Rajat Patidar led from the front with an unbeaten 93 to help defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru storm into the IPL final with a 92-run thrashing of Gujarat Titans on Tuesday.
GameThread: Tigers vs. Angels, 6:40 p.m.
Detroit Tigers (21-33) vs. Los Angeles Angels (20-34)
Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site: Halos Heaven
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Keider Montero (2-3, 3.83 ERA) vs. RHP Jack Kochanowicz (2-3, 4.55 ERA)
| Player | G | IP | K% | BB% | GB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montero | 9 | 49.1 | 16.3 | 7.1 | 31.8 | 4.22 | 0.6 |
| Kochanowicz | 10 | 57.1 | 16.3 | 11.5 | 56.8 | 4.51 | 0.5 |
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Why the Jazz landing the No. 2 pick is a franchise-changing moment
On May 10th, 2026, the Utah Jazz won the No. 2 pick at the NBA Draft Lottery. Marking the first time in Jazz history they’ve moved up in the lottery, it’s been a little over two weeks since the Jazz were able to move up. If I’m being honest, I don’t think Jazz fans are excited enough. This draft class, as you already should know, is truly special, and for the Jazz to land the No. 2 pick this year with everything else they’ve accumulated truly is a franchise-changing moment.
The Jazz have finished last place in the Western Conference two years in a row now. They haven’t made the playoffs since Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert were still leading the team during the 2021-2022 season. The Jazz haven’t made the Western Conference Finals since the 2006-2007 season, falling to the Spurs 4-1. And of course we all know the story of how John Stockton and Karl Malone fell to Michael Jordan and the Bulls in ’97 and ’98. Losing two Finals back-to-back is brutal, and the truth is being a Jazz fan has really only ever brought pain and suffering, but I believe it’s all about to pay off.
While the Jazz did finish last in the Western Conference the past two seasons, you’d be blind to ignore the trajectory the team is currently riding. And let’s be completely honest, if the Jazz actually tried to win last season they probably could’ve slid in as an 8th seed via the play-in. Fortunately they did the right thing, choosing to play for the draft pick. The worst-case scenario for the Jazz in the lottery would’ve been picking 8th. Even in that hypothetical, the Jazz would’ve almost certainly been a top 6 seed next year in an already loaded Western Conference, with Keyonte George, Lauri Markkanen, and Jaren Jackson Jr. leading the way, Walker Kessler likely returning, and an emerging Ace Bailey by his side. That would’ve been more than enough to get the Jazz back into the fight in the West, but finally the lottery gods blessed the Jazz — not with the No. 4, not No. 3, but No. 2!!! In a draft class where it’s truly 1A, 1B, and 1B might just be the best player in the class! That’s not the point of this discussion though. It does not matter who the Jazz take. It doesn’t matter what your opinion is. The Jazz are getting a franchise-changing player no matter what.
The ultimate goal is always to win the NBA Finals. The Jazz have been in Utah for 47 years, and we are still waiting for the first parade through Salt Lake City. I believe the Jazz are on the path to us potentially having one of those parades in the coming years, but it won’t be easy. Watching the Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs has been intimidating, to say the least… But I truly believe now after the lottery the Jazz are positioned to where they could realistically beat one of those teams in a playoff series.
We’re just about a month away from the 2026 NBA Draft! This could be the best time to be a Jazz fan in franchise history. Am I too bullish? Do you agree? When was the last time you were this excited about a Jazz team? The Jazz are going to be FUN next year, and I personally can’t wait to see just how high this team can fly.
Why Spencer Horwitz is the Pirates most underrated hitter
Much has been made of the Pirates’ new-look offense in 2026.
After posting one of the worst offensive seasons in franchise history last year, the Pirates have blossomed into one of the best lineups in the sport.
Don’t believe it? It’s easy to think after the team finished in the bottom five of most offensive categories, but the numbers don’t lie.
The Pirates are tied for third in hits (8.6), tied for fourth in batting average (.249), fifth in on-base (.331), tied for fifth in runs per game (4.8),and 11th in OPS (.717).
Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn, and Konnor Griffin debuting have been considerable reasons why, but the Pirates wouldn’t be where they are if it wasn’t for one of the most underrated players in the National League.
First baseman Spencer Horwitz is exactly what the Pirates need.
A contact-first approach but capable of hitting the ball out of the park, Horwitz isn’t a prototypical first baseman. The Pirates don’t need him to be.
Horwitz is batting .282, third best on the team, and hit leadoff for the Pirates on Sunday and Monday. He’s hit as low as eighth in the lineup, including Tuesday.
Horwitz is tied sixth in the NL with a team-high .389 on-base percentage, trailing All-Stars Brice Trang (.410), James Wood (.405), Shohei Ohtani (.403), Corbin Carroll (.399), and young stars Xavier Edwards (.391) and Drake Baldwin (.389).
He swings a solid bat from the left side, owning a .832 OPS in 149 at-bats. Horwitz struggles against lefties (.190 average) and tends to sit against left-handed starters, but is batting close to .300 (.297) against righties in 128 at-bats.
Horwitz is somewhat of a throwback player who can hit the ball the other way, make solid contact, and doesn’t strike out.
For a lineup that includes Cruz (on pace to record the most strikeouts in franchise history), Reynolds, Lowe, Marcell Ozuna, and Henry Davis, Horwitz’s approach is a necessity to balance the roster construction.
The 28-year-old former Blue Jay is the only Pirate regular to earn more walks (26) than strikeouts (24). Horwitz homered off Dylan Cease in Toronto in the Bucs’ 4-1 win on Sunday afternoon.
Good teams need players like Horwitz who won’t gain significant attention but find a way to come through. He’s hit five home runs and driven in 23.
Baseball Savant adds an additional element to Horwitz’s success, ranking him in the 86th percentile in batting run value.
He doesn’t hit the ball all that hard (17th) or have a good barrel percentage (19th), but squares up the ball (87th) and doesn’t chase poor pitches (77th).
Horwitz ranks in the 94th percentile in whiff percentage and is zigging when the league zags to the three true outcomes. His strikeout (90th) and walk (89th) percentiles are some of the best in the sport.
He won’t hit the ball 440 feet, make flashy defensive plays, or easily score from first on a ball in the gap, but Spencer Horwitz is more valuable than many people think.
If the Pirates are going to climb the difficult NL Central stairway to a playoff bid, Horwitz is going to be a major reason why the Bucs have their most competitive and complete offense in a decade.
Game 53: Braves at Red Sox, Ranger Suarez tries to stop a losing streak
On the most beautiful weather night for baseball so far this year at Fenway Park, Ranger Suarez tries to post yet another beautiful pitching line (he’s already held opponents to zero earned runs in five starts this year).
Lineup wise, the most interesting detail is Mickey Gasper starting at catcher, and while that’s most likely because there’s a righty on the mound for Atlanta and Chad Tracy is slowly working Gasper in behind the plate, the far more compelling explanation would be that it was supposed to be Connor Wong’s turn and he got benched for his embarrassing baserunning in the 9th inning on Sunday.
Speaking of the catcher position, let’s try our new feature where we can embed polls from the feed and ask who should be starting the majority of games there right now:
Here’s the full lineup:
⚾️ First Pitch: 6:45pm — Fenway Park, Boston, MA
📺 TV: NESN
📻 Radio: WEEI
Mets transfer OF Luis Robert Jr. to 60-day injured list
The Mets are transferring OF Luis Robert Jr. from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list, the team announced.
Robert was originally placed on the 10-day IL on April 30, retroactive to April 27, due to lumbar spine disc herniation.
The earliest he would be eligible to return would be June 26.
Manager Carlos Mendoza had said earlier in the week that there was no update on the timetable for Robert's return.
Robert last played in the majors on April 26 and had logged just 24 games before hitting the IL. He also struggled when healthy, hitting just .224 with two home runs, three doubles, and eight RBI over 85 at-bats.
Injuries have been an issue throughout Robert's career with the Chicago White Sox, as he played just 68 games in 2021, 98 in 2022, 100 in 2024, and 110 in 2025. Robert's most recent full season was in 2023, when he played 145 out of 162 games and hit a career-high 38 HRs.
He was acquired from Chicago prior to the start of the 2026 season in exchange for prospects Luisangel Acuña and RHP Truman Pauley.
Game #55 GameThread: Marlins @ Jays
Not a ton going on in Jays news today. A couple of minor notes:
- Vlad hit today. He’s not in the lineup, but it sound like it’s just a day to day pain management thing.
- Nathan Lukes gets a rest day as the team tries to protect his hamstring, but he’s apparently fine after taking a fastball in the year last night.
- Shane Bieber’s FCL rehab appearance went well. He’s on track to go again on Sunday. For today, Spencer Miles will be able to stretch his pitch count past 70 if things are going well, so hopefully he can deliver something close to a full start.
- Dylan Cease shaved his mustache. No word on whether it’s injury related.
Here are the lineups:
Game Thread: Yesterday was infuriating
Go Rays!
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San Diego somehow finds way to lose, 0-for-10 with RISP
The San Diego Padres dropped Game 1 to the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday in horrible fashion. In what has become all too common, the Friars failed to score a single run despite multiple pristine opportunities to do so.
The Padres loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning before striking out twice and grounding out to end the inning without a score.
Then again in the third, the first two runners reached base before a forceout put runners on the corners. Manny Machado promptly grounded into a double play to end the inning.
With runners at first and second and only one out in the fifth, Miguel Andujar popped out before Xander Bogaerts flew out to end the final scoring opportunity the Padres would have.
The San Diego offense has had a meager showing lately, going 2-for-29 in their last four games. It’s been an exclamation mark on the continual inconsistency of the Friars lineup. One thing’s for sure, they’ll need to take advantage of every opportunity they have if they hope to salvage the series against Philly.
Taking the mound
Aaron Nola (PHI) v. Randy Vásquez (SD)
Nola’s been an ace in the past for Philadelphia, but he’s struggled to perform in 2026 with a 6.04 ERA and 1.56 WHIP through 10 starts. It’s been a consistent downturn for Nola since 2024, posting ERAs above 6.00 in each of his last two seasons.
He’s only had one scoreless start so far this year and has surrendered 13 runs in his last three games (13.1 IP). The Padres will need to do what they couldn’t yesterday if they’re to force the rubber match: score runs.
(Apologies for the mistake on yesterday’s preview. I accidentally wrote that Vásquez was starting Monday and Canning on Tuesday. That is my fault and Vásquez will start today’s game.)
Vásquez has shared ace duties with King this year, authoring a career-best 2.96 ERA through 54 2/3 innings. He’s lost that a bit in his recent starts, posting a 3.89 ERA across his last 37 innings.
His last start against the Los Angeles Dodgers was uncharacteristic, pitching just 4 1/3 innings and allowing three runs. If he can limit the Phillies lineup, he’ll need to do much better at limiting contact from Philadelphia’s sluggers.
Batter up!
As previously stated, the San Diego offense needs to wake up. Their inability to score in prime opportunities continues to infuriate the Friar Faithful. Despite outhitting the Phillies, 5-3, in Monday’s game, the Friars couldn’t score a single run.
But the one pleasant surprise was Fernando Tatis Jr. He went 2-for-2 with two walks against Philly. Across his last seven games, Tatis is batting .417, going 10-for-24 at the plate with five walks.
- Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
- Miguel Andujar, DH
- Gavin Sheets, 1B
- Manny Machado, 3B
- Xander Bogaerts, SS
- Jackson Merrill, CF
- Ramón Laureano, LF
- Nick Castellanos, RF
- Freddy Fermin, C
After Rodolfo Durán caught two days in a row, Fermin will start today’s game against Philly. He’s been swinging an ice-cold bat and will look to turn things around against Nola.
Surprisingly, the Padres lineup doesn’t have an abundance of experience against the veteran starter. Outside of Bogaerts, Castellanos and Machado, the Friars have a combined 24 at-bats against the right-hander. They’ll need to figure him out quickly to win Game 2.
Relief corps
Starter Griffin Canning had his best outing of the season, pitching six-plus innings and allowing just three runs. Unfortunately, the Friars offense couldn’t back his effort, but the bullpen was saved for the remainder of the series.
Only Jeremiah Estrada and Yuki Matsui were used to finish the game, with Estrada recording the final out of the seventh inning before Matsui pitched a hitless eighth and ninth.
That allows the Padres to have depth for the final two games, with Jason Adam, Estrada, Ron Marinaccio, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Wandy Peralta and Bradgley Rodriguez available to pitch in Game 2.
Game Thread #52: Milwaukee Brewers (31-20) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (29-23)
Fresh off a series-opening win, the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals are back at it on Tuesday night. The roof will be open for a night game for the first time this season.
The Brewers made a transaction prior to the game, placing Logan Henderson on the 15-day IL with low back tightness. RHP Coleman Crow was recalled to the active roster to take his place. Pat Murphy confirmed that Crow will pitch on Friday against the Astros. Meanwhile, Wednesday’s starter is still TBA, but Murphy said that the finale against the Cardinals will be covered by “a combination of guys already on the roster.”
Henderson told reporters that he felt his back tighten up while facing Freddie Freeman in the fourth inning during his last start. He’s hoping to return to throwing soon and is already starting to make a little bit of progress in his recovery, but not enough to be able to make his start tomorrow.
For the game tonight, Kyle Harrison is on the mound for the Crew, looking to continue his stretch of dominance. Harrison hasn’t allowed a run in either of his past two starts and hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in a single start all season. Over Harrison’s last five starts, he’s allowed just three runs over 28 IP, good for a 0.96 ERA.
On the other side, the Cardinals will have Michael McGreevy. McGreevy has a 2.40 ERA in his 10 starts. He doesn’t miss a lot of bats with just 5.9 K/9, but he also doesn’t walk many either, posting 1.9 BB/9 so far. We can expect a lot more contact than we saw in Monday’s game when both starters had 10-plus strikeouts.
Pat Murphy is shaking up the Brewers lineup as well with Christian Yelich in the leadoff spot, bumping Jackson Chourio down to the two-spot. Brice Turang, William Contreras, Jake Bauers, and Garrett Mitchell make up the middle of the order. Luis Rengifo, Sal Frelick, and David Hamilton round out the bottom of the lineup.
The Cardinals are keeping the top of their lineup pretty similar, with JJ Wetherholt leading off, followed by Iván Herrera, Jordan Walker, and Alec Burleson.
The Brewers have a great opportunity to extend their lead in the NL Central even further. The Brewers have won their last six games when Harrison has started. First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. on Brewers.TV and the Brewerse Radio Network.
Braves chat and Discussion: Spencer Strider vs Ranger Suarez
The Braves are hoping to wake up their offense with Strider on the mound to avoid three-straight losses. And for the Red Sox, well, they’re just hoping they can get over 3.7 runs per game. As always, you know where to find us for the recap.
First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m. EDT
Tuesday game thread: vs Rays, 6:35
What a difference a week makes. Just a few days ago it felt like the Orioles season was circling the drain. They had lost five of six, including three embarrassing displays down in Tampa. Now, they are winners of three out of four and the magic is emanating from them.
But as the saying goes, momentum is only as good as the next day’s starting pitcher. In the Orioles case, that’s Shane Baz, and the O’s haven’t won a start of his since April 28. That’s not all Baz’s fault. He allowed just one run over six innings against these Rays in his last outing, and tossed seven solid frames against the Nationals in the start before that. Those two efforts have brought his season ERA from 5.48 to 4.87.
The Orioles won’t have Dietrich Enns to help them out of the bullpen. He was DFA’d earlier today in order to make room for Nick Raquet. The swap of lefties seems like an effort to add flexibility and a fresh arm after the 13-inning affair on Monday. Raquet has options. Enns doesn’t. Hopefully Raquet can replicate his Triple-A success (3.24 ERA, 2.86 FIP over 16.2 innings) in Baltimore. His three MLB games from earlier this year did not go well. Enns might still stay in the organization, but he will need to get through waivers first. His $2.625 million salary might allow that to happen.
Orioles lineup
- Taylor Ward, LF
- Gunnar Henderson, SS
- Pete Alonso, 1B
- Samuel Basallo, C
- Leody Tavares, CF
- Jeremiah Jackson, DH
- Colton Cowser, RF
- Blaze Alexander, 3B
- Jackson Holliday, 2B
RHP Shane Baz (1-5, 4.87 ERA)
Rays lineup
- Chandler Simpson, LF
- Junior Caminero, 3B
- Jonathan Aranda, 1B
- Yandy Díaz, DH
- Richie Palacios, 2B
- Cedric Mullins, CF
- Victor Mesa Jr., RF
- Hunter Feduccia, C
- Taylor Walls, SS
RHP Griffin Jax (1-2, 3.54 ERA)
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Spurs vs Thunder Computer Picks: Our Best Player Prop Projections for Game 5
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Victor Wembanyama led the San Antonio Spurs to a massive win on Sunday, and now they hit the road again to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5.
Our NBA player prop projections help you make your NBA picks for this pivotal matchup on Tuesday, May 26.
For more analysis, read our Spurs vs. Thunder predictions.
Spurs vs Thunder computer picks for Game 4
 Spurs |  Thunder |
|---|---|
| Champagnie o9.5 points +100 | Gilgeous-Alexander u7.5 assists +115 |
| Harper o9.5 points -105 | Holmgren o13.5 points +105 |
| Fox o14.5 points -112 | Hartenstein o6.5 points -130 |
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Spurs Game 5 computer picks
Julian Champagnie Over 9.5 points (+100)
Projection: 11.06 points
There's no denying Julian Champagnie is running cold, but he's almost running too cold. The wing is getting a plethora of open looks throughout the game, and he's too good a shooter to keep missing them.
Our model calls for him to break the slump tonight.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet champagnie Now at bet365!/span
Dylan Harper Over 9.5 points (-105)
Projection: 10.16 points
Dylan Harper is blossoming into a young star before our very eyes. While he's taken a bit of a backseat scoring-wise in Games 2 and 3, he surpassed 10+ points in the five games prior.
Expect him to reach that milestone in Game 5.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet harper Now at bet365!/span
De-Aaron Fox Over 14.5 points (-112)
Projection: 15.87 points
De-Aaron Fox failed to score 15+ points for the first time all postseason in Game 4, but he's still getting the same amount of volume. It was an off night for anyone not named Wemby, and he'll find his touch at Paycom this evening.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet fox Now at bet365!/span
Thunder Game 5 computer picks
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Under 7.5 assists (+115)
Projection: 6.79 assists
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will once again be called upon to score with the Oklahoma City Thunder seemingly shorthanded again. San Antonio opted to stray away from double-teaming the MVP last time out, which led to bad shooting nights from his teammates.
The San Antonio Spurs will take a similar approach and dare SGA to beat them.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet SGA Now at bet365!/span
Chet Holmgren Over 13.5 points (+105)
Projection: 14.77 points
There's no denying how bad Chet Holmgen played on the road, but he has a chance to shine in front of the home crowd tonight. Our model expects him to return to form, with his team in desperate need of his scoring.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet holmgren Now at bet365!/span
Isaiah Hartenstein Over 6.5 points (-130)
Projection: 7.75 points
Isaiah Hartenstein continues to make the most of his limited minutes, fresh off a 12-point performance. The Spurs are more than happy with Hartenstein shooting, because that means the ball isn't in SGA's hands. This is a very obtainable number for the big man.
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How to watch Spurs vs Thunder Game 5
| Location | Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK |
| Date | Tuesday, May 26, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | Peacock/NBC |
Not intended for use in MA.
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Knicks legends Clyde Frazier, John Starks react to ‘special moment’ after New York reaches NBA Finals
CLEVELAND - A month ago, Clyde Frazier was sitting in a back hallway of State Farm Arena chatting with a reporter. In a few hours, the Knicks would take the floor for a win-or-die Game 4 against Atlanta. Naturally, the conversation with Frazier turned to the Knicks’ struggles with the Hawks.
What was wrong with the offense? Should Mike Brown change the starting lineup? How do they slow down CJ McCollum?
Before parting ways, Frazier offered one last thought on the Knicks.
“They have a lot of pride in there,” he said, “A lot of pride. Let’s see what happens.”
Fast forward four weeks and Frazier is on the court in Cleveland, celebrating the Knicks’ Eastern Conference title.
“They’re on a roll,” Frazier said after New York’s dominant Game 4 win.
Obviously, Frazier was right about the pride in the Knick locker room. New York is undefeated since the Hall of Famer shared his thoughts on that Sunday in Atlanta.
And Frazier thinks the best may be yet to come for New York.
“The last 11 games, the way they’re getting up and down the court, everyone is moving and grooving,” Frazier said late Monday night.
“Every game they seem to get better and better (with) movement, defense. I think the pace is what’s really changed,” Frazier said. “They can go on runs now, 10 or 15 points, and just blow the game right open. And they weren’t doing that during the regular season.”
Yes, Frazier sees similarities between his title-winning teams and these Knicks.
“Once we got healthy, we had that good continuity going,” Frazier said of the 1973 champs. “They have 10 guys that are thriving, so it doesn’t seem to matter who (Brown) puts in the game, they come through with what they need.”
It was only fitting that Frazier and Patrick Ewing – two franchise icons - presented the Eastern Conference MVP trophy to Jalen Brunson.
Frazier’s message to Brunson was brief:
“I just told the maestro to keep doing it. He’s very level-headed, always wants to do team-oriented things. He’s very focused,” Frazier said.
A few feet away, John Starks was taking in the scene.
“That’s legacy there. Those two guys was pillars of this organization for so many years,” Starks said of Ewing and Frazier. “To be able to see them hand out the trophy, it means a lot.”
Just like the rest of the fan base, Starks, Ewing and other Knicks alumni have been living and dying with every possession this spring.
“Just a special moment,” Starks said of Monday’s celebration. “I’m happy for those guys because they did it together.”
Starks knows the New York market as well as anyone. He knows the scrutiny that comes with it. No better place to win. No tougher place to lose. He believes this Knick team has the right temperament to handle it all.
“I think (Knick president) Leon (Rose) and (Knicks Executive Vice President William Wesley) did a great job of putting together like-minded individuals. And that’s what it takes – guys who are not gonna get too high and get too low,” Starks said. “And they cheer for one another and they like one another. So that’s what it takes….Because things can get tough and you got to know who’s in the same boat as you. You don’t want to see guys jumping ship. These guys don’t jump. If the boat’s going to go down, they’re going to go down together.”
Right now, the boat isn’t going down. It’s floating, just like every other Knicks fan who's watched this run.
MUTED CELEBRATION
Before the media arrived in the Knicks' locker room, I asked a member of the organization if there was any champagne celebration. “Did you forget that Jalen Brunson is on this team?” they said.
I don’t know if it was a directive from Brunson, but the Knicks’ celebration was muted on Monday night. There were a few people sipping beers. But it was mostly business as usual.
“The celebrations were minimal. We really wanna get back to work,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “We know what happened last time we had the long layoff, so we already talked after the game right away about preparing, getting to practice, back to the work. That’s what’s made us special and it’s what’s gonna give us a chance to win the next series.”
The Knicks had a nine-day layoff between the second round and the conference finals. They struggled to shoot for much of Game 1. They trailed by 22 in the fourth quarter before Brunson led their comeback.
“We’ll do a better job this time around of just preparing for that kind of situation to happen,” Towns said. “I think obviously the coaches have done an amazing job getting us ready for Game 1, but obviously we didn’t go out there and shoot well. I think I looked up at one point and we were at four percent from three.
“So, we just gotta figure out a way to get those game-like reps. I think the coaching staff heard us loud and clear. We wanna get back to work and keep the rhythm and also maybe change up the philosophy of how we have those scrimmages… that we didn’t do last time. So I think we’ll be better prepared, but at the end of the day, it’s all about execution, desperation. We gotta bring it Game 1.”
Gleyber Torres nears rehab assignment while Javier Báez to see specialist
Obviously the Detroit Tigers badly need offensive help to return off the injury list. The pitching staff now has Will Vest and Troy Melton back, and Tarik Skubal threw a successful 39 pitch live BP session on Tuesday. Jackson Jobe’s rehab continues to run a little ahead of pace, setting him up for a return to action in July potentially. But the real issue now for the club is a lineup that is dead in the water apart from its three top bats. The Tigers got a mix of good and bad news on that front today
Gleyber Torres had a successful hitting session on Tuesday. He’s been rehabbing his left oblique strain over the past two weeks, running, fielding, and throwing well. However, he had previously experienced some discomfort when taking full swings. If he responds well with no setbacks, he’ll likely have one more cage session before heading on on a rehab assignment according to Evan Woodbery of MLive.
On the other hand, Javier Báez work getting back to full strength has hit a setback. Over the past two weeks, Báez has been trying to get back to full speed in his running and agility progressions, but his right ankle is still bothering him and he hasn’t been able to go all out. As a result, he’ll be seeing a specialist to see if anything was missed in the original diagnosis.
The Tigers really need those two bats to get their offensive game back in order. Torres is obviously a key piece for them as a highly disciplined right-handed hitter who gets on base a lot, works pitchers, and has the ability to hit behind runners on base using the opposite field.
Báez is more of a filler in the lineup, keeping a worse hitter on the bench or down on the farm, and doing most of his damage against lefties and with runners on base. Unfortunately, his defensive presence at shortstop and in center field is where most of his impact is centered these days, and the Tigers are missing him in every way. If he’s not back at full speed, he’s no help at all, and it feels like he’s still several weeks from potentially getting back, assuming this is just lingering pain from the sprain and not something more serious. Báez has been out for a month since rolling his ankle under him sliding into first base on an awkward play back on April 28.
The news is better for Kerry Carpenter, who is continuing his rehab and is hitting regularly again along with his defense and running work. The right fielder has been out since May 10 with an AC joint strain in his left shoulder after colliding with the wall at Kauffman Stadium trying to field a drive from Bobby Witt Jr. that turned into an inside the park home run.
Justin Verlander is scheduled to throw a live BP session tomorrow, but he’s been doing that and it’s a matter of recovering as he needs to before they can start ramping up his workload.
Utilityman Trei Cruz, who the Tigers expected to have as a defensive specialist at least, and depth for the shorstop and center field positions, is rehabbing now in Lakeland and should be back in Toledo by next week.
In prospect injury news, C/1B Josue Briceño is hitting now, about 10 weeks out from wrist tendon surgery. He seems on pace to return to the Double-A Erie SeaWolves sometime in late June. LHP Andrew Sears has made rehab appearances in both the Complex League, and then with the West Michigan Whitecaps back on May 22. He threw three innings in that outing, and should only need one more start there at most to build him up to a return to the Erie SeaWolves. Right-hander Owen Hall has made four shot appearances with the Complex League Tigers and should be nearing a return to the Single-A Lakeland Flying Tigers pretty soon.