Category: Baseball

Happy Friday, everyone. It’s been a rough week to be a Tigers fan, and with the two upcoming series against the White Sox and Rays the Tigers are going to need to fight for every potential win. I never thought I’d say that about the White Sox, but they’ve just had their first winning month in almost three years and don’t seem like they plan to slow down any time soon.

In the meantime, Detroit’s downward trajectory coupled with Tarik Skubal’s speedier-than-hoped recovery timeline means it’s time to start heating up the hot stove, because rumors are swirling. Should the Tigers sell in the hope of being competitive in the future, or should they hold on and try to hope for a comeback this season? Only time will tell. Skubal has to get healthy first.

And healthy is something the Tigers don’t know much about this season. They have yet to go a single week this year without having a player on the IL, and this week is no different. Fingers crossed things start turning around.

Detroit Tigers News

• While Tarik Skubal is still getting back into the swing of things, he’s on track to return as soon as everything looks good. Of course, with the Tigers flagging miserably since he’s been gone, the trade rumors are still swirling at an all-time high. Mark Feinsand at MLB dot com looked at what insiders were saying about the likelihood of Skubal being moved this season. The consensus among the unnamed AL executives quoted in the article is that a lot will depend on whether the Tigers feel they are truly out of contention. If they believe they have a shot at the postseason, don’t expect Skubal to go anywhere. One exec said about a trade:

“I always think there is a chance, but they would have to feel confident that they aren’t going to be able to go on a run… And that the return would be significant enough to wave the proverbial white flag.”

• Jim Bowden of The Athletic, meanwhile, is making hypothetical Skubal trades with every team. ($)
• Kenley Jansen in headed to the IL with pelvic inflammation.
• Tom Selleck takes his hot dogs plain like an absolutel madman.

If Mr. Baseball wants a hot dog, Mr. Baseball gets a hot dog. 🌭 pic.twitter.com/R7GeMWHqkm

— Detroit SportsNet (@WatchDSN) May 28, 2026

AL Central News

• The Guardians have a new minority owner.

• The White Sox have had their first winning month since 2023. Just in time to face the Tigers…

MLB News

• MLB has made its first CBA proposal.
• And here’s a look at the MLBPA proposal.
• Trying to explain how James Wood is being baffled by his own strike zone.
• The return of Gerrit Cole couldn’t have come soon enough for the Yankees.
• How Jacob Misiorowski fast-tracked his way to becoming an ace.
• How the Rays are defying all expectations to have a crazy successful season.
• Chris Sale has still got it.
• Ronald Acuna Jr. gave his bat a little smooch after his home run cleared the Green Monster.
• Why is Paul Skenes so much better during night games than day games?
• Freddie Freeman explained why he might be bumping up his retirement timeline.
• Shohei Ohtani is his own harshest critic.
• Some Mariners pitchers aren’t happy about the unusual approach to pitching the team is trying.
• How the Phillies managed to turn things around so quickly. (Perhaps the Tigers should take some notes)
• The Cubs have been super hot, then super cold this season, is there still time for things to turn around?
• How a photographer captured the moment of Nolan Ryan’s iconic bloody jersey.
• Wander Franco may escape jail time, but his baseball career is over. ($)
• Umpire CB Bucknor is still recovering after taking a ball to the mask in an April game. ($)
• Is Sacramento making a serious case to be the next home of an MLB team instead of a temporary one?

• I had no idea there was lore behind the Red Sox playing “Sweet Caroline.”

Jhoan Duran has been every bit the elite closer he was advertised as since arriving in Philadelphia last year. In 40 appearances since joining the Phillies at the trade deadline last season, Duran is 27 for 30 in save opportunities with a 1.93 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. He’s off to a great start so far in 2026, as Duran is a perfect 11 for 11 in save opportunities and sports a 1.62 ERA through 17 appearances. He’s been especially dominant since returning from the injured list on May 5th, as he has allowed two runs across 10 appearances on 7 hits with 18 strikeouts to 5 walks. 

Naturally, whenever a trade acquisition has been this good with a new team, the idea of a contract extension will inevitably be brought up. Duran is currently under team control via arbitration through the 2027 season and will be eligible for free agency at age 30. He is making $7.5M this season, a nice increase from the $4M he made in 2025. An extension is at least partially on Duran’s mind, as he declined an invitation to pitch in the World Baseball Classic due to his lack of long-term security. 

So what would a Duran extension look like? A few recent reliever deals may help paint a picture. Edwin Diaz signed a five year, $103M deal with the Mets prior to 2023 and opted out of the final two years of the deal to hit free agency last offseason. That’s when he agreed to a new three-year deal with the Dodgers worth $69M. That Dodgers deal effectively added an extra year to his original Mets deal and an additional $31M, bringing the total value to $134M over six years for an estimated average annual value of $22M. Josh Hader signed a five year, $95M contract with the Astros prior to 2024 that will pay him an estimated $19M a season. Diaz was 29 when he signed his original deal with the Mets and was 32 when he signed his new deal with the Dodgers while Hader was 30 when he signed with the Astros. 

Using those two as a barometer, and assuming Duran continues on his current pace, we can expect that a Jhoan Duran contract extension would cost at least $20M a season and be around five years in length. A five year, $100M+ deal for a reliever may seem terrifying, but that is now the going rate for closers of Duran’s caliber. If the Phillies want to lock up Duran and officially make him a part of their future pitching core with Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo, it will behoove them to move sooner rather than later before the closer market balloons again. That is before even factoring in the unknown status of MLB’s financial system in the next CBA.

So, should the Phillies begin negotiations with Jhoan Duran over a contract extension? If so, what contract would you offer? Or should they let him play out his current team control and address it later? 

The Cubs broke their long losing streak with a 10-4 win over the Pirates Wednesday, though that game was close until the late innings after the Cubs had taken an early lead.

They followed the same script Thursday, though it took them a while to break through against Paul Skenes. Even so, a 3-0 lead became 3-2 and it felt a bit too close for a while until Ian Happ’s eighth-inning homer keyed a three-run inning, leading to a 7-2 Cubs win over the Pirates. Hey, a baby winning streak, two in a row!

Paul Skenes had no trouble to start things off, retiring 10 of the first 11 Cubs, seven of those by strikeout. The first Cub to reach base until the fourth was Dansby Swanson, who walked in the third.

Pete Crow-Armstrong then singled and tried to stretch that into two bases when Swanson drew a throw to third.

Not a good idea, Pete [VIDEO].

I understand wanting to be aggressive on the bases and the play was, indeed, close. But against a pitcher like Skenes who’s dealing? Why not just have runners on first and third with two out?

Colin Rea was matching zeroes with Skenes, though he did give up a double in the first and walked and hit a batter in the third.

Then Michael Busch walked with one out in the fourth and one out later, Ian Happ singled.

Seiya Suzuki’s single gave the Cubs the lead [VIDEO].

Fact about that run from BCB’s JohnW53:

This was the third time in their eight games facing Skenes that the Cubs scored first. They won both of the previous two, also at Pittsburgh, 14-10 on Aug. 28, 2024, and 4-1 on Sept. 16 of last year. Skenes got the loss in the first game and no decision in the second.

1-0 Cubs was how the game stayed until the top of the sixth. Busch walked for the second time and Alex Bregman reached on a throwing error.

An infield single by Happ and another Pirates error made it 2-0 [VIDEO].

Bregman took third on the play and that was it for Skenes, who threw 103 pitches in 5.1 innings. That’s always a good game plan against Skenes — try to run up his pitch count and get him out of the game as early as possible. He did strike out 10 Cubs. Mason Montgomery relieved Skenes and got Suzuki to hit a ground ball, but Suzuki beat a possible double-play relay and Bregman crossed the plate with the third Cubs run [VIDEO].

The Pirates, though, made it close in the bottom of the sixth. Bryan Reynolds, always tough on Cubs pitching, homered, his 14th all-time against the Cubs. Two more hits, including an RBI double from rookie Tyler Callihan off reliever Hoby Milner, made it 3-2. The second run was charged to Rea, who overall I thought threw pretty well. Here’s a summary of Rea’s outing [VIDEO].

Caleb Thielbar threw a scoreless seventh, striking out two, and then the Cubs blew the game open in the top of the eighth — all with two out and nobody on base. Bregman singled and Happ followed with his 12th home run of the year [VIDEO].

That ball was crushed! [VIDEO]

Here’s a cool field-level view of Happ’s homer [VIDEO].

The Cubs were not done in that inning. Suzuki singled and pinch-hitter Michael Conforto walked. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch, and as ball four was thrown to Miguel Amaya, the pitch got by Pirates catcher Henry Davis and Suzuki scored to make it 6-2 [VIDEO].

Trent Thornton threw a 1-2-3 eighth, all on ground outs, and the Cubs then extended their lead in the top of the ninth. PCA walked and Nico Hoerner singled. PCA drew a throw again when he tried for third, and this time he was safe, with Nico taking second.

Then this happened [VIDEO].

Bregman hit a grounder to second and the Pirates threw home to try to get PCA. He was called out, but the call was overturned on review to make it 7-2. You can see PCA’s right hand touch the plate just before he was tagged

Thornton allowed a leadoff single in the ninth, then got a double-play ball and this fly to deep right field to end the game [VIDEO].

Nice work by Thornton, who got six outs on only 22 pitches. He’s become a real asset in the bullpen.

More on this win from John:

With their win Thursday night, the Cubs are 164-156 since 2000 in games immediately after ones in which they had scored at least 10 runs. They are 4-2 this season.

The Cubs averaged 12.02 runs in the double-digit games, then 4.83 in the next games, including 6.66 in the wins.

Here’s Happ on his home run, on facing Skenes and about Rea’s game [VIDEO].

Happ appears to be starting one of his hot streaks. He went 5-for-11 in the last two games in Pittsburgh with two home runs and seven RBI. Also, this fun fact about Happ:

Here are Craig Counsell’s postgame comments [VIDEO].

The win put the Cubs in second place in the NL Central, half a game ahead of the Cardinals (despite having one more loss) and four games behind the Brewers. And they’ll have a chance to put more distance between themselves and the Cardinals beginning tonight, as they open their first 2026 series against their division rivals in St. Louis. Shōta Imanaga will start for the Cubs and Andre Pallante goes for the Cardinals. Game time is 6:15 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.

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The Minnesota Twins continue an extended road trip as they face the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight to begin a weekend series. 

With flamethrower Jared Jones making his long-awaited return to the mound, my Twins vs. Pirates predictions and MLB picks see him hurling Pittsburgh to a victory

Who will win Twins vs Pirates today: Pirates moneyline (-134)

Taj Bradley and Jared Jones are similar in that they're both uber-talented hurlers under 25 who miss a ton of bats. They also have the same Achilles heel — allowing too much loud contact, and too frequently in the air. 

Only one lineup is poised to exploit this flaw, however. The Pittsburgh Pirates have a 112 wRC+ against RHP in the last 20 days, while the Minnesota Twins are well behind with an 86 wRC+.

Pittsburgh’s 40% hard-hit rate will make noise against Bradley’s second percentile average exit velocity and 18th percentile hard-hit rate. I'd play this to -140.

COVERS INTEL:Jared Jones strikes out 9.76 batters per nine innings. He’ll find strikeout aplenty against Minnesota, which has the third-highest K% (24.6%) and third-lowest contact rate (73.6%) over the last 20 days.

Twins vs Pirates Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-130)

Both starters have nasty stuff, so this is a pitcher’s delight. Bradley has a 108 Stuff+, while Jones can touch 100 mph with his heater. 

The Twins’ 30.1% hard-hit rate over the last 20 days is the third-worst in the Big Leagues, so they don’t appear equipped to punish Jones’ proclivity for allowing loud contact (eighth percentile hard-hit rate when we last saw him in 2024).

The total is inflated due to the weather (high 70s, winds of 8-10 mph blowing out), but PNC Park has the second-lowest park factor for home runs, which mitigates that concern.

Twins vs Pirates odds

• Moneyline: Twins +115 | Pirates -135
• Run line: Twins +1.5 (-180) | Pirates -1.5 (+150)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Twins vs Pirates trend

The Pirates are 12-6 in their last 18 games against right-handed starting pitchers. Find more MLB betting trends for Twins vs. Pirates.

How to watch Twins vs Pirates and game info

Twins vs Pirates latest injuries

Twins vs Pirates weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

As the most recent member of the 20 jacks club, Munetaka Murakami has proven that he’s the real deal. As the first rookie ever to blast 20 homers before June, Murakami quickly progressed from winning over White Sox fans’ hearts to gaining national traction. In less than two months, his name is already getting thrown around with Kyle Schwarber, Yordan Alvarez and Aaron Judge in home run champion conversations.

Although the Sox have cleared the .500 bar, it’s much easier and more tempting to focus on the future than bask in a present where the Cubs are fighting to stay out of the NL Central cellar. Even two months out from the trade deadline, the biggest question still remains: What does Murakami’s future on the South Side look like now that it’s clear his big-league career isn’t going to peter out anytime soon? 

Least Desirable and Least Likely: Traded at the Deadline
No matter the return, losing Murakami in July would be the biggest blow to the team and fans.

Murakami appears to be outplaying his 1.8 WAR in multiple ways. He’s the AL leader in runs scored (42), at-bats per home runs (9.8), and home runs (20, of course), while sitting in the Top 5 for qualified AL hitters for a number of categories:

• Slugging percentage (.561)
• OPS (.936)
• RBIs (40)
• Walks (42)
• Putouts (380)
• Range factor per nine innings (8.44) at first base 

Even if his production level isn’t steady for the rest of the season, the Sox won the first Crosstown series at home thanks to two Murakami tanks, so the first $17 million of his contract has already paid itself off. Clearing Murakami’s locker from the clubhouse wouldn’t kill the vibe or run production, but it would significantly stunt it. 

Plus, there’s no reason to be greedy. Stocking up on Triple-A players when the Sox currently have four Top 100-ranked prospects and two highly-underrated players in Jacob Gonzalez and Ben Peoples isn’t just stingy, it’s illogical.

Jerry Reinsdorf can’t avoid the truth: Chicago can’t afford to lose Murakami before 2028.

Most Lucrative and Least Expected: Contract Extension
While Murakami may not garner the same degree of international following, keeping him in a Sox uniform would be the most lucrative option for the front office. 

Murakami has undoubtedly been the best free agent investment the White Sox have made since perhaps the beloved Jermaine Dye in 2004. The Japanese Babe Ruth has played a significant role in increasing the Sox’s average game attendance by 12% (roughly 2,300 fans). White it may seem small, attendance revenue exponentially increases with each attendee. Taking Capitol City Now’s $62.37 estimated cost per fan per game, the estimated revenue from those 2,300-ish fans is roughly $145.5k, and that’s excluding merchandise sales. With Murakami’s salary sitting at about $105k per game he plays this season, the increase in attendance more than covers his bat in the lineup. Factoring in increased merchandise sales and media sharing revenue from international and domestic fans, the front office is sitting on a decent financial cushion that grows with each game the Sox win.

Keeping average attendance the same, the Sox can afford to pay him $23.5 million AAV. For a guy that could potentially lead the Sox to a winning season, it’s hard to see why the Sox wouldn’t cough up another $3.5 million and replace Murakami with Andrew Benintendi’s contract that expires in 2027.

Even with a 32.% strikeout rate and just over 42% whiff rate, the Sox aren’t getting shortchanged on Murakami. Until he proves otherwise, there’s no incentive or motivator to not give him an extension.

Most Expected: No Contract Extension 
Fans are already begging future Sox owner Justin Ishbia to keep Murakami on the team beyond 2030, but one can only keep their head in the clouds for so long. Coming back to earth, Murakami will serve his two years while Sox fans soak up every moment of it before the Dodgers or Yankees swoop in winter 2027 and snag him for $250 million over seven years. But is this really a horrible outcome?

Barring significant injuries or a multi-month slump, Murakami’s price will inevitably be high heading into free agency. Because there are too many salary uncertainties surrounding free agency with the new CBA negotiations underway, it’s safe to assume that the Sox won’t be able to meet Murakami’s asking price, even if there’s a salary floor. Best-case scenario, the Sox drop more than $30 million on a guy that can’t hit better than .220 and whose home run output tampers to 20 in one season. Worst-case scenario, Murakami becomes the next Luis Robert Jr. and misses more than half of the season from injuries. And we all know how that one is going.

When the 2026 MLB Draft begins July 13 in Philadelphia ahead of the All-Star Game, UC Santa Barbara right-handed pitcher Jackson Flora is expected to be one of the first names taken off the board.

That moment will launch his professional career, which will likely begin in late July or early August, once he signs, either at his new team's spring training complex or rookie ball, or even both.

Fans still have some time to watch and scout the projected top-5 pick at the collegiate level, as the 6-5 right-hander has helped lead UC Santa Barbara to the NCAA Baseball Tournament.

NCAA baseball tournament predictions: Who is advancing to super regionals?

Flora has taken a big jump in his development this season, transforming into one of the top pitching prospects at the mid-major level while also taking on a larger workload on the Gauchos' pitching staff, which is top 10 in ERA and WHIP.

He enters the postseason 11-0 in 15 starts (two complete game shutouts) with a nation-leading 1.05 ERA. A semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, the highest individual honor handed out in college baseball, Flora has 124 strikeouts this season and has held opponents to a .169 batting average in 94 1/3 innings of work.

Here's what to know about Flora's MLB draft projections and more as UC Santa Barbara competes in the Austin Regional of the NCAA Baseball Tournament this weekend:

Jackson Flora MLB draft projections

Flora is projected to be a first-round draft pick by MLB draft analysts.

Here's a breakdown of exactly where MLB draft analysts have Flora being taken:

• USA TODAY (as of April 20): No. 3 overall to the Minnesota Twins
• ESPN (as of May 14):No. 5 overall to the Pittsburgh Pirates
• MLB.com/MLB Pipeline (as of May 21):No. 3 overall to the Minnesota Twins
• The Athletic (as of May 7):No. 4 to the San Francisco Giants

Jackson Flora MLB draft rankings, grades

MLB Pipeline has Flora as the No. 4 overall prospect and the No. 1 pitching prospect in the upcoming MLB draft.

His fastball has a 70 scouting grade — an individual tool used with the MLB draft, where players are graded on a scale of 20-80 in different categories — according to MLB Pipeline. Flora's other scouting grades include a 55 for his slider, his changeup and command. He has an overall scouting grade of 60, which Major League Baseball defines as "above average."

As noted by USA TODAY, the scouting grades assigned to a player are usually based on what the player will eventually develop into rather than where they stand at the time of being drafted or early on in their professional career.

Here's MLB Pipeline's scouting report on Flora:

"Flora's combination of size and arm strength should intrigue most teams. The 6-foot-5 right-hander already offers premium velocity, with a fastball that sits in the 96-97 mph range and regularly touches triple digits, with good shape, carry and armside ride to it. He'll employ two different sliders, both of which can flash plus. There's a slower 78-81 mph sweeper with a lot of horizontal depth and also a harder, more gyro-like traditional slider, thrown 86-89 mph. He has plus feel to spin and just needs to gain a little bit more consistency with shape. His hard changeup is coming along, a kick change with downer splitter depth that now flashes plus.

"A solid strike-thrower who maintains his velocity, Flora might not have the same feel to pitch Bremner had, but he's more physical than his predecessor. He's posting every week for the Gauchos and has separated himself more than any college arm in the class, so he should fly off the board early in the first round."

Jackson Flora stats

Here's a year-by-year look at Flora's stats at UC Santa Barbara:

• 2024: 3-2 record with a 3.82 ERA and five saves in 47.0 innings pitched with 40 strikeouts and 25 walks
• 2025: 6-3 record with a 3.60 ERA in 75.0 innings pitched with 86 strikeouts and 17 walks
• 2026: 11-0 record with a 1.05 ERA in 94 1/3 inning pitched with 124 strikeouts and 30 walks

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jackson Flora MLB draft latest mock projections for UC Santa Barbara ace

Somewhat of a big deal has been made of the fact that the Yankees have built up their solid record so far mostly on the back of below .500 teams. That leaves them somewhat in an interesting conundrum this weekend. This weekend the Yankees will face the Athletics, who come in at 27-29. A Yankees’ series win would send the former Oaklanders further under .500. An A’s series sweep would get them back above .500, but would continue to hamper the Yankees’ record against those teams.

Just on position alone, this would be a solid series victory for the Yankees, should they get it. The Athletics are in second in the AL West, it’s just that no one in that division has exactly been impressive this season. However as we saw in New York a couple weeks ago, the A’s are a perfectly solid team with some good players capable of doing damage.

Before the action gets going later tonight, here’s a look at the expected pitching matchups for this weekend.

Friday: Carlos Rodón vs. Luis Severino (9:40 pm ET)

Rodón’s still only made three starts since coming off the injured list, but he is coming off his best one so far, allowing just one run in five innings against the Blue Jays. His main issue this season has been walks, and those were still an issue for him, as he issued three. In fact, he’s only allowed eight hits in 13 innings, and has struck out 17, so if he can cut back on the walks, he could really be cooking.

For the season, Sevy’s numbers grade out as a bit better than average, but he’s had his ups and downs. That being said, other than a bad outing against the Giants on May 16th, he’s had more ups than downs. Since April 24th, he has a 2.92 ERA and a 3.37 FIP over his last six starts.

Saturday: Ryan Weathers vs. J.T. Ginn (10:05 pm ET)

After a rough spring training and an up and down first couple outings, Weathers has gotten into a zone and his acquisition is starting to look like a very good one. Following one outing where he flirted with a no-hitter, Weathers shutout the Rays for seven innings last Sunday, eventually allowing Aaron Judge to hit a walk-off homer. He’s only allowed more than two runs in an outing once in the last month and a half, and he has a 2.48 ERA in that time.

Ginn is in his third season in the big leagues, and while the first two were both below par, he’s been very good so far in 2026, posting a 3.19 ERA. That being said, he can run into some trouble with walks. In his last start, he lasted just 2.1 innings despite not actually giving up a hit. That’s because he managed to issue six free passes in that time and was already over the 70 pitch mark.

Sunday: Will Warren vs. TBD (4:05 pm ET)

A major reason that the Yankees’ rotation has been one of, if not the tops, the best in baseball is that they’ve gotten good production out of the backend arms like Weathers and Will Warren. Only once this season has he given up more than three earned runs in a game. (Slight asterisk on that, as there was a game in which he allowed four, all just ended up scored unearned.) One negative you could jot down is that even in a good run throughout May, his longest outing is just 6.1 innings. That’s still a perfectly solid start, but he does tend to nibble a bit, occasionally leading to his pitch count knocking him out earlier than his numbers could suggest.

The A’s haven’t announced any starter for Sunday at time of writing. Starter Aaron Civale recently hit the injured list with a shoulder injury, leading to the A’s needing to shuffle some things around. Jacob Lopez has nine starts on the season, with the most recent being back on May 19th, so he seems like a potential option, but a bullpen game could be another option.

Three years ago, Justin Lebron faced the uncertainty of whether he would be selected in the MLB Draft from a deep class of Florida high school shortstops or would honor his commitment to play college baseball at Alabama.

The latter ultimately is what happened, as Lebron didn't get drafted in the 20-round 2023 MLB Draft.

After helping Alabama to three consecutive NCAA Baseball Tournament appearances, Lebron is expected to cash in his childhood dream of playing professional — and is projected to be drafted as one of the top players in the draft pool.

NCAA baseball tournament predictions: Who is heading to super regionals?

In his time in Tuscaloosa, Lebron — no, he is not related to four-time NBA champion LeBron James — has developed into one of the top players in the country. He entered the season as a potential No. 1 overall pick, but has been jumped over by the likes of UCLA's Roch Cholowsky.

That said, Lebron has still produced an impressive junior campaign for the Crimson Tide, who open up the Tuscaloosa Regional of the NCAA Baseball Tournament at 7 p.m. ET, Friday against Alabama State, with a team-leading 16 home runs.

He's also a menace on the basepaths with his speed. He is one of two players in the country to have at least 38 stolen bases and only been caught once this season.

Here's what to know on Lebron's MLB projections and more as the Crimson Tide begin their Road to Omaha in the NCAA Baseball Tournament:

Justin Lebron MLB draft projections

Lebron is projected to be a first-round draft pick by MLB draft analysts, with most projections coming between picks No. 7 and the mid-teens. Alabama has not had a top-20 pick since the Kansas City Royals selected Joe Vitello with the No. 7 overall pick in 1991.

Here's a breakdown of exactly where MLB draft analysts have Lebron being taken:

• USA TODAY (as of April 20): No. 7 overall to the Baltimore Orioles
• ESPN (as of May 14): No. 14 overall to the Miami Marlins
• MLB.com/MLB Pipeline (as of May 21): No. 11 overall to the Washington Nationals
• The Athletic (as of May 7): No. 16 to the Texas Rangers

Justin Lebron MLB draft rankings, grades

MLB Pipeline has Lebron as the No. 9 overall prospect and the No. 2 college-ranked shortstop in the upcoming MLB draft.

His hitting has a low 45 scouting grade — an individual tool used with the MLB draft, where players are graded on a scale of 20-80 in different categories — according to MLB Pipeline. That 40-49 grading for hitting is defined by Major League Baseball as "below average." He has higher scouting grades of 60 for his power, arm, running and fielding. He has an overall scouting grade of 55, which is defined as "average."

As noted by USA TODAY, the scouting grades assigned to a player are usually based on what the player will eventually develop into rather than where they stand at the time of being drafted or early on in their professional career.

Here's MLB Pipeline's scouting report on Lebron:

"The only knock on Lebron is a tendency to chase pitches out of the zone, especially breaking balls. But he's also making strides with his approach and two-strike plan and could develop into an average hitter, which would make him an All-Star. He has added 15 pounds and significant bat speed in college, giving him well-above-average raw power from the right side of the plate, and he also has good feel for driving balls in the air.

"All the rest of Lebron's tools grade as plus, as does his makeup, and some evaluators think he's even better than that as a defender despite an uncharacteristically erratic spring. He has a quick first step that allows him to steal bases and cover plenty of ground to both sides at shortstop. He can make any throw needed from anywhere at short and would be an asset anywhere on the diamond."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Justin Lebron MLB draft latest mock projections for Alabama shortstop

On Tuesday, Kiké Hernández was forced to exit early and was placed on the injured list just two days after making his season debut. On Wednesday, another Hernández got bit by the injury bug.

Teoscar Hernández departed Wednesday’s game after suffering a left hamstring strain while trying to beat out a ground ball in the bottom of the second inning. Hernández was placed on the injured list on Thursday, with Ryan Ward being called back up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to fill his spot, per Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times.

He sustained a left hamstring strain and is headed to the injured list, manager Dave Roberts said after the game. Hernández, after undergoing preliminary testing Wednesday, was scheduled for imaging Thursday. The Dodgers planned to recall outfield/first base prospect Ryan Ward, a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly confirmed Thursday morning.

While the Dodgers received bad news regarding both the Hernández’s injuries, reliever Evan Phillips is right on track in his recovery process. Sonja Chen of MLB.com notes that Phillips is set to begin his rehab assignment after throwing another two live outings, putting him on pace to return in July.

“It’s really good to see,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Evan’s a guy that’s very focused and determined, and he’s going to do everything he’s supposed to do to get back. And to potentially have him back is a big weapon that we’ve missed for quite some time, and I miss seeing him around. … I depended on him a lot when he was active, so to get him back is going to be a big boost to everyone.”

Tommy Edman is now in the midst of his rehab assignment, as the Dodgers announced on Monday prior to their 5-1 win over Colorado. Edman went 1-3 in his Triple-A season debut on Tuesday.

The injuries to both Kiké and Teoscar Hernández have allowed Hyeseong Kim to receive more playing time, as the speedster finished Wednesday’s game in left field, a position foreign to him at the big league level.

For Kim, the goal is simply to focus on contributing on a nightly basis at the highest level rather than worry about decisions outside of his immediate control, notes Doug Padilla of the Orange County Register.

“As a baseball player, it’s my job to produce, so I’m always focused on producing numbers, and just given the situation, I try not to think about it too much,” Kim said through an interpreter. “Just keep working hard and keep producing as best I can.”

The Atlanta Braves were firing on all cylinders as they collected a series win after Thursday’s 10-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Chris Sale was solid, throwing five innings of two-run ball. He issued three walks and struck out eight. 

Ronald Acuña Jr. showed a major sign of life and launched a grand slam in the sixth inning to blow it open. Together, the Atlanta lineup tallied 11 hits. 

The Braves look to chase this momentum into this weekend’s series against the Cincinnati Reds. 

More Braves News:

Owen Murphy collected eight strikeouts for the Gwinnett Stripers on Wednesday. More in the minor league recap. 

We continue to remember Bob Horner, this time, for his four-homer game in ‘86. 

MLB News:

The Boston Red Sox placed reliever Garrett Whitlock on the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation. The move is retroactive to May 25.

The Detroit Tigers placed righty Kenley Jansen on the injured list with pelvic inflammation. He has been dealing with groin/abdominal issues for the past few weeks. 

From the Feed:

ESPN’s Jeff Passan comments on the initial CBA proposals. Which do you like best?

Good morning, baseball fans!

The San Francisco Giants are back on the road this weekend, so it’s time to do our semi-regular temp check to see how everyone is feeling about how the season is going at the moment.

Personally, getting swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks two weeks in a row doesn’t really inspire confidence. The Diamondbacks are (as of the time this is being written) now tied with the San Diego Padres for second place in the division. And I think a lot of that had to do with the Giants losing six games against them in less than 10 days.

Meanwhile the Giants are firmly in fourth place, hovering just barely above the Colorado Rockies. And you never want to hover too close to the Rockies. You’ll get Dinger germs.

So morale for me isn’t super high right now. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. The team has had more moments of fun over the last couple of weeks than their record would indicate. The results aren’t great, sure. But it’s not unwatchably bad baseball. Which I guess is a reminder that things could always get worse.

That said, they head to Colorado tonight for a three-game Coors Field series. So things could always get worse very, very quickly.

How are you feeling about the Giants at the moment?

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants begin their three-game series against the Colorado Rockies tonight at 5:40 p.m. PT.

Happy Friday, everyone, and it is happy because the Cubs finally won a game! Let’s try to take that positive energy into the weekend, shall we? Before we can get to the weekend, though, we’ll round up a little bit of news from the latter part of the week.

In today’s links, we look at why Paul Skenes is so much better in night games than he is during the day. Is he a vampire? Anyone who has watched Twilight knows they prefer to play in the dark. We’ll also look at the intial proposals put forth by both MLB and MLBPA to address the upcoming CBA, and if that was a lot of initials for you, don’t worry, it’ll all make sense below. We also look at the rumor mill heating back up around Tarik Skubal, and pause to reflect on how no one is harder on Shohei Ohtani than he is on himself.

We’ve got all that and more in today’s links, so let’s just get right into it.

• MLB has made its first CBA proposal. Reporting by Mark Feinsand.
• And here’s a look at the MLBPA proposal. Don’t expect these sides to agree any time soon. Story by Nick Selbe.
• How likely is a Tarik Skubal trade? Insiders weigh in. Story by Mark Feinsand.
• Jim Bowden, meanwhile, is making hypothetical Skubal trades with every team in baseball. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Davy Andrews looks at James Wood’s difficulty with reading his own strike zone when it comes to ABS challenges.
• Jay Jaffe shares how the return of Gerrit Cole is helping the Yankees.
• Chris Sale wants everyone (especially his old team) to know he’s still got it. Story by Mark Bowman.
• Paul Skenes struggles in day games, but at night, he’s nearly unstoppable. Story be Aiden Stepansky.
• Kyle Koster shares why some of the Mariners’ starting pitchers aren’t loving the unusual approach the team is taking with pitching.
• Who knew this lore behind the Red Sox playing “Sweet Caroline”?

• Jay Jaffe explains how Jacob Misiorowski fast-tracked his way to becoming an ace.
• Ronald Acuna Jr. gives his bat a lil’ kiss after he hits a rocket over the Green Monster. Story by Mark Bowman.
• Madison Williams explains why Freddie Freeman might be bumping up his retirement timeline.
• Kyle Koster looks at how the Phillies managed to turn things around so impressively.
• How a photographer created a legend when they captured Nolan Ryan’s iconic bloody jersey. Story by Dave Wilson.
• Ken Rosenthal reports that umpire CB Bucknor is still recovering from taking a ball off the mask during an April game. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Sacramento is looking to be a permanent MLB city.

• Ryan Blake spotlights the Rays, who are confounding all expectations.
• The White Sox just had their first winning month since 2023. Story by Scott Merkin.
• An update on the legal battle between Alec Bohm and his parents. Story by Charlotte Varnes.
• Dan Gartland shares how Shohei Ohtani managed to find fault in his own dazzling two-way start.
• Wander Franco has been found guilty, but will face no jail time. His baseball career, however, is DOA. Story by Sam Blum. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Adrian Chiles wonders why baseball lingo is so prevelant in the UK, where almost no one watches the sport.
• The Guardians have a new minorty owner.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.

Zach Agnos loves doing impressions.

So when the outgoing 25-year-old got the text from Warren Schaeffer telling him he’d be starting instead of waiting in the bullpen on May 21 vs. the Diamondbacks, Agnos stuck with his pregame routine. That includes mimicking some of his teammates, including the pitchers he works with day in and day out. 

“I like impersonating Tomo Sugano. He always gets kind of jokingly upset when I do his impersonation, but he’s a good sport about it,” Agnos told Purple Row. “And [Juan] Mejia, I think my best one is probably Mejia, but the one I like doing the most is Sugano.”

Even with the weight of his first start since high school seven years ago on his shoulders, Agnos knew that the best thing he could do was just be himself. When asked to elaborate on that, Agnos offered details on what he’s like with his teammates inside the Colorado clubhouse.

“We have this little soccer game — a flick soccer game in there. I’ll play darts, just kind of being loose, having fun, cracking jokes, and impersonating some people. It’s a lot of laughs and smiles,” Agnos said. “It’s always the same thing. I came out, warmed up, played soccer with the guys before, so just the same thing all the time.”

Agnos made his MLB debut with the Rockies in April last season after being selected in the 10th round of the 2022 MLB Draft by Colorado out of East Carolina. In his young career, he’s 1-3 with a 6.42 ERA in 45 innings with 44 strikeouts, six saves and three holds. In his rookie season, he mostly worked as a late-inning reliever, often in set-up or closer roles.

This season, Agnos’s 36 innings have already surpassed his 31.1 in 2025. In those 36 innings, he has put up a 6.25 ERA in 15 appearances with 25 strikeouts and 12 walks.

Agnos, who grew up playing shortstop before transitioning to pitching, is also showing more versatility. Outside of his start on May 21 — when he threw five scoreless innings with one hit, one walk, and four strikeouts — Agnos has served as a long reliever. Eight of his starts have been two innings or longer, with five of those going at least three innings. 

Even though Agnos got a no-decision and the Rockies lost in the lone start of his MLB career, 2-1, Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer was impressed with his performance.

“He exceeded expectations — fantastic job taking the ball, throwing up five zeros,” Schaeffer said. “I know he’s done it a couple of times this year, where he’s gone three or four innings, but this is uncharted territory for him, and he’s doing it for the team. I can’t praise him enough. He was efficient with his pitches. Fantastic job by Ags.”

Whether it’s the first, the sixth or the ninth inning, Agnos said he sticks to his same approach to pitching. Thanks to his offseason work and preparation from the Rockies pitching staff, he was able to remain calm and manage his excitement for his start. Agnos let his coaches’ advice of “don’t change anything” be his guide.

“In the couple of outings leading up to the start, I was back to being myself in zone with a lot of my pitches. That was our goal — just to stick to that game plan and attack hitters,” Agnos said. “A big word that they use with me is suffocation, meaning just suffocate the hitters with the sinker, cutter, slider, sweeper and splitter. Suffocate them with that in the zone, because it’s going to be a tough at-bat.”

In his 4.1-inning appearance preceding his start, Agnos limited the Diamondbacks to two runs on four hits with no walks and one strikeout after relieving a struggling Kyle Freeland in the fourth inning on May 15. Agnos entered the game with the bases loaded and only gave up one run in an inning that could have been much worse. 

Despite the high pitch counts he’s seen this season — 67 vs. the Padres on April 23, 57 against the Diamondbacks on May 15 and 71 on May 21 — Agnos is taking it well.

“My arm feels great,” Agnos said. “I think when you’re rolling in a rhythm, and especially when you’re on the same page as Goody [Hunter Goodman] and [pitching coach] Alon [Leichman], I think the feeling kind of goes away, and it’s just straight compete mode.”

Like most Rockies pitchers, Agnos has had his ups and downs this season. His most recent outing, and the follow-up to his amazing start, was one of those downs. In a two-inning appearance out of the bullpen, he gave up seven runs on six hits, including two homers, with one walk and one strikeout against the Dodgers on May 26.

With the Rockies pitching staff being hit hard by the injury this season, including Thursday’s announcement of José Quintana being placed on the 60-day IL with a left elbow sprain, the Rockies will need lots of innings from Agnos.

When it comes to pitching or starting, Agnos said he doesn’t have a preference and just wants to help the team.

“I just love pitching,” Agnos said. “I love going out there and competing, and playing with the guys behind me, so it doesn’t matter.”

On the farm

Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes 12, El Paso Chihuahuas 7

Even though the Isotopes got out-hit 12-11, they out-scored El Paso by taking advantage of nine walks and a five-run fourth inning to earn a victory on Thursday. Nic Kent hit two doubles, drove in two runs, scored two more and added a single, Jose Cordova doubled and drove in three runs and Kyle McCann got two hits, scored two runs and drove in two more, in addition to drawing three walks. Domingo Acevedo had a decent start, giving up three runs on three hits with four walks and four strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Sammy Peralta threw 1.2 scoreless innings to earn the win.

Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats 5, Altoona Curve 4

Benny Montgomery hit a two-run homer and Aidan Longwell hit two doubles to help Hartford jump out a 5-0 lead after three innings on way to a win Thursday. Connoir Staine picked up the win to improve to 4-1 on the season after throwing 6.2 innings with six strikeouts, only allowing three runs on five hits with two walks. Conner Capel added two hits, scored two runs and drove in another while Fidel Ulloa allowed one run in 2.1 innings, but shut down the Curve when it mattered to get his third save of the season.

High-A: Tri-City Dust Devils 5, Spokane Indians 4

Tri City rallied with a two-run eighth inning to pull off an upset over the Indians on Thursday. Jack O’Dowd homered in the first inning to put Spokane up 2-0. After the Indians fell behind 3-2 in the third, O’Dowd tied the game with a triple in the sixth. Max Belyeu kept the rally going with an RBI double to put Spokane up 4-3. O’Dowd went 4-for-4 on the night. Bryson Hammer had a solid start, but didn’t have good defense behind him. In five innings of work, he allowed three runs, only one of which was earned. The Indians committed two errors, while striking out four and walking two. Justin Loer recorded a blown save and the loss after allowing an inherited runner to score on two singles and a sacrifice bunt.

Low-A: San Jose Giants 1, Fresno Grizzlies 0

Despite connecting for five hits, the Grizzlies struck out nine times and walked only once as they were shut out on Thursday night. Ethan Cole pitched a gem, throwing 6.1 innings and holding the Giants to one run on three hits and four walks with two strikeouts, but took the loss without any offensive support. Easton Marks added 2.2 scoreless innings to keep the Grizzlies in the game. Roldy Brito posted three of Fresno’s five hits. The Grizzlies had two runners on in the third and Tanner Thach doubled in the seventh with no outs, but that was the only two times Fresno had a runner in scoring position.

Quintana (left elbow sprain) transferred to 60-day IL | MLB.com

The hits just keep coming. With Chase Dollander and Ryan Feltner still on the IL, Jose Quintana was placed on the 60-day IL on Thursday. The LHP left his last start with soreness in his elbow that’s now been categorized as a left elbow sprain. The Rockies activated RHP reliever Jeff Criswell to fill Quintana’s roster spot.

Sterlin Thompson reflects on his first week in the big leagues | Purple Row

Purple Row’s Samantha Bradfield checked in with Sterlin Thompson as he’s adjusting to life with the Colorado Rockies. The prospect, who was tearing up Triple-A before being called up, shared what it was like to tell his parents he was going to the Show, the crazy travel that was involved and what his impressions of MLB are like so far.

2026 MLB ABS challenge system tracker: Team, player rankings | ESPN.com

Edouard Julien is the highest-rated Rockie hitting, tied at No. 20 in MLB at five correct calls (50%). Hunter Goodman is tied for No. 6 at 26 correct challenges (66.7%). It’s interesting to see how different players and teams rank in the ABS era.

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