TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 15: Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the net against Jamal Shead #23 of the Toronto Raptors during the first half of their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on March 15, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.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 Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Detroit Pistons gave the Oklahoma City Thunder a good fight on Monday before falling in OT, and now they face a quick turnaround with a game today against the Toronto Raptors. Luckily, the Pistons are getting some reinforcements. Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris, and Duncan Robinson are all listed as probable after being held out of the game against the Thunder. Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart remain out, and Caris LeVert and Marcus Sasser are questionable tonight. The Raptors will be without Immanuel Quickley, and Brandon Ingram is listed as questionable.
These two teams faced off about two weeks ago, with an Ingram-led Raptors attack helping propel Toronto to a 119-108 victory. RJ Barrett chipped in 27 and Jakob Poeltl was a monster on the boards with 18. It was also the rare game where the Pistons were outscored in the paint.
Game Vitals
When: 8 p.m. ET Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit Odds: Pistons -3.5
SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - MARCH 03: Brayan Bello #66 of the Dominican Republic looks on prior to an exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers at Estadio Quisqueya on March 03, 2026 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Red Sox look to get back in the win column tonight and avoid falling three games under .500 in the first swing through the rotation.
On the mound, they’ll have Brayan Bello, who is very much the definition of Trick or Treat. At times (including much of last summer), he looks like a top of the rotation starter you want out there to end a losing streak. Unfortunately, at other times (like in Game 2 of the Wild Card series last October), he rides the edge of disaster and puts the team behind the 8-ball.
If the Sox are going to win tonight, they’re likely going to need the first guy to show up because the lineup will be facing Hunter Brown who finished third in Cy Young voting last year and didn’t allow a run his first time out.
To try and generate a spark (and also to just rotate guys in there), Alex Cora shook up the lineup in a few spots. Masataka Yoshida is in the third slot, Jaren Duran and Caleb Durbin will start the evening on the bench, and Connor Wong will do the catching instead of Carlos Narvaez.
Perhaps the best thing the Red Sox have going for them in this one is that all the high leverage relievers are rested after the team got their doors blown off yesterday, which means if they can keep it tight in the early innings, they might be able to pull one out late.
Today’s Lineups
RED SOX
ASTROS
Roman Anthony – LF
Jeremy Pena – SS
Trevor Story – SS
Yordan Alvarez – DH
Masataka Yoshida – DH
Jose Altuve – 2B
Willson Contreras – 1B
Carlos Correa – 3B
Wilyer Abreu – RF
Christian Walker – 1B
Andruw Monasterio – 3B
Joey Loperfido – LF
Marcelo Mayer – 2B
Cam Smith – RF
Connor Wong – C
Yainer Diaz – C
Ceddanne Rafaela – CF
Jake Meyers – CF
Brayan Bello – RHP
Hunter Brown – RHP
⚾️ First Pitch: 8:10 pm – Daikin Park (Formally Minute Maid and Enron Field), Houston, Texas
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JUNE 1: Brodie Johnston #9 of the Vanderbilt Commodores runs the bases after a homer in the second inning against the Wright State Raiders during the NCAA Nashville Regional game at Hawkins Field on June 1, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Carly Mackler/Getty Images) | Getty Images
6pm CT on SECN+.
After three straight improbably walk-off victories over THEM, what will the Diamond Dores bring against Belmont?
On the Mound
Tuesday @ 6:00pm SECN+
Vanderbilt #45 Fr. RHP Connor “The Canadian” Hamilton (0-0; 5.65 ERA)
Erick Fedde throws his first pitch for the Chicago White Sox since 2024 tonight. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
The White Sox served the Marlins their first loss of the season Monday night, and perhaps righthander Erick Fedde can carry that momentum into his first start of the season; anything that will make us all forget about the first three losses of the year.
Fedde is back with the South Siders after being traded at the deadline in 2024, and while is 2025 season wasn’t much to write home about, he looked a bit more consistent in his Spring Training performances, albeit a small sample size. In three outings (8 2/3 innings), Fedde allowed three runs on nine hits — including one home run — and struck out seven compared to two walks, amounting to a 3.12 ERA. In 2025, his strikeout rate declined to 13.3% from 21% the year prior, which still isn’t an elite K% by any means, but still highlights a significant year-over-year drop-off. Walks were also a bigger problem last season, as his rate ballooned in 2025, going from a 63-percentile in 2024 (7.2% BB%), all the way up to a 10.8% BB%.
Despite some struggles with control, Fedde does have a solid five-pitch arsenal with a cutter, sinker, sweeper, changeup and four-seamer, and he relies most heavily on the first four. His sweeper has remained consistent year-over-year with sub-.200 opponent batting averages and his top whiff rate, hovering between 25-26% both seasons.
Fedde will have to deal with some hard hitters from Miami, especially at the top of the order with Liam Hicks in the 4-spot, currently ranking second in the majors in hard-hit percentage (75%): Six of eight of his batted balls have left the bat at 95 mph or faster.
On the other end, righthander Janson Junk will take the mound for Miami, also making his first start of the year. In 16 starts (21 appearances) and 110 innings in 2025, Junk posted a 4.17 ERA on the season, and a 4.53 ERA as a starter. His low (2.9%) walk rate in 2025 was definitely a highlight, though Junk doesn’t strike out a ton of batters (17.2%).
Junk will still have to deal with a White Sox team that has scored 16 runs in the last two games (though only winning one, of course), and the top of the lineup has been hitting the ball fairly hard despite the lack of team success. Chase Meidroth has been one of the more consistent players to start the season and will hold down the leadoff slot, posting a 1.162 OPS in his first four games. The real star of the show, however, is in the 2-slot, as Munetaka Murakami has already mashed three home runs on the season, and has been getting on base quite a bit with four walks.
Miguel Vargas is thankfully back in the lineup as well in the 5-hole, after blasting a grand slam in Monday’s matchup.
First pitch will take place shortly at 5:40 p.m. CT, and you can tune into the TV broadcast on CHSN or MLB Network, or listen in at ESPN Chicago AM 1000 on the radio. How about two Sox wins in a row?
And even though Hayes made it clear through his actions and words that he can do it more, the Lakers don’t need him to.
With three seconds left on the shot clock on a sideline out of bounds play midway through the fourth quarter, Hayes caught a pass from LeBron James with none of his teammates open to receive a pass and nothing but space in front of him.
Instead of attempting to drive into the paint for a floater or one of his signature dunks, Hayes let it fly from beyond the 3-point arc.
And he made it, putting him at 3 for 3 on 3-pointers this season, with a celebration dance to follow.
Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes reacts after making a three-point basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards Monday, March 30, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP
Hayes has attempted just 14 combined 3s with the Lakers over the last three seasons after taking 14 in his second season with the Pelicans, 57 in his third season and 29 in his fourth season before coming to Los Angeles.
“Always,” Hayes responded when asked whether he works on his 3-pointers. “Always. At the end of the day, I’m an NBA player and I still work on other things too. I can’t just work on dunking all day, so I gotta work on some things.”
But for the Lakers, spacing and stretching out the floor isn’t necessary or the role they need from him.
They need Hayes’ activity near the rim, which was showcased with the three dunks and two putbacks he had against the Wizards.
Or the 2.2 offensive rebounds he’s averaged over the previous six games entering Tuesday’s home game against the Cavaliers.
“Hopefully not,” coach JJ Redick quickly responded when asked about Hayes or starting center Deandre Ayton shooting more 3s.
Redick added: “Even though Jaxson made one, it’s so important for those guys, for our team, for them to put pressure on the rim. They’ve done it in a number of ways. Done it in transition. Jaxson gets ahead of his guy early, [LeBron James] hits him, he gets a dunk. DA as a roller. Jaxson out of our 88 spacing always does a really good job just playing off LeBron or Luka [Doncic]. For us, we’re elite when we touch the paint and we don’t touch the paint enough. So, the emphasis is not for our bigs to pick-and-pops and shot 3s. But it’s to put pressure on the rim.”
Deandre Ayton of the Los Angeles Lakers blocks a shot by Nolan Traore of the Brooklyn Nets during the first half of an NBA game at Crypto.com Arena on March 27, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images
And over the last few weeks, both have been exceptional in their roles, giving the Lakers nearly 48 minutes of quality big man play, which is a stark contrast to how they finished last season.
After trading for Doncic last February, with Maxi Kleber sidelined with a foot injury, Hayes was the lone big man getting regular rotation minutes, but still averaged just 21.8 minutes as the Lakers’ starting center post-All-Star break – just two more minutes than he’s averaged as the backup big post All-Star break this season.
The Lakers’ reliance on center-less lineups to close out last season worked, but left them vulnerable to bigger teams, a factor in why the Timberwolves beat them in five games in the first round of last year’s playoffs.
Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes of the Los Angeles Lakers high five before the game against the Brooklyn Nets on March 27, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NBAE via Getty Images
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 01: Yegor Chinakhov #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins carries the puck against Ben Chiarot #8 of the Detroit Red Wings at PPG PAINTS Arena on January 1, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Francisco Lindor – SS Juan Soto – LF Bo Bichette – 3B Luis Robert – CF Jared Young – 1B Mark Vientos – DH Marcus Semien – 2B Carson Benge – RF Luis Torrens – C
Kodai Senga – RHP
Cardinals lineup
JJ Wetherholt – 2B Ivan Herrera – C Alec Burleson – 1B Masyn Winn – SS Nolan Gorman – DH Jordan Walker – RF Nathan Church – LF Ramon Urias – 3B Victor Scott – CF
Andre Pallante – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 7:45 PM EDT TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
The Athletic is in the midst of releasing its prospect pool rankings, with the St. Louis Blues at 10th.
When The Athletic conducted these rankings a year ago, the Blues ranked 14th, moving up four spots in 2026.
The Blues received high grades overall, but the one criticism was that the prospect pool is missing a truly elite, franchise-altering prospect. It’s fair criticism, but that’s also indicative of where the Blues have been selecting in the first round. Their highest draft selection in the last five years was 10th overall, when they selected Dalibor Dvorsky.
While they may currently lack that top prospect, they could land that in this year’s draft. The Blues currently sit in fifth last place due to points percentage, and a top-five pick could be franchise-altering.
With that being said, the depth the Blues have is rivalled by few.
In the first tier, Scott Wheeler named three Blues players: Justin Carbonneau, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Adam Jiricek.
Carbonneau had a stellar goal-scoring season in the QMJHL, and his club, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, is a threat to win the QMJHL championship.
Dvorsky has graduated to the NHL, but because of these rankings’ rules, he was still eligible to be named a prospect. In his first full NHL season, Dvorsky has scored 11 goals and 18 points in 62 games. He’s shown he can be a threat as a shooter, but he can also play a reliable two-way game.
His performance at the Olympics showed he could be a strong 5-on-5 player, but he needs to add that element in the NHL.
Jiricek is healthy and is showing his talent. He was a dominant defensive force at the world juniors and added plenty of offense as well. In the OHL with the Brantford Bulldogs, Jiricek has led the way on the blueline, and they are the heavy favorites to win it all this year.
Logan Mailloux, Theo Lindstein, and Otto Stenberg highlighted tier 2. All three players have seemingly graduated to the NHL, but they did spend parts of the season with the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds.
They’ve all shown they can play in the NHL, but finding ways to become even more impactful is the next step.
Tier 3 featured Marcus Gildof, a big Swedish netminder; Colin Ralph, a big left-handed defenseman in the NCAA; and Dmitry Buchelnikov, a recently acquired skillful Russian winger.
Tier 4 consisted of Lukas Fischer, another big left-handed defenseman in the OHL; Love Harenstam, a standout Swedish netminder; Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, a two-way Finnish center playing in the AHL; Juraj Pekarcik, a skilled winger in the AHL; Jakub Stancl, a versatile forward in the AHL; and Adam Jecho, a big center playing in the WHL.
Michael Buchinger was named as an honorable mention.
With another three first-round picks in this year’s upcoming draft, there could be plenty of new faces in these rankings, and the Blues’ position could be a lot higher next year.
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 21: Desmond Bane #3 of the Orlando Magic dribbles the ball against Jordan Goodwin #23 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 21, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 30: A Rawlings baseball glove sits by the visiting team's dugout before a game between the Athletics and Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on March 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Braves go for the series win over the A’s in a matchup of fifth starters Jose Suarez and Aaron Civale. Today’s game starts at 7:15 PM ET in Atlanta and can be viewed on BravesVision and on Gray TV. You can read more on the pitching matchup in the game preview here and see the lineups here.
Join us and discuss tonight’s game in the comments below!
The Mets brought in Jorge Polanco to play first base -- which he had not done before this season -- and to be a DH option for manager Carlos Mendoza.
After inserting Polanco as the DH in the last two games, as the veteran infielder deals with a sore Achilles, Polanco was not in Tuesday's lineup against the Cardinals. It's the first game Polanco has missed in the early going, but the Mets skipper signified that this was a planned off day for Polanco.
"Just an off day. Middle of a nine-game stretch, here," Mendoza said ahead of Tuesday's game. "He was going to get a day here. I thought today, with a lefty pitching tomorrow, it was either going to be today or tomorrow, and decided to do it today. Woke up today and he’s in a good spot."
When asked whether Polanco will continue to be the Mets' DH when he returns to the lineup tomorrow or play first, Mendoza said that he wasn't sure but wanted to get through Tuesday's game first. He did say he "wouldn't be surprised" if he penciled Polanco's name at first base tomorrow, however.
Through four games, Polanco is 3-for-15 with a double and one RBI as a Met.
Mendoza was asked about potentially sitting other veterans like Marcus Semien. The manager gave some insight into his thought process and boiled it down to open communication between coach and player.
"They all want to play 162, but we have to be mindful of a lot of these guys," he said. "I’ll continue to talk to him, I’ll continue to visit with him after every game. If it doesn’t happen in this stretch of nine, it’s going to happen. The player will need a day or two. They want to play, they take pride in posting and being available. That’s part of getting to know each other here. And we’ll go from here."
Francisco Lindor, who underwent offseason surgery for a hamate bone, has yet to miss a game or time playing shortstop. Mendoza said that the same philosophy goes for Lindor, but, knowing how Lindor is, he'll have to work on him to give him a breather in the early going.
"It’ll be fluid, but we’ll have to be smart," Mendoza said.
Devin Williams' 'elite' stuff
Williams' second appearance with the Mets came in a save situation on Monday night, and the All-Star reliever showed why the team acquired him this offseason.
It took Williams just 12 pitches (10 strikes) to get a 1-2-3 ninth inning to secure the team's third win of the season.
"He looked pretty nasty. If you look at the metrics, it was pretty good," Mendoza said of Williams and his changeup. "He’s elite. And when he’s on his game and at his best, he’s pretty tough. It was just good to see him out there, getting the first one out of the way, and we have to keep him there."
Across his two appearances, Williams has been near-perfect. He's allowed one baserunner (a walk) in 2.0 innings pitched while striking out three batters.
Aaron Civale will get his first official start of the year for the A’s today against the Atlanta Braves. | Getty Images
The Athletics continue their interleague series with the Atlanta Braves today. The 3-1 Braves will take on the 0-4 A’s at Truist Park in Atlanta. Making his first official start of the season for the A’s is Aaron Civale. The 30-year-old righty was 4-9 with a 4.85 ERA last season with three different teams: the Milwaukee Brewers, the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Cubs. He signed with the A’s as a free agent in February. Civale will go up against 28-year-old lefty José Suarez for the Braves. Suarez just pitched in 19 innings for the Braves last season, going 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA.
Suarez will go up against this lineup for Mark Kotsay’s A’s today who will see Jacob Wilson leading off for the first time in 2026:
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 30: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with Joey Wiemer #21 after scoring a run against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on March 30, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Nationals defeated the Phillies 13-2. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a comprehensive 13-2 beatdown of the Phillies last night, the Nats are looking for more in game two of the series. The Nats are red hot and the Phillies are looking to find a foothold in this new season, so this should be a fun matchup. We will also see a couple new Phillies.
Against a right handed starter, the Nats are going with a lefty heavy lineup. The first five hitters are all left handed and Joey Wiemer is the only true right hander in the lineup tonight. Brady House will get his first off day of the season, with Jobit Vivas filling in at third. Keibert Ruiz and Nasim Nunez also return to the fold after days off yesterday. The Nats will actually use PJ Poulin as an opener to deal with the lefties at the top of the Phillies lineup. Zack Littell is likely to follow him and make his Nats debut.
There is a good bit of rookie talent in this Phillies lineup, which we are not used to seeing from this veteran laden group. Justin Crawford will be in the lineup tonight and will patrol center field. He is the son of Carl Crawford and one of the team’s top prospects. Andrew Painter is another top prospect for the Phillies, and he will be making his MLB debut tonight.
The Nats have had such a positive start to the season and the beat down they delivered to the Phillies was so satisfying. Hopefully that can continue tonight, with the Nats hot bats facing a rookie pitcher. This opener strategy will also be something fun to monitor. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 23: Zach Eflin #24 of the Baltimore Orioles throws a pitch during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on July 23, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Probable pitchers: RHP Zach Eflin (6-5, 5.93 ERA, 71.1 IP, 50 Ks in 2025) vs. RHP Jacob deGrom
Four games into the Orioles season and we’ve already gotten a solid glimpse at the volatile nature of this O’s team. We’ve seen a great outing from Trevor Rogers and several middling outings from the rest of the rotation. We’ve seen one offensive outburst in the series finale against the Twins and three other games where the offense left something to be desired. Baltimore has been competitive in every game they’ve played, and yet the 2-2 record also feels a bit generous.
Through these first four contests, the O’s have been a bizarro version of the team most expect them to be. The pitching has largely been good, with the staff ranking Top 10 in FIP and K/9 while also being above average in ERA, BAA and opponent OPS.
The offense, which most projected to be among the best in baseball, has been a disappointment so far. Baltimore is currently in the Bottom 10 in runs/game, slugging percentage and strikeout rate, while also being below average in batting average, on-base percentage and hard hit rate. Marquis free agent signing Pete Alonso is yet to register an extra-base hit as an Oriole, while Gunnar Henderson is 3-for-16 to start the season.
The Baltimore bats will be tasked with the tough ask of breaking out of their mini-slump against two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom. The longtime Met is coming off his first healthy season with the Rangers, posting a 2.97 ERA and 185 K in 30 starts last season. That output was good enough for a Top 10 Cy Young finish as the 37-year-old earned his fifth career All-Star selection.
The Orioles will hopefully fare better against deGrom this season than in their encounter with him last year. The O’s faced off against the veteran right-hander last June in Camden Yards, with the Rangers starter tossing seven shutout innings while only allowing one hit and punching out seven. DeGrom’s 1.34 career ERA against the Orioles is his third-best against any single opponent, and he’s never lost to the O’s in five starts.
Zach Eflin will also return to the Camden Yards mound for the first time since late last July, as he returns from back surgery. Eflin last faced the Rangers in April 2024 when he was still a member of the Rays, pitching 6.1 innings while allowing one run and striking out five in a 5-2 win. The Orioles will need that type of outing from Eflin if they want to take down deGrom and even the series.
BUFFALO, NY —New York Islanders forward Simon Holmstrom will miss their Tuesday night game against the Buffalo Sabres after sustaining an upper-body injury in their 8-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night.
Holmstrom went hard into the boards in the first period, but remained in the game.
With Holmstrom out, forward Anthony Duclair returns to the lineup for the first time since March 21, their 7-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, which came five games ago.
He'll skate alongside Brayden Schenn and Mathew Barzal, with Barzal going back to his usual spot on the top power-play unit.
Ilya Sorokin, who was pulled after he allowed a career-high seven goals on 29 shots in an 8-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, will start against Buffalo.
Sorokin had only been pulled once this season, in the finale of a three-game road trip, a 7-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, March 21.
He allowed six goals on 26 shots through 50:47 minutes.
That game was also the first of a back-to-back, with Roy citing that pulling Sorokin was to keep him fresh for a pivotal Sunday night game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The move paid off as Sorokin stopped all 26 shots that came his way for a critical 1-0 shutout win.
"Last time," Roy pointed out as to why Sorokin gets the call less than 24 hours after the loss to Pittsburgh. "Last time we played against Montreal, and then we came back against Columbus, he played a strong game, so certainly wanted him to be in tonight, and I think we owe him this after the way we played in front of him. So I'm sure it's a great opportunity for everyone to play a good game."
The Islanders are 9-3-1 on the second legs of back-to-backs this season. Sorokin is 5-1-0 and has not faced the Sabres this season.
