SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 28: Bryce Johnson #29 of the San Diego Padres looks on after flying out during the ninth inning of a game against the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park on April 28, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Chicago Cubs (18-12) at San Diego Padres (19-10), April 29, 2026, 1:10 p.m. PST
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TORONTO — The Boston Red Sox put left-hander Garrett Crochet on the 15-day injured list because of left shoulder inflammation and recalled utilityman Nate Eaton from Triple-A Worcester.
Last year’s AL Cy Young Award runner-up, when he went 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA, Crochet has a 6.30 ERA through six starts in 2026.
Crochet (3-3) struck out seven over six shutout innings in a 17-1 win at Baltimore, looking every bit the ace Boston traded for in December 2024 and signed to a six-year, $170 million contract in March 2025.
The Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora and five coaches following Saturday’s game.
Crochet’s win over the Orioles came two starts after the ugliest outing of his Red Sox career — an 11-run debacle over 1 2/3 innings at Minnesota on April 13.
Crochet has been an AL All-Star each of the past two seasons.
Eaton was batting .292 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 27 games at Triple-A. He played for Kansas City in 2022 and 2023, and appeared in 41 games for Boston last season.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 12: A member of the Philadelphia Phillies ground crew helps roll out the tarp to cover the field due to an incoming storm before the start of a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on May 12, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants are facing the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, in the second game of their three-game series. The hope is that the second game will go better than the first one did. We’ll have to wait to see if that’s the case, but one thing’s for certain: the game is coming a little earlier than expected.
With bad weather making its way through the east coast, the teams announced on Wednesday, about four hours before game time, that the contest would be moved up by 30 minutes. Instead of the originally-scheduled start at 3:40 p.m. PT (6:40 p.m. local time), first pitch will now come at 3:10 p.m. PT.
Rain is expected to fall in Philly in the evening, and the hope is that by starting the game earlier, the teams can avoid most of the poor weather. Mother nature often has other plans, though, so we’ll see how that goes.
For Giants fans on the road, the gate times at Citizens Bank Park aren’t changing, despite the new start time. Third base and left field gates will open at 1:40 p.m. PT, with all other gates opening at 2:10.
We’ll let you know if there are any more updates on the weather or the schedule.
Apr 28, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto (7) reacts after he is tagged out at second base against the Boston Red Sox during the third inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
So we have an afternoon game. Game three of Three with the Red Sox. Then the Jays fly off to Minnesota to play the Twins for four games.
George Springer is back, but not in the lineup. That seems strange to me. Why put him on the roster if he isn’t going to play?
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 27: Hyeseong Kim #6 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on during the game between the Miami Marlins and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Monday, April 27, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Dodgers look to sweep the Miami Marlins on Wednesday. Tyler Glasnow goes against Sandy Alcantara.
TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays activated designated hitter George Springer off the 10-day injured list on Wednesday after the four-time All-Star missed 15 games because of a fractured left big toe.
Eloy Jiménez was designated for assignment.
Springer wasn’t in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s series finale against the Boston Red Sox. He left an April 11 game against Minnesota after he fouled a ball off his foot in the third inning. Springer completed his at-bat, grounding out to third base, but was replaced by Myles Straw when his turn came up again.
Toronto’s leadoff hitter, the veteran Springer is batting .185 with two home runs and six RBIs. He was a big part of Toronto’s run to Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, hitting .309 with 32 homers and 84 RBIs in the regular season and the decisive homer in Game 7 of the ALCS against Seattle.
The MVP of the 2017 World Series with Houston, Springer is in the final season of a $150 million, six-year deal with the Blue Jays.
A Silver Slugger with the White Sox in 2020, Jiménez hit .290 with no homers and three RBIs in 12 games with Toronto. All of his nine hits were singles.
CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox placed outfielder Everson Pereira on the 10-day injured list with a right pectoral strain before their game with the Los Angeles Angels and selected the contract of outfielder Jarred Kelenic from Triple-A Charlotte.
The 25-year-old Pereira left Tuesday night’s game against the Angels with right shoulder soreness after taking an awkward swing during an at-bat in the fourth inning when he struck out swinging. Pereira is batting .250 with three homers and seven RBIs in 18 games this season.
This is Pereira’s second time on the injured list this season. He was placed on the 10-day injured list on April 5 with a left ankle sprain. The White Sox acquired him with infielder Tanner Murray, who’s out with a shoulder injury, from the Tampa Bay Rays in November 2025.
Kelenic, 26, has played in the majors the past five seasons with Seattle and Atlanta. He has a career batting average of .211 with 49 home runs and 156 RBIs in 407 games. He signed as a free agent with the White Sox in January.
Kelenic was batting .202 with six home runs, 18 RBIs and 16 runs scored in 26 games with Charlotte this season.
Apr 25, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder George Springer (4) takes batting practice before a game against the Cleveland Guardians at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
George Springer is back from the IL and Eloy Jiménez has been DFAed to make room.
Jiménez was hitting .290/.343/.290 in 35 PA with no extra base hits. I’ll admit to being surprised, I figured it would be Yohendrick Pinago heading back to Buffalo, but if Eloy isn’t hitting for power, he doesn’t have much value and with Springer back, there is no room at DH for Eloy.
Welcome back George. Let’s have some home runs, please.
TAMPA, FL - MARCH 22: Elmer Rodríguez (35) of the New York Yankees pitches during a spring training workout on March 22, 2026 at the New York Yankees Minor League Complex in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s past vs. the future this afternoon in Arlington, as the Yankees go for a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers in a Wednesday matinee on the backs of a highly-touted prospect making his MLB debut against a grizzled veteran who once donned the pinstripes as a youngster.
Elmer Rodríguez is getting an audition these next two weeks, as he figures to get two (maybe three?) starts as the Yankees’ fifth starter before Carlos Rodón returns from his rehab assignment. For a breakdown of what to expect, check out Andrés’ piece from this morning.
Acquired from the rival Red Sox for Carlos Narváez in December 2024, the Puerto Rico native is the No. 72-ranked prospect in all of baseball and No. 3 in the Yankees’ organization behind George Lombard Jr. and Carlos Lagrange. After a solid spring training and World Baseball Classic performance, Rodríguez was off to a dynamite start in Scranton, pitching to a 1.27 ERA in 21.1 innings with 20 strikeouts to just four walks. He doesn’t seem to have a path to staying in the bigs for much of this season, barring injury, but the Yankees clearly would rather try him out than keep throwing Luis Gil every fifth day.
Old frenemy Nathan Eovaldi gets the start for the Rangers and will be making his 22nd career start against his former team, the most of any opponent. Originally drafted by the Dodgers, he was dealt to the Marlins for Hanley Ramírez and then flipped to the Yanks in December 2014 alongside Garrett Jones and then-prospect Domingo Germán for Martín Prado and David Phelps. He spent two years in pinstripes and made 48 starts before undergoing Tommy John surgery and being released after the 2016 season.
From then on, he’s been an enemy. He split time with the Rays and Red Sox in 2018 and was a key part of Boston’s 2018 World Series victory. After gettomg a new contract from Boston, he had a down 2019, but rebounded to be one of the most effective and consistent pitchers in the game for the next three seasons and tortured the Yankees along the way, allowing two runs in 12.1 career postseason innings against New York. He’s spent the last few years in Texas, where he won a another ring in 2023 and has been similarly steady until this year, when he’s struggled to a 5.79 ERA through six starts, giving up an AL-high nine homers.
Eovaldi still has great command, gets a lot of groundballs, and plenty of chases and whiffs, but he’s getting tagged significantly more this year than ever before. His fastball has never been his money pitch, but it has a startlingly bad -7 run value this year, while his cutter and curveball have similarly regressed. His strength remains his filthy splitter, which he’ll use to keep a powerful lineup honest all night.
Trent Grisham’s injury scare last night wasn’t enough to keep him out of the lineup today, as he leads off. The usual next four follow, with Jasson Domínguez getting his first start in left field in 2026 so Judge can DH, batting sixth. J.C. Escarra gets the “day game after a night game” start, followed by Ryan McMahon and José Caballero.
Similar top of the order for the Rangers with Brandon Nimmo, Josh Jung, Corey Seager, and Joc Pederson. The top six is identical to last night, but Kyle Higashioka slides in at catcher and Ezequiel Duran bats ninth at second base, with Alejandro Osuna between them.
How to watch
Location: Globe Life Field — Arlington, TX
First pitch: 2:35 pm ET
TV broadcast: YES, Rangers Sports Network
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), 105.2 The Fan, KLFC 1270 (TEX)
The job just got a lot harder for Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy.
Boston ace Garrett Crochet was placed on the 15-day IL on Wednesday with left shoulder inflammation.
It comes after Crochet had a disappointing start to the season with a 6.30 ERA after six starts, though those numbers are inflated by one disastrous start against the Twins in which he gave up 10 runs in 1 ⅔ innings.
Garrett Crochet is going on the IL after starting for the Red Sox on April 25 against the Orioles. Getty Images
Cora’s firing came after the Red Sox’s 17-1 win over the Orioles in which the 26-year-old Crochet threw six shutout innings.
Crochet told reporters in Toronto on Wednesday that he is “pretty confident” he’ll return when eligible to come off the IL in a couple of weeks, according to MassLive.com.
“Just some fatigue I was feeling in my last start,” Crochet, who emerged as a dominant No. 1 starter for Boston last season, said. “Was able to grind through it there at the end. It just makes more sense to get ahead of it now so I’m not playing catch-up the rest of the season.
“It’s tough. Talked to Bres (Craig Breslow) and Brandon (head athletic trainer Brandon Henry) yesterday about trying to push through and ultimately, what good is that doing for the team if I’m just kicking the can down the road?”
A source told MassLive that Crochet is “trending better on a daily basis” and confirmed the move was made out of caution.
The Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora. AP
Crochet blamed issues with his spring training buildup as the reason behind the discomfort.
“At the end of the day, I feel like it was something that was preventable,” he said. “During the buildup, I just lost strength and never really got it back.”
The Red Sox called up utility man Nate Eaton from Triple-A to take Crochet’s place on the roster. However, that may only be a temporary situation with Boston in need of another starting pitcher.
Garrett Crochet #35 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after giving up a walk against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Target Field on April 13, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Getty Images
The Red Sox are expected to call up Jake Bennett to make his major league debut against the Astros on Friday night.
Sonny Gray, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Cardinals, is also on the IL with hamstring tightness. Veteran starters Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval are dealing with long-term injuries with no return date in sight.
Tracy has won two of his three games since taking over for Cora.
18-12 AGAIN: After 30 games, the Cubs are 18-12 for the third straight season and the fifth of the last eight. The last year they were better through 30 games was 2016, when they were 24-6, which tied 1907 for their best 30-game start since 1901. They have had a winning percentage higher than .600 through 30 games in 20 seasons, but only seven after 1934, including .633 (19-11) in 1995 and 2001. This is the ninth season they have been 18-12: 1927-28, 1938, 2008 and the five starting in 2019. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
SPLITTING THE DIFFERENCE: This is the 14th of the Cubs’ 86 series at San Diego in which they have lost the first game, then won the second. In seven of the previous, the Cubs won the third game, including in one four-game series. The wins in rubber games were in 1972, 1973, 1984, 1992, 2015 and 2021. They lost the third game in 1979, 1980, 1995, 2011, 2013 and 2024. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
RUN SCORING NOTES: Monday night, the Cubs lost for the first time at San Diego when scoring exactly seven runs. They had been 18-0. Last night, they won with eight runs. It was their 10th such win at San Diego. But they had lose three games: the first of its kind, 11-8, in 1970, and then the two before last night, both by 9-8, in 2019 and 2024. In all games at San Diego with at least eight runs, the Cubs are 21-4. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
BASE STEALING NOTES:The Cubs won last night despite the Padres stealing three bases. Since 2024, the Cubs are 6-29 when opponents have stolen three or more bases. Before last night, they had lost seven in a row and 10 of 11. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Jameson Taillon has had some good starts this year, and some where he’s allowed too many home runs and runs. On the other hand, even when he allowed a season-high six runs and three homers to the Pirates, he struck out 10. So he’s been a useful fifth starter type. Unfortunately, with injuries the Cubs need him to step it up better than that.
Jamo threw four shutout innings against the Padres in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series last October, and allowed two runs in 5.1 innings to the Padres April 14, 2025 in San Diego.
Keeping the ball in the yard will help this afternoon, Jamo.
Matt Waldron spent much of 2024 in the Padres rotation, then spent almost all of last year in the minor leagues, making just one MLB start.
This year, he has made two starts for the Padres and given up six runs in both of them. I’d think the Cubs would take that this afternoon. He has never faced the Cubs and only Alex Bregman (0-for-2) and Michael Conforto (1-for-5, a double) have ever faced him.
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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.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 23: Carlos Carrasco #59 of the Atlanta Braves pitches against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on April 23, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Congratulations are apparently in order for Dylan Lee and his family, as he’s been reinstated from the paternity list after missing Tuesday’s Braves win over the Tigers. Of course, there’s got to be a corresponding move and as it turns out, Didier Fuentes isn’t going straight down. Instead, Carlos Carrasco’s time with the Braves big league squad is over as he’s been designated for assignment by the Braves.
Carlos Carrasco was called up initially after Dylan Dodd ended up going to the IL with a back ailment. He tossed a grand total of one inning during his latest big-league stint with the Braves. It was a scoreless inning where Carrasco retired the Nationals in order to finish off Washington and push the Braves over the line for a series win. Outside of that, Carrasco hadn’t really figured into the plans and now he’s going to go into the DFA cycle like schyoo mentioned in the Feed post above.
I’d say that it’s very likely that Carrasco will pass through waivers and assuming he doesn’t elect free agency, he’ll be back with Gwinnett. It’s a much-lower stakes situation here than with Martín Pérez’s DFA journey but it’s still one where you hope that Carlos Carrasco (or any player, really) can land on their feet no matter what happens. Either way, don’t be shocked if Carrasco ends up back with Gwinnett once this process runs its course.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 26: Alejandro Osuna #19 of the Texas Rangers whistles from the dugout during a game against the Athletics at Globe Life Field on April 26, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for April 29, 2026 against the New York Yankees: starting pitchers are Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers and Elmer Rodriguez for the Yankees.
It is the final game of this series, and the final game of April. Elmer Rodriguez, a consensus top 100 prospect who has a 1.27 ER in 21 innings at AAA this year, is making his major league debut for the Yankees. Josh Smith gets the day off.
The lineup:
Nimmo — RF
Jung — 3B
Seager — SS
Pederson — DH
Burger — 1B
Carter — CF
Higashioka — C
Osuna — LF
Duran — 2B
1:35 p.m. Central start time. The game is a pick ‘em.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 07: Jonathan India #6 of the Kansas City Royals runs off the field after the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on April 07, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Royals announced this week that Jonathan India will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing labral surgery on his left shoulder, an injury that has seemed to plague him since last summer. The Royals originally acquired India hoping he would be the top-of-the-order hitter who could get on base, but his numbers fell off significantly after arriving in Kansas City.
India was a below-replacement-level player for the Royals over the last two years, so almost anyone replacing him would serve as an upgrade. Michael Massey will almost certainly get the first crack at filling in at second base. The 28-year-old was the starter in 2024, when the Royals reached the playoffs, but he has struggled to stay on the field. He shows good power potential and exhibits spectacular defense at times, but he is a very low on-base-percentage hitter, with a career line of .243/.282/.385. This will likely be a make-or-break opportunity for him, as he will be eligible for his second year of arbitration this offseason.
The Royals could also use former first-round pick Nick Loftin at second base, particularly against tough lefties. Loftin has shown the kind of plate discipline in the minors that Massey lacks, but he has hit just .224/.301/.327 over parts of three big league seasons. There’s a chance he follows the Whit Merrifield career path, but his destiny currently seems more like that of a utility bench player.
Should the Royals view this as an opportunity? The team has been seeking to lengthen the lineup, and while the development of Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone has helped, the offense has still struggled at times. Could a replacement for India come from outside the organization?
The league is full of large-market teams that have stumbled out to terrible starts. Two managers have already been fired – Alex Cora in Boston and Rob Thomson in Philadelphia – and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza is reportedly on the hot seat. If these teams can’t claw their way back into the race, they could punt on the season and begin selling off assets. Sure, the Royals aren’t much better, but they’re only 2.5 games out of first place right now. Thanks for the mediocrity, AL Central!
Bryson Stott has another year of club control in Philadelphia, so the Phillies seem likely to hang onto him unless they blow the entire roster up. However, Edmundo Sosa is a free agent this winter and hit .276/.307/.469 with 11 home runs in 89 games last year. He has generally been a league-average hitter with good defense and could be valuable in a larger role. The Phillies also have infielder Otto Kemp, who has raked in Triple-A – he hit .310/.417/.570 with 16 home runs in 74 games last year – but that production has yet to translate at the big league level. The 26-year-old may be more of a Quad-A player, but the acquisition cost likely wouldn’t be prohibitive.
The Royals almost certainly don’t want to take on the large contract of a struggling veteran second baseman, but there have been rumors of prior interest in Brett Baty. The 26-year-old is struggling this year, but he hit .254/.313/.435 with 18 home runs last season. He has spent most of his time at third base, but he did play 57 games at second last year, and he could provide some positional versatility.
And of course, the Royals could acquire Adam Frazier for a third consecutive year. The Royals just saw the former All-Star during their series against the Angels, but with his team floundering in the standings, they could look to move the veteran. Frazier is off to a good start, hitting .265/.357/.429, and as we saw last summer, the acquisition cost likely wouldn’t be high.
How do you think the Royals should fill the hole at second base? Is it Michael Massey’s spot to lose, or should the Royals aggressively seek an upgrade?
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - MARCH 12, 2026: Kristian Campbell #28 of the Boston Red Sox runs out a single during the second inning of a spring training game against the Minnesota Twins at Lee Health Sports Complex on March 12, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
It’s notable that Seth Martinez, who struggled out of the gate, was not meant to be the starter in this game. That slot belonged to Jake Bennett, who was scratched earlier in the day. It’s also notable that Toronto is just a three hour ride through the New York State Thruway (our version of the Pike you all know) and Ontario Highway 403 away from Rochester, where the Nationals AAA squad and the WooSox are faring off all week. The big lefty has been preserved as far as innings go this season, but still throws hard and has been unhittable, or, at least, unable to be scored upon.
But, Bennett didn’t play Tuesday, and a bunch of other WooSox did. Though, the bats were really stagnant. The team relied on extra base hits by just Kristian Campbell and Mickey Gasper, and neither scored; that honor was fittingly scored by a sacrifice grounder by Anthony Seigler to score leadoff hitter Nick Sogard, which doesn’t quite sound right. Kristian Campbell’s OPS has been climbing to a respectable level, but it’s easy to highlight him when the rest of the Worcester lineup lacks the punch. Conversely, the Red Wings had no problem scoring on the WooSox, as, in addition to Martinez’s rough start, Noah Song got hit around for six runs in seven outs.
Gage Ziehl shouldn’t have taken the loss going seven innings and allowing just two runs on five hits without walking any Patriots (Yankees AA), but the lackluster Portland bats caused the loss here. Both runs scored were off of home runs, and when you allow two home runs, it makes it tough when you can only muster one run. That’s math! If you’re on Franklin Arias home run watch, he has now reached his longest drought (two games) since he hit his first home run of the season, but he did have the Sea Dogs’ only RBI of the night. It didn’t help, though, that every starter in the lineup contributed to Portland’s 14 strikeouts.
It looked as though this game would be much different for the Drive in Hub City, aka Spartanburg (Rangers High-A) before Greenville exploded for 7 runs in the bottom of the 8 after allowing 4 runs in the top of the frame. The Drive treated that eighth inning like it was batting practice, teeing off for four home runs and quickly turning a close game into a blowout and allowed reliever Calvin Bickerstaff, who allowed the headache in the first place, to do a type of slamming the door that I’d envision would include hitting the door on your toe and jumping up and down before slamming it a second time.
Pitching was the real differene maker in this game: the Warbirds (Brewers A) managed just six runners on the night off of Myles Patton and Jacob Mayers, each of whom have looked good in their last couple of appearances. Meanwhile, no one knew it yet, but this game was over by the third batter of the game all the way in the top of hte first as the RidgeYaks’ catcher Luke Heyman hit a two-run shot to put Salem up for good.
