Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell is set to undergo surgery next Tuesday to remove loose bodies from his elbow, according to manager Dave Roberts, but there is optimism he could return sooner than the 2-3 months such procedures typically require.
While the exact nature of the operation Snell will have next week is still being determined, multiple sources told The California Post that there is hope he will be able to utilize a new medical technology called the NanoNeedle Scope 2.0 — which is a smaller version of a typical arthroscope that allows for less invasive procedures and a potentially faster recovery time.
The Dodgers’ Blake Snell hopes to return sooner than expected after having surgery next week. AP
On May 6, two-time reigning American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal became the first known major-league pitcher to have such a procedure, which was performed by renowned sports surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache (who is the Dodgers’ head team physician and will also perform Snell’s surgery).
Already, Skubal is back to playing catch. And according to The Post’s Jon Heyman, he could return in as little as six weeks.
Snell’s exact timeline won’t be clear until his surgery is completed, according to sources. But Roberts said “it’s supposed to be a lot quicker recovery,” citing the surgical options that would be available for the 33-year-old pitcher.
Snell had a more traditional loose-body removal to address the same elbow problem in 2019 while he was playing with the Rays. That year, he missed two months before returning to the mound.
Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz also had loose bodies removed from his elbow last month. He is expected to be sidelined until the second half of the year.
The reason Snell’s current situation makes him a candidate for the NanoNeedle procedure, one source said, is because of where the loose bodies in his elbow are located.
As ElAttrache explained in an interview with The Athletic while discussing Skubal’s recent surgery, the NanoNeedle method also has little downside. If it’s unable to remedy the problem, a traditional arthroscope can still be used instead.
Snell will certainly be hoping to return as fast as possible.
Already this year, he had missed more than a month to begin the campaign while recovering from offseason shoulder fatigue, which stemmed from a shoulder injury that cost him four months during his debut campaign with the Dodgers in 2025.
He only made his season debut last weekend, pitching three innings in a loss to the Atlanta Braves.
While the Dodgers had Snell take his time with his build-up process this year –– hoping to avoid another elongated absence like he experienced last year –– the left-hander ultimately returned to the active roster a week sooner than expected, skipping a final scheduled minor-league rehab outing after Tyler Glasnow went on the injured list with back spasms.
Snell and Tyler Glasnow’s injuries have caused a pitching crunch for the Dodgers, who are down to five healthy starters. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Now that they are without both Snell and Glasnow, the Dodgers are facing their first true pitching crunch of the season, down to just five healthy starters.
They are hopeful of getting Glasnow back in the somewhat near future, though he has been limited to only flat-ground catch play in recent days and likely remains at least a couple weeks away from returning.
Former top prospect River Ryan is their best option to call up from Triple-A. But he recently missed a month on the minor-league injured list with a hamstring problem and has made just three outings this year in his return from a Tommy John surgery.
Thus, the Dodgers might have to roll with just a five-man rotation for now — which presents complications as they work around the roughly one-start-per-week schedule of their three Japanese pitchers: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki and Shohei Ohtani.
It could result in an added short-term strain on their bullpen, which had to cover all nine innings of Friday’s game after Snell was scratched.
But if things go as the Dodgers hope, Snell might not be out as long as initially feared, raising the possibility of their pitching staff getting back to full strength at some point this summer.
“He said he was just excited to have a date on the calendar [for the surgery],” Roberts said of Snell, whom he has communicated with via text, “to get it taken care of, get back to playing catch and getting back to joining us.”
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José Berríos’ delayed start to the season could turn into a full missed season.
The Blue Jays’ right-hander, who has been sidelined since elbow inflammation was first detected as he geared up to pitch for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, will undergo surgery Wednesday to repair a stress fracture and loose bodies in his elbow.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Dr. Keith Meister will also evaluate Berríos for possible ligament damage.
Berríos is expected to miss at least a couple of months, which could turn into the entire season if worst-case fears are realized or if the Blue Jays are out of the playoff hunt when he could return.
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher José Berríos throws a pitch during the second inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on March 25, 2025. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
“There may be some ligament stuff going on,” Schneider said. “They’re going to figure that out when they’re in there.”
Berríos made four rehab starts at Triple-A but was shut down after experiencing discomfort during his May 3 outing.
“There’s always risk with pitchers,” Schneider said. “Even if they’re healthy as can be, there’s always risk. That’s a risk that both he and we accepted when we said, ‘Keep throwing.’”
It’s essentially a continuation of a frustrating eight months for Berríos, who was 9-5 in 31 appearances for the Blue Jays last season.
But he landed on the injured list in September and missed the playoff run to the World Series due to elbow inflammation.
Berríos has an opt-out clause in his contract that could be exercised after this season.
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jose Berrios reacts after giving up a two-run home run to Philadelphia Phillies’ Kody Clemens during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Philadelphia. AP Photo/Matt Slocum
He has two years and $48 million remaining on his contract.
Considering the uncertainty of his health, it seems unlikely that Berríos would opt out even if he does end up making his season debut.
The Blue Jays’ rotation already is without Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer and Cody Ponce.
Berríos, 31, has been a model of stability during an era of heightened arm injuries.
He made at least 30 starts in each of the last seven 162-game seasons and 12 in the shortened 60-game season in 2020.
While the Yankees and Mets faced off in Queens on Saturday night, Gerrit Cole had his own version of a Subway Series matchup in a rehab start for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre against Syracuse.
The right-hander looked the best he has in the minors as he nears a return to the major leagues following Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss all of the 2025 season.
Cole allowed just one run on six hits over 86 pitches through 5.1 innings of work. He struck out six and walked one, while averaging a 97.0 mph fastball and topping out at 99.6 mph, per YES Network's Conor Foley.
Manager Aaron Boonehad said Friday that Cole was expected to make two more starts in the minor leagues before he comes back to New York. And based on Saturday's performance, it appears the 35-year-old is feeling ready.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 05: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Prince Louis of Cambridge attends the Platinum Pageant on The Mall on June 5, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I was pretty excited about this game, after our offense suddenly found itself in the same ballpark as our defense and our pitching last night. Eduardo Rodriguez, my favorite hologram—everybody’s favorite hologram, actually—was going for us after nearly pitching a complete game in his last outing versus the Mets, while the Rockies had Tomoyuki Sugano, a second-tier Japanese import who made his major league debut last year at age 35 as a member of Baltimore’s undistinguished starting rotation, taking the mound for them. Per DBE’s invaluable series preview, this game looked like it would be the toughest of the series, but after last night’s game, I liked our odds.
But baseball is a funny game, and it will disappoint you sometimes.
Things seemed to be starting off on a good note for us, with Ketel Marte seeing five pitches to lead off the game before sending a rocket of a line drive into right where it was, for once, not caught by a defender who was exactly in the right place, but instead dropped for a single! Sadly, however, Corbin Carroll then swung at the first pitch he saw, lining it hard to second base and doubling off Ketel. This was made even more painful when Geraldo Perdomo lined a hard single to center that could have probably scored Marte, had Marte still been on base, which he was not. Gerry stole second base, at least, before Nolan Arenado flied out to left for the third out.
ERod, meanwhile, had a distinctly rough go of it in his first inning of work. He was greeted with a single, a ground rule double that bounced over the left field wall, and an RBI single to center that brought in the first run of the ballgame before he had even recorded his first out. A second RBI single with one out brought in a second run, and while he struck out the next two batters to end the frame, the Rockies had hung 31 pitches on him already and two Colorado runs were already in. 2-0 Colorado
Happily, however, at Coors two runs doesn’t tend to mean a whole lot, as we got one of the runs back right away. Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. went opposite field for a one-out double to left in the top of the second, and Jose Fernandez singled to right to advance Lourdes to third. Brian McCann came to the plate, and Fernandez broke for second. Rockies’ catcher Hunter Goodman threw to second, and as soon as he popped up Lourdes broke for home plate. Jose beat the throw to second for our second stolen base of the game, and Lourdes, somewhat surprisingly, beat the throw back to Goodman for our third stolen base and our first run. Baseball really is crazy sometimes….if you tell me that you had “Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. steals home” on your bingo card, I will know that you are lying:
McCann eventually lined out to center, allowing Fernandez to take third, but Ryan Waldschmidt struck out looking to leave him standing there. 2-1 Colorado
ERod’s rough time continued in the bottom of the second, with a leadoff double to Rockies’ third baseman Kyle Karros, followed immediately by old friend Jake McCarthy singling to left to drive Karros in. Perhaps because he felt bad about it, but more likely because he is still Jake McCarthy and so he will do boneheaded things, Jake tried to stretch his single into a double, and was thrown out easily by Gurriel. The Colorado lineup turned over, and Eddie allowed another single, but then he got his act together and shut that business down. 3-1 Colorado
After that, not much happened for awhile. We got runners on base in the third and fourth, but left them there on base with nothing to show for it. Hologram Eddie finally stabilized, putting up zeroes and actually recording a perfectly clean 12-pitch inning in the fourth. Finally, in the top of the fifth, it seemed like our bats might finally get going in earnest, as the top of our lineup came to the plate for the third time and greeted Sugano with back-to-back doubles by Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll. Ketel’s was particularly crazy to me, as he hit it to pretty much straightaway center and it bounced over the wall for a ground rule double. Carroll’s sounded like it was maybe a home run off the bat, but wound up hitting maybe two thirds of the way up Coors Field’s tall right field wall:
A one-pitch lineout by Perdomo and an Arenado ground ball to first ended the threat right there, but at least we’d scratched out another run, right? 3-2 Colorado
Well, that was pretty much all she wrote, at least in terms of our offense. The Colorado bullpen got involved after the fifth inning, and an assortment of arms you’ve likely never heard of put up zeroes the rest of the way. ERod wound up getting through five innings for us, and even coming out to record the first out of the sixth, before giving way to our bullpen, which did a comparably good job, with one glaring exception.
Brandyn Garcia came out to start the bottom of the eighth, and I guess the thin air in Denver really did not agree with him, as he utterly failed to record an out. The first three batters to face him went single-walk (of the unsightly four-pitch variety)-single to load the bases, and then he hit Colorado DH Mickey Moniak to bring the Rockies’ fourth run across the plate. So out came Garcia, and in came Kevin Ginkel with nobody outs and the bases loaded.
And that brings us to what has to be the real highlight of this game: Ginkel was masterful in getting out of the mess with no further damage. First he induced a grounder to second from Ezequiel Tovar. Ildemaro Vargas threw home to get the lead runner, Brian McCann threw quickly to first to force Tovar for the unusual 4-2-3 double play. It was actually called that way, too, on the field, but the Rockies challenged and replay clearly showed that McCann’s hurried throw pulled Fernandez off the bag. So Ginkel shrugged, struck some dude out on four pitches, and then got Kyle Karros to ground out for the third out of the inning and keep the score within reach as we went to the top of the ninth. 4-2 Colorado
As you know by the headline, we did not finish things off heroically, as much as I would have liked to see that happen. To their credit, though, we did show some fight in the ninth against former Rockies starter and apparently now Rockies bullpen power arm (?!?) Antonio Senzatela, who apparently can hit 99 on the radar gun now that he’s no longer having to try to pitch 5+ innings at Coors. Ryan Waldschmidt stroked a one-out single to left to bring up Ketel Marte as the tying run. Marte, happily, didn’t try to hit himself a six-run dinger, but instead took what Senzatella gave him, which was a four-pitch walk to bring the winning run to the plate with one out. Sadly Corbin Carroll struck out looking after running the count full, to bring Perdomo to the plate with a chance to be the big damn hero. Gerry, to his credit, fought mightily after falling behind in the count early, fouling off five straight pitches at one point and then, finally, on the tenth pitch of his at bat….flying out lazily to center field.
I mention this, though, because at the risk of offering up another bit of “well, the offense isn’t there yet but they’re showing signs of turning a corner” commentary, this was the first game in awhile in which I’ve seen our hitters, especially those at the top of the order, take patient at bats and see a lot of pitches:
Marte had a six-pitch AB to start the ballgame;
Carroll saw seven in the course of drawing a one-out walk in the third;
Perdomo had pretty short ABs for most of the game, but perhaps made up for it with the ten pitches he saw as he was recording the final out of the game;
Arenado saw six pitches each in two different ABs;
Gurriel hit his second inning double on the sixth pitch of his AB, and hit a two-out single on the eighth pitch of his AB in the top of the eighth;
Ryan Waldschmidt drew a six-pitch walk in the seventh.
My point is that, while the results weren’t there in terms of what you will see in the box score, I feel at least like it’s very good to see our batters not just flailing at the first or second or third pitch, plate appearance after plate appearance. I hope that will continue, and I hope that, if it does, we’ll eventually start seeing better results. Here’s hoping, anyway.
Positive Contributors: None, as no player, pitcher or hitter, managed better than Ketel Marte’s +7% WPA Negative Contributors: The offense (33 AB, 9 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 4 K, -54% WPA)
As dismal as this game was, it was broadly reflected by the attendance and engagement in today’s Gameday Thread, which at time of writing has a whopping 98 comments (and I’m pretty sure half of them were mine, because I needed to do something to entertain myself while watching the game). As above, so below, or something like that. In any event, a handful of comments did manage to go what passes for Sedona Red these days, so by popular acclaim CotG goes to AZNailgal520 for this disappointingly apt assessment of our backup catcher’s recent contributions:
It is sad but true. Anyway.
Tomorrow is the rubber match, as we try to secure what feels like it would be our first series win in awhile. Michael Soroka takes the mound for the Snakes, while Michael Lorenzen goes for Colorado. First pitch is scheduled once again for 12:10pm AZ time. Join us if you feel so inclined.
As always, thanks for reading. As always, go Diamondbacks!
The San Francisco Giants, fourth in the NL West with a 18-27 record, face the Athletics, who are first in the AL West with a 23-21 record. The Athletics are favored with a -136 moneyline compared to the San Francisco Giants' +115. Starting pitchers are Trevor McDonald for San Francisco, with a 2.92 ERA, and Luis Severino for the Athletics, with a 4.07 ERA.
The Los Angeles Dodgers meet the Los Angeles Angels in the freeway series. The Los Angeles Dodgers are favored with a -139 moneyline compared to the Los Angeles Angels' +117. Starting pitchers are Justin Wrobleski for the Dodgers, with a 2.42 ERA, and José Soriano for the Angels, with a 1.66 ERA.
How to watch Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Los Angeles Angels
Date: Saturday, May 16
Time: 9:38 p.m. ET / 6:38 p.m. PT
Where: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA
TV Channels: Angels Broadcast Television, KCOP 13, SportsNet LA
New York Yankees pitcher Elmer Rodríguez reacts on the mound in the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium on May 5, 2026.
Elmer Rodríguez is headed back to the Yankees rotation, at least for a little while.
The Yankees placed left-hander Max Fried on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a left elbow bone bruise and recalled Rodríguez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Rodríguez will now face the Mets Sunday, with Ryan Weathers pushed to Monday against the Blue Jays in The Bronx, followed by Will Warren on Tuesday.
With Gerrit Cole making another minor league rehab start Saturday night for SWB — and Aaron Boone indicating Friday that the ace would likely make at least another start before returning from Tommy John surgery — Rodríguez will fill in for Fried until Cole is back.
New York Yankees pitcher Elmer Rodríguez reacts on the mound in the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium on May 5, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
Rodríguez previously replaced Luis Gil in the rotation prior to Carlos Rodón’s return from his own IL stint.
It’s unclear how much time Fried will miss, since the bone bruise diagnosis was an “initial finding” from a Thursday MRI and CT scan.
The imaging was also sent to surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, which was expected to be due diligence rather than a concern about a more serious injury, since Fried said his ulnar collateral ligament was not injured.
As for Cole, Saturday marked the 30th day of his rehab assignment, which is normally the maximum allowed for pitchers coming off the IL, but that can be extended after Tommy John surgery.
Rodríguez allowed five runs in 8 ⅔ innings in his two previous starts with the Yankees.
May 16, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Andrew Kittredge (39) reacts after giving up a three run home run to Washington Nationals center fielder Jacob Young (30) during the seventh inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images
After coming inches away from tying the game in the top of the 7th, a seven-run bullpen blowup in the bottom of the inning sunk the Orioles, leading to a 13-3 loss to the Nationals in DC.
The Orioles offense finally came alive in the 7th after a lackluster first six inning for the Baltimore bats. Trailing 4-0, Samuel Basallo put the O’s on the board with his sixth home run of the season. The burly backstop turned on a first-pitch sweeper from Nationals’s starter Cade Cavalli, sending a screaming line drive over the right field fence for a solo blast. Tyler O’Neill then followed the rookie’s lead, blasting a middle-middle Cavalli fastball into the left field bleachers to cut the Washington lead to 4-2.
The Orioles then sent all of Birdland on an emotional rollercoaster. After Leody Taveras reached on a ground ball sinlge, it looked like Coby Mayo tied the game on a towering fly ball to left. However, the blast was said to have crossed the foul pole just inches into foul territory. Mayo would go onto strikeout, before Jeremiah Jackson barely missed a game tying home run on his own—with a deep fly ball to left center that was run down by Nats center fielder Jacob Young.
The O’s would manufacture their third run of the inning. Gunnar Henderson walked to move Taveras to second, and then Taylor Ward bounced a single through the left side to bring home Taveras and make the score 4-3. The rally would end there, though, as Adley Rutschman lined out to short to strand both runners and leave him 0-for-4 on the day.
If the called back, would-be Mayo homer was slightly deflating, what happened in the bottom of the 8th was Austin Hays stamping on a beach ball. Keegan Akin took over for Deitrich Enns, walked James Wood to lead off the inning before the wheels completely fell off with one out. Pinch hitter Brady House doubled to left to score Wood and then moved to third on a CJ Abrams single. Daylen Lile then bounced a ball to a drawn in Gunnar Henderson, who tried to gun down House at the plate, only for Rutschman’s tag to catch him a fraction of a second late.
Akin then walked the bases loaded before giving up a two-run single to Keibert Ruiz to give Washington an 8-3 lead. Andrew Kittredge then entered trying to put out the fire, but only added fuel to the flames. In a perfect metaphor for Baltimore afternoon, Kittredge almost struck out Young only for strike three to be overturned on an ABS challenge. The very next pitch, Young blasted a hanging slider to left for a three-run homer and an 11-3 lead. House would then add long ball in the 8th, blasting a two-run shot off reliever Josh Walker.
The Orioles found themselves down early thanks to another shaky outing from starter Chris Bassitt. The 12-year vet came into Saturday’s start vs. the Nationals having never allowed an earned run against the Orioles’ southern neighbors in 21 career innings. However, like we’ve seen too many times this season, Bassitt was undone by a bad 2nd inning.
Bassitt breezed through the 1st inning, setting down the top of the Nats’ order on just nine pitches. However, the 37-year-old righty came into his outing vs. Washington with an 11.25 2nd-inning ERA, and that number only got worse after the second frame in DC. Abrams led off the bottom of the 2nd with a double on a ball hit down the first base line before kicking off a corner in foul territory. Nasim Nuñez then worked a one-out walk to give the Nationals two runners on. Bassitt then left an 0-1 cutter up and over the plate to Ruiz, who blasted it just over the fence and into the right field bullpen for a three-run homer.
Former All-Stars Abrams and Wood would then combine to grow the Nationals’ lead in the 3rd. The towering Wood just missed a home run to start the inning, flicking a 105 mph double off the top of the left field wall for a lead-off double. Bassitt almost got out of the jam after getting a pop-up and a groundout from Luis García Jr. and José Tena. However, Abrams would tag the veteran right again, lining a 1-2 sinker into the left-center gap for a double that pushed the lead to 4-0.
Bassitt would rebound to keep Washington scoreless across his final two frames. In the 4th, the O’s starter finally posted another 1-2-3 inning after a pair of fly outs to left and a 3-1 groundout. It then looked like the righty’s afternoon was going to get really ugly after he loaded the bases with no outs in the 5th. Bassitt showed his veteran savy, however, punching out Tena before getting Abrams to pop up and Lile to ground out to strand all three runners.
The 2nd inning long ball still doomed it to being another example of Bad Bassitt that Birdland has seen far too often. Bassitt came into Saturday with four starts of one or zero earned runs, and four starts of 4+ earned runs. After finishing with a final line of 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1 BB and 4 K on Saturday, Bad Bassitt has taken the lead in his weird Jekyll and Hyde impersonation.
Early on, the Orioles continued to squander prime running scoring opportunities. In the 1st, Taylor Ward reached on a single slashed to right center. Pete Alonso then moved him into scoring position on a hard-hit, two-out single up the middle. Samuel Basallo had a chance to give the O’s an early lead, and got ahead 3-1, but ended up striking out on a 3-2 curveball.
The 2nd saw a similarly promising rally die from a lack of clutch hitting. Leody Taveras started the ill-fated rally with a one-out single and then stole second to get into scoring position. Coby Mayo looked to break the 0-0 deadlock, sending a laser-beam single to left. However, the 107-mph base hit was hit so hard that Taveras had to hold at third. Nine-hitter Jeremiah Jackson then grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to strand Taveras and erase another run-scoring opportunity.
The win snaps a 15-game losing streak for the Nationals in games where a win would give them a .500 record. The last such win for Washington came on May 14th, 2024.
The loss drops the O’s to a 1-4 record in their last five games in DC, and 1-7 against the Nationals over the last two seasons. Baltimore will try to get back in the win column tomorrow, with Brandon Young taking the mound for a 1:35pm ET start.
The Mets expect Clay Holmes will return to pitch this season, but the team needs to fill plenty of starts until then.
Without providing a firm timeline Saturday, manager Carlos Mendoza indicated the veteran right-hander will need at least six weeks for his fractured right fibula to heal before potentially beginning a full spring training buildup that would allow him to return in the second half.
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Holmes remained in the game to finish the fourth inning and pitch into the fifth before finally succumbing to the discomfort.
Mendoza said he learned from the trainer in the seventh inning that Holmes had sustained the fracture.
Clay Holmes is going to the IL with a fractured fibula. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
“We felt it,” Mendoza said. “[Friday] night was tough. We have been hit a lot this year with a lot of our superstars, with a lot of key players, but this one felt different. Today walking around the clubhouse and understanding that we lost a big part of our team and they understand the responsibility.”
Holmes, who was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday, owns a 2.39 ERA in nine starts this season.
He became the second member of the Mets rotation that began the season (Kodai Senga is the other) to land on the IL.
The Mets recalled reliever Joey Gerber to fill Holmes’ roster spot, but will need a starter for Wednesday in Washington.
Options include Zach Thornton, Jack Wenninger and Jonah Tong at Triple-A Syracuse.
Internally, the Mets could stretch out Tobias Myers, who has emerged as a valuable bullpen piece.
Mendoza confirmed Myers is a consideration, adding that it would be difficult to remove him from the bullpen because of his versatility, whether pitching in long relief, as an opener or in a save situation.
Zach Thornton (21) of the New York Mets delivers a pitch during a spring training game against the Miami Marlins on March 9, 2026 at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The right-hander earned his first major league save in Arizona on the Mets’ last road trip.
The lefty Thornton impressed Mets officials during spring training and has pitched to a 3.16 ERA in seven starts for Syracuse.
In his most recent start, Thornton pitched six shutout innings Friday and aligns perfectly to start in Holmes’ spot.
Senga, who has been sidelined for the last three weeks with lumbar spine inflammation, is set to begin throwing live batting practice in Port St. Lucie, according to Mendoza.
Sean Manaea, who has been banished to the bullpen in a mop-up role, is also part of that conversation.
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The Mets will not only miss Holmes’ right arm, but the presence he brings to the clubhouse as a veteran leader.
“It’s a combination of a lot of things,” Mendoza said when asked to elaborate on why losing Holmes felt different than other injuries that have hit the Mets. “Not only the injury, but what Clay means to this team, not only on the field but off the field, the competitor, the person, the human, what it means to that clubhouse and what it means to the team and the rotation. That is why [Friday] felt different.”
Memories of that one-two punch rushed back Friday when the two sluggers embraced on the field during the Subway Series opener at Citi Field.
But what Judge is doing with his current left-handed teammate also has been special.
With Judge and Ben Rice seemingly going deep on a daily basis, they entered Saturday as only the second pair of teammates in franchise history to have hit at least 14 home runs in the Yankees’ first 45 games of a season.
The first?
Ben Rice (22) and Aaron Judge are pictured during the Yankees’ May 16 win against the Mets. Jason Szenes for the NY Post
Not Judge and Soto.
Instead, it was Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris in their famous 1961 season, when both threatened Babe Ruth’s home run record and Maris broke it.
The only other duo to have done it in the majors since 2008 was George Springer and Alex Bregman with the Astros in 2019, as they combined for 31 home runs.
They’ve done plenty of damage recently, as Rice entered Saturday with 10 home runs in his previous 23 games, while Judge had 13 in his last 31 appearances.
As Aaron Boone noted Friday, Soto remains “one of the game’s best hitters.”
Increasingly, though, it appears Rice may belong there with him.
Juan Soto hits a home run during the Mets’ May 14 game against the Tigers. Charles Wenzelberg
The lefty-swinging Rice entered Saturday with an OPS of 1.092 versus left-handed pitching, nearly as lethal as the 1.109 OPS he posted against righties.
That’s quite a leap from the .752 mark against lefties from a year ago, as well as his still-impressive .860 against right-handers.
As Boone said Friday, Rice’s season thus far has been “awesome.”
“There have been really great at-bats [and] consistent at-bats from the start of the season,’’ the manager said. “He’s hitting for power [and] controlling the strike zone. He’s hit left- and right-handed pitching. He’s been one of the best hitters in the sport six or seven weeks in.”
The numbers back it up, with Rice leading the majors with a 1.104 OPS and a slugging percentage of .686, as well as the fourth-best on-base percentage (.418).
Rice is also hitting the ball harder than he did a year ago.
He also wears the same No. 22 that Soto wore in The Bronx and still wears for the Mets.
On Friday, it was Rice — and Judge — who started the key three-run rally with two outs in the top of the third against former teammate Clay Holmes.
Rice, after losing an ABS challenge that put him down in the count, pulled a single to right before Judge followed with a base hit to the opposite field.
Cody Bellinger then came through in the cleanup spot and made the Mets pay with a run-scoring double, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. drove in two more with another double to right.
Nobody on the roster has more hits or RBIs on the season than Rice and Judge.
While they have a long way to go to match the shared production of Judge and Soto two seasons ago, Judge and Rice are off to a promising start.
DENVER, CO - May 16: Colorado Rockies pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano (11) pitches in the first inning during a game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 16, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies notched a close win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in a bit of an odd game where the final score doesn’t quite reflect how many runners got on in a game where both teams combined for 21 hits.
Pitchers and the defense were ultimately able to work out of trouble. Tomoyuki Sugano 菅野 智之d set the tone, the offense chipped away at Eduardo Rodriguez, and the bullpen closed things out.
Heavy traffic on the basepaths early
It was a small ball battle through the first few innings. Both teams found ways to get runners on and move them around, sometimes in wonky ways.
Sugano was able to withstand some early pressure from Arizona. Ketel Marte started things off immediately with a leadoff single to right field. Fortunately for the Rockies, Marte took off to second on a broken bat line drive from Corbin Carroll and got doubled up. After the double play, Sugano gave up another single to Geraldo Perdomo who then stole second, but Sugano ultimately worked out of the inning without any damage.
After going missing Friday, the Rockies offense came alive. The team matched the four hits they posted through all of last night in just the first inning. Better yet, baserunners were converted to runs.
Willi Castro, batting leadoff to take advantage of his strong numbers against Rodriguez, singled to center field before being moved to third on a Brenton Doyle ground rule double. TJ Rumfield singled to bring Castro home. Then, Mickey Moniak added to his team-leading 27 RBI, scoring Doyle with a bloop single out to left center.
In the second inning, Arizona cut into the lead on a weird one. After a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. double and a Jose Fernandez single put runners on first and third, the Diamondbacks went for a rare double steal. Fernandez made it safely to second and Gurriel beat the throw to steal home, notching a run.
The Rockies were able to get the run back in the bottom of the inning. Kyle Karros doubled and Jake McCarthy tried to copy that feat, but was thrown out trying for two. Nevertheless, Karros was able to speed around to home, making it a 3-1 game.
Calmer middle innings (mostly)
With all of that early traffic, both starters found themselves high in their pitch count with over 60 pitches each by the third inning. They pushed through and were able to settle things down for the next few innings.
Despite more guys finding their way on via a walk, a hit by pitch, and a single, both teams posted a scoreless third. Hunter Goodman had a fantastic defensive play to help make that happen, throwing Carroll out on an attempted steal of second. Both teams were kept in check in the fourth as well, each posting a 1-2-3 inning.
A pair of doubles from Marte and Carroll in the fifth inning got the Serpientes back on the board again, bringing the game to 3-2. Following that, the Rockies turned to the bullpen in the top of the sixth. Juan Mejia replaced Sugano, who ended his day with 5.0 innings pitched, seven hits, two earned runs, and a single strikeout.
Arizona tried to get a little more out of Rodriguez and let him start the sixth. After getting Moniak to fly out, Rodriguez was pulled for Taylor Clark. He left after 5.1 innings pitched, giving up nine hits, three earned runs, and six strikeouts.
Holding your breath with the bullpen
Mejia got off to a strong start in relief, forcing two grounders and a fly out for a quick sixth inning. Clark did the same, getting Ezequiel Tovar to pop out and Sterlin Thompson to ground out after coming in for Rodriguez.
The seventh inning was a different story for Mejia. After getting James McCann to ground out, he walked Ryan Waldschmidt and, later, Carroll. With runners on first and second with two outs, the Rockies went back to the bullpen and brought in Jaden Hill to get the last out. Hill threw a wild pitch, which moved the tying run up to third. Thankfully, Hill stayed strong and got Gurriel to ground out.
The Diamondbacks’ bullpen faced pressure from a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the inning, but escaped as well. Following a Karros groundout, McCarthy singled and stole second. He couldn’t do anything with it though, getting doubled up after a bad baserunning read on a Castro pop out to shallow right.
Hill pitched a wonderful eighth inning, which set things up nicely for the Rockies as things fell apart for Arizona with a rough bottom of the inning from reliever Brandyn Garcia. Garcia gave up a single, followed that up with a wild pitch and a walk, and then another single to load the bases. Moniak took one for the team, getting plunked in the ribs to take first, pushing Doyle home. Colorado took a 4-2 lead into the ninth.
Antonio Senzatela entered to close out the game and, while it didn’t come easy, he did just that. Perdomo had a great at-bat, fouling off several balls to stay alive with runners on first and second. Senza got the better of him after 10 pitches, with a deep fly ball to end the game with a win.
Final thoughts
Sugano earned the win, moving to 4-3 and bringing his ERA down to 4.02 in the process. He also notched the 150th victory of his professional career. In a postgame interview, he noted that he’s happy about it but is already focused on trying to earn his 151st win for the team.
Skipper Warren Schaeffer celebrated 150 a little more: “Isn’t that great? He’s just such the ultimate professional on a daily basis, whether he’s pitching or not… You can just tell he’s been doing it at a high-level for a long time… It’s a great milestone, well deserved.”
Antonio Senzatela was credited with his third save of the year.
Rodriguez took the loss, his first of the season, bringing him to 4-1. Schaeffer praised the team’s quick start and their ability to get to Rodriguez: “We needed that. We’ve been talking about starting things early in the game… and we did a nice job with that today.”
Up Next
The Rockies and DBacks will conclude the three game series with a Sunday afternoon rubber match.
In a battle of the Michaels, Michael Soroka is scheduled to start for Arizona while Michael Lorenzen will take the mound for the Rockies. Soroka is 5-2 in eight starts with a 3.53 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 47 strikeouts. Lorenzen has the opposite record, going 2-5 in nine starts with a 6.55 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts.
May 16, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sánchez (61) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Baseball players don’t get a lot of Saturdays off during the season. Cristopher Sánchez made sure that the Phillies bullpen got to enjoy a quiet day off. He also ensured that Dusty Wathan, subbing in for Don Mattingly (who was attending his son’s graduation), had a win in his first game as manager. He’s a generous fellow, and that generosity extends to his foes. He offers them as many strikeouts as they can carry.
The Phillies got off to a blazing start against Pittsburgh starter Bubba Chandler, with Trea Turner singling to right and Kyle Schwarber working the count full, then taking a pitch high for a walk. That brought Bryce Harper to the plate. He did just about everything yesterday, save for hitting a homer, and he came so close to doing that in the ninth of that thrilling affair that a referral to the replay room was needed to confirm that the ball had failed to break free of PNC Park’s verdant walls. Harper, not inclined to leave anything to chance this time around, knocked a four-seamer so far over the wall in center that no doubt was left. 3-0 Phillies before a single out was recorded.
The Buccos’ start, however, was less than boffo. Cristopher Sánchez struck out the first two Pirates, one looking, one swinging, then induced an easy groundout to conclude a thoroughly satisfying first frame for the visitors.
The second was no less satisfying. J.T. Realmuto got aboard via the free pass, as did Turner. Schwarber slapped a ball right up the first base line, scoring Realmuto; Turner scored when Pirates right fielder Jared Triolo made a throwing error (as both a Jared and a Phillies fan, my feelings on this are mixed).
The Pirates changed course as the fourth dawned, replacing Chandler with Evan Sisk, first baseman Ryan O’Hearn with Nick Yorke, then moving Triolo from right to first. Sisk walked Justin Crawford and allowed him to advance as far as third, but concluded the inning without allowing a run.
Meanwhile, Sánchez sent Bucco after Bucco to the brig. He allowed a two-out double to Bryan Reynolds in the fourth, but put Marcell Ozuna away to end the threat.
The fifth saw Alec Bohm double, and Sisk was pulled for Isaac Mattson to set up a righty-0n-righty matchup against Adolis García. The maneuver paid off, sending García down on strikes. Mattson pitched a scoreless sixth, too. The Pirates had stopped the bleeding, but still hadn’t found a way to score on Sánchez. And as the sixth closed, they still hadn’t.
Konnor Griffin knocked a Sánchez changeup right up the third base line for a leadoff double in the seventh. The Pirates thus threatened to seize some spoils from the Philadelphia coffers. But the mighty ship Sánchez is unsinkable. He induced a flyout from Reynolds, then struck out Ozuna and Yorke to ensure that Griffin stayed right where he was. A stranded runner on second isn’t quite Blackbeard’s severed head hanging at Chesapeake Bay, but it was nevertheless a powerful symbol of fear for the Pirates.
The Phillies returned to their run-scoring ways in the eighth. Pittsburgh reliever Justin Lawrence walked Justin Crawford, and a subsequent Turner double, bouncing around off the wall, gave the rookie plenty of time to score from first (not that he needs much of it, given his speed).
Sánchez came out for the eighth, and the Pirates once again put the leadoff runner on (Nick Gonzales, single). And once again, the Pirates went back to their dugout without a run to their name. Sánchez struck out the next two Pirates, bringing his total for the day to an even dozen. The next batter, Henry Davis, made loud contact as he sent a fly ball to center; against a slower fielder he would’ve had a run-scoring base hit. But Crawford is far from slow, and he chased down the ball for the out.
Sánchez took to the mound in the ninth, looking to finish his business. It took him one pitch to get the first out (groundout, Oneil Cruz). Griffin fought his way to a 3-2 count, then slapped a sinker through the left-side gap for a single. Reynolds followed his lead, sending a sinker up the first base line to put runners at the corners, one away. Ozuna went down on a foul tip, giving Sánchez a baker’s dozen of Ks, and a career high. Only Yorke separated Sánchez from the complete game shutout. He grounded to Turner, who hurled the ball to first, where it found Harper’s outstretched glove in time.
The CGSO is at risk of vanishing. Sánchez is doing yeoman’s work to get it off the endangered species list.
The Phillies, at 23-23, have reached .500 again. They’ll try to give themselves a winning record tomorrow, as Zack Wheeler takes on Paul Skenes at 1:35.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 15: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves stands off second base in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Truist Park on May 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, it’s time to see if the Braves can win another series by taking back-to-back games. Bryce Elder, who is hopefully up to being Bryce Eldar again, faces Payton Tolle.
I really want to have some kind of riff on Tolle’s name with The Phantom Tollbooth but it gets awkward — Phaynton Tollebooth? Nah. What about just, “Time to pay the Tolle!” Ah, I’ll stick to my day job.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 15: Aaron Judge #99 high fives Ben Rice #22 of the New York Yankees after hitting a home run during the game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on May 15, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Friday night saw the Yankees and Mets renew the Subway Series for 2026, and it went pretty well for the Bronx half of the rivalry. Led by another good start from Cam Schlittler, the Yankees downed the Mets to take round one. However, it’s a new day, and the two teams will now face off in round two.
For the Yankees, Carlos Rodón is set to make his second start of the season. In his return from the injured list against the Brewers, he struggled a bit, especially with control, issuing five walks. The hope is that he was just shaking off a bit of rust, as his return has now become a bit more crucial with Max Fried hitting the IL himself.
While righty Huascar Brazobán will start in an opener role for the Mets, the Yankees have sent out the lefty-hitting lineup, as Paul Goldschmidt will play first base and hit cleanup — Ben Rice is DHing at leadoff — with Amed Rosario over at third base.
As mentioned, Brazobán will pitch the first inning for the Mets, but probably not much after that. He’s played the opener role in two other recent game for the Mets, with lefty David Peterson playing the “bulk guy” role in both of those games. The 2025 All-Star has taken his lumps early on in 2026, leading to his removal from the rotation and in this current position.
We hope that you’ll come join us in the game thread tonight, so here’s everything you need to know on how to catch the action.
How to watch
Location: Citi Field – Flushing, NY
First pitch: 7:15 pm ET
TV broadcast: FOX
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App 92.3 HD2 (NYM)
WEST SACRAMENTO – There’s a very real possibility that at some point this season, Casey Schmitt could be used as the Giants’ everyday left fielder, an idea that has moved closer to reality now that Heliot Ramos is on the injured list.
Manager Tony Vitello has talked sporadically about that very idea in recent weeks, with his main focus being on making sure Schmitt has a spot in San Francisco’s lineup, no matter where it is.
That’s how good Schmitt has been swinging the bat lately.
The 27-year-old was in the DH spot for Saturday’s game against the Athletics and flexed his muscle with four hits that included a pair of home runs and three RBI, leading the Giants to a 6-4 win at Sutter Health Park.
“He’s been one of our best producers for the whole year,” Vitello said. “The one thing with Ramos being out, some of those other guys are going to get what you’re asking for. I just think he keeps things really simple. He’s got a good intellect to him, but he doesn’t seem to spin his wheels in areas that there’s no point doing it.“
Schmitt’s wheels haven’t been spinning in place. When he makes contact, the ball sails as he scurries around the bases.
Saturday marked Schmitt’s second multi-home run game in MLB, leaving the utility man brimming afterward.
“I just keep the confidence in myself,” Schmitt said. “I’m not dwelling on past days or past mistakes. Every day is a new day for me. I try to keep it as simple as that.”
That approach has been working fine for Schmitt and the Giants.
Have a bad day? Turn the page and move on. Have a great day? Turn the page and move on.
“A couple days ago I struck out four times against the Dodgers, but just going in there and keeping it simple,” Schmitt explained.
Sounds easy enough, but Schmitt has bounced around the field like a ping-pong ball in the NBA lottery.
Saturday’s game was his 21st at DH. Schmitt has also spent time at first base (11), second base (2) and third base (3). He even got a brief taste of left field Friday, entering the game as a defensive replacement when Ramos got hurt.
“I’ve been shagging a lot and taking reads and stuff,” Schmitt said. “Got [into the game] yesterday. No balls.”
Whatever happens defensively, the Giants want Schmitt to remain in a comfortable spot at the plate.
“I wasn’t really trying to hit a homer. I was just trying to hit a liner, and I was able to get two in the air,” he said. “We’re going to be in a good spot. Just going out there trying to win every single game.”
