Category: Sports News

Carlos Mendoza provided some updates prior to the Mets' second game of the season, Saturday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Pirates on SNY... 

When may we see Mark Vientos…

The Mets’ lineup has looked the same in the first two games of the season, and likely will again for the most part Sunday with another righty on the mound. 

Mendoza would like to give everyone a start soon, but with how the roster is built, this is  how things are playing out. 

As things stand, the skipper is targeting Wednesday's finale against the Cardinals for Vientos’ first start of the season. 

Mendoza has spoken with the young slugger as he’s adjusted to this new role.

“I told him, look man, two years ago you had your best year and the first six weeks you were in Triple-A. You came here, hit a walk-off and then the next day we were sending you back to the minors, and you had the best year -- he understands and he’ll be ready whenever his name is called," he said. 

Vientos had about as bad a spring as one could ask for coming off a down year at the plate, reaching safely just three times across 35 Grapefruit League at-bats. 

He also went just 2-for-15 with Team Nicaragua in the WBC. 

What about Baty in the field…

Brett Baty has DH’d for the first two games, but with the Mets’ heavy schedule over the next week, the skipper expects that won’t stay the case for long.

“We’ll start seeing him moving around the infield, outfield, especially with us starting today nine in a row -- it just was Opening Day, then the off day, but there’s a good chance that we’ll start putting him in the field.”

Baty, of course, saw time at first and third, in addition to right during spring training. 

He’s gotten some reps in the outfield down in the minor leagues, but if he does appear in a game out there, it’ll be the first time he does so in the majors. 

His first base appearance will be his first since high school. 

Looking ahead to McLean’s season debut…

While we don’t want to overlook Saturday’s game just yet, it is exciting to look ahead to Sunday’s series finale, which will feature young Nolan McLean on the bump. 

The right-hander is facing some lofty expectations after taking the league by storm last season, but Mendoza is confident he’ll be up to the task. 

“If anyone is built for this, it’s Nolan -- with how much and how quickly everything has been thrown at him,” he said. 

“Last year when he came up and how he handled it and then recently with the WBC playing in one of the biggest games besides the playoffs or World Series, how he handled it -- he’s equipped, he’s built for it, we just have to enjoy it now and watch him go do his thing.”

After a great win on Opening Day, Blake Butera and the Nats will look to clinch a series win against the Cubs. It will be tough though, as the Cubs have had a lot of success against today’s starter Miles Mikolas. The Nats will also be without the services of one of their best players.

CJ Abrams will be out of the lineup today, due to a death in his family. We are praying for CJ and the Abrams family. For the lineup itself, James Wood will remain the leadoff hitter, but there will be a lot of changes as expected. Drew Millas is surprisingly hitting second today and will be behind the plate. Luis Garcia Jr. will get the start at first base. Jorbit Vivas will make his Nats debut at second base. With Abrams out, Nasim Nunez will slide over to shortstop. Miles Mikolas will make his Nats debut against a team he is very familiar with from his Cardinals days..

The only real change in the Cubs lineup is behind the plate. Miguel Amaya will be in there instead of Carson Kelly. The Cubs will be excited to see Miles Mikolas, who they have handled the last couple years. Pete Crow-Armstrong has owned Mikolas, going 7/9 with 5 homers against the righty. The Cubs may see a slightly different version of Mikolas, with the righty potentially throwing fewer fastballs. Cade Horton will be on the mound for the Cubs.

Game Info:

Stadium: Wrigley Field

Time: 2:20 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

After a great start to the season, the Nats will look to seal the series win against a tough Cubs team. Miles Mikolas is going to have to be careful against this lineup, but hopefully the old dog has some new tricks. It would also be great to see James Wood get going and start to make consistent contact. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

After a rousing come from behind Opening Day victory, the St. Louis Cardinals will attempt to maintain their perfect 2026 record with a Saturday afternoon game versus the Tampa Bay Rays. According to MLB.com, Michael McGreevy will make the start for the Cardinals while Joe Boyle will take the mound for the Rays.

Here’s the starting lineup for the Cardinals today

1. JJ Wetherholt (L) 2B
2. Iván Herrera (R) C
3. Alec Burleson (L) 1B
4. Masyn Winn (R) SS
5. Nolan Gorman (L) DH
6. Ramón Urías (R) 3B
7. Nathan Church (L) LF
8. Jordan Walker (R) RF
9. Victor Scott II (L) CF

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

One of the most intriguing baseball betting options is the “run first inning” market, where you can wager on whether there will run scored in the opening frame.

The Detroit Tigers are set to wrap up a three-game set against the San Diego Padres tonight, and my MLB picks expect one of their pitchers to get rocked. 

Check out the rest of my free NRFI and YRFI bets for Saturday, March 28.

Best NRFI/YRFI bets today

Pick	Odds
/ - YRFI	+104
/ - NRFI	-142
/ - YRFI	-113

Twins at Orioles: YRFI/ (+104)

Minnesota Twins starter Taj Bradley pitched to a 5.05 ERA over 142 2/3 innings last year. He struggled early in games, posting a 5.94 ERA with a .271 OBA through the first two innings.

Bradley could be in trouble against a Baltimore Orioles offense that should improve after adding Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward.

Meanwhile, Baltimore right-hander Kyle Bradish is coming off a strong season, but doesn’t have a large enough sample size for me to trust him. Minnesota also has a decent offense, provided Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis stay healthy.

• Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FS1

Rockies at Marlins: NRFI (-142)

We got a winner by betting the NRFI prop in this matchup yesterday when these inept offenses combined for just three runs.

The Colorado Rockies were a disaster on the road last year, posting a .589 OPS with just 2.81 runs per game. Meanwhile, the Miami Marlins had a .693 OPS with 3.91 runs per game at home.

Both offenses should struggle again, and Miami’s Eury Perez looks ready to break out. The 22-year-old ranked in the 80th percentile in xERA (3.23), xBA (.203), and strikeout rate (27.3%) across 20 starts in 2025. 

Perez should mow down a Rockies lineup that strikes out frequently.

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Marlins.TV | Rockies.TV

Tigers at Padres: YRFI (-113)

The Detroit Tigers are handing the ball to Jack Flaherty, who posted a 4.64 ERA in 31 starts last year.

Although Flaherty possesses good swing-and-miss ability, he struggles when batters make contact. He sat in the bottom 20th percentile in barrel rate and hard-hit rate in 2025, and the San Diego Padres have a strong lineup that rarely strikes out.

Meanwhile, Friars starter Randy Vasquez is due for major regression after posting a 5.37 xERA last season. He’ll face a tough task navigating a Tigers lineup with dangerous hitters at the top.

• Time: 8:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Padres.TV | Tigers.TV

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.

Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:

For the Rangers:

Let’s talk about it.

What to Watch for Today

Red Sox Nation got a little taste of baseball on Opening Day, immediately followed by an oddly scheduled off-day. Due to the severe weather in Cincinnati, the game likely would have been postponed anyway so the Red Sox come out ahead with no disruptions to the schedule. Things are going their way so far in this young season.

Sonny Gray takes the mound for the first time as a Red Sox. He’s also returning to Cincinnati where he played from 2019-21 but don’t expect any drama on that front; he saves his trash talk for the Yankees.

Watch Eugenio Suárez, WBC hero, who generated some interest when the Sox suddenly needed a third baseman and a power bat two months ago. Will Red Sox Nation have any regrets about not signing him?

Most importantly, let’s focus on our own guys: our new-look rotation and infield, up-and-comers Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer, and what power-bat alternatives will emerge from the lineup.

Let’s get after it—go Sox!

How to Watch or Listen

First pitch is at 4:10 PM ET on NESN and WEEI.

Lineups

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

The Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds face off at Great American Ball Park this afternoon.

Boston took the season opener behind a strong start from Chris Sale, and my Red Sox vs. Reds predictions are betting on the visitors to prevail once more. 

Here are my best free MLB picks for Saturday, March 28.

Red Sox vs Reds predictions

Red Sox vs Reds best bet: Red Sox moneyline (-144)

There isn’t much separating these lineups, both of which need young offensive talent to step up. The Cincinnati Reds have a few more holes, while the Boston Red Sox lack some firepower down the middle.

This game will come down to pitching, and Boston holds the edge. While both starters posted similar numbers last year —Sonny Gray posted a 4.28 ERA, and Brady Singer finished with a 4.27 xERA — Gray’s underlying metrics were extremely impressive, boasting a 3.39 FIP and a .332 BABIP that suggested he was unlucky. 

With the Red Sox also boasting the better bullpen, back them on the moneyline.

COVERS INTEL: Among all qualifying starters last year, Sonny Gray ranked sixth in SIERA (3.29), 12th in strikeout rate (26.7%), and fifth in walk rate (5%).

Red Sox vs Reds same-game parlay (SGP)

The Reds mustered just four hits on Thursday, but three of them came from NL ROTY candidate Sal Stewart. The Red Sox also got a big game from their highly-regarded young slugger Roman Anthony, who also went 3-for-4.

Let's back both future stars to produce again, with Anthony leading his team to victory with 2+ total bases.

Red Sox vs Reds SGP

• Sal Stewart Over 0.5 hits
• Roman Anthony Over 1.5 total bases
• Red Sox moneyline

Red Sox vs Reds home run pick: Wilyer Abreu (+420)

Wilyer Abreu mashed 22 homers in just 115 games last year, with 21 of those dingers against righties like Singer.

Singer's best pitches are breaking balls (slider and sweeper), which he threw 39.5% of the time last season. His sinker made up 40.6% of his arsenal, but he got knocked around on that pitch, with opponents slugging .469.

Abreu sported an impressive .310 batting average against sinkers while slugging .556 against breaking balls in 2025. With his ability to crush Singer’s offerings at a home-run-friendly park, getting Abreu’s HR prop at +420 is a bargain.

Red Sox vs Reds odds

• Moneyline: Red Sox -144 | Reds +122
• Run line: Red Sox -1.5 (+110) | Reds +1.5 (-132)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-115) | Under 7.5 (-105)

Red Sox vs Reds trend

Boston has covered the run line in 42 of its last 73 road games (+10.55 Units / 11% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Red Sox vs. Reds.

How to watch Red Sox vs Reds and game info

Red Sox vs Reds latest injuries

Red Sox vs Reds 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.

Jacob deGrom’s 2026 season won’t start as scheduled.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner was scratched from his outing Saturday against the Phillies due to neck stiffness, The Dallas Morning News reported.

The outlet said the Rangers aren’t too concerned and that the right-hander could make a start on the team’s opening road trip.

Jacob Latz will start in deGrom’s stead in the second matchup of a three-game set.

Health, particularly his elbow, had been an issue for deGrom this decade after a run of dominance.

From 2021-24, he averaged just a touch over 49 innings per season, and in 2023, his first after leaving the Mets for the Rangers on a five-year, $185 million deal, he underwent Tommy John surgery.

The surgery limited him to just 41 innings in the first two seasons of his Rangers contract.

But finally, last season, deGrom was healthy again and an All-Star again.

He threw 172 2/3 innings — his most since 2019 — and held a 2.97 ERA to finish eighth in American League Cy Young voting.

After his first start of spring training this year, deGrom set some benchmarks he’d like to hit this year, if health allowed.

“I’d like to throw 200 innings again,” deGrom told reporters in early March. “So, we’ll just see. Last year, I was able to make 30 starts, and I felt like I could have kept going. If we would have made the playoffs, I felt like I was ready to go. So, we’ll build off that and just see how this year is going to go. Hopefully I run out there as many times as I can.”

The Rangers, after their weekend series in Philadelphia, go to Baltimore for a three-game set with the Orioles, which would give deGrom another chance to make his debut on the road.

It was January of 2019 when the Cincinnati Reds sent prospect Shed Long and a Competitive Balance pick to the New York Yankees to acquire right-hander Sonny Gray, the former Oakland A’s ace and 2015 All Star. He had struggled mightily since landing in the Bronx, yet Cincinnati pitching guru Derek Johnson – who had coached Gray in college at Vanderbilt – thought there was still a whole lot more left in Gray’s tank.

The move turned out to be prescient, and Gray immediately regained his form with the Reds. He put together 175.1 IP of 6.2 bWAR ball in 2019, earned another All Star appearance, and finished 7th in NL Cy Young Award voting, and he was a key cog in the rotation of the abbreviated 2020 club that actually made their own brief apperance in the playoffs.

Cincinnati, ever cost-conscious and always eyeing their next rebuilding opportunity, shipped Gray off to Minnesota after the 2021 season, landing prospect Chase Petty in the process. Since then, Gray has plied his trade with both the Twins and St. Louis Cardinals, who this past winter shipped Gray over to Boston. On Saturday afternoon, Gray will toe the rubber for the Red Sox in Great American Ball Park, and he’ll face off against the Reds for just the sixth time in his 14-year career.

The Reds who have actually seen Gray before have actually handled him quite well. Elly De La Cruz (5 for 11, HR, BB), Eugenio Suarez (7 for 13, 2 HR), and Spencer Steer (4 for 9, 2 HR) each figure to feature prominently today, especially as Johnson’s scouting report will hopefully tip them off to a bit more detail than other dugouts would have on Sonny.

The Reds, meanwhile, will counter with Brady Singer, a guy they went out and acquired shortly after dealing away Gray to effectively backfill the veteran innings-eater portion of their roster that had been vacated. Singer is working on getting over his own blister issues that dogged him at the end of spring, but seems set to face the Sox at full capacity after working through an exhibition against the Brewers earlier in the week.

First pitch is set for 4:10 PM ET on Saturday. Here’s how the Reds will line up for the day: