When the Mets sat at 10-21 as the calendar flipped from April to May, they were at rock bottom. 

New York was fresh off a 12-game losing streak, with the end of it overlapping with a 3-6 homestand against the Twins, Rockies, and Nationals that led to loud questions about manager Carlos Mendoza's job as the club boarded its flight for a nine-game road trip -- questions that were at least temporarily put to rest soon after by president of baseball operations David Stearns. 

The West Coast jaunt started out in promising fashion, with New York going 5-2 to open it. But two listless losses to the Diamondbacks capped the trip, with the Mets mustering just two runs total in those defeats.

While the Mets have played a tick above .500 since bottoming out at 10-21, they need to turn it on if they hope to make anything of this season.

At 15-25, they have the worst record in baseball, and -- aside from A.J. Ewing, who could offer a jolt but should absolutely not be viewed as a savior -- there doesn't seem to be help coming any time soon.

Francisco Lindoris out long-term, and could be a few days away from a follow-up MRI on his calf injury. If the news is good, his progression could be "relatively quick." But he's still weeks away from being on the radar.

Meanwhile, the injuries to Luis Robert Jr. and Jorge Polanco are lingering, and there is essentially no timetable for either one of them, meaning New York is without three of its five most important hitters. 

Beyond that, the Mets are probably exhausted, having flown to the West Coast three times already this season -- an absurd bit of schedule-making that boggles the mind.

In any event, to sum things up: the Mets have a pitching staff that is good enough for them to be a playoff team (their 170 runs allowed are sixth-best in the NL, and the five NL teams better than them are all in playoff position), and an offense that is bad enough for them to be a last place team (their 139 runs scored are tied with the Giants for the fewest in baseball).

Will the offense wake up before it's too late? And which players should New York rely on daily to try to get out of these offensive doldrums?

Given Lindor's absence (opening up shortstop for Bichette) and the promotion of Ewing, it can be argued that the Mets should trot out this configuration most days, and not revolve lineups around the handedness of the opposing pitcher -- as they were doing until recently against lefties while sitting Benge:

A.J. Ewing, CF
Juan Soto, LF
Bo Bichette, SS
Francisco Alvarez, C
Carson Benge, RF
Mark Vientos, 1B
Brett Baty, 3B
Marcus Semien, 2B
MJ Melendez, DH

It's fair to believe Ewing will not be the leadoff hitter from the jump, but he certainly profiles there in the long run given his bat-to-ball ability and penchant for working deep counts.

A much more difficult thing to answer is whether this unit will be good enough to lift New York out of the doldrums.

Soto's slump will end, Bichette's advanced stats show a likely rise to the mean is coming, Benge looks comfortable as he continues to get acclimated to the majors, and Alvarez has produced at right around an average level. But there are enormous questions about the other potential main lineup cogs.

As the Mets try to get their undermanned offense going and stack wins, here's what their schedule looks like for the rest of May:

3 games vs. Tigers
3 games vs. Yankees
4 games @ Nationals
3 games @ Marlins
3 games vs. Reds
3 games vs. Marlins

Given their current place in the standings, the Mets are in no position to look down their noses at any team in the majors. But accounting for their expectations before the season and their personnel, they're going to have to win most series they play against teams like the Nats and Marlins if they hope to get back in it. As far as the Reds, they're reeling, having lost eight of their last 10 games and sporting a -33 run differential that suggests their 22-19 record is a mirage.

The Tigers are also flailing a bit, sitting at 19-22 and currently without Tarik Skubal.

The Yankees, despite their four-game losing streak, are one of the most well-rounded teams in baseball. They'll be a huge challenge, but perhaps the atmosphere at Citi Field helps ignite something in the Mets.

By going 15-25 to open the season, the Mets have given themselves little margin for error the rest of the way. They also have a ton of work to do if they want to prove that the first 40 games were an aberration.

In order to have a realistic chance to reach the postseason, the Mets will likely have to go about 71-51 between now and the end of the season, which would mean finishing with a record of 86-76. Over the last three seasons, the final NL Wild Card has finished with between 83 and 89 wins, so we split the difference for this prognostication.

The season won't be over if the Mets don't make serious progress between now and the end of May, but they'll certainly be closer to becoming a seller at the trade deadline than a team that stands pat or buys -- a situation that would've been unthinkable six weeks ago.

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The Padres head to Milwaukee for a possible postseason preview series. Milwaukee has won four straight, including a weekend sweep of the Yankees. San Diego leads the West despite struggling on offense.

The pitching matchup promises to give everyone a spark at the plate. That’s why my Padres vs. Brewers predictions and MLB picks look for San Diego to get the road win on Tuesday, May 12.

Who will win Padres vs Brewers today: Padres moneyline (+116)

A division leader with a better record at underdog prices is a surprise, even on the road. The San Diego Padres haven’t been hitting, but they should be able to get things going against starter Brandon Sproat, a rookie who is winless in MLB. 

Sproat walks 5.3 batters per nine and allows 2.1 homers. All of his pitches rank in baseball’s bottom quartile.

The Milwaukee Brewers will face Matt Waldron, who has struggled with a 7.71 ERA this season, but the Padres may have found a solution. He pitched much better after an opener in his last outing and San Diego may try that again.

COVERS INTEL:For his career, Waldron has allowed a .971 OPS and 148 OPS+ in the first inning. He’s allowed 11 first-inning home runs, more than any other inning. 

Padres vs Brewers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (+100)

The Padres have had trouble at the plate, however. In their series split with St. Louis over the weekend, San Diego managed just 14 hits—a franchise record low for a four-game series.

Like the Padres, the Brewers have been below league average at the plate all season and even worse lately. Milwaukee has a .625 OPS with 88 OPS+ over the last week. The Padres are .590 and 76 over the last seven days.

While the starters are shaky for both teams, Milwaukee and San Diego have outstanding bullpens, led by the Brewers’ Aaron Ashby and the Padres’ Mason Miller.

Padres vs Brewers odds

• Moneyline: San Diego +117 | Milwaukee -122
• Run line: San Diego +1.5 (-178) | Milwaukee -1.5 (+170)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-108) | Under 8.5 (+104)

Padres vs Brewers trend

The San Diego Padres have hit the Game Total Under in 29 of their last 50 games (+8.25 Units / 15% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Padres vs. Brewers.

How to watch Padres vs Brewers and game info

Padres vs Brewers latest injuries

Padres vs Brewers weather

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The top two teams in baseball meet for three games when the Chicago Cubs kick off a series against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park tonight.

Chicago has hit a two-game mini-slump after winning 10 straight, but my Cubs vs. Braves predictions and MLB picks looks for that to end with a win over Atlanta on Tuesday, May 12.

Who will win Cubs vs Braves today: Cubs moneyline (+108)

The Chicago Cubs have won 20 of their last 25. However, they were shut out the last two games.

Texas stopped Chicago with starters featuring overpowering fastballs. Atlanta Braves right-hander Grant Holmes throws a fastball 2 mph slower and with 100 fewer revolutions in spin, which should spark an offense that was scoring six a game.

Holmes is also getting squared up consistently, ranking in the 31st percentile in hard-hit rate.

The Braves return from the West Coast. It’s their first home game since losing legendary owner Ted Turner and manager Bobby Cox. An emotional crowd might give Atlanta an early boost, but it will be a tired Braves team by the end of the night.

COVERS INTEL: Holmes actually throws his slider more than his fastball, but that’s also slower than the two Rangers starters that shut down Chicago. The Cubs have two players in MLB’s Top 50 batters against the slider and one in the Top 50 vs. the fastball.

Cubs vs Braves Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (+100)

While the Cubs’ back-to-back blankings got more attention, the Braves have actually hit worse than Chicago over the last week. Both have been below league average: .606 OPS and 82 OPS+ for Atlanta, .644 and 94 for Chicago.

Holmes is far from the only pitcher who doesn’t throw as fast as Jacob deGrom, and his 94-mph heater has done well this season. The Braves have won four of his last five starts, and he’s been outstanding at getting batters to chase and swing & miss so far this season.

Chicago starter Colin Rea is 4-1 and has an even better chase rate. He’s been confounding batters with his offspeed stuff, and it should be enough to help keep this final below the somewhat lofty total.

Cubs vs Braves odds

• Moneyline: Cubs +102 | Braves -122
• Run line: Cubs -1.5 (+157) | Braves +1.5 (-191)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-112) | Under 8.5 (-108)

Cubs vs Braves trend

The Chicago Cubs have hit the Moneyline in 29 of their last 45 games (+9.05 Units / 15% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Braves.

How to watch Cubs vs Braves and game info

Cubs vs Braves latest injuries

Cubs vs Braves weather

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What baseball god has it out for Sean Murphy?

After a long and windy road that includes his season-ending hip surgery and rehab after, Murph has played four (4) games since returning on May 4. The initial X-rays were fine per Mark Bowman, and Walt Weiss seemed optimistic. But the the catcher’s interference play in the Dodgers series finale on Sunday is officially a fractured left middle finger for #12. He has been placed on the 10-day IL backdated to yesterday, May 12. Absolutely brutal.

And exactly like the last time Murphy went down, the veteran Sandy León will step up to back up Drake Baldwin. Confused and wondering why he was a free agent to begin with? You’re not misremembering – León was with the team on a minor league contract and played ten games with the Gwinnett Stripers this season. However, the Braves granted him his release per his request on April 22 to pursue an opportunity with the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League. Now that we are Heim-less, the Braves have gone with the veteran and beloved presence in León instead of the current Triple-A options of Chadwick Tromp and Jaír Camargo.

Outfielder José Azócar also knows what the revolving door feels like, and here he is back with the major league club. To recap briefly, he was DFA’d May 6, elected free agency May 8, and signed his new minor league contract yesterday, May 11. He’ll occupy the fourth OF / pinch runner role. And as many predicted with the return of Ha-Seong Kim, Jim Jarvis (of MLB’s play of the week fame) has been optioned down to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired outfielder Alek Thomas from the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for teenage prospect Jose Requena.

The teams announced the deal on Tuesday, May 12, after the D'backs had designated Thomas for assignment during the weekend to create a roster spot for top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt.

Thomas, 26, is a skilled defensive center fielder, but he's not been very productive at the plate over his five seasons in Arizona, producing a career OPS of .634.

The Dodgers currently have Andy Pages as their everyday center fielder, though Thomas could provide additional depth and a potential platoon partner against tough right-handed pitchers.

Add another $1.45 million to the Dodgers’ payroll with the acquisition of CF Alek Thomas https://t.co/gSMoTKoZGb

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) May 12, 2026

The Dodgers have yet to announce an official roster move to add Thomas, who does have minor-league options remaining and could be sent to Triple-A Oklahoma City to begin his tenure with the team.

Recently, Eric Stephen made the following observation on BlueSky, referencing the extinct dodo bird in relation to MLB physical tickets.

I was going to respond, but then I realized I could channel my inner Brennan Lee Mulligan and tie together a couple of stories I had been meaning to write about, as I stumbled upon all this information across various threads, which I now combine into a single article of moderate success.

In other words, if I had to go down a rabbit hole on a train of thought, I now share what I found with everyone.

Eric Stephen is not alone in missing physical tickets. With the rise of smartphones and the MLB Ballpark app, the march to an all-digital baseball experience seemed inevitable. Rebecca Tauber of The Athletic recently covered how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend.

Digital tickets became increasingly common in the 2010s, with the rise of smartphones. The convenience of a digital ticket was clear; no need to worry about losing a physical ticket. Security concerns persist — digital ticket theft remains a risk — but digital ticket holders typically have stronger buyer protections, especially in the resale market. If stadiums were already heading in an all-digital direction, the pandemic hastened that change. Like restaurant menus and MetroCards, the world went digital and never returned.

But the desire for paper tickets persists, and not just among fans without smartphones.

While one can use the MLB Ballpark app as a digital record of attendance and travel, there is something to be said for having a physical reminder of an outing. On a surface level, it would seem an apt analogy for MLB physical tickets and the now-extinct Dodo, but ultimately, looks can be deceiving.

Pity the Dodo

In order to understand the true comparison, we must first detour to examine the poor flightless extinct bird. The Dodo was killed off by a combination of overhunting by the Dutch in the 17th century. The Dodo did not stand much chance in hindsight, as the birds were unused to humans, and the invasive animals the Dutch brought with them, like cats and dogs, also drove the bird to extinction.

Perhaps it was this shortsighted mindset that led the Dodgers to try to deny longtime season-ticket holder Errol Segal his physical season tickets earlier this year. Why honor a relationship where there is a quick buck to be made?

Alex Rozier and Robert Westermann of KNBC Channel 4 reported on the story in early April about how the Dodgers initially refused to print Mr. Segal’s season tickets. In the initial report, Mr. Segal eventually went to the ticket office to receive four physical tickets and had previously paid a surcharge for his season tickets because he lacked both the ability and the equipment to handle purely digital tickets.

It’s not that the Dodgers couldn’t print his tickets; it’s that they wouldn’t.

Two weeks later, after public outcry, KNBC reported that the Dodgers relented.

The team had initially offered to buy the tickets back from him, but Segal refused….

After his story was seen by millions online, the Dodgers changed their minds.

“It makes me so happy when I hand them the ticket and the smile on their face,” Segal said. “There’s nothing like an original paper ticket.”

The faithful Dodger fan now looks forward to cheering his favorite team on in person.

What Mr. Segal failed to realize was that physical tickets are now essentially a luxury item and another source of revenue for teams. So if the Dodo is the wrong bird, and you have taken notice of the title, you might be asking yourself a very obvious question.

What is an ortolan?

An ortolan is a small, endangered European songbird that, like the dodo, eaten by man. Where one can understand that 17th-century sailors might not have been fully aware of or understand conservation efforts, modern chefs cannot claim the same excuse.

Modernly, ortolans are usually drowned in brandy, which serves as both a method of dispatch and a marinade, and is eaten whole by diners minus the beak.

It is generally illegal to eat these birds, as morally dubious chefs used to blind them, tricking them into thinking it was perpetually nighttime, allowing them to gorge themselves to double or triple in size. Traditionally, one wore a napkin over one’s face when eating ortolan to capture all the flavors and hide one’s shame from God.

These birds have been featured as a minor plot point on shows like Billions, Succession, and Hannibal. Accordingly, consumption of these birds has led to an entire mythology surrounding their consumption as a status symbol for the “morally flexible,” ultra-wealthy, which is a tautology if ever there was one.

Even with the consumption of the palm-sized bird being outlawed since 1999, estimates suggest that about 30,000 ortolans are consumed in France annually, with each bird sold for around 150 euros. Whether these birds are doomed to extinction is an open question outside the scope of this essay.

Ortolans and Paper Tickets

For those straining to see the connection, paper tickets were once given freely and were not status symbols or sources of extra revenue for teams, unlike now. However, tnlike the songbird, no one will generally judge a person for obtaining a paper ticket.

There is even a boutique market for creating commemorative paper tickets. Once again, Ms. Tauber:

In the collectibles world, the market for paper tickets pales in comparison to items like sports cards or game-used equipment. Of course, pieces of history fetch a price, like a 1947 ticket stub from Jackie Robinson’s debut, which sold in 2022 for $480,000, and a 1984 ticket from Michael Jordan’s debut, which sold that same year for $468,000.

Some stadiums will still print tickets on demand; sometimes, fans can pay extra for printed tickets for special games. But many don’t print tickets purchased online for everyday games, disappointing fans who want a built-in souvenir and driving up the cost for the rare stub from a noteworthy occasion. Paper tickets from Konnor Griffin’s Pittsburgh Pirates debut on April 3 against the Baltimore Orioles (only available at the PNC Park box office for an additional fee), for example, are currently selling for hundreds of dollars in good condition.

And as interest in paper tickets has persisted — possibly more for nostalgia-fuelled souvenir collecting than actual utility — some artists and businesses are trying to fill the gap. Entire souvenir companies specialize in printing commemorative ephemera, including fake versions of paper tickets to a concert or baseball game a fan might have attended, as well as digital tickets. One website, The Creative Lane, sells custom commemorative tickets for $8.99 to $10.99.

(Emphasis added.)

I can attest to this highlighted fact in my travels. I bought commemorative tickets that either used the honor system of where I was sitting in Arizona (Walker Buehler’s near no-hitter in 2021) and San Francisco (NLDS Game 2) or insisted on accuracy by checking my MLB Ballpark app before selling me a ticket (Arlington 2025).

For Ohtani’s 50/50 game, the Marlins were just selling tickets off a reel with no rhyme or reason for seats in the upper deck, which was closed off during the game, and an area where no one sat. And yet I bought two, selling one for cost to another fan I ran into at the hotel in Miami who could not wait in the lengthy, impromptu line for a souvenir physical ticket.

While the Giants sold an official commemorative ticket, I had to get creative for Game 7’s ticket, using an eBay vendor to source a facsimile.

Considering how hard the Blue Jays have been leaning into “AL Pennant” winning promotions, one would imagine that had Game 7 gone the other way, the amount of merchandise would be enough to float the finances of the province of Ontario.

At the end of the day, one should not have to go through as many hoops to eat an endangered songbird to get a paper ticket, as one act is decadent and monstrous, and the other is the collection of a bygone memento to indicate how one enjoys their fandom.

I will leave it to you, dear reader, to identify which topic is which.