The Pittsburgh Penguins have made a roster move ahead of their Monday night contest against the New York Islanders.
The Penguins have announced that they have recalled forward Avery Hayes from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Hayes has played in his first 11 career NHL games this season with Pittsburgh, where he has recorded two goals and 12 penalty minutes. Now, he will be aiming to impress after getting this latest call-up to Pittsburgh's roster.
Down in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Hayes has posted 22 goals, 13 assists, 35 points, 48 penalty minutes, and a plus-8 rating. This included him recording three goals and five points in his last two games alone for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
With this, there is no question that Hayes has earned this latest chance on Pittsburgh's roster. It will be interesting to see how much of an impact he can make with the NHL club from here.
The Detroit Tigers won their first series of the season against the San Diego Padres and now move on to the next leg of the 2026 campaign-opening road trip at the Arizona Diamondbacks this week, starting on Monday night.
So far, in an obviously limited sample size, AJ Hinch’s team is in the lower half of the MLB offensive standings, ranking 23rd in batting average (.202), 16th in on-base percentage (.319), 29th in slugging (.263) and 23rd in OPS (.582).
On the flip side, the Motor City Kitties are among the best when it comes to pitching, ranking second in ERA (1.38), eighth in WHIP (1.12) and ninth in batting average against (.204). The team’s performance on the mound is not too surprising, given that it was clearly a strength coming in.
The fourth man in the rotation this year for the Tigers is none other than future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, who takes the mound on Monday wearing the Olde English D for the first time since 2017. Opposite him is Michael Soroka, who left the Chicago Cubs for the desert as a free agent this past offseason.
Here is a look at how they match up in Game 1 of the series.
Detroit Tigers (2-1) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (0-3)
The New York Mets (2-1), tied for second in the NL East, face the St. Louis Cardinals (2-1), also tied for second in the NL Central. The Mets are favored with a moneyline of -155, giving them a 57.8% implied win probability. Clay Holmes starts for the Mets, while Kyle Leahy takes the mound for the Cardinals.
The New York Yankees, ranked first in the AL East with a 3-0 record, visit the Seattle Mariners, who are 2-2 and ranked fourth in the AL West. Seattle is favored with a moneyline of -115, while the Yankees are at -105. The starting pitchers are Ryan Weathers for the Yankees and Luis Castillo for the Mariners.
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (2-1) won 8-1 (BOX SCORE)
Arrighetti made his first start of the season and pitched well tossing 4 scoreless innings with 4 strikeouts, allowing just 1 hit. The offense got going in the first inning scoring a run on an Alexander bases loaded walk and a Winkler 3 run double. In the 2nd inning, the offense scored 3 more runs on RBI doubles from Whitcomb and Perez and a Winkler RBI single. In the 7th, Perez added another run on a solo HR. De Los Santos made another rehab appearance and tossed 1.1 scoreless innings.
Note: Cole left the game after being hit by a pitch on the right foot.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 29: Didier Fuentes #72 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Truist Park on March 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, that didn’t take long — after Didier Fuentes saved the bullpen with his efforts in a loss to the Royals, he’s going down for a fresh arm in Martin Perez:
The #Braves today selected LHP Martín Pérez to the major league roster after optioning RHP Didier Fuentes to Triple-A Gwinnett following yesterday’s game.
Fuentes looked quite good against the Royals, striking out four and walking one in four frames of lower-leverage work. The Braves may have him work his way back into the Gwinnett rotation for purposes of being a starter sooner rather than later this season — or maybe his fate is to be an effective but yo-yoed arm as the pitching staff falls into place (or further falls apart).
Perez did not make the Opening Day roster, but will be around to either take Tuesday’s start against the Athletics, or serve in a similar “save the bullpen, Josh Tomlin memorial role” as Fuentes managed on Sunday afternoon. Perez has a career 100/103/107 line over 1,600-plus career innings and has served as a generic fifth starter for the last three years.
The San Diego Padres, ranked second in the NL West, will host the San Francisco Giants, ranked fifth in their division, on Monday. The Padres have a 1-2 record this season and are favored with a moneyline of -115. Walker Buehler will start for San Diego, facing San Francisco's Landen Roupp.
How to Watch San Francisco Giants vs San Diego Padres
The Los Angeles Dodgers, currently ranked first in the NL West with a 3-0 record, host the Cleveland Guardians, who are 2-2 and ranked second in the AL Central. The Dodgers are favored with a -200 moneyline and a -1.5 spread. Starting pitchers are Cleveland's Parker Messick and Los Angeles' Roki Sasaki.
How to Watch Cleveland Guardians vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Six of the last nine head-to-head meetings between the Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights have featured six goals or fewer.
These Pacific Division foes consistently play lower-scoring games, and my Canucks vs. Golden Knights predictions and NHL picks see that trend continuing.
Canucks vs Golden Knights prediction
Canucks vs Golden Knights best bet: Under 6.5 (-115)
Kevin Lankinen has played better of late. He's allowed three goals or fewer in five of his last seven starts, with the exceptions coming against Tampa Bay and Anaheim — two high-tier offenses.
Lankinen stopped 1.13 goals more than expected during that sample, showcasing the ability to hold the fort despite a hefty workload.
He should have an easier time slowing down a Vegas Golden Knights squad that has scored just 12 goals over its last seven games and is lacking confidence offensively.
On the other side, the Golden Knights rank third in shot suppression and sixth in penalty kill percentage. That should help them keep the puck out.
Canucks vs Golden Knights same-game parlay
Marcus Pettersson has averaged 2.2 blocks and cleared this line in 61% of his away games against Top-16 shot generation teams, including six of the past seven.
Jake DeBrusk has generated 19 shots on target over his last seven games. He lives around the net and has a higher on-target rate due to his proximity to the paint, meaning he doesn’t need much volume to go Over his total. That’s important as Vegas is buttoned up defensively.
Canucks vs Golden Knights SGP
Under 6.5
Marcus Pettersson Over 1.5 blocked shots
Jake DeBrusk Over 1.5 shots
Canucks vs Golden Knights odds
Moneyline: Canucks +245 | Golden Knights -310
Puck Line: Canucks +1.5 (+105) | Golden Knights -1.5 (-125)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 | Under 6.5
Canucks vs Golden Knights trend
The Golden Knights have cashed the Under in 11 of their last 15 games for +6.65 units and a 40% ROI. Find more NHL betting trends for Canucks vs. Golden Knights.
How to watch Canucks vs Golden Knights
Location
T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, NV
Date
Monday, March 30, 2026
Puck drop
10:00 p.m. ET
TV
Sportsnet Pacific, SCRIPPS
Canucks vs Golden Knights latest injuries
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NC State has found its replacement for Will Wade. The Wolfpack are hiring former NC State guard Justin Gainey as their new basketball head coach, three people with direct knowledge told USA TODAY Sports on Sunday, March 29 and Monday, March 30.
Gainey, who just wrapped his fifth season on Rick Barnes' Tennessee staff Sunday when the Vols lost to No. 1 seed Michigan in the Elite Eight, interviewed in person with NC State officials Saturday in Chicago, sources confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. The news was first reported by On3's Mike Wilson.
The sources spoke on anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Boo Corrigan, NC State's athletics director, has spearheaded the search to find Wade's replacement since Wade left in the days after the Wolfpack's NCAA Tournament First Four loss to Texas.
The NC State contingent met Saturday with Gainey in Chicago, where Tennessee was between games in the Midwest Region.
A Greensboro, N.C., native, Gainey starred for the Wolfpack from 1996-2000, being named a team captain as a senior and then spent his first four seasons as a collegiate staff at his alma mater from 2006-09.
A candidate at NC State during the last search that resulted in the hiring of Wade, Gainey also has served as the associate head coach at Marquette (2020-21) and for the past four of his five years at Tennessee.
He is considered a particularly strong developer of guards and is credited with helping eight players become NBA draft picks during his past six seasons as a collegiate assistant.
Gainey's previous coaching stops also include Elon, Appalachian State, Arizona and Santa Clara.
"We thought we had someone that came in last year to lead our men's basketball program," said Coorigan, who a year ago fired Kevin Keatts after his eight seasons at the helm included a 2024 Final Four appearance. "Over the course of the last year, we developed a relationship that I believe was based on trust and accountability.
"There were a number of different conversations that had occurred over the past year involving our program, the landscape, and everything else — including Tuesday evening (March 24) for two hours to talk about the entire program, scheduling, the players, the staff, and everything that goes into that."
DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche open a pivotal final stretch Monday night against the Calgary Flames, with playoff positioning tightening and little margin for error.
The Avalanche enter a critical stretch of their season, beginning their final 10 games with this matchup against Calgary. Every point carries added weight—and this three-game season series could prove pivotal. The teams will meet again in Denver on April 9 before closing out their regular-season meetings in Calgary on April 14.
Colorado comes into the contest looking to rebound from a 4–2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets at Ball Arena on Saturday.
Despite the defeat, there were notable moments. Cale Makar reached a major milestone, recording his 500th career NHL point with an assist—further cementing his place among the league’s elite defensemen.
Goals from Brock Nelson and Parker Kelly kept the Avalanche within reach, but Winnipeg pulled away late with a third-period surge, including an empty-netter from Kyle Connor.
Nazem Kadri following his first game back with the Avalanche.
Star Power Driving Colorado
Even in the loss, Colorado’s offensive firepower remains undeniable—largely driven by Nathan MacKinnon. The superstar center continues to lead the NHL in goals with 48 while sitting near the top of the league in both points and assists. Alongside him, Makar’s production from the blue line remains among the best in hockey, and Martin Necas has emerged as another key contributor, ranking among the league’s top scorers.
Victor Olofsson may bring some more steam with the Flames. Credit: Sergei Belski
It will mark Nazem Kadri’s first game against Calgary since being traded on March 6. On the other side, Victor Olofsson will face Colorado for the first time since being dealt to Calgary as part of that same trade, giving both teams a firsthand look at familiar faces in new roles.
Historically, the Avalanche have held the edge in this matchup, posting a 66-54-8-6 record over 134 regular-season meetings. The two teams have only met once in the playoffs, when Colorado defeated Calgary in five games during the 2019 Western Conference First Round.
Flames Finding Their Offense
The Flames, meanwhile, enter Monday’s game riding momentum after a dominant 7–3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Calgary erupted offensively, scoring seven goals from seven different players in a balanced attack. Matt Coronato and Joel Farabee helped set the tone early, while contributions continued throughout the lineup, including tallies from Morgan Frost and Ryan Strome.
Calgary’s offense has been more by committee this season. Mikael Backlund leads the team in points and assists, while Frost paces the club in goals. Coronato has also been a steady presence, ranking near the top of the roster in multiple offensive categories.
Special Teams Could Be The Difference
Special teams could end up swinging this game. Colorado’s power play has found a real rhythm lately, clicking at 26.7 percent since early March—one of the hottest stretches in the league. But what’s been even more impressive is their work on the penalty kill, shutting things down at a 95 percent success rate. It’s the kind of efficiency that not only keeps opponents off the board, but can completely shift momentum when the game tightens up.
For Colorado, it usually starts with MacKinnon, who’s made a habit of stepping up against Calgary over the years. But it’s not just him—Makar and Necas have also found ways to make an impact in this matchup, giving the Avalanche multiple threats who can tilt the game offensively.
Necas has been particularly explosive since the Olympic break, tallying 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points in 17 games.
The Avalanche are fighting to lock in momentum and sharpen their game for the postseason, while the Flames are pushing to close their season with purpose and pride. Layer in the emotion of familiar faces meeting again, and this becomes more than just another game—it’s a high-stakes clash with edge, intensity, and something to prove on both sides.
We kick off the first full week of MLB action with all 30 teams in action today, and prediction markets like Kalshi allow baseball bettors in every state (excluding Nevada) a chance to lock in their favorite MLB best bets.
To help you find some winners among today's late, we've asked our baseball experts for their favorite MLB picks today — as well as offering extra MLB expert picks from the rest of the Covers staff for Monday, March 30.
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Josh Inglis' expert pick: Yankees moneyline
Price: 51¢ (-104) at Kalshi
The New York Yankees come in well-rested after a sweep of the Giants, allowing just one total run in that series. They stay on the West Coast to face the Seattle Mariners, and there won’t be many spots this season where they’re priced this cheaply. THE BAT projects a fair price closer to -120, creating value at the current number. New York also holds edges offensively and in the later innings, with a bullpen that has thrown 11 scoreless innings and enters fully rested.
Jon Metler's expert pick: Red Sox moneyline
Price: 53¢ (-113) at Kalshi
Kalshi has the Red Sox priced at 53%, but I make them closer to a 56% favorite, so there’s value on this number. The matchup sets up well for Boston: Lance McCullers Jr. is on the mound for the Astros, and command has always been an issue for him. Against a lineup with Roman Anthony and Jarren Duran at the top — both capable of working deep counts and drawing walks — that lack of control could quickly turn into traffic on the bases. There’s some natural concern with Daikin Park’s short porch in left field, especially with a left-handed pitcher facing a righty-heavy Astros lineup, but Ranger Suárez profiles well here as a ground-ball pitcher, which helps neutralize that ballpark factor and limit the damage.
Joe Osborne's expert pick: Rays/Brewers Over 7.5
Price: 54¢ (-117) at Kalshi
Both offenses have come out flying to start the season, combining to score 52 runs while ranking first and fourth in wRC+. That has resulted in a combined 5-1 record to the Over, and I like the high-scoring pattern to continue with an unimpressive starting pitching matchup highlighted by Nick Martinez, who got destroyed in three appearances vs. the Brewers last season. Throw in a Rays bullpen that's been obliterated so far, and we've got a great recipe for a high-scoring game.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
[SI] What D-backs Brutal Dodger Stadium Sweep Told Us — And What it Didn’t – Surprisingly enough, the D-backs’ bullpen has not been as poor as one might think. Outside of the blowup inning by Taylor Clarke in game one, the D-backs relief corps gave up three runs in 10 innings — certainly not a terrible result against an All-Star-filled lineup. But they also coughed up leads in back-to-back games. The overall output may not have been as bad as it could have, but the timing was as bad as possible. The question will be how this under-constructed unit can perform against less-proficient offenses.
[AZ Central] Diamondbacks 1st home series features 2-time defending Cy Young star – The Diamondbacks are 24-22 all-time against the Detroit Tigers, a team they have faced more than most others in the American League. For several years in the early years of interleague play, the Tigers were the Diamondbacks’ “natural rival” in the AL. Tigers lefty Tarik Skubal, the two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, is expected to pitch the series finale on Wednesday, April 1. In his one career outing against the Diamondbacks, Skubal fired six innings of one-hit, shutout ball in a start in 2024. Skubal was originally drafted by the Diamondbacks but did not sign.
[Arizona Sports] How often have the Diamondbacks started a season 0-3? – “I just feel like we have a really good battle. We end up losing all three games, but I feel like the last two games, we have a really good battle and that’s something we’ve got to take. Sometimes you’ve got to take the good and the bad, and we lost two games when we had a chance to win it,” pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez said. “I did not think we would be coming home 0-3, but we are,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “We’ve got to understand why it happened, accept why it happened, get better and get ready for a very spirited Monday, Opening Day.”
And, elsewhere…
[MLB] Well, it’s almost April, so time for our annual overreactions – “Two days ago, we were very excited about ABS. And today, we’re not too happy with it.” – Alex Cora, after his team ran out of challenges in a loss to the Reds. You had to figure we’d see an early situation in which a team uses up its challenges prematurely and pays for it. That’s precisely what happened when the Red Sox lost to the Reds on an 11th-inning walk-off single Saturday. Though the Sox got a challenge for each inning of extras, they ran out of their regulation challenges in the third inning. It hurt them in such a close game, as there were multiple situations in which a challenge would have been beneficial.
[CBS Sports] Why Dodgers owner Mark Walter’s ‘parity’ comments matter with potential MLB lockout looming – “Here’s what the problem is: Money helps us win. We can’t win all the time. We’ve got to have some parity. So we’ve got to come up with something that will give us some parity.” The sport has countless examples of teams that spend and don’t wind up hoisting the trophy. Accuracy, though, isn’t the point. The point is that Walter has plainly communicated that the Dodgers are on board with whatever changes come out of the wash. Presumably, the “something” to which Walter refers is a salary cap on team payrolls.
Twins manager Derek Shelton was LIVID as he argued that Ryan Helsley didn't challenge this call fast enough pic.twitter.com/NnsgUb3iap
[Yahoo] Twins manager Derek Shelton ejected after arguing ABS challenge during loss to Orioles in MLB first – Twins POS Josh Bell initially drew a walk, which would have made him the game-tying run with just one out in the ninth inning of the contest. But Orioles closer Ryan Helsley called for the challenge, which quickly determined that his last pitch was in fact a strike, though just barely. So just like that, as it was already a full count, Bell was instead called out. But Shelton erupted after the challenge was allowed to go through, and he came out screaming at the umpires. That led to a pretty quick ejection.
Pretty Lethal
Rating: C+ Dir: Vicky Jewson Star: Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Uma Thurman, Tamás Szabó Sipos
This is all adequately entertaining nonsense. Disbelief obviously needs to be suspended as you watch 90-pound girls beat up men twice their size. At least there is some effort put in to making them, in the main, use their agility and flexibility, rather brute force. There’s some cool stuff with razor blades, embedded into ballet slippers or taped to fingertips, which works well. Though the sequence I enjoyed most was the one where they went full corps de ballet on Pasha’s men. It’s impossible to take seriously, yet is done with so much inventive energy I was left with a big, goofy grin on my face. Shame there wasn’t more. It’s certainly lighter in tone – and likely more entertaining – than director Jewson’s previous GWG entry, Close, with Noomi Rapace.
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 20: Francisco Lindor #12 and Kodai Senga #34 of the New York Mets talk during the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on August 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Coming off a series victory in their opening weekend in front of the Flushing Faithful, the Mets (2-1) look to keep bring that same energy on the road as they face the Cardinals (2-1). New York took four of six from St. Louis in 2025, including a sweep at Citi Field in April. They won their first game at Busch Stadium in May, but they were swept in a doubleheader two days later.
The Mets started the year by taking two out of three against the Pirates. Opening Day saw the introduction of a lot of new faces, and they all contributed in some capacity in an 11-7 victory over Pittsburgh. The Mets got hits from everyone except Bo Bichette, who did drive in the first run in the season on a sac fly. Everyone drove in a run except Francisco Lindor, who scored three runs. Carson Benge, after two at-bats in which he struck out and looked overmatched, homered for his first major league hit and RBI, and stole a base later in the game for good measure. Freddy Peralta got a win in his first start as a Met despite not looking as sharp as we’re accustomed to. For good measure, the Mets scored five runs in the first and chased Paul Skenes from the game after 2/3 of an inning, a first in the career of the reigning NL Cy Young award winner, as he was showered with jeers and waves while walking off the mound. All that made for a festive and happy Opening Day at Citi Field.
The other two games were a little more uneven, as the Mets won 4-2 on Saturday in walk-off fashion but fell 4-3 on Sunday in extra innings. The offense, which went 11-for-34 (.324) on Thursday and went 5-f0r-15 with RISP, was much less impressive in these two games, albeit it facing much colder temperatures. The lineup, which looked different each of the three games, went 6-for-35 on Saturday and 9-for-37 on Sunday. They also went 3-for-14 while leaving nine on base in Saturday’s win and followed that up with a 2-for-10 performance with eight left on base in Sunday’s defeat. Saturday’s game remained scoreless into the ninth, and after the teams traded runs in the tenth, the Pirates jumped ahead in the tenth before a dramatic, three-run walk-off home run off the bat of Luis Robert Jr. Sunday’s game went into extras tied at two, but the Pirates scored two runs. Juan Soto, who drove in a run earlier in the game, hit a gapper that scored the extra runner, but Lindor, who walked in the inning, was thrown out at home. Win some, lose some.
It was a mixed bag for the newbies on opening weekend. Robert was the clear standout, with highlights including his ten-pitch at-bat against Skenes, his aforementioned walk-off, and his two hits on Sunday. He looked to have the star power to handle the New York spotlight. Bichette, meanwhile, recorded just one hit and the sac fly while striking out eight times in 14 official at-bats, which is not we’re used to seeing from Bichette. The defense was also a mixed bag, as both Bichette and Jorge Polanco, manning new positions, made some nice plays and also messed up some seemingly routine plays. These are the growing pains fans can expect to endure over a 162-game season with a relatively new roster and players undergoing both a chance of scenery in terms of city and the position they play on the field.
Speaking of growing pains, the Cardinals are a very different team from the one fans have come to expect. The team has unloaded a lot of veterans that have become staples of their roster, including Nolan Arenado (traded to the Diamondbacks), Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras (both traded to the Red Sox), and Brendan Donovan (traded to the Mariners). The club was mainly quiet on impact moves, signing Dustin May, Ramón Urías, and old friend Ryne Stanek on one-year contracts.
As a result, St. Louis enters this the 2026 season with a relatively young team. In fact, every member of their starting eight is under 30 years old, something that has not happened in St. Louis since the 1944 season. The early results were mostly positive, as they took two out of three against the Rays at home to kick off 2026—like the Mets, they won the first two before dropping the series finale. St. Louis, who finished last season 79-83 and have missed the postseason in three consecutive seasons, will look to avoid back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1958-1959 (a stat that is almost impossible to believe if Gary Cohen had not referenced it on Sunday’s broadcast).
Mets fans will get their first professional look at JJ Wetherholt, whom St. Louis drafted seventh overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. Wetherholt, who was ranked No. 5 by MLB Pipeline heading into the season, made the team out of spring training and homered in his second career at-bat, a third inning solo shot off Drew Rasmussen. The 23-year-old recorded four hits, four runs batted in, and two runs scored in his first three games big league games.
Monday, March 30: Clay Holmes vs. Kyle Leahy, 7:45 PM EDT on SNY
Holmes’ 2025 season was an experiment that worked out as well as can be expected for both parties. The right-hander, who enjoyed elite seasons as a late-inning high-leverage reliever (and closer), signed a three-year deal to transition to starting pitching, and rewarded his organization with 165 2/3 innings and a team-leading 12 wins. He slowed down a bit in the later stages of the year as his workload increased well beyond his career norms, but the gamble paid off well.
The 28-year-old right-hander set career highs in innings and appearances (62) for St. Louis last year and has been selected to the Opening Day roster for the second consecutive season. Last year, he was mostly utilized as a reliever and set a career-best with a 1.6 bWAR. He did make one start last year, in his final appearance of the year on September 28. In that outing against the Cubs, he hurled three shutout frames while holding Chicago to one hit.
Tuesday, March 31: Kodai Senga vs. Andre Pallante, 7:45 PM EDT on SNY
You could make a serious case for Senga being the most important player on the Mets this year. When he’s at his best, he brings ace-like talent with one of the sickest pitches in the league. The key for the right-hander is remaining healthy, something he alluded to early on in spring training. He looked like a Cy Young candidate early in the 2025 season, but following an injury in his June 12 outing, he missed time and could not recapture that dominance, so his final stats on the season don’t quite tell the full story. He looked terrific this spring, posting a 1.86 ERA in 9 2/3 innings across his three Grapefruit League appearances. He posted a 0.72 WHIP and limited opponents to a .176 batting average.
Pallante endured the worst season of his four-year career, posting a -1.1 bWAR in 31 starts for St. Louis last year after finishing with a positive bWAR in each of his first three seasons. Along with the unsightly 5.31 ERA, he led the league with 12 wild pitches and posted a 1.45 WHIP. He’s also not somebody who will strike out a lot of batters while issuing a lot of free passes—his 15.5% K% was the worst among the 50 starting pitchers in the NL with at least 160 innings pitched, while his 8.9% BB% is 13th from the bottom among starters with the same number of innings. That’s not a good combination and will lead to those subpar results.
Wednesday, April 1: Freddy Peralta vs. Matthew Liberatore, 1:15 PM EDT on SNY
Peralta earned a win in his Mets debut despite allowing four earned runs in five innings. His numbers are worse than his actual performance, as the two home runs he allowed (both to Brandon Lowe), were wind-aided, specifically the one he gave up in the first inning. The biggest positive is Peralta striking out seven while not issuing a walk. Peralta is no stranger to St. Louis, having faced them 20 times in his career, including 16 starts. He owns a 4.67 ERA with 91 strikeouts in 86 2/3 innings against them.
Liberatore earned the win on Opening Day for the Cardinals as they took on the Rays. He went five innings and allowed one earned run on seven hits while striking out two and walking two. He reached 78 pitches in the outing and threw 49 of them for strikes. Liberatore set career-bests for the Cardinals in 2025, making 29 starts and hurling 151 2/3 innings and striking out 122 while setting a career-high with eight wins to go along with a 1.0 bWAR.
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 28: Carlos Estevez #53 of the Kansas City Royals pitches in the ninth inning during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on March 28, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of the most consistent storylines in the Kansas City Royals world this spring was about their closer, Carlos Estévez. Looking out of sorts for the duration of Spring Training, Estévez threw an uneven five innings where he walked more batters than he struck out and gave up three home runs and four runs overall. Most notably, Estévez’s fastball velocity was way down; whereas he averaged about 96 MPH on his heater last year, he was struggling to hit 90 prior in Spring Training and during the World Baseball Classic.
But the Royals were not worried. General manager JJ Picollo told the Kansas City Star that they knew that Estévez ramped up slowly in the spring and that they had confidence he would be ready when the season began.
“It’s hard not to notice it but we also had the experience of last year, and we went through the same thing,” Picollo said Thursday in a phone interview. “And I think last year we were a little bit more nervous about it, because we hadn’t been with him before.
“But not only did he tell us that this is how he always starts in spring training, but the other clubs he had been with, our coaches called their coaches and asked, ‘Is this normal?’ And they confirmed it for us.
“So while you would like to see him more in the 91-92 range right now, this is exactly where he was last year.”
Last year, the Royals brought in Estévez in a free agent deal to shore up the bullpen, and Estévez ended up leading the entire league with 42 saves. So with confidence in his ability to get his control and velocity back, the Royals gave Estévez the first save opportunity of the year on Saturday.
It did not go well.
From the jump, Estévez looked bad. He struggled mightily to find the zone, throwing pitches that were way outside or straight down the middle; he tossed 27 pitches, and only 12 were strikes. Estévez walked a pair, struck out no one, and gave up four hits.
And his fastball velocity? Or, well, his velocity in general? Way, way down, with a fastball 4.7 MPH slower than last year and a changeup 5.6 MPH slower than last year.
“I trust and believe in him 100%,” catcher Salvador Perez said. “It’s just a bad one. I think he is going to figure out what’s going on, and it’s going to be better for us. He did it last year.”
A drop in spring velocity wasn’t new for Estévez, and all spring he maintained he felt good, confident the velocity would return with adrenaline. The Royals echoed that statement and put their faith in Estévez’s veteran track record…
…“We talked about it a lot – we hope the velocity comes,” Quatraro said. “That’s a big difference from throwing 91 to 97-98 like he does. You can have a lot more margin for error that way. But we’re not going to run from him.”
Now, the Royals wouldn’t and shouldn’t throw Estévez under the bus here publicly, especially after only one outing (awful as it may be). And you could argue that it’s just the early part of the season and that there’s still time for everything to work out.
That could still be true! But what makes this frustrating is that, like, come on, the Royals should have known better.
Kansas City clearly knows about Estévez’s low velocity at the beginning of the year. They are aware that he starts slowly and have firsthand knowledge of this. Last year, Estévez blew two saves and walked nine batters—18.4% of total batters faced—in his first 10 games and 11 innings worth of work. Furthermore, they knew that his velocity dip this year was worse than it was last year.
And after all of this, the Royals chose Estévez to single-handedly take on the heart of the Braves order in his first outing of the year. Quatraro did not have anybody warming up in the pen at any point. The team did not use the line drive comebacker to his leg as an opportunity to yank him out of there when it was clear he didn’t have the juice. They just left him in to wear it, and wear it he did.
The other factor here is Estévez’s baseline performance from last year. Last year, his velocity had fallen nearly a full MPH from 2024, and he also posted the lowest strikeout rate of his career. His batting average on balls in play was an extraordinarily low .234, and he allowed the fewest home run rate of his entire career. All of this meant that his xFIP—a stat that tells how many runs per nine innings he should have given up based on expected walks, strikeouts, and home runs allowed—was a whopping 4.95, compared to his ERA of 2.45. In other words, even if Estévez maintained his 2025 velocity and control, he would have almost certainly seen worst results.
This is not to say that Estévez couldn’t positively contribute to the 2026 Kansas City bullpen. He can. But the Royals should have known better than to automatically trust Estévez with high leverage innings out of the gate. Saturday’s result was imminently predictable, which means it was also avoidable. Sure enough, the Royals are already pumping the brakes on Estévez being in high-leverage scenarios:
Quatraro continued, on whether he would turn to Estévez in the ninth: “I'm not going to say he wouldn't do it, but I also think would be probably smarter for us to try to build him a little bit in lower leverage first.” #Royals
Maybe there is some stuff going on behind closed doors that we don’t know about. There always is to some degree. But this was a decision that could and should have been arrived at before the Royals unnecessarily lost a game they should have won, and at the beginning of the year, whoopsies like this are magnified.
