The Kansas City Royals (13-19) face the Seattle Mariners (16-17) in the second game of their series. The Royals won Friday’s opener 7-6. Starting pitchers are Seth Lugo for Kansas City, with a 2.63 ERA, and Emerson Hancock for Seattle, with a 2.86 ERA.
How to watch Kansas City Royals vs. Seattle Mariners
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - APRIL 26: Michael McGreevy #36 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Seattle Mariners at Busch Stadium on April 26, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will play host to the Los Angeles Dodgers again Saturday night for game 2 of their homestand versus the west coasters. Michael McGreevy (1-2, 2.97 ERA, 21 SO) will start for the Cardinals while the Californians will toss Roki Sasaki (1-2, 6.35 ERA, 22 SO) on the mound. First pitch scheduled for 6:15pm central time and this is a national game from Fox.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 26: Kumar Rocker #80 of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Athletics at Globe Life Field on April 26, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happ didn’t hit his eighth home run last year until June 19, the team’s 74th game. And that one went into the proverbial teeth of a pretty strong wind blowing off Lake Michigan.
Imanaga continued to dominate the D-backs. After a first-inning single by Corbin Carroll, he retired 16 of the next 18 Arizona hitters he faced, and got helped in part by some slick defense by Dansby Swanson.
It’s not just the stop behind the bag — sure, many shortstops can do that. Then he whirls and makes a strong, accurate throw to Michael Busch. The totality of the play is what makes Swanson so good. That was the first out of the sixth and he wound up making all three plays that inning.
The Cubs, though, could not get any offense going after Happ’s home run. They loaded the bases in the third on a walk, double by Busch and a two-out intentional walk to Happ (now how often do you see that in the modern game in the third inning?). But Seiya Suzuki flied to left to end the inning.
Happ’s one-out double in the sixth gave the Cubs a runner in scoring position, but Suzuki flied to right and after a walk drawn by Pete Crow-Armstrong (he’s getting good at that!), Swanson grounded out to end the inning.
Imanaga got into a bit of trouble in the seventh, allowing a one-out double and two-out walk. But then he got James McCann to ground to third to end the inning.
Imanaga now has a 2.40 ERA in 41.1 innings, with 10 walks and 43 strikeouts. He again did not allow a home run in this game, so he’s still given up just three long balls this year, no more than one in any game. This is exactly the guy the Cubs hoped he’d be, and hopefully Jed Hoyer is working on some sort of contract extension for Imanaga. Yes, it will cost more than the $57 million for three years the Cubs turned down. Yes, it’s worth it.
Ben Brown, who has been so good in a multi-inning relief role this year, threw a 1-2-3 eighth.
That was his first triple of the year — and he didn’t hit any last year, either. He now has 17 triples in his career, and that was his first since Sept. 2, 2024 against the Pirates at Wrigley. More on Happ’s day from BCB’s JohnW53:
Ian Happ extended his on-base streak to 23 games with his second-inning homer. He began the day tied with Ronald Acuna of the Braves, Yordan Alvarez of the Astros and Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers for the third-longest such streak in MLB this season. Acuna’s streak was active. So were the two longer than Happ’s: 26 games, by Nick Kurtz of the Athletics, and 24, by Ildemaro Vargas of the Diamondbacks. Vargas’ streak ended in today’s game.
What a fantastic team effort — great pitching (from both Imanaga and Brown), outstanding defense and timely hitting. And so, at least for today:
An additional note on the game, and Happ’s afternoon, from John:
With Happ’s eighth-inning triple, the Cubs completed a team cycle — with only five total hits.
Happ missed a cycle by a single. He is the 31st Cub to do that since 1901. Michael Busch was the last, on Sept. 27 of last year. Seiya Suzuki had done it on April 29, 2025, and Garrett Cooper, on April 2, 2024. Those had been the first such games by a Cub since Happ, on May 19, 2018.
There have been seven since 2000. Aramis Ramirez, in 2006, and Moises Alou, in 2004, were the earlier two. Happ joins Manny Trillo as the only Cub to do it twice.
For comparison, a Cub has had 10 complete cycles, while 702 missed one for lack of a triple. They included Nico Hoerner and Matt Shaw this year and 11 last year. Among the nine were Suzuki and Kyle Tucker, three each, and Busch and Happ, twice.
Last note: This was the first time in 2026 that the Diamondbacks lost to a left-handed starter.
The Cubs won the series and now have not only a 10-game home winning streak, but have won four in a row overall, and are 14-3 since beginning that 10-game overall win streak on April 14. Good times. And at this writing the Pirates are demolishing the Reds 15-3 in the fifth (!) inning. Presuming that score holds up, the Cubs will be in first place by themselves after today’s action.
The Cubs will go for the series sweep Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Matthew Boyd will start for the Cubs and Merrill Kelly goes for the D-backs. Game time is again 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 30: San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames #2 is shown during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants on April 30th, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole's impending returns over the next month or so, Yankees manager Aaron Boone and the organization have important decisions to make when it comes to whose spots they will take.
Ryan Weathers took the mound Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles in his latest pitch to stay in the Yankees starting rotation and was effective. The southpaw pitched five-plus innings, allowing one earned run on three hits and two walks while striking out five in the team's 9-4 win over Baltimore. It was Weathers' second win of the season and the performance dropped his ERA to 3.03.
"I thought Weathers was good," Boone said of Weathers' start. "Scattered a little bit, but other than those two walks, I thought he did a really good job. Had a lot of different ways to get you out. Sweeper, changeup, fastball were all playing well. Maybe ran out of a little steam there, but to get into the sixth inning there with another strong performance, really nice by him."
It's the fifth consecutive start Weathers has pitched at least five innings and he's allowed three runs or fewer in six of his seven starts, including one earned run or fewer in four starts. That's helped the Yankees starting rotation boast the best ERA (2.67) in the majors.
But in a rotation that features Max Fried and Cam Schlittler as stalwarts, there are only so many starts for this team when Rodon and Cole get back. Elmer Rodriguez was called up to take the spot of Luis Gil -- who was optioned earlier this week -- so Rodon could potentially slide in for Rodriguez when he's ready. But when Cole comes back, Weathers will be competing with Will Warrento remain in the rotation.
Boone was asked if he's started to think about what the team will do when both veteran pitchers come back, and the Yankees skipper simply said, “That’s a lifetime away.”
When a follow-up was asked on how he evaluates which pitchers can be best suited for a bullpen role, Boone offered the same response.
"Lifetime away. We’re in a good spot," he said. "Guys are throwing well. Looking forward to getting other guys into the mix. A lot between now and then."
Rodon and Cole are set to have rehab starts this coming Tuesday. Depending on how he feels after his next start, it could be Rodon's final rehab assignment before returning to the Yankees. And while Cole is still about a month or so away, evaluations are certainly ongoing.
But as Boone said, a lot can happen between now and when both are back, so fans and the baseball world will have to wait and see how the team approaches it when the time comes.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 01: Miguel Vargas #20 of the Chicago White Sox is late with the tag as Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres connects for a triple during the sixth inning of a game at Petco Park on May 01, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Chicago White Sox (15-17) at San Diego Padres (19-12), May 2, 2026, 5:40 p.m. PST
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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - APRIL 10: Landen Roupp #65 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 10, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants are set to face the Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon, and the hope is that they can start to turn around a miserable road trip, though they’re fast running out of time. San Francisco has lost the first four games of the six-game swing, and that underscores how bad it’s been: two of the losses have been shutouts, and the other two were walk-off losses after blowing ninth-inning leads.
In other words: please win today.
Thankfully, the Giants have the best guy for the job, as right-handed pitcher Landen Roupp will take the mound. Roupp has been the Giants best pitcher (and player, I’d argue) through the first month of the season, and through six starts is 5-1 with a 2.55 ERA, a 2.77 FIP, and 37 strikeouts against 14 walks in 35.1 innings. In his last start, against the Miami Marlins, Roupp gave up three earned runs, but went 7.2 innings deep.
The Rays, on the other hand, are opting for an opener, as right-handed reliever Griffin Jax will kick things off for Tampa. Jax has had a rough go of it in 12 appearances this year, as he’s 1-2 with a 6.35 ERA, a 6.58 FIP, and 12 strikeouts against eight walks in 11.1 innings. It will be interesting to see how long Jax pitches, as he told reporters that he is beginning a transition to a starting role. In his last game, which was his first start/open of the year, he went a season-high 2.1 innings. The bulk of the innings, however, are expected to be eaten by righty Jesse Scholtens, who in four games this year is 2-1 with a 3.20 ERA, a 4.26 FIP, and 14 strikeouts against six walks in 19.2 innings.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 24: Nick Davila #82 of the Seattle Mariners pitches during the ninth inning of a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox at Peoria Stadium on February 24, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners made a surprising move to bolster their bullpen today, calling up right-handed reliever Nick Davila from Double-A Arkansas. In a corresponding move, LHP Josh Simpson – who was just summoned yesterday from Triple-A – was returned to Tacoma. The Mariners roster is now full at 40 players.
If you’re not familiar with Davila’s name, that’s understandable, although Davila is a long-tenured Mariners minor-leaguer; he’s been cropping up in our MiLB round-ups as far back as 2023, when we said the then-24-year-old Davila was “old for the level” at High-A. Davila has stuck around, though, and saw significant action this spring with the big-league club this spring with many players away at the WBC, often being used as a clean-up man after another reliever had made a mess of things.
My blurb for Davila in the NRIs article this spring said this:
The Mariners re-signed Davila, 27, to a minor-league contract this off-season with an invitation to spring training, which is why he’s here. Davila is more of a contact manager than a strikeout artist, a tough fit as a reliever; he also got a little walk-happy in Arkansas this year, which is a problem that will have to be tamped down.
So far, so good on that front. Davila has been serving as Arkansas’ closer this year, and so far over nine innings pitched he’s amassed two saves and 10 strikeouts to just one walk. Davila’s primary weapon is a sweeper that he pairs with a sinker, which doesn’t lead to a ton of strikeouts but does get hitters to put the ball on the ground.
Davila, who spent one season at USF after transferring from Hillsborough CC, was originally signed by the Tigers as an undrafted free agent back in July of 2020 and spent 2021-22 in the Detroit organization before coming to Seattle as a minor league free-agent signing in 2023. When and if he makes an appearance for the Mariners, it will mark the Mariners’ second debut of the season.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 01: Kazuma Okamoto #7 of the Toronto Blue Jays hits a two run home run against the Minnesota Twins during the fifth inning at Target Field on May 1, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Blue Jays 11 Twins 4
Jays did everything they needed to do in the top of the eighth:
Ernie Clement started the inning with a singled.
Vladimir Guerrero took a six pitch walk.
Kazuma Okamoto singled in one.
Lenyn Sosa got an infield single bringing home the second run.
Daulton Varsho ground one softy that went right between the pitchers legs. E1 loads the bases.
Myles Straw walked on four pitches. Third run in.
Davis Schneider doubled in the fourth and fifth run.
Brandon Valenzuela homered in six, seven and eight.
But there was also bad news, George Springer took a pitch off the, already broken, toe and had to come out of the game. I’d imagine he’ll be back on the IL.
I was wrong the Jays said ‘no further damage’ (tough to believe). He was getting tomorrow off anyway, apparently. So we’ll see Monday.
Dylan Cease wasn’t great, giving up four runs three earned. But he went seven inning. I thought he would be out after six, when he was at 98 pitches, but he stayed in and got to 106 pitches (and a win). He gave up seven hits, one walk and seven strikeouts.
Mason Fluharty and Spencer Miles pitched a clean inning each.
Before the seventh, the Jays scored:
Two in the second: Sosa and Straw homered.
One in the sixth: Okamoto hit his eighth homer of the season. Crushed it. 453 feet to center.
Jays had 9 hits and 5 walks. Okamoto and Sosa had two each. Jesus Sanchez (who went in for Springer) and Vlad (with the walk) had 0 fors.
Vlad also had an error. In the second inning, with runners on second and third and the infield in, Vlad got a ground ball hit softly at him. He thought he might have a play at home, but the runner was off with contact, so he tried to throw to Cease covering first but missed him and a second runner scored.
But, other than that, it was the Twins that had the poor defense.
Jays of the Day: Okomoto (.34 WPA), Sosa (.14) and Straw (.13).
Other Award: Sanchez (-.15) and Cease (-.12) had the number too.
Tomorrow we have an early start, 12:45 Eastern. Trey Yesavage vs. Joe Ryan. A win and the Jays are back to .500.
So a month of baseball has been played. We have a decent sample size now to justify overreactions to underachievers and whether overachievers are for real.
So checking in on the San Francisco Giants with their first-time manager Tony Vitello and they're sitting at the bottom of the NL West division at 13-19, following their 3-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on May 1.
The Giants' woes aren't a product of the relationship their first-year skipper has with his team. But San Francisco's issues derive from their on-field play, or lack thereof. Offensively, there are a myriad of glaring issues. Overall, hitting needs improvement. This team has had trouble producing runs and their bullpen could use a boost as well.
San Francisco has been one of the worst-hitting teams in all of Major League Baseball, a strange occurrence for a team stacked with the likes of Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, Luis Arraez, Casey Schmitt, and Heliot Ramos, to name a few capable weapons.
The Giants rank last in MLB offensive categories as a team, including offensive runs scored, home runs, stolen bases, and walks. Through 32 games, the Giants have only registered 66 walks and 19 home runs.
The team bats .246 and has produced the fewest RBIs, at 99.
Although it's early, San Francisco has begun to dig themselves into a shallow hole to start 2026. The Giants need to find a rhythm and turn their season around before things get out of hand.
Giants can't formulate runs
Another glaring issue is that the Giants are having trouble putting runs on the board. They can't formulate scoring in crucial moments and it's causing them to lose games.
They were embarrassed in their season-home opener against the New York Yankees after being shutout twice: 7-0 on March 25 and 3-0 on March 27. Maybe one could say it was simply jitters from all the excitement of a new baseball season, but it seems the tension has carried on for a little over one month into the season.
The Giants were shut out for an MLB-leading seventh time this season after their 3-0 loss to the Rays on May 1. It's the most the team’s been shutout in the first 32 games since 1976. When they're not being shutout, they are only producing one- or two-run contests. It's occurred on eight different instances or 25% of games played.
The team ranks last in MLB with 104 runs. But their issues aren't just a matter of hitting, but also decision-making from the shot callers.
Is coaching holding back Giants?
On multiple occasions, in previous games, there have been lapses in judgment when leading and instructing players on when or when not to round bases. Not capitalizing during momentous periods of the game has been a pivotal decision that has been the difference maker in wins versus losses.
Third base coach Hector Borg in back-to-back games has made seemingly questionable calls instructing his players to round a base or stay safe. During San Francisco's May 1 contest with the Rays, the Giants trailed 1-0 at the top of the fourth inning with Arraez at bat who knocked one just past first base. It was clearly enough for a double, but Borg allegedly instructed him to advance to third where Arraez was tagged out.
This was on Giants third base coach Hector Borg. Luis Arraez looks at him as he rounds second base to see if he can go to third
In the previous game, Giants outfielder Drew Gilbert had a chance to beat the Philadelphia Phillies in a doubleheader that went to extra innings. It was the top of 10th inning, Ramos was at bat and hit it towards second base, off the glove of Phillies' Bryson Stott as it landed in a gap towards 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. Gilbert stayed at third and the Giants didn't score in the inning. Instead, the Phillies took over at bat and won the game on a walk-off RBI.
If things already look grim, you don't want to know about their pitching. The Giants' pitching ranks are all over the place. San Francisco ranks 20th with 262 strikeouts. They are 10th in MLB in earned run average with 3.94 and are tied at 8th in total earned runs with the Miami Marlins at 124.
They are in the middle of the pack with home runs allowed. The Giants, tied at 16th, have had 32 homers hit on them, same as the Chicago White Sox and Seattle Mariners.
San Francisco has allowed 121 walks, tied for 10th most in MLB with the Marlins and Minnesota Twins.
They have competitive starting pitchers in Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser. But questions lie in their relievers and closers. The Giants need those guys to step up their play.
The Yankees entered this winter with two high-ceiling, no-longer-that-young outfield prospects in Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones who deserve a shot at extended playing time.
And yet Brian Cashman & Co. filled up the major league outfield by winning a drawn-out free-agent competition for Cody Bellinger, who became the second-highest-paid player in baseball this season, and extending a qualifying offer to Trent Grisham, who accepted.
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When he opted to retain the 2025 outfield and rely on the prospects as depth rather than immediate help, Cashman might have had days like Saturday in mind.
After Aaron Judge and Ben Rice did the heavy lifting throughout April, it was Bellinger, with some help from Grisham, who assumed the load during a 9-4 victory over the Orioles in front of 46,049 — the season’s second sellout, thanks in part to a Max Fried Mandalorian bobblehead giveaway — on a brisk, early May afternoon in The Bronx.
“I love where we’re at as a team, and I’m just excited to be a part of it,” Bellinger said after the Yankees (22-11) won for the 12th time in 14 games and perhaps landed an early haymaker on the Orioles, who entered this series hoping to establish themselves as an AL East contender and thus far have been outscored 16-6.
Baltimore did not have enough answers for Ryan Weathers, who allowed just one run on a Pete Alonso homer before sixth-inning issues, and could not hold down a pair of bats that have become nearly afterthoughts in the Yankees’ order.
Bellinger entered play hitting .250 with a .755 OPS, acceptable but barely visible within the shadow of Rice and Judge, who have been two of the game’s best hitters and combined for 23 home runs.
Grisham entered hitting .155 with a .616 OPS and was an early target for fans who watch box scores rather than games: There were social media complaints about Aaron Boone sticking with Grisham at leadoff, though the patient Grisham had hit into miserable luck through the first month of the season and actually averaged harder contact than he had registered in his breakout 2025 campaign.
On Star Wars Day at the Stadium, Boone might have found the fans’ lack of faith disturbing.
Cody Bellinger hits a homer, the first of his two solo shots, in the second inning of the Yankees’ 9-4 win over the Orioles on May 2 2026 at the Stadium. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Bellinger and Grisham combined for three home runs, two doubles, six RBIs and six of the Yankees’ 11 hits, reaching base in seven of nine plate appearances to ensure the Yankees added to what is the AL’s best record.
Bellinger was the bigger star, finishing 4-for-4 with a pair of homers, a double and an RBI knock in each at-bat — that .755 OPS is now .855 — while Grisham went 2-for-4 with his own homer, a double and a walk.
It was Bellinger who started the scoring in the second, hitting a moon shot into the right field seats against Kyle Bradish to begin what Boone called “a great day by a great player.”
It was Grisham who “set the tone for us,” Boone said, working an 0-2 count into a walk in the first inning, contributing a double in a two-run third and launching a two-run shot in the fourth, his fifth homer in his past 17 games.
Cody Bellinger celebrates with Jazz Chisholm Jr. after after hitting his second solo home run in the game during the fifth inning of the Yankees’ win over the Orioles. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Bellinger’s contributions were obvious — it was his second multihomer game of the season, and he finished a triple shy of the cycle — and sometimes subtler.
With two outs, runners on the corners and down 0-2 in the count in the third, Bellinger stuck his bat out and slapped a gapper into right-center.
Bellinger, a supreme athlete who struck a $162.5 million pact because he does everything well — including using his brain — noticed both Orioles middle infielders ran to receive a relay throw and no one was covering second.
Trent Grisham celebrates with his teammates after hitting a two-run home run in the fourth inning of the Yankees’ win over the Orioles. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“At that point, I think it was just a footrace,” said Bellinger, who won that race and turned a single into a double.
“That’s Cody Bellinger,” Boone said. “Just the all-around — you see the speed, the power, the athleticism, the two-strike hitting.”
Bellinger’s fifth-inning solo shot extended the lead to 6-1, but faulty bullpen work added some drama to a game the Yankees led 6-3 entering the bottom of the seventh.
Ryan Weathers, who allowed three runs in five innings, picked up the win in the Yankees’ victory over the Orioles. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
And of course it was Bellinger who followed walks to Rice and Judge with a single that sneaked through the middle infielders, knocking in one run before Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s RBI single to right — and aggressive baserunning, taking second on a bobble that allowed Bellinger to score, too — broke the game open.
“Just a really good day by the guys,” Boone said after the type of day that the Yankees might have envisioned a few months ago.
Oct 6, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos watches a workout before the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Considering how the 2025 campaign began, the start of the 2026 Braves season has been a breath of fresh air for everyone who is invested.
That must be particularly true for Braves general manager and president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos.
A streak of seven straight postseason appearances which began in his second season with the organization came to a screeching halt in Atlanta’s 76-86 season.
“I would say the same thing if we had gotten off to a slow start: it is so early. We’ve been that team that has chased teams down, we’ve been eight games back, we’ve been under .500 in August,” Anthopoulos said. “I would prefer this than starting out slowly, no doubt about it. You get to bank wins. And more importantly, we’re actually playing well. Defensively, the bullpen, the rotation, all of it.”
Anthopoulos talked candidly about a number of topics during the interview, which lasted nearly 20 minutes. Notably, he discussed the lessons learned from how the 2025 team was built which didn’t help matters when the injuries piled up.
He says it changed not just the roster building but the chemistry building approach he took on with his staff this offseason, something he saw pay dividends well before the regular season began.
“This group, I felt it in spring training. I think we got away from it a little bit last year just because of maybe short on talent and so on. But I think we really put an emphasis on the mix, the group, clubhouse. Not that it was bad, but we actually put more of a premium on it back this winter to have the right guys in the room and the right team rather than collection of players,” Anthopoulos said. “I know that’s a nuanced way to say it, but it’s good vibes. And that was even in the spring, even with everything that was going wrong going into the season. The pieces fit, they complement each other. It’s a very tight-knit group. It’s a great start.”
As the pitching injuries Anthopoulos alluded to piled up this spring with Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep, Joey Wentz and Spencer Strider going down, there was plenty of talk about which of the remaining free-agent pitchers the Braves should go after.
It never materialized, though. And Anthopoulos said Friday it was never especially close to happening.
“I know I was criticized for (not adding a pitcher). We weren’t close. We checked in, we checked prices,” Anthopoulos said. “We ultimately felt like where things were going, it wasn’t because we didn’t have the money. We just didn’t believe in the deals.”
Through 31 games, that decision has paid off. Even a depleted Braves rotation ranks third in ERA (3.15) through 33 games. Targeting a Zack Littell, Lucas Giolito or one of the other starters who remained unsigned into spring training could have blocked JR Ritchie’s impressive introduction to the major league rotation or Bryce Elder’s resurgence, which are the type of things Anthopoulos always values when evaluating such decisions.
“We like the talent we have. We like the young guys we have. We need to continue to give them opportunities as our other players are getting more expensive to be able to sustain this thing,” Anthopoulos said. “I’m in my ninth year here, hopefully we get to the playoffs again. I would be very proud of that if we could pull off eight out of nine years. You only have players for six years contractually. A lot of times, you’re thinking you have to churn this entire thing and start over and rebuild. We’re trying to keep it going for a long time.”
Speaking of Elder, he was one of three players Anthopoulos highlighted when asked about players he’s been pleasantly surprised with early this season, along with Dominic Smith and Mauricio Dubon. This team isn’t lacking in pleasant surprise options, but Elder carrying over his strong 2025 finish into a great first month this season is exactly what the Braves GM envisioned for him.
“I called him many times in the winter just to check in on him and talk about how good he was the last six weeks or so,” Anthopoulos said. “Normally you don’t pay attention to spring training and you don’t pay attention to September, but his velocity was up in September and he was beating really good teams. Even at the end of August, he beat the Phillies, the Tigers, the Cubs. He was going six, seven innings. Those guys were competing for the postseason, and he was throwing the ball really well and he was out of options.
“ … Did I think he would have 1.70 or 2.00 ERA or whatever it is right now? Of course not. But did we think he had a chance to be a really good starter for us? Yes. … I’m thrilled for him because I know the work he’s put in. He just kept his nose to the grindstone and continues to post. The fact that he can do it getting four days rest each time and allowing us to get rest for other players has been huge as well.”
One of the few players who hasn’t clicked early this season is Austin Riley at third base. Riley followed three straight 30-homer seasons with back-to-back campaigns below 20 the last two seasons. After Friday’s two-hit performance at Colorado, he’s hitting .202 with three homers and 18 RBIs in 33 games.
Considering he’s in the fourth season of a 10-year, $212 million contract, it’s a situation the Braves are somewhat stuck with.
But like with Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II, two of the Braves’ hottest hitters this season who were struggling mightily a season ago, Anthopoulos is confident Riley will come out of this extended slump to start the season.
“I’m not saying this is going to be the same thing, but Harris and Albies at the All-Star break (last year), so you’re talking middle of July, a long time, they were top-10 worst in MLB in OPS. You wouldn’t imagine it because they’re so talented, they’re so good, especially Albies, the home runs, Silver Sluggers, All-Star games,” Anthopoulos said. “Riley as well, the work ethic, the person, the defense, the athleticism. He’s going to get it going. I don’t know when. We’re working, he’s working. We’re looking at stuff, he is too.
“You saw it with that road series in Philadelphia, he’s going to get going again. I think the big part about this is we have other guys performing, stepping up. We’re scoring runs, so he’s got time to work through this. But obviously, when he gets going and some other guys get going, we should be that much stronger. I have no doubt he’ll come out of it. I just don’t know when. I said the same thing about Harris last year, same thing about Albies.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 02: José Caballero #72 of the New York Yankees drops the ball attempting to tag Gunnar Henderson #2 of the Baltimore Orioles who is safe at second during their game at Yankee Stadium on May 02, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On paper, Kyle Bradish is Baltimore’s top starter with Trevor Rogers on the IL. Unfortunately, the lefty failed to pitch like it today. Bradish couldn’t play stopper for the struggling Orioles, and the Yankees ran away with a decisive 9-4 win in the second of a four-games series.
Bradish continued a disappointing string of starts by Orioles pitchers. The lefty used a double play ball to erase a leadoff walk in the first, but the Yankees broke through in the second. Cody Bellinger snuck a pop fly over the short porch in right field to give New York an early 1-0 advantage. It was the type of homer that elicited eye rolls from opposing fans and pitchers alike, but Bradish ran into more serious trouble as the game continued.
José Caballero worked a five pitch walk with one out in the third, and Trent Grisham poked a double to left field. Bradish bounced back by striking out Ben Rice, but he crossed up catcher Adley Rutschman on a high fastball. The passed ball allowed New York to double its lead, and Bellinger drove in the third run of the game on an 0-2 breaking ball.
Bellinger’s knock represented a troubling trend of Baltimore pitchers failing to put away hitters. Bradish came within one strike of a zero in the fourth inning before grooving a 3-2 fastball to Grisham. The Yankee leadoff hitter smacked the ball 412 feet to left field, and New York took a commanding 5-1 lead in the fourth.
Grisham’s blast killed some fleeting momentum for the Orioles. Pete Alonso got the O’s on the board in the top of the fourth with his second homer in as many days. The solo shot briefly trimmed the deficit to two, but Bradish failed to deliver a shutdown inning.
Keegan Akin replaced Bradish in the fifth, and Bellinger greeted him with another homer. The Yankees led 6-1 before Baltimore managed to chip away in the sixth inning.
The Orioles loaded the bases with nobody out for Alonso, but the slugger grounded into a double play. Tyler O’Neill took a walk, and a pinch-hitting Samuel Basallo delivered a double down the right field line to make it 6-3. Jeremiah Jackson stepped in with a chance to make it a one-run game with a base hit, but he bounced a harmless ground ball to short that ended the inning.
Dylan Beavers pinch hit for Weston Wilson to start the seventh. The rookie worked a walk, stole second and third, and eventually scored on a ground ball by Taylor Ward. The manufactured run inched Baltimore to within two, but any chance at a comeback faded in the bottom half of the inning,
Anthony Nunez walked Rice and Aaron Judge before allowing a run-scoring single to Bellinger. Jazz Chisholm plated two more with a base hit to right that O’Neill briefly failed to handle. Judge walked twice, but finished 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. The Yankees still managed to score nine runs. That simply can’t happen.
The Orioles needed a strong start from Bradish after Cade Povich completed only four innings in Game 1. Baltimore will send out pitching prospect Trey Gibson for his MLB debut tomorrow against Max Fried (4-1, 2.09 ERA). Maybe the rookie can help flip the script.
Craig Albernaz sent out a lineup of seven righties, one switch hitter, and Gunnar Henderson to face left-handed starter Ryan Weathers. O’Neill, Coby Mayo, Jeremiah Jackson, Weston Wilson and Blaze Alexander combined to go 0-for-13 from spots five-to-nine in the batting order. It’s unclear how much input Albernaz has on the lineup in this modern era, but the Orioles’ obsession with matchups failed to produce positive results today.
This series feels like a benchmark for the Orioles. So far, the team looks completely outclassed by the first-place Yankees. Baltimore is clearly struggling to overcome some short and long term injuries, and the panic button could be on ice by the end of the weekend.
DETROIT, MI - APRIL 22: Detroit Tigers pitcher Will Vest (19) pitches during the game between the Detroit Tigers versus the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday April 22, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI. (Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
On Saturday, the Detroit Tigers placed right-handed reliever Will Vest on the 15-day injured list with right forearm inflammation. The Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens top reliever in April, right-hander Ricky Vanasco, has been added to the 40-man roster and called up to Detroit. To open a spot, RHP Yoniel Curet has been designated for assignment.
Oh boy, this was not what the Tigers’ bullpen needed right now. Vest, the Tigers best reliever and one of the best in baseball in 2025, hasn’t pitched since last Sunday, and it was becoming clear that something was wrong. The Tigers were very quick to place RHP Troy Melton on the 60-day injured list this spring when he dealt with forearm inflammation, and that aggressive approach to giving Melton all the time needed to get right appears to have paid off as he avoided surgery and is now due to start rehab work this weekend. Hopefully, Vest will also avoid any longer term complications, but we’ll have to wait for further testing and until he can start ramping up again to really be sure.
In addition, the Tigers also announced on Saturday that Kenley Jansen is currently day-to-day with a groin/abdominal issue. That may explain some of the wild swings in velo and command, but that is also not good right now.
RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long was scratched from his start in Toledo on Friday night, leading some to wonder if he would be called up in Casey Mize’s spot, but instead he too suffered an injury and is day-to-day as well. Gipson-Long missed most of spring camp with a left abdominal strain, but whether this is a setback with that or another injury is unknown.
The 27-year-old Vanasco has been outstanding in the early going. A journeyman reliever with an excellent power curveball, made a brief major league debut with both the Dodgers and Tigers in 2024, but has never been able to refine his command enough to become a dependable relief option. So far this spring, he’s figured it out in Toledo.
In 10 appearances totalling 15 innings of work, Vanasco has a spotless 0.00 ERA. He’s struck out 28 hitters and walked just four. That’s a 47.5 percent strikeout rate, with an opponent’s batting average of just .148 against him and a 0.80 WHIP.
Vanasco sits around 95 mph with plus extension on his fourseam fastball, but the movement on the pitch is pretty pedestrian. He does have to command it around the edges of the strike zone to avoid it getting hit hard. The fastball typically has 16 degrees of induced vertical break, a mediocre mark, and doesn’t run armside too much either. Vanasco’s extension and quick arm do help it play up a bit, however. It also helps that he mixes fourseamers and sinkers in equal amounts, and has located both really well so far this year. That’s made him less predictable, and the fourseamer is actually getting plenty of whiffs as a result of it not being a primary offering.
Vanasco uses fourseamers, sinkers, curveballs, and changeups in basically equal amounts. Against right-handers, the power curve is the big weapon, and it’s overall his best pitch. He throws it really hard, generally 83-84 mph, and it’s relatively low spin rate, generally around 2350 rpms, is reminiscent of former Alex Lange’s power slider that was really a curveball. The pitch has drawn a 41.4 percent whiff rate so far this season, and that’s pretty typical for it. We won’t be surprised if the Tigers’ pitching coaches have him use the curveball even more and thrown it maybe close to half the time against right-handed hitters.
Vanasco’s changeup is average, but he’s been in much better command of it the past two seasons and it’s been an effective pitch for him. It sits 85 mph with pretty good armside run but average depth. He has gotten a 38.6 percent whiff rate on it going back to the beginning of 2025, and as Vanasco will generally be facing as many right-handed hitters as possible, it’s not as though he needs that pitch to be more than a serviceable weapon.
As for Yoniel Curet, the 23-year-old right-hander has a good fastball-slider combination but hasn’t conquered the control issues that plagued him as a Tampa Bay Rays pitching prospect the last two years. He’s stalled out at the Triple-A level as a result. Curet used to throw his fourseamer from 95-99 mph, but hasn’t quite had that upper band as often. He’s an interesting, still young project who sits 95-96 mph with good movement and an above average slider, but he was unlikely to help the Tigers much this season. They claimed him back in mid-April, and while no one will lose sleep over it if he doesn’t get through waivers, no doubt the Tigers would like to keep him and have more time to try and develop his command. At very least he could become a pretty good relief option if he can just learn to spot his fourseamer more often.
