DUNEDIN, FLORIDA - MARCH 14, 2026: A closeup view of the 2026 spring training logo patch on a New Era Toronto Blue Jays hat prior to a spring training game against the Detroit Tigers at TD Ballpark on March 14, 2026 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Game two with the Godless Dodgers.
And the second loonie dog game of the season. I had one loonie dog when I was there a few year ago and I was really sick after. I haven’t had a hot dog since and I likely won’t every again (well, at least not until my kids put me in a home and I have no choice on what to it).
Generally, I can eat almost anything. But that time I couldn’t. And that was the day that Matt ate seven of them. I would have died. I don’t think he’d ever do that again either. That was also the night the Jays traded Marcus Stroman to the Mets for Simeon Woods Richardson and Anthony Key, which gave us stuff to talk about (in the moments I was in the washroom). Woods Richardson is a Twin now. Key is in Japan. Stroman is, well I don’t know where he is, he was a Yankee for some of last year
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - APRIL 02: Starting pitcher Taj Bradley #26 of the Minnesota Twins pitches during the 1st inning of the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on April 02, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First Pitch: 6:40 PM CST
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9, Audacy App, LosTwins.com
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: Will Warren #98 of the New York Yankees in action against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium on September 09, 2025 in New York City. The Tigers defeated the Yankees 12-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A baseball season is long and arduous, so individually, 7-10 day stretches don’t define seasons. Every year, teams that will go on to contend for a World Series will look ghastly for a time, while teams in the cellar will mysteriously get hot. Baseball is unique in this way, as the season is long enough to absorb such body blows in either direction, while they can define seasons in other sports (except if you’re the Knicks, who randomly had a 2-9 stretch before getting back on the horse).
While many in the AL East are scuffling, the Yankees enter their fourth series of the season with a strong 7-2 record and open up a series against the (Sacramento) Athletics at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night.
Cam Schlittler will get the ball in his third game of the season, looking to continue a hot start. The 25-year-old has been almost untouchable through two starts, tossing 11.2 shutout innings without a walk and 15 strikeouts with his unorthodox fastball-heavy approach. After mixing in his sweeper, curveball, and slider more in his debut season, Schlittler is now throwing one of his three fastballs a baffling 89 percent of the time and has thrown a grand total of two sliders and zero sweepers so far. Will it bite him at some point? I’ll have to see it to believe it. He doesn’t seem fully built up yet, so expect somewhere between 80 and 90 pitches.
Former playoff foe Aaron Civale will make his second start of the year for the Athletics. If you remember the name, the 30-year-old was tasked with starting Game 5 of the 2022 ALDS for the Cleveland Guardians and lasted just a third of an inning in a losing effort. Since then, he’s bounced around from Tampa to Milwaukee to both Chicago clubs before signing a one-year, $6 million pact with the A’s this offseason. He allowed two runs in five innings in his lone start of the year in Atlanta thus far.
While one start isn’t nearly enough to tell what’s he up to this year, Civale has been more of a contact pitcher for much of his career, with his strengths as a pitcher being his ability to limit barrels and walks. He has at least six offerings to keep you off balance, including a near-equal mix of cutters and sinkers. His pitches play to both sides, so expect him to mix in his slider, curveball, and four-seamer to both sides, while his splitter is used against lefties. He’s historically been poor against the Yankees, last starting the series finale of last year’s Torpedo Bowl against the Brewers.
It’s a very usual lineup against a right-handed pitcher for the Yanks, with the exception of Amed Rosario batting seventh in the place of Ryan McMahon. Civale, for his career, has slight reverse splits, making the decision understandable given McMahon’s struggles.
2025 breakout star Nick Kurtz will lead off and look to get going out of a deep slump, followed by the red-hot Shea Langeliers and the lefty Tyler Soderstrom. Two 2025 All-Stars, Brent Rooker and Jacob Wilson, are also looking to break out of skids in the middle of the order, though Rooker is certainly feeling better after a two-homer Sunday that saw him walk off the Astros. Lawrence Butler, Max Muncy the Younger, Jeff McNeil, and defensive wizard Denzel Clarke round out the lineup.
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 03: Noelvi Marte #4 of the Cincinnati Reds greets teammates on the field prior to the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Friday, April 3, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Opening Day starter Andrew Abbott returns to the mound for the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night in Miami as the Marlins host the second game of this four game set. Former National League Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara will toe the rubber for the fish.
First pitch is set for 6:40 PM ET. Lineups are listed below for both teams.
ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 06: Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin (30) hits a single during an MLB baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels played on April 6, 2026 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s time for what you’ve all been waiting for… the rosters are set, with some surprises to discuss.
The Atlanta Braves are determined to break their three-game losing streak in game two against the Los Angeles Angels, and Walt Weiss decided to shift some things in the lineup.
Drake Baldwin is keeping his slot as second in the batting order, but this time as DH. Jonah Heim will be entering his fourth game with the team, taking over as catcher, and if you’re wondering if you’re seeing things at centerfield… you’re not.
After unlucky appearances at the plate recently, Michael Hariss II has been omitted from today’s starting lineup, with Eli White taking over.
In honesty, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley haven’t been producing what is expected either, but that’s where these opportunities count. Another opportunity is another day Braves’ fans can hope they make a complete turnaround—this is exactly what the team would need today to propel them forward with a win to shift the momentum. We’ll see if these changes make a difference.
Reynaldo López will be taking the mound to face the Angels.
Speaking of whom, notice a new but memorable name on the list? Mike Trout is back and set to bat second, taking centerfield for his bobblehead night with an attempt to lead his team to an extensive four wins in a row. In his past matchups against López, Trout has an OPS of 1.525 in his nine matchups.
Now, of course, this wasn’t a recent feat that was accomplished, but with this being his night, don’t be surprised if his performance shows a new level of dominance to keep that on-base percentage and average against him spiked.
Nolan Schanuel will be present to take over first base, and Travis d’Arnaud, who’s only been accounted for in two games this season so far, is also set to make his return as catcher, batting eighth in the lineup.
The Braves are trying to break a pattern, while the Angels want to continue theirs; only one team will get its wish tonight. We’ll tune in at 9:38 p.m. EDT and come see us as we discuss the aftermath.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MARCH 26: Matthew Liberatore #32 of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning on Opening Day at Busch Stadium on March 26, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a disappointing end to Monday’s game when the bullpen imploded, the St. Louis Cardinals will try again Tuesday night as Matthew Liberatore will start against the Washington Nationals who will send Cade Cavalli to the mound. Start time is 5:45pm central time as the game is scheduled to be viewable on Cardinals.tv. Here’s the starting lineup shared by the Cardinals.
Mar 24, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after missing a pitch in the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The Dodgers finish off their six-game road trip with an afternoon start on getaway day against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
Shohei Ohtani gets the ball in the series finale, the rotation maneuvered such that his next two pitching starts will come the day before a scheduled team off day. Since his last pitching start, last Tuesday against the Cleveland, Ohtani hit three home runs, through Monday’s series opener in Toronto.
Dylan Cease, who signed a $210 million, seven-year contract with the Blue Jays in the offseason, starts the series finale. He has 18 strikeouts in his first two starts for Toronto, with a 2.79 ERA in 9 2/3 innings.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 31: Hunter Brown #58 of the Houston Astros pitches in the fifth inning during a game against the Boston Red Sox at Daikin Park on March 31, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here’s what that means for when fans may see him on a mound again.
Today, the Houston Astros announced SP Hunter Brown has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 shoulder strain.
Often times, a Grade 2 shoulder strain involves partial tearing of a muscle/muscles in the “shoulder stabilizers” – usually the rotator cuff.
Grade 2 sprains typically involve the posterior rotator cuff – they are usually caused by the deceleration process after the release of the baseball. These muscles keep the ball joint of your shoulder in place while throwing.
It can also involve the muscles of the shoulder blade.
Grade 2 strains are usually treated with rest and anti-inflammatories early (First 2 weeks), followed by range of motion exercises and band work (next two weeks), then increasing to light weights and movements (next 2 weeks).
Next would be starting a light throwing progression around week 6. For a Starting Pitcher like Brown, this is a 6 week injury in a perfect world, 8-10 week injury in a more realistic world.
As long as he gets through all his stages with no pain, he should be able to fully recover without surgery.
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 14: Garrett Crochet #35 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the New York Yankees during the game at Fenway Park on September 14, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If the first ten games of the season didn’t resemble a flaming trainwreck, the conversation going into tonight’s affair would be centered around everybody going gaga over the sensational pitching match up, and for good reason. Not only do we have Garrett Crochet taking on Jacob Misiorowski, but we’ve got a cold night at Fenway with the wind blowing in from the northwest threatening to further suppress any offense. It could almost disguise itself as a World Series Game 1 type slate if you completely ignored everything else going on.
Missing from the lineup are Caleb Durbin and Masataka Yoshida, and as Over The Monster’s own Jacob Roy points out, that could be a mistake.
Here's how the Red Sox have fared against high-velo fastballs from RHP in 25-26. Durbin and Yoshida are on the bench against Misiorowski, who averages 98.6 mph with his FF pic.twitter.com/Q28kh7bSOs
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 06: CJ Abrams #5 and manager Blake Butera #10 of the Washington Nationals celebrate after a 9-6 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals at Nationals Park on April 06, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After snapping their losing streak with a comeback win last night, the Nats are looking to win their second series of the season tonight. The Nationals bats have been red hot to start the season, while the pitching staff has been hot garbage. Hopefully the Nats arms can put up more zeroes tonight.
With a lefty on the mound, the Nats have made a few lineup tweaks. March legend Joey Wiemer is back in the lineup and in right field. Curtis Mead will get the start at first base and hit second. Daylen Lile will move to DH, while Keibert Ruiz gets the start behind the plate. Despite his heroic play last night, James Wood will slide over to left field. Nats ace Cade Cavalli will look to give the Nats length in his third start of the season.
The Cardinals are rolling with a similar lineup, but with a couple tweaks. Pedro Pages will be behind the plate, which slides Ivan Herrera to DH. That means Nolan Gorman will be at third base, replacing Ramon Urias. Jordan Walker will be a man to watch. He looks like he may finally be figuring it out this year. Matthew Liberatore will be on the mound for the Red Birds.
Last night was a ton of fun, and this offense is really rolling. The pitching is very much a work in progress, but it is great to see the boys mashing. This is the opposite of what we saw in Spring Training, which shows how little those results really matter. I can’t wait to watch CJ Abrams, James Wood, Brady House and the boys mash. Follow along in the comment section below and let’s go Nats!
MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 06: TJ Friedl #29 of the Cincinnati Reds at bat against the Miami Marlins in the first inning of the game at loanDepot park on April 06, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Reds fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Entering play on Tuesday in Miami, the Cincinnati Reds have so far this season scored just 2 (two!) runs from their leadoff spot. That’s the lowest of any team in baseball this side of the Atlanta Braves.
It hasn’t been a product of bad luck, either. Reds leadoff men so far this season have posted just a .245 combined wOBA (4th worst), 48 wRC+ (tied for 4th worst), and a comical .000 ISO (in case you’re not into math, that’s the lowest it could possibly be). In other words, the setter of the Reds table so far this season has been just about as bad as you could imagine.
It’s not the only reason the Reds have scored the fewest runs (28) of any Major League Baseball team so far this season, but it’s certainly a big part of it. When you consider that the team is collectively hitting the ball harder this year than in a long time – among the hardest-hitting clubs in the league so far – it is a wonder why those smashes aren’t driving in the team’s leadoff man more often.
We all know TJ Friedl has been the team’s leadoff man almost every night this season. We also know he’s struggled mightily out of the gate in a way we’ve not really seen from him before – he’s only 10 games removed from a 2025 season in which he posted a damn near elite .364 OBP, after all.
But when you take a closer look at his current Statcast ranks, everything aside from coaxing a walk looks just about as bleak as it gets.
That begs the question…should Friedl, who’s just about to turn 31, still be counted on as the team’s everyday leadoff man? Or should manager Terry Francona turn the responsibilities over to someone else – Matt McLain has already had the opportunity up top once so far this season, though there are a couple other Reds who profile decently well there.
Who should be the Reds leadoff hitter going forward?
Mar 26, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) reacts after retiring the side in the fourth inning against the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field. Misiorowski picked up the win. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The Brewers and Red Sox kicked off their three-game series last night with a hectic back-and-forth game. The Brewers took the first game 8-6, but not without some extra drama. That will likely carry over into tonight as the two teams play their second game, with the Brewers going for the series win.
Both teams will send out their Opening Day starters for their third starts of the season. Jacob Misiorowski has picked up where he left off last season, allowing just three runs in his first 11 innings covering those two starts. In each start, it was a home run that caused the damage: a solo home run in his first game against the White Sox. and a two-run shot in his second against the Rays. He also has allowed six total hits and five walks in those starts, but has paired that with 18 strikeouts. The 100-pitch mark appears to be the upper limit for him, as he was pulled at 94 pitches in both of his starts.
For the Red Sox, Garrett Crochet gets the start. He opened up the season with six shutout innings against the Reds, then was roughed up for five runs (four earned) in his second start against the Astros. So far this season, he has 15 strikeouts compared to just two walks in 11 innings. In their last meeting, the Brewers scored two runs off of him in 6 2/3 innings.
Here are the lineups for tonight. Brice Turang is getting his first day off in the regular season, but it’s not just about the matchup. Before the game, manager Pat Murphy said that Turang is dealing with a foot/ankle injury. More information will be available later, but that likely means he will have the full day off. Christian Yelich is also not in the lineup, but will be available off the bench.
With Turang and Yelich both out of the lineup, the Brewers have shuffled it a bit to face the lefty. Brandon Lockridge will lead off with William Contreras in his usual second spot. Luis Rengifo and Gary Sánchez are batting third and fourth, with Joey Ortiz jumping up to fifth. Luis Matos will serve as the designated hitter, and Sal Frelick and Blake Perkins will fill out the outfield. David Hamilton finishes up the lineup at second base.
First pitch is set for 5:45 p.m. The game will be on Brewers.TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 31: Aaron Civale #45 of the Athletics pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park on March 31, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This past weekend, the Athletics won their first series of the season, taking two of three at home. The A’s and Houston Astros traded blowout wins in the first two games of the weekend series before the hosts clinched the series with a win on Easter Sunday. Designated hitter Brent Rooker’s three-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the tenth inning won a game in which his team twice gave up leads. The A’s offense had to consistently rise to the occasion to overcome their pitchers allowing an MLB-high 24 walks in those three games.
The A’s schedule does not get any easier. Following those three home games, the team heads to New York City for a weeklong trip. Tonight marks the first of three games against the New York Yankees followed by three at the New York Mets. Both of these teams are off to strong starts this season and carry payrolls double the A’s. It will be difficult, but the team has the chance to make some early noise should they win at least one of these series.
Right-hander Aaron Civale is set to make his second start of the season this evening. The veteran right-hander picked up the win in his A’s debut, only allowing two runs in five innings pitched in the A’s first victory of the season March 31 against the Atlanta Braves. Having successfully navigated the tough Braves lineup, he looks to win his second straight start. However, the Yankees lineup led by reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge presents a major challenge for Civale to overcome.
Here’s the Athletics lineup for the opener in the Bronx:
Today’s A’s lineup features all of the regular starters in their main spots in the batting order. Nick Kurtz, who is once again hitting leadoff, started to heat up in Sacramento, collecting two hits and three walks in Sunday’s game. It would be surprising if Kurtz does not hit his first home run this series as Yankee Stadium’s short porch in right field is incredibly appealing to left-handed power hitters.
The Athletics offense seeks to keep rolling tonight, yet runs may be harder to come by against Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler. Last season, Schlittler recorded a 2.96 ERA in his first 14 MLB starts. He then threw eight shutout innings in game three of the Yankees wild card series against the Boston Red Sox. This season, Schlittler has raised his game to another level. The 25-year-old has won his first two starts, striking out 15 in 11 2/3 scoreless innings. The A’s will need to take advantage of the opportunities he gives them today. That means jumping on mistake pitches, not chasing pitches outside the strike zone and maybe playing some small ball rather than every batter swinging for the fences.
The Yankees starting lineup behind Schlittler shakes out like this:
Civale must be careful pitching to this lineup. Judge and first baseman Ben Rice already have three home runs off him in their careers. Those two plus Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton will be poised to take advantage of any mistakes Civale makes in his outing.
Can the A’s make it two wins in a row and capture the first game of this series between two historic American League franchises? Let’s go A’s!
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 07: Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams (32) delivers a pitch to the plate during the fourth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians on April 7, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Cleveland Guardians faced off in game 2 of the 3 game series against the Kansas City Royals. In what was meant to be a later game, the rescheduled day time affair saw great pitching and a walk off victory.
Gavin Williams continues to cement himself as the front runner for the role of Ace. Gavin threw 102 pitches, giving up the only Royals run and hit as a solo shot. In 5.2 innings of work, Williams allowed only one hit, five walks, and struck out eight.
Despite this all, the Guardians pitching staff did struggle with giving the Royals free bases. In total the Royals drew eight walks; 5 from Williams, 1 from Herrin, and 2 from Armstrong. Erik Sabrowski though, he continued to dominate with a clean 15 pitch seventh inning. He threw 10 strikes and faced 3 batters.
José had a nice defensive gem to nab the speedy Bobby Witt Jr. at first base.
Cleveland offense out hit the Royals 8-1 with the entire bench exhausted over the duration of the game. Steven Kwan went 1-for-4 with a two-out RBI single that scored a hustling Austin Hedges from second base.
Austin Hedges continued his version of a hot start, going 1-for-3 with a run and a single.
The two biggest hits of the game came in the second and the ninth innings. Juan Brito made his long awaited major league debut as Gabriel Arias was placed on the 10-day IL. Brito slapped a double in his first major league at bat.
In the bottom of the ninth, with the game tied, the Royals sent Nick Mears to the mound to face the 6-7-8 batters. CJ Kayfus started things with a one-out single to right field. Bo Naylor drew a walk, advancing Kayfus to scoring position. Brayan Rocchio, with an even count, knocked a low 80’s changeup to Lane Thomas in right field to walk it off for Cleveland.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 29: Oneil Cruz #15 of the Pittsburgh Pirates shakes hands after winning the game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on March 29, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. The Pittsburgh Pirates won 4-3. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, April 7, 2026, 6:40 p.m. ET
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home hosting the San Diego Padres this evening at beautiful PNC Park for a three-game series in Pittsburgh.
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