KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - APRIL 01: Jonathan India #6 of the Kansas City Royals rounds the bases after hitting a grand slam home run during the 6th inning of the game against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium on April 01, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Fans have been wondering where Royals color commentator Rex Hudler is, he will be back, but maybe not as much as you would’ve hoped.
For the most part, the reviews for Major League Baseball’s production of Royals games have been positive. It’s a small sample size (three games), but the picture seems clearer, the graphics are sharper and even the commercials are a vast improvement. The Royals also made changes to their broadcast team. Bridget Howard is a new sideline reporter, and Eric Hosmer is one of the analysts who will be working with play-by-play broadcaster Ryan Lefebvre. Although the Royals never announced it, Hosmer, Jeremy Guthrie and Rex Hudler will each work roughly one-third of the broadcasts this season, with Jeff Montgomery filling that role at some points, too.
In case you missed it, Carlos Estevez is officially on the IL, Steven Cruz has been called up to fill his spot.
If you went to bed after the Royals got up 12-1 last night, the game got interesting, but Anne Rogers talked about how the bottom of the Royals order dominated.
Manager Matt Quatraro likes to say he’ll take the production wherever it comes in the lineup, and he’s not wrong about that. But Wednesday’s offense was fueled not by the star hitters, but by the bottom of the lineup — and the Royals will definitely take that.
The Nos. 6-9 hitters went 10-for-16 and drove in eight runs, including Jonathan India’s grand slam in the sixth inning and Kyle Isbel’s solo shot in the seventh.
But it’s what happened early that stood out. Jac Caglianone, hitting seventh, got it started in the second inning by hitting a two-out double. No. 8 hitter Isaac Collins followed with an RBI double, and Isbel, the No. 9 hitter, kept it going with an RBI single. Isbel then stole second, allowing him to score on Maikel Garcia’s single as the lineup turned over.
Kevin O’Brien of Royals Keep wrote about early takeaways of the Royals offense.
Michael Massey played in Omaha yesterday and had a solid day.
Michael Massey went 2-for-4 with a HR today in a rehab game with Triple-A Omaha. Sounds like he'll get tomorrow off, play another game or two and then be evaluated for a return. #Royals want to make sure he can be 100% running-wise on the bases, in the field, etc.
Today and tomorrow could be called the true start of the minor leagues. Yes, yes, I know the Memphis Redbirds’ season has already been underway for a week. But later today, the Palm Beach Cardinals have their first game of the season and tomorrow sees the first game for both Peoria and Springfield. I am not sure why Palm Beach is a day early. From Friday onwards, for most days of the year for the next five months and change, there will be an additional four games within the Cardinal organization to follow. If you want. It’s a lot.
So because of that (and because I didn’t really want to transcribe interviews right now!), I thought it would be a fun idea to have a sort of minor league preview. At its most basic intent, here are names worth following throughout the season, some of whom we may see in the major leagues later this season and a lot of whom we may never see in the majors period. I have tried to separate the players according to how much of a sicko you are, and don’t worry, we’re all sickos when it comes to baseball.
Memphis
Watch if they’re starting
There are four healthy pitchers who fit here and even within those four, they fit into two separate categories. The first category is MLB ready now, more or less. It would not be in the least bit surprising if they had entered the MLB rotation by the end of May, by whatever circumstances led them there.
Hunter Dobbins (4.13 ERA/3.87 FIP/4.11 xFIP)
Richard Fitts (3.97 ERA/5.02 FIP/4.66 xFIP)
Quinn Mathews (#4 VEB prospect)
Dobbins and Fitts already have experience in the majors leagues. Their MLB stats are in parentheses. Dobbins is technically on the MLB injured list and made his first rehab appearance on Tuesday (it went okay). Fitts has made 15 appearances in two separate seasons. He is making his second start today actually! So check that one out. And Mathews, who made 22 starts at the AAA level and is trying to conquer his control issues. He walked four in the first inning yesterday, so he’s not quite there yet.
If one of the categories has three pitchers who are clearly the plan to step in for a doubleheader or because of an injury, you can probably guess the other category is “maybe after the deadline.” Unless things perfectly line up. Brycen Mautz (#13 VEB prospect) is on the 40 man roster, which helps a lot, but he’s kind of fourth on the depth chart right now. If we have a surprise doubleheader and he’s the pitcher who lines up, he’ll probably get a start, but that’s about it for now.
Guys to pay attention to eventually are Ixan Henderson (#16 VEB prospect), on the 60 day injured list, Pete Hansen, mysteriously injured, Cooper Hjerpe (#15 VEB prospect) and Sem Robberse, both recovering from Tommy John. You’ll have ample warning on all of these guys who will throw rehab appearances at a lower level before they pitch in Memphis.
Stop what you’re doing to watch them bat
If you follow the minor leagues like I follow the minor leagues, you mostly ignore the game. That is until a player you’re really interested in steps up to the plate. Might as well not even have the game on if you miss these players. Truly.
OF Joshua Baez (VEB #6 prospect)
C Jimmy Crooks (VEB #8 prospect)
C Leonardo Bernal (VEB #7 prospect)
Yes, the Cardinals have two top ten catching prospects in Memphis right now. We will see Jimmy Crooks soon enough if he keeps playing the way he’s playing. Bernal just got to Memphis, so I’d expect a longer wait. Both of them are potentially starting caliber catchers and how they do offensively in Memphis is actually very relevant because defense won’t be the issue with either. Obviously, what they do in St. Louis is ultimately what matters but if they hit well enough in Memphis, we can probably expect them to hit in St. Louis too!
And Baez is certainly in potential star territory. But he’s only flashed that for one season. How he does in Memphis is directly relevant to the future of the Cardinals. He hasn’t come out guns blazing, but he also isn’t striking out a bunch again. He picked up his first walk and first extra base hit yesterday, and only has three strikeouts in his first 19 plate appearances.
Prospect sicko
Blaze Jordan
Colton Ledbetter
Nelson Velazquez
Tink Hence (VEB #10 prospect)
Velazquez isn’t a prospect, but he fits this category. He has yet to get a hit yet. Four games played, not a single hit yet. Seven strikeouts though. The outrage over him not making the team is not going to age well I suspect. Ledbetter, well, he went 0 for 5 with five strikeouts yesterday so he’s had better days. Jordan is off to a…. blazing hot start. These three made the list because they are probable role players if things work out but they have just enough potential to maybe be more. Hence is currently in the bullpen and he’s worth monitoring for sure, but he’s a little less interesting than when he had a guaranteed start.
Get Some Help
Luis Gastelum
Packy Naughton
Skyler Hales
If you’re watching Memphis Redbirds games to watch relief pitchers who are not on the 40 man roster, you’re in the wrong spot. Clearly you do not need a casual’s guide to the minor leagues. I like all three of these guys, I am not watching Memphis Redbird games to watch them pitch however. I will stick to looking at stats and watching them when they get promoted.
Springfield
Watch if they’re starting
Liam Doyle (VEB #2 prospect)
Jurrangelo Cjintje (VEB #5 prospect)
These are nationally relevant pitching prospects, so while I have more names to give you, it feels like they should be singled out. These are the kinds of pitching prospects that national folks will watch though, not just dedicated Cardinals fans. I like Dobbins, I like Fitts, I like Mathews, but if you just want to wait for them to make MLB starts, that makes sense. These two you want to go out of your way to watch.
Also special shot-out to #9 VEB prospect Brandon Clarke, who is out until June, and I’m putting him in the Springfield section, but he could very well be in the Peoria section. But he won’t be seen for a good while for now.
Chen-Wei Lin
Braden Davis
Mason Molina
Hancel Rincon
Rincon, Lin and Davis are top 20 prospects somewhere – Rincon is by Fangraphs, Davis is by The Cardinal Nation, and Lin is by both sites. Molina isn’t quite there, but he might be the most interesting arm the Cardinals received at the deadline, and for Phil Maton no less. At the very least, he’s interesting just to see if that deadline bears fruit. Also besides Rincon, all of these guys had an argument to starting in Peoria, so it’s a good sign that the Cardinals are putting them in Springfield.
Stop what you are doing to watch them bat
Deniel Ortiz (VEB #18 prospect)
Yeah that’s kind of it. Ortiz isn’t really that kind of prospect either, but with the way he hit the ball last year, he could be soon enough. If anyone is going to follow in the footsteps of the previous 13th rounders who shall not be named, it’s this guy. Who just destroyed baseballs and is getting a rather aggressive promotion to Springfield might I add!
Prospect Sickos
Zach Levenson
Chase Davis
Travis Honeyman
In other words, the Springfield outfield. Davis is a former 1st round pick, Honeyman has rarely been healthy, and Levenson neglected to hit for a year. Not appointment viewing, but one of these guys will probably make the majors leagues at least.
Get some help
Jeremy Rivas
Michael Watson
Austin Love
Rivas is an all-defense, no hit shortstop. He got to Springfield rather fast, but he’s been stuck there trying to gain some much needed power. Watson and Love are relievers who honestly could be in St. Louis later this year.
Peoria
Watch if they’re starting
Tanner Franklin (VEB #12 prospect)
Yhoiker Fajardo (VEB #19 prospect)
I’m not automatically listing top 20 prospects in this section, but you best believe I was going to list Fajardo considering he landed on my top 10. Fajardo is a teenager and will be a teenager all season and he’s already in High A. Franklin goes without saying. He has the stuff to start, he just hasn’t actually thrown more than a couple innings per appearance to prove it. Both players have one thing in common: they may be way higher on next year’s list if they have a great season. Both are the “see them before they were big prospects” hipster picks.
Stop what you’re doing to watch them bat
Rainiel Rodriguez (VEB #3 prospect)
I’m taking my description of this category quite literally. So apologies to Jesus Baez, who I believe in, but I’m not going to stop what I’m doing to watch him. So very into prospects Cubs fan will stop what they are doing to watch Raniel Rodriguez bat, that’s how big of a deal he is. Watching Rainiel Rodriguez bat is why you get MiLB, or in my case, happen to have T-Mobile (you guys want to throw me a few bucks for the free publicity?)
Prospect Sickos
Jesus Baez
Won-Bin Cho
Tai Peete
Blake Aita
Nate Dohm
For the record, Frank Ellisalt would be here, but he also appears to be injured. And good note in general: if there’s a name that I don’t mention and you’re confused as to why, they probably are injured, because I am using the official press release of the rosters through the minor league teams Twitter accounts. I think Baez is closer to stop what you’re doing than being a prospect sicko, but you guys did not rank him in the top 20, so clearly you don’t agree with me.
Peete and Cho, at least in theory, have actual upside. They could always find themselves on a stronger level, and being a few levels away from the majors and quite young, they do have time. I find Aita interesting because he was in the Willson Contreras trade and I find Nate Dohm interesting because he was in the Ryan Helsley trade. And so was Jesus Baez actually.
Get some help
Zack Showalter
Jack Findlay
Josh Kross
Yes, Showalter appears to be healthy right now. He is listed on the active Peoria Chiefs roster. He has landed on a top 20 VEB list before and he’s only 22. He threw 31 innings last season, so I imagine they’d be pretty happy if he could throw 50-60 innings. But it’ll probably be in the bullpen. Findlay was one of those draft picks selected when he was recovering from Tommy John surgery. Last year, he spent most of the year struggling, but finished extremely strong and dominated at this level to finish his season. I’ll be curious if they’ll transition him at starter at all. Kross was the catcher/DH prospect who exploded in Palm Beach with a bunch of homers, but he didn’t hit so much at Peoria.
Palm Beach
Watch if they’re starting
Cade Crossland
They seemed to have promoted a lot of the interesting pitchers, and both Andrew Dutkanych and Payton Graham are injured. Graham is expectedly injured, he was drafted injured as is becoming a bit of a tradition. Dutkanych not so much. That was an unfortunate development. Anyway, Crossland is probably the favorite of the recent draft to become Braden Davis or more optimistically Quinn Mathews, the college pitching prospect who has very little trouble missing bats. I also don’t know what happened to Brian Holiday, he’s not listed on the official Palm Beach website (their twitter account did not post a roster)
Stop what you’re doing to watch them bat
Yairo Padilla (VEB #17 prospect)
Ryan Mitchell (VEB #20 prospect)
While we were running the voting for the top 20 prospects as judged by the VEB readers, I made it a point many times to note that I wish I knew where Mitchell was being posted because it would impact where I put him. Well, he got put in full season ball immediately. No messing around with rookie ball. That is a fantastic sign. He’s definitely worth watching. Padilla is still, for the most part, all potential, but wouldn’t you want to be watching when he realizes that? When suddenly he has power. Again I won’t automatically put a top 20 guy here, but I will if I feel they may become one of the big prospects in the system before they reach the majors. These two absolutely qualify.
Prospect Sickos
Ty Van Dyke
Jack Gurevitch
Gurevitch was once upon a time ranked 15th by Fangraphs in their system. Then he played games and they dropped him down to 48 this past year. Which… I think is dumb, like things didn’t change that much. He might still become an actual prospect. Van Dyke got off to a great start, being one of the few pitchers to pitch after his draft year. He’ll get a chance to build off that.
Get some help
Jonathan Mejia
Jack Martinez
Jacob Odle
Martinez is noteworthy just because it’d be funny if the return for Nolan Arenado became something. So I’ll be following his progress for that reason alone. Odle’s 2025 was him returning from injury and he had a classic return from injury season, with a bunch of walks, but he also missed a lot of bats. He’s intriguing. Mejia didn’t have a very good 2025, but he doesn’t turn 21 for another 10 days, which sounds absurd for how long I’ve known of his existence.
TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 31: Ryan Feltner #18 of the Colorado Rockies pitches to the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on March 31, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Everyone in the Rockies 2026 Opening Day starting rotation has had a chance to take the mound at least once. Kyle Freeland has had a second start but for comparison sake, let’s look at everyone’s first time taking the ball this season.
Process
The Rockies message to their pitchers this offseason couldn’t have been clearer: Make it difficult for hitters to guess which pitch you are going to throw, and then throw it in the zone.
(Note: Zone% is simply the percentage of pitches in the strike zone regardless of batter swings. The league average for zone% fluctuates a little year to year but usually sits in the low 40’s.)
In terms of not relying on any one pitch, the Rockies do seem to be adhering to that rule. None of the starters used any pitch more than roughly a third of the time. The exact mix that they use will vary from start to start, and we won’t have a large enough sample size to know overall usage percentages for a while, but initial returns are promising.
In terms of filling up the zone, the only one who clearly didn’t meet the brief was Quintana. Historically, he’s been at or slightly above league average in Zone%, so I wouldn’t worry too much, but it is worth keeping an eye on as he gets more starts. Everyone else exceeded league average in terms of purely getting the ball in the strike zone.
The first thing that stands out? These are all pretty similar lines. There were a few more hits against Lorenzen, a few more walks against Quintana, fewer pitches from Feltner (because he got injured), but overall they saw pretty similar results.
No one got blown away.
No one blew away the competition.
Feltner looked like he was on his way to a notably good start before being hit on the hip by a comebacker, but we can’t know whether he would have been able to keep that up to stand out if he hadn’t been pulled. It’ll be exciting to see if he can pick up where he left off in his next start.
What has been a little low is the innings totals. No one surpassed 4.2 innings, but that isn’t surprising for the first time out after spring training. Considering the disruption of the normal spring routine that the WBC presented for many of these players, I don’t think the limited innings are a long-term worry. This is not a rotation that is ever going to throw seven innings very often but, once fully stretched out, five to six innings most nights (like Freeland on Wednesday) is a perfectly reasonable expectation.
Conclusions
As with everything else this early in the season, there’s not actually enough data yet to make any meaningful conclusions. What can be said is that, so far, this looks like what the front office was aiming for: a professional on the mound each night that can avoid letting the game get out of hand by mixing pitches and filling up the zone.
The next challenge for this crew will be the same one that has faced every Rockies pitching staff since 1993: Will their process be able to withstand the thin air in Denver?
Some encouraging news after Feltner had to get pulled from his first start of the season on Tuesday evening. As expected, it’s nowhere near as serious as the comebacker that fractured his skull in 2022 and Feltner is expected to make his next start.
Benjamin Hill and Josh Jackson highlight a minor league affiliate for each MLB team that has fun amenities or general experience. I go to more Hartford Yard Goats games than anything else these days so it does not shock me in the slightest that they were called out as the Rockies affiliate folks should check out. A day at Dunkin’ Park is always a good time.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 31: Willy Adames #2 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates after hitting a double during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on March 31, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
Every once in a while, a San Francisco Giants player gets to be both the hero San Francisco deserves, and the one they need right now. On Tuesday night, that hero was Willy Adames.
Not only did he crush a leadoff home run on the second pitch of Tuesday night’s game, but he kept that spirit going throughout the night, finishing the game with four hits, two runs, and two RBI, leading the Giants to their 9-3 win over the San Diego Padres.
After the painful lack of offense in the prior series, Tuesday’s victory was a much needed shot of adrenaline for the offense, and Adames deserves some appreciation for leading the way.
So enjoy his home run once more if you didn’t get a chance to see it! And share your own appreciation for Adames down in the comments!
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants head back home to welcome the New York Mets to Oracle Park tonight at 6:45 p.m. PT.
During the 2024 NHL off-season, the Chicago Blackhawks signed forward Tyler Bertuzzi to a four-year, $22 million contract. The move was easy to understand, as the Blackhawks needed a top-six winger to boost their forward group.
Bertuzzi's first season with the Blackhawks proved to be solid, as he had 23 goals and 46 points in 82 games. However, the 31-year-old winger has put together a fantastic season for the Blackhawks in 2025-26 and is making it clear that Chicago made the right call signing him in the process.
After scoring two goals in the Blackhawks' most recent contest against the Winnipeg Jets, Bertuzzi now has a career-high 31 goals in 72 games this season. He also has 55 points on the year, which is the second-most of his career. With this, the 10-year veteran has been shining for the Blackhawks this season and has been worth every penny.
While the Blackhawks still have more work to do to take that next step and be a playoff team, it is excellent that they have a high-impact veteran like Bertuzzi in their lineup. He has been exactly what the Blackhawks needed this season, and it will be fascinating to see how he finishes off the campaign from here.
J. Cole is trading the mic for the hardwood again. The Grammy-winning, multi-platinum rapper, born Jermaine Cole, has signed to play in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), ESPN reported.
Cole will suit up for the Nanjing Monkey Kings in Jiangsu, China, though the number of games he has committed to remains unclear. It is not his first foray into professional basketball.
In 2021, he played for the Rwanda Patriots in the Basketball Africa League, recording 5 points, 3 assists, and 5 rebounds across three games. He also suited up for the Canadian Elite Basketball League in 2022, averaging 2.4 points and 0.6 rebounds per game.
Off the court, Cole is riding the momentum of his latest album, “The Fall-Off,” released in February 2026. He is set to embark on a sweeping 73-show tour beginning July 11 in his home state of North Carolina.
Jack Wenninger made the first Triple-A start of his career, and things went very well, as he didn’t lalow any runs, struck out five, walked one, and gave up five hits in four-and-two-thirds innings. Joey Gerber was the only Syracuse pitcher to give up any runs in the win, as Anderson Severino, Jonathan Pintaro, and Austin Warren all made scoreless appearances.
At the plate, Christian Arroyo had the best day with a couple of hits and a pair of runs batted in. The majority of Syracuse’s hitters had at least one hit on the day, as well.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 03: Trevor Story #10 of the Boston Red Sox heads back to the dugout after he struck out swinging in the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park on June 03, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning! I have some positive news: The Red Sox will not lose today. That’s of course because they don’t play again until tomorrow’s home opener, but hey, they can’t get any worse after a reset … right?
In the meantime, we’ve gotten a good whiff of the stink emanating from this lineup over the first six games of the season, and I’m completely underwhelmed by how weak the right handed bats look. So this got me wondering, if you were to compile a list of the best right-handed hitters in baseball, how far down it would you need to go to find the find the first Red Sox right-handed bat? 50 guys? 75 guys? It’s really quite depressing if you dive into the exercise.
The first step we need to figure out to get there though is identify which right-handed bat is Boston’s best. Trevor Story has been handed the keys to the No. 2 slot, so it should be him if he’s there on merit, but Willson Contreras probably has the better case as the best right-handed stick right now. Either way, that’s an incredibly weak headliner for the category.
Talk about this and whatever else you’d like, and as always, be good to one another!
Carolina Hurricanes - 47-21-6 - 100 Points - 6-4-0 in the last 10 - Won 1- 1st in the Metro
Columbus Blue Jackets - 38-25-12 - 88 Points - 5-4-1 in the last 10 - Lost 1 - 4th in the Metro
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
The Blue Jackets closed out a three-game homestand with a 5-2 loss to the Hurricanes on Tuesday. Thursday's game at Carolina begins a stretch of three-of-four played away from Nationwide Arena through Apr. 11.
The Jackets are 9-3-1 in their last 13 road contests and rank second in the NHL in goals-against per game (2.15) and penalty kill pct. (87.9), fifth in shots against (24.8) and sixth in power play pct. (29.2) since Jan. 11.
CBJ have earned points in 25 of the last 31 contests overall (20-6-5, 45 pts) since Jan. 11. The club leads the NHL in goals-against per game (2.55) and ranks third in the NHL in points pct. (.726) and ninth-T in goals-for per game (3.39) since Jan. 11.
The Jackets also lead the NHL with a franchise-record 55 goals scored by defensemen in 2025-26 (55-133-188, 75 GP).
CBJ have collected points 10 of last 12 games against Metropolitan Division opponents since Jan. 4 (8-2-2).
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Adam Fantilli, who led the club in goals and points (tied) in March with 7-9-16 in 17 games after scoring on Tuesday, has set a single-season career high in assists and points with 21-34-55 in 75 contests.
Jet Greaves has earned points in 15 of his last 18 starts since Jan. 11 (12-3-3, 2.36 GAA, .913 SV% in 19 GP), ranking fifth among NHL goaltenders in GAA and eighth in SV% (min. 6 GP).
Kirill Marchenko notched 1-1-2 on Tuesday for his second-straight multi-point performance (1-3-4). He leads the club in goals and ranks second in points with 26-37-63 in 69 outings in 2025-26.
Mason Marchment has posted multiple points in back-to-back games (1-3-4) after collecting two assists on Tuesday. He ranks second on the team in goals since making his CBJ debut on Dec. 20, 2025 (14-13-27 in 33 GP).
Elvis Merzlikins has recorded points in 10 of his past 13 starts since Jan. 11 (8-3-2, 2.54 GAA in 14 GP).
Zach Werenski, with 21-57-78 in 68 games in 2025-26, sits two assists shy of tying the franchise's record for assists in a single season set by Artemi Panarin (79 GP in 2018-19) and matched by the defenseman in 2024-25 (81 GP).
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 19.9% - 18th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 76.4% - 26th in the NHL
Goals For - 233 - 14th in the NHL
Goals Against - 229 - 20th in the NHL
HurricanesStats
Power Play - 24.6% - 5th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 80.5% - 12th in the NHL
Goals For - 258 - 7th in the NHL
Goals Against - 215 - 7th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheHurricanes
Columbus is 30-32-0-5 all-time, and 13-17-0-3 on the road vs. Carolina.
Carolina's victory on Tuesday snapped a streak of eight-straight wins for the home team in the series. The home team has now won 12-of-15 meetings dating back to Feb. 25, 2022.
The Hurricanes have won the last seven meetings at Lenovo Center since a 6-0 CBJ victory on Jan. 13, 2022.
The winning team has scored four-plus goals in each of the past eight contests (including SO goals) and 16 of the past 18 since Oct. 23, 2021.
The winning team has won by three-plus goals in seven of the past nine meetings overall with Columbus earning two shootout victories in the other two.
Seven of the last eight played at Carolina have been decided by three or more goals.
The Blue Jackets have registered four shutouts and hat tricks in the all-time series.
The teams have combined to record less than 60 shots on goal in six of the past 10 meetings (60.0 avg.).
Who To Watch For TheHurricanes
Seth Jarvis leads the Canes with 30 goals.
Sebastian Aho leads the team with 50 assists and 75 points.
Goalie Brandon Bussi is 28-6-1 with a SV% of .897.
Frederik Andersen is 13-13-5 with a SV% of .871.
CBJ Player Notes vsHurricanes
Boone Jenner has 13 points in 26 career games against Carolina.
Zach Werenski has 17 points against the Hurricanes.
Mason Marchment has 10 points in 11 games vs. Carolina.
Injured Reserve & Other Injuries
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 37 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.
Damon Severson - Missed 3 Games - Upper Body - OUT FOR THE SEASON
Dmitri Voronkov - Missed 2 Games - Upper Body - Week-to-week
Mathieu Olivier - Missed 1 Game - Upper Body - OUT FOR THE SEASON
Isac Lundeström - Left early against Carolina on Tuesday
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 189
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
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On this day 43 years ago, Aurelio Rodríguez’s first stint with the White Sox began.
1900 The White Sox played their first-ever game, an exhibition win over the University of Illinois baseball team in Champaign, 10-9. Roy Patterson got the win.
That season, the American League wasn’t considered a major league (the AL would band together with the National League to form MLB in 1901). However, the White Sox would win the AL’s first pennant on September 12, when they beat the Cleveland Blues. 12-4 and 9-1.
1907 The best player in White Sox history (at least per his 77.5 career WAR), Luke Appling, was born in High Point, N.C. Exactly 20 years later, in Detroit, Billy Pierce was born. With their combined 127.3 WAR for the White Sox and universally beloved status, it’s safe to say there is no more important birthday on the franchise calendar than April 2.
1982 The White Sox traded outfielder Wayne Nordhagen to Toronto for third baseman Aurelio Rodríguez. Over six years with the White Sox, Nordhagen was the epitome of a replacement player, earning just 0.4 WAR over 406 career games.
Still, the White Sox got the better end of this trade: Rodríguez spent all of 1982 with the White Sox, then signed with Baltimore for the 1983 season before returning to the White Sox after his release from Baltimore in August. The defensive whiz put up 0.5 WAR over the course of essentially one entire season (140 games) in 1982-83.
1997 For the first time ever in Major League Baseball, one player’s salary is more than an entireteam’s salary.
OK, cool factoid. Why is that a part of White Sox History?
The reason — you may want to sit down for this — is that the player was on the Chicago White Sox. Yes, Albert Belle made $10 million in the first year of his free-agent deal with the South Siders, while the entire Pittsburgh Pirates payroll totaled just $9,071,667.
The 1997 season represented the last time the White Sox fielded the highest-paid player in baseball on their roster.
2006 On Opening Night, the White Sox unfurled their 2005 World Champion banner at Sox Park. The night game was a concession for an ESPN national broadcast, and the South Siders set down their division rivals, 10-4. Jim Thome hit his first White Sox home run, through a driving rain in the fourth inning, putting the home team ahead to stay.
Overall, the game was delayed for three hours by rain.
2021 Now THIS is how you make a debut!
White Sox DH Yermín Mercedes had more than 2,000 minor league at-bats before finally making an Opening Day roster in the majors. On this night in Anaheim, he had a sensational start, going 5-for-5, with four RBIs in a 12-8 win. Mercedeshad four singles and a double in the game. Chrystal O’Keefe had the next-day South Side Sox feature about Yermín’s 5-for-5 outing.
The last time a rookie had five hits in his first game in the big leagues was 1933, when Cecil Travis of the Senators did it. Before Travis, Fred Clarke had gotten five hits in his first game as well — but Mercedes became the only player in history to go a perfect 5-for-5 in his debut.
Mercedeswould go on to have 12 hits in his first four games — setting a modern major league record — and be named American League Player of the Week.
On this day just three years later, with a nod to how difficult it is to maintain a foothold in the majors, Mercedes signed a free agent contract … with the Kansas City Monarchs, an independent minor league team.
2024 White Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet wrote his name in the team record book after throwing seven innings allowing one run and striking out eight in beating Atlanta, 3-2, on a raw night at Guaranteed Rate Field.
This came off his start against Detroit on Opening Day where he allowed a single run in six innings, striking out eight. It was his first two major league starts, and the 16 total strikeouts were the most ever for a Sox pitcher in the first two starts of his career.
He also joined Jack McDowell (1991) and Juan Pizarro (1963) as throwing at least six innings with one or fewer runs and at least six strikeouts in their first two starts of the season.
The Philadelphia Flyers have a knack for making shrewd, under-the-radar trades, and one of their latest is already paying off in a big way.
Throughout the season, the Flyers have made a number of (relatively) insignificant player swaps, like trading Dennis Gilbert for Max Guenette, Ethan Samson for Roman Schmidt, and Samu Tuomaala for Christian Kyrou.
The Samson move was a bit controversial, given that the former sixth-round pick had a breakout 2024-25 season with the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms and looked solid in Flyers training camp before going down with a broken hand.
After four assists in 10 games, the Flyers swapped him for Schmidt, and later swapped Schmidt with veteran forward Boris Katchouk.
That move has been, by far, the most impactful for the Flyers' organization, injecting some life back into a Phantoms team that has had to deal with a significant amount of player turnover, including losing the likes of Alex Bump and Denver Barkey to the NHL on a permanent basis.
Having been acquired by the Flyers from the Minnesota Wild on March 1, shortly before the March 6 NHL trade deadline, Katchouk, 27, has already established himself as a top-line player for the Phantoms, featuring on the power play and playing both center and wing.
In just 11 games with Lehigh Valley, the 2016 No. 44 overall pick has erupted for five goals, four assists, and nine points, matching the five goals he had in 29 games between the Iowa Wild and Syracuse Crunch earlier this season.
It helps for the Flyers, too, that Katchouk has 179 games of NHL experience and 15 goals; that experience matters in a locker room that also has David Jiricek, Devin Kaplan, Riley Thompson, Carson Bjarnason, Aleksei Kolosov, Cole Knuble, and Oliver Bonk in it.
If post-NHL trade deadline call-up limitations weren't a factor, it's easy to imagine a world where the Flyers bring Katchouk into the fold as a depth forward, especially with Rodrigo Abols (ankle) still out of commission.
In the meantime, Rick Tocchet and Co. are managing with a fourth line of Sean Couturier, waiver wire pickup Luke Glendening, and Garnet Hathaway.
The journeyman Katchouk, however, is making his case to find a new home in pro hockey.
There’s no denying that Joe Veleno didn’t live up to his potential. When the Detroit Red Wings drafted him 30th overall at the 2018 draft, they expected more than a career-best season of 28 points in 80 games, which is why they eventually decided to move on. So did Veleno, though; he realized he would never be the dominant force he was in the QMJHL, and he decided to adapt.
When he signed a one-year, $900,000 cap hit contract with the Montreal Canadiens, it raised a few eyebrows, but with just eight games to go in the season, it seems obvious that it was an astute move by GM Kent Hughes.
Not that the Montreal native has produced more than he did in Detroit, or in Chicago, for that matter, but when the Canadiens called upon him (he has played 55 of the 74 games Montreal played so far), he was ready to go.
While Veleno embraced his bottom-of-the-lineup support role and only contributed two goals and two assists, he has been throwing his body around and committing to forecheck as if there was no tomorrow, which there almost isn’t when you’re a player on the bubble, playing for your spot in the lineup every night.
Through his 55 games, the winger/center has landed 139 hits, the third-highest total on the team, behind Zachary Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj, who have 155 hits in 72 games for the former and in 57 games for the latter.
The fact that he has converted into a player who’s throwing his weight around can only help him get more games with the Canadiens, especially with the playoffs fast approaching. On top of being willing to play a physical game, he also has the hockey IQ necessary to thrive in Martin St-Louis’ system, and when the Habs are healthy, the coach may face quite a predicament when he has to decide who to scratch. He brings an energy and physical presence that some veterans just can’t bring anymore, on top of being able to take faceoffs.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 30: Tre Jones #30 of the Chicago Bulls smiles after the game against the San Antonio Spurs on March 30, 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
On Monday night, the Spurs hosted the Chicago Bulls. Prior to the game, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson shared some great memories and kind words regarding former Spurs guard Tre Jones.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson on Tre Jones, who returns to San Antonio tonight as a member of the Chicago Bulls: “He was at the forefront of doing that in terms of bringing the right approach and energy every single day. … He’s a competitive little sucker.” pic.twitter.com/GInen6vIhC
“He was at the forefront of doing that in terms of bringing the right approach and energy every single day. … He’s a competitive little sucker.”
Before the game, I caught Tre in shoot around. He stepped away the moment his family came to the court. He was all smiles, which is how Spurs fans most remember him.
A common practice when a former player returns, the Spurs honor him with a video tribute during the opponent introductions. Monday night was no exception. As the in-arena PA announcer introduced the Bulls, he paused before calling Tre Jones and the lights dimmed as a video displayed on the Jumbotron.
Spurs honored Tre Jones with a tribute video prior to tonight’s game. Tre is one of the kindest people to ever play with the Spurs. He has a big hand in this year’s success by showing this young group how to work, prepare, fight and never give up. pic.twitter.com/h7SsxcpikC
Jones was drafted by the Spurs in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft, 41st overall. He played with the Spurs for his first four-and-a-half seasons. He was a key component of the three-team trade that brought De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio.
Jones exemplified Spurs culture, played the role asked of him, maintained a positive attitude, and made significant contributions during the team’s greatest transition.
Once the game started, Jones had an impressive night, starting the game with a steal and a layup to kick off all scorers for the night. He ended with 23 points on 9 of 13 shooting, two rebounds and three assists as they came up short against the Silver & Black.
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Apr 1, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford (2) reacts as he hits a walk off game winning RBI single during the tenth inning against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
What a great couple of days for the Phillies rookies. First, Andrew Painter dazzled in his first start and stopped a three-game losing streak, and then less than 24 hours later, Justin Crawford collected his first walk-off hit and RBI in the tenth inning to cap off a memorable comeback. There will surely be growing pains, but the Phillies’ infusion of youth has already brought a spark to the 2026 season.
BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 01: Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) congratulates Orioles pitcher Albert Suarez (49) at the conclusion of the game between the Texas Rangers and the Baltimore Orioles on April 01, 2026 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MD. (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Hello, friends.
It only felt for a couple of days there like the Orioles were going to lose every game they ever play again. Thanks to Trevor Rogers and a breakout day from the offense, they were able to avoid a sweep by the Rangers with an 8-3 victory yesterday. Check out my recap of the game for more of the lovely totals.
After yesterday’s win, the Orioles are 3-3 through their first six games. That’s the same record that they had through six games a year ago. Only 3.7% of the season has been played. Lots of baseball remains. Coming up next for the Orioles is a three-game set against the Pirates, but that doesn’t start until Friday. Both they and the Pirates have the day off today.
Wednesday brought a couple of roster developments that may well have an impact on the whole rest of the season. The Orioles placed Zach Eflin on the 15-day injured list. That was no surprise. There’s still no diagnosis for his injury. I don’t think the MRI will bring good news. The other thing was that, in order to get Albert Suárez onto the roster, they transferred Jordan Westburg to the 60-day injured list. That means that the earliest that Westburg can play is the end of May.
I’ve been thinking that if we don’t see Westburg by May 1, that means we’re not going to see him at all this year. If I’m right in my guess, then this means we won’t see him. At some point, the Orioles will announce he needs the surgery and he’ll get it and he’ll be done for the year. I could be wrong. I often am when it comes to predicting the Orioles. My reasoning is that, if Westburg’s recovery was on pace that the platelet-rich plasma was working, then we’d be hearing by now about when he’ll start a rehab assignment. Instead, he’s heading the other direction.
Another open question is who will replace Eflin in the rotation. My assumption here – again, this could be wrong – is that it’s going to be Dean Kremer. The challenge with that is that the Orioles can’t recall Kremer until April 9 unless someone goes on the injured list at the same time. I think they’ll need someone to start on Monday or Tuesday, and there’s no guarantee that there will be an injured pitcher by then. That’s a problem for Monday or Tuesday, though. Yesterday, Elias solved his “we need long relief to save the rest of the bullpen” problem and it paid off with Suárez pitching three innings.
An early, nerdy look at the challenge system (FanGraphs) And speaking of ABS challenges, the folks at FG are on top of figuring out how players seem to be using the challenges early on. It’ll be interesting to see how usage evolves over time, since after all it’s only been less than a week now.
Albernaz on Suárez joining Orioles (School of Roch) The manager has a connection to Suárez from back when they were both minor leaguers in the Rays organization.
Today in 1976, the Orioles and Athletics made a six-player trade that brought future Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson to Baltimore for one season.
There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 1996-97 outfielder Pete Incaviglia, 1957 pitcher Art Ceccarelli, 1960-61 pitcher Gordon Jones, and 1959 infielder Bobby Ávila.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: Frankish king Charlemagne (747), fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen (1805), playwright Émile Zola (1840), and baseball Hall of Famers Hughie Jennings (1869), Luke Appling (1907), and Don Sutton (1945).
On this day in history…
In 1513, the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León landed on the mainland of what are now the United States for the first time. The first landing took place between the mouth of the St. John’s River and modern-day St. Augustine, Florida.
In 1800, composer Ludwig van Beethoven’s First Symphony had its premiere in Vienna, conducted by the man himself.
In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany, which brought the country into the conflict that today we call World War I.
A random Orioles trivia question
I received a random book of Orioles trivia questions for Christmas. I’ll ask one of the questions each time it’s my turn in this space until I run out of questions. Since I’ve been skipping stupid questions (I suspect this book was churned out by AI with minimal human oversight,) today is the penultimate question for this exercise. Here’s today’s question:
Who was the first Orioles pitcher to lead the American League in strikeouts for a season?
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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on April 2. Have a safe Thursday.
