Category: Sports News

Go Rays!

LOS ANGELES — For the first time since April 4, the Dodgers have Mookie Betts back after he missed 32 games with a strained oblique. To make room on the active roster, Alex Freeland was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Betts is batting second for the Dodgers on Friday night.

Betts played two rehab games with Oklahoma City, which was news in and of itself because he hadn’t previously played in the minors since 2015 despite a handful of other injured-list stints. Betts singled in each of his games with the Comets and also added a walk, and played 11 total innings at shortstop on Friday and Saturday.

Freeland in spring training won the heavy side of a platoon second base, which shifted into more regular playing time once Betts was injured, in total starting 31 of the Dodgers’ 40 games at second base, where he totaled three outs above average (tied for fifth in the majors) and three defensive runs saved (tied for eighth).

Freeland hit .235/.309/.337 with an 86 wRC+, two home runs, and four doubles, and the second-highest strikeout rate (28.6 percent) on the team.

This means more playing time at second base for Hyeseong Kim, an excellent defender in his own right who started 24 of the 32 games at shortstop with Betts on the injured list. Kim since returning from Triple-A in April hit .289/.353/.395 with a 114 wRC+, three doubles, a home run, and a triple.

“What it came down to is Hyeseong performed better. Alex did everything we asked as far as playing defense and being a pro, learning and taking good at-bats. The last 10 days has been really good as far as getting on base,” manager Dave Roberts said. “But at that point, given Hyeseong some runway given the way he’s performed since he’s been here, we felt that was fair.”

Santiago Espinal is still around as the right-handed-hitting option off the bench, for at least the two weeks until Kiké Hernández is eligible to return from the injured list, when another roster decision will need to be made.

“It’s more overall infield coverage. Having Hyeseong and Alex on the roster at the same time then trying to play both sides as far as playing time, versus letting them both play an ample amount of time, that’s kind of how we looked at it,” Roberts said. “Espinal can give Max [Muncy] a day versus a left-handed pitcher, he can pop over to short or second base if we need him.

“Putting it all together, letting Alex go play every day [in Triple-A], letting Hyeseong get the lion’s share at second base, that’s what we thought was best.”

The San Francisco Giants are kicking off a road trip tonight when they visit the Los Angeles Dodgers. And, as expected, there are some reinforcements meeting them in Southern California. On Monday afternoon, a few hours before the start of their four-game set with their hated rivals, the Giants announced that center fielder Harrison Bader had been activated off of the 10-Day Injured List, while right-handed reliever Tristan Beck had been called up. To make space for that pair, right-hander Dylan Smith and catcher Logan Porter were optioned to AAA Sacramento.

Beck, who has a 5.40 ERA and a 3.15 FIP in AAA this year, is called up for the first time this season, after appearing in 31 Major League games a year ago. The move is primarily about getting a fresh arm after a taxing weekend series: during Saturday’s blowout loss, the Giants used five relievers (not counting infielder Christian Koss), who threw 119 pitches; during Sunday’s 12-inning affair, they called on six relief arms (including Smith) to throw 98 pitches. Now they at least get a rested arm up against a deadly Dodgers lineup.

As for Bader, he returns after six rehab games with Sacramento. Bader hit 4-18 during his rehab, with two home runs, three walks, five strikeouts, and one stolen base. The Giants are hoping that full health mixed with his time in AAA will fix Bader’s offense, as he hit just 6-52 with one home run, one double, two walks, and 17 strikeouts before landing on the IL. Watch out, Harrison: that kind of offense will get you shipped out to Cleveland, no matter how good your defense is!

Smith and Porter return to Sacramento after very brief stays with the Giants. Smith pitched in one game, and recorded two outs (while walking a batter), while Porter only appeared as a pinch runner. The Giants are back down to two catchers (Jesús Rodríguez and Eric Haase), though they might go back to three when Daniel Susac is done with his rehab.

It was an ugly weekend in Milwaukee for the Yankees, as they suffered their second series sweep of the season at the hands of a stout Brewers team that overwhelmed them with some sensational pitching and out-executed them late in games. Let’s chalk it up to revenge from Torpedo-gate.

A new series begins today in Baltimore, as the Yankees look to keep beating on the subpar teams that populate the American League, as they did to the Orioles in a historic four-game sweep last week in the Bronx.

Ryan Weathers makes his return to the mound for the Yankees after being scratched from his last start against the Texas Rangers due to an illness. In his first seven starts as a Yankee, he’s 2-2 with a 3.03 ERA (140 ERA+) and 3.58 FIP with 45 strikeouts in 38.2 innings. Weathers will get another crack at an Orioles lineup that he dominated for five innings in his last start before unraveling with a five-run lead in the sixth (although two runs were unearned due to an error). He’s already thrown more innings than he did last year!

The merry-go-round of the Orioles’ rotation continues with Brandon Young making his fifth start of the season tonight at Camden Yards. He’s improved considerably from his disastrous 12 starts in 2025, pitching to a 4.35 ERA and 4.81 FIP in 20.2 innings with just 14 strikeouts to eight walks. Three of his four starts have been perfectly adequate for the O’s, but he does have a late April blowup against the Astros on his ledger.

Young’s peripherals are mostly below average, particularly his strikeout and whiff rates. He does a good job getting hitters to chase and is solid at limiting barrels, but he gives up too much hard contact for him to be an effective starter. Against lefties, the 27-year-old is a pretty even two-pitch pitcher with fastballs and splitters, but he mixes in considerably more sliders and sinkers against righties with the occasional curveball. The splitter has gotten absolutely hammered in the early going, which doesn’t serve him well against a lefty-heavy lineup.

Trent Grisham leads off for the Yankees in front of Ben Rice, Aaron Judge, and Cody Bellinger. Ryan McMahon has been swinging a hot bat lately and slides up to sixth, as Spencer Jones DHs and bats seventh. Max Schuemann is in for José Caballero, who suffered a finger injury and is due to be evaluated tomorrow.

Taylor Ward leads off for Baltimore, followed by the slumping Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, and the warming Pete Alonso. They’d love to get Tyler O’Neill going in the five-hole, while continuing to get production from Samuel Basallo and Leody Taveras behind him. Weston Wilson and Blaze Alexander round out the lineup.

How to watch

Location: Oriole Park at Camden Yards — Baltimore, MD

First pitch: 6:35 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES, MASN

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), 98 Rock 97.9 FM, WBAL 1090 AM (BA. L) n

Online stream: MLB.tv (out-of-market only), Gotham Sports App

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René Cárdenas, a broadcasting pioneer who became the first full-time Spanish-language broadcaster for domestic audiences in MLB history when he began working for the Dodgers in 1958, has died at 96 years old.

According to the Astros, one of three teams Cárdenas worked for during his decades-long career, he passed away at his home in Houston on Sunday.

A native of Nicaragua –– where one of his grandfathers was not only president of the country in the late 19th century, but also introduced baseball to the nation –– Cárdenas was hired by the Dodgers shortly after they moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, calling games on AM radio during their years playing at the Coliseum. 

In 1962, he moved to Houston to work for the Astros (then known as the Colt .45s), becoming their director of Spanish broadcasting. In that role, he organized and produced the first international radio network in MLB history, which reached 13 countries in Central and South America, according to the Los Angeles Times.

In 1981, Cárdenas was hired by the Texas Rangers as the first Spanish broadcaster in their club’s history.

Then, in 1982, he returned to the Dodgers, where he would remain through 1998 while working alongside Jaime Jarrín –– another Spanish-language broadcasting legend who originally joined the Dodgers a year after Cárdenas in 1959.

Among his many career highlights, Cárdenas was part of several other Spanish-language broadcasting firsts, including the 1959 World Series and 1961 All-Star Game.

He also returned to the Astros in 2008 to call games on TV in the United States for the first time in his career.

“We mourn the passing of René Cárdenas, who in 1958 with the Dodgers became the first full-time Spanish-language broadcaster in MLB history and would ultimately spend 21 years behind the mic for Los Angeles,” the Dodgers said in a statement. “We send our condolences to his loved ones.”

The Orioles will look to pick up their first win over the Yankees tonight. Baltimore found itself on the wrong end of a four-game sweep at the beginning of May.

Taylor Ward will leadoff and play left field. Adley Rutschman will handle the catching duties, but Samuel Basallo will still start as the DH against LHP Ryan Weathers. The lefty opponent will lead to Weston Wilson at third base and Blaze Alexander at second.

Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso will complete the infield. Tyler O’Neill will get a chance in right, and Leody Taveras will play up the middle.

Brandon Young will get the start for Baltimore.

There’s absolutely no benefit to dropping a fifth consecutive game to the Yankees. The Orioles will need their struggling offense to backup Young as he faces Aaron Judge and a talented New York lineup.

You can check out more about the three-game set against the Yankees here.

Edit: Samuel Basallo was scratched with left knee discomfort. MASN’s Roch Kubatko reported that the discomfort was a product of yesterday’s collision at the plate. Additionally, the Orioles selected the contract of LHP Josh Walker. The team optioned RHP Trey Gibson.

Orioles lineup:

1. Taylor Ward LF
2. Gunnar Henderson SS
3. Adley Rutschman C
4. Pete Alonso 1B
5. Tyler O’Neill RF
6. Coby Mayo DH
7. Leody Taveras CF
8. Weston Wilson 3B
9. Blaze Alexander 2B

Starter: RHP Brandon Young

The latest cult sandwich spot in Los Angeles isn’t tucked inside a trendy strip mall or an influencer trap — it’s hiding in an industrial corner of Santa Clarita, next to warehouses and storage units.

Chef James Dalton — the longtime private chef to Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts — quietly opened Table 504 last week, a low-key sandwich shop that’s already generating quite the buzz.

The star of the menu is the 12-day pastrami sandwich, which, you guessed it, takes 12 days to prep. The process involves a 10-day brine followed by eight hours in the smoker, on bread baked fresh in-house.

Locals are also raving about the 504 Italian, another $20 must-order, made with prosciutto, imported mortadella, sweet soppressata, burrata, red-wine vinaigrette, house-pickled pepper spread and served on house focaccia.

Dalton’s culinary résumé is a far cry from your average sandwich slinger. The Florida-born chef has spent 26 years in hospitality and eventually transitioned into private cheffing for Betts after the MLB superstar moved from Boston to Los Angeles.

After years of working together, Dalton and Betts launched the Table 504 brand.

“Ive been a Dodgers fan all my life and came to try the 504 Italian sandwich but also hoping to bump into Mookie!” Jesse Mark, 30, told The Post while grabbing a bite Monday.

Social media videos showcasing the shop describe it as “hidden in an industrial area behind Public Storage” in a minimalist space serving up items that look more like they’re coming out of a high-end tasting kitchen than a warehouse-district lunch spot.

Betts, one of the most decorated active players in today’s game, is scheduled to return to the Dodgers lineup Monday. He suffered an oblique strain during LA’s 10–5 victory over the Nationals on April 4 and immediately went on the injured list. 

His return couldn’t come at a better time as the vaunted Dodgers offense has been ranked among the worst in the major leagues over the past three weeks. 

Although Betts struggled to start the season, hitting just .179 in eight games, his mere presence in the lineup balances everything out. 

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BALTIMORE — José Caballero’s hopes of remaining the Yankees starting shortstop hinge on a Tuesday morning MRI.

For now, a right middle finger injury was enough to keep Caballero out of the Yankees lineup for Monday’s series opener against the Orioles at Camden Yards, sustained while diving back into first base in the ninth inning of Sunday’s loss to the Brewers.

After Monday’s game, Caballero will travel to New York to undergo an MRI and see team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad and a hand specialist to determine the severity.

“I don’t think it’s a fracture,” Caballero said before pinch-running in the ninth inning and getting thrown out trying to steal second to end a 3-2 loss. “Not worried [about going on the injured list]. I’m just not happy that I have to be out of the lineup today.”

But Aaron Boone, who generally downplays any worries about potential injuries, sounded more concerned than Caballero.

“There’s definitely some concern because Cabby, he’s as tough as they come,” Boone said. “Just had a little hard time when he went to throw today. The good thing is hitting was good. So we’ll see. He’s going to get some tests [Tuesday] morning. See what we have over the next day or two.”

Max Schuemann started at shortstop Monday night, and Boone indicated he would be comfortable with him (and perhaps Ryan McMahon in spot duty) filling the void if Caballero just needs a few days.

If Caballero has to go on the injured list, the recently demoted Anthony Volpe and Oswaldo Cabrera would be candidates for a call-up from Triple-A.

But first comes the MRI for Caballero, whose strong play on both sides of the ball over the first month-plus of the season forced the Yankees to change their plans for Volpe, whom they initially planned to reinsert at shortstop once he came off the IL last week.

“[Caballero] has been great,” Boone said. “He’s been such a good performer for us here to start the year, on both sides of the ball. He’s been a key part of our team to this point, but again, hopefully it’s just a day-to-day situation. We’ll have a better idea of that [Tuesday].”

Caballero dodged an injury concern last week after he was hit on the left elbow by a pitch, needing only a day out of the lineup Thursday to deal with some swelling before playing all three games over the weekend in Milwaukee.

He is still wearing tape on that left elbow Monday, but now has his right middle finger taped up as well.

The speedy Caballero was trying to steal second base in the ninth inning of a tie game Sunday when he dove back into first base, and while he was wearing a sliding glove on his right hand, it did not fully protect him.

“Didn’t work,” he said. “It’s just the part that is covering that part of the finger, it’s kind of soft, so it doesn’t really help much.”

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

And so the shortstop with a 1.6 bWAR — the fifth-highest mark on the Yankees entering Monday — was put on hold.

If Caballero does need to go on the IL, it would set up an interesting decision for the Yankees.

Volpe did not exactly set the world on fire in his first week at Triple-A following his activation off the IL and demotion to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

In five games, he hit 4-for-24 (.167) with a .472 OPS.

Cabrera, who offers more positional flexibility, had a rough start to the season but has hit better of late, going 14-for-36 (.389) with a 1.032 OPS over his last nine games.

Boone said he had not spoken to Volpe since giving him the news last Sunday that he was being optioned to Triple-A, but has maintained that the 25-year-old is equipped to handle it well.

“Definitely it’s challenging to deal with that, but everyone has challenges they’ve got to deal with and some adversity they’ve got to deal with,” Boone said. “He’s mentally a very tough kid and that’ll serve him well as he navigates this.”