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The Atlanta Braves hope to grab another series victory when they take on the rival Philadelphia Phillies tonight.

Cristopher Sanchez and Chris Sale are set to square off in a rare lefty-lefty matchup, and my Braves vs. Phillies predictions and MLB picks are siding with the Atlanta veteran on Saturday, April 18.

Who will win Braves vs Phillies tonight: Braves moneyline (+112)

Cristopher Sanchez has posted some impressive numbers to start 2026. However, the Philadelphia Phillies southpaw ranks in the 21st percentile or worse in average exit velo, barrel rate, and hard hit rate.

This Atlanta Braves team could get to him. They currently sit third in xBA while scoring 38 runs in their last five games.

Chris Sale hasn’t allowed more than one run in three of four starts. He’s taking on a Phillies lineup that’s scored just six runs in its last three contests and sits 21st in wRC+.

The Phillies are also dead last in defensive runs saved, which will cost them another game late.

COVERS INTEL: The Phillies have posted a -19 mark in defensive runs saved, which is six runs worse than any other team in the MLB.

Braves vs Phillies Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-138)

Sanchez is dominating batters, as he sits sixth in the majors with a 12.49 K/9, and his 2.12 xFIP ranks third.

While I expect the Braves to get to him a few times, I don't see Atlanta posting a big number. On the flip side, the Phillies will see their two most reliable hitters neutralized by Sale.

Both offenses also rank in the Top 5 in chase rate at the plate, which should elevate strikeout numbers.

Braves vs Phillies odds

• Moneyline: Braves +112 | Phillies -117
• Run line: Braves +1.5 (-194) | Phillies -1.5 (+186)
• Over/Under: Over 7.45 (+127) | Under 7.5 (-138)

Braves vs Phillies trend

Atlanta has cashed the moneyline in 23 of its last 35 road games (+13.00 Units / 32% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Phillies.

How to watch Braves vs Phillies and game info

Braves vs Phillies latest injuries

Braves vs Phillies weather

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Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided some encouraging updates prior to Saturday's game against the Royals…

Gerrit Cole’s rehab outing

The Yankees’ ace was finally back on the mound in game action Friday, tossing 4.1 innings in Double-A. 

Cole expectedly showed some rust, but he allowed just three runs on as many hits while striking out three and walking one.

He stretched out to 44 pitches, 36 of which were strikes. 

Boone didn’t get to sit down and watch every pitch of Cole’s outing yet, but from what he heard, things went well.

“I’ve seen some of it, and I think it was good,” he said. “Velo sounds like it was 95-96, I think the fastball was mostly how he wanted, wanting to just get in the heart of the plate early and then just try to move it around a little bit.

“He was facing a fair amount of lefties and was able to mix in the changeup, which I know he wanted to do, and it was pretty good. I think the curveball was a good pitch for him, too, so all in all, I think another good step for him.”

Boone expects Cole will need to make several more starts before coming back. 

“We’ll probably want him to get up to a certain amount and probably repeat that even once he gets up there, so nothing is imminent here -- we’ll make sure we’re disciplined and take the right amount of time," the skipper said.

“Coming off a year where not only he’s rehabbing and coming back from a major surgery, but that means no innings, so we want to put him in a position where he's not only ready to go at the start, but he’s able to carry that throughout.”

Carlos Rodón next?

The big left-hander could indeed be joining Cole in the near future. 

Rodón is scheduled to throw around 55-60 pitches in a live bullpen session on Saturday afternoon, and if all goes well, the next step could be beginning a rehab assignment. 

While he’s expected to be back with the Yanks before Cole, Boone did note that he is still likely at least a few weeks away. 

Rodón will require around three minor league outings. 

The southpaw, of course, was closing in on a rehab assignment on the road back from elbow surgery before a hamstring issue threw a little wrench in the plans. 

New York continues to monitor the hammy, but he’s been making good progress.  

Getting Rodon, and eventually Cole, back alongside surging youngster Cam Schlittler and ace lefty Max Fried should make the Yanks' rotation a scary unit. 

Long-time MLB outfielder Garret Anderson passed away earlier this week after suffering a heart attack. He was 53.

Anderson played 17 seasons in the big leagues, spending 15 seasons becoming a franchise icon for the California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels before ended his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In his penultimate campaign, he was a member of the 2009 Atlanta Braves.

Anderson was a three-time All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger and won a World Series championship with the 2002 Angels. He was also runner-up in the 1995 American League Rookie of the Year award and earned votes for the American League Most Valuable Player three times – including a career best fourth-place finish in 2002 when he paced the A.L. with 56 doubles, the first of two seasons he led the league in that category,

For his career, Anderson compiled 2,529 hits, 287 home runs, 522 doubles and drove in 1,365 runs. He retired after the 2010 season with 23.9 fWAR and a 100 wRC+.

While Anderson, who debuted in 1994, wasn’t a Hall of Fame player, he was a solid big leaguer for more than a decade with several seasons of high-level offensive output. In five consecutive seasons from 1999 through 2004, he connected on 20-or-more home runs with no less than 80 RBI – including four seasons with more than 116.

He wasn’t the star of those Angels teams that also included Jim Edmunds, Troy Glaus, Tim Salmon and Darin Erstad, but he was a floor-raising professional who lengthened the team’s line-up while playing in 150-or-more games from 1996 through 2003 and exceeding 141 games played in nine-out-of-10 seasons from 1996 through 2006.

The left-handed hitter is still the Angels all-time leader in games played, hits, doubles, extra-base hits, and RBI, among other statistics. He was also selected the Angels’ team MVP four times.

His lone season in Atlanta was a later-career pit-stop, playing in 135 games – 124 of which came in left field as part of a loose platoon with Matt Diaz. He hit 13 home runs and 27 doubles for the Braves that season while slashing .268/.303/.401 good for only a 83 wRC+ in his first season playing outside of the Angels organization.

It wasn’t the year that many hoped Anderson would have provided Atlanta when the Braves signed him after the organization’s failed courtship of free agent outfielder and future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey, Jr. – a deal that multiple baseball writers across the country had said was happening – only for Atlanta to be spurned by Griffey, Jr. when he opted to return to the Seattle Mariners – his original franchise – for the final two seasons of his playing career.

The highlight of Anderson’s time with the Braves came on October 1, 2009 when a seeing-eye single made its way through the infield for his 2,500 career hit in Atlanta against the Washington Nationals.

Anderson, who was also the MVP of the 2003 All-Star Game and 2003 Home Run Derby winner, would go on to broadcast Angels game after his playing career concluded.

He was inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame in 2016.

The Dodgers payroll will likely set another MLB record this year, as they started on opening day with a payroll for competitive balance tax purposes just shy of $411 million. What they are actually paying this year is a bit different.

I’ve been tracking Dodgers payroll since 2010, and as I wrote during the offseason the purpose of this exercise has changed. It used to be a functional accounting for how much money the team might have to spend, but the current iteration of the franchise is stretching those limits, such that this becomes more of an accounting exercise than anything meaningful.

To that end, I’ve noted in these opening day payroll looks what salary and bonuses were paid in that actual year, in addition to the value for competitive balance tax purposes. There’s a wide chasm in the Dodgers’ 2026 payroll here of $261.7 million paid out this year and their $410.8 million CBT number. Shohei Ohtani is the largest reason, but he’s not alone, as 10 current playershave parts of their salaries deferred.

The actual payroll numbers here do not account for the Dodgers funding of future deferrals, though that is a very real cost. Per the collective bargaining agreement:

Deferred compensation obligations incurred in a Contract executed on or after September 30, 2002 must be fully funded by the Club, in an amount equal to the present value of the total deferred compensation obligation, on or before the second July 1 following the championship season in which the deferred compensation is earned. For purposes of this Article XVI, full funding of the present value of deferred compensation obligations shall mean that the Club must have funded, for the duration of and without interruption in each year, the current present value of the then outstanding deferred payments, discounted by 5% annually.

In other words, the Dodgers by this July 1 have to set aside funds to cover his $68 million deferred payment from 2024. If they set aside nothing until July 1, they’d have to pony up about $50.7 million this year to fund that payment scheduled for 2034. In reality, the Dodgers likely already set aside money for this.

“It’s just how you account for it. You have to fund a lot of it right now, and having that money go to work for you,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said in December 2024. “A lot of our ownership group are from financial background, and can have that money going to work right now, and not something that sneaks up on us. We’re not going to wake up in 2035 and say, ‘Oh my God, that’s right. There’s this money due.’ We’ll plan for it along the way.”

But to keep this an apples-to-apples comparison to each of the previous 17 years, I’m not including any of the money set aside for deferred payments. The purposes of that accounting is fairly well captured by the competitive balance tax calculations anyway, and gives a picture of the expected punitive costs coming at the end of the year as well.

I did separate the opening day payroll into three categories — active roster, injured list, and other. Since this was about opening day three weeks ago, only10 Dodgers were on the injured list then and two have since been added. Other is a catch-all, usually for dead money, paying players no longer around. Justin Turner counts here, as he got the final $2 million of his $8 million signing bonus on January 15, from his contract signed in 2021. Also in “other” here are Hyeseong Kim and Jack Suwinski, both of whom signed guaranteed contracts but each began the season in the minors.

The $37.25 million the Dodgers had on the injured list to open the season is their highest since starting 2019 with $51.7 million on the sideline.

As for the details of this year’s payroll, let’s look at the individual contracts. I’ve tracked all these contracts as they happen, and you can see many intricate details in our Dodgers payroll section on the site. For this year’s opening day payroll, some of the salaries of the players with between zero and three years of service time are courtesy of the Associated Press.

Some of the biggest differences between actual and competitive balance tax payroll have to do with the timing of signing bonus payments and deferred salaries.

Blake Snell, for instance, defers just over half ($13.2 million) of his salary ($26 million) each year, but also received all $52 million of his signing bonus in 2025. So this year he receives only $12.8 million while his CBT payroll number is about $31.357 million. Same for Teoscar Hernández, who got his $23 million signing bonus in 2025 and this year is deferring $8 million of his $12 million salary. So his actual payroll number here is $4 million, compared to about $19.96 million for CBT purposes.

Also included in competitive balance tax payrolls are minor league salaries for players on the 40-man roster, which are estimated here to be about $2.5 million (aside from Kim); each team’s share of funding the $50 million pre-arbitration bonus pool; and a summary of player benefits played by the team. Last year’s number here was $18,206,789, so we’ll assume $19 million here.

That puts the Dodgers’ payroll for competitive balance tax purposes at roughly $410.8 million to open the season, which is to be expected after signing Kyle Tuckerand Edwin Díaz to record-setting contracts during the offseason.

Last year the Dodgers shattered MLB records with a $417.3 million payroll for CBT purposes and an actual competitive balance tax paid of $169.4 million. This year, the Dodgers were nearly at that number on opening day.

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Toronto Blue Jays infielder Andres Gimenez has been a consistent hitter this season and has a good chance to keep his hitting streak alive tonight against the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

Read on to see why in my Blue Jays vs. Diamondbacks predictions and free MLB picks for Saturday, April 18. 

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks predictions

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks best bet: Andres  Gimenez Over 0.5 singles (-125)

Andres Gimenez has been one of the few bright spots for the Toronto Blue Jays to begin the season. 

He’s batting .290 and has recorded at least one hit in five straight games and in eight of his last nine outings. 

Gimenez has 11 total hits in that stretch, with seven of them being singles. That’s the market I see the best value in for him tonight, paying -125 for a single specifically compared to his -240 price to go Over 0.5 hits. 

Additionally, Gimenez is 5-for-7 with four singles against Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen throughout his career. 

COVERS INTEL:Zac Gallen has a 6.19 xERA while ranking in the 6th percentile in xBA this season. 

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks same-game parlay (SGP)

I’m betting on very few strikeouts for Toronto tonight with Gallen on the mound. His total is set at 4.5 K’s, and he’s gone Under this number in three of his four starts, averaging just 2.75 strikeouts a game. 

Meanwhile, the Jays have struck out fewer times than any other team in baseball.

Lastly, I’ll take Nolan Arenado to go Over 0.5 strikeouts tonight. He’s eclipsed this total in seven of his last 10 games this season, and has a career .167 average against Max Scherzer with five K’s in 18 at-bats. 

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks SGP

• Andres Gimenez Over 0.5 singles
• Zac Gallen Under 4.5 K’s
• Nolan Arenado Over 0.5 strikeouts

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks home run pick: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+510)

I’ll make this a half-unit wager.

Gallen has only given up two home runs this season, but both have been to right-handed batters.  I’ll bet on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to break out of his slump tonight and tag Gallen for a homer. 

Gallen throws a heavy dose of the slider to right-handed hitters. Vladdy has shown some power against that pitch this season, with a .625 slug-rate against the pitch. Additionally, he’s 2-for-4 with a 1.350 OPS against Gallen throughout his career.

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks odds

• Moneyline: Toronto +109 | Arizona -120
• Run line: Toronto +1.5 (-195) | Arizona -1.5 (+170)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (+105) | Under 9.5 (-125)

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks trend

The Toronto Blue Jays have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total Under in 17 of their last 23 games (+10.15 Units / 35% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Diamondbacks.

How to watch Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks and game info

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks latest injuries

Blue Jays vs Diamondbacks weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The latest news on the Houston Astros and from around MLB:

What is wrong with Bryan Abreu?

Loperfido to be evaluated after coming out of last night’s game with “right quad tightness”:

Isaac Paredes also left last night’s game. Paredes is coming back from a very significant hamstring injury last season.

Peter Lambert generated a lot of swings and misses in his first start as an Astro last night:

What’s up with Yainer Diaz’ slow start at the plate?

The Astros moved CL Josh Hader to the 60-day IL:

Old friend Brandon Bielak is back in the Astros’ organization:

The early leader in the clubhouse for AL Cy Young pitches for the Los Angeles Angels:

The Umps Care auction is a way fans can get some unique memorabilia:

Former Los Angeles Angels star and member of the Angels Hall of Fame Garrett Anderson suddenly passed away yesterday:

Padres’ superstar Manny Machado is excited about sale of team:

Mike Trout doesn’t want to be traded.

Munetaka Murakami continues to rake for the White Sox on a contract that looks more of a steal by the day:

This will be used by any team’s fan base when their pitcher gets thrown out for allegedly having something on their hand:

They played a game in Denver at 35 degrees. Before they could play, they had to get the field ready because of SNOW:

Hickory starter Evan Siary allowed five runs, including two homers, in four innings of work, striking out three and walking three. Kamdyn Perry made his 2026 debut with three shutout innings, striking out two.

Yolfran Castillo was 2 for 5 with a double and a stolen base. Marcos Torres had a double and a walk. Paulino Santana had a hit, two walks and two stolen bases. Marcos Torres had a homer, a walk and a stolen base. Daniel Flames had a hit.

Hickory box score

Hub City starter Dalton Pence struck out four in 5.1 IP, walking one and allowing two runs. Bubba Hoopii-Tuionetoa struck out one and walked one in 1.2 scoreless innings.

Yeison Morrobel was 2 for 3 with a walk and a homer. Malcolm Moore was 1 for 3 with a walk. Gleider Figuereo was 2 for 3 with a walk and a double. Paxton Kling had a hit and a walk. Maxton Martin had a triple.

Hub City box score

Leandro Lopez started for Frisco and allowed four runs in six innings, striking out five and walking three. Eric Loomis walked two and struck out three in 1.2 scoreless innings.

Keith Jones II went 2 for 3 with a homer and a walk.

Frisco box score

Round Rock starter Pat Murphy allowed one run in 2.1 IP, walking three and striking out two. Peyton Gray threw three shutout innings, striking out three.

Justin Foscue drew a pair of walks. Cam Cauley had a hit, three walks and a stolen base. Michael Helman had a hit.

Round Rock box score

The first part of this roster move, you already know, as the Cubs placed reliever Daniel Palencia on the 15-day injured list before Friday’s game with an oblique issue. Here’s how it happened (Bluesky link):

No roster move was made Friday, as this happened very close to game time, so the Cubs played Friday’s 12-4 win over the Mets one man short.

Today, the Cubs replaced Palencia on the 26-man active roster by calling up right-hander Corbin Martin from Triple-A Iowa. Martin last pitched for Iowa on Tuesday, a scoreless inning vs. Columbus. He will wear No. 38.

To make room for Martin on the 40-man roster, the Cubs placed Cade Horton on the 60-day injured list.

The bigger question is: Who’s going to close games in Palencia’s absence?

One choice might be Ben Brown, who can throw 98 miles per hour and who’s been pretty good in relief so far this year. Since allowing two runs in his first 2026 outing, Brown has a 2.38 ERA and 0.971 WHIP over his last five games with 11 strikeouts in 11.1 innings.

Caleb Thielbar might be another choice, though teams don’t often use left-handers as closers and Thielbar has just five career saves. This year Thielbar has a 3.00 ERA and 1.333 WHIP in seven games covering six innings, with eight strikeouts.

There aren’t many useful relievers in the team’s minor-league system at this time. Martin does have MLB experience (most recently with the Orioles last year, where he posted two saves) but I don’t think that’s the way Craig Counsell will go.

As always, we await developments.

Ever since coming to Washington as one of the main headliners in the infamous Juan Soto trade from the San Diego Padres, Nationals’ shortstop CJ Abrams has been excruciatingly close to proving his worth as a franchise player.

The 25-year-old made his Major League debut in 2022 and has been a steady contributor for the Nats, averaging 3.4 Wins Above Replacement per season across 433 games from 2023-2025. Abrams has flashed superstar potential offensively, generating plenty of excitement among the fanbase about the player he could become. For all the success he’s had, however, consistency has remained a struggle; seemingly continuing to plateau and settle in the good-not-great tier.

The 2026 season is still in its earliest stages, but this may be the year that Abrams finally takes that offensive leap and transcends into a full-on star. He’s had hot stretches before, so why might this one be different?

He’s finally doing what Nats fans have been pleading with him to do since he arrived in the organization: pulling the ball in the air with authority. On the surface, there’s plenty to love with how Abrams has begun his 2026 campaign. In 77 plate appearances, he’s already racked up 1.2 bWAR, is slashing .371/.481/.710, and has smacked 6 home runs, 3 doubles, 19 Runs Batted In, and stolen 4 bases.

Just leaving it at that would do more than enough to justify the current hype surrounding Abrams, but digging deeper reveals even more reasons why this stretch may be sustainable long-term. Coming into 2026, he had seen slight year-to-year improvements in his Pull-Air%, climbing from 13.4% in 2022 to 22.2% in 2025. His upward trajectory was encouraging, but it still wasn’t enough to elevate his game to meet the expectations he came with.

Then comes 2026, where he’s clocked in at a whopping 26.4% to go along with career-highs in Average Exit Velo (92.1 MPH), Barrel% (13.2%), and Hard-Hit% (50.9), among others. On the flip side, he’s also working with a career low in K% at just 13.0%. Summing up all the data, a very simple conclusion is revealed for why he’s playing at such a high level:

Abrams is rarely getting punched out, and he’s pulling the ball in the air with more frequency and authority than he ever has.

His tools were never questioned, and his upside was always mouthwatering. Now, Abrams is doing exactly what he needs to do to be successful by tapping into his physical traits and getting out in front of the ball at a high clip. Through 18 games, he’s done nothing but pummel opposing pitchers into submission. He’s routinely peppering the ball to his pull side with a combination of raw power and timing that Nats fans hadn’t yet seen during his tenure,

If the Nationals want to work themselves out of their rebuild cycle and make a legitimate playoff push, whether this year or further into the future, they need foundational pieces. Abrams has been talked about as one for a while, and this year, he’s finally meeting the moment.