May 23, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielders Tim Tawa (13) and Corbin Carroll (7) celebrate after defeating the Colorado Rockies in the ninth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images | Anna Carrington-Imagn Images
Team News
Lovullo gave Marte a piece of advice, and he’s been mashing ever since Marte, though, asked to move back into the leadoff spot a few weeks ago — “We were winning games then,” Lovullo recalled him saying — but the real difference has been his dedication to getting back on track.
“I just said, ‘Be kind to yourself, just be yourself,’” Lovullo said. “Go out there and you’re going to be fine. Flush days. Flush good days, flush bad days, and tomorrow is another one.”
Ketel Marte’s heater continues in D-backs win vs. Rockies
When creating a timeline that begins with Marte’s walk-off dinger on Tuesday, across his last 19 plate appearances, Marte is 10-for-16 with two doubles, three homers, three walks and has scored six times.
His OPS has jumped over 100 points in that time. Not bad. He is now indeed getting luckier, as the advanced numbers said he should.
2 Encouraging Signs from Diamondbacks’ Win over Rockies
“Crazy what he’s doing right now,” rookie outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt said of Marte to the D-backs.TV postgame broadcast.
“That’s especially important for me to get on base (Waldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a run scored Saturday) for the hot streak that he’s going on, and that’s just the player he is. If I can get on first base in front of him, and I know he’s going to hit the ball like that we’re going to score a lot of runs.” https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/2-encouraging-signs-diamondbacks-win-rockies
‘I didn’t believe it at first’: D-backs call up No. 4 prospect Troy Montero and Troy started to review highlights of his recent defensive plays before Montero asked a question that the D-backs’ No. 4 prospect has been waiting to hear since he was drafted by the club 12th overall in 2023.
Baseball’s top ‘triple threat’ is speeding his way toward more history And full gear for Carroll is a place very few can go. In fact, since the beginning of the 2023 season, Carroll owns 14 of the 21 fastest home-to-third times on a triple. The fastest of those came earlier this week, when he raced to third in 10.71 seconds against the Giants.
The 3 small eyes on a bee’s head detect light and help them escape from predators approaching from above. The 2 visible front eyes help them with navigation and recognizing shapes.
The oldest English word is ‘town’.
This is one of the oldest words in the English language that is still in use. The first dictionary took note of this in 1755.
Humans have just 1 bone fewer than horses.
Horses have an average of 205 bones or more while the adult human is set at 206. On average, horses will live for 25-30 years.
May 22, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (3) throws to first base during the third inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
The Mariners continue to maintain a comfortable, arms length distance away from .500 after a miserable loss in Kansas City last yesterday. The gang will try for a series win this morning at 11:10 am PST.
Craig Breslow and the Boston Red Sox have already begun shopping around in search of bats to fill the Rafael Devers shaped hole in their lineup that’s led them to being one of the worst offenses in the league so far in 2026.
Joey Votto went on Jayson Stark’s podcast Rates and Barrels to talk about his life in retirement, and what a life it is! In the less than three years since calling it a career, Votto has spent significant time in Japan, Spain, Ireland, Egypt, and Jordan, and that’s not even to get into some of what he’s done in those places. Truly living the “this is what it’s all about” lifestyle.
Nick’s pick…
John Travolta doing the laziest RTJ hand sign we’ve maybe ever seen is my new Roman empire. I’m literally incapable of elaborating beyond that.
When going through the annals of baseball history, there are very few players who are idolized as much as Bartolo Colón. Not only did he come from a poor background in a foreign country (albeit one known for producing incredible baseball players), but he also wasn’t built like the average ballplayer. He wasn’t 6-foot-5 and a brooding hulk of muscle. Instead, he was a 5-foot-11, 285-pound paunchy man on every major league mound he set foot on.
However, the beauty of baseball is that if you have the talent, you will succeed. Sure, there may be areas in which you aren’t as specialized, but your talents will shine through, and Big Sexy was the epitome of this fact.
Colón was born in the Dominican Republic and lived there until he was around 20 years old. From ages 9 to 14, he worked manual labor, harvesting coffee beans and fruit for his family. He never had much time to play baseball, despite his love for the game, due to his excruciating workdays. And his love for the game initially drew him into some trouble. According to the New York Post, Colón was arrested for trespassing after he and a group of friends went to a private field to play the game they craved. But, fortunately for him, a group called “The Club of the Mothers and the Club of the Fathers” pooled about $125 to get the group of between 15 and 20 out of trouble. And that would make the field an easy purchase for Colón down the line. However, he was first signed as an amateur free agent in 1993 by Cleveland, giving him a ticket to the United States to try and make a name for himself.
Colón spent about four years in the minor leagues, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t find his successes. It took him a couple of seasons to get used to the professional style, but in 1995, he finally began showing the Cleveland front office why they had brought him into the organization. He won the team’s Minor League Player of the Year Award with High-A Kinston in the Single-A Carolina League thanks to an ERA of 1.96 and 152 strikeouts in 128.2 innings pitched. And in 1997, Colón played for the Buffalo Bisons in Triple-A, posting a 2.22 ERA and 54 strikeouts over 56.2 innings.
At the age of 23, Colón made his debut against the Anaheim Angels, and he was certainly welcomed to the major leagues in a stark way. He pitched five innings, giving up six hits, three walks, and four earned runs while tallying four strikeouts. And it was that kind of season for the rookie, as Colón went 4–7 with a 5.65 earned run average in 19 games played (17 of which he started). In 1988, though, Colón took a huge step forward, almost doubling the number of games he started from 17 to 31, pitching over 200 innings for the first time in his career, registering his first career All-Star appearance, and finishing with a 3.71 ERA at the age of 25. He also pitched six complete games, two of which were shutouts, and pitched a four-hit, one-run complete game gem in his only start of the 1998 postseason in the American League Championship Series against the powerhouse Yankees.
Colón was with Cleveland until the 2002 season. He finished with a 3.98 ERA and 574 strikeouts in 615.1 innings pitched from 1999-2001, his final three full seasons with the club. In 1999, Colón finished fourth in the American League Cy Young voting (Mariano Rivera finished above him in third). But in 2002, he was traded to the Montreal Expos along with another right-handed pitcher, Tim Drew, the middle brother of outfielder and 2007 World Series champion J.D Drew and 2013 World Series champion infielder Stephen Drew. Cleveland received a package of Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore, Brandon Phillips, and Lee Stevens. Colón only played the back half of 2002 with Montreal (with an ERA of 3.31), but still finished sixth in the AL Cy Young voting before being traded to the Chicago White Sox before the 2003 season for a package that included a Yankee legend, Orlando “El Duque” Hernández.
Big Sexy’s only year with Chicago finished with him pitching the most innings of his career at 242 and registering the most complete games not just of his career but in the entirety of MLB as well. And as a free agent following 2003, Colón signed with the Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels, using his first pro contract money to buy the field on which he was arrested for trespassing.
From 2004 to 2007, Colón was a mainstay of the Angels’ rotation and likely would have put up better numbers if not for injuries in the back two years of his time there. The first two, though, were more of the same he had shown in years prior: that he could eat innings and get outs no matter the uniform he was wearing. Colón pitched over 200 innings again, and in 2005, not only was he given another All-Star appearance for his efforts, but he also won the American League Cy Young Award, the first Angels pitcher to do so since 1964. He finished with a record of 21-8 with a 3.48 ERA and 157 strikeouts in 222.2 innings pitched for a 122 ERA+. But the postseason proved detrimental to him, as he sustained a partially torn rotator cuff against the Yankees, which put him in said injury trouble through 2006. He pitched only 10 games that year and 18 the following year, not reaching 100 innings in either season.
The next couple of seasons were filled with turmoil, as he made a stop in Boston on a minor league deal and pitched well in the lower levels, but only threw seven games in the majors before leaving for the Dominican Republic due to “personal matters” in early September. He was on the restricted list for the rest of the regular and postseason and became a free agent, having pitched only 39 innings that season. Then, Colón had injury issues again, not just with an offseason surgery to remove bone chips in his right arm, which he recovered from and became the White Sox’s fifth pitcher in the rotation. However, he pitched only 12 games due to another injury in early June, this time to his left knee.
Colón did not pitch in 2010 because his body seemed like a hotbed of pain. His throwing arm had major issues between the shoulder, elbows, and wrists, and his leg injury was a handicap for him as well. But, following a full season of recovery and a major stem cell surgery that brought some backlash, Big Sexy was ready to return, signing a minor league deal with the Yankees and was invited to spring training, which he took advantage of, making the Opening Day roster in the bullpen.
Despite being named to the bullpen at the beginning, Colón hardly came in relief at all through the 2011 season. He took the rotation position of Phil Hughes, who sustained an injury, and he ended up pitching 26 of his 29 games as starts, with his first coming on April 20th. Yankees manager Joe Girardi was rewarded for his decision to put Colón on the mound as a starter, as he finished through May with a 3.26 ERA, including a four-hit shutout against the Oakland Athletics on May 30th. He did suffer an injury in early June to his hamstring, but came back as soon as he could off the 15-day injured list, which ended up being July 2nd at Citi Field against the New York Mets, where he dominated.
The 38-year-old Colón finished the year with a 4.00 ERA and an 8-11 record, a far cry from where he had been prior to his injury issues with both Boston and Chicago. He was placed in the bullpen for the postseason, and the Yankees lost to the Detroit Tigers in the American League Division Series, which made the right-hander a free agent.
Colón signed with the Athletics for the 2012 season, and he was brought back for the 2013 season as well. The resurgence in New York gave him confidence in Oakland, pushing him to his best seasons since his Cy Young year in 2005 with Los Angeles. In 2012, he was strong, posting a 3.43 ERA over 152.1 innings, but he also dealt with off-field issues, receiving a 50-game suspension from MLB for using synthetic testosterone. But 2013 was spectacular, as Big Sexy finished with a 2.65 ERA in 190.1 innings pitched (30 games started) and an ERA+ of 147. He received his third All-Star nomination and finished sixth in AL Cy Young voting.
Following Oakland, Colón would return to New York but with the club in Queens, signing a two-year, $20 million deal in 2014 at the age of 41. Some of his highlights included being the Opening Day starter for the Mets at 42 in 2015, breaking a Mets record set by Dwight Gooden for most consecutive decisions as a starting pitcher, achieving 26 decisions in 26 consecutive starts, and pitching in the 2015 World Series, the first time he did since 1997 with Cleveland.
The mainstay highlight for Colón (and baseball in general) was the first home run of his career against James Shields at Petco Park, making him the oldest player to hit his first-career home run in major league history (42 years and 349 days). And on July 8th, Colón also received his final All-Star nod, replacing San Francisco Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner.
Colón finished his major league career with stops in Atlanta and Minnesota in 2017, and Texas in 2018 at the age of 45, but hung up the major league spikes following 148.1 innings pitched and a 5.78 ERA in Arlington. He also signed with Acereros de Monclova in 2020, but he never played a game that season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After pitching with the club in 2021, he announced that he would retire in 2022 following another season of winter ball, which he did in 2023.
Big Sexy was the epitome of an innings-oriented pitcher. He was as reliable as they got through the heart of his career and even toward the backend. His love for the game of baseball can never be questioned, as evidenced by both how much he pitched through his career (3,461.2 innings) and how long he pitched (21 seasons). He’s a baseball legend in his own right. Happy birthday, Bartolo!
Heavy sigh. This is as weird of a Cubs season to follow as I can remember. You’ve heard me say it so many times. This team is better than it’s looked over the last two weeks. We knew it was never as good as it looked the three weeks before that. But somewhere in the middle is the true talent level of this team. But we’re just not seeing that.
Finally, the Cubs got a quality start. It felt like it has been forever since that happened. The pitching kept the game competitive, allowing three or fewer runs for the first time since they shut out the Braves on May 14. But today there was basically no offense. They had just three singles and drew three walks. On top of that, they grounded into two double plays and had a runner caught stealing. The Astros only had to face 30 total hitters. You’re basically never going to win with that output.
Maybe this is rock bottom? I don’t know. And I don’t really know what to say. It’s hard have a ton of warm and fuzzy things to say when things are going this bad.
Maybe Sunday?
Three Positives:
Credit where it is due, FIP didn’t like this game (6.95), but Colin Rea threw seven innings and allowed three runs on four hits and walked three. This team should win behind that outing.
Ryan Rolison faced the minimum in a scoreless ninth.
Moisés Ballesteros drew two walks in three plate appearances. Two five-pitch walks. Showing some patience should get him a few more pitches to drive.
Game 52, May 23: Astros 3, Cubs 0 (29-23)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
WPA Play of the Game: Christian Walker’s two-run homer with two outs in the first. (.190)
Cubs Play of the Game: Moisés Ballesteros led off the third with a walk. (.044)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 51 Winner: Pete Crow-Armstrong received 60 of 76 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Michael Busch +16
Michael Conforto +14
Nico Hoerner +13
Shōta Imanaga +10
Trent Thornton +7.5
Ryan Rolison -8
Phil Maton -9
Matt Shaw -10
Dansby Swanson -11
Seiya Suzuki -22
Current Win Pace: 90.34 wins
Up Next: The third and final game of the season series with the Astros. The Cubs are just 7-10 versus AL teams so far this year. Shōta Imanaga (4-4, 3.38, 58.2 IP) gets his 11th start of the season. It says a lot about how good he’s been this year that his numbers are still quite good after allowing eight earned runs in 4.1 innings the last time out. Hopefully, he can bounce back. He’s been at his best in day games (2.62 vs 4.44). The Astros are only 7-10 versus lefty starters).
29-year-old Peter Lambert (2-4, 3.57, 35.1 IP) makes his seventh start of the year. The Rockies second round pick (44th overall) in the 2015 draft lost last time out. He allowed five earned in six innings of work against the Rangers. He did beat the Dodgers back on May 5, holding them scoreless over seven. In two road starts, he has a 1.74 ERA. The Cubs are 7-6 against lefty starters.
This is the game the Cubs will break through and win.
The Tampa Bay Rays, first in the AL East with a 34-15 record, face the New York Yankees, who are second in the division at 30-22. The Yankees have lost three in a row, including Friday’s series opener with the Rays. The teams’ Saturday game was postponed. Scheduled starting pitchers are Drew Rasmussen for Tampa Bay, with a 3.19 ERA, and Ryan Weathers for New York, with a 3.58 ERA.
The NBA Western Conference Finals continue tonight on NBC and Peacock as the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs meet in Game 4.
The Thunder have won the past two games to take a 2-1 lead in the series. Teams that lead 2-1 in a best-of-seven series have advanced 78.4% of the time (378-104), and Oklahoma City is 13-2 all-time with a 2-1 lead in a best-of-seven series.
San Antonio is 2-13 when trailing 2-1 in a best-of-seven series. It's been 12 years since the Spurs rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2014 playoffs (San Antonio eventually won its most recent title).
Teams with a 3-1 lead have won 95% of NBA playoffs series. The Thunder are 12-1 in series with a 3-1 lead.
The Spurs, who have never rallied from a 3-1 deficit in franchise history (0-10), are trying to avoid their first three-game losing streak this season. They have lost consecutive games for the first time since January.
See below for additional information on the Spurs-Thunder game and how to watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs on NBC and Peacock.
Announcing team: Mike Tirico (play by play), Reggie Miller (analyst), Jamal Crawford(analyst), Zora Stephenson (courtside reporter) and Ashley ShahAhmadi(courtside reporter).
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs, Game 4 preview:
Injuries continue to be a dominant storyline of the playoffs with the Thunder ruling out guard Ajay Mitchell tonight with a right calf strain. Mitchell left Game 3 during the third quarter after replacing star swingman Jalen Williams in the starting lineup.
Williams is also questionable for Game 4 with left hamstring soreness. Williams has missed most of the playoffs because of injuries.
Two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way in Game 3 with 26 points as Oklahoma City stormed back from San Antonio opening on a 15-0 run. The Thunder are only the second team in playoff history to rally for a win from a 15-0 deficit. Oklahoma City's bench also was instrumental, scoring a playoff franchise-record 76 points and now is outscoring the Spurs' bench by 119 points (the largest margin in the first three games of a series since starters were first tracked in 1970-71).
At 5-0, the Thunder (who were an NBA-best 30-10 on the road in the regular season) are the only team that is undefeated on the road in the playoffs.
For the Spurs, De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper will be available for Game 4, according to the team's final injury report issued Saturday night. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said Saturday that Fox (dealing with a right ankle sprain) and Harper (right adductor soreness) would be "ready to go" today.
Since a double-overtime win in Game 1, San Antonio has struggled to finish games. In the first quarter of the first three games combined, the Spurs have outscored the Thunder 89-84. In the final three quarters, the Thunder has outscored the Spurs 262-233).
Game 3 was the first time in the regular season and playoffs over the last 30 years that a team won by more than 15 points after trailing 15-0.
Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama played a game-high 39 minutes in Game 3, increasing his total to 125 minutes this series, second-most of anyone behind Gilgeous-Alexander (126 minutes). It's the most minutes in a three-game stretch for Wembanyama since starting his NBA career (his previous three-game high was 113 minutes in Dec. 2024).
How to watch the Western Conference Finals on NBC and Peacock:
NBC Sports will present the San Antonio Spurs vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. All games will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock. Here is the series schedule:
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Only rain has been able to slow down the Tampa Bay Rays of late.
Inclement weather postponed Saturday’s showdown with the New York Yankees, but they’ll resume this afternoon, with Tampa seeking its fifth straight win in this head-to-head.
My Rays vs. Yankees predictions and MLB picks lean on the visitors, who should have a leg up in the pitching matchup.
Who will win Rays vs Yankees today: Rays moneyline (+119)
I’m shocked the Tampa Bay Rays are underdogs: they’ve reeled off wins in eight of their last 10, and will start Drew Rasmussen, who struck out seven and allowed just one hit in six scoreless innings against the New York Yankees on April 12.
New York’s lineup is in a power outage, scoring just three total runs across those losses. Ryan Weathers isn’t their first choice to stop the bleeding: he got rocked last start against Toronto, surrendering five earned runs on seven hits, and was taken yard twice.
At +119 odds, this is a no-brainer bet on the Rays.
COVERS INTEL: Drew Rasmussen has dominated the current Yankees lineup, as they're hitting just .112 collectively against him. Aaron Judge is 1-for-13 (0.77) with eight strikeouts. Ben Rice, who leads MLB in OPS and slugging, has yet to record a hit against him in eight at-bats, striking out four times.
Rays vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (+110)
While New York has struggled to score, this Rays lineup has been mashing over the past week, ranking fifth in the majors in runs scored and first in on-base percentage. They are also inside the Top 3 in average, slugging, and OPS.
Rasmussen has gotten plenty of run support in his starts, and scoring overall, as the 7.5-run total has been crossed in seven of his nine starts this season.
The Over record between these teams is also 6-3-1 over the last 10. I’d call that 7.5 runs a generous line.
Eric Rosales' 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 8-7, +0.99 units
Over/Under bets: 11-3, +7.62 units
Rays vs Yankees odds
Moneyline: Rays +133 | Yankees -178
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+104) | Under 7.5 (-117)
Rays vs Yankees trend
The Rays have won 24 of their last 27 games against AL opponents.
How to watch Rays vs Yankees and game info
Location
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Date
Sunday, May 24, 2026
First pitch
1:35 p.m. ET
TV
Rays.TV, YES
Rays starting pitcher
Shane McClanahan (5-2, 2.82 ERA)
Yankees starting pitcher
Will Warren (6-1, 3.61 ERA)
Rays vs Yankees latest injuries
Rays vs Yankees 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.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 23: Ty France #25 of the San Diego Padres poses for a photograph before the game against the Athletics at Petco Park on May 23, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France put on a defensive clinic which helped pitcher Lucas Giolito and the Padres squeak past the Athletics with a 2-0 win at Petco Park on Saturday. The win also gave San Diego another series win with a chance for a sweep with Michael King taking the mound in Game 3.
San Diego broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning after Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give the Padres a 1-0 lead. San Diego was unable to find a hit to break the game open before the inning ended.
France erased an Athletics runner with an unassisted double play in the top of the third inning. Carlos Cortes walked to open the inning, but Nick Kurtz hit a groundball at France. The first baseman fielded the ball, tagged Cortes who was trying to go back to first base, and the stepped on the bag to complete the double play. San Diego added a run to its total in the bottom half of the inning when France hit a ground ball through the middle of the infield with runners at second and third that allowed Nick Castellanos to score from third base.
France struck again in the top of the fourth inning when the Athletics loaded the bases with one out. Jeff McNeil hit a groundball to France who fielded the grounder and threw to second for the front end of the double play and then retreated back to the base to receive the return throw to end the inning and the scoring threat.
Darell Hernaiz opened the top of the fifth inning for the Athletics with a leadoff single. Cortes then hit a line drive down the first base line and France snared the ball over the bag for an out and stepped on first base to double off Hernaiz who never had a chance to get back to the bag.
After those highlight-type plays, it was only fitting that France fielded a ground ball off the bat of McNeil and flipped the ball to closer Mason Miller who was covering the base for the final out of the game. The play secured the two-run win for the Padres and gave Miller his 16th save of the season.
San Diego will try to sweep the Athletics at Petco Park today at 1:10 p.m.
Padres News:
Rodolfo Duran has been making a name for himself at the MLB level. After a long wait to get to the big-leagues, Duran is making his case to remain with the club when Luis Campusano returns from injury.
Fernando Tatis Jr. is looking at a debt of $3.74 million dollars that is owed to Big League Advance Fund, but he plans to appeal a court decision that says he must pay it.
Former Padres pitcher Stephen Kolek pitched a complete game and kept the Seattle Mariners off the scoreboard and helped the Kansas City Royals win, 5-0.
Benches cleared between the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins after a collision at home plate.
Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas lost a flyball in the sun that dropped in foul territory. Harrison Bader took advantage of his second life at the plate and hit a grand slam to help the San Francisco Giants win the game.
It’s another busy Sunday in the majors, and there are plenty of juicy MLB player props to choose from.
My MLB home run picks for Sunday, May 24, feature Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber.
Keep reading for my full analysis.
UPDATE: Added another HR pick + parlay.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
Shohei Ohtani
+250
Kyle Schwarber
+325
Jordan Walker
+335
💲Today's HR parlay
+6370
Home run pick: Shohei Ohtani (+250)
Shohei Ohtani seems to be finally turning the corner. The reigning NL MVP has not put up his usual eye-popping numbers this season, but he’s been in a groove over the past few weeks.
Over his past nine games, the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar leads the majors in batting average (.467), wxOBA (.530), and sits second in slugging percentage (.867).
Ohtani will enjoy a favorable matchup against Milwaukee Brewers starter Brandon Sproat. The right-hander has allowed at least one dinger in four of his last five starts and carries a massive 5.75 ERA this season.
Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SportsNet LA, Brewers.TV
Home run pick: Kyle Schwarber (+325)
Kyle Schwarber remains the only man to reach the 20-home run mark this season, thanks to a run of nine dingers in an eight-game span earlier this month. The Philadelphia Phillies slugger is due to add to his homer totals today vs. the Cleveland Guardians.
Parker Messick got off to a solid start in his second MLB season, but the Guardians starter has stumbled in May, getting rocked for five home runs over his last four outings.
Oddsmakers are finally adjusting for Jordan Walker’s power, but the St. Louis Cardinals slugger still provides solid value at +335 — especially with Brady Singer on the mound.
The right-hander has given up a whopping six dingers over his last two starts, and two or more homers in four of his last five.
Walker has gone yard in two straight games and will be hitting out of Great American Ballpark, which has the third-highest Park Factor in the MLB (103).
The Cardinals slugger has feasted on right-handed pitching as well, batting .311 with 11 of his 15 home runs coming vs. righties.
Time: 1:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: One National or Two local
Chris Faria's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 6-15, +6.14 units
Today’s HR parlay
Shohei Ohtani
Bet Now +6370
Kyle Schwarber
Jordan Walker
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.
Head to NBCSN and Peacock this Sunday for an exciting slate of MLB action. Coverage begins at 12:00 PM ET with an MLBSunday Leadoff showdown featuring the Pittsburgh Pirates vs Toronto Blue Jays. Then, at 7:00 PM ET, it’s the Texas Rangers vs Los Angeles Angels on Sunday Night Baseball. See below for additional information on how to stream both games.
The Blue Jays enter Sunday’s matchup sizzling, riding a season-high four-game winning streak following Saturday’s 5-2 victory against Pirates’ ace Paul Skenes. They have rode this wave on the strength of their pitching and defense, allowing just five runs in total during this four-game stretch.
Going for the sweep on Sunday, the Jays will give the ball to their ace, Dylan Cease. The 30-year-old right-hander has been exceptional in his first season in a Jays’ uniform, registering a 2.98 ERA and leading the American League with 84 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings through his first 10 starts.
The Pirates are heading in the opposite direction. They enter play on Sunday as losers of two straight and six of their last eight. That brings them back to the .500 mark for the season at 26-26. That unfortunately puts them in the cellar in the extremely competitive National League Central division and has them three games back of a potential Wild Card berth.
The Pirates will turn to right-hander Mitch Keller to stop the slide on Sunday. The 30-year-old hurler is off to the best start of his career through his first 10 starts, sitting at 4-2 with a 3.86 ERA across 58 1/3 innings.
Former All-Star reliever Matt Capps and World Series champion outfielder Dexter Fowler will join play-by-play voice Dave Flemming and reporter John Fanta on this week’s edition of MLB Sunday Leadoff.
How to watch Pittsburgh Pirates vs Toronto Blue Jays:
MLB Sunday Leadoff is a weekly Major League Baseball showcase featuring live Sunday daytime games. It highlights marquee matchups throughout the regular season and streams primarily on Peacock, with some games also airing across NBC Sports and NBC.
MLB Sunday Night Baseball is a weekly primetime Major League Baseball showcase, featuring marquee matchups each Sunday night during the regular season. The games air on NBC and Peacock and anchor NBC Sports’ Sunday night programming lineup.
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The 2025-26 season was a successful one for Philadelphia Flyers prospect Alex Bump. The 22-year-old forward played in his first 17 career NHL games this campaign, where he had five goals and nine points. He also played in six playoff games for Philadelphia, where he scored two goals.
Overall, Bump showed plenty of promise during his first chance on the Flyers' roster. He also played well while in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season, posting 11 goals and 26 points in 36 games. With this, there is a lot to like about the 2022 fifth-round pick's play so far.
However, now that Bump has gotten a taste of NHL action and has finished his first full professional season split between the NHL and AHL, it is clear that he is a prime breakout candidate to watch next season for the Flyers.
The potential for Bump to emerge as a key part of the Flyers' forward group is there, and it would not be surprising if he takes another big step in the right direction next season because of it. He is one of the Flyers' most promising prospects, and it is going to be interesting to see if he can hit a new level in 2026-27.
The Buffalo Sabres are entering this off-season with multiple important players due for new contracts, like Alex Tuch, Zach Benson, and Peyton Krebs. With this, the Sabres will have some decisions to make when it comes to their roster.
The Sabres may need to free up some cap space if they want to keep all of their top players this summer. Because of this, let's look at a few players who have the potential to be dealt this summer.
Jordan Greenway
If the Sabres want to free up some cap space, they could look to move a forward like Jordan Greenway. While his physicality makes him a nice part of the Sabres' bottom six, his $4 million cap hit is expensive for his role. In 40 games this season, he had one goal, five assists, and 57 hits.
Michael Kesselring
Michael Kesselring is a pending restricted free agent the Sabres could look to deal. The fit was simply not there this season for Kesselring and the Sabres, and he was scratched often during the playoffs. In 34 games this season for Buffalo, he had zero goals and two assists. He also played in just one playoff game.
Devon Levi
Devon Levi has been in the rumor mill often already now that the Sabres' playoff run is over. With the Sabres having multiple goalies ahead of him on their depth chart, there simply isn't a path for Levi on Buffalo's roster right now. Due to this, it would make sense if they moved him this off-season and gave him a much-needed fresh start.
Dec 9, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Philadelphia Phillies general manager Preston Mattingly speaks with the MLB Network at the Hilton Anatole during the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
They’ve been trying to do it for years with players that have been posted from Japan. Failed pursuits of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki have resulted in the Phillies ramping up their attempts to bring someone from one of Japan, Korea or some other international baseball league to the team. This weekend, they were successful.
Signed & sealed✍️ Welcome to the Phillies family, Chan-Min Park!
We have signed Korean RHP prospect Chan-Min Park as part of our 2026 International Signing Class. pic.twitter.com/MZAGqfO0Ua
— Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) May 23, 2026
Park operates with a 91-93 mph fastball that has touched as high as 94. He can pound the zone with the offering and it has late ride, allowing him to blow it past more inexperienced batters. Working with a clean and repeatable delivery from a three-quarters slot, he pounds right-handed hitters in with some added sink to his heater.
His best secondaries are a pair of breaking balls in a curveball and slider. They’re presently just solid pitches, but could develop into plus in time, particularly the slide piece, which has already generated spin rates north of 2800 RPMs while sitting 78-82 mph. He has both a changeup and splitter in his arsenal, but has largely backpocketed the latter. Park likes to throw the cambio to both right and left-handed batters and it shows promise as a future putaway offering.
The team now has several high profile additions to their international group with Park and Francisco Renteria. It’s a good step in the right direction.
Kurt Helin
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