Yankees prospects: Week 7 minor league recap

Marco Luciano of the Somerset Patriots reacts during a Minor League Baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, United States, on May 1, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images

Another week on the farm is in the books, and there’s big stories at every level.

In Scranton, a talented roster tries to steady the ship after being depleted due to big league call-ups. A powerful lineup continues to mash in Somerset, while Hudson Valley’s pitching staff continues to round into form. Down at the lower levels, multiple highly-touted pitching prospects made big returns from Tommy John surgery on the road to recovery.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Record: 20-17, 1 GB in the International League East after a 2-3 week against the Worcester Red Sox (Red Sox)

Run differential: +21

Coming up: Home vs. Syracuse Mets (Mets)

It was an uneven week in Scranton as their once-stacked roster continued to be eaten away at, partially due to the MLB team needing injury reinforcements. Spencer Jones was called up mid-week to replace Jasson Domínguez (both started the year in Scranton). Multiple relievers went up and down, Brendan Beck was needed for a few innings in the majors, and Luis Gil was lost for the next six weeks due to a shoulder issue.

Saturday’s game was rained out, but they had ample opportunity to win the series otherwise. They blew a late lead on Tuesday and played an extremely bizarre 12-inning affair on Thursday, which saw emergency catcher Edinson Duran be forced to pitch extra innings due to the roster turnover. He got through 2.1 solid innings before allowing a walk-off home run in the 12th.

With some of their heavy hitters off the roster, the focus has shifted to the likes of recently promoted top prospect George Lombard Jr. and the recently demoted Anthony Volpe. On one end, Lombard is displaying some tremendous plate discipline and hitting the ball hard, but is running into some bad luck. Volpe is struggling considerably, particularly at putting the ball in the air with some mental lapses defensively and on the bases.

Carlos Rodón started on Tuesday and had a very uneven final rehab start, allowing six runs in 6.1 innings. Veterans Dom Hamel and Adam Kloffenstein struggled, while Carlos Lagrange continued an up-and-down season by striking out eight in 4.1 innings, but allowed five runs on three dingers. Elmer Rodríguez returned to the minors to make a solid start on Sunday, as he settles back into the next-man-up role.

Yovanny Cruz took the loss on Tuesday, but continued to be effective along with Bradley Hanner in the back of the bullpen. Veterans Dylan Coleman and Rafael Montero, who both started the year on the shelf, have combined to allow just two runs in 11.2 innings with 13 strikeouts. It was only four years ago when Montero was one of the best relievers in baseball for the Astros, and he could be an option at some point.

Players of Note:

Anthony Volpe: .205/.238/.333, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 XBH, 2 SB, 43 wRC+ (42 PA)
George Lombard Jr.: 6-for-34, 12 BB, 7 K, 2 SB
Brendan Beck: 2-2, 5.11 ERA, 4.61 FIP, 1.14 WHIP, 18.7 K-BB% (37 IP)
Carlos Lagrange: 0-2, 4.76 ERA, 5.63 FIP, 1.45 WHIP, 16.4 K-BB% (28.1 IP)
Yovanny Cruz: 16 IP, 11 H, 4 ER, 7 BB, 22 K

Double-A Somerset Patriots

Record: 15-18, 5.5 GB in the Eastern League Northeast after a 3-3 week against the Reading Fightin’ Phils (Phillies)

Run differential: +26

Coming up: Home vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets)

It was a so-so week down in Somerset, as every single one of their games against Reading turned into a shootout. They scored at least 11 runs in each of the first three games and scored 42 runs in the series, while allowing 33. The offense cooled down towards the end of the week, but it produces some gaudy numbers.

Marco Luciano hit enough that he earned a midweek promotion. Tyler Hardman (10-for-25, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 2B) and Garrett Martin (10-for-28, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB) continued to rake, while Jace Avina (9-for-29, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 2B, 3 BB) heated up in a big way after being in a big-time slump to start the year. Jackson Castillo missed the start of the season due to injury, but has an OPS over .900 in 15 games since being activated.

In the rotation, Trent Sellers struggled badly on Tuesday, but the rest of the rotation wasn’t terrible. Cade Smith had his second straight solid start and Xavier Rivas struck out seven in 4.1 shutout innings, while Jack Cebert and Kyle Carr had inconsistent outings, with the latter striking out a career-high eight batters despite allowing four runs.

Gerrit Cole made his latest rehab start on Sunday, and he’s getting closer and closer to being ready. Despite taking the loss, he struck out eight and built up to 77 pitches in a five-inning outing while consistently flashing 96 on the radar gun.

The bullpen was rough this week. Will Brian was off to a fantastic start to the season, but had a disastrous outing in Tuesday’s 14-12 loss. Matt Keating and Michael Arias continue to struggle to put up zeroes, but the team is getting better performances from Geoff Gilbert and Kelly Austin of late. Eric Reyzelman also continues to flash his improved command with 25 strikeouts to just four walks in 13.2 innings. I truthfully think he isn’t far from a big league mound.

Players of Note:

Tyler Hardman: .306/.384/.622, 9 HR, 29 RBI, 17 XBH, 159 wRC+
Garrett Martin: .262/.321/.557, 11 HR, 22 RBI, 6 SB, 124 wRC+
Coby Morales: .293/.381/.560, 8 HR, 26 RBI, 8 SB, 144 wRC+
Eric Reyzelman:
13.2 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 25 K
Cade Smith: 1-1, 4.44 ERA, 6.38 FIP, 1.39 WHIP, 16.7 K-BB% (18.2 IP)

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades

Record: 18-14, 2.5 GB in the South Atlantic League North after a 4-2 week against the Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox)

Run differential: +32

Coming up: Home vs. Frederick Keys (Orioles)

Hudson Valley got back to its winning ways this week, rebounding after two early-week losses to win three straight to end the week, allowing just six total runs in its four victories.

Outside of Kaeden Kent, the offense has still been pretty bad. Eric Genther continued to cool off as his lack of slugging continues to be more apparent, and a lot of the 2025 draftees are inconsistent (Kyle West capped off the week with a two-homer, five-RBI day on Sunday, notably). A name to keep an eye on is Josue Gonzalez, who’s now up to a 96 wRC+ with a .221 ISO. The Yankees are really trying to replenish their minor league catching depth, and he could be a big part.

The rotation was absolutely phenomenal this week after Cole’s mediocre start on Tuesday. Luis Serna struggled with command, but worked around five walks to toss five shutout innings on Wednesday. Rory Fox (5 IP, 2 R) had a solid start on Friday, and Franyer Herrera struck out seven in five shutout innings on Sunday. The real highlight of the week, though, was Sean Paul Liñan. He made by far his best start since he was acquired in the Jorbit Vivas trade, tossing six no-hit innings with seven strikeouts in the best start of his entire pro career.

Chris Veach is up to 12.2 shutout innings with 21 strikeouts, Tony Rossi has 18 strikeouts in 11.1 innings, and the trio of Tanner Bauman, Jack Sokol, and Brady Kirtner aren’t far behind in terms of jaw-dropping numbers out of the bullpen. We’re getting to a point where some of them need to be promoted just to see if this isn’t an effect of A-ball hitting.

Players of Note:

Eric Genther: .233/.407/.291, 7 RBI, 4 XBH, 108 wRC+
Core Jackson: .248/.354/.376, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 11 SB, 99 wRC+
Kaeden Kent: .333/.406/.488, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 12 XBH, 9 SB, 138 wRC+
Luis Serna: 2-0, 1.67 ERA, 2.80 FIP, 0.93 WHIP, 19.0 K-BB% (27 IP)
Sean Paul Liñan: 1-3, 3.47 ERA, 3.87 FIP, 1.07 WHIP, 25.7 K-BB% (23.1 IP)

Single-A Tampa Tarpons

Record: 15-18, 5 GB in the Florida State League West after a 3-3 week against the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Twins)

Run differential: -26

Coming up: Home vs. Dunedin Blue Jays (Blue Jays)

It was a much better week for the Tampa offense, as they put up at least six runs on four different occasions, but the pitching took a step back as Fort Myers secured a split with two straight wins to end the week.

The two hitters who had the best weeks were Hans Montero and Jackson Lovich, who has rebounded nicely after the first real slump of his professional career. Enmanuel Tejada continues to pace the team with a near-.400 OBP and could be in line for a promotion if Kent is pushed up to Double-A in the near future to open up a spot in the infield.

Tyler Boudreau allowed three runs in 4.1 innings to start the week on Tuesday, Mac Heuer struggled with command in an abbreviated 2.2 inning outing, Justin West struck out eight in a choppy 4.1 innings on Thursday, and both JT Etheridge and Henry Lalane struggled early in their starts over the weekend. There wasn’t much to get excited about in the rotation this week… except for one big rehab assignment.

The team’s sixth-round pick from 2022 Chase Hampton made his first start since August 10, 2024, and just his eighth since 2023. He looked great in three innings for Tampa on Friday, allowing just one hit with three strikeouts and zero walks. You could tell the organization was still high on him when he was added to the 40-man roster amidst Tommy John recovery in the offseason, so he’s a big story to watch going forward.

Players of Note:

Jackson Lovich: .277/.370/.500, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 13 XBH, 135 wRC+
JoJo Jackson: .237/.364/.351, 2 HR, 17 RBI, 7 SB, 106 wRC+
Enmanuel Tejada: .232/.392/.384, 13 XBH, 12 RBI, 12 SB, 122 wRC+
Tyler Boudreau: 18.1 IP, 14 H, 10 R, 10 BB, 24 K
Pedro Rodríguez: 9.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 15 K

FCL Yankees

Record: 5-2, 2 GB in the FCL North after a 3-2 week.

Run differential: +30

The FCL North has been an extremely funny division. So far, the FCL Blue Jays are 7-0, and the FCL Tigers are 0-7, with the FCL Phillies sitting at 2-5. Both Yankees losses are to the Blue Jays, and both Phillies wins are against the Tigers. It’s perfect balance.

The offense has been great to start the season, specifically the likes of Leni Done and Wilberson De Pena, who was acquired for Oswald Peraza from the Angels last July. Last year’s DSL darling, Richard Matic, isn’t far behind. As a note, Francisco Vilorio is currently injured.

Thatcher Hurd and Wyatt Parliament, two 2024 draftees who missed all of last season with Tommy John recovery, have made their pro debuts and look good in a limited sample. Blake Gillespie, who started the year in Tampa before being demoted, and Omar Gonzalez have 19 strikeouts in 12 innings combined.

There’s not too much to talk about yet with this team as we wait for large enough sample sizes for it to matter, but there are certainly players to watch.

Players of Note:

Wilberson De Pena: 9-for-25, HR, 8 RBI, 6 XBH, BB, SB
Leni Done: 12-for-26, HR, 11 RBI, 3 XBH, 4 BB, 4 SB
Richard Matic: 10-for-30, 3 RBI, 2 XBH, 4 BB, 4 SB
Thatcher Hurd: 7.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 7 K
Omar Gonzalez: 6.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 K

Prospect of the Week: Marco Luciano

Weekly Stats: 8-for-20, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 2B, 4 BB (w/AA & AAA)
Season Stats (Combined): .324/.408/.685, 10 HR, 23 RBI, 19 XBH, 3 SB, 177 wRC+

Luciano is not legally a Yankees prospect, but considering he’s younger than multiple people we’re keeping close eyes on across the system and has only a handful of big league experience, he counts in my book.

At one point, Luciano was one of the best prospects in the world. Signed for $2.6 million out of the D.R. by the San Francisco Giants in 2018, he was a consensus top-20 prospect in baseball for three consecutive years from 2021-23, ahead of his MLB debut in July 2023 with the Giants. But over a 41-game big league sample in two years, he slashed just .217/.286/.304 with mediocre defense at both second base and shortstop, killing his hype to the point he was DFA’d this past offseason.

After being claimed off waivers by the Pirates and spending a month there before being DFA’d again, he went through the same process with Baltimore before the Yankees gave him a shot in late January. He would get DFA’d by a fourth different team a few weeks later, but he cleared waivers this time, staying in the Yankees’ organization.

After getting a good amount of reps in spring training, he was sent down to Double-A Somerset, the lowest level he’d played at since July 2023. In this situation, you’d love a guy like him to immediately show he doesn’t belong there and that’s exactly what he did.

His stats have been ludicrous to this point, and after Max Schuemann’s promotion and Paul DeJong’s release opened space in the infield, the Yankees suddenly have him one step away from the bigs once again. We’ve seen them rehabilitate former prospects in the past and tweak something with them to get them back on teams’ radars (Blake Perkins, Brennan Davis). Could Luciano be next? That’d be great to see.

Mets Morning News: Welcome to the Show, A.J. Ewing

PORT ST. LUCIE, FLORIDA - MARCH 19, 2026: A.J. Ewing #97 of the New York Mets bats during the third inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Clover Park on March 19, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images

Meet the Mets

The Mets are calling up A.J. Ewing, one of their top prospects.

Ewing is someone who is on everyone’s radar, and several Mets farmhands are on the horizon, writes Laura Albanese.

Beyond just promoting Ewing, Max Goodman identified four more bold moves that the club can make to save its season.

Despite a disastrous 2026 season, Joe Pantorno explained why David Stearns’ job is probably not going to be in danger any time soon.

David Lennon wrote about every bad month for the Mets feeling like an existential crisis.

Abbey Mastracco provided the good, the bad, and the ugly from the team’s 5-4 road trip.

Dan Martin sees the Mets as ‘broken’ and help likely isn’t on the way.

With trade rumors swirling amid the team’s horrid start to the season, Freddy Peralta expressed confidence in the team’s turnaround, adding ‘I love being here”.

However, a changing Mets reality puts Peralta at ‘the top of the list’ for most deadline sales.

Christian Scott’s revamped mix of pitches has led to an electric start to his 2026 campaign.

After a rocky start to his season, Devin Williams has begun settling in.

In the latest edition of “This Week In Mets”, Tim Britton implored the Mets to find their offense sooner rather than later.

With Bo Bichette as the center piece, Joel Sherman focused his latest article on the death of the big-hitting third basemen.

Chelsea Janes attempted to answer some questions around the Mets in the latest Mets Mailbag on SNY.

The Mets outrighted Eric Wagaman to Triple-A.

The Mets purchased the contract of Nick Roselli from the Long Island Ducks.

Around the National League East

The Braves activated Ha-Seong Kim and placed Eli White on the 7-day concussion list one day after his incredible, game-saving catch.

Cristopher Sánchez was named NL Player of the Week. Bobby Witt Jr. took home AL honors.

Charlotte Varnes provided some Phillies takeaways, including some bullpen updates and Kyle Schwarber’s start.

Following Justin Crawford’s first major league home run, Todd Zolecki took a trip down memory lane with the first career homer for some Phillies players.

Phillies players are excited to see Ranger Suarez, their former teammate turned rival, as they travel to Boston to face the Red Sox.

The Marlins have released Chris Paddack.

Around Major League Baseball

The Cubs surged to Number One in the latest MLB Power Rankings.

The MLB.com staff looked at one thing each club can improve in 2026.

The Dodgers activated Mookie Betts from the IL, five weeks after suffering a strained right oblique, and optioned Alex Freeland to Triple-A.

The Blue Jays made a bunch of roster moves, placing Addison Barger on the IL, recalling Yohendrick Piñango from Triple-A, selecting Yariel Rodríguez to the big league roster, and designating Eric Lauer for assignment.

The Athletics are calling up No. 5 prospect Henry Bolte, one week after recording a hit in twelve straight plate appearances.

The Yankees appear more ruthless than ever this year, despite Brian Cashman rejecting the narrative around urgency.

José Caballero of the Yankees will have an MRI on his sore right middle finger.

Scott Boras believes that Tarik Skubal will have a short rehab and could be back sooner than later.

Nathan Eovaldi was scratched from his start last night due to left side tightness. Texas turned to a bullpen game with Eovaldi sidelined.

19-year-old Padres prospect Humberto Cruz plead guilty to transporting undocumented immigrants and has self-deported amid this plea.

Coby Mayo’s three-run home run with one out in the seventh inning catapulted the Orioles past the Yankees by a 3-2 victory.

The Yankees lost despite Ryan Weathers carrying a no-hit bid into the seventh inning.

The Guardians defeated the Angels 7-2, as Travis Bazzana’s trained eye continued to aid the Guardians’ offense.

The red-hot Rays stayed…well, red-hot…with an 8-5 win over the Blue Jays. The power of friendship has helped power the Rays to one of their best 40-game starts ever. In the victory, Rays’ speedster Chandler Simpson created a run entirely with his legs.

The Mariners topped the Astros 3-1. On the evening, Julio Rodríguez answered a fan’s call with a batting practice home run, and then did the same during the game.

With the help of a surging Rafael Devers and Willy Adames, the Giants’ offense got back on track with a 9-3 over the Dodgers.

A first inning run held up in the Diamondbacks’ 1-0 victory over the Rangers, as Michael Soroka’s gem and Paul Sewald’s save gave Arizona some payback for the 2023 World Series.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Linus Lawrence provided a Monday Stat Party.

This Date in Mets History

On this date in 2011, Carlos Beltran became just the seventh Met to hit three home runs in a single game, accomplishing the feat in the team’s 9-5 win over the Rockies at Coors Field.

Greg Sankey backs March Madness expansion — with a caveat

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey revealed where he stands on NCAA Tournament expansion.

At the APSE Southeast Region meeting in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Sankey answered whether he thought expanding the men's and women's basketball field from 68 teams to 76 was necessary.

“Addition seems appropriate...” Sankey said.

The new opening round will grow from eight teams to 24, be played Tuesday/Wednesday prior to the first round for men and Wednesday/Thursday for women and feature at-large teams and automatic qualifiers.

Sankey’s said the NCAA Tournament should feature ”the top 50 analytically, committee-determined teams.”

“You know, there’s a combination eligible to participate. What we do is give away spots for automatic bids, because that’s the ethos of the term. It seems a reasonable balance,” Sankey said. “And I think all the criticism and negativity, that’s the way social media rolls.”

The move has been anticipated since conversations began in 2025 as NCAA president Charlie Baker has strongly vouched for expansion. Multiple college athletic directors and coaches confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on April 28 there’s an “expectation” for it to grow.

“The apple cart hasn’t been upset, burned, thrown down the hill and discarded,” Sankey said.

“It’s a bit of a change.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SEC commissioner Greg Sankey backs NCAA Tournament expansion to 76 teams

Tuesday’s Brotherhood Playoff Notes & Links

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 11: Luke Kennard #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles against Jared McCain #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter in Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on May 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. 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 Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images

In Monday night’s Brotherhood Playoff Action, Cleveland took out Detroit, 112-103, behind a dstunning 22-0 run. Tyrese Proctor got in at the end, but did not score. The series is now tied 2-2.

In the nightcap, Oklahoma City eliminated Los Angeles, 115-110. Jared McCain scored 13 points and had 2 assists for OKC, while Luke Kennard finished his season with 5 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists.

At 8-0, the Thunder look increasingly inevitable, and may push the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers. When someone asked Moses Malone how his team would do, he famously said, “Fo’, fo’, and fo,” meaning the Sixers would not lose in the playoffs.

Close: Philadelphia finished 11-1 in the postseason.

On Tuesday, The T-Wolves and the Spurs tangle in Game 5. Mason Plumlee is on the Spurs’ roster, but he’s essentially depth at this point, and we don’t expect to see him going forward.

Go to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions || Drop us a line

Dodgers notes: Max Muncy, Shohei Ohtani, René Cárdenas

May 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) celebrates a solo home run in the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

A busy Monday saw the Dodgers get Mookie Betts back from the injured list after missing five weeks, Alex Freeland got sent down to Triple-A Oklahoma City, and the offense continued to scuffle in a blowout loss to the San Francisco Giants.

While we wait to see which day Shohei Ohtani will get a day off from hitting this week, here are some other stories of note for your Tuesday morning.

Max Muncy shares a birthday with the A’s Max Muncy, both were drafted by the A’s, and both are playing third base. As David Adler at MLB.com noted, both Maxes Muncy are also among the MLB leaders this year in hard-hit rate.

On Monday the Dodgers’ Muncy added two more hard-hit balls with a home run 104.1 mph off the bat and a 102.2-mph single.


Atlanta Braves right fielder Eli White robbed the Dodgers’ Muncy of likely a three-run double with an incredible catch at the right field wall on Sunday at Dodger Stadium. But in doing so White crashed head first into said wall, and on Monday was placed on the concussion injured list. The folks at Battery Power have more.


Eno Sarris and Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic wrote about the rarity of left-handed pitchers throwing split-fingered fastballs.


Longtime Dodgers Spanish-language broadcaster René Cárdenas died on Sunday at age 96. Here’s more on Cárdenas from Ed Guzman of the Los Angeles Times:

“He was indisputably one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball radio broadcasting, and he opened the door for other broadcasters to reach the major leagues,” Jarrín told The Times in Spanish on Monday morning. “He was a total professional, truly.”

Today in White Sox History: May 12

On this day 72 years ago, Don Johnson threw his second two-hitter in 10 days. | Topps

1904
Future Hall-of-Famer Ed Walsh made his White Sox debut, pitching in relief. It happened in Philadelphia, during a 9-3 loss to the A’s. Walsh threw one inning, giving up two hits and a run. 


1915
Red Faber threw a complete game win at Comiskey Park vs. Washington, 4-1.

So what? Well, it was Faber’s sixth start of 1915, fifth win … and sixth complete game.

OK, yeah, so what? How about this:

Yes, Faber threw just 67 pitches for the win.

While there was no official pitch-counting 110 years ago, a boy-clerk in Washington, Frank Saffell, tracked each pitch for an electronic scoreboard. He telegraphed The Chicago Tribune after realizing how remarkable Faber’s efficiency was. While it’s hard to recognize the pitch count-tracking of a child not even at the park for the game, Saffell’s inning-by-inning count — adding to 50 strikes, 17 balls and two three-pitch innings — has been accepted enough into baseball lore as to be acknowledged by the Baseball Hall of Fame. Saffell had been at pitch-counting for enough time to have qualified the count to the Tribune as being five pitches better than the previous record (Christy Mathewson, 72 pitches).

Faber carried a one-hitter into the ninth, when with two outs a single, passed ball and double gave the Sens their tally when the game was no longer in doubt — or, as the Tribune accounted, at a point when “nobody cared a whoop what happened.” The game lasted just one hour, 35 minutes.

The most efficient officially-counted game at Baseball-Reference is 75 pitches, by Bob Tewksbury (1990) and Andy Ashby (1998). The unofficial but almost certain MLB record comes on Aug. 10, 1944, when Red Barrett of the Boston Braves had a 58-pitch win that was tracked by official scorer Frank Grayson.


1923
St. Louis’ haste helped the White Sox score a coup, as just two games and four innings into his professional career Hollis “Sloppy” Thurston was placed on waivers by the Browns. Chicago wasted no time in completing a purchase for the screwballer.

In 1923 Thurston would immediately fill an important role for the White Sox, throwing some starts (and complete games) but also working out of the bullpen. It was out of the pen Thurston became the fifth pitcher ever to hurl an immaculate inning, on Aug. 22, 1923. And in 1924 Thurston moved almost exclusively to the starting rotation, to great success.

In 1923-24 Thurston amassed 10.6 WAR on the South Side, topping all White Sox hurlers both seasons. His stardom was brief, but Thurston remains one of the best waiver pickups the franchise ever made.


1932
For the ninth time of the 1932 season, White Sox third baseman/second baseman Carey Selph struck out.

It is also the last time in 1932 that Selph whiffed, as he played another 89 games strikeout-free, setting a major league record.

(When was the record broken? Oh, in 1958, when another White Sox second baseman, Nellie Fox, went 98 games between strikeouts.)

Selph had a decent enough season, hitting .283/.341/.371 over 396 total at-bats tying and for seventh among position players with 1.0 WAR on the 49-102-1 White Sox. At a .325 winning percentage, 1932 was the worst White Sox team in history, although it still finished 7 1⁄2 games ahead of the cellar-dwelling Boston Red Sox.

This would be Selph’s first full, but last overall major league season. He had been plucked from St. Louis in the Rule 5 draft before the 1932 season, and was swapped back to the Cardinals in the offseason. The St. Louis system was loaded, and Selph was sent to the minors, where he played his final two pro seasons for the Houston Buffaloes of the Texas League.


1953
With a 9-7 win in 10 innings at Boston, the White Sox not only climbed to 16-10, they got a monkey off of their backs: By rallying for the win in the top of the 10th, the club hung a defeat on Ellis Kinder, snapping his 18-game winning streak against the White Sox. Kinder didn’t even get a chance to “defend” his streak, as a leadoff walk to Minnie Miñoso, Jim Rivera beating out his sac bunt and Chico Carrasquel moving both runners up and prompted Bill Kennedy into the game to put out the fire — but instead serve up the eventual game-decider, an RBI double from Ferris Fain.

Kinder would come to the South Side to finish out his career, in 1956-57. Kennedy had just been traded from Sox to Sox a few months earlier, in February.

Also on this day, the White Sox purchased Sandy Consuegra from the Washington Senators. He’d make his debut in a 3-0 loss at Boston the next day, and would end up with an outstanding, career-high 3.0 WAR for the White Sox in 1953, going 7-5 with a 2.54 ERA while both starting and closing games. Consuegra, pitching for the White Sox over three more seasons to come, forged a terrific record with the team, with a career 2.85 ERA/3.28 FIP and 8.0 WAR over 140 games.


1954
For the second time in 10 days, Don Johnson tossed a two-hitter. Johnson had beaten Philadelphia on May 2 on two hits, and slid by Boston on this day, 1-0. With a low number of Ks, the righthander had a relatively low game score for a shutout (87 at Philadelphia, 86 vs. Boston, not among the 150 best games in White Sox history), but with this latest win the swingman’s record improved to 3-1 on the season.

Amazingly, Johnson was given just 14 other starts in 1954, despite excelling as both a starter and closer (seven saves, 17 finishes). His 2.0 WAR was matched just one other time in his career, one in fact that ended with him overall a sub-replacement pitcher (-1.2 WAR).


2013
Chris Sale couldn’t have picked a better time to show the baseball world what type of pitcher he was, as on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball he tossed a complete game one-hitter, beating the Angels, 3-0, at U.S. Cellular Field. Sale was dominant, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Mike Trout broke it up with a single to center. Chris would finish the night with seven strikeouts, and Trout would be the only Angels base runner. The game was scoreless until the Chicago half of the seventh, when they scored three runs. The big blow was a two-run single from Alexei Ramírez.

Ducks vs Golden Knights Props & NHL Playoffs Game 5 Best Bets

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The Western Conference Semifinals shift back to Sin City tonight as the Anaheim Ducks visit the Vegas Golden Knights, with the series tied at two games apiece. 

My Golden Knights vs. Ducks player props are targeting Mitch Marner to keep dominating, while Jack Eichel and Beckett Sennecke will also do their part. 

Read more in my Golden Knights vs. Ducks predictions and NHL picks for Tuesday, May 12. 

Best Ducks vs Golden Knights props for Game 5

PlayerPickBET99
Golden Knights Mitch MarnerOver 1.5 points+175
Golden Knights Jack Eichel Over 0.5 assists-170
Ducks Beckett SenneckeAnytime goal+320

Game 5 Prop #1: Mitch Marner Over 1.5 points

+175 at BET99

Mitch Marner has been an absolute monster in these playoffs. The veteran has compiled 16 points already, and he has a mind-boggling seven points across the last two games. While the Vegas Golden Knights did lose Game 4, he finished with three helpers. Marner also netted a natural hat-trick in Game 3 while grabbing an assist. 

In the postseason, he's had four multi-point outings, and the Canadian is playing with so much confidence. His ice time has also skyrocketed across these last two games, playing over 23 minutes per contest after barely playing 18 minutes in the first two games of this series. John Tortorella is putting Marner out there a lot, and it's paying off. 

Game 5 Prop #2: Jack Eichel Over 0.5 assists 

-170 at BET99

Jack Eichel sits right behind Marner with 13 playoff points. The majority of his production has come as a playmaker, notching 12 assists. Eichel was one of the Golden Knights' top suppliers during the regular season as well, picking 63 apples, ranking 11th in the NHL. 

He's hit the Over in helpers in three straight, finishing with four assists during that span. Eichel had two in the Game-4 defeat. He's also grabbed five assists on home ice in the playoffs, and his presence on the top line and PP1 strengthens his case for another. 

Game 5 Prop #3: Beckett Sennecke anytime goal

+320 at BET99

He may be just 20 years of age, but Beckett Sennecke is proving the playoff stage isn't too big for him. The youngster had 23 regular-season goals, and he's added another four in the postseason. After a quiet Round 1, Sennecke has found his best against Vegas, scoring three times, finding the back of the net in three consecutive contests.

While he's only notched six SOG across those games, Sennecke is making the most of his chances. His PP2 line also scored both goals for the Anaheim Ducks on the man advantage in Game 3, including his PP goal, assisted by Alex Killorn and Cutter Gauthier, who notched three helpers. Heavy PP usage and solid playmakers getting him the puck make this one a valuable bet. 

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Daniel Gafford was a key piece in the Finals run. Is he still a piece in the future?

SAN ANTONIO, TX - FEBRUARY 7: Daniel Gafford #21 of the Dallas Mavericks handles the ball during the game against the San Antonio Spurs on February 7, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

When Daniel Gafford boarded the plane from Washington to Dallas in February 2024, it was believed he was one of the missing pieces to being a true title contender. The Mavericks witnessed in real time what Luka Doncic could do with a lob threat center in rookie Dereck Lively II, and adding a second threat would solidify the Dallas backcourt. That wet dream came true.

In his first game as a Maverick against the first-place Oklahoma City Thunder, Gafford recorded 19 points and 9 rebounds. Dallas took Oklahoma City to the woodshed in Gafford’s debut, beating them in front of a raucous AAC crowd 146-111. In his first season with Dallas, the big man averaged 11.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game, in 21.5 minutes.

During the 2024 title run, Gafford’s size and athletic ability proved to be an advantage for the Mavs, as he was a matchup nightmare for the Clippers, Thunder, and Timberwolves, especially off the bench. However, his inability to defend in space proved problematic against the champion Celtics, and he became all but unplayable.

That high-and-low seesaw has been the soundtrack of the past two seasons for Gafford. His moments of dominance are typically followed by stretches of poor play with frequent injuries sprinkled throughout.

The Nico Harrison vision

When Nico Harrison traded for Anthony Davis, the vision was that the Mavericks would bolster an ultra-big lineup that would be impossible to score on (at least in the paint). Anthony Davis was slated to play the power forward next to either Daniel Gafford or Dereck Lively II. The vision blew up seven games into the season after Lively suffered a season-ending foot injury. Injuries to Dallas big men have unfortunately become the norm, and Gafford was no exception.

Gafford was coming off his 2024-2025 season of playing only 57 games, his lowest since the COVID bubble 2020-2021 season. Fresh off a 3-year/$54 million extension in the summer, Gafford came in with something to prove. Minus Lively, and with the runway of the full season, it was his time to shoulder the load.  He had shown in flashes what he could do with an expanded role. Shortly after Doncic went out (forever) on Christmas Day 2024, Gafford showed signs of excellence.  In January 2025, he averaged 14.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. He was beginning to show signs that he could be a solid and consistent starting center.

But then everything fell apart. Gafford missed the next two months due to a knee injury, only returning for the last few games of the season, as the Mavericks tried to make a play-in run. He wasn’t the same and hasn’t really been the same since.

Season in review

Gafford had a plethora of other nagging injuries this season, the most severe being multiple ankle sprains that have not allowed him to stay on the court consistently. He played 55 games this season. His averages were still near normal for him, at 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. But the eye test said he wasn’t right.

Whether it was the fit alongside Davis, lack of a true point guard, or being bothered by injuries, Gafford had another season to forget. It was probably all three of those factors. He’s an effort and energy guy that the fans love, and players feed off of. But his biggest strength in showcasing his athleticism was largely suppressed this season. Maybe it was the ankle, or the knee, or just mental exhaustion from all the drama (I get it), he just didn’t look the same.

He had stretches once again of good play, with his best game coming on a March 12 win against the Memphis Grizzlies. Gafford posted 22 points, 14 rebounds, and a block. It was the only win for the Mavericks in a span of over a month. March was his best month, putting together averages of 15.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game in 12 games. December was his worst month at 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game in nine games.

After another season riddled with injuries, it’s probably safe to say Gafford is at best a good backup center. He’s a touch undersized for a starting-caliber center, but if he’s healthy, he provides great minutes off the bench. As he proved, he can be a rotation piece on a contending team.

Contract status

If he can stay on the floor, Gafford is a value piece. His 3-year contract extension kicks in this upcoming summer, as he’ll be making $17.2 million in 2026-2027, $18.1 million in 2027-2028, and $18.9 million in 2028-2029. With swirling questions around Dereck Lively II, what the Mavericks do next with Gafford will be interesting. He was a player teams called about at the trade deadline, and if he bumps up his value next season with health, the offers might become too good to say “no” to.

Looking ahead

Not to beat a dead horse (okay, bad pun), but the big question next year for Gafford and Dallas will be his health. He’ll turn 28 in October and is not getting any younger. If he can be on the court back to old Daniel Gafford, he’s probably a piece worth keeping around. If the injuries continue to pile up, Dallas may once again take phone calls. In the era of Cooper Flagg, health and youth are of the utmost importance.

Grade: C+

Gafford played fairly well when he was at his healthiest, but that didn’t happen often enough. The Mavericks need much more from Gafford if he’s on the roster going forward.

Season in Review: Royce O’Neale was the hero Phoenix needed and the victim of its flaws

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 22: Royce O'Neale #00 of the Phoenix Suns celebrates a made basket during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Two of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center on April 22, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Joshua Gateley/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Welcome to our Phoenix Suns Season in Review series, where we revisit every player who suited up during the 2025–26 campaign through the lens of expectation, reality, and what it ultimately meant.


Player Snapshot

  • Position: SF/PF
  • Age: 32
  • 2026-27 Contract Status: $10.9 million
  • SunsRank (Preseason): 7
  • SunsRank (Postseason): 9

*SunsRank is based on Bright Side writers’ ranking.

Season in One Sentence

Royce O’Neale somehow represented everything the Suns did well this season, but also everything they were missing.

By the Numbers

GPMINPPGRPGAPGSTLFG%3PT%FT%OFFRTGDEFRTG+/- (TOTAL)
7828.49.84.82.71.142.1%40.8%71.1%111.4115.1-113

The Expectation

Coming into this season, we expected O’Neale to be one of the Suns’ best 3-point shooters and a positive contributor defensively, as a marginal rotation player.

The Reality

O’Neale was an integral part of the Suns’ rotation this season because of his shooting and connectivity on bot ends of the floor, but his time as a plus defender has faded with age, and his lack of athleticism was exploited because he was asked to play a role he is no longer suited for.

What It Means

Moving forward, the Suns need to find more athleticism than they have from Dillon Brooks and Royce O’Neale on the front line. O’Neale was asked to be a power forward this season despite being another 6’5” player on the roster. If the Suns expect to ascend as a team, filling his role with someone who has more athleticism and defensive capability might be the most important thing to accomplish on the Suns’ checklist this offseason.

Whether that player comes in a trade for an Aaron Gordon or Cam Johnson type player, in the draft, or Rasheer Fleming taking a sophomore leap. O’Neale is another flawed but valuable player the Suns have on the roster and will be on the trading block all summer because of his contract, 3-point shooting, veteran poise, and high IQ.

Defining Moment

O’Neale’s most memorable moment is easy.

Grade: A-

Now this grade might be way, way, way too high and a shock to the system for many of you reading this. I know what the numbers and the advanced analytics say about Royce O’Neale. What the Suns asked him to be this year, compared to his ability, may have been the widest gap on the roster this season. In my grading for O’Neale, I am not going to penalize him for being asked to bite off more than he can chew. For what the Suns are paying O’Neale and at his age, he outperformed expectations this season despite being an obviously flawed player on an obviously flawed team.

O’Neale had a career year in scoring, shot over 40% from the three-point line, and started 67 games for the Phoenix Suns this season. Heading into the season, every Suns fan or team member would have signed up for what O’Neale produced this year, even if we disagreed about him getting minutes over Ryan Dunn and Fleming.

He has his flaws, which were glaring this season when it came to rebounding and defending on the ball. His weaknesses were only exacerbated by a poorly constructed roster that forced him into a role he simply cannot fill anymore. For the Suns to continue to ascend, he will need to have a diminished role next season, but this season, O’Neale was integral to the Suns’ success. There was a reason Jordan Ott continually chose the grizzled 10-year veteran despite his limitations.

The Suns won 10 more games this season than last year and started O’Neale in place of Kevin Durant. That alone locks in a high grade from me.


Kansas City Royals News: Bobby Witt Jr. named AL Player of the Week

KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 10: Bobby Witt Jr. #7 of the Kansas City Royals looks on during the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday, May 10, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Kyle Rivas/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

After his inside the park homer and a blistering offensive week overall, Bobby Witt Jr was named the AL Player of the Week.

Witt collected 11 hits during the week, which included a four-hit performance against the Guardians on Thursday. It was one of three multi-hit games last week for Witt, who raised his batting average more than 20 points last week to .302, and raised his OPS by 82 points to .847. Witt is now at 2.8 bWAR for the season, tied for the MLB lead among position players.

Tod Palmer writes about Bridget Howard’s journey as the first female full-time broadcaster for Royals TV.

She remembers watching as female broadcasters broke into the sports world and made a mark — Erin Andrews, Jenny Dell, Taylor McGregor, et al. — and that fueled her desire to do the same.

“Those were women that I looked up to, and I saw them in roles like this and was like, ‘Hey, I can do this, too,’” Bridget said.

Now, she’s one of those inspirational women whom little girls with big dreams watch during Royals games.

Baseball America has mock draft 3.0.

6. Royals — Gio Rojas, LHP, Stoneman Douglas HS, Parkland, Fla.

A high school player feels most likely for the Royals. They have been all over Rojas this spring, and he’s pitched excellently. He has terrific arm speed, a big fastball and a chance for a wipeout breaking ball. If Lombard isn’t taken by now, he probably doesn’t last much longer than this, and it’s also hard to rule out Booth and his top-of-the-scale speed.

Eno Sarris wonders why left-handers aren’t throwing splitters as much despite the pitch being more popular than ever.

One of the first things that always comes up with splitters is the impact the pitch has on a pitcher’s health. Does the split-finger grip lead to injury?

“The reason that I don’t throw the splitter anymore is I did blow out my elbow when I was throwing it,” said San Francisco Giants left-handed starter Robbie Ray. “I don’t think there’s any correlation between the two, but it just happened. I was throwing it a lot in spring training, I was working on it, and never had any issue. I think my elbow was just ready to go.”

Jay Jaffe at FanGraphs covers the Giants trade of Patrick Bailey to the Guardians.

Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi was scratched from his start last night due to left side tightness.

Blue Jays outfielder Addison Barger goes right back to the IL after just returning.

Mookie Betts makes his return from the IL.

Kevin Gausman reached 2000 career strikeouts last night.

The Mets are calling up one of their top prospects, A.J. Ewing.

Batters tapping their helmets as part of their in-between pitch routine can cause accidental challenges.

A deep-dive film review of Chiefs fifth-round draft pick, RB Emmett Johnson from Nebraska.

The Milwaukee Bucks are seeking offers for star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Buffalo Bills will have the first Prime Video Thursday Night Football to open their new stadium.

The full NFL schedule release is coming later this week.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are being sued by police officers in Florida because of their movie The Rip.

J. Craig Venter, who helped decode the human genome, died at 79 years old.

Your song of the day is Typhoons by Royal Blood.

Orioles minor league weekly recap: Aloy mashes 5 HRs, German and Dzierwa shine

BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 09: Wehiwa Aloy, the Baltimore Orioles 2025 3rd pick in the draft, looks on during batting practice prior a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 9, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

As the Orioles try to decide which direction they’re going to take their 2026 season, every week we turn our attention to the youngsters who could eventually boost the team, whether in the short term or the long term. It’s time for our recap of the last six days of minor league baseball, with a particular focus on Camden Chat’s top 20 Orioles prospects.

Triple-A Norfolk Tides

  • Last week: 2-4 vs. Gwinnett Stripers (Braves)
  • Coming week: at Charlotte Knights (White Sox)
  • Season record: 15-24, tied for last place (10.0 GB) in International League East

We’re at a point where the pitchers are far more interesting than the hitters at Norfolk, something that hasn’t been said for the past few years. That’s partly because the Tides have very few interesting hitters currently active, and partly because some O’s pitching prospects are doing interesting things. Right-hander Nestor German (#11 prospect) had an especially eye-opening week, making two outstanding starts and allowing just one earned run in 11 innings. The 11th-round pick from 2023 racked up an impressive 16 strikeouts and just one walk.

Levi Wells (#16) also did well(s), holding Charlotte to one run in a 4.2-inning performance, with four Ks and no walks. At the rate the Orioles are losing starting pitchers to injury, don’t be surprised if German and/or Wells get a major league call-up before the All-Star break.

José Barrero and Creed Willems carried the Tides’ offense this week, mashing three home runs apiece. The rest of the team combined for two. Willems is now rocking a .265/.370/.496 slash line with eight homers this season. I’ve been skeptical of Willems as a real prospect since the O’s drafted him, perhaps because of his, let’s say, non-ballplayerish physique. But the kid can hit. Too bad he’s a catcher/first baseman, two positions at which the Orioles don’t currently have a need. Can he play third base? (The answer is no, he cannot play third base.)

The O’s could also use a capable outfielder or two, but Enrique Bradfield Jr. has been sidelined since April 21 with left hand discomfort, and Reed Trimble, who was added to the 40-man roster this offseason, is still rehabbing in the lower minors. Norfolk’s only real outfielder at the moment is Jud Fabian, whose .225 average and .784 OPS don’t exactly cry out as a solution to the Orioles’ problems.

Norfolk season stats

Double-A Chesapeake Baysox

  • Last week: 3-3 vs. Altoona Curve (Pirates)
  • Coming week: at Akron RubberDucks (Guardians)
  • Season record: 14-18, fifth place (11.0 GB) in Eastern League Southwest

Chesapeake’s offensive numbers were boosted by a 19-4 win on Wednesday, a game in which they bashed five home runs and collected 15 hits. They didn’t top five runs in any of their other games. Catcher Ethan Anderson was their hitting star, collecting a team-high seven hits and three homers for the week. Part of a problematic 2024 draft class in which the Orioles’ top three picks (Vance Honeycutt, Griff O’Ferrall, and Anderson) all had lousy pro debuts, Anderson is the one who’s taken a step forward this year. He’s hitting .289/.407/.456 in 25 games for the Baysox and is trying to put himself back on the prospect map. No such luck for Griff O’Ferrall, who is batting .156 with a .606 OPS.

Two 21-year-old hitting prospects, Aron Estrada (#13) and Thomas Sosa (#18), are scuffling at Double-A. Estrada is slashing .231/.274/.346 and Sosa .219/.274/.381. Each had just four hits this week. Neither is ready to join Samuel Basallo on the Orioles’ list of successful international signings, at least not yet.

Two familiar Orioles, Jackson Holliday and Heston Kjerstad, began rehab assignments with Chesapeake this week. This is Kjerstad’s first field action since suffering a right hamstring strain in spring training. He’s 1-for-6 so far. Holliday, meanwhile, is taking his third crack at rehab after his first one was cut short on April 12 and his next one halted after three games. He went 0-for-6 with four walks this week and, notably, played third base for just the third time in his professional career. I’m not sure Holliday has the arm for third, but the O’s clearly are desperate for a non-Coby Mayo alternative at the hot corner.

Chesapeake’s rotation had a fine week, ERA-wise, with their six hurlers combining for a 2.42 mark. But lefty Sebastian Gongora was the only one to work six innings, delivering a quality, one-run, seven-strikeout performance. Evan Yates held Altoona to one run and one hit in 5.1 frames, while the other four didn’t make it through five. Righty Juaron Watts-Brown (#15) gave up just one run and two hits in 4.1 innings, but walked four.

Chesapeake season stats

High-A Frederick Keys

  • Last week: 5-1 vs. Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies)
  • Coming week: at Hudson Valley Renegades (Yankees)
  • Season record: 19-13, second place (1.5 GB) in South Atlantic League North

I don’t want to jinx anything, but do the Orioles have a minor league team that’s actually good? Their High-A affiliate, in their first year back in Frederick, is six games over .500 and just completed a dominant series in which they scored 56 runs in six games, including three straight 11-run performances from Wednesday to Friday. They hit 18 home runs!

Shortstop Wehiwa Aloy (#6) went absolutely bonkers. He blasted five dingers, leading all South Atlantic League hitters for the week, and went 11-for-22 with nine RBIs. The 2025 competitive balance draft pick, selected #31 overall, is hitting .306 with a .985 OPS and 10 homers in 27 games. He’s been outstanding so far. It should be mentioned that he’s struck out in 29% of his PAs, with 35 Ks and 10 walks, which he’ll probably need to address as he moves up the organizational ladder. At High-A, though, it’s not stopping him from having success.

First round pick Ike Irish (#4) hit pretty well himself, even if he was upstaged by Aloy. Irish had two homers and a double and scored seven runs. Two other Keys had three-homer weeks: shortstop Elis Cuevas and the rehabbing outfielder Reed Trimble. I think Trimble’s about ready to return to Triple-A.

It’s always a good week when Joseph Dzierwa (#14) makes two starts, and he did not disappoint. In 8.2 innings, he allowed only one run and racked up 15 strikeouts, walking just two. His first start, in which he threw five scoreless, hitless innings, was particularly dominant. He had to leave his second start after 3.2 innings following a freak play in which a bad-hop overthrow cut him above the eye. Ouch. The injury doesn’t figure to keep him sidelined, fortunately.

Among other Keys pitchers, let’s give some praise to starter Yeiber Cartaya, who tossed five shutout innings with one hit and six strikeouts. The 23-year-old righty is doing excellent things so far this year, posting a 0.68 ERA (two earned runs in 26.2 innings) with a 0.79 WHIP, a .110 batting average against, and 12.15 K/9. Cartaya has put up middling to bad numbers every year of his pro career until now, so maybe something has clicked for him. The Athletic’s Keith Law, for one, was impressed by what he saw from Cartaya this week.

Frederick season stats

Low-A Delmarva Shorebirds

  • Last week: 3-3 at Salem RidgeYaks (Red Sox)
  • Coming week: vs. Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros)
  • Season record: 13-20, tied for last place (10.0 GB) in Carolina League North

The only top-20 Orioles prospect on the Shorebirds roster, Esteban Mejia (#8), continued to struggle with his control. In his lone start this week, he walked six batters, though he at least limited the damage to one run. That came three starts after an eight-walk performance on April 17. Mejia has issued 22 walks in 18.2 innings this year. It’s not what you want.

The award for Strangest Pitching Line goes to righty Brayan Orrantia, who worked 5.1 innings and gave up 10 runs — but only three were earned. Two Delmarva errors cost him a couple of runs in his first outing of the week, and another two miscues led to five more unearned runs in his second start. He certainly didn’t pitch well, but he didn’t get much help from his teammates, either. The only quality start from a Shorebird this week was righty Christian Rodriguez (six innings, one run).

The team’s best hitter of the week was outfielder Braylon Whitaker, a 19th-round pick in 2024, who reached base 14 times on six hits and eight walks. Whitaker is batting .305 this season and has more walks (19) than strikeouts (16), albeit with no power. Shortstop DJ Layton has been off to a good start in 2026 but was 5-for-20 with nine strikeouts this week.

Delmarva season stats

**

In the glorious return of the Player of the Week poll last week, Ike Irish was the winner with 63% of the vote. This week there were so many standout performances that five guys who hit three home runs each — Creed Willems, Jose Barrero, Ethan Anderson, Elis Cuevas, and Reed Trimble — didn’t even make the cut, nor did Joseph Dzierwa. Instead it’s a two-man race. Who gets your vote?

Chicago Cubs news and notes — Kelly, Happ, Milner

Today’s Reflections

Today, a lot of varied topics and varied fervor are here in Cub Tracks: From the latest injury news and fears, to rumors of needed trades, to comparing the 2026 and the 2016 Cubs (WAY to early for that, but a fun exercise) to Glenallen Hill checking out the apartment building across the street the HARD way.

The injury replacements are getting injured themselves. The trade deadline is many moons away, but 1) the Cubs can’t wait until August 3 (which sounds a lot farther away than July 31 was), and 2) the Athletic lists TEN possible targets (again, a fun exercise, but, wow). With just a scan of the 2016/26 comparison, there may be a point on offense, but I didn’t even look at the pitching comparisons. I did look at the verdict and agreed straight down the line.

And Glenallen, that swing still scares me. I’m sure it’s the shortest swing for a 500-foot homerun ever. So enjoy the fun and not so fun.

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Food For Thought:

Guy Davis is a two-time, back-to-back Grammy nominee for Best Traditional Blues, a musician, Actor, Author, and Songwriter. Guy uses a blend of Roots, Blues, Folk, Rock, Rap, Spoken Word, and World Music to comment on, and address the frustrations of social injustice, touching on historical events, and common life struggles. His storytelling is sometimes painful, deep, and real, an earthy contrast to modern-day commercial music, meant to create thought, underlined by gentle tones from his guitar or banjo fingerpicking. A self-taught “Renaissance Man”, he first heard the banjo at a summer camp run by John Seeger, the brother of the American Folk Musician, Pete Seeger, and soon after, asked his father for one.

When asked about his experience as a performer, Guy has replied, “There is no tale so tall that I cannot tell it, nor song so sweet that I cannot sing it.”

Are you looking for the best travel destinations in the world for 2026? People are traveling like never before and going places all over the world. We love to travel so we made this list of the 50 best places to travel in the world. Islands in the Pacific, to best cities in the world, beautiful countries and much more. Some of those destinations include Bora Bora, Maldives, Petra, Rome, London, Dubai, Bali and everything in between. In this travel video we explore the best travel destinations in the world for 2026. From exotic beaches to vibrant cities, these destinations are a must-visit for any traveler. Start planning your dream trip now! For those of you looking for a honeymoon vacation, a family trip or just an adventure this travel vlog has you covered. (VIDEO)

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

SF Giants Videos: Let’s re-visit Barry Bonds breaking the home run record

San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds hits his record-setting 756th career home run in the fifth inning against Washington Nationals pitcher Mike Bacsik in San Francisco, Ca. (Photo by Richard Clement /Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images)

Good morning, baseball fans!

Today, we are in wrapping up a new feature for May that I’m calling the “12 Days of Mays-mas” because I have been away, and I wanted to leave you guys with some fun things to watch while I’m gone.

It’s only fitting that for the twelfth day of Mays-mas, we go back a little farther than we have been to include Willie Mays’ godson breaking the all-time home run record on August 7th, 2007. That’s right, baby, it’s time for some Barry Bonds dingers! Well, one very specific dinger, to be exact.

Unfortunately, they don’t have the full game available but I was able to find the full at-bat. So grab your coffee, settle in, and enjoy!

What time do the Giants play today?

The San Francisco Giants continue this four-game road series against the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight at 7:10 p.m. PT.

Tuesday Rockpile: Rockies players share their experiences from the Cultural Education & Development Program

MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 06: Antonio Senzatela #49 of the Colorado Rockies throws a pitch during the first inning of a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on April 6, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images

This is the fifth installment in Purple Row’s series on the Colorado Rockies Cultural Education & Development Program. So far, I have written about what the program does, its curriculum, and its origins. Yesterday, Renee Dechert wrote a profile on one of the English teachers, and this week we’ll continue exploring how the Rockies help non-English-speaking players develop their language skills.


As we’ve discussed over the last few weeks, the Colorado Rockies have been at the forefront of English education around Major League Baseball. It all started because Josh Rosenthal had a vision after returning from the Peace Corps, and he and Angel Amparo have turned that vision into a reality that set the standard for all 30 clubs. 

The Rockies currently have five players from Latin America on their active roster, and three of them graduated from the Cultural Education & Development Program – Antonio Senzatela, Juan Mejia and Ezequiel Tovar. Here’s how they described their experiences.

Antonio Senzatela

Senzatela was one of the original students in the program, having been signed out of Valencia, Venezuela, in 2011. He was assigned to the DSL Rockies the following year and came stateside in 2013. Since he was around in the early goings, he had a lot more experience with Rosenthal than Amparo.

“It was really good,” Senzatela said of his experience. “Josh was an amazing person. He’s a different personality. He liked to teach us how to be a good person and how to engage in American culture when we’re just kids. And it was really fun and really nice to have him.”

And the lessons he learned have stuck with him throughout his career.

“In our country, we don’t have a lot of things. It’s different,” he said. “Here you have to be more quiet and more careful with things you say and stuff like that. He taught us that and a couple of English words, especially more on the baseball-wise because at least we have to know baseball terms. And it’s really nice, and it was perfect for me.”

Ezequiel Tovar and Juan Mejia

Tovar and Mejia were both signed in 2017 – Tovar out of Maracay, Venezuela, and Mejia out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Both came stateside in 2019, but Tovar made his MLB debut in 2022 while Mejia made his debut in 2025. 

“I think it was a big help. They taught me so much,” Mejia said of his experience. “I think through that program and through the help of Angel, I think it not only shaped myself as a whole but it also shaped my personality. It changed my personality over here, so it helped me from that first year that I got in the United States. I felt better going into it because I had so much help, and it helped me in various ways.”

Tovar explained more about how the early classes were structured.

“There’s two of them over there that head the program, and obviously they taught me a lot,” he said. “That program meant a lot for learning English. First it was through Duolingo and some of the classes over there, and they had a bunch of applications that they gave to us to help us learn English. But yeah, I started all the way over there in the Dominican my first year with all that.”

He also remembers there were a lot of “quizzes and tests” but also Amparo and Julio Medina got more creative with teaching their players how to understand and begin internalizing English.

“They’d send you movies, songs and things like that to help you remember English and kind of get used to it,” Tovar said. “I think that’s the biggest thing that I remember.”

Mejia remembered a project where the players all had to create an advertisement for a product, and while he couldn’t remember the specific product he was trying to sell, he “vividly remember(s) doing those videos.”

“I can’t specifically recall that because I was in Spokane,” he said. “I knew a little more English, so I think that was helpful, but it was still hard for me because I was a little nervous, and I kind of wanted to get it done with so I kind of rushed it a little bit. It was still hard on me, doing those videos, and I can’t recall specifically that.”

However, he didn’t think it was harder than opening or closing a baseball game – it’s just a different kind of challenge.

“I think it was that you’re focusing on talking, and obviously it makes you nervous because you’re not fully adapted to the language,” he explained. “But over here, I’m confident in my talent when I’m pitching. I think everyone can see that talent that I have, and thanks to God, so I enjoy being out there with the guys.”

Tovar offered some advice for players who are still in the program and who are still getting used to English as well as life in the United States.

“My advice for them is that I’m still learning English myself and getting used to it,” he said. “But over here, we speak English. It’s a huge part of the culture and a huge part of what you do, so you’ve got to go hard and focus on what you’re doing. 

“But I think all the guys are doing it,” he continued. “Ever since you leave from the Dominican and come to Arizona, you’re still doing the programs, even if it’s on Zoom or anything like that. The program is something that obviously helps a lot of us out, and I think it’s a program that means a lot for a lot of us. It’s something that follows you, even as you keep rising in the programs.”

Closing Thoughts

Over the past few weeks, we’ve highlighted a lot of details about this program. This concludes the first part of our series, but it is not the end! We will go on a short hiatus, but we will bring this back in June with more teacher interviews as well as interviews from players currently in the program.

Stay tuned!


On the Farm

Arizona Complex League: ACL Rockies 7, ACL Diamondbacks 3

The ACL Rockies continued their hot start to the young season, where they have only lost one game so far. Things got a little hairy in the first inning, as the Baby Snakes put up a three-spot where the third run was scored on a wild pitch by Eliezer Pena. However, the Baby Rockies got things going in the fourth with a triple by Kamuel Villar followed by an RBI single by Yeiker Reyes. A wild pitch tied things up in the fifth, and a three-run double by Reyes doubled the Baby Rockies score. Sebastian Blanco doubled in the fifth to end the scoring at 7-3.

In total, ACL Rockies pitching held the ACL Dbacks to just four hits while striking out eight and walking four. The ACL Rockies offense, on the other hand, had 13 hits, six walks and just three strikeouts.


1 thing each team can improve upon the rest of the way | MLB.com

The Rockies are better this year, but there’s always room for improvement. Thomas Harding identifies “better right-handed hitting” as the need for the Rockies, as players such as Ezequiel Tovar, Jordan Beck, Brenton Doyle and Hunter Goodman have all struggled out of the gate in various ways.

Elmo’s opinion of The Rockies? ‘The team’s okay’ | Denver Gazette ($)

Forget Grimace. Forget Dinger. Elmo entered the booth during the Rockies-Phillies game on Saturday as part of the Phillies’ Strike Out the Stigma’ initiative to support mental health awareness. During his interview, Elmo gave his opinion many things including the Rockies, especially since he’s beefing with a friend with a similar name (Rocco).

Here’s the full video, if you missed it (or want to relive it!):

Behind Chase Dollander and Antonio Senzatela’s pitching revitalization | Blake Street Banter

Antonio Senzatela and Chase Dollander have been the focus of the Rockies this season, and for good reason. Both have had excellent starts, and both have made some major adjustments at the suggestions of the new coaching staff. Shawn Trewartha details the changes that both have made, and how they’ve been working in real time.


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