Reinforcements are on the way for an Astros roster ravaged by injuries through the first 46 games of the season.
Jeremy Peña, Jake Meyers, and Nate Pearson could rejoin the Astros next week while Josh Hader and Hunter Brown continue to progress in their rehabs, Astros manager Joe Espada said before Saturday’s game against the Texas Rangers.
Peña and Meyers were in the starting lineup for Double-A Corpus Christi against Amarillo on Saturday, and Pearson is scheduled to pitch for Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday in Tacoma.
If all goes well, Espada said all three could be available at some point during the Astros three-game series in Minneapolis, which starts on Monday night.
Peña, on the IL since April 12 with a grade one hamstring strain, went 0 for 5 on Friday night in the second game of his rehab assignment. He did not play on Wednesday or Thursday after leaving Tuesday’s game following a collision at second base.
Meyers, who landed on the IL with a right oblique strain on April 9, has gone hitless in his first two rehab games.
Pearson has appeared in six minor league games in his recovery from elbow surgery. His velocity got up to 101.3 MPH on Tuesday.
While their returns are not imminent, Josh Hader and Hunter Brown continue to progress in their rehabs.
Hader won’t be ready to come off the IL when he’s eligible on May 24, but Espada said he’ll only need five more rehab outings as he continues what is essentially his spring training ramp-up.
The Astros lefty struck out two in a scoreless inning for Corpus Christi on Friday. Hader was off for two days between his last two rehab appearances, and the final step will be pitching on back-to-back days.
Brown, who isn’t eligible to return until June 1, will throw a live BP on Tuesday. He will start a rehab assignment shortly after, if all goes well.
The Astros entered Saturday’s game with 14 players on the injured list.
The Dodgers will count on Roki Sasaki (11) even more now with key injuries affecting the starting rotation. AP
Early this year, he couldn’t command his pitches. He wasn’t getting deep into starts. And though he had managed to avoid many disasters, his place on the club seemed tenuous at best.
In recent weeks, however, circumstances have changed.
The Dodgers lost Tyler Glasnow (back spasms) and Blake Snell (loose bodies in his elbow) to the injured list. They went from having a looming rotation crunch (in which either Sasaki or Emmet Sheehan seemed likely to be demoted) to a sudden lack of big-league rotation depth.
Against that backdrop, Sasaki has also shown some encouraging signs. In each of his last three outings, he has pitched into the sixth inning. And while his ERA remains close to 6.00, he has been able to better attack the strike zone and cut down on his walks.
Early this year, he couldn’t command his pitches. AP
Because of that, manager Dave Roberts has praised the progress he believes the supposed phenom is making. Sasaki said his last couple games are as good as he has felt all season.
Alas, the 24-year-old right-hander is still nowhere near where he wants to be.
Such is the duality facing Sasaki ahead of his next outing on Sunday against the Angels and entering what figures to be a critical stretch of the season for himself and the team.
Sasaki is scheduled to make his next start Sunday against the Angels in Anaheim. AP
He has proved he can at least survive at the MLB level. He remains better than any currently available rotation alternative the Dodgers could turn to.
But becoming the Cy Young-caliber talent that he was billed as when he first arrived from Japan? That remains a long-term, and still uncertain, work in progress.
“To me, it feels as if I’ve already taken a lot of time,” Sasaki said last week. “The situation has been painful … All I can do is aim for that and build toward it.”
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The absence of Glasnow (who will be out for at least a couple more weeks) and Snell (who will likely be sidelined for the next 2-3 months) means greater responsibility is set to fall to him; to pitch deeper into games, to do better at preventing runs, and to be more than someone simply trying to cling to a roster spot.
“Whether it comes right away or gradually is something I don’t even know,” Sasaki said. “I imagine what I want to be and work my way backward from that. If I stop that process, then it’s over. As long as I have a chance, I have to continue to progress.”
But becoming the Cy Young-caliber talent that he was billed as when he first arrived from Japan? That remains a long-term, and still uncertain, work in progress. Getty Images
The good news is that ingredients for such success have begun to show themselves. Sasaki has made significant strides with his fastball command over the last month, going from nearly seven walks per nine innings in his first three outings to just six total free passes in his last 20 ⅔ frames. The addition of a new, harder splitter to complement his trademark, but difficult-to-control, forkball has also been seen by club officials as a positive.
“Roki’s certainly doing his part,” Roberts said last week.
Sasaki’s next challenge will be limiting hard contact (he has the fourth-highest home run rate among any pitcher with at least 30 innings this year) and maintaining his stuff deeper into starts (in two of his last three outings, he pushed into the sixth inning but was removed before recording another out).
If he does that, it could help alleviate the Dodgers’ sudden injury problems and lessen the strain it figures to place on their bullpen.
If he can’t, then his admittedly “painful” growth process will continue, at precisely the time the Dodgers need more out of him.
May 15, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Abner Uribe (45) celebrates after the third Minnesota Twins out in the top of the eighth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
First Pitch: 6:10 pm CDT TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN / WCCO 830 / The Wolf 102.9 FM / Audacy
The Twins aren’t actually THAT far below .500, but when a Friday night home game feels like a road trip, “core” players are being optioned to Triple-A, and the Chicago White Sox are above you in the standings, it’s hard not to feel a little pessimistic. Minnesota’s third-place position is emblematic of the American League Central’s reputation, as well as the general stature of a 2026 American League which features four teams with winning records.
Still, the Twins are coming off consecutive series wins, and still have a chance to win their Rivalry Weekend matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers. On top of that, they’ll be able to see if Connor Prielipp can sustain his early-career success; he enters his fifth major-league start having allowed only 12 hits in 19 innings, including a one-hit performance against the Seattle Mariners and a three-hit outing against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Brew Crew will send out righty Logan Henderson, in his second big-league season after a cup of coffee with the Brewers in 2025. Henderson rocks a four-seamer on the slow side, as well as a changeup with decent early returns and a cutter/slider combo to round things out.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MAY 13: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres hits a single against the Milwaukee Brewers during the third inning at American Family Field on May 13, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (26-18) at Seattle Mariners (22-24), May 16, 2026, 4:15 p.m. PST
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BOSTON, MA - MAY 10: Trevor Story #10 and Andruw Monasterio #32 of the Boston Red Sox interact during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Sunday, May 10, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Chad Tracy hasn’t exactly shaken things up since taking charge of the Red Sox. But, my god, this man does love him some Mickey Gasper.
Gasper and his ‘stache will once again bat second tonight, and this time he’ll do so as the catcher instead of the DH. That’s not the craziest call in the world when you consider that he’s had plenty of experience with tonight’s starter, Payton Tolle.
If you were wondering whether Marcelo Mayer would claim the shortstop spot in Trevor Story’s absence, keep wondering. He’s back at second tonight with Andruw Monasterio slotting in at short. And check it out: a Masataka Yoshida sighting. They’ll take on Bryce Harper Dallas Howard Elder, who, oh yeah, leads baseball in ERA this year. Let’s see if the Red Sox can outscore the New England Revolution.
Jul 7, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; The Silver Boot trophy is on display on the concourse for the Lone Star series with the Texas Rangers playinng against the Houston Astros at Global Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images
Apr 16, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Walker Buehler (10) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images
The Seattle Mariners saw their four-year run of Vedder Cup dominance end last night, as the San Diego Padres blanked them 2-0 in a disappointing display that resembled many Friar victories this season: get a lead, then hand things to the bullpen and crush the final squirms of resistance.
Today is a new opportunity, however, as Seattle can still salvage this weekend’s series and attempt to end Sunday back at .500. To do so, they’ll be hoping to get to San Diego’s starter. Randy Vásquez stifled Seattle’s offense last night, but veteran Walker Buehler has not had quite as much success this year. He’ll mirror Logan Gilbert, fresh off Walter’s best outing of 2026.
Cal Raleigh remains sidelined, but Kate took some time with the Big Dumper to discuss the difficulties of accepting “unavailability” when his career and success has been defined both internally and externally in large part by uncommonly impressive durability.
Lineups:
While originally scheduled to play, both Brendan Donovan and Mitch Garver have been scratched from the lineup. The updated lineup has moved J.P. Crawford up to the leadoff spot, with Leo Rivas taking over at third base and Jhonny Pereda taking his second straight day behind the dish.
Updated lineup:
SS Crawford CF Rodríguez 1B Naylor LF Arozarena RF Raley 2B Young DH Canzone C Pereda 3B Rivas
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 15: Jackson Chourio #11 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates in the dugout after scoring in the first inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on May 15, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Milwaukee Brewers will go for their fifth-straight series win this evening (not counting the 1-1 series split with St. Louis), as they’ll take on the Minnesota Twins following a come-from-behind victory last night. The Twins have lost six of their last eight series going back to mid-April.
Young pitching will continue to be the centerpoint in game two, as Logan Henderson will make his fourth start of the season. Henderson has been consistent over his first four starts on the season, allowing at least two runs in each appearance, while also keeping the walks to a minimum, with at least one walk in two of those three outings.
On the flip side for the Twins, they’ll send out their 25-year-old rookie left-hander Connor Prielipp, who has been off to a great start in 2026. Through four games with the Twins, he has posted a 3.32 ERA through 19 innings pitched with 21 strikeouts. His last was a frustrating one as the Cleveland Guardians scored four runs on him.
Even though pitching hasn’t been much of a weak link for the Crew this season, they’re beginning to get healthier as the season moves onward. Though there hasn’t been an official announcement yet, Robert Gasser has a locker in the Twin Cities today and is back with the team for the first time this season. Gasser had a couple of setbacks last year after spending a couple of stints on the 60-day injured list.
Robert Gasser is in the Brewers clubhouse in Minnesota.
After another stellar outing last night, Coleman Crow was optioned back to Triple-A while Peter Strezlecki was selected from there. Strezlecki rejoined the Brewers back in February after spending all of 2025 with the Durham Bulls, the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. Strezlecki had about as good a rookie season as one could ask for back in 2022 with the Brewers, appearing in 30 games and posting a 2.83 ERA.
Taking a look at the lineups tonight, Christian Yelich is out of the lineup for the fourth straight game. With the southpaw on the mound, Brice Turang and Sal Frelick are the lone lefties in the batting order tonight.
First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. on the Brewers Radio Network and Brewers.TV.
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 15: Cleveland Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo (9) is congratulated by Cleveland Guardians center fielder Steven Kwan (38) after scoring a run during the eighth inning of the Major League Baseball interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians on May 15, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 15: Drake Baldwin #30 of the Atlanta Braves reacts as he rounds third base after hitting a solo homer in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Truist Park on May 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, I’m not going to say the “Mauricio Dubon leads off against lefties” experiment is over, but whatever the case may be, it’s at least on hiatus for tonight’s game against Payton Tolle and the Red Sox:
Austin Riley is back hitting cleanup, and Michael Harris II has dropped to sixth. These all sort make sense if you think the lineup as responding to semi-recent trends as Riley has hit pretty well over the last two weeks, while Dubon and Harris have been okay at best in that span. The bottom of the lineup is what it is, for another day. The Braves find ways to keep winning anyway.
This will be Riley’s first time hitting cleanup since April 23; with this start, he will once again take over the mantle of “has hit cleanup for the Braves in 2026 most often” which he currently shares with Matt Olson. The Braves have used 32 different batting orders in 45 games so far; this game will make it 33 in 46.
The Red Sox will deploy a lineup pretty similar to the one the Braves experience last night, except that Mickey Gasper is catching, such that Carlos Narvaez is pushed to the bench in favor of Masataka Yoshida starting at DH. When you look at the Statcast game preview above, you can see why the Red Sox have struggled to plate runs, as only Gasper, Wilyer Abreu, and Willson Contreras have any semblance of good batting inputs.
This is also a novel Red Sox lineup, and the second time that Gasper will start behind the plate.
Gasper, Yoshida, and Durbin have not faced Bryce Elder in their respective careers; the other six guys in the Red Sox lineup have, but none have double-digit PAs in the matchup. The collective line is a .162 wOBA and .191 xwOBA in 26 PAs, which really isn’t anything at all.
Nobody in the Braves’ lineup has faced Tolle before, which makes sense given that the youngster hasn’t pitched much in the majors and hasn’t yet faced the Braves. Elder has faced the Red Sox just once before — a game last year where he gave up a three-run double to Trevor Story in the first, and the game ended 3-1 with no runs scoring beyond the first inning.
We could go through this game play by play and try to deeply analyze it, but they’ve lost six in a row. For the third straight game, the offense looked completely outmatched by a pitcher who has never shown the ability to dominate a lineup. So let’s just hit some highlights and then try to enjoy our Saturday evenings, shall we?
Noah Cameron pitched his second quality start of the year. He did it by drastically reducing his cutter and slider usage. Mostly, he did this in favor of his fastball, though he threw a few more changeups than he had averaged this year, too. His curveball percentage remained roughly the same. The new arm angle has improved his fastball shape, so leaning on it was probably a smart idea, and it mostly worked, at least for today.
Matt Strahm hit the IL after landing awkwardly in a couple of his pitches yesterday. That was convenient for the Royals because they had to activate Bailey Falter from his rehab assignment today. Bailey pitched the final two innings of the game in relief, and, well, it wasn’t pretty. He got out of his first inning of work facing only three batters, but ended up giving up a run in the second on a pair of hits and a walk. It was the kind of outing where if you had faith in the guy before, you’d want to see him go again, but if you thought he was trash before, he did nothing to change your mind.
Vinnie Pasquantino did collect a two-out RBI single in the top of the fifth, which was nice to see. Jac Caglianone also hit a mammoth home run in the top of the ninth. It’s always fun to see Jac hammer one.
The Royals will attempt to avoid their second winless road trip of the year tomorrow afternoon. Stephen Kolek (6.75 ERA) will get his third start for KC this year and start a new quality start streak. Andre Pallante (4.46 ERA) will go for the Cardinals. The game starts at 1:15 Central, and, as has been the case all weekend, will be free on MLB.TV, along with almost every other game as part of Rivalry Weekend.
NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes’ broken leg should heal in time for him to pitch again for the team during the final two months of this season.
Holmes’ right fibula was fractured by a 111.1 mph comebacker off the bat of the Yankees’ Spencer Jones during the Mets’ 5-2 loss on Friday night.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said the leg will need six to eight weeks to heal and the 33-year-old right-hander will need a spring training-type ramp-up, usually about six weeks.
“Yes, definitely we’ll see him this season,” Mendoza said.
Holmes is 4-4 with a 2.39 ERA for the Mets, who began Saturday last in the NL East at 18-26 despite starting the season with baseball’s highest payroll. He was placed on the 15-day injured list by the Mets, who recalled right-hander Joey Gerber from Triple-A Syracuse.
Holmes joined shortstop Francisco Lindor, catcher Francisco Alvarez, first baseman Jorge Polanco and center fielder Luis Robert Jr. on the IL along with ineffective starting pitcher Kodai Senga and backups Ronny Mauricio and Jared Young.
“Not going to lie. Last night was tough. We’ve been hit a lot this year with a lot of superstars, with a lot of key players, but yesterday felt different.” Mendoza said. “It’s a combination of a lot of things, not only the injuries, but what Clay means to this team not only on the field, but off the field: the competitor, the person, the human, what it means to that clubhouse and what it means to the team in their rotation. So that’s why yesterday felt different.”
May 15, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A group of shirtless fans cheer from their seats during the eleventh inning of a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
If the St. Louis Cardinals season becomes something truly special later this year, you can look back to this weekend and recognize that this was that moment when the team and their fans kickstarted it all. The “Tarps Off Terrace” returned to Busch Stadium Saturday and the team responded with another victory over the overwhelmed Kansas City Royals.
Let’s start with a nod to Kyle Leahy who gave the St. Louis Cardinals one of his best starts of the year. You can tell that he’s starting to understand his vast arsenal of pitches and how that works as a starter instead of a middle reliever. Kyle pitched 6 strong innings allowing just 5 hits and 1 earned run. While he only struck out 2 and walked 3, he pitched himself out of a big bases-loaded jam in the top of the 2nd inning after he allowed 2 singles and a walk without allowing a run.
The Cardinals were the first on the board Saturday playing small ball in the bottom of the 1st inning. After Ivan Herrera hit a ground rule double into the seats down the first base line, Jordan Walker singled to left and then Herrera scored on a sacrifice fly by Alec Burleson making it 1-0 Cardinals. The Royals would tie the game in the top of the 5th inning when Maikel Garcia doubled into the left field corner and scored two batters later when Pasquantino singled evening the game 1-1.
The Cardinals would not wait long to untie the game as they rallied in the bottom of the 5th inning starting with a Thomas Saggese single followed by a hustle double from Nathan Church which advanced Saggese to third base. Victor Scott II grounded into a fielder’s choice to first base, but the throw home was not quick enough to get Saggese who scored with a evasive slide giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead which pleased the “tarps off terrace” group aka the Stephen F. Austin State University Lumberjacks baseball team. Masyn Winn followed that outburst with a sacrifice fly to score Nathan Church making it 3-1 Cardinals.
The “Tarps Off Terrace” was made possible by Manager Oli Marmol who picked up the cost of 1,500 tickets for both Saturday and Sunday’s games as he said they helped rally the team Friday night to an extra innings victory.
A fired up Gordon Graceffo pitched a clean top of the 7th inning only allowing a double to Isbel on a ball that was misjudged by Nathan Church. No harm done, though, as the Royals were unable to get him home. Justin Bruihl was chosen as the 8th inning guy tasked with keeping the Royals from making a game of it and he was successful with a drama-free effort.
The Cardinals would add to their lead in the bottom of the 8th inning when Victor Scott II singled to center. Masyn Winn reached on a fielder’s choice, but reached second on an errant throw by the pitcher Bailey Falter. Ivan Herrera then reached on a walk. After Jordan Walker flied out to left-center, Alec Burleson singled to left scoring Winn making it 4-1 Cardinals. Ivan Herrera could have scored on a throw that flew over third base into left field, but he seemed unaware that the ball was not still on the infield.
George Soriano was brought in to close out the game, but gave up a home run to Jac Caglianone cutting into the Cardinals lead 4-2. After Collins singled to center, the Kansas City Royals were allowed to bring the tying run up to the plate. Unfortunately (for them), that tying run potential turned into a game-ending double play.
Performances of note include two hits from both Nathan Church and Victor Scott II. Thomas Saggese did a fine job subbing for JJ Wetherholt who was given his first day off in as long as I can remember contributing a hit and solid defense at second base.
The Cardinals will try to sweep the Royals on Sunday as Andre Pallante will get the start for St. Louis. Kansas City will send Stephen Kolek to the mound. First pitch scheduled for 1:15pm central time in Busch Stadium.
CUBS vs. SOX: The Cubs now are 78-75 in all games against the Sox, including 13-2 in the last four seasons. But they are only 22-33 in the first games of series. They have won the last four openers and six of seven; before that, they were just 16-32! The Cubs are 28-27 in second games, including 13-14 on the road. They are 16-8 in second games after winning first games but 6-7 after winning openers on the South Side. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
SATURDAY IN THE PARK: The Cubs are 3-3 on Saturdays so far this season. They were 20-7 last year. They are 0-2 on Saturdays on the road, having lost to the Dodgers at Los Angeles, 12-4, on April 25 and at Texas, 6-0, a week ago. Both games snapped 10-game winning streaks. The two losses so far are as many as the Cubs had all of last season, when they 11-2 on Saturdays on the road. Both losses were at Cincinnati, the first on May 24 and the second on Sept. 20, in their final Saturday away from home. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
HAPP-ENINGS: Ian Happ, last 13 games since May 2: .279/.446/.558 (12-for-43) with a double, a triple, three home runs, 13 walks and 14 runs scored.
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: The Cubs sweep a doubleheader from the Padres, 9-8 and 6-4. In the first game, Jim Hickman hit a two-run walk-off homer in the 10th inning after San Diego had scored a run in the top of the 10th. The second game was suspended for darkness in the seventh inning at 6:29 p.m. and completed Aug. 4, the first suspended game after the specific rule for suspending games for darkness at Wrigley Field had been instituted in 1969. It happened 55 years ago today, Sunday, May 16, 1971.
Jameson Taillon threw well in his most recent start, Sunday at Texas, allowing only one run in 5.1 innings. Best of all, he didn’t give up a long ball in that game, just the second time this year he’s done that.
Taillon did not face the Sox last year. Thus many of the current Sox batters have never faced him. Andrew Benintendi has homered off him previously.
Keep the ball in the yard, Jamo.
Davis Martin has suddenly become one of the better pitchers in the American League, with a 1.62 ERA and just two home runs in 50 innings. He’s got a good walk rate (just 5.2 percent). All of this is a vast improvement over last year — Martin’s current 2.6 bWAR is already more than the 1.5 bWAR he posted for all of 2025.
Martin has never faced the Cubs and only a few current Cubs have just a handful of plate appearances against him. Hopefully there’s a good scouting report.
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
