CINCINNATI, OHIO - MAY 31: Elly De La Cruz #44 of the Cincinnati Reds takes to the field against the Atlanta Braves at Great American Ball Park on May 31, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sunday afternoon in Great American Ball Park brought out the full range of emotions for the Cincinnati Reds. They picked up a win to stave off a would-be sweep by the Atlanta Braves, but watched as superstar Elly De La Cruz pulled up lame rounding 1B on a ball he hit to the wall in RF.
Our hearts sunk when Elly exited immediately. Our hearts woke up when, after the game, Elly said he felt pretty good and had hopefully avoided anything serious by pulling up when he did.
On Monday, we got the real news, though – Elly is going to hit the 10-day IL to rest this hamstring, and the Reds are going to turn to top prospect Edwin Arroyo to replace him on the active roster.
Also noted here is the promotion of LHP Brandon Liebrandt back to the big leagues and the DFA of Yunior Marte, who was only just promoted this weekend during the spate of injuries the Reds faced in their bullpen crisis.
The big news, though, is the Elly/Arroyo swap. The former has obviously established himself as one of the elite talents in the game, but what Arroyo has managed to accomplish to this point is pretty damn impressive, too. While this hammy is the first injury that has shipped Elly to the sidelines in his career, Arroyo has the experience of having to overcome a major shoulder injury, surgery, and lost year that came with it. And though he rebounded in 2025 to show he was still a competent baseball player, his 2026 (so far) has shown that he’s once again one of the better regarded shortstops on the planet for his age.
He was a consensus Top 100 prospect when the Reds acquired him in the trade that sent Luis Castillo to Seattle. He’s also a former 2nd round pick out of Puerto Rico that received a full-slot bonus to buy him out of his commitment to powerhouse Florida State University, too. Outside of the shoulder years, he’s been elite just about every step of the way – defensively, if nothing else – but his bat has woken up at AAA Louisville this year to round out his prospect status. It’s been so good that he vaulted all the way to the #23 spot on Keith Law’s mid-season Top 50 overall prospect list last week, and now he’ll get a shot to show his chops in the Cincinnati infield.
Edwin Arroyo
22.8 / 5'11" / 173 2021 2nd Round Pick (SEA) Acquired in Luis Castillo trade
It will be interesting to see how the Reds rotate their infield since Arroyo, like Matt McLain, is a shortstop by trade who’s spent plenty of time at 2B given the presence of Elly within the organization. Maybe Terry Francona will rotate the two between those two spots (with some Sal Stewart and Spencer Steer sprinkled in at 2B), or maybe, just maybe, the Reds will let the switch-hitting shortstop prospect simply go play shortstop in Elly’s absence and keep as few of the other moving parts from having to move, too.
It’s obviously a bummer that Elly will join Hunter Greene, Emilio Pagan, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Brandon Williamons, Rhett Lowder, Pierce Johnson, Graham Ashcraft, you, me, them, and those other guys on the list of injured players on the Reds roster, but having Arroyo to promote – when he’s done so much to prove he’s ready at AAA this year – is about as good an insurance policy as there could be. Now, we just have to hope he hits the ground running.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 29: Tristan Gray #4 of the Minnesota Twins hits a single in the second inning during the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Friday, May 29, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Fails/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After the good vibes from the previous week, reality hit the Twins like a semi truck, and now they are looking at a five-game losing streak. On the injury front, promising rookie Kendrys Rojas and Bailey Ober are hitting the 15-day IL. At the same time, Simeon Woods-Richardson was DFA’d earlier this week, so it remains to be seen whether he sticks with the team. The team is now 27-33, and has another full week of games, facing off against the White Sox and the Royals at home. It’s an opportunity to remain relevant in the AL Central, but with injury and personnel decisions plaguing the Twins, a turnaround seems unlikely.
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The Rays now only have a 1.5-game lead over the Yankees. The Guardians and White Sox sit third and fourth in the race, and the Mariners have taken over the AL West lead. There is quite a bit of parity though; there’s only a three-game separation between the sixth-place Blue Jays and the 12th-place Boston Red Sox.
The National League has remained the same, with Atlanta becoming the first team, this season to hit the 40-win mark. The Dodgers are 1.5 games back of Atlanta and the Brewers still lead the NL Central.
The labor battle has begun, as both the MLBPA and the owners swapped initial proposals. Evan Drellich at The Athletic breaks down the owners’ first offer and the implications of a hard salary cap.
Jorge Castillo at ESPN looks at the MLBPA’s first offer and what the union is hoping to achieve this time around.
May 29, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez (44) and shortstop J.P. Crawford (3) celebrate after Crawford hit a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Rick Rizzs Happy Totals: 15 Dan Wilson Tough One Tonights: 13 Run Differential: +23
Beef Boy Bombs: 0 Josh Naylor SB: 8 for 8 Julio HR-SB: 10-2 Ty France Memorial HBP Counter: Randy Arozarena, 5
Luke Raley wOBA: .475 (1st in MLB) Mitch Garver hard-hit rate: 52.2% Cal Raleigh games played: 9 Cole Young wRC+: 66 J.P. Crawford HR: 7 (tied for most of his career (Sept./Oct. 2023)) Julio Rodríguez HR: 10 (most of his career) Leo Rivas PA: 32 Rob Refsnyder K%: 40.9%
Piggyback Starts: 3 Combined runs allowed across 3 piggyback starts: 6 Bryan Woo sinker%: 13.5% (lowest of his career by 7.1%) Logan Gilbert HR: 7 (second most of his career) George Kirby Whiff%: 20.6% (third lowest of his career) Emerson Hancock FIP: 2.44 (17th in MLB)
Combined games missed by Matt Brash and Gabe Speier: 38 Andrés Muñoz xwOBAcon: .439 (4th highest of his career) Jose A. Ferrer ERA/xERA: 1.64/1.93 Cooper Criswell hard-hit rate: 17.9% (3rd best in MLB, min. 10 IP)
Your favorite May stat not listed here: In the comments
Playoff position: 1st place in AL West, +2.5 games
Current overall record and run differential: 31-29, +30 On this date in 2025: 31-26, +7 2024: 32-27, -6 2023: 29-27, +24 2022: 21-28, -9
Randy Johnson: Luke Raley, +1.06 WPA Rob Johnson: Andrés Muñoz, -0.85 WPA
PHILADELPHIA — Cristopher Sánchez is friends with fellow Dominican Republic native Marcell Ozuna, so it was only natural they trash talked each other before their most recent game.
The Pirates’ designated hitter told Sánchez he would take him deep.
Sánchez instead struck him out — four times, and the Phillies’ ace struck out 13 overall in the May 16 shutout victory.
“That wasn’t a very good idea to piss him off,” Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto said with a laugh.
Using an elite sinker-slider-changeup mix that has made him one of the best pitchers in baseball, Sánchez had his way with just about every batter in a sensational scoreless May.
Sánchez went 4-0 and struck out 45 — with only three walks — over 39 innings in May and broke a 115-year-old franchise record along the way. Sánchez has pitched 44 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings headed into his next start against San Diego to top the mark of 41 innings set in 1911 by Grover Cleveland Alexander.
Up ahead, a shot at the major league record held by former Los Angeles Dodgers great Orel Hershiser, who threw 59 consecutive scoreless innings for the World Series champions from Aug. 30 to Sept. 28, 1988.
“I’m pulling for anybody to have a life-changing moment,” Hershiser said. “’88 and the 59 scoreless changed my life. The only time I’m not going to root for him is when he’s pitching against the Dodgers.”
Sánchez missed the Dodgers’ series during the Phillies 4-2 road trip, and they now are 21-10 under interim manager Don Mattingly.
He hasn’t missed much else, except maybe a lot of bats.
“It’s something special,” Sánchez said through an interpreter. “Something really important. I never imagined something like this. So, I’m really happy and proud of myself.”
Sánchez has thrown at least seven shutout innings in five straight starts — he would need to reach that minimum in two more starts, plus one inning to top Hershiser — and only six other pitchers are ahead of him on the consecutive shutout innings list dating back to the start of the Live Ball Era in 1920.
Arizona pitcher Zac Gallen is the only other active pitcher who understands what Sánchez is feeling on the mound over a lengthy scoreless streak. Gallen — just passed by Sánchez — had six straight scoreless starts of six-plus innings and finished at 44 1/3 innings overall in 2022.
“When you’re on a streak like that, it’s fun,” Gallen said. “It’s kind of like walking around, I wouldn’t say on eggshells of, ‘Oh man, you never know when this thing’s going to end.’ But it’s fun when you’re out there and you’re in flow state and the zeros start to stack up. So, it’s awesome for him. I hope he can take down the record.”
Sánchez is 6-2 with an MLB-low 1.47 ERA overall headed into his start against a Padres team he just beat with seven brilliant innings. Should Sánchez start the game with three scoreless innings, he would pass Sal Maglie, Carl Hubbell, Zack Greinke, and Bob Gibson on the scoreless streak list.
Only Don Drysdale and Hershiser would be left.
“What I do watch, he’s very, very special,” Hershiser said. “His changeup, his athleticism, his ability to change speeds to both sides of the plate. I just think he’s a real special pitcher. You can’t do what he’s doing without repeating your mechanics and having some deception and making a lot of good pitches. He’s putting it all together.”
Each of Sánchez’s last 28.2 innings at Citizens Bank Park have been scoreless and he has the third-longest scoreless streak in ballpark history, trailing only Roy Halladay in 2010 (33 innings) and Cliff Lee in 2011 (29).
The 29-year-old Sánchez has inched toward greatness each of the last two seasons.
He was the NL Cy Young Award runner-up in 2025 when he went 13-5 with a 2.50 ERA and struck out 212 in 202 innings. Sánchez was rewarded in March with a guaranteed $104 million over a six-year contract through the 2032 season in a deal that contains $20 million in deferred money payable from 2035-44.
The Phillies put a lot of financial faith in Sánchez, and the early returns have been significant — he made his first opening day start and could lead to the lanky lefty earning an All Star start in July on his home mound.
Sánchez signed with the Tampa Bay Rays as an international free agent in 2013 and was traded to the Phillies six years later for infielder Curtis Mead in a few-cared winter transaction. Mead never caught on as an everyday player and is batting .242 in 45 games this season with the Washington Nationals.
Sánchez — throwing a changeup that averages 86.5 mph and holding hitters to a .153 average — and Zack Wheeler have formed a formidable 1-2 punch in the rotation and helped the Phillies play their way out of a 9-19 start to get back into wild card contention.
Sánchez largely has pitched to weak contact, and the scoreless streak has never been in any serious jeopardy since he last allowed two runs in the first inning of a 3-2 Phillies win over the Giants on April 30.
The defensive highlight of his run came in his last start when centerfielder Justin Crawford raced after Manny Machado’s deep drive and crashed into the wall to make the catch.
Sánchez stood on the mound and applauded the effort.
And if Sánchez gets to 60 scoreless, so too, will Hershiser.
“If Cristopher would break it, that would be an honor to be mentioned and I would treat him the same (respectful) way that Don Drysdale treated me,” he said.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 25: Adolis Garcia #53 of the Philadelphia Phillies bats during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on May 25, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Not the greatest week offensively, but hey, they came home from the West coast going 4-2. As I stated in the morning links, there are issues at the plate, but at least the pitching has been on point.
Three up
Cristopher Sanchez – I mean, if you’re going to break records held by players that the average fan is going to have to look up on Baseball Reference to even have a visual of, you’re going to hold a spot on this prestigious list. At some point, this streak is going to end, the one Sanchez is currently on. For now, we need to continue to bask in the greatness Sanchez has established.
Kyle Schwarber – If you had asked me to remember the home runs Schwarber hit this week, I couldn’t tell you. This week was something of an uneventful, boring exercise since they were on the West coast and sleep kept calling my name. Take a peek back and you’ll see that his home runs were rather important ones and should be constant reminders of how important Schwarber is to this lineup. Seriously, imagine this offense without his power being supplied in the middle of the lineup. Actually, maybe don’t since that would be a rather bleak portrait.
The fans’ patience – The Phillies are over .500. That’s good! The offense is pretty bad. That’s bad! The patience being given by the fans is something the team should be thankful for as their performance on the field has been quite bad of late. There are several players that might hear the impatient fans when they return home this week if their current level of production keeps up. But for the most part, the people have been pretty good about how uneven this team is. They deserve a shout out.
Three down
Adolis Garcia – I think it’s time. Garcia has quite literally done nothing in the month of May. He had eleven hits in 101 plate appearances. Three of them went for extra bases. He’s walking more often, but his offensive profile has lent nothing to the team as a whole. His defense is spectacular, this we cannot deny. Yet I’d be more than willing to give a little defense back if it meant bringing someone different aboard that could actually have an impact at the plate. It’s 226 plate appearances as a whole, so it’s not a small sample size any longer. It might be time to move on.
Andrew Painter – Painter’s season was perking up a bit of late, but his start in Los Angeles was a clunker. He’s been disappointing this year to say the least. It’s growing pains, I get that, but I didn’t expect an ERA that was closer to six for the season. No reason at all to use the term “bust” any time soon, but it’s fine to be disappointed with what he has done this year.
KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 20: Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet as seen during a press conference before a MLB game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals on May 20, 2026, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s now June, the month when we expected to see Garrett Crochet again. But while Crochet was progressing nicely in his return from shoulder inflammation and had hoped to skip a rehab assignment altogether, he has since experienced lat tightness and will hit pause on his throwing program. Moreover, he’ll get an MRI some time this week. This doesn’t sound major — yet — but it’s not what you want to hear. “Feels like a very minor setback. It [stinks] to even call it a setback. It doesn’t feel like it even deserves that title,” Crochet said. “Just trying to make sure that when I do return to play, that I’m there for the rest of the year.” (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)
Crochet isn’t the only Sox star to hit a setback (regardless of what he wants to call it). Roman Anthony once again experienced pain and discomfort in his hand when he tried to hit off of a tee. There is no timeline for his return, though he is going to try to swing again tomorrow. “It’s not Roman’s fault,” said Chad Tracy. “None of that’s anybody’s fault. It’s just that he got hurt and it’s a nagging injury on a hand when he’s trying to hit. We have to be patient with that and it’s gonna take a little longer.” (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
With Anthony on the shelf, the Sox can’t afford any more injuries to their few productive hitters. That might be why Chad Tracy gave some time off to Willson Contreras and Ceddanne Rafaela yesterday, both whom were a little banged up. Contreras is dealing with some arm issues, partly due to being hit by pitches, while Rafaela has a bit of a sore back. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
Let’s hope those injuries don’t linger, because between Jarren Duran’s recent resurgence, Trevor Story’s injury, and Caleb Durbin’s reduced playing time, it’s starting to feel like the Red Sox can actually hit. (Rob Bradford, WEEI)
Mickey Gasper deserves a shout-out for his production in the lineup as well, especially since few people ever predicted he’d get to the big leagues. “I had a big chip on my shoulder,” said Gasper “I wanted to prove that I belonged at that level.” (Trevor Haas, Boston.com)
Is the fact that the Red Sox are now counting on Mickey Gaspar instead of a free agent bat like Kyle Schwarber a testement to Craig Breslow’s overreliance on analytical models? “Theo Epstein has been disappointed by the Sox’ intense analytical direction under Breslow,” according to this deep dive into Breslow’s front office. “Theo was an all-forms-of-information guy,’ said one evaluator who was with the Sox during the Epstein era. ‘He didn’t just live on Carmine [their internal database at the time]. He listened to people.‘ (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 30: Kevin Gausman #34 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Target Field on April 30, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Blue Jays 7-1. (Photo by Steven Garcia/Getty Images) | Getty Images
At first glance, it seems like good news that the Atlanta Braves won’t have to deal with Paul Skenes once the Pittsburgh Pirates come to town since he’s going to be pitching against the Astros during the midweek series. With that being said, the pitching matchups still figure to be pretty tough for the Braves since Atlanta will likely be seeing Braxton Ashcraft for the Pirates. Before he comes to town with Pittsburgh, old friend Kevin Gausman will be returning with the Toronto Blue Jays during the midweek series.
While Atlanta’s lineup has frequently stepped up to the occasion whenever needed, this’ll still be a pretty stern test for the whole week as far as the opposing pitching is concerned. Atlanta’s offense will have to be on point this week if they want to keep this blistering run of form going in the right direction. There’s no reason to doubt them, right? Let’s get into what lies ahead for the Braves this week.
June 2-4: Toronto Blue Jays
Current Record: 29-31Projected Record (via FanGraphs):81-81
Needless to say, this is certainly not where the Blue Jays wanted to be after coming so agonizingly close in 2025 to winning the World Series for the first time since 1993. They’re a distant third place behind the Rays and the Yankees and while all isn’t lost for the Blue Jays at the moment (FanGraphs is still giving them a 43.5 percent chance of making the Postseason and the rest of the American League is pretty mediocre), I’d imagine that they would like to pull away from the rest of the pack in the AL Wild Card race sooner rather than later.
The one thing that’s been holding Toronto back has been their offense — or lack therof. As a team, the Blue Jays have produced a wRC+ of 94 so far this season, which is good for the fourth-worst mark in the American League and the seventh-worst mark in all of baseball. This isn’t to say that the Jays don’t have their fair share of dangerous hitters — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. may be struggling to find some pop in his bat right now but he’s still producing at the plate, nonetheless. Kazuma Okamoto has been bringing the pop with 12 dingers and a .205 Isolated Power number so far. Daulton Varsho has been pretty consistent and reliable and they’ve also gotten solid production out of Ernie Clement and Jesús Sánchez as well.
Outside of that, it’s been pretty tough sledding for the Blue Jays and it’s pretty clear that whatever magic tonic George Springer tapped into to produce a near-career year in 2025 has run out because he’s come crashing back down to Earth in terms of production here in 2026. Atlanta will have the top of their rotation going in this series and this feels like an opportunity for them to help keep this Blue Jays lineup quiet over the course of these three games.
With that being said, this could come down to which team has the more consistent pitching across this series. Old friend Kevin Gausman will be starting the series opener and that’ll be a tough task considering that he’s gotten off to a fantastic start to this season so far. He’s only had one start this season where he just got completely blown up, which was back in early-May when the Rays got him for seven runs (six earned) over 4.2 innings. It’s perfectly possible for this Atlanta lineup to do the same but if he keeps them quiet, it wouldn’t be a huge shock, either. Patrick Corbin is also scheduled to pitch during this season and while this would’ve been a green light for scoring a bushel of runs in the past, apparently the Blue Jays have fixed him because he’s actually been pretty solid so far. This won’t be a cakewalk at all!
Toronto’s pitching staff as a whole is sitting on an ERA- of 95 but a FIP- of 87 — that ERA- is above average but that FIP- number is top-five in all of baseball, which would suggest that they could also be vulnerable to making some mistakes in the field. They’re entering this series with a team OAA of -1 which isn’t horrible but could provide an opportunity for the Braves to take advantage of some gaffes in the field. This could be a (say it with me, now) tricky series for the Braves but it seems like a manageable one for this squad with the form that they’re in.
Tuesday, June 2 at 7:15 p.m. ET (BravesVision, Gray TV) Wednesday, June 3 at 7:15 p.m. ET (BravesVision) Thursday, June 4 at 7:15 p.m. ET (BravesVision)
June 5-7: Pittsburgh Pirates
Current Record:32-28Projected Record:85-77
As I mentioned right at the beginning, there’s no Paul Skenes for this series since he’ll be pitching on Wednesday. With that being said, that is very small comfort because Braxton Ashcraft is line to start the weekend series at Cobb County and both of them have been very good to start this season for the Pirates. Ashcraft in particular has been very tough to deal with and through 12 starts, he’s keeping pace with Paul Skenes and (according to fWAR) actually outpacing him a tiny bit as well as Ashcraft has 2.0 fWAR to Skenes’ 1.9. The only knock on Ashcraft’s body of work so far is that whenever he does give up a hit, it’s usually of the Hard-Hit variety and his average exit velocity is around 90-mph. He’s not un-hittable but it’s safe to say that there will likely be some tough sledding ahead once he takes the mound.
I’m also hoping that we’ll get a Mitch Keller/Bryce Elder matchup since that would be Elder’s second “Who’s going to keep getting away with it” matchup this season after he got one over on Justin Wrobleski back at Dodger Stadium. Keller is having a pretty solid year on paper but he’s also had a handful of starts so far where he’s gotten knocked around. In fact, earlier this weekend the Minnesota Twins got him for seven runs on 10 hits over four innings. If that version of Keller shows up then the Braves could be living lavishly against him this weekend. With that being said, Pittsburgh’s pitching staff as a whole has proven to be pretty tough to deal with as they’re carrying an ERA- of 95 and a FIP- of 92 as a staff. They can get the job done and this crew definitely won’t make life easy on the Braves this weekend.
The lineup will have to find a way to produce because the Pirates can definitely hit.They’re currently seventh in all of baseball when it comes to team wRC+ (107) and they’re coming off of a month where they actually went off at the plate a bit and scored the third-most runs in all of baseball during May. They plated 148 runs (trailing just the Yankees and Nationals) and put up a wRC+ of 116 for the month. For comparison’s sake, the Braves scored 139 runs in May and put up a wRC+ of 105. Assuming that they keep it up against Houston, the Pirates offense is going to be coming into town on a bit of a heater.
Brandon Lowe has hit the ground running with the Pirates, Bryan Reynolds is Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz appears to be primed for a big bounce-back season and Spencer Horowitz is looking right at a potential breakout season, himself. They did lose Konnor Griffin to the IL but they got Ryan O’Hearn back as a corresponding move, so there won’t be too much of a dropoff when it comes to the level of production. It’s a lineup full of tough outs and they’ve also finally started to move away from former Braves player Marcell Ozuna as their DH as he has been absolutely scuffling in his new surroundings. Despite that, the Pirates are mashing the ball and Atlanta’s pitching staff will need to be on top of things if they want to keep the Buccos quiet once this weekend’s series rolls around.
Friday, June 5 at 7:15 p.m. ET (BravesVision) Saturday, June 6 at 4:10 p.m. ET (BravesVision) Sunday, June 7 at 1:35 p.m. ET (BravesVision)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 29: Chase DeLauter #24, Daniel Schneemann #10 and Rhys Hoskins #8 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrate after DeLauter and Hoskins scored on a single hit by Angel Martínez during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Progressive Field on May 29, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Every day, Pinstripe Alley offers updates on what the Yankees’ top American League opponents are up to through the Rivalry Roundup. The AL East is well-trodden ground there, but with two months completed, we’re going to take a peek around MLB as a whole and check in with each of the other five divisions. Who’s surprising? Who’s underwhelming? Who’s simply mediocre at the moment? Read on and find out.
First Place: Cleveland Guardians (34-27)
Top Position Player: Brayan Rocchio (1.9 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Parker Messick (1.8 fWAR)
Coming into May, the Guardians sat at an even .500 but still found themselves atop the AL Central. A strong month allowed Cleveland to create a little wiggle room between them and the even mark. Their run differential now also sits in positive territory, if only barely at a +1. That said, this still looks more like a division winner by default than a powerhouse. The Guardians continue to rely on strong pitching and timely contributions at the plate, which has been their formula for most of recent memory.
Offensively, Cleveland has largely treaded water, currently ranking 18th in MLB in runs scored. As expected, José Ramírez remains the engine that makes everything go, but shortstop Brayan Rocchio has emerged as the club’s most pleasant surprise. Now in his fourth season, Rocchio is on pace for the best year of his career with a .779 OPS and four home runs. Much of that success can be traced to improved plate discipline, as he has cut his strikeout rate significantly and needs just one more home run to match last season’s total with less than half the games played.
Part of Cleveland’s May surge may also be tied to the arrival of Travis Bazzana. The second baseman enjoyed an impressive first full month in the majors, slashing .327/.416/.500 with three home runs and eight stolen bases. With Steven Kwan and Kyle Manzardo both struggling to produce consistently, Bazzana has helped add much-needed length and athleticism to the lineup.
As fans have come to expect, however, the pitching remains the driving force behind Cleveland’s success. The Guardians rank among the top 10 teams in ERA and the top five in strikeouts per nine innings. Starters Parker Messick and Gavin Williams have led the way. Messick owns a 6-1 record and a 2.24 ERA, while Williams has gone 8-3 with a 3.07 ERA. The bullpen is rounding into form as well, with right-handers Cade Smith and Colin Holderman joining left-hander Erik Sabrowski as trusted late-inning options for manager Stephen Vogt.
Top Position Player: Colson Montgomery (2.3 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Davis Martin (2.5 fWAR)
Other than Cam Schlittler’s emergence, there may not be a better story in baseball this season than Munetaka Murakami and the White Sox. After years spent buried in the cellar, Chicago has emerged as a young and surprisingly spicy club capable of winning on any given night. The good vibes took a blow with an injury to Murakami but calling up prospect Jacob Gonzalez helps.
The Southsiders were led in May by their three big bats: Murakami, Miguel Vargas, and Colson Montgomery who have the club within one game of the division lead. They may not wow anyone with their batting averages, but they can certainly hit the ball out of the park. The trio has already combined for 48 home runs this season.
On the mound, the White Sox appear to have an ace emerging in Davis Martin. If nothing else, the Texas Tech product is already having a career year. The right-hander is 8-1 with a 2.00 ERA through 11 starts this season. Those eight victories already represent a new career high for the fourth-year pitcher. However, as a unit Chicago’s pitching staff remains a work in progress. The White Sox end May ranked 22nd in baseball with a 4.36 ERA and 25th in walks allowed per nine innings at 3.89.
Top Position Player: Byron Buxton (2.1 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Joe Ryan (2.1 fWAR)
The Twins end May occupying familiar territory: close enough to .500 to remain relevant, but not quite good enough to inspire much confidence. Minnesota has avoided the complete collapse many predicted after last year’s roster turnover, yet they have struggled to establish any real momentum.
Offensively, Minnesota ranks among the top 10 teams in baseball in runs scored, thanks largely to the brilliance of Byron Buxton. The veteran center fielder has been on an absolute tear this season and was especially dangerous in May, slashing .273/.349/.688 with a 1.037 OPS. Buxton already has 17 home runs on the season and when healthy is one of the best hitters in the majors. Unfortunately for the Twins, the good fortune surrounding Buxton’s health appears it might come at the sacrifice of catcher Ryan Jeffers. Jeffers underwent hamate surgery in mid-May and is expected to miss at least another month.
While the offense has done its part, the pitching staff has been a different story. Minnesota enters June in the bottom third of baseball with a 4.47 ERA and a modest 7.99 strikeouts per nine innings. After a rocky April, Joe Ryan rebounded nicely in May, holding opponents to a .163 batting average and allowing just five earned runs across five starts. However, much like the offense, the Twins also had to navigate an injury scare with one of their key contributors. Taj Bradley missed most of May with pectoral inflammation before returning to the rotation at the end of the month.
The biggest issue, however, is the bullpen. To put it kindly, relief pitching has been a major problem for Minnesota throughout the first two months of the season. Manager Derek Shelton is still searching for answers once he takes the ball from his starters.
Top Position Player: Bobby Witt Jr. (3.4 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Seth Lugo (1.7 fWAR)
With the Yankees’ recent trip to Kansas City still fresh in everyone’s mind, it may come as a surprise to see the Royals sitting near, but not at, the bottom of the division. The Royals entered 2026 expecting to contend. Instead, they have become one of baseball’s biggest disappointments, only spared that title by the team currently sitting below them in the standings.
At the plate, the Royals have largely become a one-man show. That man, of course, is Bobby Witt Jr. The superstar shortstop is putting together another MVP-caliber campaign, slashing .286/.350/.474 with nine home runs while continuing to provide excellent defense at shortstop. Salvador Perez has also launched nine home runs this season, but the veteran catcher has struggled overall. At 36 years old it appears Father Time may finally be catching up to the former perennial All-Star.
Michael Wacha has continued his impressive season on the mound, posting a 2-0 record and a 2.18 ERA during May. Wacha also looked sharp against the Yankees on May 25th, tossing seven innings while allowing just two runs. Unfortunately for Kansas City, the rest of the rotation, outside of Seth Lugo, has not held up its end of the bargain. The Royals rank 24th in baseball with a 4.51 ERA.
The Royals bullpen could become an area of interest as the trade deadline approaches. Right-handers John Schreiber and Daniel Lynch IV have both put together strong seasons. Schreiber owns a 2.86 ERA, while Lynch has posted a 1.93 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP, and 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Both worked scoreless innings against the Yankees during a series in which New York scored 26 runs over three games.
Top Position Player: Kevin McGonigle (2.2 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Casey Mize (1.7 fWAR)
The Tigers entered May tied for the division lead at 16-16 and seemingly positioned to challenge Cleveland throughout the summer. It was not quite the start Detroit envisioned, but a club many picked to represent the American League in October still looked very much alive. Then everything unraveled.
The loss of ace Tarik Skubal on May 4th sent Detroit spiraling from contender to the bottom of the weakest division in baseball following a disastrous 6-19 month. Along the way, the Tigers watched their run differential swing from plus-nine to minus-39 as nearly everything that could go wrong did.
The problems have shown up on both sides of the ball. Detroit enters June ranked 28th in baseball in runs scored while sitting squarely in the middle of the pack with a 15th-place team ERA. The Tigers also grade out as a bottom-third defensive club, making it difficult to overcome their shortcomings elsewhere.
The silver lining for Tigers fans, if there is one, is that the AL Central remains remarkably forgiving and a run at the end took the division last season. Top prospect Kevin McGonigle has also looked more than capable in his debut, giving the organization a glimpse of a brighter future. However, luckily for the rest of the league, Detroit increasingly looks like a team whose hopeful season has already slipped away.
The Athletic's Corey Pronman released his latest 2026 NHL mock draft with June now here. In it, he predicted all 32 picks of the first round.
When it came to the Montreal Canadiens, Pronman had the Habs selecting forward Liam Ruck.
When looking at the numbers Ruck put up this season in the WHL, there is no question that he would be an exciting prospect for the Canadiens to add to their system. The 6-foot winger appeared in 68 games this season with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL, where he posted 45 goals, 59 assists, and 104 points. With numbers like these, it is clear that he has a lot of skill.
Ruck has the potential to become a top-six forward in the NHL, so he is the kind of forward prospect who the Canadiens would be wise to consider if he is still available when they are on the clock. There is a lot to like about his game, and he would give them another fascinating scorer in their prospect pool.
Yet, with how well Ruck played this season, there is certainly a chance that he will be selected before the Canadiens have the chance to do so. It will be interesting to see what happens on that front.
A DraftKings bettor won more than $1.7 million from a $2,500 parlay that was capped off by the San Antonio Spurs winning the Western Conference finals.
The four-leg parlay, valued at +68,528 odds, contained legs from the Winter Olympics, national title game, and NBA postseason.
Key Takeaways
The parlay had a cash-out value of under $300,000 after the Spurs fell behind 3-2 against the Thunder.
The ticket began in February when the Winter Olympics were still in progress.
DraftKings believes that the Spurs are NBA champions in waiting.
DraftKings’ $1.7 million parlay was one of the top stories to follow during the conference finals. The +68,528 odds translated to a 0.15% implied chance and would pay $686.28 for every $1 wagered.
Two of the four legs - Team USA to win Gold in hockey at Milan-Cortina and Michigan to win the college championship - had already cashed before the NBA playoffs began. The Spurs still needed to beat the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Knicks needed to take out the Eastern Conference preseason favorite Cleveland Cavaliers.
The bettor, known as “Parlay Prince,” didn’t face any trouble with the Knicks, who swept the Cavaliers out of the playoffs in short order. That was far from the case in the Western Conference finals, which went down to the wire in Game 7.
DraftKings provided updates of cash-out values that were offered over the last week as the Spurs and Thunder exchanged blows. The offer dropped as low as $293,273.26 and sat at $612,212.95 heading into the final game.
WE HAVE AN UPDATED CASH OUT OFFER HEADING INTO GAME 7 🚨
The offer stands at $612,212.95 and Parlay Prince is NOT taking it as of now
Despite the Thunder being favored, the bettor opted not to cash out or place a hedge bet, making Game 7 a truly all-or-nothing event.
While many online users slammed “Parlay Prince” for their stubbornness, he ended up walking away with the full prize after the Spurs won Game 7, 111-103.
“All you gotta do is believe, and if you believe it, you can achieve it,” Parlay Prince said in a video recorded at the Thunder’s arena after his ticket cashed.
“ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS BELIEVE”
Almost everyone told Parlay Prince to cash out and he said I believe 👏
With the Spurs or Knicks soon to be crowned NBA champions, the league is about to experience for the first time an eighth different champion in as many seasons. DraftKings believes the team in waiting is the Spurs, who are -205 (67.2% implied chance) to win the Finals. The Knicks are +170 (37% chance).
Despite the Spurs being in pole position, the Knicks have and are continuing to make up ground. San Antonio was -225 in hypothetical lookahead lines before Game 7, meaning they lost 2% probability since they were crowned Western Conference champions.
DraftKings’ users are going against the grain. Although series betting splits aren’t publicly available, 59% of tickets and 70% of the handle in the Game 1 moneyline market are on the Knicks. An additional 55% of bets and 53% of the money are on the Knicks at +4.5, according to DraftKings Nation.
Ready for Game 1
This is the second time that the Spurs have met the Knicks in the NBA Finals. The first time occurred in 1999, when Tim Duncan led the franchise to its first title over the only 8-seed ever to reach the championship.
Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns wore a shirt promoting the ‘99 Finals ahead of his first game with the Knicks after he had been traded by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2024. He will now star in the rematch 27 years later.
DraftKings has the Spurs at -198 moneyline odds (66.4% chance) and the Knicks at +164 (37.9%) in Game 1, which will take place in San Antonio. Both teams are undefeated in Game 1s in the playoffs.
What are the odds that President Donald Trump will sit courtside at an NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden? Wonder no more.
DraftKings' director of sports operations Johnny Avello has listed hypothetical odds on which celebrities will be spotted on celebrity row when the New York Knicks host the San Antonio Spurs during the NBA Finals.
Key Takeaways
Mainstays Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, and Timothee Chalamet own the shortest odds.
Zohran Mamdani (+5,000) and Taylor Swift (+6,000) are among the long shots.
Odds are not available for betting and only for entertainment purposes.
The list of celebrity names goes 60 deep and includes noted Knicks fans Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, and Timothee Chalamet (-25,000), media personalities Mike Francesa (+400) and Howard Stern (+1,000), and the aforementioned President.
Trump has said he plans to attend a Finals game at MSG.
"I think I'll be going to one of the games," the President said in May. "I was invited by numerous people, and (owner James Dolan), and I think I'll be going."
President Trump says he thinks he'll go see the New York Knicks play at Madison Square Garden for one of their NBA Finals games after getting an invitation from team owner Jim Dolan.
But will he sit courtside? DraftKings lists the odds of that happening at -125, a near coin flip.
All eyes on New York City
The Knicks are returning to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 and haven't won a championship since 1973.
With the Knicks' championship drought and New York's place as the largest media market in America, all eyes will be on their series against sophomore star Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.
Celebrity row looked a little different the last time the Knicks were in the Finals.
Celebrity row at Game 4 of the 1999 NBA Finals at the Garden. Not much has changed 💙🧡
The sure bets include director and diehard Knicks fan Spike Lee, comedian and New York native Tracy Morgan, Stiller, and Chalamet at -25,000 odds. Chalamet's girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, comes in a shade below at -20,000.
Knicks legends Walt Frazier (-20,000), Patrick Ewing (-20,000), Larry Johnson (-15,000), and John Starks (-12,500) follow them.
The long shots include musician and New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen (+40,000), fashion staples Emily Ratajkowski (+50,000) and Calvin Klein (+50,000), and former Knicks great Charles Oakley (+100,000). Oakley infamously was arrested and banned from MSG by Dolan. He did attend Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals in Cleveland to watch the Knicks sweep the Cavaliers.
Springsteen may not be favored on the oddsboard, but he has an ally in Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose.
Because Cleveland made the ECF Knicks president Leon Rose—who’s reportedly been to over 100 Bruce Springsteen concerts—got to catch another one in Cleveland tonight
The Los Angeles Lakers have made no secret of their long-term vision since acquiring Luka Dončić. The franchise’s focus is building its next championship contender around the 27-year-old superstar, and that strategy could have major implications for both LeBron James and Austin Reaves this offseason.
According to Lakers insider Jovan Buha, Reaves has emerged as a higher organizational priority than James as free agency approaches.
The Lakers reportedly view Austin Reaves as a bigger priority than LeBron James this offseason. AP
“If it comes down to whether you’d rather pay Austin $40 million per year for the next five years or LeBron $40 million for one year, they’re going to prioritize the long-term contract,” Buha said. “Austin is more of a priority for the Lakers than LeBron.”
The reasoning is straightforward. Reaves is entering his prime at 28 years old and fits alongside Dončić’s timeline.
After averaging a career-best 23.3 points and 5.5 assists during the 2025-26 season, Reaves has evolved from an undrafted role player into one of the franchise’s foundational pieces.
President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks to the media during a press conference at UCLA Health Training Center Getty Images
The Lakers have also publicly expressed their desire to keep him. President of basketball operations Rob Pelinka recently stated that the franchise wants Reaves’ “odyssey” in Los Angeles to continue, while Reaves himself told TMZ he wants to “run it back” with the Lakers.
That doesn’t mean James is no longer wanted. The Lakers still hope the NBA’s all-time leading scorer returns for a 24th season.
Reaves has repeatedly spoken about his close relationship with James and said it would “mean the world” to continue playing alongside him.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, grabs a rebound away from Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein during the first half of Game 4 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series AP
Still, the franchise’s priorities appear clear. Dončić is the centerpiece, Reaves is viewed as a long-term co-star, and James, despite his legendary status, is operating on a year-to-year timeline.
For the first time in decades, the Lakers’ future may matter more than their past.
Nov 17, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) throws a pass beside Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (4) in the first quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images
In an article by Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, he describes where the Cavaliers’ ‘brain trust’ lands on a potential trade centered around Evan Mobley for Antetokounmpo.
“The Cavs love Mobley, they believe in him and there are multiple members of the Cleveland brain trust that would be vehemently against a Giannis-Mobley swap…(Mobley) is viewed as not only a future star but also a proverbial safety net when it comes to another rebuild.”
There has been a lot of discourse around Mobley as the player to be moved if the Cavaliers want to reshuffle the deck. It would make sense if the Cavaliers were angling for a win-now mentality. With a soon to be 37-year-old James Harden and a will be 30-year-old Donovan Mitchell, you can’t have this two-timeline sort of mentality.
Everyone wants to point to the Golden State Warriors’ 2022 title and how they were able to navigate this, almost impossible feat. However, when you look at that championship from a 3,000-foot view, you would notice that in 2026, no one considered as a young building block really panned out. It was the old guard that made that title team who they were, Golden State would soon offload all those players (Jordan Poole, James Weisman, Jonathan Kuminga, etc.) to try and keep their core (Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green) relevant.
If the Cavaliers brass reportedly already is thinking about “safety net(s),” they may be setting themselves up to blow up this nucleus sooner rather than later. A half-in, half-out mentality will hamstring whichever direction the franchise would prefer to go.
To achieve either a rebuild or trying to improve their title odds, the Cavaliers need to go all in. By acquiring a veteran Harden at last deadline, there was a clear signal of going for the title now. If they decide not to move Mobley because they are thinking about the future, they’re likely not maximizing their current title window.
Miami (26-34) and Washington (31-29) meet for the second series this season as the Marlins won the first series, 2-1. The three-game series will be at Nationals Park and the final stretch of a nine-game road stand for Miami.
The Marlins enter on a season-long five-game losing streak. Miami has been outscored 35-11 in that span and scored one run in four out of five games. Miami is hitting .222 in those five games (22nd), while the pitching staff has a whopping 7.19 ERA (27th).
Washington has won two straight and six of the previous eight to stay afloat and over .500. The Nationals' pitching rotation has a 3.36 ERA over the last 13 games (8th), while the offense has the third-most home runs (20) in that stretch.
Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Game details & how to watch Marlins at Nationals
Date: Monday, June 1, 2026
Time: 6:45 PM EST
Site: Nationals Park
City: Washington, DC
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Marlins at the Nationals
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: Washington Nationals (-144), Miami Marlins (+119)
The Nationals’ CJ Abrams is hitting .294 with 63 hits and 116 total bases over 214 at-bats
The Nationals’ Nasim Nunez is hitting .189 with 32 hits and 42 strikeouts over 169 at-bats
The Marlins’ Otto Lopez is hitting .326 with 75 hits and 105 total bases over 230 at-bats
The Marlins’ Kyle Stowers is hitting .221 with 30 hits and 44 strikeouts over 136 at-bats
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Marlins at Nationals
The Mets are 24-35 ATS, ranking fifth-worst
The Marlins are 26-34 ATS, ranking eight-worst
The Mets are 29-25-5 to the Under, ranking ninth-best
The Marlins are 36-21-3 to the Over, ranking second-best
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Marlins and the Nationals
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Monday's game between the Marlins and the Nationals:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Nationals on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Nationals at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Over on the Game Total of 8.0
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The AL West may have missed its chance to leave the Seattle Mariners behind.
Seattle has been under .500 for most of the season, but now the Mariners (31-29) lead the division after six straight victories. They’ve made this run without slugger Cal Raleigh, who was hitting .161 when he went on the injured list.
It doesn’t take much to shake up the standings in the AL West. The Mariners’ streak included a three-game sweep over the Athletics. The A’s were in first place, but have lost seven of their last nine. Houston has won eight of its last 12 to pull back into contention, just 4 1/2 games out of first place. The whole division is separated by 8 games, the top three teams by 2 1/2.
Despite Raleigh’s absence, the Mariners are fourth in the American League in home runs, but pitching is what has driven this recent run. Seattle has held opponents to two runs or fewer in five of its last six games.
The same five starters have made 57 of Seattle’s 60 starts. Bryan Woo (3.44), Logan Gilbert (3.69), George Kirby (3.77) and Emerson Hancock (2.78) all have ERAs among the top 25 in the AL. Luis Castillo (5.53) lags behind the other four starters, but lately Seattle has been using him in sort of a tag team with Bryce Miller, with one starting and the other coming out of the bullpen.
In a 9-2 win over the Athletics, Castillo pitched four scoreless innings and then Miller threw the last five. Against Arizona, Miller started and went five innings, then Castillo worked the last five and Seattle won 3-2 in 10.
Trivia time
The New York Yankees scored 13 runs in the third inning in their 13-8 victory over the Athletics. The Yankees actually went hitless in the other eight innings.
Anthony Volpe became the third player in the last 50 years to have two hits, two runs and two steals in an inning. Who were the other two?
Bonus question: Volpe nearly got to bat three times in the inning, but he was on deck when the third out came. Who was the last player with three plate appearances in an inning.
Performance of the week
Jacob Misiorowski struck out 12 in seven two-hit innings — throwing 57 pitches of at least 100 mph — as the Milwaukee Brewers beat St. Louis 5-1. Milwaukee went on to sweep three straight from the Cardinals, and the Brewers now lead the NL Central by 4 1/2 games over St. Louis.
Comeback of the week
The Orioles trailed by four with one out and nobody on in the bottom of the ninth. Toronto never got another out, with Jeff Hoffman allowing the next six hitters to reach base before Connor Seabold issued a bases-loaded walk to Adley Rutschman that tied the game. Pete Alonso followed with a single to give Baltimore a 6-5 win.
Toronto’s win probability was 99.3%, according to Baseball Savant, before Hoffman hit a batter and allowed a triple, a single, a double and two walks.
The Orioles went 7-3 on their homestand against Detroit, Tampa Bay and Toronto. That included a walk-off win over each of those teams and a three-game sweep of the AL East-leading Rays.
Trivia answer
Detroit’s Alan Trammell had two hits, two runs and two steals in the bottom of the first on Sept. 20, 1983, against Baltimore. Seattle’s Mike Cameron pulled it off in the top of the seventh on May 16, 2002, against Toronto.
Bonus answer: Boston’s Johnny Damon had three plate appearances in the bottom of the first on June 27, 2003, against Florida. He had a single, a double and a triple as the Red Sox scored 14 runs in the first.
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