Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:
For the Guardians:
Let’s talk about it.
Gamethread 5/22: Guardians at Phillies
Dodgers Post podcast: How Shohei Ohtani made statement with two-way heroics
Shohei Ohtani’s slump is over.
His statement game in San Diego this week made sure of that.
On the latest episode of the Dodgers Post podcast, that’s what California Post baseball writers Dylan Hernandez and Jack Harris discuss.
They break down Ohtani’s ever-evolving usage, how he seems to feel about it, and why Wednesday’s game –– in which he hit a leadoff home run and pitched five scoreless innings –– was so important at this stage of the season.
Later, the two also break down Andy Pages’ epic battle against Padres closer Mason Miller on Tuesday night, and why it felt like such a seminal early-season moment in this Dodgers’ campaign.
They also review the Dodgers’ overall play during their series win over the Padres, which put the club back in first place in the standings.
And as always, they finish with predictions for this upcoming week, as the Dodgers head to Milwaukee for a three-game series against the Brewers.
All that and more on this latest edition of Dodgers Post.
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post SportsFacebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
California Post App: Download here!
Home delivery: Sign up here!Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!
Anthony Volpe out of the lineup as Jose Caballero makes injury return in telling Yankees sign
José Caballero is healthy again, and as Aaron Boone indicated when he first went down with a fractured right middle finger, Caballero remained the starting shortstop Friday against the Rays in The Bronx — with Anthony Volpe still on the roster, but not in the lineup.
Access the Yankees beat like never before
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.
Try it freeHow the Yankees plan to utilize Volpe remains to be seen, since he didn’t play any position besides shortstop in his minor league rehab assignment nor after he was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before he got the call to the majors to replace the injured Caballero.
Volpe had some encouraging games at the plate and defensively — as well as on the bases — but he entered Friday hitless in his last eight plate appearances with three strikeouts and botched a double play ball at short in Thursday’s loss to Toronto.
Caballero had impressed through his first 40 games with all aspects of his play.
The Yankees expected him to be a pest on the bases and to hold his own on offense and at short before Volpe returned from offseason surgery on his left shoulder and reclaimed the starting shortstop job — with Caballero reverting back to the super-utility role he was acquired last year from Tampa Bay to play — but Caballero instead provided above average defense and was a spark in the lineup on an everyday basis.
All that led Boone to say, when Caballero went on the IL, that he would likely get his job back upon his return to health.
“He’s played as well as anyone out there,’’ Boone said at the time. “That would be my expectation.”
Ronald Acuña leads off for the Braves against the Nationals
In a matchup of the top two offenses so far in MLB this season, the Atlanta Braves will be taking on the Washington Nationals. The Nationals have continued their strong offensive showing leading MLB in runs and doubles while being fourth in OPS.
The Braves are right behind them scoring the second most runs while being second in OPS trailing the Dodgers by .002. The Braves are also second in HRs, first in hits, and first in slugging percentage.
What will be interesting in the game today is the Braves have Elder pitching, who has a 2.01 ERA but the Nationals were originally supposed to have Miles Mikolas pitching with a terrible 6.91 ERA. Mikolas has the fourth worst ERA of any pitcher with at least 40.0 innings pitched, while Elder is in the top ten best. However there was a change and Richard Lovelady will be getting the start with his much better 3.61 ERA in 20.2 IP.
It is a bit unfortunate for the Braves that the pitching change happened because Michael Harris has been great in his eleven at-bats against Mikolas with a .455 average and 1.000 OPS. Matt Olson has two HRs and a 1.067 OPS in fifteen at-bats, and Austin Riley has a .278 average and .816 OPS in eighteen at-bats. It is a much different story with Lovelady because no one has faced him in more than two at-bats.
Before the lineup was dropped, the biggest question was whether Ronald Acuña would be in the lineup. He apparently had a bone bruise yesterday, but wanted to start tonight.
With who the Braves are facing tonight, and Acuña’s history of struggling against Mikolas, it would not be a shock if the Braves decided to rest him for a game.
Turns out Ronald Acuña was good enough to start and will lead off and play RF.
As for the Nationals and their hot offense, their best players will be in the lineup for them tonight with James Wood leading off and C.J. Abrams hitting cleanup.
Garcia has had fourteen at-bats against Elder and has been successful with a .357 average and .971 OPS. Abrams leads the team with sixteen at-bats and has a .912 OPS against Elder.
First pitch is at 7:15 EDT.
Yankees Mailbag: A feast or famine offense
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.
OLDY MOLDY asks:When was the last time a Yankees team carried one or more regular players batting under .200 into the All-Star break?
You don’t actually have to go too far back, as I believe Joey Gallo in the 2022 season would be the last time the Yankees had a regular starter below the Mendoza line at the All-Star break, though they had many close calls in the years since. Just last year the team had both Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe in danger of the feat batting in the .210s, and they also had the black hole situation at third base where a rotation of guys were hitting rather poorly there — Oswald Peraza was hitting below .200, but he was a sharing the starting job with the corpse of DJ LeMahieu who managed to pull a decent .266 mark off.
That kind of illustrates the flaw in worrying too much about batting average though — we all know LeMahieu was a net negative for the Yankees in 2025, but by batting average he was tied for fifth-best on the team with a guy in José Caballero who didn’t join the roster until LeMahieu had already been released. It’s far from a great indicator of offensive production, but even with the hindsight of the analytical revolution it is jarring to see three Yankee starters under the mark. Two of those starters, Wells and Ryan McMahon, have been various shades of awful at the plate so it’s not like they couldn’t do with some more hits landing, but Trent Grisham at least looks a little more respectable with his total body of work, not to mention the luck he’s had drilling pitches right at defenders.
The Yankee offense needs to find some more consistency, there’s no question about that. It starts with the bottom of the lineup graduating from being automatic outs, but unfortunately there’s been little indication that things will change anytime soon. With the backup options also mightily struggling though, they’ll need to soldier on for a bit and prove that the team doesn’t need to consider making some drastic moves as we get closer to the trade deadline and the rumor mill starts to churn.
ReadingYankee asks:The Yankees bats are the one area we seem to be underperforming. When fully healthy, and I realize that is a foolish thing to suggest would ever happen, how should the best Yankee line up produce when compared to some of the best teams in baseball right now?
The thing is that they’re damn near close to healthy offensively. Giancarlo Stanton has been out for a while, yes, but that’s a fact that most assumed would happen at some point in the season, and Caballero has missed a couple of weeks and will be gladly welcomed back to provide a bit of a spark in the middle/lower half of the lineup, but otherwise? What you’ve seen is what you can expect with this offense, which overall isn’t a bad thing — they’re third in hitter fWAR and wRC+, with a negligible difference between them and second place in the former category.
The thing is that they’re carried entirely by their top three hitters in Ben Rice, Aaron Judge, and Cody Bellinger, with the only other effective batters throughout the season being Caballero and their platoon hitters in Paul Goldschmidt and Amed Rosario. That leads to a lot of volatility if one or two of the big three aren’t clicking, and they’ve had that problem with Judge in the middle of a slump for the last couple of weeks. Adding back some floor raisers will do wonders for avoiding a result like the Yankees’ most recent road trip, but as you noted it’s foolish to assume that they’ll get Stanton and Cabby back and just deal with no other issues health-wise the rest of the way. Jazz Chisholm Jr. has gotten hot since stepping (literally) into Stanton’s pants, and if the Yankee second baseman can transition this into playing like his old self through the summer then that’ll be do a lot to revamp their feast or famine outlook and keep them among the premium offenses in the league.
The Ghost of Pop Logan asks:I can recall multiple instances where the Yankees pitching lab (the Gas Factory) has been credited with adding velocity to young arms acquired in the draft. Are there any examples of adding velocity to established pitchers acquired via trade or free agency?
Part of what made the Yankees’ initial success with their bullpen diamond in the rough finds was their ability to do this, and both Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver’s time in pinstripes showcased a tick up in velo to prove just that. The current roster doesn’t any cases like that, but that speaks more to the struggles of this current bullpen and the elite status of their rotation being a product of signing already-great starters and supplementing them with their own developed prospects.
Who’s Hot, Who’s Cold: Blue Jays Batters
Over the past two weeks the Jays are 7-6. The offense has scored 2.0 runs per game. No sorry, 4.2 runs per game.
Hot
Brandon Valenzuela: Played in 11 games, starting 9. Hit .300/.382/.433 with 1 double, 1 home run, 4 RBI, 4 walks, and 5 strikeouts.
Why is this guy bunting? He’s been terrific over the last two weeks. There is a downside, teams are running wild on his, 14 steals, 3 times caught, though a 17.6% caught stealing rate isn’t all that bad. The Yankees stole 5 bases against him Monday, but only 1 more in the other two games when he was behind the plate. Whoever decided we should pick him up (for Will Wagner, who is hitting .212 in AAA this year) deserves a raise. He’s taken the number 1 catcher spot in Kirk’s absence and I can’t imagine they wouldn’t keep him on the team when Kirk is back.
Ernie Clement: Played in all 13 games, starting 11. Hit .349/.370/.558 with 3 doubles, 2 home runs, 7 RBI, 2 walks and 6 strikeouts.
Started 7 games at second, 3 at short, 1 at third. I hate that he swings at pitches head level, almost ground level, and well off the plate, but that’s who he is and he’s making a nice career out of it. Unfortunately, he’s not a free agent until 2029, when he’s 33, so he’s likely to miss out on the big money. But then the $4.6 million his is making this year isn’t all that bad. He leads the league in doubles.
Daulton Varsho: Started all 13 games. Hit .360/.407/.540, with 4 doubles, 1 triple, a homer run, 7 RBI, with 2 steals, 4 walks and 13 strikeouts.
He’s been terrific. He’s even hitting lefties well this year. He is a streak hitter, but his strikeout rate has dropped from 28.4% last year to 19.3% this year. His defense hasn’t been quite the same as in the past, he has a 1 above average this season. Last year he finished with a +8. I don’t know why. maybe he’s been nursing something (that isn’t showing up in his batting). Or maybe he’s just not getting the jump he used to. There has been times when he’s made the wrong first step. Hmmm looking at his Baseball Savant page, his spring speed has dropped. Last year he was 77th percentile. this year 51th percentile. going from 28.4 feet per second to 27.3 Maybe he is cursing something.
Jesús Sánchez: Played in 12 games, 9 starts. Hit .429/.438/.500 with 2 doubles, 1 homer, 2 walks and 6 strikeouts.
He’s not providing the power we expected. But hitting over .400 over the last two weeks suggests he’s been hot. I am slightly worried his little injury is more than just getting the wind knocked out of him. Defensively….he’s a bit awkward out there. Fangraphs says he’s a -2 Outs Above Average in the outfield which scans with the eye test.
Cold
Vladimir Guerrero: Started 13 of 13. Hit .178/.298/.244 with 1 home run, 6 RBI, 8 walks, and 4 strikeouts. And 2 steals.
2 starts were as DH. Yeah he’s slumping. I thought he’s with more strikeouts than walks over this two weeks, because he seems to be swinging at a lot of stuff off the plate, which is unusual. He hasn’t taken his bat troubles onto the field (well, other than going most of the way to second base for that one play). I don’t know what’s going on with him, but I hope it ends soon. We really need him to get hitting. His career high for stolen bases is 8, he has 4 now (and hasn’t been caught, he’s picking his moments well).
Andrés Giménez: Played in all 13 games, starting 10. Hit .158/.233/.342 with 2 home runs, 1 double, with 10 RBI, 1 steal, 2 walk and 10 strikeouts.
He had that two home runs game and that incredible at bat the other day (11 pitch walk). And yet, he hit .158 over the past two weeks. And he’s hitting .361/.390/.583 with RISP, .181/.200/.289 with no one on base. It is weird. Last year he was some better with RISP (.661 OPS RISP, .569 with none on). Career he has a .779 OPS with RISP and a .696 in all situations. I’m dubious of these things being skills. The Jays, this year, as a whole, have a .742 OPS with RISP and .676 in total (surprise I bet, I thought they never hit with RISP). It is normal to hit better with RISP, because…well, the pitcher’s obviously not doing well. He’s not pitching a no-hitter, he’s got guys on base. But, this year, Andrés is doing much much better with RISP. Why I don’t think it is a real skill is, if you could hit like a Hall of Famer, why not do it all the time? He’d be a very rich man.
Kazuma Okamoto: Started 12 of the 13 games. Hit .133/.216/.178 with 2 doubles, 4 RBI, 5 walk, and 18 strikeouts.
His little hot streak ended. I said, jokingly, that he should move up in the box a bit. I really don’t think moving a few inches in the box really changes anything, but I think getting out of your head is likely a good thing. I was reading a book about tennis and it said not to judge your game as you are playing. It suggests you have two parts to your brain, one that says ‘that was a bad shot’ and the other hears that and says ‘that’s because you are a bad player’. Once you tell yourself you are bad, you’d play bad. The Pro who’s giving me occasional lessons says ‘remember the good shots, forget about the bad’. But if I do that there are two hours out of the day that are missing….I remember going to play tennis and I remember driving home, nothing in between. But, it is important not to carry bad shots (or bad at bats) with you. He knows me know and tells me I have 15 seconds to curse myself over a bad shot, then I have to let it good. On good days, I can do that. I think moving to a different spot in the box, or say at the back of the court, can give you something that will chase the bad thoughts away. I don’t know if that’s Kazuma’s problem, but I do believe that moving in the batter’s box does less for you physically than it would do mentally.
Davis Schneider: Played 8 games, starting 6. Hit .125/.263/.123 with no extra base hits, 1 RBI, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts and 1 steal.
Speaking of cold and needs to get out of his own head. Last year, near the end of the season, the commentators talked about how Schneider would decide that today he would copy the stance of some player when he was in the batter’s box. I really admit, I thought it was silly, you should be you. But it is something that would get you out of your head. Chase any negative thought away and get you playing on instinct. It seems to me that Davis could use that. He’s a likable guy….but he’s gotta hit and we don’t seem to be getting closer to where he will hit.
George Springer: Started 11 games. Hit .217/.265/.370 with 1 doubles, 2 homers, 3 RBI, 3 walks and 11 strikeouts, with 1 steals.
Played 3 games in left, 1 in right, the rest at DH. He’s been incredible. I would have bet that he was finished after last season. Happy to be wrong. He’s got 27 home runs on the season. He’s only DHed this season and it hasn’t gone well. These last two weeks have been a little better than what he has been doing, but not much.
Myles Straw: Played in 12 games, 5 starts. Hit .091/.167/.091 with no extra base hits, 2 walks and 7 strikeouts..
He’s had 2 hits in the base 2 weeks. He’s a +1 outs above average, but that’s just 194.1 innings. Are any of the right-handed platoon players hitting at all?
Tyler Heineman: Play in 5 games, starting 4. Hit .000/.000.000 with 1 RBI and 1 sac bunt.
He has thrown out 4 of 5 base stealers in the last two weeks. Before this last two weeks, he threw out 3 of 15 base stealers.
Yohendrick Pinango: Played in 11 games, starting 7. Hit .219/.286/.344 with 1 double, 1 homer, 4 RBI, 3 walks and 7 strikeouts.
Not terribly cold, but a .629 OPS definitely isn’t hot. I’m not worried, he’ll get the swing back quick. I really like watching him play. FanGraphs has him at a +1 OAA and he has looked good in the outfield.
IL
Anthony Santander: Might get into a game before the end of the season. Who knows.
Alejandro Kirk: He’s catching and throwing and hitting. Should start a rehab soon. Back sometime in early June with any luck.
Addison Barger: Might start throwing and hitting soon.
Nathan Lukes: He’s played two rehab games. 2 hits, 1 homer, 3 RBI, 2 walks in 6 PA. Could be back soon.
SF Giants could exploit large draft bonus pool to add premium young talent
The annual draft is the easiest way for a baseball team to add talent cheaply. To keep things cheap, Major League Baseball has limited the amount of money teams can spend on signing bonuses, with penalties in place for anyone who goes over their limits. The San Francisco Giants are in a unique position this season to defy those rules and stock up on a lot of young talent by spending a lot of money and taking the punishment.
Let us preface this article with a caveat: The San Francisco Giants are unlikely to “blow up the draft” as Jarrett Seidler of Baseball Prospectus suggests. It’s an expensive strategy and a risky one. The league might really hate it. And it relies on a team developing high school draftees into successful major leaguers, something the Giants have not excelled at in the last decade.
The general concept is that the Giants go over their allotted bonus pool. Like, way over. Teams get to spend a certain amount of money on all their draft choices, based on where their draft picks are. When the Giants traded Patrick Bailey for the No. 29 pick, they added $3,720,200 to their draft pool and now have $17,350,600 to spend on their draftees, which is the 4th-most in baseball.
What happens if a team spends over its pool? If they go 1-5% over that number, they pay a 75% tax on the overage. Go 5-10% over the pool and they forfeit a first-round pick, along with paying the 75% tax. 10-15% over means the team loses a first- and a second-rounder and pays a 100% tax on the excess, and anything more than 15% over the drat pool costs two first-rounders and the 100% tax.
So teams are disincentivized towards overspending. However, the nature of the penalties means that if a team is going 15% over their pool, going 100% over the pool just costs them money.
Say the Giants spent $20M on signing bonuses. That would mean they’d lose their first-round picks in 2027 and 2028 and pay a penalty of $2,649,200. Pretty harsh! But if they spent $50M on bonuses, they would have to pay $32,649,400 in penalties — but still only lose the two picks. That’s what BP called “burning the drafting ships,” named after what conquistador Hernan Cortes did upon reaching the New World, to let his crew know there was no going back to Spain. It’s also what Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead simply calls “F—- them picks.”
The nature of the draft means that’s a high-risk strategy, but New York Mets owner Steve Cohen believes high draft picks are highly undervalued.
A dollar-for-dollar tax is expensive, but the draft pick penalty for the Giants this season would be unusually low-risk. Since they moved up in the draft lottery this season, they can pick no higher than 10th in 2027, no matter how the rest of the year goes. They might be bad in 2027, though recent history suggests the team will still try to be good. If the Giants were to make any other trades like the Bailey deal, they could theoretically add more picks and increase their bonus pool further.
Essentially, the Giants would commit to meeting the demands of hard-to-sign players. These would primarily be high school players, who have more leverage than a college junior since they can threaten to simply go to college and collect that sweet NIL money. Rolling the rice and returning to college as a senior is riskier.
There has been chatter that the Giants are interested in “floating” UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky down to their No. 4 pick by offering a record-setting bonus, though he’s facing the same risk of one of the top three teams taking him instead and daring him to go back to school. For context, the biggest signing bonus in MLB draft history is $9.25M, which is what No. 2 pick Chase Burns and No. 3 pick Charlie Condon both signed for in 2024.
The San Diego Padres employed a similar strategy in the 2016-17 international signing period. They paid out $40.8M in bonuses, which cost them $37.4M in penalties, and limited how much they could spend on international free agents the following season. It also got them a boatload of young talent.
Will the Giants do this? Almost certainly not. It seems like it would deeply unpopular with the league and other teams, and the prize — a lot of very talented, very young players — is unreliable. Baseball would probably change the draft rules if a team like the Giants went rogue.
The Padres’ haul was impressive on paper but most of the players washed out, with the biggest success story being Adrian Orejon, who was an All-Star reliever last season. Still, San Diego was able to use some of these players in trades for players like Blake Snell, Adam Frazier, and Mike Clevinger, even if they didn’t pan out in the Plymouth of the West.
Still, it’s only money, and whatever else you can say about them, the Giants have shown they’re willing to spend. Whether they’re willing to upset the structure of the baseball draft is another thing.
Mets call up Jonah Tong, designate Craig Kimbrel for assignment
The Mets have called up Jonah Tong, who ranked third on Amazin’ Avenue’s list of the organization’s top prospects coming into the season. In a corresponding move, the team has designated Craig Kimbrel for assignment.
After getting called up last year, Tong started five games for the Mets and had a 7.71 ERA. He started this season in Triple-A Syracuse, and in nine games and 38.0 innings there, he has a 5.68 ERA. His last start was notably difficult, as he allowed seven runs (six earned) in five innings. Nevertheless, the Mets seem to believe that he can provide immediate support at some point this weekend, as Tobias Myers is set to start tonight against the Marlins.
Kimbrel had a 6.00 ERA in 14 games and 15 innings for the Mets, and his last appearance on May 20 was the longest of his career at 2.2 innings. During that outing, he gave up a two-run home run to Jacob Young of the Nationals.
Two-start pitchers: Cam Schlittler headlines a group of stellar options as we wrap up the month of May
Hello and welcome to the ninth installment of our weekly two-start pitcher article for the 2026 MLB season.
I will 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.
It’s crazy that we’re already more than a quarter of the way through the 2026 season. It seems like we just started.
We now have actual actionable data that we can use to make decisions on these pitchers, as most of them have taken the mound more than six times already. A pitcher can get lucky and post quality results despite poor underlying numbers through a couple of starts, but it’s much more difficult to sustain that over a longer stretch of time.
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.
Someone is going to start for the Tigers on Monday and will be likely to make two starts next week (vs. Angels, at White Sox), but as of now there’s no confirmation on who that will be. Keider Montero is lined up to pitch in Sunday’s series finale against the Orioles, but Troy Melton is eligible to come off the injured list on that day and could start instead. That would push Montero back to Monday and give him the two-start week, making him a solid streaming option. It’s also possible that Melton could simply start on Monday and get the two starts himself, in which case he’s the arm that you would want to add.
We also don’t know who may be taking the mound twice for the Royals next week for a tough two-start week (vs. Yankees, at Rangers). Bailey Falter started a bullpen game the last time this spot in the rotation came around and it’s possible he logs bulk innings in this one. Regardless of who takes the hill here, the matchups are enough to avoid any sketchy streaming options. We’ll update here if we get any clarity throughout the weekend.
As usual, no one on the Dodgers is expected to pitch twice next week as they’ll play six games and are currently rolling with a six-man rotation. Eric Lauer is slotting into the rotation on Tuesday against the Rockies and makes for a strong streaming option for his single-start week though. He’ll need to pitch well there in order to hold off River Ryan who is pushing for a promotion with his strong showing at Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Going Twice…
Note: Probable pitchers as of May 22 and are subject to change.
American League
▶ Strong Plays
Cam Schlittler, Yankees, RHP (at Royals, at Athletics)
Anyone who thought that Schlittler was pitching above his head and that his dominant 14 starts to finish the 2025 season couldn’t be repeated has to be floored that he has gone out and been even better through 11 starts to open the 2026 campaign. He has been perhaps the best pitcher in baseball to this point, going 6-2 with a ridiculous 1.50 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and a 75/13 K/BB ratio across 66 innings. His 2.61 xFIP and 2.62 xERA show that while he may not be quite this exceptional, he absolutely deserves the success that he has been having. The matchup against the A’s in West Sacramento to finish the week is a tough spot, but Schlittler remains one of the best options on the board this week and should be started in every single league without question.
Trey Yesavage, Blue Jays, RHP (vs. Marlins, at Orioles)
Yesavage has been as good as advertised through his first five starts on the season, with a microscopic 1.07 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and a 29/8 K/BB ratio over 25 1/3 frames. As long as he’s healthy enough to take the mound, he should be an automatic start in all fantasy lineups until he gives us a reason to think otherwise. This week he gets the added benefit of an extra start and two strong matchups to boot, making him one of the top overall plays on the board.
Ranger Suarez, Red Sox, LHP (vs. Braves, at Guardians)
Suarez has been an invaluable addition to the Red Sox’ rotation this season, registering a stellar 2.40 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and a 43/14 K/BB ratio across 48 2/3 innings through his first nine starts. The matchups are tough this week, as both the Braves and Guardians hit left-handed pitching extremely well, but Suarez has been so good that he still belongs in lineups. Just be prepared that the elite ratios he has produced to this point of the season could potentially take a step back this week.
Joe Ryan, Twins, RHP (at White Sox, at Pirates)
There’s always the looming threat of re-injury to worry about anytime that Ryan takes the mound, but as long as he’s healthy and making starts for the Twins, he should continue to be started in all fantasy leagues each week. This week lines up particularly well with road matchups against the White Sox and Pirates. Look for him to continue to post strong ratios and strikeout numbers while dropping in the occasional victory.
Zebby Matthews, Twins, RHP (at White Sox, at Pirates)
Since rejoining the Twins’ rotation, Matthews has pitched like he wants to keep his spot for the duration of the season. He has registered a 1.38 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and an 11/1 K/BB ratio over 13 innings through his first two starts and looks like he’s pitching with a purpose. The matchups line up well for him this week as well, making him an outstanding streaming option in all league sizes.
Bryce Miller, Mariners, RHP (at Athletics, vs. Diamondbacks)
Miller has been outstanding in two starts since returning from the injured list, giving up just two runs over 11 innings (1.64 ERA) while posting a 1.00 WHIP and a 10/2 K/BB ratio. Taking on the A’s at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento isn’t ideal, but it’s not enough of a reason to shy away from using a strong option for a two-start week. Miller can be started with confidence in all formats.
▶ Decent Plays
Kyle Bradish, Orioles, RHP (vs. Rays, vs. Blue Jays)
Bradish has been a bit of an enigma this season. We had come to expect over the years that whenever he was healthy enough to take the mound, the results would be excellent and that hasn’t quite been the case so far. He sits at 2-6 with a disappointing 4.13 ERA and 1.51 WHIP. The strikeouts have been there, but that’s been about it so far. He has looked better recently, giving up just five runs over 18 1/3 innings over his last three starts while punching out six or more batters in each. I’d definitely roll with him here in all leagues this week.
Griffin Jax, Rays, RHP (at Orioles, vs. Angels)
So far, so good for Jax in his transition to the Rays’ rotation. Through his first five starts while getting stretched out he has posted a 1.42 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and a 14/8 K/BB ratio over 19 innings of work. He has gone five innings in each of his last two outings, so overall workload shouldn’t be a concern any longer, making Jax a nice streaming option in a pair of positive matchups against the Orioles and the Angels.
Spencer Miles, Blue Jays, RHP (vs. Marlins, at Orioles)
The Rule-5 selection has been functioning in a bulk role for the Blue Jays as of late and continues to find all sorts of success. He has gone at least three innings in each of his last three outings and hasn’t allowed a run in any of them while posting a 13/3 K/BB ratio across those 11 innings. That includes 4 2/3 innings of scoreless ball against the Yankees in New York his last time out. He’s a difficult streaming option in single start weeks due to the limited workload, but in a two-start week with strong matchups fantasy managers can surely take advantage. He’s a sneaky good option in both 15 and 12-team leagues.
Anthony Kay, White Sox, LHP (vs. Twins, vs. Tigers)
The 31-year-old southpaw has quietly put together a really nice stretch in which he has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four straight starts heading into this week. He now gets to take on two struggling offenses at home, which should set him up extremely well. I know that he’s difficult to trust, but Kay looks like an outstanding streaming option this week and someone that I would be going out of my way to pick up anywhere that he’s available.
Tanner Bibee, Guardians, RHP (vs. Nationals, vs. Red Sox)
Bibee has actually done a nice job for the Guardians through 11 starts on the season, posting a 3.75 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP with 52 punchouts over 60 innings of work. It’s an absolute travesty that he sits at 0-6 on the year and has gotten little in the way of run support from the Guardians. I feel a correction coming this week, as Bibee should get off the schneid and secure his first win of the season. He’s an easy start in all leagues this week.
Shane Baz, Orioles, RHP (vs. Rays, vs. Blue Jays)
Baz has really struggled in his first season with the Orioles, registering a 4.87 ERA and 1.45 WHIP across 57 1/3 innings through his first 10 starts while tallying just one victory. The matchups are a wash this week, as the Rays have been one of the best teams in baseball against right-handed pitching while the Jays sit near the bottom of the pack. Baz pitched very well in a revenge game against those same Rays his last time out though, so perhaps he can replicate that magic here. He should be good for double digits in strikeouts over the course of the week and there’s a decent chance he picks up that second victory as well. I’d be comfortable starting him in both 15 and 12-team formats.
Sean Burke, White Sox, RHP (vs. Twins, vs. Tigers)
Burke’s overall numbers on the season look alright at a glance, but there have been some cracks in the facade as of late. He hasn’t made it through five innings in any of his last three starts, giving up 12 runs over 13 1/3 innings during that stretch. The matchups look terrific on paper this week, so it’s really a battle of a stoppable force meeting a moveable object. Whether or not you want to try to roll with him to add volume in wins and strikeouts ultimately depends on your risk tolerance.
Kumar Rocker, Rangers, RHP (vs. Astros, vs. Royals)
While he has struggled with his command at times, Rocker has at least shown that he belongs in the Rangers’ rotation this season, sporting a 3.60 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and a 37/20 K/BB ratio over his first 45 innings. He delivered his best start of the season his last time out, with seven strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings of shutout baseball against the Rockies at Coors Field. That’s after throwing five scoreless frames against the Diamondbacks in his previous start. I’d be fine trying to ride the hot hand here in a couple of decent matchups at home.
▶ At Your Own Risk
Jack Kochanowicz, Angels, RHP (at Tigers, at Rays)
Kochanowicz had shown signs that he was making some legitimate strides this year until he was lit up for six runs in back-to-back starts against the Blue Jays and Dodgers. He rebounded to have a decent outing his last time out though and he starts his upcoming two-start week with a dream matchup against a Tigers’ squad that can’t score runs at the moment. There’s always going to be ratio risk involved if you’re streaming a guy like Kochanowicz, but I actually like the way that things line up for him this week. I’d roll the dice in 15-teamers for sure and I may even gamble in 12’s if I needed the extra volume.
Aaron Civale, Athletics, RHP (vs. Mariners, vs. Yankees)
Surprisingly, Civale has done a decent job through his first 10 starts with the Athletics this season. He sits at 5-1 with a respectable 3.31 ERA, though his 1.39 WHIP and 37 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings leave a lot to be desired. If he were on the road, or the matchups were better, I may even throw caution to the wind and recommend streaming him here. I can’t in good conscience do so though when he’s making two starts at Sutter Health Park and one of them is against the Yankees. If your ratios are already in shambles and all you care about is chasing volume in wins and strikeouts, you can go ahead, otherwise I’d stay away.
Mike Burrows, Astros, RHP (at Rangers, vs. Brewers)
Despite the fact that he has good stuff, Burrows has struggled to put it all together at the big league level. Through 10 starts with the Astros he sports a miserable 5.75 ERA and 1.53 WHIP while pacing the American League with his six losses. Everyone thought he turned the corner a few starts ago when he shut out the Reds in Cincinnati over seven innings, only to come back and get bombed for seven runs in 5 2/3 against the Mariners. I still think there is some mixed league viability to be had here long-term, but I wouldn’t be starting Burrows in any leagues until we start to see the results improve.
Tatsuya Imai, Astros, RHP (at Rangers, vs. Brewers)
Imai’s transition to Major League Baseball has been a struggle, as the right-hander has pitched to a cringe-inducing 8.31 ERA, 1.79 WHIP and a 21/14 K/BB ratio over 17 1/3 innings through his first five starts. I think the talent is there for him to succeed, but there’s no reason that fantasy managers should be trusting him until he shows that he can get consistent outs at this level. Imai should be avoided in all leagues this week.
National League
▶ Strong Plays
Chris Sale, Braves, LHP (at Red Sox, at Reds)
Sale has been an absolute monster for the Braves and for fantasy managers this season, registering a scintillating 1.89 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and a 72/14 K/BB ratio over 62 innings through his first 10 starts. He’s locked into fantasy lineups every week regardless of matchups, so just sit back and enjoy the added volume from a two-start week. He’s one of the top overall plays on the board this week.
Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers, RHP (vs. Cardinals, at Astros)
We thought that we were going to get a two-start week from Misiorowski last week until the Brewers adjusted their rotation. Not to worry though, as he’ll make up for it with a two-start week this time around. The flame-throwing right-hander has been unbelievable this season, posting a 1.89 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and a jaw-dropping 88/18 K/BB ratio across his first 57 innings of work. He should be started in 100 percent of leagues each and every week, so there’s no actionable item here. He could challenge for 20 strikeouts in this two-start week and could easily finish as the SP1 overall for the week.
Chase Burns, Reds, RHP (at Mets, vs. Braves)
Burns has been absolutely exceptional through his first 10 starts on the season, compiling a minuscule 1.83 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and a 64/18 K/BB ratio over 59 innings while notching six victories. Look for those good times to continue this week in a two-start week that includes a road tilt against the Mets. Finishing up the week with the Braves at home is a tough task, but all it does is lower Burns’ overall ceiling for the week. He’s still one of the top plays on the board for this juicy two-start week.
Ben Brown, Cubs, RHP (at Pirates, at Cardinals)
Whether it has been out of the bullpen or since his move to the rotation, Brown has been electric whenever he has taken the hill this season. He finally worked five innings and got up to 82 pitches his last time out, so we shouldn’t have to worry about workload concerns any longer. Expect him to pile up strikeouts across these two starts with a terrific shot at earning a victory while posting elite ratios. Brown is an excellent option this week and should be started in all leagues without hesitation.
Nolan McLean, Mets, RHP (vs. Reds, vs. Marlins)
He only has two victories to his name so far this season, but McLean has pitched very well for the Mets through his first 10 starts, compiling a 3.57 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and a 69/17 K/BB ratio across 58 innings of work. The Reds and Marlins both struggle against right-handed pitching, setting him up for continued success this week. He’s a weekly start each week regardless of matchups, but makes for a particularly strong option for this upcoming two-start showcase.
Jesús Luzardo, Phillies, LHP (at Padres, at Dodgers)
After an absolutely brutal start to the 2026 campaign, we have seen Luzardo start to find his form over his last six starts. While he mixed in one inexplicable disaster in a home tilt against the Rockies, Luzardo has allowed two earned runs or fewer in five of his last six outings and has looked much more like the ace that fantasy managers thought they were getting when they called his name on draft day. Taking on the Dodgers in Los Angeles is obviously a brutal spot to finish the week, but it’s not enough to sit Luzardo for a two-start week. He should be started in
all leagues.
Braxton Ashcraft, Pirates, RHP (vs. Cubs, vs. Twins)
Ashcraft has been a revelation in the Pirates’ rotation so far this season, posting a brilliant 2.89 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and a 65/16 K/BB ratio across 62 1/3 innings through his first 10 starts. With a pair of solid matchups at home on tap for this week, I expect that dominance to continue. He should keep his ratios in check and should eclipse double digit strikeouts, making him a strong option in all league sizes once again this week.
▶ Decent Plays
Landen Roupp, Giants, RHP (vs. Diamondbacks, at Rockies)
Landen Roupp has been superb for the Giants through his first 10 starts on the season, compiling a 3.27 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and a 61/21 K/BB ratio across his 55 innings. He has given up one run or fewer in six of those 10 starts and hasn’t given up more than five runs in any start this season. The only thing holding him back from being a strong play this week is the matchup at Coors Field over the weekend. He’s still fine to start in all league sizes, just do so knowing that there’s added ratio risk waiting for you on Sunday.
Michael McGreevy, Cardinals, RHP (at Brewers, vs. Cubs)
Despite his limited strikeout rate, McGreevy has been outstanding for the Cardinals this year. Through 10 starts he holds a 2.40 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and a 37/12 K/BB ratio over 56 1/3 innings. The matchups are tough this week, but nothing that McGreevy can’t handle. He’s an easy start in all leagues.
Merrill Kelly, Diamondbacks, RHP (at Giants, at Mariners)
If you simply glanced at Kelly’s overall numbers on the season, there isn’t a whole lot to be excited about from a fantasy perspective with a troublesome 5.71 ERA and 1.51 WHIP across 41 innings. He has rounded into form lately though, allowing just five runs total over 22 innings in his last three starts, which included a complete game gem against the Rockies at Coors Field. The matchups don’t get much better than this either, making Kelly a very strong streaming option for the upcoming week in leagues of all sizes.
Edward Cabrera, Cubs, RHP (at Pirates, at Cardinals)
Cabrera has been more of an innings eater than a true difference maker in the Cubs’ rotation so far this season, posting a 4.00 ERA and 1.35 WHIP over 54 innings in his first 10 starts. He’s coming off a really tough start against the Brewers where he needed 60 pitches to get through three innings. The matchups are tougher than you would expect, as the Pirates have raked against right-handed pitching this season and the Cardinals’ offense ranks in the upper half of the league against them as well. As long as you temper your expectations, I think he’s a fine option to roll with in both 15 and 12-team formats this week.
Carmen Mlodzinski, Pirates, RHP (vs. Cubs, vs. Twins)
Mlodzinski has done a decent job in his transition to the Pirates’ rotation this season, registering a 3.96 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and a 44/17 K/BB ratio over 50 innings in 10 appearances (eight starts). He’s the type of pitcher that you don’t mind using in deeper leagues when he gets a two-start week where the matchups aren’t terrible, and that’s exactly the situation that we’re looking at here. The Cubs are good against right-handed pitching, but he gets to face them at home which mitigates the ratio risk and increases his chances of earning a victory. He then draws a strong matchup against the Twins, also in Pittsburgh. I think he’s fine to use as a streaming option in both 15 and 12-team formats.
▶ At Your Own Risk
Griffin Canning, Padres, RHP (vs. Phillies, at Nationals)
As anticipated, Canning has struggled to find consistency on the mound after working his way back following last season’s Achilles surgery. Through four starts he holds a troublesome 9.00 ERA, 1.81 WHIP and a 19/10 K/BB ratio over 16 frames. If there’s any glimmer of hope here, it’s that he pitched well his last time out, striking out seven over five innings of one-run baseball against the White Sox. The Phillies are much less fearsome against right-handed pitching, though the Nationals have been crushing the ball against everyone this season. It’s not the worst gamble if you’re looking to pick up ground in wins and strikeouts, just understand that the ratio risk is very real here.
Zack Littell, Nationals, RHP (at Guardians, vs. Padres)
Starting Littell for a two-start week is one of those things that always sounds like a good idea at the start, only to see him give up five runs over four innings in his first start, making you completely regret giving him a chance in the first place. The Guardians and Padres both struggle against right-handed pitching, so I get the appeal of wanting to go back to the well here. With the Nationals’ powerful offense, there’s even a chance that he sneaks out a win in one of these starts. Just understand that he has a 5.43 ERA and 1.45 WHIP for a reason. Best of luck.
Janson Junk, Marlins, RHP (at Blue Jays, at Mets)
Junk started out the season strong in the Marlins’ rotation but has fallen on extremely hard times as of late, getting shelled for 15 runs over 10 2/3 innings by the Rays and Braves his last two times out. I’d like to be able to recommend him as a streaming option given his overall body of work, but it’s really difficult to trust anyone that has given up seven runs or more in back-to-back starts. If you’re desperate in 15-teamers and want to roll the dice, go ahead. Otherwise, I’d stay away from this one.
Kyle Freeland, Rockies, LHP (at Dodgers, vs. Giants)
We’re going to stick with our year-long theme of “Never Rockies” here. It’s a split week, and the home start comes against the Giants, which isn’t a terrible spot. The problem here is that the road start is about as bad of a draw as you can possibly get, having to battle the Dodgers in Los Angeles. It’s also worth noting that Freeland has been obliterated over his last five starts and now holds a 7.04 ERA and 1.70 WHIP on the season. Easy pass in all leagues.
Mariners activate Victor Robles from injured list, option Connor Joe
Victor Robles is back again.
The Mariners activated Robles from the injured list on Friday as the team heads to Kansas City to start a six-game road trip. Robles began the year in the majors but was placed on the injured list in early April with a right pectoral strain. The Mariners optioned Connor Joe to Tacoma to make room for him. Joe had replaced Robles on the roster following the initial injury, so the move is something of a full circle.
For Robles, it’s a re-re-restart. He was a revelation for the Mariners in 2024 — one of the few things that year that went well in the lineup — posting a 155 wRC+ in 262 plate appearances. The team felt strongly enough that they gave him a two-year contract extension to keep him through the end of 2026 with an option for 2027. But Robles missed most of last year after exploding his shoulder diving for a ball in the stands in San Francisco. His journey back to the majors included getting pelted over and over and over by minor leaguers, which led to him hurling his bat at a pitcher in frustration. He did eventually return to the majors after a suspension, but the results were poor, finishing the year with a 75 wRC+ in 114 plate appearances. Despite the performance at the plate, Robles made perhaps the most important catch in team history last year, helping finish off the Astros in the AL West.
Plays like that are what the Mariners are hoping to get from his spot on the roster. He’s fast, athletic, and has a strong arm in right field — things the team has sorely lacked this year. But what that amounts to is never clear for Robles. He hasn’t been a good defender, with -5 OAA since 2023, though that still represents an upgrade over the current options. He has been a fantastic base runner, with 37 steals in 40 tries since coming to Seattle. The Mariners right now are the second slowest team in the majors by sprint speed (though closer to the median in base running), so his presence makes them more “dynamic.” Still, it’s hard to run the bases if you’re not on base, and we haven’t seen Robles on base (or even on the field) much over the last year-plus.
For Joe, the demotion is unfortunate. He didn’t necessarily hit well during his brief stint, with a 93 wRC+ in 39 plate appearances. But he did make tremendous contact (.462 xwOBAcon) while drawing lots of walks (15.4%). His performance has been significantly better than the team’s other right-handed platoon option, Rob Refsnyder, who has an 8 wRC+ with much worse peripherals. Joe has also been the most productive pinch hitter on the team with two hits and three walks in eight tries.
But Joe had an option remaining, which allows the Mariners to hold onto him in the minors while they wait for Refsnyder to snap out of his funk. Refsnyder had been one of the best right-handed platoon hitters in the majors the last several years, and the ceiling there is much higher. Still, he’s quickly approaching all-time levels of ineptitude, as the second worst hitter the majors among batters with at least 70 plate appearances. It’s not clear how much leash is left. In some ways, Joe has been everything the Mariners were hoping for out of Refsnyder, at least by the theoretical batting metrics in a small sample. And if things keep trending in this direction, Joe could return to the majors soon.
The Mariners also could have moved on from Patrick Wisdom, who was just activated from the injured list last week. But Wisdom can play third base, which may help the Mariners manage the J.P. Crawford and Colt Emerson situation on the left side of the infield.
It will be interesting to see what role Robles assumes. Again, both Refnsyder and Joe have been used mostly as pinch-and-platoon options, jumping in and out of games at the will of Dan Wilson. Robles in his healthy 2024 played more of an everyday role, but found himself the same platoon to begin 2026. The strong-side of the platoon — Dom Canzone and Luke Raley — have continued to hit, so it’s unlikely there’s everyday at bats for Robles until either he or they change.
Regardless of the what and the who and the where, it’s good that the Mariners are getting healthier. Matt Brash was activated from the injured list over the weekend. Bryce Miller was activated before him. The Mariners will need all the help they can get while Cal Raleigh, Brendan Donovan and Gabe Speier each sit.
The Mariners are three games under .500 and 2 1/2 back as we approach the one-third post of 2026.
Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story out several weeks after sports hernia surgery
BOSTON (AP) — Struggling Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story could be out several weeks after sports hernia surgery.
The team announced on Friday what it said was a successful procedure by Dr. William Meyers at the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia.
Story sat out the opener of Boston’s three-game series at Atlanta last week and was placed on the 10-day injured list the following day. He told reporters in Atlanta that he was weighing his options but that surgery could keep him out for as many as 10 weeks.
The two-time All-Star played in 41 of the Red Sox’s first 43 games and is batting .206 with three homers in his fifth season in Boston. He has also committed six errors. His .547 OPS ranks 165th of 173 qualified hitters.
Andruw Monasterio has started in Story’s place in four of the past six games, with Isiah Kiner-Falefa starting the other two.
But interim manager Chad Tracy said the team would evaluate the possibility of moving second baseman Marcelo Mayer to shortstop if it appeared Story will be out for an extended period.
That is now a reality.
Story joins outfielder Roman Anthony (right wrist sprain) and Garrett Crochet (left shoulder inflammation) on the IL for the Red Sox, who enter Friday’s three-game series with Minnesota fourth in the AL East.
Mets designate Craig Kimbrel for assignment, recall starter Jonah Tong
Craig Kimbrel ranks fifth all-time with 440 career saves, but he was unable to add to that total in his tenure with the New York Mets.
The Mets designated Kimbrel for assignment Friday, May 22, as they recalled starting pitcher Jonah Tong in an effort to navigate a challenging period for their pitching staff.
And it was clear Kimbrel, who turns 38 May 28, would not be a piece of that puzzle.
The Mets are just past the midway point of playing 17 consecutive days, but Kimbrel has pitched just twice since May 15. He signed a minor-league deal with New York in the offseason and was added to the roster in April, but posted a 6.00 ERA in 14 appearances.
New York has partially corrected course after a disastrous start, winning 12 of its past 19 games to reach the 50-game mark 22-28.
The Mets are Kimbrel's 10th team, though he's seen his role diminish with each passing organization. He last saved at least 30 games when he nailed down 42 saves for the World Series champion Red Sox in 2018, and last held a full-time closer role when he saved 24 games for Baltimore in 2024 before the Orioles designated him for assignment.
He remains 38 saves behind Lee Smith for fourth place on the all-time saves list, while his contemporary, Detroit Tigers closer Kenley Jansen, has 483 saves and counting.
Tong, one of the Mets' top pitching prospects, struggled in five starts after his Aug. 29, 2025 debut, posting a 7.71 ERA and 1.77 WHIP. He remains an elite strikeout artist, punching out 55 in 38 innings at Class AAA Syracuse, but that's also accompanied by a 14.3% walk rate, the main culprit for his 5.68 ERA this season.
The Mets originally announced Tobias Myers would start Friday's series opener at Miami, but Tong's most recent AAA start was skipped, lining him up to throw in some capacity on Friday.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Craig Kimbrel DFA'd as Mets recall Jonah Tong
Mariners series preview: How did we sweep this team?
The Mariners fell one win short of their first pennant last year, and came into this season with high hopes for contention. Like the Royals, they have had a disappointing start. They seemed close to righting the ship a few weeks ago, nearly reaching .500. But a sweep at the hands of the Padres last week has set them back again.
Seattle Mariners (24-27) vs. Kansas City Royals (20-30) at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Mariners: 4.12 runs scored/game (21st in MLB), 3.90 runs allowed/game (6th)
Royals: 3.88 runs scored/game (27th), 4.48 runs allowed/game (16th)
The Mariners’ lineup has suffered from a big drop off in performance by slugger Cal Raleigh, and now he is on the Injured List for the first time in his career. The team is also without Brendan Donovan, who is on the Injured List for a second time since the Mariners acquired him last winter from the Cardinals.
Luke Raley has helped fill the void with a team-high ten-home runs, although he also has a 35.3 percent strikeout rate, sixth-highest in baseball for anyone with at least 100 plate appearances. Randy Arozarena has been on fire lately, hitting .326/.404/.533 with eight doubles and three home runs over his last 26 games. Julio Rodriguez is hitting .394/.379/.667 with six home runs against lefties this year.
Josh Naylor has 42 steals in the last year and a half – he had 25 career steals in the five years prior to that. He’s a lifetime Josh Naylor has 42 steals in the last year and a half – he had 25 career steals in the five years prior to that. He’s a lifetime .310/.343/.520 hitter in 26 games at Kauffman Stadium. The Mariners called up top prospect Colt Emerson earlier this week, and his first MLB hit was a home run.
Mariners starting pitchers have the lowest walk rate in baseball. Logan Gilbert and Bryan Woo are both in the top ten in lowest walk rate among starters. Gilbert is coming off his worst start of the year, when he gave up seven runs and three homers against the Padres in a loss. He has a deep arsenal of pitches, and opponents are hitting just .186 against his splitter with a 38.8 percent whiff rate. Salvador Perez is a career .368/.455/.737 hitter against him with two home runs in 22 plate appearances.
George Kirby has never lost to the Royals in four starts, going 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA. He has a 2.92 ERA in four road starts this year. He throws a 96.7 mph fastball, as well as a swwper, sinker, curve, change, and cutter, and he has a 55.2 percent groundball rate this year.
Woo has only given up two runs in his last three starts, with 26 strikeouts in 18 innings. This will be his first career start at Kauffman Stadium. Randy Arozarena is 0-for-11 in his career against Seth Lugo.
The Mariners have a 3.10 ERA from their bullpen, fourth-lowest in baseball. Andrés Muñoz has struck out 39.5 percent of hitters, the third-best rate in baseball. He has eight saves, but suffered his third blown save of the year on Tuesday against the White Sox. Lefty Jose A. Ferrer has the fourth-lowest walk rate among relievers. Cooper Criswell has a 59.3 percent groundball rate. Longtime starter Luis Castillo is technically a reliever now, although he just “piggybacks” starter Bryce Miller.
The Royals swept the Mariners in Seattle at the beginning of the month, although that seems like a blip in an otherwise dreary May for Kansas City. For the Mariners, they are in a stretch where 17 of the next 25 games are against teams with losing records, so this is their chance to turn the season around. For the Royals, they desperately need to find the mojo from the last time they played the Mariners, or else their season will be over before Memorial Day.
Philly is “a beast,” but it will always be special to Rhys Hoskins
Philly is “a beast,” but it will always be special to Rhys Hoskins originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The novelty of Rhys Hoskins returning to Citizens Bank Park has worn off. He visited his old home six times with the Milwaukee Brewers the last two seasons.
But Hoskins, who played six seasons with the Phillies – in good times and bad – always draws a crowd when he returns to town.
This time, it’s with the Cleveland Guardians for a weekend series.
“It’s always special,” he said in front of a gaggle of reporters before Friday night’s game. “I have a lot of memories in this ballpark and this city. It’s always fun to relive those a little bit.”
Hoskins, 33, started at first base for Cleveland. He entered the game hitting just .185 with four homers and 18 RBIs in 40 games.
Maybe a return to the park in which he clubbed 80 of his 190 career regular-season homers – and one very memorable postseason homer in the 2022 NLDS against Atlanta — would put a little charge in his bat. With Milwaukee, he hit three homers in six games in Philadelphia the last two seasons.
“It’s a great place to hit,” he said.
During his time in Philadelphia, Hoskins endured a rebuild that culminated with a NL Championship and a trip to the World Series in 2022. He received a nice ovation before Friday night’s game.
“The Northeast is a different beast, especially when it comes to their sports — in the best way,” he said. “It can be hard on us players. But we’d much rather have it be hard than have an indifferent fan base. It’s a beast here. That’s the reality, especially how good this team has played the last few years. It’s always a challenge to come here, but it’s always fun.”
Rob Thomson was a first-year manager when the Phillies went to the World Series in 2022. He was fired in April after this year’s club got off to a 9-19 start. Hoskins said he recently texted Thomson.
“He’s a classy man and I’m super grateful to him for the memories,” Hoskins said.
Hoskins hit .223 with 38 homers, 125 RBIs and a .732 OPS in 221 games with the Brewers in 2024 and 2025. He missed significant time last season with a thumb injury and lingered on the free-agent market over the winter. He eventually signed a one-year deal with Cleveland worth $1.5 million.
Asked if he believed there was a chance of coming back to the Phillies over the winter, Hoskins was blunt: “No,” he said. The Phillies have a first baseman in Bryce Harper and a designated hitter in Kyle Schwarber.
Down the road, Hoskins wouldn’t mind coming back to the team that drafted and developed him if the chance ever arises.
“I’m human,” he said. “I know the desires and the thoughts I had when I was a player here, a young player here, about playing with one team my whole career. Getting a chance to end a career here would be pretty special, too. I’ll never close that door. It’ll shake out the way it’s supposed to.”
Pirates vs Blue Jays Prediction, Odds & Home Run Pick for Today's MLB Game
Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.
Tonight sees the Toronto Blue Jays welcome the Pittsburgh Pirates for the start of an interleague series.
The Pittsburgh Pirates lineup is a plus matchup for Jays ace Kevin Gausman, and I expect him to deliver an efficient outing tonight.
Find out more in our Blue Jays vs. Pirates predictions and MLB picks for Friday, May 22.
Pirates vs Blue Jays predictions
Pirates vs Blue Jays best bet: Kevin Gausman Under 2.5 earned runs (-135)
Kevin Gausman is set for another strong performance when he faces the Pittsburgh Pirates. When the Toronto Blue Jays' right-hander is at his best, he’s painting the corners with the fastball and then baffling batters with his nasty splitter.
That’s where the Jays’ ace has the advantage in this matchup, as Pittsburgh has struggled to hit the split-finger fastball this season, sporting a .188 xBA against the pitch, the seventh-worst mark in baseball.
Gausman has gone Under his posted number of 2.5 earned runs in four of his last six starts this season, and he’s pitched well against Pittsburgh in the past, going 4-1 to the Under on this prop in his last five outings against the Pirates.
COVERS INTEL: Kevin Gausman has held opponents to a .186 average against his splitter, producing a 36% whiff rate this season.Pirates vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)
I’ll continue to ride the Gausman train and take him to eclipse 17.5 recorded outs. The Jays’ bullpen was taxed heavily yesterday, and they’ll need innings from their ace. Additionally, Gausman has recorded 18+ outs in four of his last six starts.
Meanwhile, Bubba Chandler has struggled to find the zone this season, issuing 17 walks in his last five starts, going Over this posted total in four of those games.
Pirates vs Blue Jays SGP
- Kevin Gausman Under 2.5 earned runs
- Kevin Gausman Over 17.5 outs
- Bubba Chandler Over 2.5 walks
Pirates vs Blue Jays home run pick: Kazuma Okamoto (+320)
Chandler throws a hard four-seamer, ranking in the 96th percentile in velocity.
Kazuma Okamoto seems to match up well with this pitching profile. He owns a .602 xSLG against the four-seam fastball with a 67% hard-hit rate, barreling the ball in 14% of at-bats against the offering. The Jays’ third baseman also has a team-leading five home runs against the four-seamer.
2026 Transparency record
- Best bets: 22-27, -1.55 units
- SGPs: 9-40, -3.4 units
- HR picks: 8-41, +2.65 units
Pirates vs Blue Jays odds
- Moneyline: Pittsburgh +140 | Toronto -160
- Run line: Pittsburgh +1.5 (-150) | Toronto -1.5 (+130)
- Over/Under: Over 8 (-105) | Under 8 (-115)
Pirates vs Blue Jays trend
Toronto has hit the run line in 15 of its last 23 games (+6.35 Units / 20% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Pirates vs. Blue Jays.
How to watch Pirates vs Blue Jays and game info
| Location | Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON |
| Date | Friday, May 22, 2026 |
| First pitch | 7:07 p.m. ET |
| TV | SportsNet Pittsburgh, Sportsnet One |
| Pirates starting pitcher | Bubba Chandler (1-5, 5.14 ERA) |
| Blue Jays starting pitcher | Kevin Gausman (3-3, 3.45 ERA) |
Pirates vs Blue Jays latest injuries
Pirates vs Blue Jays weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.