Slater, 33, was designated for assignment by the Mets last week after appearing in nine games with the team, slashing .250/.286/.300 with one RBI across 20 at-bats.
Austin Slater has joined the Rays on a minor league deal after a brief stint with the Mets. Getty Images
The veteran right-handed hitter elected free agency on Sunday after he cleared waivers, allowing him to sign with any team.
Tampa Bay marks Slater’s fourth organization of 2026 as he began the year with the Tigers in spring training before brief cameos in the majors with the Marlins and Mets.
Slater has long been regarded for his ability to hit lefties, notching an outstanding .285/.374/.463 line with an .837 OPS against southpaws from 2017-23.
This season has been a different story, however, as Slater wields a .175/.244/.200 line in 45 plate appearances versus lefties.
Kimbrel threw a scoreless eighth inning in his Rays debut Tuesday, allowing one hit and striking out two Orioles hitters in a 6-1 loss. AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough
Slater will serve as minor league depth for the Rays, unlike Kimbrel, who signed a major league deal with the team earlier in the day.
Kimbrel, 37, was also DFA’d by the Mets after a rough 14-game stretch that saw the nine-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer post a 6.00 ERA.
The Rays became Kimbrel’s 11th team when he made his debut with the club on Tuesday against one of his former teams, the Orioles.
Kimbrel threw a scoreless eighth inning at Camden Yards, allowing one hit and striking out two batters in a 6-1 Rays loss.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MAY 26: Garrett Mitchell #5 of the Milwaukee Brewers flips his bat while hitting a three-run home run in the fifth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at American Family Field on May 26, 2026, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
By any measure, the St. Louis Cardinals have overachieved this season. Their trip to Milwaukee would be viewed by many as a measuring stick to determine how competitive this young team is compared to the NL Central division leaders. If the first two games are the measuring stick, the answer is not very as the Brewers hammered the Cardinals again Tuesday night shutting out St. Louis 6-0.
Michael McGreevy gave the St. Louis Cardinals a reasonable start for the first 4 innings, but he received no run support and the 5th inning would be his undoing as it has been for many of the St. Louis starters lately. You won’t see any offensive highlights from the Cardinals here, but the Brewers provided more than their share. The first would come in the bottom of the 4th inning when Michael McGreevy made one too many mistakes to Jake Bauer who crushed a 394 foot solo home run into the right field seats giving the Brewers their first lead at 1-0.
The infamous 5th inning would be one that Michael McGreevy would not finish. It started with a Christian Yelich double followed by walks to Chourio and Turang to load the bases. William Contreras would quickly unload them when he blasted a double to the right-center field wall upping the Brewer lead to 3-0. That would end Michael McGreevy’s night with his final stat line being 4 innings allowing 7 hits while striking out 6 and walking 3 giving up 5 earned runs. That final earned run would cross the plate when Ryan Fernandez started his relief effort by giving up a 3-run bomb to Garrett Mitchell that traveled 421 feet careening off the center field overhang giving Milwaukee a commanding 6-0 lead.
The Cardinals bats made Brewers starter Kyle Harrison look like Cy Young. To his credit, he pitched well throwing 6 complete innings allowing a measly 4 hits and no earned runs to St. Louis with no walks and two strikeouts.
One minor subplot late in the game was Abner Uribe’s exaggerated gesture after he struck out Alec Burleson (confirmed strike on appeal). The managers apparently discussed the issue in between innings. Quite possible we’ll be hearing more about this in the near future.
The Cardinals will try to avoid a sweep Wednesday afternoon when Dustin May takes the mound for St. Louis. The Brewers starter is to be determined at this point. First pitch at American Family Field in Milwaukee is set for 12:40pm central time and the game will be watchable on Cardinals.tv.
May 26, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jesus Sanchez (12) hits a grand slam home run and celebrates with first baseman Lenyn Sosa (50) gainst the Miami Marlins during the sixth inning at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
That was a little better. Spencer Miles continues to impress, stretching out to 4.1 innings this time while stifling the Marlins offence with a steady stream of induced ground balls. The offence was distributed, with seven Jays sharing the 12 hits and three different guys going deep.
Braydon Fisher worked as the opener today. Otto Lopez hit a grounder to Kazuma Okamoto at third that Okamoto threw away. It was initially called a two base error but eventually revised to a hit and an error. Ultimately it didn’t matter, as Fisher got out of the inning without Lopez advancing farther.
Spencer Miles took over beginning in the second. He walked lead off man Connor Norby, but retired the next nine Marlins in order, racking up three strikeouts. Jakob Marsee was the next fish to reach, with a ground ball single across the shift to lead off the fifth. Marsee stole second and took third when Brandon Valenzuela’s throw skipped into centre field. An infield single by Heriberto Hernandez plated the Marlins’ first run of the night. A Santoja line single put two on, but a trio of ground outs got him out of the jam with the lead.
Miles would face one batter to being the sixth, getting Lopez to ground out. He went 4.1 innings as the bulk guy, allowing one run on three hits and a walk. Adam Macko took the reins and retired the next two batters.
The offence, meanwhile, was on Sandy Alcantara. He was also on them, hitting four batters. George Springer and Daulton Varsho opened the first with back to back singles. Those two runners were stranded, but Ernie Clement got Toronto on the board in the bottom of two, leading off with a homer that was the highest pitch hit out of the park in the majors this season. Clement also has the lowest, which is on brand. They added a second run in the third. Varsho got his second hit of the night, and Jesus Sanchez moved him to third with a double off the centre field wall. Kazuma Okamoto hit a hard grounder that ate up third baseman Javier Santoja and deflected into left field for an RBI single. They went quietly in the fourth.
Alcantara hit Springer with a high change up in the fifth, and then one batter alter spiked a curveball off Sanchez’ toe. He got Okamoto swinging to prevent the Jays from capitalizing, though.
They broke it open in the bottom of the sixth. Yohendrick Pinango lead off with a home run. Two batters later, Valenzuela singled, Lenyn Sosa was hit by a pitch, Springer singled to drive Valenzuela home, Varsho walked to load the bases, and Sanchez emptied them with a grand slam lined into the second deck in right field. That made it 8-1, a score that would stand the rest of the way. Alcantara hit his final batter, Okamoto, and was finally pulled from the game. I don’t think any of it was intentional. There’s no bad blood between these teams, and all of the pitches were off speed or breakers. Still, the Jays earned their eight set the hard way today.
Cade Gibson punched out Pinango to end the sixth. Yariel Rodriguez worked a clean seventh, while Gibson worked around a Valenzuela single in the bottom half of that inning and a Springer hit in the bottom of eight. Tanner Andrews finished it out for the Jays, giving up an infield single in the eighth and a pair of walks in the ninth but punching out Hernandez for his first career MLB strikeout to end the game.
Jays of the Day: Miles (0.15), Springer (0.11), Sanchez (0.11)
Less so: Nobody!
The series wraps up tomorrow with a day game at 1:07pm et. Eury Perez (3-6, 4.91) will go for the Marlins, while Kevin Gausman (4-3, 3.23) reps the Jays.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 14, 2026: Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages (44) in the dugout during the game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on May 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 26: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves reacts afgter hitting a two-run home run against the Boston Red Sox during the eighth inning at Fenway Park on May 26, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves take the win against the Boston Red Sox 7-6 at Fenway Park, in an ending that came eerily close; the offensive production woke up when it mattered.
After giving up two back-to-back homers in the bottom of the first to Boston’s Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela (2-0), Spencer Strider held the Red Sox to those two runs in his five innings pitched on three hits, also walking three batters and getting five strikeouts with 11 total whiffs.
Atlanta didn’t go scoreless for long, when Matt Olson hit a two-run homer over the green monster to drive in Mauricio Dubón to tie the score (2-2).
BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 26: Shane Baz #34 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates after recording a strikeout against the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 26, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Shane Baz impressed, and the Orioles took advantage of a bad night for the Rays infield. It all added up to a 6-1 O’s win on Tuesday night at Camden Yards
This game sure didn’t feel like a winning performance out of the gate. Shane Baz, facing his old teammates, got into some trouble early. Chandler Simpson led off the game with a double, and then came in to score moments later on a Jonathan Aranda single into right field.
That easily could have been a situation that snowballed into an even deeper ditch that may have proved impossible for the Orioles to dig out of. Instead, Baz got a double play off the bat of Richie Palacios to end the frame, and was dynamite from there on out.
From the second through the seventh innings, Baz allowed a handful of baserunners on singles and walks, but would work his way out of trouble each time. That was despite not having his best stuff. His fastball was down half a tick on the radar gun, but his whiff rate was right around where it normally sits at 21% in this one. The final line is a good one: seven innings, seven hits, one run, two walks, and nine strikeouts. His season ERA dropped for the third straight start, now at 4.48 on the year.
The Orioles offense showed some fight as well. They were outhit by the Rays 9-7, but they took advantage of their opportunities, going 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Three of their runs came in a wacky second inning. Samuel Basallo reached on an error by Rays starter Grffin Jax. Leody Taveras added injury to the insult by smacking a line drive off of Jax’s back to give the O’s two runners on with no outs. The Rays staff came out to check on Jax. He remained in the game though he would exit at the conclusion of this inning. Not before Jeremiah Jackson loaded the bases. Then, it seemed Jax had worked his way out the jam with a grounder up the middle, made to be a double play. Instead, the second baseman Palacios bobbled the grounder and got no outs at all. Jackson Holliday cashed in with an RBI single before Taylor Ward drove in the third run of the inning with a sac fly to center.
The Baltimore bats picked back up in the fifth inning. Holliday led off with a single, and then got to second on a Gunnar Henderson grounder that was bungled yet again by the Tampa defense. Palacios had fielded the ball cleanly and fed to Oliver Dunn covering the bag at second base. Dunn then threw to first but couldn’t retire the speedy Henderson for the twin killing. It seemed like a routine fielder’s choice, but the O’s video review crew noticed that Dunn’s foot was off the bag when he received Palacios’ throw. Craig Albernaz challenged and the call on the field was overturned, giving the good guys two runners on with just one out. That would come back to a bite a few batters later when Samuel Basallo launched a 405-foot homer to right center field, extending the Orioles lead to 6-1.
Outside of the two innings where they scored runs, the Orioles offense was rather quiet. Taveras and Holliday were the only two O’s with more than one out, and Basallo’s homer was their only extra-base knock. But if you score six runs in a game, you are going to win more than you are going to lose. And that was exactly the case tonight.
The bullpen did its job as well. Grant Wolfram allowed two hits but managed to work a scoreless eighth inning. And then Andrew Kittredge looked good in the ninth, retiring the Rays in order and recording a strikeout in the process. Getting both of them right will be key to returning this ‘pen back to the form we saw in April.
This was a relatively low-stress game from the Orioles perspective. For once, the bone-headed fielding mistakes and the fluky injuries were happening to the other team. We’ll take it.
Baz is the story of the game. The Orioles made a big investment in him this offseason. First, they traded a haul of prospects to a division rival in order to get him in the organization, and then they inked him to an extension. Considering all of that, they need him to be a frontline starter. Over the last few trips through the rotation, he has finally looked the part. The length and quality of his most recent outings has been impressive. Hopefully there’s more on the way.
This game earned the Orioles a series win against the current beasts of the AL East. That’s big. It’s now the second time this Orioles team has bounced back from disastrous showings the first time they face a division opponent to be much better the second time around. First it was the Yankees and now the Rays. Maybe there’s something to that.
Another win tomorrow would give them a sweep. That would be neat. First pitch of the series finale is set for 6:35 at Camden Yards. The Orioles are yet to confirm a starter while the Rays have committed to Steven Matz for the evening. Trey Gibson could be in line for the start. He is with the team as a member of the taxi squad.
Most Birdland Player
Presented for your consideration, here are the nominees for Most Birdland Player on May 26, 2026:
Shane Baz (win, seven innings, one run, nine strikeouts)
Samuel Basallo (three-run homer, two runs scored)
Who do you think is worthy of the honor? Let us know in the comments!
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 25: James Wood #29 and Luis García Jr. #2 of the Washington Nationals celebrate a solo home run hit by Wood during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on May 25, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Gosh, this team is truly a breath of fresh air. The Nats won their 4th straight game, and are now two games over .500. I am truly starting to believe that this team is good, and boy is that crazy to think about given the preseason expectations. Truly though, why not the Nats?!
As they did against Tanner Bibee last night, the Nats immediately put pressure on Guardians starter Joey Cantillo. Despite not scoring in the first inning, the Nats forced Cantillo to throw 29 pitches and show them the whole arsenal. That got them ready for the second inning, and boy were they ready.
Daylen Lile and Jacob Young got on to start the second inning. Then, after a wild pitch, the pressure was truly on for Cantillo. With the infield forced in, Keibert Ruiz chopped a high pitch through the infield to drive in two runs. There was still only one out, and the pitch count was piling up for the Guardians southpaw.
— Nationals Advisory (@nats_advisory) May 26, 2026
Speaking of Ruiz, this was another really nice game for him. He got two hits to raise his average to .262 and his OPS to .763. We wrote about Ruiz’s resurgence yesterday, and thankfully we did not jinx the Nats catcher.
However, these Nats were far from done in the second. The next batter was James Wood, the crown jewel of this special lineup. Wood absolutely destroyed a Joey Cantillo changeup, and made it 4-0 in the blink of an eye.
This Nats offense has been striking insanely quickly these past couple of games, and really all season. You are never safe facing this team. Wood and Abrams are always lurking. Even when it is not those guys, Curtis Mead and Daylen Lile can also come through with big hits.
Right now, James Wood is in the middle of one of his patented heaters. He is seeing the ball so well at the moment. Wood already has 7 hits and 2 homers in this series. For the season, Wood has a .276 batting average and a .964 OPS with 15 home runs. Those are totally absurd numbers. After a slow second half last year, he is getting back to that super star level.
The Nats forced Cantillo out of the game after just two innings. It is crazy to see the devastation this offense can inflict on pitchers, especially early in games. Almost every game we see that graphic that the Nats lead the league in first inning runs. Today, it was the second inning, but just like Tanner Bibee yesterday, Cantillo left shaking his head.
However, the biggest key to the Nats recent success has not been the offense, which has been great all season. Now, the Nats pitchers are stepping up their game as well. Cade Cavalli was on the mound tonight, and he fired his third straight quality start. Cavalli is starting to turn into a work horse for the Nats who can consistently give them six innings.
Tonight, he mainly relied on his bread and butter, which is his fastball/curveball mix. The heater averaged over 97 and got up to 99 on several occasions. His curve also had a ton of power and bite. On the night, he went six innings, with seven strikeouts to just two walks.
Cavalli has gotten his season ERA down to 3.62. Importantly, he is allowing fewer base runners, which is letting him get deeper into games. His season WHIP of 1.41 is not great. However, his WHIP in May is down at 1.14, which is better than average. It took some time for him to get going, but we are now seeing the best of Cade Cavalli.
After that big frenzy in the second inning, the Nats offense went into a bit of a lull. That is natural for any team, as the pressure to score diminishes. Some of the Guardians relievers were also throwing the ball well. It felt at times like the Guardians were slowly creeping back into the game.
However, the Nats put the Guardians away in the top of the 9th. With two outs, Andres Chaparro delivered a clutch two out knock to score two runners. Chappy has struggled since being re-called, so seeing that success must help his confidence. While he was thrown out trying to extend it into a double, he put the finishing touches on the game.
It turned out that those insurance runs would loom large. Mitchell Parker labored in the 9th inning, allowing two runs. If that game had been 4-3 instead of 6-3, things would start to become real scary. Thankfully for Nats fans’ nerves, Chappy delivered in the top of the frame. Eventually, Parker worked his way out of the inning, and the Nats won 6-3.
I know I say it a lot, but this team is so freaking fun! This offense is absolutely electric and the pitching is coming around too. The personnel on the field has not changed that much, but the product has. You have to credit the coaching staff and the players for both putting in a ton of work. In this crazy season, why not the Nats!
May 26, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers third baseman Colt Keith (33) slides into safe at home in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
The Tigers were starting their week back home in Detroit against the Angels, hoping to carry the luck of their Sunday win along with them. To get them there, they had Keider Montero on the mound up against Jack Kochanowicz.
Things started well, with Montero getting the Angels out in order. Kevin McGonigle got the home hald going with a leadoff single, but Dillon Dingler grounded into a double play to eliminate the baserunner. A Riley Greene strikeout then ended the inning.
Jorge Soler started the second with a single, then Wade Meckler singled behind him, advancing Soler to third. Montero righted the ship and got himself out of the jam by getting the next three batters out in order. In the home half, Colt Keith hit the strangest comebacker I’ve ever seen, as the ball headed right back to the mound at Kochanowicz’s feet and the shot straight up about a sixty feet in the air, letting Keith get safely to first. Kochanowicz appeared to be okay. Spencer Torkelson was then hit by a pitch. A wild pitch from Kochanowicz advanced the runners and brought the trainers back out, because he was certainly out of sorts all of a sudden. A Zach McKinstry flyout brought Keith home and put the Tigers on the board first. They would only get the one run, but it was a good start.
Logan O’Hoppe hit a leadoff single between diving fielders to start the third. Zach Neto then walked. A one out single by Vaughn Grissom right up the middle, once again slipping by diving fielders, scored two runs and put the Angels out ahead. With two outs, Wade Meckler singled back to the mound and the Tigers were able to get the final out of the inning tagging Grissom out at the plate. In the home half, McGonigle got back on base with a one-out single. Two outs followed, leaving McGonigle stranded.
Jo Adell homered to start the fourth. With one out Donovan Walton doubled, and one out later Neto doubled to bring in another run. Montero did get the final out of the inning, but considering how well the Tigers have been doing at staging comebacks this season, I wouldn’t blame you if this was where you tapped out. Colt Keith wasn’t going to go down without a fight, though, and he hit a triple to center, sneaking it right by Mike Trout. With one out, McKinstry hit a sac fly to score Keith.
The Angels went 1-2-3 for the fifth. In the bottom of the inning Matt Vierling got a leadoff single, followed by a walk to Wenceel Perez. And I’ll be eating my words, as McGonigle came through with a triple into right, scoring both baserunners and tying up the game.
Dingler took a walk despite O’Hoppe challenging the fourth ball call. That was the end of the day for Kochanowicz, which should be good news for the Tigers, as the Angels’ bullpen is… not great. Mitch Farris came in and gave up a wild pitch to put Dingler on second. Riley Greene walked to load the bases. A pinch-hitting Jahmai Jones, brought in to face the lefty reliever, came through with a single, scoring McGonigle. Still no outs. Spencer Torkelson was very close to hitting a grand slam, coming nearly in line with the foul pole, but after review, the call was upheld. With two outs, Hao-Yu Lee came in to replace Workman, but a flyout ended the inning.
With one out in the sixth, Oswald Peraza was hit by a pitch. With two outs, Montero’s day was done and he was replaced by Brenan Hanifee. Montero’s final line for the game was 5.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 HR on 89 pitches. Not a great outing, but not his worst. Hanifee got the final out of the inning. In the home half, Perez hit a one-out home run.
McGonigle continued to be as consistent as they come, getting a walk. After the second out of the inning, a wild pitch advanced McGonigle to second, then Riley Greene walked. That was it for Farris who was replaced by José Fermin, who got the final out of the inning.
Neto singled to start the seventh. Grissom singled with one out, bumping Neto over to third. That was it for Hanifee, who was replaced by Will Vest, who battled it out and won against Soler. The final out of the inning was a very nice catch at the wall by Greene.
The Tigers went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.
In the eighth, Peraza got a one-out single. A groundout advanced Peraza to second, and then an O’Hoppe double (missed spectacularly by Perez in center), brought Peraza home. Neto then singled back to Vest, who was fine. Mike Trout walked to load the bases. Grissom then hit a grand slam. Tyler Holton came in to get the final out of the inning. Chase Silseth was the new Angels pitcher for the inning. The Tigers went down in order again, which isn’t really the best way to make a comeback.
Siri started the ninth with a solo home run because, sure, why not at this point? Three outs followed, and the Tigers were down to their final three outs to make something happen. Kirby Yates came in and gave up a leadoff walk to Dingler. That would be it for baserunners, though, as the Tigers then went down in order and the game was over.
Mar 24, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Josiah Hartshorn against the New York Yankees during spring training at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Some movement in the system today as outfielder Josiah Hartshorn and right-hander Mason McGwire were promoted from Low-A Myrtle Beach to High-A South Bend. Both players have been among the best performers in the Cubs minors so far this season.
Also, shortstop Alex Madera and first baseman Cameron Sisneros were promoted to Double-A Knoxville from South Bend.
Right-hander Henry Cone moves to Myrtle Beach from rookie ball Mesa.
Yenrri Rojas started this game and gave up three runs on two home runs in the first inning. He pitched the second and third innings without incident, retiring the side in order in both frames, but then came out to pitch the fourth inning. All six batters he faced in the sixth reached and he was pulled after the sixth one hit a two-run home run.
The final line on Rojas was nine runs on eight hits over 3+ innings. Three of those eight hits were home runs. Rojas walked two, hit one batter and struck out three.
The Smokies only managed six hits today but two of them were home runs. The first was a solo home run in the seventh inning by third baseman Jefferson Rojas. It was Rojas’ fifth home run of the season. Rojas was a perfect 2 for 2 with two walks.
The other home run came in the top of the ninth by center fielder Andy Garriola, his ninth. Garriola was 2 for 4.
Second baseman Alex Madera went 1 for 2 with an RBI single in his Double-A debut. Madera also walked once.
It was a strong start for Alfredo Romero, who got the win after allowing just one run on four hits over 5.2 innings. Romero struck out two and walked one.
Jackson Brockett went the rest of the way for the 3.1 inning save. He also allowed just one run on three hits. Brockett struck out five and walked one.
Both TinCaps runs scored on solo home runs by Jake Cunningham.
First baseman Josiah Hartshorn hit a sacrifice fly in his first High-A at-bat. Later on, he hit an RBI double off the left field wall for his first South Bend hit. Hartshorn finished the game going 1 for 2 with a walk and the sacrifice fly. He scored once and had the two runs batted in. Those were also the only two South Bend RBI for the game, as the other three runs scored either on one of two double plays or an error.
Center fielder Kade Snell went 1 for 2 with a double before leaving the game after colliding with second baseman Miguel Olivo. I don’t have any report on Snell’s condition but he was back in the dugout before the end of the game.
Olivo was 1 for 2 and was hit by a pitch.
Here’s Hartshorn’s sac fly. It really could have been a double.
Pierce Coppola didn’t have a bad start, but he got tagged with the loss anyways. Coppola allowed two runs on three hits over four innings. One of those hits was a solo home run. Coppola struck out eight and walked one, which is impressive. Coppola has now struck out 28 batters and walked six over 17 innings.
The only Birds run came on a solo home run in the eighth inning by right fielder Eli Lovich. Lovich had four of Myrtle Beach’s eight hits, going 4 for 4 with a double and the home run.
Three of the other four hits came from DH Edward Vargas. Vargas was 3 for 4.
DENVER, CO - MAY 20: Starting pitcher Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies delivers a pitch in the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers at Coors Field on May 20, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Starting for the Rockies is Kyle Freeland. This will be his ninth start for the Rockies in 2026.
The lefty has a 7.04 ERA in 38.1 IP. He’s struck out 35, walked 14, and given up nine home runs. Freeland has a1.70 WHIP.
Taking the mound for the home team will be LHP Eric Lauer in what will be his first start for the Dodgers.
He was traded to the Dodgers from the Toronto Blue Jays on May 17 for cash considerations. Lauer, 30, was 1-5 with a 6.69 ERA in eight games for Toronto this year and last season went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA, posting a career-best 2.2 fWAR.
Currently, over 36.1 IP, he’s struck out 26 while giving up 16 walks and 11 home runs. He has a 1.34 WHIP.
MILWAUKEE, WI - MAY 23: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers smiles after a bird landed on the field prior to the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Saturday, May 23, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Aaron Gash/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Shohei Ohtani starts the Dodgers’ series finale against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night, the second straight time Ohtani has pitched the day before a team off day, and the fourth such time this season.
Ohtani labored in his last start last Wednesday through five innings, his shortest start of the year, but stranded two runners in each of his final two frames to keep the San Diego Padres scoreless. Ohtani has a minuscule 0.73 ERA through 49 innings this season. He’d need to pitch seven innings on Wednesday, the Dodgers’ 56th game of the season, to qualify for the leaderboard.
New NL Player of the Week, Ketel Marte, leads things off for the D-backs. In yesterday’s thread, ChefAZ wondered if this was the best 10-game stretch of Marte’s career. It was not, but after another three-hit game, it’s not far off the best nine-game stretch. The benefit of going that direction is, it allows us to cut out his 0-for-5 performance in the second game at Coors Field. Ketel has hit in every game since, with a total output over that time of 21-for-37, with three HR and 15 RBI. That’s a line of .568/.595/.973 for a 1.568 OPS. It trails only a 9-game streak in June 2019, when he went 22-for-34, with a line of .647/.667/1.059 and an OPS of 1.725.
Over his last three games, he’s a remarkable 10-for-13. Nobody else but Marte has had three consecutive three-hit games for Arizona since Eduardo Escobar in April 2019. Since then, Ketel has managed the feat on no less than four occasions: June and September in 2019; June last year; and the current run. Indeed, in June 2019 (as part of the nine-game spell mentioned above), he had four consecutive games with 3+ hits. That’s something only he and – probably inevitably – Paul Goldschmidt, in June 2018, have ever managed. We’ll see tonight if he can continue this torrid run, which has seen Marte’s seasonal OPS jump by 178 points in just ten days.
On the mound tonight, we have Eduardo Rodriguez, who has been worth a full two bWAR over his first ten starts this season. That’s particularly startling, considering he was worth just 0.6 bWAR over the entire 2024 and 2025 campaigns combined – a thirty-nine start run. Unlike Merrill Kelly, E-Rod has actually got W’s under his belt against winning opponents, in the White Sox and Pirates. Indeed, his only loss this year came at Coors Field, when the offense forgot how to hit. E-Rod’s 2.24 ERA is the best by a qualified starter for Arizona to this point, since Patrick Corbin’s 1.71 ERA in 2023. Only Brandon Webb (2.01 in 2006) and Randy Johnson (1.41 in 2003) have also been lower.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 7: Gage Jump #79 of the Athletics pitches during a spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels at Las Vegas Ballpark on March 7, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. | Getty Images
After dropping the series opener to the visiting Seattle Mariners, the A’s hope to rebound in game two of the three-game set. The Athletics, at 27-27 remain in first place in the American League West a game and a half over the Mariners who are right behind them in second place.
The A’s hope to get jump-start from tonight’s starter, 23-year-old lefty Gage Jump called up from Las Vegas for the game today. He ranks as the A’s No. 3 prospect and No. 41 overall prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. He was last week’s Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week following a stellar outing for AAA Las Vegas, tossing seven scoreless innings with no walks and nine strikeouts.
Jump will go up against 26-year-old right hander Emerson Hancock. Hancock is 3-2 on the year with a 3.07 ERA over ten starts. He’ll face off against this lineup for Mark Kotsay’s Athletics:
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 25: Yuki Matsui #1 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the eighth inning at Petco Park on May 25, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Philadelphia Phillies (27-27) at San Diego Padres (31-22), May 26, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST
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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 25: (L-R) Brandon Marsh #16, Justin Crawford #2 and Adolis García #53 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrate on the field after defeating the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on May 25, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
