xFIP) suggest he should be a bit better.

Reasons for concern: That aforementioned decline is hard to ignore at this point. His ERA and overall production has consistently regressed each season since his peak from 2022-23 and there are even more worrying trends this year. His strikeout rate is at a career-low 15 percent (he’s never been below 21.5 percent in a season) as is his 18.5 percent whiff rate. Until the whiffs come back, Gallen will likely continue to struggle.

D-backs, Mike Hazen Make 6-Figure Donation to Ivy Brain Tumor Center by Alex D’Agostino [SI]

Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen, in partnership with the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation and the Barrow Women’s Board, will present a sizable donation to the Ivy Brain Tumor Center and Dr. Nader Sanai during Monday night’s pre-game festivities, the team announced in a press release.

Mike Hazen, alongside his sons John and Sam Hazen, will take the opportunity to honor late wife and mother Nicole Hazen, who tragically passed away from a brain tumor in 2022. The donation will be worth $200,000, as part of Brain Tumor Awareness night at Chase Field.

Around the League

How the Hall of Pretty Good became your favorite players’ favorite account by Michael Clair [MLB]

Like a modern Mount Olympus, the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s doors open only to the greatest of the greats, those remarkable ballplayers who stood out from their big league brethren the way the Greek gods towered over us mere mortals.

But for those players who didn’t put together the numbers necessary to reach Cooperstown, they no longer need worry about being forgotten by time’s cruel march forward. Enter: The Hall of Pretty Good.

Yes, in a world where social media seems hellbent on division and discord, there is one place on the internet that is a bastion of baseball positivity. It’s a place where fans and their ballplaying heroes can unite, sharing memories together in the Hall of Pretty Good’s comment section — a space traditionally reserved for only the foulest of trolls.

Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong regrets words in heated exchange with fan by Jesse Rogers [ESPN]

The incident occurred in the fifth inning after Crow-Armstrong crashed into the wall attempting to catch a fly ball off the bat of White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas. As Crow-Armstrong sat on the ground — in front of fans seated below the bleachers and near the visitors bullpen — a woman heckled him, leading to a vulgar response from the Cubs’ third-year player.

The interaction was captured by camera phones and went viral.

“I saw the cameras in my face, it’s not like I didn’t,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I’m definitely aware of the fact that it has blown up. … I am intense on the field. In a moment like that, I think I let it get away from me a little bit.”

Everybody Who’s Anybody is Getting Loose Bodies, and Now It’s Blake Snell’s Turn by Jay Jaffe [FanGraphs]

It would be inaccurate to say that that Blake Snell saw what teammate Edwin Díaz and fellow two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal both had and decided he wanted in. Clusters of injuries, such as the wave of broken hamate bones from this spring or the more recent outbreak of loose bodies in pitchers’ elbows, are just coincidences instead of sudden fads or outbreaks. Nonetheless, like Díaz and Skubal before him, Snell will undergo surgery on Tuesday, with the expectation that he’ll return this season.

Rangers Place Corey Seager on Injury List by Darragh McDonald [MLB Trade Rumors]

The Rangers announced that shortstop Corey Seager has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 15th, due to lower back inflammation. Infielder/outfielder Michael Helman has been recalled as the corresponding move. Prior to the official announcement, president of baseball operations Chris Young revealed the Seager news on 105.3 The Fan, per Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News and Kennedi Landry of MLB.com noted that Helman was with the club in Colorado.

It’s been a rough campaign for Seager so far. He currently has a batting line of .179/.286/.353. His defensive metrics are also notably worse than last year. He last played on Wednesday, with the back issue keeping him sidelined since then. It was reported yesterday that he had undergone an MRI and would be visiting a specialist. It appears the Rangers decided that he could use a bit more time off. Due to the backdating, he could be back in a week, though it’s unclear if that’s a realistic expectation.

Good morning! Last night’s Mariners win had just about everything: a first inning Julio homer, a wacky obstruction call in the third inning, a dominant Bryan Woo outing, and an incredible moment for Colt Emerson’s first major league hit in the form of a three-run home run.

Bryce Miller will hope to build on the momentum from the 6-1 win as he takes the mound tonight at 6:40 PM against Chicago White Sox LHP Anthony Kay.

In Mariners news…

• Luis Castillo has been moved to the bullpen prior to his “piggyback” start with Bryce Miller. It is assumed that Miller with throw the first four to five innings tonight and Castillo will follow with a few innings of relief.
• The Mariners announced a series of roster moves prior to last night’s game, including Patrick Wisdom’s activation from the IL and Leo Rivas heading back down to Triple-A Tacoma.
• Matt Brash is very close to returning from the IL after a pair of rehab outings in Triple-A Tacoma, and Gabe Speier is reportedly not far behind.

Around the league…

• Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager has been placed on the 10-day IL with lower back inflammation.
• MLB veteran Gio Urshela has announced his retirement from baseball after 10 seasons with eight different teams.
• Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel will be shut down for another 3-6 weeks after injuring his knee while rehabbing his hamstring in Triple-A Charlotte.
• The New York Mets scored a whopping 10 runs in the 12th inning of their 16-7 win over the Washington Nationals last night.
• Somehow, a second team scored 16 runs yesterday as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Baltimore Orioles 16-6 with a season-high 18 hits.
• The Kansas City Royals have placed LHP Kris Bubic on the 15-day IL due to left elbow soreness.
• Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers is seeing drastic improvements at the plate this season after changing multiple aspects of his approach.
• After finding themselves just three outs away from being no-hit, the Los Angeles Angels managed to walk-off the Athletics with a home run from shortstop Zach Neto.

You can’t really call a game in mid-May with the team still in comfortable playoff position and only two games behind the leaders a “must win,” but for vibes reasons, the Yankees sure could’ve used a victory on Monday. They got one, but it was quite the nerve-wracker.

For one, they had to come from behind, taking a lead on a Jazz Chisholm Jr. home run off the foul pole. Then after Sunday’s adventure, they still called on David Bednar for the save, but he made things as stressful as possible before getting Vladmir Guerrero Jr. — of all people — to ground out to end the game.

With the Yankees at least halting their woes for the day, let’s see if the win allowed them to gain any ground anywhere, as it’s time for today’s Rivalry Roundup.

Tampa Bay Rays (31-15) 16, Baltimore Orioles (21-27) 6

Unfortunately for the Yankees, the Rays stayed hot, as they scored early and often to crush the Orioles.

Tampa Bay took an initial lead on Ryan Vilade’s sac fly in the first inning, but they fully broke things open in the second. The Rays batted around, recording five runs on six hits and a walk. The biggest blow came on a two-run double from Johnny DeLuca, which took the lead from four to six.

Baltimore got on the board themselves after that, but the Rays, answered and then kept the offense coming. They cracked double digits by the fifth inning and ended up with 16 runs on 18 hits for the game. Both Yandy Díaz and Junior Caminero had four-RBI days, with Díaz going 4-for-5, while only one Tampa Bay starter failed to reach base at least once.

On the mound, Shane McClanahan wasn’t even particularly good, allowing four runs in five innings. The Orioles’ six runs on 12 hits would be enough to win plenty of games, it just didn’t come particularly close in this one.

Other Games

• Cleveland Guardians (27-22) 8, Detroit Tigers (20-28) 2: While the Tigers struck first, the Guardians slowly and surely pulled away to gain more breathing room in the AL Central. José Ramírez was, well, José Ramírez, going 3-for-4 with a walk and three RBI, including a late home run to put the game away. The Guardians also got 7.1 good innings from Slade Cecconi, who allowed only two runs on five hits.

• Boston Red Sox (20-27) 3, Kansas City Royals (20-28) 1: Willson Contreras’ two-run homer led the way for Boston as they won a low-scoring game over the Royals. Sonny Gray was also solid on the mound for the Red Sox, allowing just one run in six innings, while striking out nine.

• Colorado Rockies (19-29) 7, Texas Rangers (22-25) 6: The Rangers made a charge late, but they ended up falling one run short against the Rockies. Led by Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle, the Rockies jumped out to a 7-3 lead through six innings. Texas chipped away at that deficit in the eighth, getting within one run, and putting the go-ahead run in scoring position, but were unable to complete the comeback.

• Seattle Mariners (23-26) 6, Chicago White Sox (24-23): The Mariners cooled off the hot White Sox thanks to a strong outing from Bryan Woo. The Seattle starter allowed no runs on three hits in six innings, while a three-RBI game from recent call-up Colt Emerson, including his first major league hit/home run, allowed the M’s to win without much trouble.

Welcome to Tuesday everyone!

We were treated to some grade-A pitching last night from young right-hander J.T. Ginn. For eight innings the 26-year-old only allowed one walk while taking a no-hitter into the ninth. We’re going to ignore what happened in the final inning from last night’s game because we can.

That performance dropped Ginn’s season ERA to a nice 2.98 through 11 games. That number alone is good for ninth-best in the American League but his dominance goes deeper than that. One must remember that Ginn didn’t even begin the season in the starting rotation, instead acting as a long man out of the bullpen for the first couple turns through the rotation. If we’re only looking at his starting appearances that number drops to 2.64 in eight starts.

Not a lot of people expected Ginn to take off quite like he has this year. In his first cup of coffee in 2024 he showed glimpses of what had the A’s so high on him. He had some bumps and bruises in his first extended action last year though, going from starter to reliever and back to starter again as a rookie. Not an easy situation for anyone to deal with, especially someone who is still trying to find their footing in the big leagues. Add on top of that Ginn allowing 17 runs in 16 innings of work this spring and no one would blame you for being caught off guard by Ginn’s ascent.

Since getting his shot he’s done what tons of pitchers in this league try and fail to accomplish: take advantage of their opportunity. Ginn could have very easily been a spot-starter had he struggled, with someone like Mason Barnett waiting in the wings for his own chance. Instead he’s relied on terrific command while keeping the ball in the ballpark. The strikeouts aren’t the name of his game as he’s instead relying on that heavy sinker to get the ground balls he wants. That’s especially useful in a hitter’s park like Sutter Health Park.

Going forward it’s good to be hopeful that Ginn has truly unlocked something and this isn’t just a hot streak. Every A’s fan was perfectly happy to let Ginn go for history tonight, pitch count be damned. That said, it may be prudent to keep a handle on his innings count going forward. Acquired in the trade that sent Chris Bassitt to New York, Ginn already has a Tommy John surgery on his ledger and he pitched a career-high 112 1/3 frames last year. He’s already departed one game earlier this year with “arm soreness”.

How high is the limit for Ginn? Scouts always believes he would, at best, settle in as a backend 4th/5th starter type but he’s making everyone rethink that calculus. And if he keeps this up he’s going to be in the rotation long-term, waiting for guys like Gage Jump and Jamie Arnold to hurry up and join him in the big league rotation.

Same time same place for tonight’s game. Have a great day A’s fans.

A’s Coverage:

• A’s Suffer Heartbreaker to Open Road Trip
• ‘Gut-wrenching’: Ginn takes no-no into ninth only to give up walk-off home run
• Athletics Outright Michael Stefanic
• A’s Bullpen, Defense Collapse in Series-Deciding Loss to Giants
• How John Fisher betrayed Oakland (again) by finally spending on the Athletics
• A’s Drop Saturday Contest To Giants 6-4
• Kurtz Blasts the A’s to a 5-2 Victory Over the Giants
• The Giants-A’s rivalry is officially dead
• A’s get lefty reliever Suarez in trade with Mariners
• Bolte Flashes In Athletics’ Win Over Cardinals
• Kurtz shakes off pain, crushes massive grand slam to lift A’s
• A’s roster moves: Bolte, Stefanic recalled; Wilson to IL; Harris optioned, Nuñez DFA’d
• There’s Forcing Your Way Up And There’s Bolte — Is There A Spot For Him?
• May Roster Shuffle Could Help The A’s — But They’d Have To Want It
• Athletics’ Wei-En Lin Continues Rising The Ranks
• Now that we’ve seen a two-way player, what about a three-way player?
• A Walk In The Park Is Nice…To A Point
• Three Things To Watch For The Athletics In May

MLB News and Interest:

• Dodgers’ Glasnow has setback; Snell set for NanoScope procedure
• Yankees consider bringing ace Gerrit Cole back early
• Seager placed on injured list with lower back inflammation
• Houston Astros Activate Star Shortstop Jeremy Peña
• Jake Fraley To Undergo Sports Hernia Procedure
• Rangers’ MacKenzie Gore leaves with muscle tightness in back
• Kyle Teel Shut Down With LCL Sprain
• Nationals To Recall Dylan Crews
• Mets achieve rare extra-inning feat not seen in 43 years
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Injury updates!

A’s injuries:
– Denzel Clarke will continue rehab with Triple-A Las Vegas tomorrow
– Jacob Wilson continues to strenghten and stabilize his shoulder. No timetable for return
– Max Muncy has begun a swing progression. Still no timetable
– Gunnar Hoglund shut down from throwing

— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) May 18, 2026

Updated prospect list:

Baseball America's updated top 10 A's prospects list: 1) SS Leo De Vries, 2) LHP Jamie Arnold, 3) LHP Gage Jump, 4) LHP Wei-En Lin, 5) SS Johenssy Colome, 6) OF Henry Bolte, 7) RHP Braden Nett, 8) SS Edgar Montero, 9) SS Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, 10) OF Devin Taylor

— Bill Moriarity – A's Farm (@AthleticsFarm) May 18, 2026

Stefanic heading down to Triple-A:

Michael Stefanic has been outrighted to Triple-A Las Vegas.

— Jason Burke (@ByJasonB) May 19, 2026

The streak continues:

Nick Kurtz extends his on-base streak to 41 games with a double. That ties Eddie Joost for the fifth-longest single-season streak in A's history.

The longest on-base streak during the 2025 season was also 41 by Kyle Schwarber.

— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) May 19, 2026

It’s pretty good:

Is this good? This seems good 🙌 pic.twitter.com/3s0iQWKcsw

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) May 19, 2026

A’s great Gio Urshela riding off into the sunset:

The Happiest of Fellas and former #Athletics infielder Gio Urshela has announced his retirement from baseball!

The 34 year old concluded his 10-year career, playing 3B for 8 teams.

Congratulations on a great career! pic.twitter.com/RpHOj7YEeK

— SleeperAthletics (@SleeperAth) May 18, 2026

Andrew Friedman got the last laugh last year, and another ring. At the trade deadline, you screamed he had to do SOMETHING BIG to get a left fielder and a closer. He did neither. The Dodgers rode a parade of starters to win Game 7 in Toronto, before they rode in a parade in L.A.

There are few things Friedman despises more than a deadline trade. The price in prospects is too high, the guarantees are too few.

Friedman might well face that same dilemma this year. We are two months from the trade deadline, and he just might need to trade for a starting pitcher by then.

Blake Snell undergoes elbow surgery Tuesday. Tyler Glasnow is back to square one in his recovery from back spasms. The Dodgers believe both will be back by the trade deadline, but you never really know for sure when an injured pitcher will return, and whether he will need some time thereafter to regain his sharpness.

Read more:Dodgers offense falls quiet in loss to Padres: 'Just couldn't get it done'

There is something else Friedman despises: finishing second. It is not just about getting into the playoffs. It is about winning the National League West, with one of the two best records in the league, thus ensuring a first-round bye.

However, in a division race that was projected to be a runaway, the Dodgers find themselves in second place. With a 1-0 loss in San Diego Monday, the Padres leapfrogged the Dodgers for the lead in the NL West.

The Dodgers also figure to have a short time frame to determine whether they might need bullpen help at the trade deadline. The Dodgers have said closer Edwin Díaz is expected to return from elbow surgery sometime after the All-Star break, which would confine that time frame to two weeks, if that.

On Monday, Friedman said he was confident that the three key pitching injuries would not push him toward the July trade market.

“It’s more that the timing of the injuries would be way easier if they were spaced out,” Friedman said in a text message. “Obviously, injuries are part of the game and we can’t be shocked when it happens.

“It’s the overlapping nature that is tough in the moment, but that doesn’t really change July thoughts (at this point) or October outlook.”

In the third week of May, nothing is urgent.

The Dodgers are supplementing where they can, picking up three pitchers cut by their former clubs. The only one with name recognition: Eric Lauer, who posted a 6.69 earned-run average for the Toronto Blue Jays and complained about the team using an opener ahead of him.

The Dodgers can mix and match for awhile, but a team that prides itself on positioning its starters best for October success finds itself in an awkward position.

With Snell and Glasnow out, the Dodgers have little choice but to ask Shohei Ohtani, Justin Wrobleski, Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki to take regular turns. No one but Yoshinobu Yamamoto has done that recently.

“You have to deal with the circumstances that are presented to you,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We’re not pushing any of these guys right now. It could be a different conversation in September.

“Right now, they’ve got to take the baseball. In May, I don’t think it’s much cause for concern.”

Before the season, Fangraphs projected the Dodgers to win the NL West by 15 games, and to finish 17 games ahead of the fourth-place Padres. However, if what we see in the NL West right now is close to what we get all summer, that “different conversation in September” could involve not how to put a starter on a glide path toward October but whether that starter has exhausted himself to the point where he could not be counted on in an unexpected pennant race.

Ohtani is on pace to pitch 149 innings, a figure he last reached in 2022. He pitched 47 last year, none the year before.

Wrobleski is on pace to pitch 171 innings, 39 more than the professional high he set last season. He pitched 117 innings last year.

Read more:Dodgers give injury updates on Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Brusdar Graterol

Sheehan is on pace to pitch 141 innings, 18 more than his professional high. He pitched 93 innings last season, none the year before.

Sasaki is on pace to pitch 137 innings, eight more than his professional high. He pitched 57 innings last season.

Maybe Lauer turns from a Dodger killer into a Dodger asset. Perhaps prospect River Ryan gets promoted into the starting rotation next month and sticks.

But July trades for starting pitchers need not be such a scary proposition. Friedman acquired Yu Darvish at the trade deadline in 2017 and Jack Flaherty at the trade deadline in 2024, and no one in Dodger Land is bemoaning the loss of Willie Calhoun, Trey Sweeney and Thayron Liranzo.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

On Monday night, Athletics starting pitcher J.T. Ginn was cruising. He reached the bottom of the ninth against the Los Angeles Angels without allowing a hit, and had ten strikeouts to his credit as he took the bump to close out the contest.

Six pitches later he had lost the no-hitter, and the game.

Ginn was masterful through the first eight innings, allowing just two batters to reach base, one via a walk and another via a hit-by-pitch. He was also perfect through the first 4.1 innings of the game, the Angels failed to even put a runner on base. As the ninth inning began the Athletics held a slim 1-0 lead, but with Ginn on just 99 pitches and yet to allow a hit, he took the mound hoping to close out his third win of the season, and a no-hitter.

But the tide turned, and rather quickly.

Infielder Adam Frazier, the number nine hitter in the Angels’ lineup, led off the inning and laced an 0-2 pitch low and away over the shortstop’s head for a single, breaking up Ginn’s bid for a no-hitter:

J. T. Ginn loses his no-hit bid in the 9th. pic.twitter.com/iWx2xQOGuA

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 19, 2026

That brought Zach Neto to the plate, the batter that Ginn had plunked in the sixth inning.

Neto got his revenge:

OH MY WORD!!

The Angels had ZERO hits going into the 9th and end up winning on a walk-off homer!! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/rrPLzXwjHo

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 19, 2026

Ginn fell behind in the count 2-0, and Neto drilled a 93-mph sinker low in the zone to deep center field, giving the Angels a 2-1 win.

Had he completed the no-hitter, Ginn would have thrown the first no-no since Shota Imanaga combined with Chicago Cubs relievers Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge for a 12-0 win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 4, 2024.

Instead, he fell to 2-2 on the season with a loss.

Miguel Andujar hit a one out, solo homerun in the bottom of the first inning and Michael King outdueled Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to lead the San Diego Padres to a 1-0 win at Petco Park on Sunday night. Andujar stepped to the plate with one out in the bottom of the second inning and connected on a 2-2 pitch that landed beyond the wall in left-center field to give the Padres an early 1-0 lead. There was no way to know at the time that would be the only run scored in the game.

King had his most impressive start of the season. He pitched seven innings without allowing a run. King scattered four hits, walked two and struck out nine batters. He turned the game over to the bullpen in the top of the eighth inning and Jason Adam pitched one inning, allowing one hit and one walk and Mason Miller closed out the game in the ninth inning after allowing two walks and recording one strikeout.

Rodolfo Duran, who recorded his first hit on a two-run homerun against Seattle over the weekend, did not record a hit in the win over the Dodgers. However, he did contribute on defense with successful ABS challenges and by throwing out two baserunners at second base.

The Padres will have their first chance to win the series when they take on the Dodgers today at 6:40 p.m. in Game 2 of the three-game set.

Padres News:

• Lucas Giolito was impressive in his first start as a member of the San Diego rotation. Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball was impressed by the performance and expects Giolito to get even better with more starts.

• The Padres had a winning week on the road with a 4-2 record, but they did suffer their first series loss of the season, falling to the Milwaukee Brewers two games to one. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball provides highlights from the week.

• Gavin Sheets has been insanely hot at the plate in recent weeks and should remain a constant in the lineup until he cools off. Fernando Tatis Jr. will also remain in the lineup, despite his offensive struggles this season, but he will be moved around the order to try to find a place to get him going.

• The Padres and Dodgers have become the most captivating rivalry in the sport. Every time the two teams get together the games are intense, often close and are discussed in baseball circles for days. Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune says that because San Diego and Los Angeles bring out the best in each other.

Baseball News:

• The Los Angeles Angels were being no-hit by the Athletics – until the ninth. Then the Angels broke up the no-no and earned a win.

• The New York Mets dominated the Washington Nationals in extra-innings to earn a win.

• The Milwaukee Brewers opened their series against NL Central rivals with win.

• The New York Yankees edged the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-6 to open series.

• Bryson Stott helps Philadelphia Philles get fifth consecutive win by beating the Boston Red Sox.

• The Tampa Bay Rays scored 16 runs in win over the Baltimore Orioles.

When it was reported during last night’s game that Dylan Crews was making his way back to the big league club, most assumed the corresponding move would either be an injured list stint for Jacob Young, who wore 93 to the ribs from former Florida Gator teammate Christian Scott, or a DFA’ing of Joey Wiemer, who had performed about as could be expected of a 4th outfielder ever since his absurd start to the year, and also wore a pitch off the wrist in the late innings. As it turns out, the answer was neither, as Brady House was optioned to Triple-A Rochester postgame, and Jacob Young and Joey Wiemer both had negative X-rays and are listed as day to day.

House made improvements with his bat from 2025 to 2026, raising his wRC+ from 56 to 88 while lifting the ball more and chasing a little less, but he was also whiffing more than ever, and his defense went from above average to nearly the worst in baseball, with his 8 errors being tied for the worst in the National League with CJ Abrams. He’ll now join a Rochester lineup which features a red-hot Yohandy Morales, a rebounding Harry Ford, and latest call up Seaver King, among others.

House improved his chase rate and hit the ball in the air more, but was running an abysmal 1st percentile Zone-Contact rate and wasn’t pulling the ball in the air enough. Unlike with Crews, who had demonstrated a hit tool in the past, it’s tough to “fix” the whiff issue for House pic.twitter.com/XncIf9Poqj

— Paul Cubbage (@PaulCubbage23) May 19, 2026

Still just 22 years old, the move to Rochester is a chance for a mental reset and to figure out the holes in his game, much like what Dylan Crews did in the first month and a half of the year. House has the raw power to be at least an average big league hitter one day, but he won’t be able to tap into it consistently enough while he has a 1st percentile zone-contact rate. He also needs to get back to the basics on defense and find whatever worked for him in 2025, as his sluggish bat is an easier pill to swallow when he is a wall at third base.

A multitude of young Nats hitters, such as Dylan Crews and Seaver King, have benefitted from swinging much less in 2026 than ever, and a similar change for Brady House could be beneficial. A more patient approach could help House cut down his chase rate even more and even eliminate some in-zone swing and miss by having House keyhole for pitches he wants early in counts. It’s not an easy fix, as House has spent his entire professional career with a swing-happy approach, but if done right, it could help House drive the ball with authority while also taking more free passes.

For Crews, this big league stint is a massive one for him, as he hasn’t shown much in his first 2 big league seasons to suggest he’s a building block of the Nationals rebuild. His plate approach has looked much improved over the last 2 weeks at Rochester, combining high-end exit velocities with less chase and more in-zone contact, and the result has been some of the best expected numbers in the minors. Hopefully, these changes stick in his transition back to the bigs, and he can show why he was such a hyped prospect coming out of college and into the big leagues in 2024.

Dylan Crews first 5 weeks of the season versus his last 2 weeks? What do you notice? pic.twitter.com/VOQW1XAZ9b

— Paul Cubbage (@PaulCubbage23) May 18, 2026

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This week carries extra weight for me with more on the line, as these home run picks will also go head-to-head with Covers’ Jon Metler in our weekly betting challenge on the Pickoff. There are some strong spots on the board today for both home runs and MLB player props.

For this slate, I’m locking in Christian Walker to do damage in Minneapolis against Zebby Matthews and a vulnerable Twins bullpen. I’m pairing him with earlier plays on Jo Adell and Kody Clemens as part of the card.

These are my favorite MLB home run predictions for Tuesday, May 19. 

Best MLB home run props today

Home run pick: Jo Adell (+350)

If you're betting home runs today, the Los Angeles Angels should be on your card.

A's lefty Jacob Lopez ranks as one of the worst starters on the board with a bottom-50 HR/FB rate and the sixth-worst xFIP among MLB starters. He has allowed multiple home runs in three straight games, right-handed hitters own eight of the 10 homers he has surrendered this year, and he’s backed by a bullpen that gives up home runs at a Bottom-7 rate.

There were a few names worth considering, but I’m landing on Jo Adell, who should hit higher in the order today against the lefty. All six of his home runs this season have come against southpaws, along with a .993 OPS.

Mike Trout(+360) and Zach Neto (+460) were two other names I looked at in a great matchup with 75-degree temperatures and winds blowing out at Angel Stadium.

• Time: 9:38 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ABTV, NBCS-California

Home run pick: Kody Clemens (+499)

With the absences of Byron Buxton and now Ryan Jeffers, Kody Clemens becomes the target for the Minnesota Twins in arguably the best home run matchup on the board today against Lance McCullers Jr., who I have ranked as the worst starter on the slate. He has been giving up long balls, struggling with command, and his BlastContact numbers, along with his HR/FB rate, suggest more damage is on the way.

Clemens hasn’t been putting up Buxtonian numbers, but nobody has. He does have five extra-base hits over his last five games, including a homer, and profiles as the left-handed bat to target against McCullers, who has been giving up home runs to lefties along with a .876 OPS.

The bonus is a Houston Astros bullpen that sits dead last in ERA on the season and has thrown the fourth-most innings. It could also be without two right-handed relievers in A.J. Blubaugh and Jayden Murray.

If McCullers can’t get deep, Jason Alexander and his 14.21 ERA may be forced to eat innings. Finally, 14-mph winds blowing out to center should help both sides in a game that could easily feature four-plus home runs.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Twins.TV, Space City Home Network

Home run pick: Christian Walker (+445)

I need to stay in Minnesota and get some Houston HR shares. Zebby Matthews is a prime candidate for regression after getting promoted off shaky Triple-A numbers and then getting a bit of luck in his season debut last week.

He profiles as a home-run-prone arm in a spot with double-digit winds blowing out, and he’s backed by a bullpen that has already thrown nine innings using eight different arms over the last two days and could be without three or four key relievers today. The Twins' bullpen sits near the bottom of the league in ERA on the season.

Christian Walker already has nearly a dozen home runs on the year and is tracking toward a 30-HR season. His BlastContact metrics over the last two weeks are comparable to Yordan Alvarez, and this is the kind of price I want in a game that could give pitchers whiplash from start to finish.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Twins.TV, Space City Home Network

Today’s HR parlay

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Attleboro (MA) Bishop Feehan High School baseball team is nearing the end of the regular season and has already qualified for the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) postseason behind the left arm of Texas commit Brody Bumila.

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Up against Westwood (Mass.) Xaverian Brothers on Monday night, the Shamrocks’ ace pitcher had another masterpiece before the game went to extra innings. Bumila went nearly seven innings, allowing just one mere hit and struck out 14 batters during his time on the mound. Bishop Feehan ended up winning the contest 5-4 over Xaverian Brothers in 11 innings.

About a week and a half ago, Bumila had his best game of the 2026 Massachusetts high school baseball season, pitching a complete game no hitter and struck out a program-best 20 batters in a 5-1 win over Moses Brown.

The left-handed pitcher committed to the University of Texas baseball back in October of 2024 and is widely expected to be a potential first round draft selection in this summer’s 2026 MLB Draft. Last season Bumila appeared in eight games for Bishop Feehan, batting .296 at the plate, driving in eight runs and two doubles.

There’s been several impressive performances on the mound this season by Bumila for Bishop Feehan. Back in early April in a 6-5 loss to Hopkinton, Bumila returned to the mound for two innings of work and struck out all six batters he faced on 20 pitches. Per reporters on hand for the contest, Bumila reached up to 100 miles per hour on his pitches.

Later on in mid-April, Bumila pitched four perfect innings in a 3-0 win over St. John’s. The victory is the first earned for Bumila on the season after the pitcher went four innings, allowed no hits, runs or walks, striking out nine on 54 pitches, with 35 going for strikes.

Bishop Feehan improved to 14-8 on the season and has two remaining regular season games left versus Attleboro and Taunton, respectively.

Rockies 7, Rangers 6

• Sometimes, you gotta mix it up a little, just to keep people on their toes.
• Take the Rangers, for example.
• The Rangers have gotten us used to close losses where the Ranger pitchers do their job, but the offense lets them down.
• You do that often enough, though, and it becomes rote. Routine. Unremarkable.
• So sometimes, you want to have a game where the offense does good things, but the Rangers still lose by one due to lousy pitching, with some crappy defense mixed in.
• And thus we have this display.
• Texas was down 6-1 after four, with MacKenzie Gore allowing two runs in the first (and being lucky it was only two), then being replaced by Peyton Gray for the second due to left lat tightness.
• It was like 40 degrees in Denver and rainy, so if you’ve got a pitch with tightness or whatever, get him out of the game. It just would’ve been nice if Gore hadn’t been bad in his limited amount of work.
• Gray ended up allowing four runs in his 2.2 innings, with two of those being directly attributable to the defense, with an Ezequiel Duran throwing error and a Josh Jung booted ball leading to two unearned runs.
• Gavin Collyer ended up allowing the final Rockies run in the sixth, which made it what was then a 7-3 game. That run, as it turned out, was kind of important.
• If Corey Seager is going to be on the injured list, its at least helpful for Justin Foscue to hit like Seager.
• In what we could have called the Justin Foscue Game, had the Rangers pulled off the comeback, the forgotten 2020 first rounder went 3 for 3, drew a walk, and was a triple shy of a cycle.
• Ezequiel Duran, who is technically filling in for Seager at shortstop, while Foscue fills in for Duran at second, where Duran has been filling in for Josh Smith, also had three hits. The two combined for six of the ten hits the Rangers had on the day.
• A big, come-from-behind win was in the Rangers’ grasp on Monday. With three runs already in in the inning, Texas had runners on second and third with two outs, but Kyle Higashioka fouled out to end the inning. Jake Burger singled to bring the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth, but Danny Jansen popped out to end the inning.
• I think I’d rather have the hope of a comeback falling short, rather than never come back at all.
• Others may differ.
• Sometimes I will wake up in the morning after a Rangers loss, pull up B-R, look at the standings, and think to myself, hey, the Rangers’ record is a little better than I was thinking it was.
• And then I will realize that B-R just hasn’t updated the standings page yet.
• The Rangers are three games under .500, though they are still just a game back in the American League West, because the American League West is ass.
• The Athletics of Sacramento are still in first place, and still just a game up on the Rangers, because they also lost on Monday.
• Their loss was in a fashion that would be horrific if it happened to us, but which we can laugh at because it happened to a rival.
• The A’s, playing at Anaheim, went into the 9th with the score tied 0-0, and with J.T. Ginn throwing a no-hitter. The A’s scored a run in the top of the ninth, finally giving them the lead, and Ginn, at 99 pitches, was going to get the chance to close it out.
• Adam Frazier led off the bottom of the ninth with a single, busting up the no-hitter.
• Zach Neto then hit a walk off homer.
• Game over, Athletics.
• Like I said, the American League West is ass.
• MacKenzie Gore topped out at 95 mph with his fastball, averaging 94.1 mph, which is 1.3 mph below his average for the season. Peyton Gray’s fastball touched 92.3 mph. Jalen Beeks hit 93.2 mph with his fastball. Gavin Collyer’s sinker maxed out at 96.6 mph. Cole Winn’s fastball hit 95.9 mph. Jakob Junis reached 94.3 mph with his sinker.
• Justin Foscue had a 105.3 mph double, a 103.9 mph home run, and a 102.5 mph double. Ezequiel Duran has a 102.1 mph single. Josh Jung had a 100.7 mph double and a 100.3 mph ground out.
• Its bounceback time, baby. Rangers gonna win on Tuesday.

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The Baltimore Orioles visit the Tampa Bay Rays again tonight, and that matchup will headline my favorite MLB picks today for the "no run first inning" and "yes run first inning" markets.

Here are my best NRFI and YRFI picks for Tuesday, May 19. 

Best NRFI/YRFI bets today

Orioles at Rays: NRFI (-122)

The Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays continue a three-game set tonight after a massive 16-6 blowout for the Rays on Monday. While Tampa has scored in the first inning in two straight contests, they're up against Kyle Bradish here, who owns a perfect 9-0 NRFI/YRFI record this year. His 4.60 ERA doesn't jump off the page, but Bradish seldom gets into trouble in the opening frame. 

As for the Rays, they send Griffin Jax to the mound. He has a respectable 3.91 ERA, and the right-hander hasn't given up a single run in the first inning across four 2026 outings. The Orioles have also come across the plate in the first just eight times in 48 games. 

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN, Rays.TV

Guardians at Tigers: NRFI (-122)

It's a solid pitching matchup on the mound tonight when the Cleveland Guardians take on the Detroit Tigers. Parker Messick has compiled a 2.35 ERA, and he has a perfect 9-0 NRFI/YRFI record.Keider Montero, meanwhile, sports a 3.65 ERA, and he hasn't surrendered a run in the opening inning of any of his eight starts. 

The Guards have been held scoreless in the first inning in three of their last four contests, while Detroit has also failed to score a run in the first inning in three of their last four. The Tigers are also hitting just .217 against left-handed pitchers. 

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Detroit SportsNet, Guardians.TV

Brewers at Cubs: NRFI (-127)

The Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs meet tonight, and it's another intriguing encounter on the hill. Jacob Misiorowski has been lights out with a 2.12 ERA, and he's tossed four straight scoreless first innings. The righty has also only allowed a run in the opening frame twice this season.

As for the Cubbies, they hand the ball to Ben Brown, who has looked impressive since stepping into the rotation, keeping opponents at bay in the first inning in both of his starts.

The Brew Crew is hitting just .214 in the first inning, and they've failed to score in three straight first innings. The Cubbies have been held scoreless in 39 of their 48 games this season, and they're also batting a pedestrian .219 in the first. 

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Marquee Sports Network, Brewers.TV

What is a NRFI bet?

NRFI (No Run First Inning) and YRFI (Yes Run First Inning) bets add a thrilling twist to the start of an MLB game. A NRFI bet is a wager that no runs will be scored in the first inning. You're betting that the starting pitchers for both teams will get through the first inning without allowing any runs, whether by striking out batters, inducing ground balls, or through solid defensive play.

A YRFI bet is the exact opposite. You're betting that at least one run will be scored in the first inning. In this case, you’re hoping for an early offensive burst such as a leadoff walk, a timely hit, or even a home run.

NRFI and YRFI bets add excitement to the early part of a game and offer immediate gratification for bettors looking for a quick resolution.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Welcome back to the Minor League Roundup!

As a reminder, you can find this roundup — covering everything you need to know about each of the Brewers’ minor league affiliates — every Tuesday morning right here on Brew Crew Ball. For consistency, all organizational prospect rankings will reference MLB Pipeline unless otherwise noted.

Triple-A Nashville Sounds (26-19)

Opponent this week: Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs)

Record this week: 6-0

Standout performances:

Luis Lara (No. 5): 9-for-20, 3 RBI, 8 BB, 5 K
Cooper Pratt (No. 4): 8-for-20, 3 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K
Jett Williams (No. 3): 6-for-16, 1 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K
Garrett Stallings: 6 2/3 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Tyson Hardin (No. 17): 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K

Tyson Hardin’s name appearing here isn’t an error on my part — he was promoted to Triple-A Nashville on Sunday. Hardin had been struggling in Double-A, especially compared to his breakout season last year, pitching to a 7.29 ERA over seven starts with the Shuckers. However, his first start with the Sounds was a massive improvement, as Hardin went seven innings while allowing just one earned run against the Iowa Cubs.

Garrett Stallings, Kaleb Bowman, and Thomas Pannone (remember him?), all had scoreless weeks. Robert Gasser, who made his season debut with the Brewers on Sunday, went four innings, allowing one earned run and striking out seven.

Infield prospects Cooper Pratt (.400) and Jett Williams (.375) each had a pair of home runs. After this week, Pratt’s OPS is now up to .745. He’ll have good stretches and bad stretches as the bat continues to develop, but it’s nice to see him raking after a somewhat rough couple of weeks.

Cooper Pratt CRUSHES his third dinger of the year 💣

The @BrewersPD No. 3 prospect sends out a 401-foot homer at 101.1 mph off the bat for the Triple-A @nashvillesounds.

(🎥@nashvillesounds) pic.twitter.com/G5PPaZXhZ8

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) May 16, 2026

Luis Lara continues to do Luis Lara things, reaching base in 17 of 28 plate appearances. Enough said. His breakout is for real; the question is whether or not there’s a spot for him this year. As Pat Murphy has said, Lara will need to play regularly when he comes up, and with Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich back, there’s less room in the lineup than there was a month ago.

Brock Wilken had another down week, bringing his average down to .174 on the season. He struggled to hit for average last year in Double-A, but he was consistently hitting home runs. Those have been hard to come by in Triple-A, as he has just two all season. Jeferson Quero also had an off-week (4-for-21), although he homered and only struck out twice.

BUST OUT THE BROOMS 🧹

Leonard walks it off to secure the series sweep! pic.twitter.com/F8tQtVyKi7

— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) May 17, 2026

Next week’s opponent: @ Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays)

Double-A Biloxi Shuckers (17-21)

Opponent this week: Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays)

Record this week: 3-3

Standout performances:

Mark Coley II: 6-for-16, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K
Mike Boeve: 9-for-25, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K
Mark Manfredi Sr.: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
Manuel Rodriguez: 5IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Tanner Gillis: 4 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Brett Wichrowski: 5 2/3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K

Mike Boeve (.360) and Mark Coley II (.375) were the only Shuckers to hit above .300 this week. Boeve, ranked a top 10 organizational prospect at the start of last season, is quietly heating up — slashing .294/.368/.471 (.839 OPS) in 85 at-bats over the last month. The only Shucker with a higher OPS in as many at-bats is outfielder Damon Keith, who has the second-best OPS (.954) and the best batting average (.305) on the team.

Coley II, signed as a minor league free agent after the Marlins cut him in April, is a new name in the roundup — mostly because he hasn’t done much all year. He had just five hits entering the week, and even after this week, he’s still hitting 11-for-52 (.212) with an OPS under .600. With that being said, his profile is one the Brewers tend to like, so he’s worth keeping an eye on. Coley is a speedster (64-for-75 in steals for his career) who hit .253 over 249 at-bats with the Marlins’ Double-A affiliate last year.

The new No. 1 overall prospect in baseball, Jesús Made, had another bad batting average week (5-for-24), although he did notch his first multi-homer game as a member of the Brewers organization. Dylan O’Rae (5-for-21), Blake Burke (6-for-25), and Keith (5-for-25) all cooled off this week as well.

JESÚS MADE DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR CAR!!

That's 807 feet worth of home runs today for Made!

📻 https://t.co/LIZcF8bIA9
📺 https://t.co/Sk0nI7esYl#ShuckYeah#ThisIsMyCrewpic.twitter.com/4cjKUMykdm

— Biloxi Shuckers (@BiloxiShuckers) May 17, 2026

Manuel Rodriguez, Tanner Gillis, and Brett Wichrowski all showed up in their starts this week. Jaron DeBerry gave up six earned runs over 12 innings, but struck out 18 batters and issued just three walks.

Next week’s opponent: vs. Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox)

High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (20-16)

Opponent this week: South Bend Cubs (Chicago Cubs)

Record this week: 1-4

Standout performances:

Josh Adamczewski (No. 10): 8-for-15, 1 3B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K
Braylon Payne (No. 12): 7-for-17, 3 2B, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K
Daniel Dickinson (No. 28): 4-for-14, 1 2B, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 7 K
Braylon Owens: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Garrett Hodges: 4 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 5 K
J.D. Thompson (No. 14): 4 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Josh Adamczewski hit over .500 on the week and has a 1.038 OPS this season. Nothing out of the ordinary for a guy with one of the prettiest swings in the organization. Hopefully, we’ll get to see him in Double-A this summer.

Braylon Payne hit .412 with a couple of homers. One of them went *checks notes* 460 feet into the right-field bleachers. He’s now up to eight home runs on the season, behind only Andrew Fischer (10).

Braylon Payne NUKE

112.7 MPH, 460 ft pic.twitter.com/jUGx6Nzgpo

— Spencer Michaelis (@smichaelis234) May 16, 2026

Speaking of Fischer (No. 6), he’s the reason Payne didn’t even have the longest homer on the Timber Rattlers this week. Fischer only had one hit this week, a 477-foot nuke of a home run. For what it’s worth, he struck out six times in 14 at-bats — at this point, there’s enough of a sample size to where the strikeouts are more than a little concerning. Still, this is his first full season as a member of the organization, and I have confidence that a guy who had a 14.6% strikeout rate in his final season in college will be able to work out the kinks.

Andrew Fischer just crushed one

108.2 MPH, 477 ft

FWIW, I’m with Chris Mehring on not quite buying that that ball went 477 feet but it was certainly a bomb either way. pic.twitter.com/il93bT7P4T

— Spencer Michaelis (@smichaelis234) May 16, 2026

Other than Adamczewski and Payne, Daniel Dickinson was the only Timber Rattler to hit over .200 this week (min. 10 at-bats). He hasn’t had a great start to the season (.206 batting average, .574 OPS), so hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

Playing time for Dickinson may be slightly harder to come by in the weeks to follow because No. 2 prospect Luis Peña should be back soon. Peña has officially been cleared to play after missing nearly a month due to a scary incident in a game last month. Per Curt Hogg, he is scheduled to join the Arizona Complex League Brewers sometime this week.

It was a rough week for Wisconsin’s pitching staff, which allowed 74 runs in just five games this week, including 24-plus runs in two separate games this week (yes, you read that right). The Timber Rattlers allowed nine runs or more in all four of their losses, winning 11-6 in their fifth game. One of the bright spots on the pitching staff was 2025 10th-rounder Braylon Owens (3.45 ERA in seven appearances), who put together another solid outing. His ERA leads all Timber Rattlers pitchers this season.

Former second-rounder J.D. Thompson also pitched well after getting lit up for four runs over two innings in his last outing. One really can’t put too much stock in Thompson’s ERA (6.00) given that he’s only pitched nine innings this year, and the underlying stats actually look really good. He hasn’t allowed more than two hits or walks in any outing this year and is striking out more than a batter per inning. Keep an eye on him as he starts to get comfortable in High-A.

Next week’s opponent: @ Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles Dodgers)

Single-A Wilson Warbirds (19-19)

Opponent this week: Hill City Howlers (Cleveland Guardians)

Record this week: 4-2

Standout performances:

Pedro Ibarguen: 5-for-11, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K
Brady Ebel (No. 13): 7-for-21, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 4 BB, 4 K
Jose Meneses: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Enderson Mercado: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

Brady Ebel bounced back this week, leading the Warbirds in hits with seven. Nineteen-year-old Pedro Ibarguen, someone I said to keep an eye on a few weeks ago, is now hitting .353/.433/.510 over the last month in his first full season in Single-A. He’s been with the organization since 2023, when he was signed as an international free agent, but is still super young and looks to be developing into a productive player in Wilson.

Another position player who I haven’t given much love to this year is outfielder Jose Anderson, also 19, who hit another home run this week to bring his season total to eight. Anderson is hitting just .172 with a .276 OBP, but he leads the Warbirds in home runs and is tied for second with seven doubles. He needs just three more home runs to tie his career high, set last year in over 200 more plate appearances.

Your League Leader…#TakeFlight | #WelcomeToWilsonpic.twitter.com/3bijdNEFDe

— Wilson Warbirds (@wilsonwarbirds) May 15, 2026

Wilson’s hitting stats weren’t particularly gaudy, but a couple of pitchers put together great weeks. Jose Meneses made two scoreless appearances, allowing six hits but striking out five over 5 2/3 innings. Meneses, a 21-year-old lefty, now has a 1.80 ERA through 20 innings. Enderson Mercado went six innings while allowing four hits and a lone earned run. Jarrett Bonet, named the organization’s Pitcher of the Month in April, allowed four earned runs on four hits in 5 1/3 innings while striking out eight.

Next week’s opponent: vs. Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles)

Player of the Week

Jett Williams, who had a 1.628 OPS this week and a .981 OPS — with five home runs — over the last month. If the Brewers decide they want more offense out of the left side of the infield than Luis Rengifo, Joey Ortiz, and David Hamilton are currently providing, the versatile Williams figures to be the next man up. He probably wouldn’t be the everyday shortstop, but a super-utility role — one that gets his bat in the lineup more often than not — isn’t out of the question. Even if he doesn’t reach the majors until later this season, it’s encouraging to see the Brewers’ No. 3 prospect heating up after a slow start.

Going on a TRIP?
Get a Jett!
First 3 bags checked for free! pic.twitter.com/0q3bD8fxT3

— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) May 17, 2026

Gotta Jett, BRB.🛫

2 homers and eight runs in the 1st. pic.twitter.com/yYiv5E0L4m

— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) May 17, 2026

Play of the Week

It’s only May, but Jordyn Adams may have already made the play of the year:

WHAT AN ENDING. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/1om47ffYOO

— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) May 15, 2026

Yesterday, the Orioles announced the return of infielder Jackson Holliday to the roster. Holliday’s activation ends a 3+ month stint on the IL after surgery to repair a broken hamate bone in his right hand. Originally, the expectation was that the former No.1 overall pick would make his return sometime in mid-April. Then again, the expectation was also that this Orioles team would be distinctly better than last year’s squad. Neither has come true, as Holliday rejoins an O’s team that is struggling to get back to .500 and stay within striking distance of a Wildcard spot.

When the news of Holliday’s injury was announced back in February, the Orioles were losing their starting 2B and a high-upside player who could add length to a reimagined lineup. Now, Holliday is coming back to uncertainty; no one can be sure if he’ll make this lineup better or if the lineup really needs him.

Part of the reason it took so long for Holliday to make it back to the big leagues was a prevailing feeling of him “just not being right” throughout his minor league rehab assignments. Through 11 games with Norfolk to begin his rehab season, he was hitting .167 with a .453 OPS and 12 Ks. Those struggles led the O’s to recall him to Baltimore to reset, and then send him on a two-game rehab assignment with High-A Frederick. After some good swings with Keys, he returned to Norfolk, only for a 1st-inning strikeout (where he was visibly in pain) to put him back on the shelf after one AB.

After a 15-day break from rehab games, Holliday went 0-for-6 in three games with the Baysox, before finishing his final rehab stint in Norfolk with a four-game hit streak. Those last four games with the Tides saw Holliday hit a go-ahead home run and a triple to the deepest part of the park. That power surge was apparently all the Orioles needed to see, as a day later, he was back on the active roster.

JACKSON HOLLIDAY HITS THE GO-AHEAD HOME RUN IN THE 9TH!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/uZeICQWVjQ

— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) May 17, 2026

Even with the recent announcement that Jordan Westburg will miss the entire 2026 season due to Tommy John surgery, fitting Holliday into the current infield mix isn’t straightforward. Jeremiah Jackson seemingly had a vice-grip on the starting 2B role after a hot start to the season. Through his first 21 games of the season, Jackson was slashing .296/.311/.535 with 5 HR and 17 RBI.

However, in 75 ABs since then, Jackson has gone from offensive revelation to struggling to hold on to his place in the lineup. After last night’s game against Tampa, Jackson is hitting .213 with a .307 slugging percentage and an OPS below .600. Jackson’s recent offensive downturn has him looking a lot like last year’s Jackson Holliday.

Jeremiah Jackson still has an edge defensively; he’s proven to be an above-average defender, while Jackson Holliday has shown to be a below-average defender through 200+ major league games. It’s possible that Craig Albernaz could platoon the two players, as JJ has a .707 OPS against LHPs this season, while Holliday posted a .735 OPS against RHPs in 2025.

At one point, there was also a thought that Holliday could help bolster their options at 3B—whether that meant the 22-year-0ld would play the hot corner himself or slide Gunnar Henderson to third and play Holliday at SS. A potential stumbling block to that proposition was the fact that Holliday had never played 3B in the majors, and only 38 career minor league innings at the hot corner.

The recent play of Coby Mayo may make the whole idea completely moot, however. Mayo was once the poster child for the greater struggles of the Orioles, as he struggled at the plate and in his attempt to adapt to life as a full-time MLB 3B. However, since his 9th-inning error cost the Orioles a loss in Miami, Mayo has been a different player. In his last 10 games, the 24-year-old is hitting .281 with a .529 slugging percentage, a current five-game hit streak and some moonshot home runs.

This one is definitely gone. pic.twitter.com/tThiUWVkIX

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) May 17, 2026

Mayo is in a group of Orioles, with Samuel Basallo, Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso, who all possess truly elite bat speed and raw power. We’re finally seeing him tap into that power with more consistent contact rates, and that means Mayo needs to remain in the lineup.

With Holliday, Craig Albernaz and the greater Orioles’ organization face the same dilemma they’ve stared down with Mayo, Colton Cowser and (to a lesser extent) Samuel Basallo. Through 200+ games and 850+ MLB ABs, Holliday has shown himself to be an aggressively average major league player. In terms of on-field output, Holliday’s career is closer to a utility player like Blaze Alexander rather than a star like Gunnar Henderson.

And yet, we can’t forget that this is a 22-year-old, former No.1 overall pick and former No.1 prospect in all of baseball. Just because Holliday hasn’t yet lived up to the talent that he displayed in the minors does not mean he is doomed to always be a league-average offensive player. Albernaz & Co. almost have to play him if for no other reason than he offers higher upside than Jeremiah Jackson, Alexander or any other option at 2B.

In all likelihood, Jackson Holliday’s reintegration into the lineup will not substantially change the fortunes of this baseball team any time soon. In fact, the change may not even be noticeable. But this Orioles team needs to start building momentum with small improvements and changes that give them a higher ceiling. And because of his immense untapped talent, Holliday will get the chance to contribute to those incremental improvements and steady raising of this team’s ceiling.

Good morning.

Shawn McFarland writes that poor defense was the main culprit for the Texas Rangers dropping the series opener against the Colorado Rockies.

McFarland writes that Josh Jung in particular felt responsible for the defeat to Colorado after Jung’s error led to two runs scoring in a one-run loss.

Kennedi Landry writes that the game felt adverse from the start as Texas lost MacKenzie Gore to a muscle ailment after just one inning in the chilly conditions.

McFarland notes that Gore didn’t seem to think his injury was serious but the lefty will surely require more monitoring.

In addition to whatever the heck happened to Gore, Landry notes that Corey Seager finally landed on the IL proper yesterday after already missing several games with a back issue.

And, Matt Snyder has a power rankings for CBS sports but it’s mostly about how teams leaguewide have been bad and/or disappointing in what has been a very unusual season thus far.

Have a nice day!