DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MARCH 23: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on March 23, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The series between the Lakers and Rockets shifts back to LA for Game 5 on Wednesday. The Lakers will once again look to eliminate Houston from the playoffs.
The Lakers suffered their first postseason loss last Sunday, and it wasn’t all that surprising. Being on the road on the verge of sweeping a fifth-seeded opponent, it was expected that the Rockets would show some pride and play their best game yet — and they did.
Houston clamped down on Los Angeles and forced them into a series-high 23 turnovers. It also didn’t help that the Lakers had their worst shooting performance yet, going 5-22 from the field. It was very much a one-sided event.
That’s why in Game 5, the Lakers will be ready to execute some adjustments. One of which is the potential return of Austin Reaves, who will suit up for the first time since his injury in early April. Reaves is considered a game-time decision for this one, but it sure sounds like he’s determined to get out there.
Besides Reaves’ return, there’s certainly going to be motivation for the purple and gold to close this one out, not only because the series has gotten more physical and chippy, but they also know that the Oklahoma City Thunder are waiting for them in the second round.
A better performance from everyone across the board, especially LeBron James, Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart, would put them in a position to win this one.
The Lakers have to find ways to control Alperen Şengün and make sure the Rockets don’t shoot 40% from the 3-point line again. It’ll help that Kevin Durant is officially ruled out for this one, so this game will pretty much be about defense for the purple and gold.
Perhaps the Lakers have also taken notice of how the Rockets have been talking as of late, and that might just be the extra motivation they need.
Alperen Sengun on expected physicality vs. Lakers in Game 5, via @BinkleyHoops:
“I’m ready… I know they’re gonna hit. Well, we’re hitting them too… We’re younger. We heal faster than them probably.” pic.twitter.com/3rsudOHFDT
#Rockets Jabari Smith Jr. on what Kevin Durant’s message to the team has been during game 4 & in the days since, “stay with it, be us, be aggressive, play free.” Smith added, “we’re obviously the better team I feel like.” & when asked why he feels that way said,” I just feel like… pic.twitter.com/Y1yyCeq9Wu
“I want to get back out there as fast as I can,” Reaves told reporters Tuesday, April 28 at the Lakers’ training facility.
Increasingly, it sounds like Reaves is returning to action after missing the past nine games with a strained oblique muscle.
But is that a bad idea?
Would the Lakers be better off sitting Reaves again when they play the Houston Rockets Wednesday, April 29 in Los Angeles? Would it make sense to remove the risk of reinjury as they take a 3-1 lead into Game 5 with a chance to close out the first-round playoff series?
Presumably. the extra rest could further heal the oblique muscle Reaves strained April 2 before missing nine straight games recovering from the injury.
Something else to keep in mind: Reaves, the Lakers’ second-leading scorer in the regular season, could help the Lakers clinch the series and kill any hope of a historic Rockets rally. (No NBA team ever won a playoff series after being down 3-0, and the Rockets avoided a sweep by winning Game 4 in Houston.)
But that’s missing the more important point if Reaves is ready to play, according to Mychael Thompson, who won NBA championships as a member of the Lakers in 1987 and 1988 and is a broadcaster for the Laker games.
“Needs a tuneup game before the OKC series,’’ Thompson told USA TODAY Sports of Reaves.
When they Lakers end this series, they’ll be facing the reigning champions and top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. And they’ll need Reaves in as close to top form as possible. That’ll be even more true with Luka Dončić out indefinitely with a hamstring injury.
As of Wednesday, Reaves will have gone 26 days without playing in a game. It’s hard to imagine he’ll be in top form for the Oklahoma City Thunder after one game against the Rockets. Of course, the series could extend another three games. Regardless, the faster Reaves gets back into game action, the faster he’ll regain the form during which he averaged 23.3 points per game this season and a career-high 51 points against the Sacramento Kings Oct. 26.
The Lakers will need that explosive guard to have any shot of beating the Thunder.
Concerns about the Lakers pushing Reaves back too quickly are unfounded. Before each of the past two games, Reaves was listed as questionable and ended up sitting out.
There’s no rush.
But if he’s ready, and he’s suggested he is – “I feel good,’’ he told reporters. “Trending in the right direction’’ – it’s time to get him back on the court.
Apr 28, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Logan Gilbert (36) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images | Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
Blake Snell had his way with Class-A hitters in his second minor league rehab start on Tuesday night. The Dodgers left-hander struck out six in three scoreless innings for Ontario against the Lake Elsinore Storm, a San Diego Padres affiliate.
Snell struck out all three batters he faced in the first inning, then allowed a leadoff double in the second but struck out the next three batters to escape that frame unscathed. He needed only five pitches to complete a perfect third inning with a flyout and two groundouts.
In all, Snell threw 39 pitches on Tuesday, 29 for strikes. He induced 11 swinging strikes, and retired nine of his 10 batters faced.
“The first two starts are like — for me, I’m very patient. I just want to see how I feel, how I respond, what’s working, what’s not working. If offspeed is really good, if the fastball is really good, I want to learn how they’re playing,” Snell told reporters last week in San Francisco after his first rehab start. “After those first two starts, that’s when you get more aggressive, like okay now we need to make it happen.”
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 28: Martín Perez #33 of the Atlanta Braves reacts in the third inning during action against the Detroit Tigers at Truist Park on April 28, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves took on the Detroit Tigers in a clash of first place teams, both with some of the best rotation outputs in MLB. The Braves are red hot having won twenty games before May for the first time in franchise history, and going 20-9 for only the ninth time in franchise history. This game had the makings of a low scoring affair if Martín Pérez was able to keep up his surprising start. As a side note, this series will be the only time these two teams meet in the regular season.
Martín Pérez has kept runs off the board, but his underlying metrics show he has been lucky. He got the job done again tonight though. Casey Mize, the Tigers’ SP for the night, has been stellar so far this season. However, he has never beaten Atlanta and holds a career 4.66 ERA against them.
Martín Pérez sat down the the first three hitters he faced with relative ease, and this is important because Gleyber Torres has three HRs against him in his twenty-two at-bats against Pérez. Ronald Acuña may finally be heating up as he smoked a ball for a double to lead off the the bottom of the first inning. It looked like the Braves would start their scoring then with Baldwin moving the runner to third with a groundout and then Matt Olson walking. However, Mize was able to Albies to strike out and Harris to ground out.
Pérez made it interesting in the second, but just like the rest of the year he was fortunate in the stranding runners on base department. He produced a groundout, but then gave up a walk on an ABS challenged pitch. After a Greene groundout, he gave up another walk. Fortunately, he calmed down and got the strike out to end the top of the second.
The Braves could not get anything going in the second, and to add salt to the wound Dominic Smith lost a challenge on a strikeout. Pérez settled down for the most part in the third by only giving up one baserunner, but it was yet another walk. The Braves finally broke through in the third inning. Yastrzemski decided it was time to get out of his slump and hit a double. Not to be outdone, Acuña followed that up with his second double of the night to plate the first run of the game.
On the same play, it moved Acuña to third and Matt Olson cashed in by hitting a sacrifice fly to make the score 2-0. Albies grounded out, but the Braves had done what they needed to. In the fourth inning, Pérez finally gave up his first hit when Dingler hit a single. By this time it seemed like it was not possible that it was the first hit because of the amount of baserunners, but Pérez has been really good at keeping his composure this season to stay calm and strand runners. Dingler’s single was the only base runner of the inning for the Tigers.
The good news for Austin Riley in the fourth inning is he finally got on base. The bad news is that it was due to a throwing error from a pitcher who would not have even been in the game if it were not for an injury. Kyle Farmer finally saw some playing time replacing Dominic Smith at DH due the pitching matchup, but he unfortunately struck out. The Braves were not able to capitalize on the error and Riley was the only baserunner of the inning.
Pérez stayed in the pitch the fifth inning and it was the right move, technically, but it was not without its drama. Lee doubled to start the inning, but Pérez got Báez to groundout. He then got a strikeout, but then it got scary for a second when Torres walked and then after a mound visit Kevin McGonigle looked to have hit a HR, but Acuña does what he does best and jumped at the wall to make the play to end the top of the fifth. The Braves were shut down in the fifth, but thanks to Acuña, they maintained their lead.
In the sixth inning Didier Fuentes made his first appearance since being called up. This goes to show he likely will remain in the reliever role for now. Pérez ended his night with 5.0 IP with two hits, zero runs, and five strikeouts, lowering his season ERA to 2.22. Fuentes stayed in the game for 2.0 innings and only allowed one baserunner via a walk. He also picked up a strikeout along the way. The Braves again had a blank on offense in the bottom of the sixth.
In the bottom of the seventh Riley led off with a strikeout which was confirmed via ABS and Farmer stuck out again as well. However, the back end of the lineup came through as Dubón had a double, making it four total for the Braves thus far in the game and then Yastrzemsi knocked him in with a single to make the score 3-0.
Moving onto the eighth inning and we see that Tyler Kinley is human after all when he gave up a single and a double. But, he did not give up a run and had assistance from ABS with a strikeout when Greene challenged and failed on an excellent pitch on the lower corner.
In the bottom of the eighth Baldwin continued to struggle with a pop out but Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies made up for it when Olson hit a double and then Ozzie Albies smacked a HR to make the score 5-0. Shocker alert, it was against a lefty.
It looked like more damage may be done with a single from Harris and Farmer but no more runs were scored. With the Braves bullpen, confidence was high.
With a five run cushion, Aaron Bummer came in to pinch. Fortunately the five run cushion existed because Bummer did not have his best night. He gave up a two-run HR, but was able to get three outs to end it.
It is hard to say if the Braves would win this game if it was simulated multiple times because of the Mize injury and Pérez walking as many hitters as he did, but the Braves were having no issues hitting doubles like it was batting practice and score enough runs to get the job done.
The first team to twenty-one wins will have a tougher test tomorrow as they face two-time reigning Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal tomorrow at the same time and the same place.
The Minnesota Wild (2-2) welcomed back Mats Zuccarello and Yakov Trenin against the Dallas Stars (2-2) for Game 5 after their injuries.
Unfortunately for the Wild, one of their top defensemen blocked a shot in the second period and did not return.
Under two minutes into the second period, Jonas Brodin took a shot from Mikko Rantanen off the skate and was laboring.
Brodin, 32, skated off and then went down the tunnel. He did not return for the rest of the second period and is not on the ice for the third period.
The Wild have Matt Kiersted, Daemon Hunt and Jeff Petry in the wings. If Brodin can’t go for Game 6, Hunt seems like the most plausible option.
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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 10: Ethan Roberts #39 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field on April 10, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cubs claimed left-handed reliever Doug Nikhazy off of waivers and assigned him to Triple-A Iowa. Infielder Ben Cowles was designated for assignment.
Left-hander Jackson Brockett was promoted from Low-A Myrtle Beach to High-A South Bend.
Shortstop Yahil Melendez was promoted to Myrtle Beach from Mesa.
Jordan Wicks made a rehab start today and he was greeted with a leadoff home run and things didn’t get much better from there. The first four batters reached and then after a ground out to first, Wicks gave up a three-run home run. Overall, he gave up five runs in the first inning and one more solo home run in the second.
The final line on Wicks was six runs on seven hits, including three home runs, over two innings. Wicks walked one and struck out no one. I suppose in his defense, the wind was howling out to dead center. In fact, Iowa allowed six home runs total and hit four themselves.
Ethan Roberts pitched the fifth inning on a rehab assignment and gave up a home run to the first batter of the inning. But then he settled down and struck out the next three batters to end his day.
Minnesota native center fielder Brett Bateman led off the top of the third inning in front of his family and connected for his first home run of the year. Bateman was 1 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base.
Third baseman BJ Murray singled after Bateman’s home run and then second baseman James Triantos clobbered a two-run home run. It was Triantos’ fourth on the year. Triantos went 1 for 3 with a walk and Murray was 1 for 4.
In the sixth inning, left fielder Kevin Alcántara crushed his ninth home run of the year with the bases empty. Alcántara was 1 for 4.
Finally, Hayden Cantrelle took over for Ben Cowles at shortstop when Cowles was designated for assignment mid-game. Cantrelle hit a solo home run in his only time at bat in the top of the ninth. It was Cantrelle’s second this season.
Iowa had five hits today. Four of them were home runs.
Bateman’s home run.
The hometown kid Brett Bateman gets his first Triple-A home run and gets the I-Cubs on the board! pic.twitter.com/xIfSgHE216
Kenton Egbert started and gave South Bend three scoreless innings, permitting three hits. Egbert struck out one and walked no one, so he kept the ball in play.
Brayden Spears took over for Egbert in the fourth inning and got the win. Spears allowed a solo home run to the second batter he faced, but that was the only hit and the only run he gave up over three innings. Spears walked one and struck out one.
Jackson Kirkpatrick had an ugly save in the ninth. First, he loaded the bases with no outs on two hit batsmen and a walk. After getting a strikeout, he walked another batter to force in a run. But with the tying run on second and just one out, Kirkpatrick got a second strikeout and a grounder to second base to end the game.
DH Cameron Sisneros hit his third home run of the year with the bases empty in the fifth inning. Sisneros went 1 for 2 with three walks and two runs scored. One of the three walks was intentional.
First baseman Cole Mathis was 2 for 4 with a double and a bases-loaded walk in the fourth inning for the Cubs first run. Mathis also scored once.
Shortstop Miguel Olivo was 3 for 4 with an RBI double.
Some great defense for Matt Halbach at third base. He was 1 for 5.
Starter Noah Edders went four innings and allowed just two runs, both unearned, on five hits. He struck out two and walked no one.
Daniel Avitia pitched the next three innings and allowed four runs in the seventh inning, coughing up the Birds 6-2 lead. Avitia’s final line was four runs, three earned, on three hits over three innings. Avitia struck out four, walked one and hit two batters.
Eli Jerzembeck was activated off the injured list, pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth inning and got the win. Jerzembeck allowed no hits, but he did walk three while striking out five.
Shortstop Ty Southisene broke up the 6-6 tie with an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth. Southisene went 1 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base.
First baseman Michael Carico hit a solo home run in the second inning. It was his third of the year. Carico finished the night 1 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored.
Next up, catcher Logan Poteet went back-to-back with Carico to make it 2-0. Poteet was 1 for 3 with two walks.
In the fifth inning, DH Eli Lovich connected with the bases empty for his second home run of the year. Lovich was 2 for 4 with two runs scored.
Apr 28, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Tigers center fielder Javier Baez (28) goes down with an injury against the Atlanta Braves in the fifth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
After a pit-stop on the way down I-75 for three games and some questionable “chili,” the Tigers continued south to visit the red-hot Atlanta ball club for the opener of a three-game series on Tuesday night. The Tigers’ bats ran cold, two key players left the game with injuries, and they dropped the opener to the tune of a 5-2 tally.
Making his sixth start of the season for the Tigers was Casey Mize, and he’s looked good in his last couple of starts before tonight. Arguably, his April 17 outing in Boston was one of the best of his career: 6 2/3 shutout innings, three hits, one walk and seven strikeouts? By the stat of Game Score — a rough index to try and determine how good a start is — that was a 74, the highest of his career, one above a stellar start in 2021 against the Mariners. (There are some names in that box score, eh?)
Facing Mize and the Tigers was lefty Martín Pérez, making his fourth start (against two relief appearances) for Atlanta this year. He spent nine years in the Rangers’ rotation before bouncing around a little: some time with the Twins, another stint in Texas, and the south side of Chicago last year. He didn’t make Atlanta’s big-league roster out of Spring Training, but was quickly recalled from Triple-A and has had some nice appearances so far. He’ll give you some innings, won’t dominate you too often, generally limits home-run power and, while he used to be an extreme ground-ball pitcher early in his career, has become much less so recently.
On the first pitch of the bottom of the first, Ronald Acuña Jr. smacked a double to the wall, but Mize was able to get the next three batters and strand him at third. He then sawed-through the next three batters in the second, including featuring that right-on-right splitter that, earlier in his career, he’d use primarily against lefties alone.
Meanwhile, Pérez was pulling the string with his changeup more than a kid with a new Chatty Cathy doll: he struck out both Spencer Torkelson, Kevin McGonigle and Jahmai Jones (three hitters on heaters lately) with straight change-ups right down the middle. You know what I said about not dominating teams? Well, he had it tonight.
Atlanta got on the board first with a pair of doubles to start the bottom of the third inning, by Mike Yastrzemski and Acuña to put the home team up 1-0, and let the record show that I spelled Yastrzemski right without looking. The next batter, Drake Baldwin, hit a dribbler up the first-base line; Mize fielded the ball and tossed underhand to first for the out, and he came up limping, favouring his right leg, and that was it for Mize; it was later reported that he had some “right groin tightness.”
Brant Hurter, who’s been used as a multi-inning reliever, came on for Mize and gave up a sacrifice-fly liner to score Acuña for a 2-0 lead.
Dillon Dingler managed the first Tiger hit with one out in the fourth, despite getting three on base before that via the base-on-balls. Alas, Dingler was stranded there after Riley Greene flew out and Torkelson struck out.
Hao-Yu Lee started the fifth with a double, and Javier Báez hit a grounder to shortstop. The throw to first was high, and Báez figured he could get underneath a tag by sliding into first base — which is never a good idea, kids — and ended up twisting his right ankle. He had to be taken off the field on a cart, but if you can have a little hope here, he was seen wiggling and moving his ankle around while on the cart.
(I don’t want to have to point this out, but… that belt of Báez looks a little too Zubaz-ish for my liking. IYKYK.)
After Gleyber Torres walked, McGonigle hit a long fly ball to right, but it was caught halfway up the wall for the third out and the threat was extinguished.
Pérez, whose pitch count was pushed up by a few long at-bats, was out after five innings and Didier Fuentes, a young right-hander from Colombia, took over and he had his slider working overtime, scattering a Greene walk harmlessly amid three quick outs. The Tigers struck out less than the Braves in this one, and hit the ball pretty solidly for the most part, but they neglected to hit them where they ain’t.
Burch Smith took over for Hurter to start the sixth, facing the heart of the order. He got Matt Olson to strike out swinging, and after walking Ozzie Albies, he got Michael Harris II to ground into an inning-ending double play. Smith carried on into the seventh, and with two outs he gave up a double to Mauricio Dubón, who scored on a Yastrzemski single just over Torres’ glove to make it 3-0. But then Chris Fetter paid Smith a visit, whispered some sweet nothings into Smith’s ear, and he struck out Acuña on three pitches.
In the top of the eighth McGonigle singled and Dingler doubled, putting runners on second and third with two outs and bringing Greene to the plate as the tying run. Alas, Greene struck out looking on a pitch that barely nicked the corner of the strike zone, and the inning was over.
Tyler Holton relieved Smith in the bottom of the eighth, and the Georgians tacked-on a pair of runs but-quick: with one out Olson doubled and Albies smacked a fat changeup over the fence for a 5-0 lead.
Torkelson came up first in the ninth inning for one last chance to extend his home run-hitting streak, but he grounded out to third; fun while it lasted. After Colt Keith singled, Wenceel Pérez hit his second home run of the year to get the Tigers on the board, but that would be the final scoring action of the game.
How about that Spencer Torkelson fellow? Five straight games with a home run last week, and still didn’t win American League Player of the Week. That honour went to the A’s Carlos Cortes who went 13-for-24 with three dingers, which is fine, I guess. That Torkelson: he don’t get no respect, I’ll tell ya.
After Sunday’s game, the Tigers as a team had the third-highest OPS (and OPS+) in the American League. Detroit’s OPS was .750, with an OPS+ of 106; if you don’t like anything related to OPS, the Tigers were fourth in batting average (.253; league-average is .239, which still boggles my mind).
First Alex Cora in Boston, then Rob Thomson in Philadelphia: managers are getting fired left, right and centre! Who do you have next on your list?
On this day in 1900, Dutch astonomer Jan Oort was born. He’s probably most famous for lending his name to the Oort Cloud, the spherical repository of tiny, icy bodies past the Kuiper Belt that most likely is the source of comets. But an argument could be made that his calculations regarding the rotation of the Milky Way, and the conclusion that there must be a lot of unseen (i.e., “dark”) matter kicking around, was the most important in the broader science of cosmology.
You know it’s a big game when Kylie Jenner is back in her place next to boyfriend Timothée Chalamet on celebrity row at Madison Square Garden.
Jenner sat alongside her Knicks superfan beau between fellow actor Ben Stiller and his wife Christine Taylor. SNL alums Tina Fay and Tracey Morgan were on the other side for the Knicks 126-97 Game 5 win over the Hawks in the team’s first-round series.
It was Jenner’s first appearance this postseason, as she was not with the “Marty Supreme” star at MSG for Game 2.
Tracy Morgan, Tina Fey, Timothée Chalamet, and Kylie Jenner watching Game 5 between the Knicks and Hawks. Getty ImagesKylie Jenner is all smiles as she sits next to her boyfriend Timothee Chalamet on celebrity row during Game 5 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball game in the second quarter at Madison Square Garden JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
He wrote “Got it done” after the Knicks beat the Hawks in Game 4. It was misinterpreted as a reaction to the shooting that took place at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which ended around the same time.
The Post also spotted “Vampire Dairies” star Paul Wesley and fiancée Natalie Kuckenburg walking into The World’s Most Famous Arena for Game 5. Rangers legend Mark Messier and “The Sopranos” star Eddie Falco were also in the building to cheer on the Knicks.
Plenty of the usual Knicks alums were also in-house, including John Starks, Patrick Ewing, Stephon Marbury, Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Bernard King, Carmelo Anthony and Latrell Sprewell.
Cam Skattebo and his girlfriend Chloe Rodriguez sit on celebrity row during Game 5 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball game in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POSTBen Stiller and Spike Lee celebrate during the game between the Knicks’ Game 5 game against the Hawks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs on April 28, 2026 at Madison Square Garden. NBAE via Getty ImagesRangers alumni Henrik Lundqvist and Mark Messier on celebrity row JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
Giants running back Cam Skattebo and girlfriend Chloe Rodriguez were also in the house, along with singer Rauw Alejandro.
Spike Lee, as usual, was in his customary seat in the first row.
The Knicks went on to win behind 39 points from Jalen Brunson to grab a 3-2 series lead and push Atlanta to the brink.
Apr 24, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Colorado Rockies left fielder Jordan Beck (27) celebrates with center fielder Brenton Doyle (9) and outfielder Troy Johnston (20) after defeating the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
With the first month of baseball in the books, there have been plenty of surprises across the league. From surprise contenders to fallen favorites and from managers on the hot seat to unexpected performers, the 2026 season has been full of surprises. While things are certain to shift as the long season drags on, here are some of the surprises as April draws to a close:
Up-and-Comers
As you’re well aware, it took your Colorado Rockies 68 games to get their 13th win in 2025. They’ve already hit that mark in April at 13-16.
The Athletics are setting out for a better 2026. Not expected to do much after a 76-86 season, they’re currently holding onto first in the AL West at 15-13.
The Cincinnati Reds are also exceeding expectations. Thought to finish near the bottom of the NL Central, they’re leading the way right now with an 18-10 record.
Underperformers
From an American League pennant to fourth in their division, the Toronto Blue Jays are struggling out of the gate, currently at 12-15.
The Boston Red Sox, a Wild Card team just last season, are among the worst in the league at 11-17 and just fired skipper Alex Cora and several other staff.
The NL East looked like it would yield a number of contenders. The Braves sit at 20-9, but every other team in the division has a losing record. Among the most disappointing are the Philadelphia Phillies (who were the 2-seed in the NL last postseason but are now a league-worst 9-19) and the New York Mets (projected to contend with a loaded roster but join the Phils at 9-19). This led to another firing today, with Philadelphia moving on from manager Rob Thompson.
The preseason PECOTA standings thought highly of the Kansas City Royals, projecting them to finish with 84 wins at first in the AL Central. So far, they’re in last at 11-17.
Big Time Players
The Chicago White Sox needed something positive, and they got it. In his first year in the MLB, Munetaka Murakami is showing off the power that made him a star in Japan. He leads the league in home runs with 12.
A pair of New York Yankees sluggers are also in the top five for home runs. Aaron Judge (11 HR) makes a familiar appearance on the list, but he’s joined by teammate Ben Rice (10 HR) who is having a breakout season after showing flashes last year.
Contributing to Cincinnati’s hot start mentioned above is a potential breakout star in first baseman Sal Stewart. He came into the year at 22nd on MLB’s Top 100 Prospects list and has started the season with a bang, leading the league in RBI and is slashing .291/.385/.602.
A lot will change in the remaining games on the path to 162, but what’s caught you by surprise the most in this young season? Whether it’s one of the rising or falling teams above, a player crushing it, or a superstar not living up to expectations, what’s happening that you didn’t expect to see? Let us know below!
BOSTON (AP) — Joel Embiid was even better in his second game back.
And that was good enough for the Philadelphia 76ers to avoid elimination in their first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics.
Less than three weeks after an emergency appendectomy knocked Embiid out for the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs, the Sixers center scored 33 points as Philadelphia beat Boston 113-97 in Game 5 on Tuesday night.
“He was dominant. Especially the second half, he was extremely dominant,” said Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, who had 25 points and 10 rebounds. “He did a really good job of just inserting himself. I was proud of him tonight, man. That’s the dominance that you go into a playoff game with: He did that.”
Joel Embiid goes up for a shot during the 76ers’ Game 4 win over the Celtics on April 28, 2026 in Boston. NBAE via Getty Images
After scoring two points in the first quarter on 1-of-6 shooting, Embiid scored 13 in the second, 10 in the third and eight in the fourth, when the Sixers went on a 12-0 run to turn a three-point lead into a 15-point runaway.
“I feel like he had too many easy baskets,” said Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, who scored 22 points. “We’ve got to make him work. … Tonight he got a bunch of easy baskets, and I feel like that propelled him.”
Paul George had 16 points and nine rebounds for the seventh-seeded Sixers, who lost Games 3 and 4 at home to fall behind 3-1 in the series before returning to Boston to keep their season alive.
Jayson Tatum had 24 points and 16 rebounds and Neemias Queta had eight points and 14 boards for the Celtics, who will try again to eliminate the Sixers back in Philadelphia in Game 6 on Thursday night. Game 7, if necessary, would be back in Boston on Saturday.
Tyrese Maxey goes up for a layup during the 76ers’ Game 4 win over the Celtics on April 28, 2026 in Boston. NBAE via Getty Images
“No need to put any extra pressure on ourselves,” Brown said. “There’s enough of that as it is.”
Earlier Tuesday, Celtics president Brad Stevens was named NBA Executive of the Year for the second time in three seasons after disassembling the team that won it all two years ago and getting Boston back to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Celtics did it despite missing Tatum for all but 16 regular-season games as he recovered from a torn Achilles tendon.
The Sixers missed the playoffs last year after seven straight postseason appearances, but earned the No. 7 seed this year with a victory over Orlando in a play-in game. After losing by 32 in Game 1, they coasted to a win at Boston in Game 2 but then lost both at home — with another 32-point blowout in Game 4 on Sunday, despite Embiid finishing with 26 points and 10 rebounds in his first game since April 6.
“Our fans deserve a win at home. We lost a tough one, then we got blown out of the water,” Maxey said. “After that performance that we put on last time in front of our fans, that was a disgrace and it was unacceptable.”
The Celtics led by 11 in the second quarter and held a 13-point edge early in the third. Both times Philadelphia rallied within a basket, using a 15-3 run to make it 66-65 Boston midway through the third.
It was still a one-point Celtics lead heading into the fourth, when George hit a 3-pointer to give Philly its first lead since the first quarter. After a pair of 3-pointers by Sam Hauser kept Boston close, Hauser fouled Quentin Grimes while he was shooting a 3; the three free throws started the Sixers on a game-ending 19-5 run.
Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers high five during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Five of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 28, 2026 NBAE via Getty Images
“We got a little rocky start there in the third,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. “But then we really, really got going. And then once we closed the gap, we we’re pretty solid.”
Boston scored just 10 points in the fourth quarter on 3-of-22 shooting after making almost half its shots in the first 36 minutes.
“When you have empty possession, empty possession, and you’re not getting stops, it’s frustrating,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 26: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at bat during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium on April 26, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dodgers at the moment have their second three-game win streak of the season. They also have a five-game win streak (April 3-7) and a four-game win streak (April 13-17).
The designated hitter bats leadoff for Los Angeles, per usual.
BOSTON — Joel Embiid scored 33 points, Tyrese Maxey had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers avoided elimination, beating the Boston Celtics 113-97 in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night.
Paul George had 16 points and nine rebounds for the seventh-seeded Sixers, who lost Games 3 and 4 at home to fall behind 3-1 in the series before returning to Boston to keep their season alive.
Game 6 is back in Philadelphia on Thursday night, when the Sixers will try to force the series to a decisive seventh game in Boston on Saturday.
In his second game back from an emergency appendectomy,Embiid helped rally Philly from a 13-point, third-quarter deficit. After scoring 13 points in the second quarter, he added 10 in the third as the Sixers went on a 12-0 run to turn a three-point lead into a 15-point runaway.
Jayson Tatum had 24 points and 16 rebounds for Boston and Jaylen Brown scored 22.
That sentiment was echoed by head coach Dan Muse as well during training camp and throughout the regular season.
"He's gained some really good experiences in his career so far, and he's obviously still a relatively young guy," Muse said of Šilovs earlier this season. "I think those things, they seem to all kind of stack up. To have that [AHL Calder Cup run] that he had last year, and then to have the playoffs before, and then you also look at some of the different experiences that he's had in international play... you look at it and see he's not that old.
"He's got all these things already, and you own those now. You own those experiences, and you carry them with you."
And, through two playoff games in which the Penguins have faced elimination, he sure has carried that with him.
After making the post-season for the first time in four years, the Penguins went down 3-0 in their first-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers with Stuart Skinner between the pipes. Although Skinner - a veteran who has been to two Stanley Cup Finals with the Edmonton Oilers - hadn't really done anything to contribute to his team's deficit in the series, Muse made the bold decision to change goaltenders for Game 4 with Pittsburgh's season on the line.
Well, it worked. Šilovs entered Game 4 and stopped 28 of 30 Flyers' shots on goal, and he followed that up with an 18-for-20 performance in a 3-2 Game 5 win on Monday for the Penguins. Through two games, he has a .920 save percentage and, like Skinner in the first three games, has made several key saves on odd-man breaks and high-danger shots from Philadelphia.
This is in pretty stark contrast to the stretch run of the regular season, when Šilovs went 8-5-0 with a pedestrian .871 save percentage in his 13 appearances following the Olympic break. Many were questioning the decision to turn to Šilovs in Game 4 because of his struggles nearing the end of the regular season.
But, as he has always done, Šilovs has found a way to lock in and elevate when the stakes are the absolute highest - and that's something he revels in.
"Just the atmosphere to play," Šilovs said. "It's meaningful hockey. Everyone goes their hardest. You know you're playing for something, and you know there's an ultimate goal to do something, and it's fun to play, to be a part of it."
The sentiment from his coach regarding Šilovs's big-game prowess hasn't changed since his words earlier this season, either.
"Having those experiences, I think, definitely helps. Both of our guys have had a lot of big-game experience at different points and at different levels, so you have that," Muse said. "But, then, I also think with [Šilovs], it's just that he's a really competitive guy. I think he's somebody who just, naturally, he loves the big moments, he loves big games. So, I think that's just a little bit of who he is as a person."
Šilovs's teammates are pretty confident in their 25-year-old rookie netminder, too, who led the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks to a Calder Cup Championship last season with a .931 save percentage and performed well in the NHL playoffs for the Canucks two seasons ago.
"He's been making huge saves," veteran forward Bryan Rust said. "He's been calm back there making saves, the same thing he's been doing all year - coming to work every day, working hard, smile on his face."
The most impressive thing about Šilovs's first two games, too, is the situation he walked into. It's one thing to sub in due to injury, like he did against the Nashville Predators in the first round in 2024, closing out the series with a shutout and then giving Vancouver a chance through seven games against the high-octane offense of the Oilers in the second round.
But to come in when his team is down 3-0, quite literally in need of a win to survive? And not just a win, but four wins in a row? That kind of pressure can fold some goaltenders, especially ones as generally inexperienced as Silovs.
That's not happening here. His experience and performances in the NHL and AHL playoffs - as well as his international resume - show a proven track record of success in high-pressure environments, and he continues to make big saves when the Penguins are in dire need of them.
"Amazing," three-time Stanley Cup winner Kris Letang said. "Obviously, he comes up big. [Philadelphia] got really quality looks, and a couple breakaways in the last game, too, and he is pretty composed back there.
"It's tough to come in and face them for three games. You have to come in and do the job. I thought he played well."
Of course, there is still a lot of runway left in this series. The Penguins have made it 3-2, but that means they still need to survive two more elimination games in order to keep their Stanley Cup hopes alive and move on to face the Carolina Hurricanes in the next round.
They are taking it one day, one game at a time, and they see this situation as an opportunity. And having two goaltenders they are able to rely on if things start to get a bit dicey is something that no one takes for granted.
Apr 25, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs (37) celebrates win with teammates against the Philadelphia Flyers in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Captain Sidney Crosby thinks Šilovs has done an excellent job handling that responsibility.
"We have confidence in both guys. I mean, they've proven it throughout the season," Sidney Crosby said. "I think Arty's done a great job when they've applied pressure, and when we've made mistakes, he's been there to bail us out. That's gonna happen. You're not going to play a perfect game, and you're going to have to rely on your goalie to make those saves. You don't want to make him work too hard, and I think for the most part, we've done a pretty good job of that.
"We're always trying to make his job a little easier, and when we haven't, he's made some great saves and shown a lot of poise."
As for Šilovs? He's just enjoying the opportunity, taking it in stride, and using the emotions of playing in these must-win games as fuel to put his best game on the ice.
"It's an exciting opportunity," Šilovs said. "I think playing in the playoffs is the most fun you could ever have, and we've been waiting for a whole season to get to this point. So, just enjoying every minute of it."
