Category: Sports News

Over the last couple weeks, the Nats offense has not been as consistently excellent as it was to start the season. The start the unit got off to was unsustainable, so you can’t complain about that too much. However, one thing I love is that when the Nats have a bad offensive game, they tend to respond the next night. 

Last night was a perfect example of that. After getting shut out, the boys put up 14 runs on the Mets. In the games following a Nats loss where they scored two or fewer runs, the Nats have scored 6, 5, 7, 8, 4 and 14 runs in the next game. When the Nats have a bad night on offense, they respond by scoring over 7 runs a game the next night.

In the past, the Nats sometimes let a bad game carry over into the next performance. Now, with Matt Borgschulte, it is clear that they are making the adjustments and fixing what went wrong in the previous game. The other night, the Nats had zero extra base hits and 13 ground outs. Last night, they had 6 extra base hits and just 6 ground outs. 

Watching this offense is a ton of fun because of this resiliency. There will be some nights where they just don’t have it, but they will not let that linger. Sure, they have been slowly regressing to the mean and are not a top 5 offense anymore. However, they are still second in runs and top 10 in most offensive categories. 

Based on where they are in the roster building process, an elite offense is too much to expect. James Wood, CJ Abrams and Daylen Lile are the only three guys you can truly call very good hitters. Outside of that, the Nats have role players who can step up some nights, but not on a consistent basis.

However, those role players have done a nice job chipping in. Joey Wiemer had his crazy hot start to the season, Jorbit Vivas has had some nice moments and Curtis Mead has had a few amazing offensive nights. Luis Garcia Jr. is also a guy who is underperforming a bit right now, and I think he will get hot before too long. Jacob Young’s underlying data also looks better.

Overall, I think this offense will be a solid unit. They are very unlikely to end the season being the second highest scoring team in the league, but being a slightly above average scoring offense does not feel unrealistic. As long as Wood and Abrams stay consistent, they have the starpower. They also have a deep bench that allows Blake Butera to play the matchups.

You saw the Nats take advantage of matchups well last night. Curtis Mead and Joey Wiemer both matched up well with the lefties the Mets threw out there, which is why Butera put them in the lineup. Meanwhile, you have guys like Garcia and Vivas who hit righties well. There is also Jose Tena, who has proven himself to be an excellent pinch hitter.

This is not the most talented offense in the world, but it has starpower, and useful pieces. That allows the unit to be adaptable and score against different types of pitchers. The deep bench also allows Blake Butera to ride the hot hand.

The offense has been clicking all season, but they are finally getting some help from most of the pitching staff too. Outside of Zack Littell, the rotation has been stepping up their game lately. Cade Cavalli and Foster Griffin have both been excellent lately, while Jake Irvin is showing signs of improvement. Miles Mikolas has been better in his new role as well.

If this team can get consistent pitching, they could surprise some people as the season goes along. This is not a great team, or even a good one, but so far this season it has been a very watchable one, especially when they are on the road.

There are going to be nights this season where it is not pretty. The talent is not fully in place yet and the pitching staff is not great. However, this team has been resilient and fun. When they get knocked down, the Nats get back up the next game. You can see that in their offensive performances after a bad loss. This team clearly does not like losing, and that is a sign of a good culture. 

Credit to Blake Butera and the coaching staff for instilling this resilience. In addition to being resilient, it is also clear that this Nats team does their homework and learns from their mistakes. After bad games, they usually clean up their act the next night, and I think that is a great sign for the future of the team.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The Kansas City Royals and the Athletics clash today in the rubber match of a three-game set at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, CA. 

My Royals vs. Athletics predictions are targeting the hosts to add to KC’s misery on the road in the finale. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Thursday, April 30. 

Who will win Royals vs A's today: Athletics moneyline (-125)

The Athletics have won two of their last three contests, and they walked away with a 5-2 victory on Wednesday evening. They’ve now won five of their last eight meetings with the Kansas City Royals, and one of their better starters takes the hill today in Jeffrey Springs. 

The lefty has a 3.79 ERA this season, and he’s held opponents to a .197 average.

While the Royals are hitting .304 against him, it’s a small sample size of 23 at-bats, and Springs allowed just one earned run against KC last season in one start. He’s also given up just one earned run in two of his three home outings in 2026. 

As for the Royals, Noah Cameron gets the call, and he owns a 5.13 ERA. On the road, his ERA sits at 5.59, and he’s surrendered 13 earned runs across his last three starts.

The Royals are just 3-11 on the road, and it'll get worse here.

COVERS INTEL: Cameron’s xERA sits at 6.98, which is towards the bottom of the majors. His opponent xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG are also among the worst in the big leagues.

Royals vs A's Over/Under pick: Under 9.5 (-105)

While I don’t expect either pitcher to be completely lights-out, we likely won’t see a bunch of runs, either.

The Under has cashed in five of the last six meetings. KC ranks 23rd with 4.1 runs per game, while the Athletics are 19th with 4.2. 

Three of the Royals’ last four games have hit the Under, and the Athletics have cashed the Under in seven straight contests.

Also, both ball clubs struggle against left-handed hurlers. Kansas City is batting .229 off southpaws, while the Athletics have hit .217 against lefties. 

Royals vs A's odds

• Moneyline: Royals +108 | A's -126
• Run line: Royals +1.5 | A's -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 | Under 9.5

Royals vs A's trend

The Athletics have hit the Moneyline in 14 of their last 22 games (+8.00 Units / 33% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Royals vs. A's.

How to watch Royals vs A's and game info

Royals vs A's latest injuries

Royals vs A's weather

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

The San Diego Padres dropped a series for the first time since the opening week of the season with a 5-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday, but they had opportunities to prevent that. In the end, the offense did not do enough, and the bullpen struggled to keep runs off the board. Miguel Andujar and Nick Castellanos hit their first home runs for San Diego. Both came in the bottom of the fifth inning and broke up what was a no-hit shutout for Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon. The home runs allowed the Padres to tie the game 3-3, and with Adrian Morejon coming out of the ‘pen, most of San Diego thought the team could author another late-inning comeback to take the rubber match of the series. Instead, the Cubs manufactured a run off the left-hander following a leadoff walk to Michael Busch to start the top of the sixth inning. A ground out pushed him to second base before a double by Matt Shaw put runners at second and third with one out. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit another ground out for the second out of the inning, but Busch scored from third and Chicago took a 4-3 lead. Bradgley Rodriguez came in to get the final out of the inning, but the damage had been done.

Jason Adam came on in the top of the eighth after Rodriguez worked a scoreless seventh and he surrendered a solo home run to Shaw that gave the Cubs a 5-3 lead. The Padres had a golden opportunity in the bottom of the eighth inning. Chicago reliever Corbin Martin allowed three walks to open the inning, which loaded the bases for Fernando Tatis Jr. with no outs. Martin was pulled from the game and Tatis Jr. faced Ben Brown. Tatis Jr. hit a flyball to center field, which allowed a run to score and left runners at first and third with the score 5-4 and Manny Machado coming to the plate. Machado saw one pitch before hitting a ground ball to second base, which resulted in an inning-ending double play and essentially put an end to the game.

The Padres have the day off before hosting the Chicago White Sox for three games.

Padres News:

• Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com explains how Mason Miller could be the first reliever since 2003 to win the Cy Young Award.

• Samad Taylor is trying to keep his results from Spring Training going in the regular season and it resulted in a win for the El Paso Chihuahuas.

• Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune says the three-game series between the Padres and Cubs could have been a preview of what is to come in October.

• Tatis Jr. is hitting the ball harder than ever according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, but it has yet to result in a home run for the star outfielder.

Baseball News:

• The Atlanta Braves stayed hot and kept to their winning ways thanks to a Matt Olson walk-off home run off Detroit Tigers closer Kenley Jansen after Tarik Skubal pitched seven strong innings to start the game.

• Ildemaro Vargas extended his hit streak to 22 games and helped the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Milwaukee Brewers.

• The Miami Marlins beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-2 and took the series from the defending World Series champions.

• The White Sox walked off the Los Angeles Angels to sweep the series before heading to San Diego.

• Nate Eovaldi delivered for the Texas Rangers as they knock off the New York Yankees.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies clash this afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader, with first pitch scheduled for 12:35 p.m. ET. 

My Giants vs. Phillies predictions are targeting Philly to grab another win, with Cristopher Sanchez in line for another dominant outing. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Thursday, April 30. 

Who will win Giants vs Phillies today: Phillies moneyline (-145)

The Philadelphia Phillies won the series opener on Tuesday, 7-0, before Wednesday’s contest rained out. Philly’s offense finally showed some promise in their first game since Rob Thomson was fired.

Today, Cristopher Sanchez takes the hill for the hosts, and he’s been impressive this season.

The lefty has a 2.94 ERA and a 2-2 record across six starts, also striking out 43 in 33 2/3 innings of work. At home, Sanchez is even better, compiling a 1.16 ERA. For comparison, his ERA sits above 6.00 on the road. He also had a 1.93 ERA against the San Francisco Giants last year across two appearances.

Logan Webb, meanwhile, has allowed at least three earned runs across each of his last three outings, and his 4.86 ERA overall rises to 5.00 on the road. The Phillies haven’t had a ton of success against him, but it’s a small sample size, and they’re coming off a seven-run performance. 

COVERS INTEL: The Phillies have won three of their last five meetings with the Giants at Citizens Bank Park.

Giants vs Phillies Over/Under pick: Under 7 (-115)

The Under has hit in three straight meetings, and the pitching matchup is solid. Sanchez is electric, and he clearly feeds off the Citizens Bank Park atmosphere. 

Although Webb has given up some runs lately, he’s still a guy who gives the Giants a respectable five or six innings each start. In fact, he’s gone at least six innings in each of his previous four starts.

Even if Webb gives up some runs, San Fran has faith he can still compete. 

We’re also looking at two teams that do not score a lot of runs. The Phillies are 27th in runs scored, and the Giants are 30th. Despite numerous stars on each roster, the results aren’t there so far.

We’ll see some runs here, likely more from Philly, but it’ll be a low-scoring contest. 

Giants vs Phillies odds

• Moneyline: Giants +122 | Phillies -144
• Run line: Giants +1.5 | Phillies -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Giants vs Phillies trend

The Phillies have hit the team total Under in 27 of their last 40 games (+12.20 Units / 26% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Giants vs. Phillies.

How to watch Giants vs Phillies and game info

Giants vs Phillies latest injuries

Giants vs Phillies weather

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

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

There was a lot of flip-flopping yesterday with games getting rained out and guys not getting into the lineup, but I hit a winner for the third straight day and now have to thank the baseball heavens because of it. It's the only reason the balls are finally leaving the yard, and the MLB player props are starting to hit. 

Kazuma Okamoto is starting to figure it out at the plate, and he's a great option to target in the day's nightcap.

These are my favorite home run props for Thursday, April 30. 

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Yordan Alvarez	+320
Kazuma Okamoto	+600
Juan Soto	+310
💲Today's HR parlay	+8860

Yordan Alvarez (+320)

The rain stopped us yesterday, but our MLB picks are getting the best hitting matchup at a better price today with Yordan Alvarez vs. Chris Bassitt. Alvarez at +320 to go deep is still +EV, per Covers projections. The fair price for the best hitter in baseball to go yard sits closer to +270.

Alvarez is a freak. He leads baseball in multiple standard and advanced metrics and hasn’t homered in four straight games — his longest drought of the year. He may also have this matchup circled, as Bassitt has struggled against him. Alvarez is 5-for-22 with five home runs and a 1.598 OPS vs. Bassitt in his career.

Winds are blowing out to right field today, which is even better for the left-handed Alvarez than yesterday's wind. Bassitt has also allowed all of his home runs this year to left-handed hitters.

• Time: 12:35 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN, Space City Home Network

Kazuma Okamoto (+600)

The Toronto Blue Jays lineup is turning a corner.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is ripping the ball, Ernie Clement is going yard, George Springer is back, and Kazuma Okamoto is putting it together.

There’s still some swing and miss with the rookie, but he’s adjusting. He owns the best Blast Contact numbers on the team and is squaring the ball up at a 54.5% clip over the last seven days.

Pair that with Top-3 bat speed and a strong HR price, and he’s the target indoors vs. Bailey Ober and a bottom-tier Minnesota Twins bullpen.

Minnesota doesn’t have a true closer right now and is using a three-man committee late. Eric Orze is part of that mix, just blew a save yesterday, and is likely unavailable. The fair price is around +500.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SN1, MNNT

Juan Soto (+310)

Take me to square town, but Juan Soto has his swing locked in and draws a matchup with Miles Mikolas that belongs on any HR card.

Soto’s swing speed and Blast Contact% over the last two weeks have been elite — he’s squaring everything up. This is a stat-padding spot against Mikolas, who has struggled and is likely to hand things over to a vulnerable Washington Nationals bullpen. In Mikolas’ last three starts, the Nats have allowed 29 total runs.

Soto 2+ total bases at even money is also on the card. It’s the hottest bat against one of the softest matchups available.

• Time: 1:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Nationals.TV, SNY

Today’s HR parlay

Yordan Alvarez	Bet Now +8860
Kazuma Okamoto
Juan Soto

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

The Mets have placed outfielderLuis Robert Jr.on the 10-day IL due to a lumbar spine disc herniation.

Robert was sent for an MRI on Wednesday after his back issue didn't improve with treatment.

Since he has not played the last two games, the IL stint is backdated to April 27.

In a corresponding move, infielder Eric Wagaman was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. Additionally, right-handed pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. was DFA'd and replaced by right-hander Austin Warren.

Losing Robert is the latest blow to a Mets lineup that is already without Francisco Lindor (calf) and Jorge Polanco (Achilles and wrist).

Polanco has been making progress and could return sooner rather than later.

Lindor is expected to get a follow-up MRI in roughly two weeks, at which point more about his timeline should be known. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said last week that Lindor could have a "relatively quick progression" if all goes well.

As far as Robert, the Mets had slow-played his buildup in spring training and had been giving him scheduled days off in an effort to prevent an injury -- to no avail. 

Aside from Robert, New York has six outfield options on the active roster -- Juan Soto, Carson Benge, Tyrone Taylor, MJ Melendez, Austin Slater, and Brett Baty.

The road back to pitching in Major League games took a significant step in the right direction for Jared Jones on Wednesday.

Jones made his first appearance of the 2026 season for Single-A Bradenton, marking the first time he pitched against live competition in over a year.

The results? Arguably the best performance by any Pirate in the minor leagues all season.

Jones delivered three perfect innings against the Lakeland Flying Tigers.

The rehab assignment start went well for the 24-year-old right hander. Jones didn’t allow a base runner and struck out five, throwing 41 pitches (30 for strikes).

He struck out the last batter he faced in every inning and the final two in the first and third frames.

The Pirates are building Jones back up to be a starter at the major league level.

Jones earned a spot on the Opening Day roster in 2024 following an eye-opening spring.

The 2020 second-round pick earned a 4.14 ERA in 22 starts with the Pirates striking out 132 and allowing a 1.19 WHIP in 121.2 innings.

Jones missed all of 2025 with a right arm injury that required surgery. Jones experienced discomfort in spring training and tried to rest, but eventually needed surgery to heal his arm issues. 

He last appeared in an MLB game on September 27, 2024, against the Yankees.

Pittsburgh needs Jones to be a considerable part of the rotation, or even back end of the bullpen, to help a staff that doesn’t have strong depth.

The Pirates have lost four in a row, including the first three of a four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Jones will continue to make rehab assignments across the Pirates’ affiliates and could return to the Bucco staff by the end of May or early June. 

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

It’s the rubber match of a three-game set between the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks and host Milwaukee Brewers.

My Diamondbacks vs. Brewers predictions and free MLB picks side with the visitors, who own the advantage in the pitching matchup on Thursday, April 30.

Who will win Diamondbacks vs Brewers today: Diamondbacks moneyline (+112)

The Arizona Diamondbacks will try to win a series for the first time in four sets, sending Canadian Michael Soroka to the bump.

At 4-0, the righty leads the team in wins and boasts a crisp 2.60 ERA and 1.16 WHIP.

Soroka is blistering the opposition with an 11.06 K/9, leading the Arizona staff with 34 strikeouts. His slurve is especially lethal, creating a 35.8% whiff rate.

Brandon Woodruff will start for the Milwaukee Brewers, and he's coming off his first loss of the year. The veteran also hasn't been his best to date, boasting a 20% strikeout rate that would rank as his lowest since tossing 43 innings in his rookie season back in 2017.

He's simply not missing bats like he used to, and that will haunt him against Corbin Carroll & Co.

COVERS INTEL: The Diamondbacks are hitting .270 vs Woodruff, with a .778 OPS. Carroll is 4-for-8 with a triple, while Ketel Marte is 4-for-12 (.333) with a pair of doubles.

Diamondbacks vs Brewers Over/Under pick: Over 8 (-125)

Offense has been the name of the game in this series, with the two teams combining for 23 runs through the first two games.

Even with Soroka on the mound, he will eventually need to turn it over to a bullpen that ranks Bottom-4 in the National League in ERA (4.93).

Woodruff lasted just five innings after surrendering three runs and five hits, and his bullpen is just middle of the pack with a 3.94 ERA.

These teams have cashed the Over in four of the last six head-to-head meetings, and the lowest total of the series is worth taking a run at in the finale.

Diamondbacks vs Brewers odds

• Moneyline: Diamondbacks +113 | Brewers -117
• Run line: Diamondbacks -1.5 (+194) | Brewers +1.5 (-213)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-108) | Under 7.5 (+104)

Diamondbacks vs Brewers trend

The Arizona Diamondbacks have hit the Moneyline in 15 of their last 25 games (+6.25 Units / 22% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Diamondbacks vs. Brewers.

How to watch Diamondbacks vs Brewers and game info

Diamondbacks vs Brewers latest injuries

Diamondbacks vs Brewers weather

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

In the Mets’ loss to the Nationals yesterday, several of the team’s most glaring deficiencies were on full display, but David Peterson and Sean Manaea, the team’s pair of struggling left-handed pitchers, stood out the most. Neither pitcher looks competitive at the moment, and while the team’s lineup might be its downfall anyway, it sure would be nice to see the Mets putting capable pitchers out there on a daily basis.

Across seven appearances, two of which came out of the bullpen, Peterson has thrown 30.1 innings with a 6.53 ERA. Manaea has thrown 22.0 innings with a 6.55 ERA. Combined, they’ve thrown 19.4 percent of the Mets’ innings so far, making their combined contribution to the team’s struggles fairly significant. And the underlying metrics on their Statcast pages don’t look good, even as metrics like FIP and DRA suggest that both pitchers have been better than their ERAs would suggest.

If there’s any hope remaining in the Mets’ season, the team can’t just wait to see if both of these pitchers end up finding better results. But with both pitchers no longer having options thanks to their considerable major league service time, there are only two ways to get them off the active roster: placing them on the injured list, which the team did with Kodai Senga this week, or designating them for assignment and exposing them to waivers. In the latter scenario, they’d have the option of declining an outright assignment to Syracuse even if they were to clear.

Manaea has the remainder of this season and all of next season remaining on his three-year deal with the Mets that pays him $25 million per year. Should the team go the DFA route and lose him, it would be eating even more money than it is on the failed Frankie Montas contract that paid $34 million over the course of last season and this season. Peterson wouldn’t require eating nearly as much money, as he’s earning $8.1 million this year before he’s eligible for free agency following the season.

If the team goes either route to get either pitcher off the active roster, there’s also the issue of replacing them. With Manaea, that’s really not too much of a concern, as he’s essentially been used as a mop-up man, and his diminished stuff has gotten exposed in a big way lately. The Mets might feel like they need to have at least one long reliever in their bullpen, but any potentially useful reliever—Austin Warren is the one who comes to mind at the moment—would be an upgrade.

And if a keeping a long reliever in the mix is a priority, that might mean Tobias Myers is kind of stuck in that role, even if it would be awfully tempting to move him into Peterson’s rotation spot as a full-on starting pitcher rather than having him open for Peterson like he did a couple of times recently.

As for pitching prospects in the upper minors, Jonah Tong doesn’t look quite ready to get another major league look just yet. His strikeout rate remains phenomenal thus far in Triple-A, but he’s still working on walk and home run issues and currently has a 5.68 ERA for Syracuse. Jack Wenninger, who’s slated to start one of Syracuse’s games in a doubleheader today, has a much shinier 2.16 ERA for Syracuse so far this year. But his walk rate is an issue, and his last start saw him lose some velocity in the third inning while totally losing the strike zone. At minimum, you’d think he needs a strong outing today to get considered for a call-up in the near future.

Whatever the case, though, it seems like the Mets really should try doing something. The team’s biggest roster moves thus far have all involved the injured list. At the time of this writing, the organization continues to support manager Carlos Mendoza, even as the Red Sox and Phillies have fired their managers for similarly disappointing starts to the 2026 season.

Exercising patience beats reacting in a knee-jerk fashion, but staying the course with a team that collectively has a broken GPS seems like a bad plan.