The Pittsburgh Pirates and rookie infielder Konnor Griffin agreed to a nine-year contract extension, the team announced Wednesday, April 8.
The extension ties the 19-year-old to the team through the 2034 season. Financial terms were not disclosed by the team, but it is reported to be worth $140 million, according to The Athletic and ESPN.
After being baseball's top-rated prospect, Griffin, a Jackson, Mississippi native, was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on April 3, and in 17 at-bats this season, he is hitting .176 with three RBIs."Signing Konnor is a meaningful commitment to this team, this city and our fans. It reflects our belief inKonnor, in this season’s club and in the future of our organization," said Pirates Chairman Bob Nutting in a statement.
"Konnor represents everything we value in a player – exceptional talent, strong character, a team-firstmentality and a maturity that stood out to all of us from the beginning. He is the right person, from the rightfamily. This is another important step in the work we have been doing to build a winning team, for this yearand going forward."
Griffin, who got married in January, was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft.
Last season, in 122 games between Low-A Bradenton, High-A Greensboro, and Double-A Altoona, Griffin was spectacular, hitting .333 with 21 home runs, 94 RBIs, and scoring 117 runs.
OFFICIAL: We have signed INF Konnor Griffin to a nine-year contract extension that runs through the 2034 season. pic.twitter.com/eipHszMm6s
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 7: Jake Burger #21 of the Texas Rangers celebrates with teammates Kyle Higashioka #11 and Ezequiel Duran #20 following the team's win against the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field on April 7, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rangers 3, Mariners 2
A big win for your First Place Texas Rangers.
Yes, that’s right…with the Astros and Angels losing, the Rangers are currently alone in first place in the A.L. West, a half game above Houston and Anaheim.
Also, weirdly, they have the third best record in the American League right now. The only other A.L. teams above .500 are the 8-2 Yankees and the 7-5 Guardians.
The Rangers, having run through a bunch of relievers the day before, needed innings from Nathan Eovaldi. And Nathan Eovaldi gave the Rangers innings.
Six of them, to be precise. Six rather good innings.
The first pitch of the game didn’t go well, I must admit. Brendan Donovan took the first pitch out of the park.
That said, he didn’t exactly crush the ball. With a 94 mph exit velocity and a 34 degree launch angle, its a ball that Statcast says turns into an out 95% of the time.
Unfortunately, Eovaldi experienced the 5%, and the Rangers were immediately in a 1-0 hole.
Eovaldi ended up allowing a pair of runs, the second coming on a single-wild pitch-walk-single sequence. Cal Raleigh’s RBI single came on an 0-2 pitch that he flared into center field. Raleigh didn’t hit it well, but he was able to muscle it into that no man’s land in the outfield where weakly hit flares fall for hits.
Eovaldi had his stuff going on, though. Seven strikeouts in the game, and a whopping 22 swings and misses generated on 93 pitches. He relied heavily on his splitter and his cutter, using them almost a third of the time, and generated 8 whiffs apiece off of those two pitches.
The Donovan homer was off his fastball, and maybe not surprisingly, Eovaldi threw that pitch just nine more times after that.
Jacob and Jakob finished things off, with Latz providing two shutout innings and Junis allowing two baserunners to start the ninth, scaring everyone, before finishing things off and getting the save.
The offense wasn’t good, generating just six hits and no walks, with two GIDPs to boot. George Kirby had the Rangers’ number once again.
But they strung hits together when they needed to, all at the start of the fifth inning.
Joc Pederson started things off with an infield single, advancing to second on a bad throw to first, and scored on Evan Carter’s single.
Then Kyle Higashioka, who led off the third with a blast down the left field line that looked like it would be a homer, but which drifted maybe a foot foul, crushed a Kirby pitch into the left field seats for a home run. And just like that, it was a 3-2 Rangers lead.
Kirby retired the next 12 Rangers hitters in order, but it ultimately didn’t matter, as the three runs the Rangers put up ended up being enough.
Nathan Eovaldi topped out at 95.3 mph with his fastball, averaging 94.4 mph. Jacob Latz’s fastball maxed out at 94.4 mph. Jakob Junis hit 93.8 mph with his fastball.
Kyle Higashioka’s homer was 107.1 mph. Brandon Nimmo had a 104.4 mph ground out. Wyatt Langford had a 102.6 mph ground out. Ezequiel Duran had a 102.2 mph ground out. Jake Burger had a 101.2 mph ground out. Evan Carter had a 100.5 mph single.
Now to finish off a sweep on a Wednesday afternoon and head into the off day with us all being happy.
By the time the carnage ended, the Islanders sat in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, three points outside both third place in the Metropolitan Division and the final Eastern Conference Wild Card spot.
Moneypuck.com moved the Islanders' playoff odds down to just 19.4%.
That almost feels too generous.
The Islanders' tragic number is down to six.
The tragic number is a countdown to when the Islanders are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
Every regulation loss moves the number down by two. From here on in, every time Ottawa and Philadelphia win, it also moves the number down by two.
The number sitting at six signifies just how close the Islanders are to elimination.
If the Flyers and Senators win three of the last four, the Islanders are out. That's also assuming New York wins out.
One loss and all they'd have to do is go 2-2-0, and they'd clinch over New York.
Yes, the Islanders do play the Senators on Saturday afternoon.
But, Ottawa's other opponents to close the year are the Florida Panthers, the Devils, and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Not exactly a killer's row. That's three mathematically eliminated teams and the Islanders.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, heads on the road to take on the Red Wings Thursday night, then heads to Winnipeg to face the Jets. They close with a back-to-back at home against the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens.
They're much likelier to stumble down the final stretch. Of course, the Blue Jackets also passed the Islanders last night, so it's worth observing their final stretch, too.
Columbus visits Buffalo on Thursday, then Montreal on Saturday. They close with two home games against the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals.
Again, like Philly, there's a chance they'll stumble.
Even with the potential for some stumbling ahead of them, the Islanders themselves will be playing with the pressure equivalent to that of walking on a tightrope from the Empire State Building to the Chrysler Building with no safety net.
One trip, one misplaced step, and they'll come crashing down with no chance of making it.
Essentially, the Islanders must go 4-0-0, and hope two of Philly, Columbus, and Ottawa all succumb to the pressure.
The odds are no longer in the Islanders' favor after the entirety of March saw them control their destiny.
New head coach Peter DeBoer has hands full immediately.
Steph Curry’s sneaker free agency tour added another intriguing chapter Tuesday night.
The Warriors star laced up an unreleased “Mastery” ANTA KAI 3 — Kyrie Irving’s signature shoe — during Golden State’s 110-105 win over the Kings at Chase Center, drawing immediate attention across the sneaker world.
Curry, who parted ways with Under Armour after a 12-year partnership in November, has spent the past several months rotating through brands as an on-court free agent. From Nike to Adidas to Jordan, the two-time MVP has used his platform to spotlight a wide range of sneakers — but ANTA continues to stand out.
He previously has worn multiple ANTA pairs in recent months, including customized designs and All-Star Weekend appearances, making Tuesday’s in-game debut another notable data point in his ongoing rotation.
Stephen Curry was spotted wearing the ANTA Sneakerverse SV Eclosion Type 2 with the Curry Brand logo on the heel 👀🤔✍️
While Curry hasn’t indicated any timeline for a decision, ANTA’s continued presence suggests the brand is firmly in the conversation as his next long-term partner.
For now, the sneaker free agency continues.
But with each appearance, the direction feels increasingly worth watching.
The Mud Hens welcomed back their home crowd with a well pitched game and just enough offense to everyone home quickly and out of the cold with a victory on Tuesday afternoon.
Lael Lockhart Jr. got the start and the lefty set down the Saints in order in the first with help from Max Clark on a sinking drive that he had to go to the ground to snare as it fell in front of him.
The Hens quickly got to work in the bottom half. Wenceel Pérez lined out to center, but Clark kept his on-base streak intact with a sharp single to right field. He then stole second base. Trei Cruz struck out, but Eduardo Valencia walked to keep the inning alive, and Hao-Yu Lee, in his first game back with the Hens after a Lakeland rehab assignment, lined a single to left to make it 1-0 Hens.
Clark hasn’t really scorched many balls so far, but he has hit a pair over 110 mph, his hardest hit on record, and his at-bats have uniformly been great. When we start seeing hard contact to the pull side, Clark will be within striking distance of his first major league cup of coffee. It’s early, but he definitely looks like he’ll be forcing the issue by June at this rate.
Max Clark extends his on-base streak to 9 games and has hit safely in 7 straight games on a nice swing to right. pic.twitter.com/9m0rmOaiu6
That was all they’d need. Lockhart only struck out one, but he managed to retire the first 14 hitters he faced in order. The Hens’ defense was sharp, while the Saints batted ball luck was tough. With two outs in the fifth, Lockhart walked old friend Ryan Kreidler for the Saints first baserunner. He was quickly erased by a ground out, and the Saints wouldn’t have many more. Lockhart spun five innings of no-hit ball with just a walk and a strikeout allowed. As you’d imagine, the pace of play was brisk.
Of course the Hens offense wasn’t doing much either. Corey Julks doubled in the fourth but was stranded. Clark beat out an infield single in the fifth with two outs, but that went nowhere either.
Burch Smith tossed a perfect sixth with two strikeouts. Konnor Pilkington took over, and the lefty walked a pair but collected four more outs without a hit allowed.
In the bottom of the seventh, Ben Malgeri tripled to right field with one out after a lengthy battle and a failed dive by the Saints right fielder. He tried to score on a Pérez groundout, but was cut down at the plate. Clark flew out to end the inning.
Pilkington got the first out of the eighth, but then issued his two walks, and right-hander Ricky Vanasco took over. Vanasco and Smith have been the best of the Hens relief corps early on, and he cleaned up the mess, whiffing Alex Jackson and Aaron Sabato both on power curveballs to escape the jam.
Vanasco allowed a walk and a single in the top of the ninth. The first hit of the game for St. Paul was a blooper into shallow right field. Second baseman Gage Workman made a great effort to get out there but couldn’t make the basket catch. Two outs from a combined no-hitter. Vanasco scorned the Saints meager success, and punched out his fourth and fifth hitters on the outing to decisvely earn his first save on the year. The Saints managed just one hit, although the Hens had just six of their own.
The @MudHens were just 2 outs away from their first no-hitter in a decade …
Mistakes plagued the SeaWolves in an otherwise tight game on Tuesday as they dropped the first of their six-game road series against the BaySox.
It was a bullpen day for Erie, and Tanner Kohlhepp and John Stankiewicz got them through four innings without issue. They wasted an opportunity when Seth Stephenson was hit by a pitch to start a game, and he went on to steal second and third while his teammates popped up or struck out.
John Peck finally got things going with a one-out double in the fourth. An Andrew Jenkins single made it a 1-0 game.
Yosber Sanchez took over in the fifth. He issued a leadoff walk and then an Andrew Jenkins throwing error on a grounder made it first and second no outs. Another walk from Sanchez loaded the bases, and an RBI single and then a wild pitch followed before he got out of the inning with the BaySox up 2-1.
Stephenson led off the sixth with a walk, and Brett Callahan singled, but Peck, Izaac Pacheco, and Jenkins all struck out against tough lefty Micah Ashman, who you’ll recall was traded for Charlie Morton last summer.
Sanchez walked the first batter he faced in the sixth and gave way to right-hander Moises Rodriguez, who walked his first batter. The hard throwing sinkerballer avoided the big hit, but a pair of deep sacrifice flies made it a 4-1 game.
Chris Meyers led off the seventh with a double, but again they went in order from there.
Wandisson Charles pitched the eighth, giving up a walk but otherwise having no trouble.
In the top of the ninth, Pacheco led off with a single, and Meyers walked with one out. Justice Bigbie struck out, and a sharp single to left from Peyton Graham didn’t allow Pacheco to score. Bennett Lee struck out to end it.
Peck: 1-4, R, 2B, 2 K
Jenkins: 1-4, RBI, 3K
Kohlhepp: 2.0 IP, 0 R, BB, K
Sanchez (L, 0-1, BS): 1.0 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, H, 3 BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:05 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.
Great Lakes Loons 7, West Michigan Whitecaps 3 (box)
Lefty Gabriel Reyes made his High-A debut and was quite wild, walking five hitters in just 2 2/3 innings. Those walks and some sloppy play put the Whitecaps in a hole early and then never fought back.
Reyes walked Mike Sirota to open the game. Sirota stole second and scored on a Charles Davalan single for a quick 1-0 lead. Reyes issued another walk in the inning but got out of further trouble. The Whitecaps loaded the bases with one out as a result of three straight walks, but Ricardo Hurtado grounded into a double play to waste the opportunity.
Reyes just could not get it together. He walked two more in the second and escaped, then walked the leadoff hitter in the third, and did not escape. A Cristian Santana error at second allowed the next hitter to reach, and then Reyes plunked Nico Perez. A sacrifice fly made it 2-0. Perez stole second and Hurtado threw it away as the runner on third scored. Perez showed Hurtado zero respect, stealing third as well, but it was unnecessary as Victor Rodrigues mashed a two-run shot for a 5-0 lead. Duque Hebbert took over and cleaned up the mess.
Meanwhile, the Whitecaps bats were stone cold. Logan Berrier relieved Hebbert in the fifth and promptly surrendered a run on a Rodrigues RBI single. 6-0. Loons.
In the bottom half, Stephen Hrustich led off with a walk. With one out, Samuel Gil singled Hrustich to third, and he scored on a wild pitch to get the Whitecaps on the board. 6-1.
Berrier was fine in the sixth, and in the seventh, Carlos Lequerica took over and punched out the side. However, in the eighth, a leadoff double and a pair of ground outs made it a 7-1 game, and that was about all there was.
Inohan Paniagua made his Whitecaps debut in the top of the ninth, striking out two. Roberto Campos singled to lead off the bottom of the ninth and Garrett Pennington walked. The Loons went back to their pen and a Hurtado ground out advanced the baserunners. A wild pitch from Joseilyn Gonzalez scored Campos. A Samuel Gil single made it 7-3, but Santana flew out to end it.
Gil: 2-4, RBI, K
Campos: 1-3, R, BB
Reyes (L, 0-1): 2.2 IP, 5 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 5 BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 12:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday at LMCU Park.
The Flying Tigers built a lead, lost it, got ahead again, and then just held off the Tortugas to maintain a perfect 4-0 record in their home 2026 debut.
LHP Bailey Horn made a short rehab outing to start this one off. He got the first two outs before giving up a single. Pedro Garcia took over and started with a balk and a wide pitch before a grounder tied up Carson Rucker and scored the run. Garcia shut things down from there but it was 1-0 Daytona.
The Flying Tigers struck out in order against Sheng-En Lin in the first, while Tyler Owens came on for a rehab inning in the second, which he handled without much issue.
In the bottom of the second, Lin walked four hitters, handing the Flying Tigers a 2-1 lead.
At that point, LHP Grayson Grinsell, the Tigers’ 2025 sixth rounder out of Oregon, entered the game to make his debut. He spun a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. Jack Goodman stayed hot for Lakeland with a ground rule double down the right field line, but that went nowhere.
Grinsell dug a little hole to open the fourth, but Mason Neville lined into a double play and Grinsell whiffed Drew Davies to escape unscathed.
Zach MacDonald has been a minor revelation early on for the Flygers, and he opened the fourth with a double to right. Sergio Tapia moved him to third with a groundout, and a wild pitch from the Tortugas’ Dominic Scheffler Nolan McCarthy brought the run in while walked Nolan McCarthy. 3-1 Lakeland.
Grinsell struck out the side in the fifth, showing off good sliders and changeups to go with a solid 92 mph fourseamer. However, he got into trouble in the sixth, giving up up two runs as Grinsell and Tapia struggled to control the Tortugas running game. The score was knotted 3-3, but the Flying Tigers came right back.
Beau Ankeney led off the bottom of the sixth with a single. MacDonald struck out and Tapia grounded out, but McCarthy singled and Jose Pinto walked to load the bases with two outs. Bryce Rainer popped up to the shortstop Rafhimil Torres, but he lost the towering ball and dropped it as all three runners scored for a 6-3 lead. Rainer stole second and then third, but Rucker struck out to end the inning.
The wind has been a factor in Lakeland tonight. This pop up by Bryce Rainer barely out of the infield caused three runs pic.twitter.com/Lh68ByQF3Q
Eliseo Mota then conspired to return the favor with a mess of an inning that saw the Tortugas score two until Jorger Petri took over to clean things up. 6-5 Lakeland. Petri was nails, and collected the next six outs with just a walk in the ninth allowed to collect the save.
Goodman: 1-3, R, 2B, BB, K
MacDonald: 1-3, R, RBI, BB, K
McCarthy, 1-2, R, RBI, 2 BB
Grinsell (W, 1-0): 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 6 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:00 p.m. ET start in Lakeland on Wednesday.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 07: Ronny Mauricio #0 of the New York Mets celebrates his tenth inning pinch hit game winning single against the Arizona Diamondbacks with his teammates at Citi Field on April 07, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets beat the Diamondbacks 4-3 in a ten-inning, back-and-forth game. The Mets went up by two runs early by way of a Brett Baty sacrifice fly in the first inning and a Francisco Lindor RBI double in the second. The Diamondbacks came back in the fifth, as Huascar Brazobán allowed all three of the runners he inherited from Freddy Peralta to score. But the Mets came back to tie it in the eighth after Jared Young hit a pinch-hit sacrifice fly, and they won when Ronny Mauricio hit an RBI single in the tenth inning, his first at-bat since returning to the major leagues.
Ronny Mauricio likely won’t see significant time with his time on the major league roster, with his appearances probably coming as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement.
Juan Soto won’t be doing baseball activities until his calf soreness subsides.
Tom Nieto, a member of the Mets’ coaching staff from 2005 to 2008, passed away.
MLB ranked the top 10 talent-packed minor league rosters, and the Rumble Ponies made the cut.
Around the National League East
The Nationals lost a ten-inning contest against the Cardinals 7-6, in spite of a solid 4.2 inning start from Cade Cavalli in which he gave up just one earned run (though he walked four batters).
It was a big day for extra inning games in the National League East, as the Marlins lost a ten-inning game 6-3 to the Reds, wasting a fantastic 8.1 innings from Sandy Alcantara, who gave up just two runs while striking out six.
The Phillies needed just the regular nine innings to lose to the Giants 6-0, with Cristopher Sánchez giving up four runs on eleven hits in five innings.
The Braves were the only other team in the division to secure a win, beating the Angels 7-2 thanks to a wide spread of offensive contributions, with Eli White leading the team with two RBI.
Around Major League Baseball
Young Cubs star starter Cade Horton needs season-ending surgery on his throwing elbow.
After a young Dominican aspiring baseball player died from too many performance-enhancing drugs, there are renewed interest in an international draft to replace the current international free agency signings.
Mike Petriello is here to ease worries about two stats this early on—as well as substantiating worries in another.
The Orioles traded prospect Brayden Smith to the Cardinals in exchange for lefty reliever Nick Raquet.
Blue Jays pitcher Cody Ponce needs ACL surgery, likely ending his 2026 season before it ever really started.
Astros ace Hunter Brown has a grade 2 shoulder strain, and won’t be throwing for a few weeks at least.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
Steve Sypa delivered this season’s first Mets Minor Leaguers of the week.
This Date in Mets History
On Opening Day in 1969, the Mets inaugurated the Montreal Expos franchise—and gave them their first win in the process.
This past Saturday, Giancarlo Stanton stole the show not for his stupendous power but for his baserunning. The slugger whose speed can charitably be described as “plodding” nonetheless swiped second base in the seventh inning when the Marlins neglected to hold him on first. His first steal since the 2024 ALDS and just his second overall since 2020 was followed by a brisk jog to third on an out, then one last race to the plate on a wild pitch, giving the Yankees a big insurance run.
An inning later, Stanton provided the go-ahead two-run single in a 9-7 win.
This isn’t an isolated incident with Stanton. Evidently, he’s feeling great—the series against the Mariners saw him run all over the place, with rather mixed results. Still, there’s plenty of reason to feel giddy about Stanton’s improved running. For one, it’s a sign he’s healthy enough to take off the limiters and try to make an impact beyond the pop in his bat. For another, if the player who has the most incentive of anybody in the dugout to take it easy and not run too hard is running hard anyway, it’ll have a positive downstream effect on the rest of the team.
In the arduous grind of an MLB season, example is the best form of leadership. Mantras and motivational speeches can ring hollow if they don’t lead to results, particularly over 162 games. The Yankees under Aaron Boone don’t depend on the rah-rah kind of leadership beyond the occasional bombastic ejection. Similarly, team captain Aaron Judge and his deputy, Stanton, are not going to be caught on camera yelling at their teammates to motivate them. They do it by, as ballplayers say, “going about their business.”
Teammates are effusive of Stanton’s willingness to be a resource on hitting, but until last week I’m not sure anyone would have expected him to show his leadership on the basepaths. The Marlins certainly didn’t, giving him an easy opportunity to steal second base and help bring in a big insurance run. Opposing clubhouses will certainly be paying more attention to Stanton now, but so will his own clubhouse. It’s a lot harder to justify not giving your all on a baserunning play if Big G’s busting his hump on the paths.
This is part and parcel of a broader evolution the Yankees have attempted over the past few seasons. The prevailing criticism of the team in recent years has been that they’re not maneuverable enough, so to speak—that they’re so reliant on the home run ball that they lose their potency if the ball isn’t leaving the yard. I find that criticism a touch disingenuous, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with making your team more athletic and better positioned to take advantage of opponents’ mistakes. And at the very least, the Yanks needed to make fewer mental errors of their own—particularly on the bases and in the field.
It’s early yet, but the numbers back up a more aggressive approach working for the Yankees. Last season, they were tied with the Mariners for the lowest rate of extra bases taken in the league at 37 percent. So far this year, they’ve take the extra base more than anybody else, at 59 percent.
To be clear, this isn’t really a sustainable figure—the Tigers’ led the league in XBT% each of the last two seasons, managing a 53 percent last season after doing so 49 percent of the time last year. But if the Yankees can approach the latter figure and sit in the top ten leaguewide while mitigating outs on the bases, that’s a massive improvement from their station-to-station incarnations in previous campaigns. It should appreciably improve their ability to bring home runners when the ball isn’t carrying. And as a team that always works oodles of walks, they should have plenty of baserunners to bring home.
Last year, the Yankees made waves with their torpedo bats. Fans and media alike wondered if the Yankees had cracked some kind of offensive code. In reality, the team was just off to a hot start—it remains to be seen whether the shape of their bats had any real impact on that. But if the Yankees’ newfound ability to consistently take the extra base sticks, that would be no mirage. It would be another sign that the Bronx Bombers are becoming an even tougher puzzle for opposing teams to solve.
George Springer has a good track record in the batter's box against Shohei Ohtani. I’m expecting the Toronto Blue Jays’ lead-off hitter to continue that trend and help generate offense against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Find out why with my Blue Jays vs Dodgers predictions and free MLB picks for Wednesday, April 8.
Dodgers vs Blue Jays predictions
Dodgers vs Blue Jays best bet: George Springer Over 1.5 total bases (+130)
He also has two home runs against Ohtani in that stretch, averaging 2.16 total bases per game.
This shouldn’t come as a major surprise considering Springer's success against the four-seamer, Ohtani’s most-utilized pitch, where he had a .746. xSLG rate last season, with 37 of his XBH coming off the fastball.
COVERS INTEL: Springer has registered 2+ total bases in 7 of 14 games against the Dodgers, with a .954 OPS when facing off with this pitching staff.
Dodgers vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)
Ernie Clement is riding a three-game hitting streak and has recorded at least one hit in eight of the 10 games he’s played. I expect that trend to continue tonight against Ohtani, against whom he's gone 2-for-4.
Teoscar Hernandez has struck out in eight straight outings and struggles mightily against the slider, with a 43% whiff rate and a 35% strikeout rate in 2025. The former Blue Jays slugger has a lowly .200 batting average with nine K’s in just 21 at-bats against Dylan Cease through his career.
Dodgers vs Blue Jays SGP
George Springer Over 1.5 total bases
Ernie Clement Over 0.5 hits
Teoscar Hernandez Over 1.5 batter strikeouts
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Get the best Jays ML odds at BET99 — every game.
Dodgers vs Blue Jays home run pick: George Springer (+350)
This is a half-unit bet.
We’ve seen Springer have his way with Ohtani in the past, sporting a .506 career average with an OPS north of 1.400 with two homers and an .882 slug rate.
Additionally, the pitching matchup favors Springer, who crushes four-seamers, which is Ohtani’s most-used pitch.
So, assuming the Dodgers star will zip in a bunch of fastballs to Springer, he can get a hold of one and take it deep over the wall. Springer was also an elite barrel rate hitter in 2025, ranking in the 94th percentile, and enhancing his ability to tap into his home run power.
2026 Transparency record
Best bets: 2-8, -3.65 units
SGPs: 1-9, -5.5 units
HR picks: 2-8, -0.8 units
Dodgers vs Blue Jays odds
Moneyline: Dodgers -170 | Blue Jays +145
Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (-105) | Blue Jays +1.5 (-115)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-115) | Under 7.5 (-105)
Dodgers vs Blue Jays trend
The Toronto Blue Jays have covered the 1st Five Innings (F5) Run Line in 14 of their last 21 games at home (+6.00 Units / 24% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Blue Jays.
How to watch Dodgers vs Blue Jays and game info
Location
Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
Date
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
First pitch
3:07 p.m. ET
TV
SportsNet LA, Sportsnet
Dodgers starting pitcher
Shohei Ohtani (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Dylan Cease (0-0, 2.79 ERA)
Dodgers vs Blue Jays latest injuries
Dodgers vs Blue Jays weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The final week of the 2025-26 NBA regular season is upon us, and the race to solidify playoff seeding is in full swing. Teams across both conferences are battling for position, with first-round matchups and play-in tournament spots still very much up for grabs.
In the Western Conference, the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, sit at the top and could take the No. 1 seed for the third consecutive season, with the San Antonio Spurs close behind at No. 2. With just three games remaining, the play-in picture is far from settled, and every win or loss carries serious weight.
In the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons clinched the No. 1 seed with the Boston Celtics at currently at No. 2. Remaining game could still shift conference seedings.
With the regular season winding down, the playoff picture is still taking shape. Here is how things currently stand and who would be in the play-in tournament if the season ended today.
The NBA Play-In Tournament tips off Tuesday, April 14, and runs through Friday, April 17, with all six games streaming exclusively on Prime Video.
The No. 7 through No. 10 seeds in each conference battle for the final two playoff spots per conference, while the top six seeds lock automatic berths.
The NBA Playoffs start on Saturday, April 18, as 16 teams, eight per conference, compete through a best-of-seven bracket to crown a champion.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals is set for Wednesday, June 3, on ABC.
NBA Play-In Tournament bracket
The NBA play-in tournament standings after games played on Tuesday, April 7:
Western Conference
(7) Phoenix Suns vs. (8) LA Clippers
(9) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (10) Golden State Warriors
The feelings of letdown inside the Detroit Red Wings' dressing room following their 4-3 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets were palpable.
Defenseman Justin Faulk, who scored twice, was very soft-spoken. Team captain Dylan Larkin, who scored in the first period and is also playing injured, was despondent.
The Red Wings were 16.1 seconds away from a badly-needed regulation victory, and instead, it was a pair of former Michigan Wolverines who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
Adam Fantilli scored the game-tying goal late in regulation, followed by the shootout winner from Zach Werenski, giving the Red Wings their seventh setback in their last nine games, during which they've collected five of a possible 18 points.
"Tough to let that one get away from us there at the end of the third and for them to get back in it," an obviously upset Faulk said afterward. "Obviously, a chance in overtime and (the) shootout is a coin flip. Tough to not seal that one up."
Faulk continued:
“It’s tough," he said. "Like I said, it’s a tough time of year. It’s important to close out games, extend games. It’s not a good feeling right now to let that happen.”
Faulk scored a beauty of a goal in the second period, cutting through multiple Blue Jackets and beating goaltender Jet Greaves on the glove side. It gave the Red Wings a 2-1 lead, only to have Columbus respond courtesy of Werenski on the power-play following a penalty to David Perron.
He also scored off a one-timer later in the third period for what appeared to be the game-winning goal until the Blue Jackets spoiled the party late in regulation. The Red Wings iced the puck multiple times late in the frame with Greaves on the bench, leading to the game-tying goal.
Larkin, who has endured both the seasons when Detroit fell well short of a playoff spot and the more recent years when they narrowly missed, hopes this loss didn’t signal the death blow for their centennial campaign.
“That’s a disappointing finish to that game. We’re going to have to find something," he said. "I hope that’s not the one, and I hope the Minnesota one isn’t the one that’s the final nail in the coffin. I hope we get some help and we have something to play for to get in.”
With a victory by the Ottawa Senators over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, they moved three points ahead of the Red Wings for the final Wild Card postseason spot.
The Red Wings have four games remaining, beginning Thursday against the visiting Philadelphia Flyers.
Until then, it's not a good feeling that the players have right now.
“Not much right now, not much," Larkin said when asked about positives from the game. "That’s a letdown and in tough fashion again. Played a good 57 minutes, I don’t know. Good overtime. Not much to say right now.”
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Buffalo Sabres team captain Rasmus Dahlin has endured a year of personal challenges related to his fiancée Carolina, but has maintained a high level of excellence as one of the best defenseman in the NHL and as a leader of the first Sabres club to qualify for the postseason in 15 years. On Wednesday, the 25-year-old blueliner was announced as the Sabres nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
Each NHL club’s chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association nominates a player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey". That group is narrowed down to three finalists, with the winner being announced during the postseason.
Rasmus Dahlin - Masterton nominee and Norris contender?
Dahlin has 70 points (18 goals, 52 assists) in 74 games, currently sixth in the NHL in defensive scoring, and was a stalwart on the blueline for Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina. He is on pace to set career-highs in points and goals, in spite of missing a few games traveling back to Sweden to see after Carolina, who is fully recovered from a heart transplant last summer.
The Professional Hockey Writers Association has announced its 32 nominees for the Bill Masterton Trophy, which will go to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
Chicago’s chapter of the PHWA has selected goalie Spencer Knight as the nominee for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Knight was the 13th overall pick by the Florida Panthers in the 2019 NHL Draft. After spending some time with the Boston College Eagles following a wonderful tenure with the United States National Team Development Program, he made his NHL debut with Florida in March of 2021.
It was a strange decision for Florida to draft a goalie so high right before signing a future Hall of Fame goalie in Sergei Bobrovsky to a lucrative seven-year deal, but it worked out for them as they've won two Stanley Cups since.
For a while, Knight had to work his way up. There were other goalies ahead of him on the depth chart besides Bobrovsky, so his playing time was limited outside of his first stint with Florida, where he appeared (and played great) in the postseason.
There were some struggles for Knight on and off the ice along the way. For one, a decline in his play early on earned him a trip back to the AHL for a while.
In February of 2023, Knight entered the NHL Player Assistance Program to receive care. Since then, he has come back in a big way.
On March 1st, 2025, Florida traded Knight to the Chicago Blackhawks, where he would be given a chance to start. Chicago quickly handed him the keys as the number one goaltender, and he has been incredible.
Knight has kept the Blackhawks in a lot of games that they had no business competing in this year. His record of 18-23-11 reflects playing on a losing team, but he does have a 2.72 goals against average and .907 save percentage.
His ability to make high-danger saves and play the puck up to his defensemen makes him a valuable goaltender to have. His story of how he reached this point is inspiring.
Team USA ultimately stuck with their same trio of goalies for the Olympics from the 4-Nations Face-Off, but Knight's name was in the mix. By 2030 in France, he will have a great chance to be their guy if he keeps on the same trajectory.
For now, he should be proud of this nomination. He has clearly been dedicated to becoming an NHL goalie. Through all struggles on and off the ice, he persevered and is now one of the best in the game. This Masterton nomination proves it.
Pit Martin (1970) and Bryan Berard (2004) are the only two Blackhawks to ever claim the Masterton Trophy.
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TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 7: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches in the first inning of their MLB against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on April 7, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The reigning World Series MVP took the mound in Toronto on Tuesday for the first time since that fateful Game 7 of the 2025 World Series.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto bounced back after being dealt a loss in his start against the Cleveland Guardians by tossing six innings of one-run ball while striking out six against the Blue Jays, giving Jays fans flashbacks of Yamamoto’s brilliance in last year’s Fall Classic. Yamamoto now joins Shohei Ohtani as the only two Dodgers this season to have tossed at least six innings with no more than one run allowed in a start this season, with the former now having tossed three quality starts to open the season.
Although the Blue Jays began to tee off Yamamoto after the fifth inning, he was able to pitch into the seventh inning with his pitch count just shy of century mark, and Dave Roberts credited Yamamoto with the ability to do whatever it takes to win ballgames, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.
“This guy’s a winner, and he’s shown that he’ll do whatever it takes to win,” manager Dave Roberts said before Tuesday night’s 4-1 win over the Blue Jays. “That’s part of his DNA.”
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Will Smith may have his starting catcher job in jeopardy, as Dalton Rushing has been on a tear at the plate over his last two games. Rushing has now reached base safely over his last six plate appearances, and he has crushed three home runs— including his first multi-home run game— since Sunday’s win over the Nationals.
Of course, as long as Will Smith is still a Dodger and playing like an All-Star, then he will continue to be the team’s go-to guy behind the plate despite Rushing’s recent success, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
“I plan on playing him this year. I plan on giving Will (Smith) ample rest,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “But make no mistake who our starting catcher is.”
After a slow start on this road trip and after being the only starter on Monday without a hit against Toronto, Alex Freeland had an impressive game on Tuesday by going 3-3 with a double, a sacrifice bunt, an RBI and two runs scored in the Dodgers’ 4-1 win over the Blue Jays. Freeland spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA post-game about his first career three hit game.
“It felt amazing. I’m just trying to be consistent and just keep putting together good at-bats, and hopefully they fell. They fell tonight and it feels good.”
The trophy is awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to the game. It is voted on by members of each chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA). One player is appointed as a nominee for each of the 32 teams.
It is the first time in his 15-season career that he has been selected for the award. With the San Jose Sharks, he was the nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy as a "National Hockey League player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community."
Upon hearing the news of his nomination, the 35-year-old could not help but smile while sitting at his stall with The Hockey News, going as far as saying, “You got me all giddy, happy, and smiling.”
“I am honored,” he shared. “I am excited just to be recognized like that. I take a lot of pride in trying to represent those qualities every day.”
Dillon has appeared in all 78 games for the Devils this season, averaging 17:52 of ice time. He is credited with a team-leading 190 hits and five fighting majors. On the ice, he continues to play to his identity as a physical stay-at-home defenseman.
It is hard to believe that all of that was in question in late April of 2025.
It was then that Dillon found himself in a hospital in North Carolina after a collision with Carolina Hurricanes forward William Carrier in Game 1 of Round 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He recalled walking in and the doctor looking at him quizzically.
“He was like, What are you doing carrying a water bottle, let alone getting in and out of a car? That kind of scared me,” Dillon recalled.
The collision with Carrier led to Dillon getting artificial disc replacement surgery. Not knowing anything about neck or back injuries, Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel became a resource for the Devils’ defenseman, having undergone the same surgery, and gave him the confidence that he would be okay.
Of course, doubt still crept in.
“I am a different player than Jack Eichel,” Dillon said. “We have to play differently on the ice. For me, I only know how to play the game one way. I kind of told myself that if I am not able to play freely, how I would like to, there is not really going to be a future for me.”
With the support of his surgeons, the Devils’ medical staff, his teammates, and family, he persevered.
“There are a lot of incredible things about being in the NHL and being a professional athlete, but there are a lot of tough things, too,” Dillon said. “Your body is put on the line every single night. Some of them require surgeries or things to get fixed. You know, that not only affects you in the short term, but also 20 or 30 years down the line.”
“The mental side of things is a huge part, too,” he continued. “Even coming back this year, my first preseason game was a big mental test. Kind of, anxious and scared going into that. Then my first hit, and then my first fight. All these things are kind of being checked off the list. Here we are at game 78, and I feel like myself. I feel like I have been able to play the same way that I like to play.”
On Dec. 1, Dillon played in his 1,000th NHL game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was a milestone that meant more than anyone could imagine, especially for an undrafted player.
“Having that game, that situation, and looking back on the previous three, four months, it was pretty emotional for me,” he said. “Just from where I have come from, my path to get to the NHL and then to have even more adversity, like that injury.
“Adversity has kind of been the name of the game for me,” he continued. “Having to prove people wrong, having to show and prove to everyone that I am okay. Proving to the doctors that I could play, and proving to the medical staff that I can do this. I am extremely grateful.”
Award voters from all 32 PHWA chapters will select three finalists for the Masterton. The winner will be revealed at a later date.
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COVERS INTEL: Springer has registered 2+ total bases in 7 of 14 games against the Dodgers, with a .954 OPS when facing off with this pitching staff.
