Apr 11, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Eric Lauer (56) walks towards the dugout against the Minnesota Twins during the third inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Well, yesterday’s good vibes did not long endure.
Something is up with Eric Lauer. He was sitting 90 early and about 87 by the fourth, and struggling to locate in a way that he hasn’t really since becoming a Blue Jay. His five walks were his worst since he was a rookie back in 2018. Perhaps it’s the lingering effects of the stomach flu that wrecked the pitching staff last week. He did throw 95 pitches, without evidence of arm soreness or anything like that. The rotation is already in tatters, so the Jays will have to hope that’s all it is.
In other bad news, Myles Straw came out to pinch hit for George Springer in the fifth inning (though as it happened he didn’t get into the game until the sixth). It turns out he broke his toe by fouling a ball off it.
Things didn’t start too badly for Eric Lauer. He allowed just a walk through the first two innings. Then the wheels came off. Brooks Lee lead off the third with a solo home run. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases, and his third walk of the day forced home a run. The Jays could have limited the damage, but a towering Josh Bell fly fooled Daulton Varsho into going back and dropped for a single, scoring two instead of recording the second out. A batter later, Trevor Larnach hit a missile off the facing of the second deck in right to run the Twins’ total up to seven before Lee popped up to end the inning. It was as bad of a meltdown inning as you’ll see. He stayed in the bullpen, presumably to spare the bullpen given Max Scherzer’s uncertain health for tomorrow, and regained his composure from there. In the fourth, an Austin Martin walk was erased when Brandon Valenzuela gunned him down trying to steal second. In the fifth, he sat the Twins down in order. They tried to get one more, and he retired one batter before giving up a walk and being removed from the game. All told, he went 5.1 innings, allowing 7 earned on 5 hits and 5 walks, striking out three. He didn’t give up a hit outside the nightmare third inning. It was a weird afternoon.
Spencer Miles took over, giving up a single to Lee that moved the lead runner to third before inducing Ryan Kreidler to ground into a double play to end the inning. Back for the seventh, he walked Martin but a fly out and a pair of ground outs got him out of it. In the eighth and ninth he retired the Twins in order, picking up a K in each inning. It was a strong performance that did a lot to help the rest of the team set up for what’ll probably be a quasi-bullpen day tomorrow, and he was getting it up over 96 in this fourth inning of work. Miles is looking like a great rule 5 pick and a key part of the bullpen.
The offence, on the other side, started hot against Joe Ryan before going silent. George Springer lead off the game with a walk, and Daulton Varsho put the Jays in front with a two run homer, his second of the year. From there, though, Ryan gave up only a hit batter among the next nine Blue Jays, and erased that with a double play. Vladimir Guerrero jr. lined a single to right to lead off the fourth, but the next dozen Jays batters went in order. Ryan only struck out five, but outside Varsho’s home run they couldn’t lay a finger on him.
They had marginally better luck with the bullpen. Kody Funderburk pitched the eighth. Ernie Clement singled and Andres Gimenez walked, but the rest of the lineup couldn’t capitalize. Facing Cole Sands in the ninth, Vlad hit a hard ground ball single back over the mound to lead off. Jesus Sanchez crushed one deep to right to bring the Jays within three. That was as close as they’d get, though, as Sands ended the inning there.
George Lombard Jr. continues to feel more comfortable in Double-A as his hot start to the minor league season continued on Saturday afternoon.
The Yankees' top prospect went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and two walks in the Somerset Patriots' 7-6 loss to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. Lombard's season average through the team's first seven games now sits at .464.
Lombard's incredible start also includes two home runs.
It's a promising sign for the Yankees prospect after he struggled when he was promoted to Double-A last year. In 108 games with the Patriots, Lombard slashed .215/.337/.358 with an OPS of .695 and eight home runs.
The infielder wasn't the only prospect in Saturday's game. Ben Hess, the Yankees' No. 5 overall prospect, started the game, but his day was short. The right-hander tossed 2.2 innings, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out five batters. However, Hess walked five batters, contributing to his 82 pitches (42 strikes).
Saturday was Hess' second start this season after a strong debut when he allowed two runs on three hits while striking out nine batters across five innings.
George Lombard Jr. (@Yankees No. 1 Prospect) smacks a 2⃣ RBI single in the fourth.
Up with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, top pitching prospect Lagrange took the mound to start for the RailRiders.
The right-hander only went 3.1 innings, however, allowing two runs on two hits and four walks. He struck out eight batters as he continues to build his case to make the big league club this season.
Saturday's start saw Lagrange's season-high in strikeouts -- his previous two starts saw him strike out five batters combined -- but he allowed his most runs in the early season. Lagrange allowed one run in four innings in his season debut and one run in 3.1 innings in his second start.
Lagrange's ERA stands at 3.38 after three starts and he took his first loss after the RailRiders' 4-2 loss in the first game of their doubleheader.
Yankees outfield prospect Spencer Jones went 1-for-3 with an RBI single. The slugger has had a slow start to the season. He's batting just .205 with only two home runs in his first 12 games.
Jasson Dominguez, who isn't a prospect anymore but down with Triple-A to get everyday at-bats, continued his strong season by going 0-for-1 with two walks and a run scored. He entered Saturday's game slashing .375/.468/.575 with two home runs.
George Springer exited Saturday’s 7-4 loss to the Twins with a left big toe fracture, the team announced.
George Springer of the Toronto Blue Jays fouls the ball off his foot in the third inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins at Rogers Centre on April 11, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Springer left the game with a left big toe fracture. Getty Images
The four-time All-Star, facing Twins starter Joe Ryan in the third inning, fouled a ball off his foot but remained in the at-bat to ground out to first base.
Playing as the designated hitter, Springer was not officially removed from the game until the sixth inning when Myles Straw entered as a pinch hitter.
Springer, a Silver Slugger winner a year ago, is off to a slow start this season, going 10-for-54 (.185 average) with two homers and six RBIs. It’s not yet clear if the fracture will lead to an injured list stint.
Toronto has been badly bitten by the injury bug early this season. Starter Cody Ponce, signed over after a strong stint in the KBO, tore his ACL while trying to field his position and is now out for the year after needing knee surgery.
Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer falls to the ground after taking a foul ball off his foot while playing against the Minnesota Twins during third-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Saturday, April 11, 2026. AP
Catcher Alejandro Kirk took a foul ball off his thumb behind the dish and suffered a fracture, putting him on the shelf. Infielder Addison Barger was also shut down from baseball activities as he deals with ankle woes.
On top of all this, starters Shane Bieber and Jose Berrios — who are both dealing with elbow issues — have not yet pitched this season. The same goes for playoff hero Trey Yesavage, whose shoulder had kept him off the field.
In all, it’s led to a mediocre start for the defending American League champs, who sit at 6-8.
Apr 11, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Bryce Harper (3) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
In last night’s game, the Phillies jumped out a big lead in the first inning, only to do nothing the rest of the way but give back the lead and the win. Today, the roles were switched. Arizona got out to a quick lead, then watched their starter give it all back.
I like it better that way.
Taijuan Walker started for the Phillies and did his usual “let’s spot the opposition the lead” thing that he seems to do each first inning of his starts. Today, he gave up a solo home run to Ketel Marte to begin the game.
Adrian del Castillo followed that with a one out RBI single to give the Diamondbacks a 2-0 lead before most people had settled into their seats. It’s a familiar scene with Walker, but has some good news. Once he gives up those first inning runs, he usually settles down after that and give the Phillies a chance to get back into the game. That happened today.
In the bottom of the third, Alec Bohm reached on an error, then went to second when Justin Crawford singled to begin the frame. With one out, Kyle Schwarber stepped up and delivered to get a lead.
What’s nice is that, with Brandon Pfaadt still in, Bryce Harper decided to give it a go on his own, going back-to-back with Schwarber to lengthen the lead.
Walker was very good once he was able to settle in, going five innings and only allowing those two runs. Tim Mayza and Orion Kerkering got out of a mini jam in the sixth inning before the seventh got a bit hairy. Jose Alvarado came in that inning with two outs and immediately hit Alek Thomas with a pitch. Thomas stole second, then went to third on a throwing error by J.T. Realmuto to put a run 90 feet from home before Alvarado induced a groundball to end the frame.
In the eighth, Brad Keller let in a two-out run thanks to a walk and two singles, but emerged victorious and not relinquishing the lead. Jhoan Duran took the ball in the ninth and went 1-2-3 to lock down what felt like a badly needed victory.
The offense still not scoring too many runs is still an issue, but a win is a win and the Phillies needed one. They’ll try and take the series tomorrow with Andrew Painter on the mound.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MARCH 25: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics and Jaylen Brown #7 shake hands during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at TD Garden on March 25, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeat the Thunder 119-109. 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 Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
BOSTON — The Celtics could be without most of their rotation when they face the Orlando Magic on Sunday.
Jayson Tatum (right Achilles repair management), Jaylen Brown (left Achilles tendonitis), Derrick White (right knee contusion), and Neemias Queta (right toe sprain) are all out. Sam Hauser (low back spasm), Payton Pritchard (left foot plantar fasciitis), and Nikola Vučević (right ring finger fracture management) are all doubtful.
The lengthy injury report comes as no surprise, because the Celtics have already locked up the No. 2 seed with one game left to play in the regular season. None of the injuries appears to be cause for concern, and everyone except for Tatum laced up on Friday night, when the Celtics blew out the New Orleans Pelicans and solidified their standings in the Eastern Conference.
The Orlando Magic are still vying for playoff positioning
The Orlando Magic, meanwhile, will be at mostly full strength and are still playing for playoff positioning. Only Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain) and Jett Howard (left ankle sprain) are questionable.
The Magic currently have the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, but are tied with the Toronto Raptors for a 45-26 record. The Raptors are facing the Brooklyn Nets in their last regular-season game, and could lock up that sixth seed with a victory.
The Celtics and Magic could face off in the first round of the playoffs; the Celtics will face the winner of the Play-In game between the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds. (The Philadelphia 76ers currently have the 8th seed). The two teams faced off in the first round of the playoffs last year, with the Celtics winning the best-of-seven series in five games.
The Celtics and Magic have faced off three times this season — all in November — with Boston winning two of the three matchups.
Celtics-Magic will tip off at 6pm ET at TD Garden.
Five-time NBA All-Star point guard and current Amazon Prime Video NBA analyst John Wall takes a shot at some playoffs Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: What is the key for the Knicks to reach the NBA Finals?
A: To me the key has always been all year: Can Mikal Bridges and [OG] Anunoby play well at the same time? … Outside of what you know you’ll get from [Jalen] Brunson and KAT [Karl-Anthony Towns], I think that takes their team to another level. I kind of go back to the game when they beat the Spurs pretty badly, everybody was clicking. I know you can’t get that every night, but I feel like those two guys are the key to their team going far.
A: I don’t think it’s no pressure, because last year they feel like they should have went to the Finals, if they don’t give that Game 1 away or Game 2 away against the Pacers, and then you come back this year when everybody thought it was a down year in the East with the Celtics dealing with injuries, the Pacers not having [Tyrese] Haliburton, and everybody, including James Dolan, thought the Knicks would be the No. 1 seed in the East. And you have Boston is still ahead of them, they just got Jayson Tatum back, which is scary for the league, but nobody expected the Celtics to be where they are.
Retired NBA player John Wall speaks on a pregame show prior the game between the Washington Wizards and the Milwaukee Bucks at Capital One Arena on January 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. Getty Images
Q: So you don’t think there’s pressure on the Knicks?
A: Yeah, they have pressure, but it shouldn’t really be no pressure. … They show us a run here, then they go on a losing streak. And then it’s like they kind of had a favorable schedule probably after that bad month of February that got them back on track because they were almost close to not being a top-three team in the East, and that woulda put a lot of pressure on them.
Q: If the Knicks meet the Celtics in the second round, how do you see that series?
A: I’m taking the Celtics on that one. … I feel like the Celtics are a more complete team. Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown, one of them is gonna be on the floor at all times, and they also have Derrick White, [Payton] Pritchard’s playing great off the bench, you got [Baylor] Scheierman, that’s another guy that knocks down shots. … I just feel like they’re a more complete team than what the Knicks are.
The Knicks beat Jayson Tatum and the Celtics on Friday night. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Q: So who do you see in the Eastern Conference finals?
A: Right now I have the Celtics and it’s up in the air. I feel like if the Knicks don’t have to see the Celtics, I would take them there. I like Detroit a lot, I just don’t know if Detroit has another guy that can create off the dribble outside of Cade Cunningham in the playoffs, ’cause the coverages that they’re gonna do with him, he hasn’t seen in the regular season. I’m not giving him my best coverages now when I know I might have to see him in the playoffs.
Q: So you would like the Knicks over the Pistons if they met?
A: Yes.
Q: Your thoughts on Mike Brown?
A: I like Mike Brown. We all talked about Jalen Brunson, we know how dominant he is, how much he scores the ball, but he’s ball dominant, and I think a lot of times all those other guys don’t get implemented into the offense and they kind of get lost. I feel like we were gonna get more ball movement, and we don’t get too many of those, it’s kind of like the same offense we had before. Only difference is he goes deeper into his bench than what Thibs [Tom Thibodeau] used to.
Q: Were you surprised when Thibs was fired?
A: Yeah, for a guy to get to the Eastern Conference finals, you don’t do that. I get you probably wanting to play more guys off the bench, but this has been Thibs’ motto his whole career, play probably seven guys at best, sometimes eight, but I play my main guys a lot of minutes. It’s kind of like you look at Cleveland’s situation, when LeBron [James] and them went to the Finals, the next year David Blatt’s fired. He got to the Finals, didn’t have Kevin Love and lost Kyrie Irving Game 1, he still was able to make it a competitive series as best he could.
Mike Brown calls out a play. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
Q: Correct me if I’m wrong, you don’t sound sold on Mike Brown.
A: Mike Brown’s not the problem. I feel like it’s the players in figuring out how to play well with each other at a high level. It’s about how can you get Jalen Brunson to still be efficient and be the way he is ’cause he’s so gifted, but he’s at his best when the ball is in his hands. I feel like anybody that coaches him is how can you get him to still be that killer guy he’s been for them and the clutch guy he has been for the Knicks and this city, and the fans love him, to get everybody else to also get going also? I’m not blaming Mike Brown for anything.
Q: What do the Knicks need from KAT in these playoffs?
A: KAT has to be KAT. KAT has to be dominant. KAT has to be a guy that can stay on the floor and block shots, defend for them at a high level. He has to be a guy that can knock down a 3 like he’s been doing, but also KAT has to take advantage of when teams put smaller guys on him. Let’s say if they meet Boston in the playoffs, Boston is gonna put Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown on him. And that’s a matchup he has to dominate in the post. If he’s dominating there, now you have to double-team and you have other guys have to do that. … I was talking to one of my Knicks friends that’s a fan, and he’s, “Oh yeah, we’re going to the Finals,” and I’m like, “Bro, you have to understand, you all had no Jaylen Brown yesterday, and you went to the wire with the Celtics.” And Josh Hart had to score 26 points. They shoulda won that game by 15 points, at best.
Q: What is the difference between the Brunson we see now and the Brunson who was in Dallas?
A: He wasn’t a franchise guy, he was trying to figure out his way. The series when Luka [Doncic] was hurt, and what he did against the Utah Jazz gave him an unbelievable confidence to understand, “Well, I might can be a No. 1 option in this league.” What he brings to the table is impeccable to do at his size and be efficient and be as clutch as he is. I just think he has to find a way to get other guys going and not just make him have to make jump shots all night for seven games. To me he’s not a true point guard, he’s more of a combo-type of guard. He’s gonna get the ball whenever he wants, he has the creativity to do whatever he wants when he feels, I feel like early on you have to get guys shots. First minute, minute-30 of the [Celtics] game, Mikal Bridges had seven points. He got it going. He goes missing for the rest of the game.
Q: How big of an impact does Mitchell Robinson have to be?
A: He’s a big key to them because what he brings off the bench, outside of free-throw shooting. A guy that can block shots, a guy that can switch out and really guard other people. And his offensive rebounding ability is very key for them. They really want to play him down the stretch, he just don’t shoot well from the free-throw line.
Q: What do you think of a possible Knicks-Hawks first-round matchup?
A: I think it goes six [games]. They have two guys that can guard, you have Nickeil Alexander-Walker who’s to me Most Improved Player this year, and then you got Jalen Johnson, that’s a guy that’s an All-Star, should be on the All-NBA team. So they can make it interesting because Onyeka Okongwu can guard KAT, he can space the floor and knock down 3s also.
New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson is greeted by New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby during the second quarter on Friday night. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Q: What other teams could be a threat to the Celtics?
A: If we get the James Harden and Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley that we expect to get, that’s another team that could be a threat. For me, I feel like it’s three teams that can give the Celtics a threat: the Knicks, the Cavs and the Pistons. But I just feel like the Celtics have been there before. And you know they got revenge on last year, they felt like they gave that series away to the Knicks, being up almost 20 every game, living by the 3, dying by the 3, not making ’em. So that was a saucy taste in their mouth. The Pistons also got a saucy taste, they feel like they coulda beat the Knicks.
Q: The Cavs?
A: Can James Harden knock off the curse of everybody saying he keeps missing in the playoffs? That’s the key for him. I think he unlocked Spida [Mitchell] to another level where Spida don’t have to worry about creating as much, just let him be a bona fide scorer. But I think Evan Mobley has to be the Evan Mobley that we saw last year making All-NBA and being a Defensive Player of the Year. It helps their team go over the hump.
Q: The Raptors?
A: Nah, they’re just not there. I think they have their closer when they went and got Brandon Ingram. We also gotta see how [Immanuel] Quickley can get back in there. I just don’t think they have enough to put any threat to the top teams.
Q: Joel Embiid, who just had appendicitis surgery, and the 76ers?
A: With Embiid, it’s a team that you probably don’t want to see if they’re all healthy, him, Paul George and [Tyrese] Maxey. But I think also it changes their dynamic of what they do offensively, they try to feed the ball to Embiid more, it takes away from Maxey being the guy he was early on in being aggressive and being able to attack. … He helps them offensively, it’s just Embiid can’t move defensively and that kind of might hurt him against certain matchups.
Q: Is there a sleeper team that can make some noise?
A: A sleeper team I want to talk about is the Magic. But I don’t think they ever gonna get it right. They got all the pieces, I just don’t know if Franz [Wagner] can get into a rhythm and help them out before the playoffs start. I want Paolo [Banchero] to be a guy that just gets downhill, you’re a guy that has the physical tools and ability, athleticism to get by anybody and the strength to dominate anybody in the paint.
Q: Who wins the Western Conference?
A: There’s three teams, nobody else in my opinion. [Oklahoma City], Spurs and Denver.
Q: Describe defending NBA champion OKC.
A: They have the same team as last year. They had to go through a lot of adversity this year with guys being out, and I love the guy Ajay Mitchell, he gives them another boost off the bench. You got the MVP from last year, SGA [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] when games are close. They know who their go-to guy is and everybody just knows their role. Everybody just plays defense at a high level, they’d be ready to make open shots when they have to, and you have a guy like SGA that’s shooting almost 60 percent from the field, makes clutch shots and he’s a go-to guy.
Q: Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.
A: I love them a lot just because they play so enthusiastic, everybody can defend for them, they all can create shots off the dribble. Only thing that scares me is, who’s gonna be their closer? We have never seen a player like Wemby. The closest thing you’ve seen was Kevin Durant, but then you have what Wemby does on the defensive end, it cancels all that out.
Q: Thoughts on Stephon Castle?
A: I love him. Dawg. Would love to have him on my team. Being with Dan Hurley at UConn they kind of taught him coming in. He’s not trying to go out there and get 30 every night, he has certain nights when he does that. But I think him being a true point guard for them has allowed De’Aaron Fox to get back to the scoring ability that we have seen before the All-Star break.
Stephon Castle of the San Antonio Spurs shoots the ball during the game against the LA Clippers. NBAE via Getty Images
Q: OKC versus San Antonio in the conference finals?
A: I can’t forget Denver. [Nikola] Jokic is another guy that can get to whatever he wants. And you got guys like Cam Johnson that’s finally figured out how to make shots and understands that he’s wide open.
Q: Is Jokic’s wrist a problem?
A: Health and some luck is all key to it.
Q: The Warriors with Steph Curry back?
A: That team you don’t want to see in the Play-In. If they get OKC first round, they don’t really go too far. You don’t know how long Steph can stay healthy with the injury he’s dealing with.
Q: The Lakers?
A: If Austin Reaves and Luka don’t come back in the first round, that can be bad for them, because if I’m the Rockets, I want to match up with them without Luka and Austin Reaves. Luka and Austin Reaves and Bron being the third option changes their team to a different dynamic.
Q: The Rockets?
A: I feel like if they get the Lakers they can get by there, but I don’t think they go far. We’re still dealing with the problem of them having a true point guard and trying to figure out what they can do. With the Lakers, when they play K.D. they double-team him and they force somebody else to beat ’em, and other guys gotta be able to shoot the ball at a high clip. I would live with that in a playoff series.
Q: K.D.?
A: I think teams are gonna frustrate him because they’re gonna double-team him or sit in those gaps and force somebody else to beat them for a whole series, and they just don’t have enough knockdown shooters to help ’cause their knockdown shooters don’t play defense at a high level, so it hurts ’em. So they got a good thing on one end and a bad thing on the other end.
Q: The T’wolves with Anthony Edwards?
A: Ant gotta get healthy. … Ant’s a bona fide killer, he has the old-school mentality. They’re trying to force Ant to be a point guard. … If he comes out and shoots 12, 14 shots in the first quarter, other teams are happy because nobody else has touched the ball and found a rhythm. But if he comes out and pass and get other guys shots and get them a little rhythm, he’s gonna be able to get 25 shots whenever he wants to. … We also forget, no credit away from them, but the last two years they got kind of lucky. Last year Steph Curry got hurt, I don’t think they beat the Warriors in that series if he doesn’t get hurt to get to the Western Conference finals.
Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts against the Houston Rockets during the second half at Toyota Center on April 10, 2026. Getty Images
Q: The Suns?
A: They’re playing at a good level but not there yet.
Q: Who were your favorite point guards growing up?
A: Jason Kidd, Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Baron Davis. When I got closer to the league, it was too many. It was a point guard era where you had tough matchups maybe seven nights in a row. Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, [Rajon] Rondo, Russ [Westbrook], D. [Derrick] Rose. It was never a night off.
Q: Who are point guards you like now?
A: They’re more combo guards now. … If you go point guard, it’d be like Luka for sure, James Harden, SGA, you have Kyrie Irving when he’s healthy. … Jamal Murray’s a guy I like. Jalen Brunson’s a guy that’s very crafty that I like. Cade Cunningham’s for sure on that list.
Q: Your former Kentucky coach John Calipari?
A: The GOAT.
Q: What would be your message to Knicks fans about the upcoming playoffs?
A: Y’all better make it to the [NBA] Finals or y’all might have a new team next year.
"He will be the leader of this basketball team for many years to come," Manuel said, prompting a standing ovation from the fans in attendance at the event.
After inheriting a program that went 8-24 in 2023-24, May has gone 64-13 in two seasons at the school. His 2025-26 team went 37-3 and won the Big Ten regular-season title before a dominant run through the 2026 NCAA Tournament that was capped off by a 69-63 victory against UConn in the national title game last Monday. The 37 wins were a program single-season record.
May’s success in rapidly turning around the Wolverines has transformed him into one of the brightest coaching stars in the sport and has attracted interest from other programs. The 49-year-old Indiana native was widely linked to the vacant North Carolina position before May informed the university he wasn’t pursuing other college jobs.
"I'm very grateful, and during the (NCAA) tournament, I just told Warde I'm not leaving,” May said Saturday during an appearance on Big Ten Network, which was airing the championship celebration. “And I probably ruined any leverage I could have had. It's an honor to coach at this great institution, and I just look forward to what's next."
May had previously been the head coach at Florida Atlantic, where he led the Owls to an improbable appearance in the 2023 Final Four.
In February 2025, while guiding Michigan to a 19-win improvement and a run to the Sweet 16 in his first season, May received a one-year contract extension that ran through 2030 that raised his average annual salary from $3.825 million to $5.1 million.
Manuel told reporters that May’s new deal will run through 2031, though the financial details of the contract are still being finalized.
“I’m very relieved, but we knew it was done a few days before the final game,” Manuel said Saturday. “You want to have a coach that other people want, and I'm happy to keep him. Dusty and I have a great relationship and trust in one another. For me, it feels awesome to know that he's going to continue to lead this program and continue to be the head coach here at Michigan.”
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 27: Spencer Strider #99 of the Atlanta Braves is introduced before the game against the Kansas City Royals at Truist Park on March 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ahead of Game 2 of the Braves-Guardians series Saturday, manager Walt Weiss provided a few injury updates about the roster.
In the good news column, Weiss shared that Spencer Strider is set to begin his rehab assignment from the oblique strain which sidelined him to begin the season on Thursday after throwing a live batting-practice session Saturday. He’s going to start at 40-45 pitches and isn’t expected to be back on the major league roster this month, Weiss added.
Per Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Strider touched 95 three times during the second inning of his three-inning bullpen. His final fastball was clocked at 94.6. That’s notably lower than the 97 mph or higher he averaged in each of his first four seasons, but given his injury history, it’s fair to wonder if that velocity will be a part of his arsenal going forward.
The less good news is that Weiss said that outfielder Eli White, who would have been in the lineup Saturday with Michael Harris II on the paternity list, is day-to-day as he deals with plantar fasciitis in his foot.
Because of that, the Braves are forced to start Mauricio Dubon in center with Mike Yastrzemski in left for Saturday’s game against Cleveland.
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 16: The sneakers worn by Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics before the game against the Phoenix Suns on March 16, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 10: Gavin Sheets #30 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after hitting a walk-off home run against the Colorado Rockies during the ninth inning at Petco Park on April 10, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One walk-off was something. Two consecutive walk-off moonshots is something else entirely.
Gavin Sheets was the hero of last night’s game after belting a three-run dinger about as deep as the Friar Faithful have seen a ball go in Petco Park. The crazy part: it wasn’t even his first homer of the game.
Luis Campusano provided another solo shot to give the San Diego Padres a two-run lead. That lead was preserved by a sterling outing from starter Walker Buehler until Adrian Morejon gave up two runs to the Colorado Rockies in the eighth inning, setting the stage for the dramatic finale.
The Friars are now on their second three-game win streak of the season, and will push for four tonight (as well as the series win over Colorado).
Taking the mound
Ryan Feltner (COL) v. Germán Márquez (SD)
The Rockies No. 5 starter has been off to a semi-decent start, with a 4.32 ERA across 8 1/3 innings. He’s spent his entire career in Colorado, never finishing with an ERA under 4.00.
Feltner is working back from an injury-plagued 2025, having only pitched in six games last year. After a solid, albeit short, first start to the year, he gave up four runs against the Houston Astros on Monday.
The Padres who have batted against him have raked, with a combined .348/.423/.391 slash line. If Feltner can’t fix that now, San Diego will crush him.
Márquez will face his longtime former club for the first time since signing with the Friars this offseason. He had a rough debut with San Diego that now feels like a blip after he pitched five shutout innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday.
If Márquez can follow that up against the Rox, it’ll go a long way to soothing rotation worries in San Diego.
Batter up!
The San Diego offense continues to be all-around spectacular, with contributions from Campusano and Sheets leading the way last night. Facing the right-hander Feltner will likely see the Friars use a similar lineup to yesterday, with some minor tweaks:
Ramón Laureano, LF
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Jackson Merrill, CF
Manny Machado, 3B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Gavin Sheets, DH
Nick Castellanos, 1B
Freddy Fermin, C
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Even with Campusano’s great offensive production lately, Fermin has been the primary starter and they’ve mostly swapped back and forth in the backstop role.
Castellanos was benched yesterday in favor of the hot-hitting Miguel Andujar but will likely give Sheets a rest in the cold corner. That being said, Sheets’ bat is far too good to stay out of the lineup so he’ll probably get a DH day.
San Diego’s production at the plate has been wonderful lately. If they can keep that rolling against the Rockies’ No. 5 man tonight, they’ll cruise to a series victory.
Relief corps
Buehler had a fantastic outing, and boy did he need it. With his job on the line after allowing more runs (7) than he innings pitched (6 2/3), he needed a vintage outing. He delivered with a scoreless six innings, limiting Rockies batters to three hits.
That kept a (relatively) depleted bullpen mostly fresh, with manager Craig Stammen opting to use Kyle Hart in the seventh inning. Morejon came out for the eighth and blew the lead, giving up two runs on four hits.
That’s largely been the story for Morejon for the beginning of this year, with him struggling to a 10.80 ERA, giving up nine runs (eight earned) in only 6 2/3 innings. He’s yet to prove himself to be the dominant reliever he was from 2024-25 (2.42 ERA, 137.1 IP).
With Morejon unable to get out of the inning, Stammen turned to Jason Adam as the right-hander made his 2026 debut. He was easily able to get the out and stop the bleeding. The stranger thing was him not returning to the mound for the ninth.
Instead Stammen went to closer Mason Miller, who’s now pitched three games straight. It was odd given that it was not a save situation, and Adam had only thrown five pitches. Whatever the case, it ended up working out for San Diego, but Miller will likely be unavailable for tonight’s game.
In his stead the Friars will have Ron Marinaccio, David Morgan, Wandy Peralta and Bradgley Rodriguez. The quartet will hope for a clean outing from Márquez, but all four are capable of covering more than one inning if necessary.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 10: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves reacts with Matt Olson #28 after hitting a solo homer to lead off the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park on April 10, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Firstly, congratulations are in order for Michael Harris II and his wife, Esther. ICYMI, Michael was placed on the paternity list earlier today and we hope to hear happy news about baby boy Harris soon. MHIII? We shall see! More on the corresponding roster moves here, including a return for Luke Williams.
As a result, Mauricio Dubón will patrol center field and Jorge Mateo gets the start at short and will bat ninth.
The rest of the lineup looks a lot like the last time the Braves faced a lefty, including Mike Yastrzemski in the seven hole, Drake Baldwin DH’ing, and Jonah Heim at catcher.
Braves menace Steven Kwan continues to lead off for the Guardians, but the one to watch here will be José Ramírez. Recently making headlines for setting the club record for most games played (1,620!), Ramírez has the most ABs versus Martín Pérez and has a .263 average and .754 OPS against him. Not only that, MLB’s game preview and Elias note that if he homers, he will be the first Cleveland player with home runs versus all other 29 MLB teams. The drama of trying to deny one of baseball’s stars an additional accolade… here’s hoping the Braves pitching staff will be up to the task today and tomorrow.
Buzzy rookie Chase DeLauter drops from second to fifth and will take a break from playing right field to DH. New faces David Fry and Austin Hedges will bat cleanup and eighth, respectively.
NEW YORK (AP) — Ridly Greig scored a short-handed goal, Linus Ullmark stopped all 23 shots he faced and the Ottawa Senators moved to the verge of clinching a playoff spot by shutting out the New York Islanders 3-0 on Saturday.
Ottawa is in if Detroit loses at home in regulation to New Jersey. The Islanders’ hopes took another hit with a fifth loss in six games.
Senators captain Brady Tkachuk took a puck up high late in the second period, returned for one shift in the third and then did not return.
Greig made it a 1-0 game with 6:54 remaining in the first. Jake Sanderson scored in the third, and Michael Amadio sealed it with an empty-netter. The Islanders went 0 for 5 on the power play.
New York is now 1-1 since firing coach Patrick Roy and hiring Peter DeBoer as his replacement. Ilya Sorokin allowed two goals on 15 shots.
Cameron Young shot 65 to wipe out Rory McIlroy’s big lead on Moving Day at Augusta National. Scott Murray was watching
Max Homa led at this stage two years ago, ending the week in third spot after falling away over the weekend with a pair of 73s. Undaunted, he came back last year, and tied for 12th. The 35-year-old Californian has fallen in love with Augusta National late in life, and he’s going well again this week. Birdies at 1 and 2 have whisked him up the standings to -4.
While we’re waiting for the leading players to take to the course, we’ve got time to indulge in a wee spot of Masters nostalgia. This episode of This Golfing Life, a wonderful new golf podcast hosted by the award-winning journalist and author Dan Davies, dives deep into the career of the 1980 and 1983 champion, the legendary Seve Ballesteros, and comes much recommended. (Fans of Paddington and Maurice Flitcroft may enjoy this episode too.) Get on it!
NEW YORK (AP) — Ridly Greig scored a short-handed goal, Linus Ullmark stopped all 23 shots he faced and the Ottawa Senators moved to the verge of clinching a playoff spot by shutting out the New York Islanders 3-0 on Saturday.
Ottawa is in if Detroit loses at home in regulation to New Jersey. The Islanders' hopes took another hit with a fifth loss in six games.
Senators captain Brady Tkachuk took a puck up high late in the second period, returned for one shift in the third and then did not return.
Greig made it a 1-0 game with 6:54 remaining in the first. Jake Sanderson scored in the third, and Michael Amadio sealed it with an empty-netter. The Islanders went 0 for 5 on the power play.
Max Schuemann is the answer to a baseball trivia question: “Who fielded the last out for the Athletics in their final game at the Oakland Coliseum?”
It was September 26, 2024 and the batter was Travis Jankowski of the Texas Rangers.
“I was playing third base, kind of shifted over playing short,” Schuemann said. “The way that at-bat was going, Mason Miller was throwing and there was a lefty at the plate who was kind of slapping it and fouling off a bunch of pitches. I was like, ‘This ball is 1,000-percent coming to me. I need to be ready.’
“Sure enough, he did and I felt like you could hear a pin drop in that stadium, even though the seats were all full. Once I fielded it and as I was going to throw it, it got so quiet. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can not screw this up.’ But I threw a strike over there and hit [first baseman Tyler Soderstrom] in the chest and we won the game.”
After spending the past two years with the Athletics, Schuemann is in the Yankees organization this year with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He was designated for assignment by the Athletics on February 6th. Three days later, the Yankees acquired him in a trade for Rookie ball pitcher Luis Burgos.
Schuemann couldn’t be happier.
“I can’t ask for a better situation to come into,” he said. “The coaching staff at big-league camp and then here have been amazing to me and really helpful. I feel like I’ve learned a ton in the small stint that I’ve been here.”
The 28-year-old hails from Kalamazoo, Michigan — the same hometown as Derek Jeter. Schuemann unsurprisingly idolized the Yankees’ Hall of Fame shortstop.
Schuemann was selected by the Athletics out of Eastern Michigan University in the 20th round of the 2018 MLB Draft (593rd overall). Over the next five years, Schuemann worked his way through various stops in the A’s system — Vermont, Beloit, Lansing, Midland, and Las Vegas — before making his MLB debut on April 12, 2024 against the Washington Nationals. He entered the game in the bottom of the 10th inning as the automatic runner and scored the winning run on a single by Lawrence Butler.
In his sixth MLB game at Cleveland’s Progressive Field on April 20, 2024, Schuemann got his first hit off Logan Allen and first stolen base.
“I had my family on the edge of their seats,” Schuemann said. “I thought I absolutely crushed a ball (in my first at-bat) to left field. It was a colder day, maybe the wind was blowing in from left, which was kind of weird for that ballpark; I feel like it’s pretty hitter-friendly. I thought I got it, but I was running hard out of the box because that’s just the player I am. My family all went nuts, they thought I got it, too. Steven Kwan made a leaping catch at the big wall in left to rob me of my first hit.
“My second at-bat, I came up, first-pitch swinging, I hit a ball pretty well to right field. Again, running hard out of the box, I hit it well and it snuck over the fence. So my first career hit was a homer and they (my family) went nuts. I wouldn’t trade that moment for the world. It was pretty cool, teasing my family like that. You can’t draw that up.”
Max Schuemann's first big league hit is a game-tying homer and his family is loving it! 🥹 pic.twitter.com/r8XS8Uae6i
That season, Schuemann appeared in 133 games and batted .220 (87-for-396) with seven home runs, 34 RBI, and 14 stolen bases.
“I was very happy being part of the last team in Oakland,” Schuemann said. “It was such an amazing year for me, especially that last series. The fans really showed out.”
Last season, the Athletics began playing in a minor-league stadium in West Sacramento while a new stadium in Las Vegas is being built. Not only did the team have to adjust to a new city, but Schuemann transitioned into a bench role. He played in 101 games and batted .197 (36 for 183) with two home runs, 13 RBIs and seven stolen bases.
“Making that adjustment was definitely a learning experience,” Schuemann said. “But I feel like I did OK and I learned from it. Sacramento, we made it what it was. I’m not with those guys anymore, but I’m rooting for those guys. They were my teammates and I came up with a lot of them through the minor leagues. Some longtime friends over there for sure.”
With the RailRiders, Schuemann is part of an infield that includes Oswaldo Cabrera, Paul DeJong, Jonathan Ornelas, and Braden Shewmake. All have MLB experience and all can play second base, shortstop, and third base. Schuemann has a leg up on at least DeJong and Ornelas, as he currently holds a spot on the Yankees’ 40-man roster, so if the situation arises where the Yankees need an infielder, it seems likely that either he or Cabrera would get the call.
That versatility is a strength and gives manager Shelley Duncan plenty of options.
“That was a key part of how I got to the big leagues in the first place, bouncing around everywhere and playing multiple positions,” Schuemann said. “If you go around our infield, I feel like we have guys who do that same thing. It’s pretty special to have an athletic team like we have. I feel like it helps hold everyone accountable. Everybody’s bouncing around, it’s not set in stone. It helps us hold each other accountable to stay on top of our craft.”
Through 10 games with the RailRiders, Schuemann is batting .235 (8-for-34) with two doubles, five RBIs, and two stolen bases. He also has drawn nine walks.
“I had a good spring, so I’m trying to carry that over,” Schuemann said. “Everything I’ve learned in camp has been going pretty well overall. I’ve had a lot of quality at-bats, just waiting for the results to come. It’s a long season, so I feel like they will.
“I’ve been very happy with how it (the trade) turned out. I don’t think I could ask to have come into a better situation. Just to evolve as a player, I feel it’s really going to be good for my career.”
