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Game #58: Minnesota Twins vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

BRADENTON, FL - FEBRUARY 18: Jared Jones #17 of the Pittsburgh Pirates poses for a photo during the Pittsburgh Pirates photo day at Pirate City on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Minnesota Twins vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, May 29, 2026, 6:45 p.m. ET

Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Apple TV

Pitching Matchup: Taj Bradley (5-1, 2.77 ERA) vs. Jared Jones (0-0, 0.00 ERA – 2026 debut)

The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home today against the Minnesota Twins looking to grab a win.

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Minor League roundup, May 28: Brilliance from Luis Hernández and Nate Furman

Nate Furman catching a ball at second base.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 27, 2026: Nate Furman #90 of the San Francisco Giants warms up during the sixth inning of a spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Scottsdale Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images

Thursday was an off day for the San Francisco Giants, but not for their Minor League Baseball affiliates. All five of the teams who are in season played on Thursday (the Dominican Summer League doesn’t begin until Monday), and there were some exciting performances to talk about.

So let’s talk about them!

Link to the 2026 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)

All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.

AAA Sacramento (32-20)

Sacramento River Cats beat the Reno Aces (Diamondbacks) 7-2
Box score

There seems to be a sentiment that Luis Arráez’s days as a Giant are limited. It seems unlikely that San Francisco will re-sign him next year, which means that if the team remains uncompetitive come July, Arráez will be on the trading block, opening up time for Casey Schmitt to be the team’s second baseman.

But what about Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL)?

Furman fits the Arráez mold, with preternatural contact skills, limited power, and bad second base defense, which apparently means he’s only two months with Ron Washington away from being a Gold Glove candidate. The Giants signaled how high they are on the 24-year old lefty, who was part of the Alex Cobb trade, when they gave him an invite to Spring Training and then assigned him to Sacramento despite just 21 career games in AA.

He’s rewarded that confidence, and Thursday was perhaps his best day yet, as the 2022 4th-round pick hit 3-5 with a 2-run home run and a double. That’s a damn good day!

Furman’s numbers are more good than great, as he has a .772 OPS and a 112 wRC+ with 6 stolen bases, but it’s been an exciting AAA debut, especially when you account for his inexperience entering the level (not only did he have just 21 games in AA before this year, but he had fewer than 200 total games played in his career due to injuries). He’s walking more than he’s striking out, and his K rate (12.8%) ranks 11th out of 71 qualified hitters in the Pacific Coast League. His Statcast page is hilariously Arráezean … massively blue bars when it comes to exit velocities, paired with extremely red bars for contact categories.

If Arráez is traded in July, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Furman get a chance at second base, so the Giants can see if the youngster can replicate Arráez’s success and be the second baseman in 2027 (assuming there’s a season). He’s obviously not going to push Schmitt off the position, but the Giants aren’t tied to Schmitt being the everyday second baseman so much as just an everyday hitter somewhere. If I had to make a list of potential second base starters come next Opening Day, Schmitt would be at the top by a mile … but Furman would be the only other name on the list.

First baseman Jake Holton also had a standout day, as the Minor League veteran went 2-5 with both a homer and a double, while also striking out twice.

After a slowish start, the 28-year old righty is starting to find his AAA rhythm, and is up to a .783 OPS and a 111 wRC+. He’s more emergency depth in the Trenton Brooks mold than anything else, but it’s nice to see him getting a shot at the highest Minor League level, after playing more than 300 games in AA for the Tigers (and hitting quite nicely, I might add). He’s playing well in AAA, which means he’s only ever one move or one injury away from getting a taste of the bigs.

Another strong day for designated hitter Drew Cavanaugh (No. 19 CPL), who went 2-4 with a walk and a strikeout. The 24-year old catcher continues to dominate following a recent promotion, and is now 20-46 with 11 extra-base hits, 5 walks, just 8 strikeouts, and 3 stolen bases with Sacramento. They might have traded away their homegrown Gold Glover, but the Giants sure continue to have some intriguing and exciting options behind the dish!

And speaking of recently-promoted prospects, nice to see a bounce-back day for left fielder Scott Bandura, who responded to Wednesday’s 0-5, 5-strikeout performance by hitting 2-5 with a double and a stolen base on Thursday, albeit with 2 strikeouts. He’s still finding his footing at the level — the 2023 7th-rounder is 8-35 with 12 strikeouts — but he’s certainly shown some flashes.

A decent start on the mound for RHP Carson Seymour, who threw 53 of 78 pitches for strikes while giving up just 1 run in 5 innings. Seymour, who allowed 5 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 4, hasn’t been sharp with the walks lately, but he has been doing a much better job suppressing runs. Following a 5-game stretch in which he allowed 19 earned runs in just 22.1 innings, Seymour has only ceded 3 runs in 16 innings over his last 3 starts, albeit with 7 walks against just 15 strikeouts. It hasn’t been the best season for him — he has a 4.04 ERA and a 4.62 FIP, with just 7.7 strikeouts per 9 innings — but hopefully he can keep this good streak running and get back to the Majors.

A good bullpen showing, which featured a scoreless inning by RHP Ryan Walker, who allowed 1 hit. Walker has made 4 appearances for Sacramento since getting optioned, and has kept runs off the board in 3 of them. LHP Reiver Sanmartin made his 4th rehab appearance and struggled a bit, giving up 2 hits (including a double) and a run in an inning of work, with 1 strikeout. Sanmartin is on the 60-Day IL, so the Giants will need to make a roster move when he finishes his rehab … but that roster move doesn’t need to be at the Major League level (where they currently have 4 lefty relievers), as Sanmartin does have options remaining.

RHP Wilkin Ramos also allowed 2 hits in an inning of work, but didn’t give up any runs and struck out 2, lowering his ERA to 2.00 (his FIP is lagging behind, at 4.02). Ramos gave up runs in each of his 1st 3 games this year, but since then has given up just 2 earned runs in 14 outings.

AA Richmond (33-14)

Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Akron RubberDucks (Guardians) 5-4
Box score

Yet another strong game for right fielder Jonah Cox, who has officially graduated from “hot start” to “leveled up.” It’s been nearly 50 games and 200 plate appearances for the new-look Cox, whose swing has undergone changes that have resulted in dramatic improvements in both the stat sheet and the underlying metrics.

He was back to his old tricks on Thursday, though, as he hit 3-5 with a pair of infield singles and a stolen base, while also knocking a double.

Cox has, stunningly, hit safely in 40 out of 43 games this season, which includes 16 multi-hit games. A year after posting a .731 OPS, a 103 wRC+, a 22.4% strikeout rate, and a 12.0% swinging strike rate in High-A, he has a 1.130 OPS, a 196 wRC+, a 16.9% strikeout rate, and a 10.3% swinging strike rate in AA. He’s even stealing more bases, with 27 in 43 games, after an organization-leading 58 in 126 games a year ago (easier to steal bases when you’re getting on base seemingly every at-bat!).

Just a phenomenal year, and the A’s 2023 6th-rounder is quickly becoming one of the top prospects in the system.

Third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) hit 2-5 with a double, while second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL) went 2-3 with a sacrifice fly. Harber is up to a .948 OPS and a 148 wRC+ in his injury-shortened season, with 18 extra-base hits in 28 games, while the 22-year old Velasquez has a .758 OPS and a 107 wRC+ in his 3rd pass through Richmond.

A fairly nondescript game on the mound. 24-year old LHP Cesar Perdomo had a so-so game, with 6 hits, 1 walk, and 2 runs allowed in 4 innings. Those numbers aren’t great, though Perdomo did strike out 5 batters.

In all, it’s been an encouraging year for Perdomo, who has bumped his strikeouts from 8.3 per 9 innings last year (in High-A), to 10.2 this season. Not surprisingly, the increase of strikeouts has come hand in hand with a decrease in hits … last year with Eugene, Perdomo pitched 127.1 innings, and allowed 120 hits, including 13 home runs. This year, in 40.2 innings, Perdomo has only given up 33 hits, and just 1 home run. All of that has led to a 3.02 FIP, which ranks 4th among the 47 Eastern League pitchers with at least 30 innings thrown this year … though, in a testament to Richmond’s excellent season, ranking 4th in the league still results in ranking just 3rd on his own team, as the top of the list is anchored by LHPs Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL) and Matt Wilkinson.

The one stain on Perdomo’s resume this year has been the walks, which have bumped up a little, from 2.7 per 9 last season to 3.5 this year. That, plus some unfortunate sequencing, has given him a 4.43 ERA despite all the good stuff.

Richmond’s rotation his been awesome this year, but their bullpen has struggled, so nice to see shutout performances from RHPs Manuel Mercedes and Brad Deppermann, and LHP Dale Stanavich, all who have ERAs that were happy to see scoreless games. Unfortunately the same could not be said for RHP Mitch White, who allowed 4 baserunners and 2 runs in an inning of work as his difficult season continues.

High-A Eugene (36-12)

Eugene Emeralds beat the Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays) 5-2
Box score

The highly-touted top of Eugene’s lineup has struggled lately, but that wasn’t the case on Thursday, as the trio all had strong games. Hitting in their usual lineup construction, the threesome was led off by right fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL), who hit 2-5 but was caught stealing. Then it was center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL), who went 2-4 with a walk and a strikeout, followed by shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL), who hit 2-4 with a double and a walk. And just like that, the trio combined for 6 of the team’s 10 hits, 2 of their 3 walks, and 3 of their 5 runs batted in. The future is bright!

All 3 of those players have shown good things this year, but also with some question marks and red flags. Cohen, last year’s 3rd-round pick, has a .732 OPS and a 108 wRC+, though he hasn’t shown much power (.098 ISO) and his vaunted contact skills have done a better job suppressing strikeouts than accumulating hits (.264 average). Jordan, the team’s overslot 4th-round signing in 2024, has a .789 OPS and a 115 wRC+, but his 30.6% strikeout rate and 16.9% swinging strike rate are 13th and 8th-highest, respectively, out of the 58 Northwest League hitters with at least 100 plate appearances this season. Kilen has had the best line, with an .811 OPS and a 121 wRC+, but he’s had a fair share of slumps and hasn’t lit the league on fire quite as dramatically as some might have hoped given that he was the 13th overall pick out of the SEC.

Those were the offensive stars, though third baseman Walker Martin also had a multi-hit game, as he went 2-4. Martin has really been struggling lately, and this was his 1st multi-hit game since May 12, so good to see him tally a few knocks.

One of the team’s top prospects took the mound, as LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL) made his 6th start of the year, following a delayed season due to injury. It wasn’t the sharpest we’ve seen Bresnahan who, along with Furman, constituted the delightful haul the Giants got for trading Alex Cobb to Cleveland a few years back. But it certainly wasn’t a bad game, as he limited the Canadians to 5 hits, 2 walks, and 1 run in 5 innings. Bresnahan did an excellent job finding the strike zone, as he threw 52 of 77 pitches for strikes, and ended the day with 5 punchouts.

There’s a lot of work to be done in order for Bresnahan to take home Pitcher of the Year honors for the 3rd consecutive season. Right now he has a 3.47 ERA and a 4.83 FIP, and is walking 5.0 batters per 9 innings (though he’s also striking out 10.4). The biggest change year over year, though, has just been that he’s been more hittable: with Low-A San Jose in 2025, Bresnahan allowed just 67 hits and 2 home runs in 93 innings. This year he’s ceded 20 hits and 3 home runs in 23.1 frames.

Still, he’s a month away from being able to legally drink, and some rust is expected for anyone who has a delayed start to the season. It hasn’t been a breakout year, but it certainly isn’t a disappointing season, either.

RHP Liam Simon wasn’t at his best, but had another scoreless showing, as he threw 2 shutout innings with 3 hits, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts, while throwing 18 of 27 pitches for strikes. It seems that Simon’s dramatic struggles with finding the strike zone post-Tommy John are finally behind him, and now we’re starting to see just how talented the 2022 5th-rounder is. Over an 11-game stretch spanning the end of last year and the start of this year, Simon threw 9.1 innings and walked 22 batters. In 9 games since? Just 6 walks in 14 innings, and he has a 10-game scoreless streak going.

Low-A San Jose (26-22)

San Jose Giants beat the Fresno Grizzlies (Rockies) 1-0
Box score

The pitching in this game was quite a mixed bag. That’s not something you expect to say with a shutout, but I don’t know what else to call it. The performances were great, but concerning, as RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 13 CPL) exited the game with the trainers in the middle of an at-bat. According to Roger Munter, it appeared that Cayama was gesturing to his back or oblique, rather than his elbow or shoulder, and that’s obviously a good thing. Relatively speaking, of course … one of the team’s top prospects leaving in the middle of an at-bat is, it goes without saying, not a good thing at all.

Cayama put up some zeros before the discomfort, but he wasn’t at his sharpest, as he didn’t strike out any batters in his 3 scoreless frames, while allowing 3 hits and a walk. Even with that unconventional 0-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (something you rarely ever see from a starter), Cayama’s numbers on that front remain exceptional: the 19-year old has 45 strikeouts against just 8 walks in only 36 innings this season. 32 hits and 4 home runs, however, have given him an ERA (4.50) and FIP (4.40) that don’t really reflect the quality of his pitches.

The star on the mound was the piggybacker, who jumped in to save the day, as RHP Ben Bybee pitched 4 utterly dominant innings, giving up just 1 baserunner (a double) while striking out 5. It hasn’t been the smoothest transition to the pros for last year’s 8th-round pick, but games like this one (which featured 39 of 51 pitches going for strikes) show how much potential the 22-year old Arkansas product has. He only has a 3.63 ERA and a 4.04 FIP, but he does have 19 strikeouts to just 5 walks in 17.1 innings.

Capping off the pitching performance was RHP Mauricio Estrella, who struck out 4 batters in 2 scoreless innings, with 1 hit allowed. In keeping with the theme, Estrella’s strikeout and walk numbers stand out more than his actual run suppression … his ERA is a fine 3.00 and his FIP a mediocre 4.03, but he has 33 strikeouts and just 6 walks in 27 innings … including 11 strikeouts against 2 walks in 8 shutout innings over his last 4 appearances.

The offense did only just enough to secure a win for the great pitching, with the Baby Giants mustering just 4 hits, 0 extra-base hits, and 4 walks on the day. A pair of hitters reached base twice: center fielder Damian Bravo, who hit 1-3 with a walk, and third baseman Dario Reynoso, who went 0-2 with a strikeout, but drew 2 walks and stole his 6th base of the year. Bravo, a right-handed hitting 22-year old taken in the 15th round last year out of Texas Tech, has an .817 OPS and a 100 wRC+; Reynoso, a right-handed hitting 21-year old from the Dominican Republic, has a .961 OPS and a 143 wRC+, and also made a tremendous defensive play to end the game.

Arizona Complex League (9-10)

ACL Giants lost to the ACL Rangers 12-6
Box score

First things first: let’s cover some logistical stuff. During yesterday’s roundup, I noted that the transaction page had High-A Eugene outfielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) reassigned to the Complex League, which made no sense to me. Thankfully, Roger Munter, per the usual, has the information: it appears that the Cuban Diaz was, as is sadly not uncommon, unable to cross the border to Canadian soil with Eugene, so he’s staying fresh in Arizona instead, where he played in center field in this game, and hit 0-3 with a walk.

Now to the more exciting stuff: another superstar showing from shortstop Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL). The 17-year old sensation did it again on Thursday, hitting 2-5 with both a home run and a double.

Through 19 games, Hernández is hitting 25-75 with 5 home runs, 2 triples, 8 doubles, 8 walks, and just 13 strikeouts. All while playing a fluid shortstop (and third base), and stealing 3 bases in as many attempts. Have I mentioned that he’ll be wrapping Christmas presents when he celebrates his 18th birthday? And not because he plans many months in advance?

Hernández is 1 of just 6 17-year olds who has at least 50 plate appearances in the Complex Leagues this year, and 3 of those other 5 are getting their butts kicked. The only 2 who are performing well spent last year in the Dominican Summer League, which Hernández, who signed in January, did not. Although, funnily enough, 1 of those 2 is Miguel Caraballo, the former Giants prospect who was traded to the Twins in December to facilitate the Giants getting Daniel Susac … he’s rocking an .871 OPS and a 122 wRC+ in his stateside debut.

Back to Hernández, though. Despite his age and position, he is putting up staggering numbers. There are 166 Complex League hitters with at least 50 plate appearances, and he ranks 24th in average (.333), 66th in on-base percentage (.400), 5th in slugging percentage (.693), 4th in ISO (.360), 10th in OPS (1.093), and 19th in wRC+ (193). Truly an absurd season.

Unfortunately, the same can only partially be said for his running mate, as Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) has not played since May 23 after suffering what we all hope is a minor injury. González, like Hernández, has been lighting the ACL on fire when he’s on the field … we just need to get him back on the field!

Right fielder Evan Estevez only hit 1-4 with a strikeout, but he smashed a solo home run. The 18-year old right-handed hitter is in his debut stateside season after 2 years in the DSL, and right now the power and walks are the only things that are really playing. He has just a .204 average and a 33.8% strikeout rate (which has led to a .713 OPS and an 82 wRC+), but he has 3 home runs in just 77 plate appearances, and a 15.6% walk rate.

It was a struggle on the mound for the ACL Giants, namely for their most notable pitching prospect, LHP Carlos De La Rosa (No. 30 CPL). De La Rosa, an 18-year old who came to the Giants in last year’s Camilo Doval trade, faced 7 batters and retired just 1 of them (by strikes, though). The other 6? 2 doubles, 2 singles, and 2 walks, planting 5 runs in just 0.1 innings on De La Rosa’s ledger.

The starter struggled as well, as RHP Hunter Mensik allowed 6 hits (including a home run and a double), 2 walks, and 4 runs in 4 innings, though he did strike out 5 batters. Mensik was the team’s 17th-round pick last year, but was picked out of high school so he’s only 18. He’s shown his stuff can play at this level — he has 17 strikeouts in as many innings — but has struggled with hits, walks, and runs.

Home run tracker

5 — Jake Holton — [AAA]
5 — Luis Hernández — [ACL]
4 — Nate Furman — [AAA]
3 — Evan Estevez — [ACL]

Friday schedule

Sacramento: 6:35 p.m. PT at Reno (SP: TBD)
Richmond: 4:17 p.m. PT at Akron (SP: Greg Farone)
Eugene: 1:05 p.m. PT at Vancouver (SP: Charlie McDaniel)
San Jose: 7:05 p.m. PT at Fresno (SP: TBD)

Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV

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Texas Rangers lineup for May 29, 2026

DENVER, CO - May 19: Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (6) prepares to bat in the first inning during a game between the Texas Rangers and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 19, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Texas Rangers lineup for May 29, 2026 against the Kansas City Royals: starting pitchers are MacKenzie Gore and Stephen Kolek.

The floundering Texas Rangers will try to flounder less tonight against the Royals of Kansas City. Offensive dynamo Nicky Lopez is hitting ninth, which I assume is for that “two leadoff man” synergy.

The lineup:

Pederson — DH

Jung — 3B

Nimmo — RF

Burger — 1B

Duran — SS

Carter — CF

Osuna — LF

Jansen — C

Lopez — 2B

7:05 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -131 favorites.

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How do you solve a problem like Brandon Pfaadt?

PHOENIX, AZ - MAY 23: Brandon Pfaadt #32 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Saturday, May 23, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Zach Gardner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Introduction

Undoubtedly, it has been a fun couple of weeks for the Diamondbacks. They’re tied for the second-best record in the majors over their last 20 games at 14-6, they’ve batted to a .248/.323/.382 slash line, and pitched to a 2.59 ERA. Those results find the team seven games over .500 and have watched their Baseball Reference playoff odds spike by nearly 30% over the last month and their Fangraph’s odds increasing by almost 18%. One part of that stretch that shouldn’t be lost in the exciting shuffle: just how good the starting rotation has been this month as they’ve pitched to a 3.03 ERA and 1.074 WHIP while averaging over six innings pitched per game. That kind of length has limited the bullpen’s exposure to just 63.1 IP for the month compared to 116.1 IP in the first month of the season. That lack of usage has particularly hurt Brandon Pfaadt who hasn’t appeared in nearly a week and has struggled to be as impactful as he was last year when he was second on the team in innings pitched while making 33 starts. As part of that dynamic, there has been plenty of musing on and off the air on what kind of role Pfaadt will play in the pitching staff moving forward, especially as several players slowly but surely make their way back from injury including AJ Puk and Justin Martinez. What can the team do and what kind of role will he have moving forward?

Roster Crunch

This was always likely to be a problem for Pfaadt with the offseason signing of Michael Soroka and the re-signings of both Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen gave the team six viable starting pitchers before including the eventual return of Corbin Burnes sometime around the All-Star Break. The team did give Pfaadt a brief opportunity in the rotation while Kelly was working his way back from injury at the beginning of the season, but the results were not very encouraging, prompting the team to move Pfaadt into the bullpen as a multi-inning reliever instead. There’s certainly some successful precedent to the move as players like Tommy Henry and even Ryne Nelson have thrived (to different extents) while bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen. On principle, the move makes sense as Pfaadt’s wide pitch arsenal can keep batters guessing even as his cut fastball and four-seamer play well against his offspeed offerings. Unfortunately, Pfaadt has continued to struggle as he posted a 5.94 ERA and 1.380 WHIP in three starts while posting remarkably similar results as a reliever with a 5.30 ERA and 1.393 WHIP over eight appearances. There’s been quite a bit of inconsistency to his performances too as he’s had a few blowups mixed in with a few good appearances while also struggling to be the innings-eater the team might have hoped he would be. So far, he’s had almost as many appearances where he’s gone more than an inning (5) as he’s gone an inning or less (3) with three straight appearances of essentially an inning or less. Interestingly, he has changed his offerings somewhat as a reliever compared to starting with his four-seamer (27%), curveball (20%), and sinker (19%) leading his usage while as a starter he leaned on his sinker (32%) and cutter (18%) much more. Obviously those changes have not led to improved results and even worse, some of the underlying numbers have deteriorated with his walk rate increasing slightly from 8 to 11% and his hard hit rate elevating from 36 to 44%. Those numbers would be more acceptable for a starter who can more easily navigate traffic, but are a death knell for a reliever.

Bullpen versus Rotation

The obvious question then becomes whether it’s more effective for Pfaadt and the team to have him up in the majors as a long reliever or to keep him stretched out in Reno to potentially replace or support an injured starter elsewhere? Unfortunately, we likely will never get a definitive answer, but if I had to hazard a guess, I suspect that the team will option him back to Reno so he can stay stretched out while also working on the mechanics and mentality of coming into a game from the bullpen rather than as a starter – especially since there was functionally no transition time for him between the moves. It would also have the added benefit of giving him some time to psychologically reset and possibly refine his offerings without the extra pressure of needing to perform every night for a team that has played themselves back into the playoff hunt. Of course, there’s always the possibility that the move could backfire by hurting Pfaadt’s confidence, but I can’t imagine he’s feeling particularly confident at this point and if he can reimagine himself as a long reliever (at least for this season), he could be a great weapon for the team in the stretch run.

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Game Thread #54: Milwaukee Brewers (33-20) @ Houston Astros (26-32)

The Brewers finished off a satisfying sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, then got a deserved day off on Thursday. Tonight, they’re in Houston, where they face the Astros in the first game of a three-game jaunt on the road before getting back to Milwaukee on Monday. The Astros started the season poorly, but they’ve won six of their last seven, all on the road: they swept the Cubs at Wrigley last weekend, then won three of four against the Rangers in Arlington. The Astros looked dead in the AL West for a while, but that division is now led by the 28-29 Seattle Mariners, and Houston is just 2.5 games back.

Tonight’s pitching matchup features two relatively inexperienced starting pitchers. The Brewers are rolling with Coleman Crow, the rookie who will be making his third career start. He’s made two solid spot starts for the big-league Brewers this season: he threw 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball against the Marlins on April 17, then gave up one run in five innings against the Twins on May 15. Milwaukee won both games. His numbers haven’t been as good at Triple-A Nashville, but a lot of that is attributable to one outing when he gave up eight runs in late April (right after his first career major league start). He’s allowed only four combined runs in his last three starts with Nashville.

Houston will go with the right-handed Taiwanese pitcher Kai-Wei Teng, who debuted for Houston in 2024 but has made only 29 appearances, 11 of them starts, in his major league career. Teng is 27 and having a nice year for Houston: he started the season in the bullpen but has started in his last three appearances. The last two of those have gone quite well: in his last two games, Teng has 11 shutout innings and while he’s been wild (seven walks), he’s allowed only four hits in those 11 innings. Houston won both games, a 4-1 win over the Rangers and a 3-0 shutout of the Cubs.

A couple pitching notes today: Abner Uribe has been fined and suspended by the league, but he is appealing that decision. My suspicion is that Uribe will probably pitch a couple times and then drop the appeal before a game in which he wouldn’t have been used anyway, but that’s a littlehard to control. In any case, he’ll be available tonight.

Second, Jared Koenig has been sent to Nashville to begin a rehab assignment. Given how Quinn Priester’s rehab is going, I’m a bit pessimistic about rehabbing pitchers at the moment, but hopefully Koenig will be fine and back with the Brewers soon.

Christian Yelich is back in the leadoff spot, where he went 4-for-9 in the last two games of the St. Louis series. The Brewers are going with the left-handed side of a couple of platoons, as David Hamilton starts in place of Joey Ortiz and Jake Bauers is in for Andrew Vaughn. Both Sal Frelick and Garrett Mitchell are in the lineup, as well. Houston’s lineup doesn’t feature a whole lot of firepower, but they’ve got one enormous weapon in Yordan Alvarez, who has been arguably the league’s best hitter this season. He’s hitting .307/.419/.654, leads the AL with 20 homers, and leads the majors with a 199 OPS+ and 134 total bases.

First pitch is a little later than usual: 7:10 p.m. Find the game on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.

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Mets Injury Notes: The latest on Francisco Lindor, Francisco Alvarez, Luis Robert Jr, others

David Stearns and Carlos Mendoza provided a number of Mets injury updates prior to Friday night's series opener against the Marlins…

Francisco Alvarez

Alvarez continues to make incredible timing coming from knee surgery. 

Mendoza said that the backstop has already done just about everything in his recovery -- catching bullpens, blocking, running, and throwing. 

He also looked back to normal taking swings at Citi Field pregame Friday.

“Just two weeks removed from surgery, it’s pretty amazing to see,” the skipper said. 

As long as things continue to progress as planned, Mendoza wouldn’t be surprised to see Alvarez starting a minor league rehab assignment as early as next week. 

Jorge Polanco 

Polanco seems to be trending positively, as well. 

Stearns said that the veteran infielder will play in games each of the next two days, then get a day off Sunday, and they will take it day-by-day from there. 

If all goes as planned, there’s a possibility he could be back in the lineup during the next road trip. 

Polanco himself echoed those sentiments speaking to reporters in Binghamton Thursday, saying that he isn’t in a rush but feels good returning to games so far. 

He went 1-for-2 with a single and strikeout as the Rumble Ponies' DH his first time out. 

Polanco, of course, has been recovering from a wrist issue and Achilles bursitis which slowed him down mightily during the early part of the season. 

He's expected to be limited to DH duties upon his return. 

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) reacts during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field.
New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) reacts during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Francisco Lindor

Lindor is making good progress in his recovery from a left calf strain, as well. 

The star shortstop has been at Citi Field as he's resumed baseball activities this week, but Stearns says that there's still no potential timeline for a return. 

Lindor has been sidelined since leaving with the injury vs. the Twins on April 22. 

The Mets have only had him, Bo Bichette, and Juan Soto in the lineup at the same time nine times this season.  

"That's been one of the most frustrating parts of the season," Stearns said. "We believed the top of our order would match any order in baseball and we haven't had them together -- so that's been a challenge for us.

"We still believe those are good players, and when we get them back, we'll have a really good top of the lineup."

Luis Robert Jr. 

Robert, meanwhile, still hasn't resumed baseball activities.

Stearns said that he's gone through a series of injections to try and help his herniated disc, and he is currently progressing through rehab activities, but hasn't been deemed ready to take that next step yet.

"He needs to continue to work through strengthening exercises and mobility exercises without any pain for our training staff to feel comfortable progressing him even further," he said. 

Robert was transferred to the 60-day IL to make room on the roster earlier this week. 

Top prospect A.J. Ewing has slid in nicely as the everyday center fielder while he's been sidelined. 

Kodai Senga

As for Senga, he's continuing to make progress in his rehab, as well. 

The right-hander was knocked around a bit as he allowed three runs on four hits and two walks over 3.2 innings in his first appearance with Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday night. 

For right now, though, Mendoza and the Mets aren't too worried about the numbers. 

"He look good," the skipper said. "Right now it's just about the physical part and making sure that he's feeling good, but at some point down the line the results will matter."

Senga will throw a bullpen session on Sunday, then make another rehab appearance. 

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Manaea to the rotation, Peterson to the ’pen

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 26: Sean Manaea #59 of the New York Mets reacts after pitching during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field on May 26, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Mets will be swapping the roles of two of their left-handed pitchers, Carlos Mendoza announced before Friday night’s series opener against the Marlins. David Peterson, who has made seven starts this season and entered in the fourth inning or earlier in all 12 of his appearances, will be available out of the bullpen beginning on Sunday. Meanwhile, Sean Manaea, who has yet to make a start in 12 appearances while only entering the game in the fourth inning or earlier twice, will return to the rotation (either as a starter or bulk man after an opener).

Manaea has been more effective over the past few weeks, with a 3.09 ERA in 11.2 IP since May 10 representing a marked improvement from his 6.85 ERA in 22.1 IP before then. He has also seen a steady rise in fastball velocity, averaging 91.7 mph on his four-seamer on May 22 in Miami compared with as low as 88.6 mph in an outing earlier this season.

Peterson put together four consecutive solid outings to begin the month, pitching to a 2.50 ERA in 18 IP with 20 K and 16 BB. That positive stretch came to a close on Tuesday, when the Reds pounced on Peterson for six runs and 11 hits in five innings. 

Peterson’s splits as a starter and reliever this season are stark, with a 7.56 ERA and .331 opponents batting average as a starter compared with a 2.25 ERA and .247 opponents’ batting average as a reliever. Those numbers are also consistent with his career norms. Across seven seasons, Peterson has a 4.36 ERA as a starter and a 2.51 ERA as a reliever, and that’s not counting his six scintillating appearances out of the bullpen during the 2024 postseason. As much as this move might be a show of faith in Manaea’s abilities, it’s also just as reasonably an acceptance of how best to utilize Peterson in his final year of team control.

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NFL.com predicts Jacoby Brissett gets raise and starts the season for Arizona Cardinals

CINCINNATI, OHIO - DECEMBER 28: Jacoby Brissett #7 of the Arizona Cardinals warms up prior to a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on December 28, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images

For the Arizona Cardinals the odd holdout from their starter who finished with a 1-11 record has created a lot of conversation around the idea of bumping up his pay.

While everyone looks at it from the perspective of if he is the starter once again heading into the season, he deserves to be paid more than his current amount, but there is always this weird caveat.

The caveat showed up in NFL.com’s piece on the quarterback battles in the NFL, where the Cardinals quarterback battle was highlighted, and they came to the same conclusion almost everyone has as well:

PREDICTED OUTCOME: Brissett gets a raise and starts in Week 1; Beck eventually starts several games.

There was a lot of good analysis in there as well, so I highly recommend checking out the full article, but I wanted to just focus on the predicted outcome, which seems nearly universal from most fans/pundits.

If the outcome that let’s just say 98% of people are expecting is that Beck starts games this year, which is almost going to assuredly happen because the team is bad, then what exactly are the Cardinals paying Brissett for?

If the expectation is that Brissett won’t play the whole season, then I guess the question for the Cardinals becomes… what is the point?

You unfortunately made it obvious this offseason that you hade other people in mind at the position, making overtures with both Malik Willis and Jimmy Garoppolo.

You drafted Carson Beck.

If Jacoby wasn’t the plan A or B then what is the difference in plan C or D? Especially if the overall expectation is he won’t be the starter for 15+ games.

This whole offseason has been a class on how not to handle things from a team who seemingly has no rudder or plan.

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Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals preview, Friday 5/29, 6:15 CT

Friday notes…

  • BEATING THE GOOD TEAMS: The Cubs are 17-16 this season in games against opponents that had a winning record going into a game. Fourteen of their last 15 wins have come against teams that were above .500, including the last four. The lone win against an underachiever was the last of their 10 straight wins, at Texas on May 8. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
  • BETTER UNDER THE LIGHTS: The Cubs’ wins the last two nights improved their record to 11-5 in the second of back-to-back night games. They are 18-11 in all games at night, just 13-15 in daylight. Tonight’s game will be Cubs’ fourth of nine in a row under the lights, their longest such stretch of the season. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
  • ABOUT GIVING UP RUNS: The Pirates’ two runs last night both came in the sixth inning. The Cubs had allowed exactly one run in at least one inning of each of their previous 11 games, since they had shut out the Braves at Atlanta, 2-0, on May 14. Before that, they had allowed a single run in one inning of nine straight games, since May 3, when they gave up two runs twice in an 8-4 win at home over the Diamondbacks. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
  • TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: The Cubs hire Buck O’Neil as a coach. He becomes the first Black coach in MLB history. More on O’Neil’s long baseball career here. It happened 64 years ago today, Tuesday, May 29, 1962.

Cubs lineup:

Cardinals lineup:

Shōta Imanaga, LHP vs. Andre Pallante, RHP

Shōta Imanaga was having a pretty good year until his last two starts, which were both awful. I’ll just note that half of all the runs he’s allowed this year (15 of 30) were in those two starts.

But here’s a team he does well against! Career vs. Cardinals: Four starts, 2.84 ERA, 0.789 WHIP, just three home runs in 25.1 innings, only one walk and 25 strikeouts.

Do more of that, Shōta.

This is Andre Pallante’s second full year in the Cardinals rotation. Last year wasn’t so good, with a 5.31 ERA in 31 starts, and he led MLB in wild pitches with 12.

This year has been somewhat better, and he has allowed three or fewer runs in eight of his 10 starts.

Career vs. Cubs: 12 games (five starts), 4.40 ERA, 1.674 WHIP, a low K rate (15 of 130 batters, or 11.5 percent).

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Busch Stadium.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

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

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

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

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

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SF Giants make coaching change after slow start to 2026 season

The San Francisco Giants' 2026 season hasn't got off to the best start and franchise's front office is ready to shake things up in the coaching department.

The team announced on Friday, May 29, that they will reassign third-base coach Hector Borg to a new role joining the Giants' player development staff.

The move comes after the Giants hit a low point during the early stages of the season. Through one-third of the season, San Francisco has posted a 22-34 record, which is second worst in the NL West division.

Through the span, the Giants have registered 469 hits, becoming a top-10 team in that category and sixth in MLB. However, they have struggled to convert those hits into runs. San Francisco is in last place in the MLB in runs at 204.

SF Giants make coaching change amid scoring deficiencies

One of the glaring issues for the lack of runs stem from a lapse in communication between players and Borg.

In multiple instances early in the season, the Giants have left points on the board due to confusion on when to stay on base and when to gamble for the next one.

Earlier this season, Borg in back-to-back games made questionable calls instructing his players to round a base or stay safe.

Giants outfielder Drew Gilbert had a chance to beat the Philadelphia Phillies in a doubleheader that went to extra innings on April 30.

Heliot Ramos was at bat in the top 10th inning when he made contact with the ball, which beamed toward second base, off the glove of Phillies' Bryson Stott as it landed in a gap toward the outfielders. Gilbert started at second, rounded third and looked to make his way home to give the Giants a one-run lead, but was seemingly waved off by Borg.

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Two-start pitchers: Emerson Hancock leads a group of intriguing options as we barrel into June

Hello and welcome to the 10th installment of our weekly two-start pitcher article for the 2026 MLB season.

I will continue to be here every Friday to highlight some of the best two-start pitcher options in fantasy baseball leagues for the upcoming week providing my insights and recommendations on which options should be started or benched.

The fantasy baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s easy to fall into bad habits and not spend as much time on teams that have struggled out of the gate, but now is not the time to panic or give up. Keep putting in the work and plugging away, striving to improve each week, and you’ll reap rewards at the end of this season.

This is a living document, so we'll update the options below as the weekend moves along.

Before we get into it, we'll start with a couple of notes on situations that may be unresolved or teams that may not have a two-start pitcher lined up for the upcoming week:

⚾️ Baseball is back! MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.

The expectation is that Casey Mize will make two starts for the Tigers next week (at Rays, vs. Mariners), but that depends on how his groin injury progresses over the next couple of days. If he gets pushed back at all or winds up on the injured list, it would most likely be either a bullpen game on Monday or Drew Anderson working in a bulk role. We obviously want to roll with Mize in all formats if he’s taking the ball, otherwise we should probably avoid the situation. We’ll update here throughout the weekend as more information comes in.

It’s also not clear who will be taking the mound for the Royals on Monday. The expectation had been that Cole Ragans would be ready to slot back into their rotation then, but he didn’t bounce back well following his last minor league rehab start so that seems incredibly unlikely now. We’ll watch the situation over the weekend and update here as needed.

Going Twice…

Note: Probable pitchers as of May 29 and are subject to change.

American League

▶ Strong Plays

Cam Schlittler, Yankees, RHP (vs. Guardians, vs. Red Sox)

Schlittler was profiled in this space as perhaps the top overall option on the board last week, only for a postponement on Saturday to alter the Yankees’ rotation plans and move his start back a day. He now checks back in as one of the top overall plays this week, with a pair of solid matchups on tap. Schlittler has been unbelievable through his first 12 starts, posting a 7-2 record, 1.50 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP to go with 81 strikeouts in 72 innings. He should be locked into fantasy lineups every week regardless of matchups, you just get the added bonus of the additional volume this week.

Emerson Hancock, Mariners, RHP (vs. Mets, at Tigers)

Hancock has been one of the most pleasant surprises in all of baseball this season, posting a 2.78 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and a 63/15 K/BB ratio over 64 2/3 innings through his first 11 starts. He now gets the dream two-start week of getting to battle the Mets at home and the Tigers in Detroit. If he’s not the top overall option on the board this week, he’s certainly close. Don’t be surprised when he continues to post elite ratios, racks up 12 strikeouts and notches a victory or two. He’s an automatic start in all leagues.

José Soriano, Angels, RHP (vs. Rockies, at Dodgers)

While his overall numbers have come back a bit since his unbelievable start to the season, Soriano still holds an impressive 2.65 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and a 78/31 K/BB ratio over 71 1/3 innings through his first 12 starts. He has allowed five or more earned runs twice in his last five starts though – one of those against the Dodgers who he’ll battle in Los Angeles over the weekend. The strong matchup against the Rockies to open the week more than makes up for that additional ratio risk though. He’s an easy start in all leagues once again this week.

Joe Ryan, Twins, RHP (vs. White Sox, vs. Royals)

As long as Joe Ryan continues to avoid the injured list and take the mound for the Twins, he should be an automatic start in all fantasy leagues. He sports a terrific 2.94 ERA and 0.93 WHIP across 64 1/3 innings on the season with strong strikeout numbers to go with the elite ratios. Expect more of that goodness against a pair of familiar divisional foes this week.

Connelly Early, Red Sox, LHP (vs. Orioles, at Yankees)

Early has been exceptional through his first 11 starts for the Red Sox this season, compiling a 2.95 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and a 57/22 K/BB ratio across 61 frames. Sure, the matchup against the Yankees in the Bronx to finish the week isn’t ideal, but it’s not enough to steer us away from using Early this week. Continue to ride the hot hand here in all formats.

Jacob deGrom, Rangers, RHP (at Cardinals, vs. Guardians)

We continue to follow the simple rule that anytime Jacob deGrom is healthy enough to take the mound, he should be locked into all fantasy lineups. There’s no reason to go against that in what looks to be a strong two-start week. The veteran right-hander holds a 3.77 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and a 70/12 K/BB ratio over 59 2/3 innings through 11 starts. The ERA is inflated from him allowing a league-leading 13 long balls while everything else has been elite. Look for that ERA to continue to correct this week.

Griffin Jax, Rays, RHP (vs. Tigers, at Marlins)

Jax has looked like a different pitcher since making the transition back to the rotation, posting a 1.29 ERA and a 17/8 K/BB ratio over 21 innings through his first six starts. He’s stretched out enough now that he should be able to work deep enough to earn a victory and the matchups fall perfectly in his favor this week against a pair of slumping offenses. That makes Jax a strong option in all leagues this week.

Kevin Gausman, Blue Jays, RHP (at Braves, vs. Orioles)

Gausman has been a rock atop the Blue Jays’ rotation this season, posting a 3.13 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and a 66/12 K/BB ratio over 69 innings through his first 12 starts. Those numbers include one major blowup against the Rays in early May. He has turned the page since then, allowing a total of two runs over 17 2/3 innings over his last three starts. The matchup against the Braves is tougher than we would like, but it’s no reason to bench Gausman this week. He’s an easy start in all leagues.

▶ Decent Plays

Shane Baz, Orioles, RHP (at Red Sox, at Blue Jays)

Always long on talent and short on consistency, it’s possible that we have seen Baz start to put it all together over his last two starts. During that stretch, Baz has allowed just two runs over 13 innings while posting a 15/5 K/BB ratio. It’s possible that he was just amped up for those starts as they were both revenge games against the Rays, or that his particular plan against that offense just worked out well over two starts. Either way, I think he should approach double digit strikeouts this week and neither opposing offense is the type that you’re really worried about blowing up your ratios. He feels like a safe start in all league sizes.

Noah Cameron, Royals, LHP (at Reds, at Twins)

It has been a major struggle for Cameron through his first 10 starts this season, posting a 4.61 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and a 48/17 K/BB ratio across 52 2/3 innings. We have seen it get a bit better his last two times out though, giving up just two runs over 11 innings with a 12/3 K/BB ratio against the Mariners and Yankees. Taking on the Reds in Cincinnati is no easy task, so it’s understandable if you want to avoid the ratio risk entirely, but I believe that the strong results continue for Cameron this week and he winds up being a nice play in all mixed leagues.

David Sandlin, White Sox, RHP (at Twins, at Phillies)

Sandlin looks like an absolute wild card heading into this week. The 25-year-old hurler always had good stuff, but struggled to deliver quality results in the minor leagues during his time with the Red Sox. That wasn’t the case in six minor league starts with the White Sox this season though, where he posted a 0.55 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and a 26/11 K/BB ratio over 16 1/3 innings. He carried that over to his MLB debut against the Twins, allowing only one run over five frames and earning a victory. He gets to battle those same Twins to start this week. The only real concern is workload, as he only threw 61 pitches in his debut and was closely monitored in the minors. With the volume of the two-start week, the strikeouts should be there for Sandlin, making him an interesting streaming option in deeper mixed and AL-only formats.

▶ At Your Own Risk

Mike Burrows, Astros, RHP (vs. Pirates, vs. Athletics)

Burrows has been a major disappointment for the Astros and for fantasy managers this season, pitching to a 5.40 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. He leads the American League with 71 hits allowed and has also surrendered a league-leading 13 home runs. If there’s ever a set of matchups for him to try to right the ship, this might be it. I could see rolling the dice in 15-teamers in the hopes that it gets better, but I’d shy away from him in 12’s if I could find viable alternatives.

Connor Prielipp, Twins, LHP (vs. White Sox, vs. Royals)

The transition to the big leagues hasn’t gone perfectly for Prielipp through his first seven starts, going 1-3 with a miserable 5.13 ERA and 1.35 WHIP. The strikeouts have been there, with 35 punchouts in 33 1/3 innings, but everything else falls far short of what fantasy managers should be looking for. If you can absorb the ratio risk and are trying to make up ground in wins and strikeouts, fire away. Otherwise, it may be best to pass on this one.

Joey Cantillo, Guardians, LHP (at Yankees, at Rangers)

Cantillo has done a decent job through his first 12 starts on the season, posting a respectable 3.57 ERA and a troublesome 1.40 WHIP while striking out 52 batters in 58 innings of work. His American League-leading 31 walks certainly haven’t helped his cause. He now runs into the best offense in the league against southpaws and has to take them on at Yankee Stadium. That could spell disaster. It gets easier over the weekend against the Rangers, but I’m not sure I want to trust my ratios to that potential damage in the Bronx.

Gage Jump, Athletics, LHP (at Cubs, at Astros)

Jump, 23, struggled to a 4.50 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 38 innings in nine starts at Triple-A Las Vegas before being called up for his big league debut this past week. It didn’t go well, allowing four runs on nine hits over five frames against the Mariners. It’s not going to get any easier for him this week, having to battle two offenses that hit left-handed pitching well. It probably helps him that both starts are away from Sutter Health Park, and if you squint you can see a modicum of strikeout upside here, there’s just too much ratio risk for me to gamble on him outside of the deepest leagues.

National League

▶ Strong Plays

Chase Burns, Reds, RHP (vs. Royals, at Cardinals)

Burns has blossomed into one of the best pitchers in all of baseball in his sophomore campaign, posting a 7-1 record, 1.96 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and a 72/20 K/BB ratio over 64 1/3 innings through his first 11 starts. Look for the good times to continue this week with stellar matchups on tap against the Royals and the Cardinals. He’s easily one of, if not the, top overall option on the board for the upcoming week.

Kyle Harrison, Brewers, LHP (vs. Giants, at Rockies)

For years, fantasy managers have been clamoring for a team to just put Kyle Harrison in their rotation and let him run with the job. The Giants and Red Sox never really gave him the leash to do so, despite flashes of brilliance. The Brewers have finally unleashed him on the National League and the results have been outstanding. Harrison holds a 6-1 record, 1.57 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP with 61 punchouts over 51 2/3 innings. That’s ace-level stuff. He now gets a dream matchup against the Giants to start the week before finishing up with a tough battle at Coors Field. Don’t overthink this one, Harrison should be started in 100 percent of leagues this week.

Eduardo Rodriguez, Diamondbacks, LHP (vs. Dodgers, vs. Nationals)

It’s hard to call what Eduardo Rodriguez has done this season just a hot start any longer. The 33-year-old southpaw holds a brilliant 2.31 ERA and 1.21 WHIP across 66 1/3 innings through his first 11 starts. Perhaps starting his preparation earlier than usual and getting amped up for the World Baseball Classic really did make a difference. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in eight of those 11 starts and hasn’t allowed more than four runs in a start all season. The matchups are very difficult this week, but I think Rodriguez has earned enough of a leash that he should still be started in all formats.

Landen Roupp, Giants, RHP (at Brewers, at Cubs)

Roupp has been terrific in his first 11 starts for the Giants this season, registering a 3.30 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and a 68/22 K/BB ratio over 60 innings. He hasn’t won a game since winning four straight starts to end the month of April. I expect him to end that streak and emerge victorious from one of his two outings this week. He’s an easy start in all league sizes.

Michael McGreevy, Cardinals, RHP (vs. Rangers, vs. Reds)

No strikeouts, no problem. McGreevy continues to get by with his limited strikeout rate, registering a 2.98 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with just 43 strikeouts over 60 1/3 innings on the season. He now gets to make a pair of starts at home against lineups that are underwhelming against right-handed pitching. There may be ratio correction coming at some point this season, but there’s no reason to expect that it’s going to start this week. McGreevy can be started with full confidence in all leagues.

▶ Decent Plays

Bryce Elder, Braves, RHP (vs. Blue Jays, vs. Pirates)

Many prognosticators have called Elder’s early-season success a mirage and have projected that there’s a major correction coming in his ratios. Did we start to see that this past week when he gave up six runs (five earned) over 3 1/3 innings against the Red Sox? Perhaps, but it’s also the first time in 12 starts this season that he has allowed more than three runs. The matchups this week aren’t overly imposing and pitching for the Braves he’s a threat to earn a victory every time he takes the mound. If you have enjoyed the success that Elder has had this season, I think you have to continue rolling with him for a non-threatening two-start week, even coming off of the bad outing last week.

Michael Soroka, Diamondbacks, RHP (vs. Dodgers, vs. Nationals)

Soroka has been an outstanding addition to the Diamondbacks’ rotation this season, sitting at 7-2 with a 3.25 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 61 innings through his first 11 starts. Those numbers would be even better without one eight-run disaster against the Brewers at the end of April. In the month of May though, he has surrendered two earned runs or fewer in each of his five starts. The matchups are tough, there’s no getting around that, which invites in more ratio risk than we have seen from Soroka this year, but I’d still confidently roll with him in both 15 and 12-team formats.

Emmet Sheehan, Dodgers, RHP (at Diamondbacks, vs. Angels)

It’s a rare occurrence that we get a two-start week from any Dodgers’ hurler, as they have been rolling with a full six-man rotation for the duration of the season. That’s exactly what we get this week with Sheehan though, making him a strong option in all formats. His WHIP and strikeout numbers have been solid throughout the season, even though his ERA has fluctuated, and he’s always a strong option to earn a victory with the powerful Dodgers’ offense backing him. He should be started in all leagues this week.

Jameson Taillon, Cubs, RHP (vs. Athletics, vs. Giants)

Historically a reliable option that could be trusted to protect your ratios, Taillon has really struggled to keep the ball in the yard this season, serving up a league-leading 19 home runs which has led to an inflated 5.37 ERA. His 1.27 WHIP is also at the highest level that we have seen from him since 2023. The matchups this week line up well for him though, getting to take on the Athletics and the woeful Giants, both at home. If you can’t start him for this two-start week, you shouldn’t even have him rostered.

Chad Patrick, Brewers, LHP (vs. Giants, at Rockies)

The overall results for Patrick look good on the season, with a 2.60 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 13 appearances (six starts). He has even picked up a couple of saves to go along with his two victories. The only issue here is that the Brewers continue to limit his workload, not letting him see a lineup for a third time. That’s fine if he works as a bulk guy behind an opener, but last time out he started and only worked four innings, giving him no shot at a victory. With the added volume this week he’s a fine start regardless, but going forward he’s going to be hard to use for single-start weeks if that continues to be the case.

Randy Vásquez, Padres, RHP (at Phillies, vs. Mets)

Vásquez has surprisingly pitched well for the Padres this season, compiling a 3.28 ERA and 1.23 WHIP across 60 1/3 innings in his 11 starts. Strikeouts have never really been his game, but the added volume of a second start this week helps to combat that weakness. He also gets a nice draw getting to battle the Mets at home over the weekend. I’d be fine using him as a streaming option in all league sizes.

Aaron Nola, Phillies, RHP (vs. Padres, vs. White Sox)

It has been a very rough go for Nola through his first 11 starts this season, posting an unappealing 5.72 ERA and 1.45 WHIP across 56 2/3 innings. The strikeouts have been there, and he has won three ballgames, but everything else has been harmful from a fantasy perspective. He is coming off of a victory against the Padres his last time out though, so perhaps he can carry that over to start his two-start week. I’d be fine using him in 15 teamers, in 12’s it would depend on where my ratios sat and what my other options were.

▶ At Your Own Risk

Bubba Chandler, Pirates, RHP (at Astros, at Braves)

It has been a rough season for Chandler so far, going 1-6 with a 4.85 ERA and 1.52 WHIP over 52 innings in his 11 starts. From a pure talent standpoint, I would love to get behind the idea of using Chandler for his two-start week, but he has been a disaster for most of the season and the matchups are especially brutal for the upcoming week. If you’re trying to make up ground in wins and strikeouts and need the additional volume, you can try it, otherwise I think I would pass on this one.

Sandy Alcantara, Marlins, RHP (at Nationals, vs. Rays)

I honestly have no idea what to expect from Alcantara this week. He has been extremely inconsistent this season and has been in terrible form over the past two weeks – giving up 14 runs and five homers over 11 2/3 innings his last two times out. His start before that though, he threw a six inning gem against the Rays in which he didn’t allow a run. Those same Rays are on tap for the weekend. The Nationals offense continues to pile up runs though and that matchup looks quite imposing to start the week. If you’ve rolled with him this far, you’re probably blindly starting him for a two-start week, I just think it’s possible that something isn’t quite right here and we see another rough week in the ratio department.

Sean Manaea, Mets, LHP (at Mariners, at Padres)

With David Peterson booted from the Mets’ rotation, Manaea will have an opportunity to work as a bulk reliever in his spot for the time being. He has struggled in 12 appearances out of the team’s bullpen this year, registering a 5.56 ERA and 1.62 WHIP across 34 innings. We have seen him have relevancy from a fantasy perspective in the past, so it’s possible he takes this opportunity and runs with it. The matchups line up in his favor, for whatever that’s worth.

Kyle Freeland, Rockies, LHP (at Angels, vs. Brewers)

Never Rockies. It’s that simple. Never Rockies. Also, never Kyle Freeland. He holds an 8.08 ERA and 1.75 WHIP over 42 1/3 innings on the season. There’s just no reason to ever go here. Stay far, far away. You have been warned.

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Series Preview: Red Sox at Guardians

CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 16: Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Parker Messick (77) reacts after the final out of the eighth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians on April 16, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

This will be an abbreviated preview as I have a very busy weekend. Hopefully, the Guardians offense will be similarly busy!

The Red Sox are 23-32 and the Guardians are 33-25.

Game One, Friday, 7:10: Bryan Bello, RHP vs. Slade Cecconi, RHP

Game Two, Saturday, 4:10: Sonny Gray, RHP vs. Parker Messick, LHP

Game Three, Sunday, 1:40: Ranger Suarez LHP vs Tanner Bibee, RHP

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Yankees Mailbag: Strange standings and All-Star odds

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 26: Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees is seen in the the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on May 26, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Good afternoon everyone, it’s time to dive back into the mailbag and answer some of your questions. Remember to send in your questions for our weekly call by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.

The idiot that said, “Harper is coming” asks: Did you have only five teams at or above .500 in the American League on Memorial Day in your prediction before the season?And were the Rays, White Sox, and A’s three of those teams? We’re in Bizarro World!

It has been a wacky start for the standings for sure, with many would-be contenders a bit underwater at this point and several teams that no one could have predicted in the mix. The Rays were an afterthought in the AL East, a near-unanimous pick for last place that didn’t get higher than a third-place mention or two in our staff predictions, and yet they’ve caused the Yankees plenty of grief already and hold a slight lead on them for the division crown. Chicago had a few more believers that they would at least get out of the cellar, but none that would push them farther than fourth (and certainly no one picked Detroit to be in the basement in their stead), and the A’s had made enough moves to warrant a similar vibe but the AL West as a whole has been abysmal allowing them into the conversation.

The strangest thing about this season’s results thus far is that everyone’s collective struggles have made it hard to outright rule out teams from a playoff push, despite many of them still sitting below .500. That’s not to say I’d have any confidence in those lower Wild Card slots — Toronto at least has the pedigree to deserve respect as the defending AL champs, but the mesh of teams sitting a few games below them all look uninspiring at best. This is the ideal scenario for a team like the Astros, who looked dead and buried under their injuries through the first month but noticed the rest of the league fail to fill in the grave, and now they’ve rattled off seven wins in their last 10 to sit 2.5 games out of the final Wild Card. I’d have more faith in the remainder of that core than I do in teams like the Twins or Orioles giving it a true shot, and despite their early success I still have my doubts about the A’s and ChiSox. The Rangers should be the team that could pull away from the pack, but Corey Seager’s been MIA even when he’s on the field this time around and the rest of that offense isn’t amounting to much. All in all, it’s a murky field that the Yankees are fortunate to stand apart from, but it also means that they’ll have to do some convincing to get any additions from their competitors as the trade deadline starts to come up on the horizon.

NYCKING asks:Over/Under 4.5 Yankees named to All-Star team?

Injury replacements and pitchers that’re unable to play in the game itself could change the calculus, but going off of initial roster sizes I think the Yankees will actually go over on this. Aaron Judge will be a lock as always, and Cam Schlittler has a shot to not only make the All-Star staff but start the game itself if he keeps pitching like he has. Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger also have strong odds to make the roster, but Max Fried’s injury will probably keep him shelved long enough to prevent him joining his teammates at the event.

The X-factor here is Jazz Chisholm Jr., who admittedly did not get off to a good start this season but rebounded well enough in May to get back to above-average offensively. The field at second base has not been strong in the American League, meaning Chisholm’s 1.4 fWAR actually leads the pack despite the slow beginning, and there’s no reason to doubt that he could continue to further the gap should he keep heating up with the temperature. That’s their best chance to do so, however, as they won’t be seeing any representatives from catcher or third base, and while José Caballero has done fine work for them he’ll probably fall short of an All-Star nomination. Perhaps Will Warren or Ryan Weathers could earn a nod near the end of the pitching staff, but that would be a long shot unless either one has a tremendous June to push their case forward.

treatycity asks: Humor me, I’m testing your love for Anthony Volpe. Lombard will likely be pressing for the shortstop job come 2027 spring training. Volpe and Cabby could be potential candidates for second base, if Chisholm Jr. doesn’t return, but they’ll have to earn the job. Much depends if Yankees sign Chisholm long term. What’s the max years/money you’d give to Chisholm?

Our own Jonathan Farrar wrote an excellent piece back in March breaking down the contract demand that Chisholm stated he was looking for during spring training, which was an eight-to-ten year, $300-350 million deal range. The numbers look gaudy on paper, but as Jonathan worked it out, there’s good reasons for the ranges that Jazz threw out back then — a $35 million AAV sits squarely around players like Cody Bellinger and Alex Bregman, contemporaries from the previous free agent pool that Chisholm has comparable offensive numbers to, while his younger age would warrant a longer deal than the five-year pacts both signed.

Perhaps his slow start will be weighed against him, perhaps he’ll hit well enough to make everyone forget about it in the second half. As it stands, FanGraphs projects him to get to around 3.2 fWAR which would be a low for his time in New York but still better than any of his outputs from his Miami days. The postseason could determine everything for him, as another cold October might cost him big bucks, but taking that out of the equation and focusing on what he provides throughout the 162 games of the regular season shows that he’s going to be worth a pretty penny. I think he’ll have to compromise in one area of his initial demands more significantly to secure a number closer to the other, meaning if he wants to get a good AAV in the area that Bellinger just got the most he could expect to get is six or seven years maximum. Does a seven-year, $210 million deal entice him enough to stay? That’s about where I’d hit my limit with Jazz as of right now, but that number’s flexible should he turn the burners on.

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MLB suspends Abner Uribe one game after Brewers reliever's 'triple crotch chop'

Major League Baseball suspended Abner Uribe one game for "inappropriate actions" and issued a fine after the Milwaukee Brewers reliever executed a "triple crotch chop" celebration following a tense inning against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Uribe has appealed the suspension, MLB announced Friday, May 29, and will be available for the Brewers game Friday at Houston.

Uribe's histrionics came after days of stewing beef between the Cardinals and Brewers, with Uribe claiming Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol threatened to intentionally hit Milwaukee batters after the club was allegedly too obvious in relaying stolen signs from the dugout.

Abner Uribe of the Milwaukee Brewers was suspended one game by Major League Baseball for "inappropriate actions."

The tensions crested when Uribe threw a pitch up and in on Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera in the eighth inning of the Brewers' 6-0 victory on Tuesday, May 26. After Uribe got out of the inning, he turned toward the Cardinals dugout and celebrated, irritating his manager, Pat Murphy.

""It’s just unacceptable," Murphy told reporters following the victory. "I don’t know what got over him. I mean, he’s been an emotional guy. That’s just not how we do things. I was embarrassed by it. Why are we doing it in a 6-0 ballgame?"

Marmol acknowledged a day later that he'd chirped with Brewers players regarding the relayed signs Monday.

"We felt like they were being pretty demonstrative about relaying from the dugout," Marmol said. "I looked over [to the Brewers dugout] and said, 'Don't do it, be smart, you're going to get somebody hurt, what are we trying to do here?' And that was it."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Abner Uribe celebration, 'triple crotch chop' earns Brewers pitcher suspension

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Mets moving David Peterson to bullpen, Sean Manaea will receive chance as bulk arm

The Mets are officially making a change to their pitching staff. 

David Peterson will be sliding back to the bullpen as of this weekend, and Sean Manaea will receive an opportunity in his spot in the rotation as the bulk arm the next time around. 

Peterson had been enjoying success during the early part of May, but he was roughed up his last time out, allowing six runs on a season-high 11 hits across five innings of work in a loss to the Reds. 

Manaea, on the other hand, has turned things around nicely after a brutal start to the season.