Mets manager Carlos Mendoza shared updates ahead of Friday's series-opener against the Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago...

Juan Soto getting closer

Soto, who hasn't played since injuring his calf on April 3 against the Giants, is continuing to make progress.

The outfielder has been rehabbing at Citi Field with the Mets on the road, and is set to take live at-bats on Friday for the second consecutive day.

Additionally, Soto will be doing "high running intensity," which will include outfield work.

Speaking after Mendoza, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said the expectation is that Soto will be activated from the IL during the nine-game homestand that starts this coming Tuesday against the Twins at Citi Field.

Reading between the lines, it does not seem like a rehab assignment is going to be necessary before Soto returns. 

Another malady for Jorge Polanco

Polanco, whose presence in the lineup has been sporadic lately because of an Achilles issue, is now dealing with right wrist soreness.

He went for an MRI on the wrist on Thursday, and the Mets are waiting on results.

As far as the Achilles, Mendoza said Polanco is "in a better place."

Depending on the results of the MRI and the situation with the Achilles, it's possible Polanco will ultimately be placed on the IL.

Polanco hasn't played since Tuesday, meaning the Mets can backdate a potential IL stint. 

Mets lineup

1. Carson Benge – RF
2. Bo Bichette – 3B
3. Francisco Lindor – SS
4. Luis Robert – CF
5. Francisco Alvarez – C
6. MJ Melendez – DH
7. Marcus Semien – 2B
8. Brett Baty – 1B
9. Tyrone Taylor – LF

SP: Kodai Senga – RHP

Cubs lineup

1. Nico Hoerner – 2B
2. Michael Busch – 1B
3. Alex Bregman – 3B
4. Ian Happ – LF
5. Seiya Suzuki – RF
6. Moises Ballesteros – DH
7. Carson Kelly – C
8. Pete Crow-Armstrong – CF
9. Dansby Swanson – SS

SP: Edward Cabrera – RHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 2:20pm EDT
TV: PIX11
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2

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With Arizona Diamondbacks SP Mike Soroka on the mound, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. should be able to get the Toronto Blue Jays' offense rolling tonight. 

Read on to see why in my free Blue Jays vs. Diamondbacks predictions and MLB picks for Friday, April 17.

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks predictions

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks best bet: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 1.5 total bases (+100)

Michael Soroka is off to a great start with Arizona Diamondbacks this season, going 3-0 with a 2.87 ERA.

However, Soroka’s 5.79 xERA would suggest he’s been getting a little lucky out on the diamond. He gives up a lot of contact too, allowing the highest barrel rate in the majors at 22.9%, while sitting in the 46th percentile in xBA against. 

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads the Toronto Blue Jays in barrel rate, and is 3-for-7 against Soroka with an OPS of 1.000. 

Additionally, Vladdy handles the fastball well, batting .455 against the four-seamer, which is Soroka’s most utilized pitch this season.

COVERS INTEL: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has a 1.110 OPS against the entire Diamondbacks pitching staff.

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks same-game parlay (SGP)

Daulton Varsho is usually good for a hit. He’s recorded one or more hits in seven straight games and handles the four-seamer well. 

Lastly, I’ll take Andres Gimenez to record a hit as well. He’s 3-for-8 against Soroka in his career and has at least one hit in four straight games heading into today. 

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks SGP

• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 1.5 total bases
• Daulton Varsho Over 0.5 hits
• Andres Gimenez Over 0.5 hits

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks home run pick: Andres Gimenez (+730)

I’ll make this a half wager, because Soroka hasn’t allowed very many home runs this season. 

However, there is a good value wager in tonight’s home run market, and that’s Andres Gimenez, who is +750 to hit a home run tonight. 

Gimenez is 3-for-8 against Soroka, with two of those hits leaving the yard. 

The Jays’ shortstop has shown some sneaky power this season, especially against the four-seamer, where he owns a .727 SLG against, and it happens to be Soroka's most utilized pitch. 

He also has a .983 OPS against right-handed pitchers this season. 

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks odds

• Moneyline: Toronto +112 | Arizona -132
• Run line: Toronto +1.5 | Arizona -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks trend

The Blue Jays have hit the Over in 26 of their last 45 away games (+8.60 Units / 17% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Diamondbacks.

How to watch Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks and game info

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks latest injuries

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks weather

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How does a player go from being released by a last-place team to hitting .385 for the St. Louis Cardinals in the span of a single week? In this installment of Random Cardinal of the Week, Jim Plaza dives into the fascinating, “roller coaster” career of utility man Felipe Lopez.

A former top-10 pick and Silver Slugger winner, Lopez hit rock bottom in 2008 with a negative WAR and a mid-season release from the Nationals. But when he landed in the St. Louis clubhouse, something clicked. Under the mentorship of “The Secret Weapon” Jose Oquendo, Lopez didn’t just find his swing—he became a statistical anomaly. We look back at his legendary two-month sprint in 2008 where he played six different positions and posted a nearly 1.000 OPS, helping bridge the gap for a Cardinals franchise in the midst of a massive front-office transition.

In this episode, we discuss:

The Oquendo Effect: How Jose Oquendo rebuilt Lopez’s defense and mental approach to transform him from a “bust” back into a weapon.

The 2008 Hot Streak: A deep dive into the 43 games where Lopez hit an unbelievable .385 and became the ultimate La Russa-era Swiss Army Knife.

The 18th-Inning Hero: On the 16th anniversary of the feat (April 17, 2010), we recount the night Lopez stepped onto the mound against the Mets and threw a scoreless inning to save an exhausted bullpen.

The Transition Era: Where Lopez fit in the roster shuffle between the 2006 championship and the 2011 “10.5 games back” miracle.

Whether you remember him for his switch-hitting prowess or his lone career pitching appearance, Felipe Lopez’s story is a masterclass in resilience and the power of a second chance in The Lou. Listen now and subscribe to the Redbird Rundown for your weekly dose of Cardinals history!

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This weekend, the first place Atlanta Braves come to Citizens Bank Park to take on a struggling Phillies team that is falling short in virtually every phase of the game. It’s been a rough go for the Phils, losers of their last three home series, a shocking development given they only lost three home series all last season.

Still, the Braves often serve as an elixir of sorts when the come to Philly. Atlanta has struggled at Citizens Bank Park over the last few years, 5-9 in Philadelphia over the last two seasons. And while this weekend’s clash is viewed as a marquee match-up, with two nationally televised games Saturday night on Fox and Sunday night on Peacock, they don’t hold a candle to some of the most recent postseason series these two teams have played against one another.

Of course, nothing will ever top the 1993 National League Championship Series. Watching John Kruk, Lenny Dykstra and Curt Schilling somehow find a way to outlast a 100+ win Braves team to advance to the World Series will be almost impossible to top.

But most recently, the underdog Phillies dominated Atlanta in two straight NLDS series. Both mirrored each other so closely and were filled with some of the greatest moments in franchise playoff history.

As we get ready for what will hopefully be a get-right weekend against the Braves in Philly, let’s improve the vibes a bit by remembering two series against our division rivals in which the Phils stepped up their game and sent a “superior” team home early for the winter.

2022 NLDS

After a surprising two-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Wild Card round, the Phillies entered Atlanta with absolutely no expectations of winning the series. After all, the Phils had barely snuck into the tournament as the third wild card, clinching on the final weekend and only thanks to an implosion by Milwaukee in the season’s final week.

With just 87 wins, the underdog Phillies finished 14 games behind the 101-win Braves. Atlanta had a run differential of +180, the Phils’ was +62. The Phils began the series by playing their 13th and 14th straight games on the road (they finished the regular season with an 10-game, three city road trip with two straight wild card games in St. Louis). However, fueled by jet fumes, adrenaline and Nick Castellanos’ three-hit, three-RBI day, the Phillies survived a late Atlanta rally to win 7-6. Of course, Castellanos’ game-saving slide in the 9th is the lasting memory.

The Phils lost Game 2 then came home for Games 3 and 4, the first postseason games at Citizens Bank Park since 2011.

Of course, the lasting memory from that series occurred in the 3rd inning against Spencer Strider, one of the most electric moments in CBP history.

Bryce Harper followed with a solo homer he murdered to deep right field, the offense added on, Aaron Nola shoved, and the Phils took a 2-1 series lead with a dominant 9-1 victory.

And the finally, in Game 4, the Phillies took advantage of an early Brandon Marsh 3-run home run and the early injury exit of Charlie Morton to crush Atlanta once again, 8-3. Of course, J.T. Realmuto’s inside-the-park home run added another log to the legendary fire of this series.

It would be hard to top the excitement and pure elation of this series, but the Phils did a pretty good job of copying it the following season.

2023 NLDS

After sweeping the Miami Marlins in two wild card games at CBP, the Phils met the Braves once again in the NLDS. Atlanta, again, was the division winner while the Phillies were the top wild card team, but the distance between the two in the NL East standings was the same.

Powered by one of the most productive offenses in MLB history, Atlanta slugged their way to an MLB-best 104 wins, besting the 90-win Phillies by 14 games in the division once again. But clearly, the Phils were in their head.

In Game 1, Bryce Harper went yard and seven Phillies pitchers combined to give up five hits and eked out a 3-0 victory over Spencer Strider, the NL Cy Young Award winner that season, surprising everyone with a quick 1-0 series lead.

It looked like they would take both games in Atlanta after jumping out to a 4-0 lead, but the Braves scored five runs in the 6th, 7th and 8th innings, the final two coming on a crushing Austin Riley two-run homer off Jeff Hoffman in the bottom of the 8th. And then, the craziness of the 9th inning, when Harper was doubled off first to end the game.

It was a painful moment as it happened, but it only set the stage for one of the greatest individual, in-your-face performances in Harper’s career. After Orlando Arcia was overheard in the clubhouse ridiculing Harper for getting doubled off first, Bryce decided to make it personal in Game 3.

Orlando Arcia and the Braves were officially in hell now, and would only experience another, deeper level a few innings later.

The Phillies destroyed Bryce Elder, Castellanos hit two bombs, and Nola once again stifled the Braves’ potent bats in a 10-2 rout.

Game 4 was closer, with Strider at his peak and Ranger Suarez trying to match him pitch-for-pitch. Suarez held Atlanta to one run over five innings, while the Phillies pecked away at Strider thanks to a Trea Turner home run and another multi-homer game from Castellanos, who was in the midst of the high point of his Phils career.

But it got sticky in the 7th. Holding a slim 3-1 lead, human fire starter Craig Kimbrel entered an loaded the bases with two outs. NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. stepped to the plate, looking to atone for a very quiet NLDS. With the count 2-2, Kimbrel left one out of the plate that Acuna destroyed to center field.

That’s when Johan Rojas entered the chat.

The Phillies finished the job in the 8th and 9th and took another NLDS from the heavily-favored Atlanta Braves.

Unfortunately, neither series led to a championship. The Phils would reach the World Series in 2022, but fell to the Astros in six games, and then collapsed following Game 2 of the NLCS against the Diamondbacks in ‘23.

They’ve never been the same since. But we have the memories of these Atlanta beatdowns in October.

So, which one is your favorite?

Over the past couple of weeks, the Phillies have established a pattern: They’ll play well in one game of a three-game series and make a ton of mistakes in the others. They would do well to reverse that pattern – or even better, avoid the mistake-prone games altogether – because the first place Braves are coming to town this weekend.

Atlanta Braves

Record: 12-7, First place in National League East

The last time they met

The Braves visited Citizens Bank Park for a four-game set at the end of August 2025 and lost three of the four to put a serious dent in their playoff hopes. The opener was the Kyle Schwarber four home run game in which the Phillies squeaked out a 19-4 win.

What’s the deal with the Braves?

Their many injuries should have put a dent in the Braves’ chances this year, and ultimately, they might! But thus far, the Braves’ have been able to overcome their lengthy list of wounded players.

Their starting pitching has been excellent. All five of the pitchers currently in their rotation have ERAs under 4.00, led by Bryce Elder at 0.77 through four starts. Elder isn’t scheduled to start this series, but the guys who will go are Martin Perez, Chris Sale (he’ll face off against Cristopher Sanchez on Saturday), and Grant Holmes, and they’ve been strong too.

Offensively, the Braves are second in the NL in runs scored (behind the Nationals?). Catcher Drake Baldwin is building off last year’s Rookie of the Year campaign, and Matt Olson is hitting up to his usual standards. They’ve also gotten surprising offensive contributions from shortstop Mauricio Dubon. The two-time Gold Glover has been an adequate at best hitter through most of his career, but he’s batting .333 in the early going.

Featured Brave: Dominic Smith

As expected, the Braves’ best hitter in the early going has been designated hitter Dominic Smith. Wait, what?

Smith was once a top 100 prospect for the Mets, but aside from an oddly strong campaign in the shortened 2020 season (he finished 13th in MVP voting!) he never established himself as much more than a quad-A player. He’s spent the last few years bouncing around the league, and after an unimpressive season as a bench player with the Giants in 2025, he signed with the Braves as a free agent.

Serving as the team’s primary DH, he’s off to a hot start, batting .381 with three home runs. There’s a strong likelihood that this start is unsustainable (IYKYK) and in a few weeks, Smith’s numbers will be back into the ordinary realm. But who knows? Smith wouldn’t be the first player to experience an odd breakout campaign in his early 30’s.

What about the Phillies?

The offense has been inconsistent, the starting pitching has been disappointing, and the relief pitching has become leaky. But perhaps the most annoying thing about the Phillies’ recent play is the sloppiness. They’ve made a lot of poor plays in the field and baserunning mistakes. If they want to turn this around, that’s the first thing that they can clean up.

Non-Phillies thought

This should be quite the weekend for Philadelphia sports. Not only will the Braves come to town, but the Sixers and Flyers begin their playoff runs. Both the basketball team and hockey team are in a similar situation: They’re the underdogs in a series against a traditional rival who has largely gotten the best of them over the years. (This might be the best scenario for the fans. As I’ve learned, Philadelphia sports fans greatly prefer underdogs with lessened expectations.)

As a special cherry on top, this weekend is also Wrestlemania! Looks like I might need to set up multiple televisions, although the last time I did that was for game five of the NLDS and the Eagles on Thursday Night Football, and that night went very poorly.

Pennant year song battle

Everybody Wants You has been defeated! It’s a Mistake by Men at Work is our new title holder.

The next contender comes from 2008 and describes how the Phillies have too often looked this season: Clumsy by Fergie:

Vote now:

Closing thought

While I don’t think the Phillies are as bad as they’ve looked, nor are the Braves as good as they’ve played. And it’s still only mid-April, so things can – and probably will – change in a hurry. That said, it would be great if the Phillies could win this series and avoid digging themselves too deep of a hole early in the season.

A frustrating series sweep at the hands of the San Diego Padres has Seattle scuffling into an important homestand. The Mariners were swept down in Arlington a week ago, helping pump this Texas team into first place in the early days of the AL West. Those Rangers now provide a threat and an opportunity for Seattle similar to what the M’s had with their hosting of the Houston Astros last weekend: win and reset the division, lose and not only slide in the standings but likely cede the season series in a division where tie-breakers have been hugely important in recent years.

While the bullpen has thinned with injuries to RHPs Luis Curvelo and Chris Martin, the Rangers look otherwise as they were a week ago. Time with the Dodgers and Athletics left them licked but not battered, and their series split with Sacramento left both clubs tied atop the AL West. Not yet standout, but stable, Texas looks like around a .500 club in the early going. That’s been better than the rest of the division, but without much ascension it keeps the M’s fully in range for resetting the table.

From a previous series preview:

The Rangers brought in Brandon Nimmo this off-season and so far he’s proved a valuable pickup, providing thump and on-base for the Rangers out of the leadoff spot. Wyatt Langford, hitting out of the two-hole, has been slower to get it going, but you know that, like with some of the Mariners’ own struggling stars, it’s just a matter of time. Corey Seager, batting third, has continued to be Corey Seager, and Jake Burger, with two homers on the year already (aka the same number Cole Young has), bats cleanup. The Nimmo-Langford-Seager-Burger set gives the Rangers, who are pretty evenly balanced handedness-wise (Must Be Nice), a nice L-R-L-R punch at the top of the lineup. 

Beyond that things get a little murky: Evan Carter is off to a strong start, but buried in the bottom of the lineup for some reason. The two Joshes (Jung and Smith) and Ezequiel Duran are in a time-share among the non-Seager infield positions. Joc Pederson continues to exist to make Rangers fans Mad Online. So far, this is looking similar to Rangers teams of the past, but Nimmo at the top of the lineup is an x-factor, much like Donovan is for the Mariners. Hopefully the Mariners will be getting their x-factor back for this series.

Probable Pitchers 

Updated Stuff+ Explainer 

• Stuff+ scores for Mariners starters

From a previous series preview:

Last year, Jacob deGrom made 30 starts for the first time since 2019 and crossed the 150 IP threshold for just the fifth time in his career. That health was the result of a conscious effort to pitch with a little less intensity. His fastball velocity was down about a tick from where it was at his peak, though it still averaged 97.5 mph. From a results standpoint, he ran his lowest strikeout rate since 2016 and the highest FIP of his career. Even in his diminished form, he was still one of the better pitchers in baseball, and as they say, the best ability is availability.

deGrom lasted five innings in his previous start against the Mariners, allowing just a single run on a hit and a walk with six strikeouts. He was lifted after throwing just 78 pitches, probably in an effort to keep his early season workload low. 

From a previous series preview:

Nathan Eovaldi has also been forced to figure out how to do more with less (fastball velocity). Last year, he dropped the usage of his four-seam fastball by nearly 15 points, added a sinker to his repertoire, and increased the usage of his cutter and curveball. The result was a pitch mix that was a lot less predictable and a lot less dependent on his deteriorating velocity. Unfortunately, elbow and shoulder injuries derailed the success he was seeing with his new approach, and he spent most of the second half of the season on the shelf.

Eovaldi allowed two runs in six innings against the Mariners last week. He gave up six hits and two walks while striking out seven.

From a previous series preview:

MacKenzie Gore was the Rangers’ big offseason acquisition in January. After being included in the blockbuster Juan Soto trade (the first one from Washington to San Diego), Gore has established himself as a solid frontline starter over the last few years. His secondary weapons are all fantastic — he’s the only pitcher in baseball to feature four pitches with whiff rates north of 35% — but he’s often let down by an inconsistent fastball. When he’s locating his heater well, it can give opposing batters fits. But too often — and particularly during the second half of the season when he’s worn down significantly — his locations will leak into the middle of the zone and batters will punish the pitch.

Gore was dominant against the M’s last week, throwing five shutout innings, and allowing just a single hit with nine strikeouts.

The Big Picture:

For as annoying as getting swept was by a NL club, the consequence was a single lost game out of first place, albeit two clubs sharing that space. As noted, the Rangers and A’s share the top of the table, with Sacramento hosting the plucky-but-still-sucky ChiSox for three before jetting up to Seattle next week. Anaheim, meanwhile, takes their turn with the Padres in Orange County after a showcase series split in the Bronx that saw Mike Trout go slug for slug with Aaron Judge. Houston is back home as well, hosting the Cardinals in a former NL Central rivalry that always carries the front office edge of St. Louis’ data stealing scandal against the Astros over a decade ago. Those Redbirds are outdoing expectations in the early going, based heavily upon a breakout campaign from 24 year old OF Jordan Walker.

Garret Anderson, long time major league outfielder who spent most of his career with the Anaheim Angels, has passed away, the team announced this morning. Anderson was 53.

Anderson was originally a fourth round pick of the Angels in 1990, and during his career he was a member of the California Angels, the Anaheim Angels, and the Los Angeles Angels. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 1990, finishing just 6 points behind Marty Cordova, and finished fourth in the Most Valuable Player voting in 2002.

Anderson was a three time All Star and two time Silver Slugger winner. 15 of his 17 seasons in the majors were with the Angels. He finished his career with the Braves in 2009 and the Dodgers in 2010.

Anderson was a hit machine, and his contact ability combined with his durability had him seen as a potential 3000 hit guy. He ended his career with 2529 hits, 287 home runs, and a .293/.324/.461 slash line.

The Angels will be wearing a memorial patch in his honor for the remainder of the 2026 season.