Ohtani took bat against Rockies’ left-handed pitcher Kyle Freeland during the bottom of the fourth inning when a change-up pitch coming at him at 85.2 mph ricocheted off the padding of his right hand.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and team trainer Thomas Albert came out to check on Ohtani but he waived them off. Shortly thereafter, he was eventually removed from the game with the Dodgers holding a healthy lead over the Rockies.
Shohei Ohtani got hit in the padding of his right hand. Dave Roberts and Dodgers team trainer Thomas Albert came out to check on him and Shohei waived them off. Dave said before the game that he would be in the lineup for his start tomorrow.
Roberts plans to have him pitch Wednesday, but double-duties weren't determined until an hour before game time. Ohtani will hit leadoff in addition to pitching against the Rockies.
"I just want to make sure how he comes in and, physically, how he feels," Roberts said. "Because I want to make sure he feels really good on the pitching side of things."
The pitch just grazed Ohtani’s pinky finger and he did not receive an MRI for the injury scare.
LA has seen Ohtani take form and looking like an early candidate for both NL MVP and Cy Young. He’s been warming up at the plate, but he’s pulled off an impressive 0.73 ERA, the best mark among major leaguers who have pitched at least 30 innings this season.
It appears all things are fine with Ohtani but it will still be something to monitor as he suits in the Dodgers series finale with the Rockies on Wednesday, May 27.
The game begins at 7:10 p.m. PT at Dodger Stadium. Dodgers lead the NL West division with a 35-20 record. The Rockies are the division’s worst team at 20-36.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MAY 26: Julian Champagnie #30 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the first quarter of a game during the first quarter of a game against Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Five of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 26, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The playoffs are all about toughness, getting great performances from your stars, and standout games from your role players. In Game Five of the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs only got one of those things. The result was a 127-114 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Julian Champagnie had the best game of his playoff career, but it was wasted thanks to dud performances from the majority of the team, especially Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox. Now, down 3-2, the Spurs will head back home with their backs against the wall. San Antonio is a -158 favorite on FanDuel to win Game Six and force a Game Seven.
We’ll break down how each player performed in today’s player grades. As a quick reminder, player grades are based on each player’s on-court performance, going beyond just the stat sheet. A “B” grade represents the average performance for an individual. If a player logs fewer than 5 minutes or plays only in garbage time, their grade will be incomplete.
This was Wembanyama’s moment. Coming off a stellar Game Four performance and facing a beat-up Thunder squad, this was his chance to cement himself as the best player in the league and take a 3-2 advantage back to San Antonio. That did not happen.
Wembanyama looked tired, floating around the perimeter, getting out of position defensively, and not rising to block shots he’d usually contest. The result was by far his worst offensive night of the postseason and his least impactful defensive game.
To make matters worse, Wembanyama ducked the press after the game. Spurs fans should hope that this is the low point before Wembanyama’s rise in Games Six and Seven. If not, this will be a game that haunts Wembanyama and the Spurs for a while.
Fox settled for bad shots for most of the night. He hit a couple of nice shots in the paint over the top of the defense, but was an inefficient 4-of-15 from the field. He picked up 3 steals, but didn’t feel all that impactful defensively. Fox deserves a lot of credit for playing through his ankle injury. San Antonio needs him to find his shot if they are going to win two straight games against the Thunder.
Castle was one of the few players who understood the moment and rose to it. He was a force all game on both ends, playing fast in the pick-and-roll and in transition, and playing tough defense on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He still committed some silly fouls on defense, but that can mostly be forgiven when he’s getting bullied on screens nearly every possession.
This was the Champagnie game. After struggling to hit threes for most of the series, he finally found his stroke. Champagnie came out of the gates on fire and finished the game with four three-pointers. He got to the basket and scored with touch around the rim. On defense, he played with active hands. Hopefully, this was a sign of things to come, rather than a single-game flash.
Vassell played a strong defensive game but missed a lot of shots. The Thunder seemed to key in on him a bit on the perimeter, as he didn’t get as many open looks.
For the first time in these playoffs, Harper looks like a rookie. Since suffering an adductor injury, he hasn’t been able to get to the rim. That’s forced him to take some tough mid-range jumpers and threes. He had some silly turnovers, including one where he crossed over right in front of the defender, leading to an easy bucket on the other end.
Johnson led the team with his effort. He made some awesome plays around the basket on offense and competed defensively. There has been a lot of talk about his ability to play in this series. He answered with his best game in the WCF.
Kornet got screwed out of his only shooting attempt, a clear goaltend that the officials missed. Even without that, his minutes have been rough. OKC is pushing him around inside and getting to the basket any time he is in the game.
Grade: D
Harrison Barnes
4 minutes, -6
Mitch Johnson went away from Barnes in Game Five after he played so well in Game Four. They probably could have used his hustle and offensive playmaking ability.
Bryant made bad rookie mistakes on defense, like helping off SGA and allowing an open three. He did make a nice three-pointer and a powerful dunk in meaningful minutes. Bryant has moments of impact, but Barnes may be the safer option for Game Six.
Grade:C
Jordan McLaughlin
2 minutes, 4 points, 1-for-1 shooting, +1
McLaughlin got to the basket and knocked down a pair of free throws to get 4 points in garbage time.
Grade:Incomplete
Kelly Olynyk
2 minutes, 2 points, +1
Olynyk to the free-throw line in a somewhat chippy garbage-time run.
Grade:Incomplete
Bismack Biyombo
2 minutes, 1 rebound, 1 turnover, 1 foul +1
Biyonbo got into it with the Thunder bench in the final minutes of the game. Had a hard foul on Jared McCain, hitting him in the face.
Grade:Incomplete
Mason Plumlee
2 minutes, 1 rebound, 2 fouls +1
Plumlee will get a lot of flak for his hard foul on McCain. It’s hard to imagine that it was intentional.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 11: Dillon Brooks attends Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena on May 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns have numerous decisions ahead of them this upcoming offseason, including multiple restricted free agents, unrestricted free agents, and players with trade value. The following series will examine those decisions as our writing team presents both a point and a counterpoint for each.
Dillon Brooks was a revelation for the Suns this season. After years of watching basketball teams that had no fight in them, we got to see the NBA’s second biggest villain join the Suns. I won’t put him above Draymond, but he is top two.
Brooks not only brought attitude and leadership to this team, but he also brought volume scoring as well. This, however, is not the Dillon Brooks season in review. Brandon Duenas did a great job breaking down Brooks’ season in this article and I highly recommend you read it.
No, today we aren’t discussing Dillon Brooks’ past, but his future. Brooks has one season left on his contract. This upcoming season, he will make $20.9 million dollars, then he will be a free agent. Should the Suns pay him at 31 years old?
If you take Mat Ishbia at his word, then you can expect the Suns to extend him at some point this year.
Suns owner Mat Ishbia sees Dillon Brooks as an important cog as he enters the final season of a four-year contract.
"I do see expect to figure out a way to keep Dillon long term," Ishbia told @BurnsAndGambo, adding he'll be part of a championship in the "next 3-4 years." pic.twitter.com/VjIXmytihQ
But once again, should they? Let’s examine the best arguments against extending The Villain.
Championship teams are built on youth
Take a look around the conference finals right now and tell me what you see. OKC, San Antonio, and Cleveland all built out their core through the draft. It is true that all teams are then augmented via trade and free agency. Obviously, neither Donovan Mitchell nor James Harden was drafted by Cleveland, and neither was Alex Caruso drafted by the Thunder. But the fact remains that if you want to reach the mountaintop, you need to flesh out your core through the draft.
Dillon Brooks is at the age where he is exiting his prime, not entering it. He isn’t going to get better from here, but probably worse. By the time the Suns have their own draft pick again, in 2033, he is likely to be retired or close to it. Unless the Suns see themselves as contenders in the next year or two, he is not the long-term fit in the Valley. Of course, given Ishbia’s quote, I would not be surprised if the Suns see themselves as contenders in the short term.
As of now, though, Dillon Brooks is coming off a career year. This could be the perfect time to sell high on Dillon Brooks to bring in a draft pick that could end up being another core piece. Keep in mind that the Suns are expected to attempt to trade into the first round of this year’s draft. He’ll be 31 years old at the end of his current contract; it may be time to move on.
Positional redundancy
The Suns have too many wings. Booker, Green, Royce, Allen, Dunn, and Fleming are all solid wing options. Meanwhile, as it seems I say in every article I write, the Suns still have no power forward on the roster that they can start. Letting Brooks walk frees up roster space to bring in a new player to fill that role. It is worth noting that letting him go does not free up cap space, as the Suns are too far over the cap for his contract to mean anything in that regard.
The Villain gimmick gets old
Dillon Brooks led the NBA in technical fouls this season and was tied with Russell Westbrook for third in flagrant fouls. Did that bother you at all during the season? It didn’t bother me. But, how will you feel about it when it is year two of a four-year extension, Brooks is 33, and his production has dropped? High performance covers a multitude of sins. But what happens when that high performance is gone?
I think Draymond Green is a good blueprint for this. When the Warriors were winning championships, Draymond Green was the glue guy. A leader in the locker room and on the court. In the past few seasons? He is now a headache that has been in trade rumors.
The Villain character can’t last forever. You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become…a nuisance.
Is it time to move on?
Still not convinced that the Suns should move on from Dillon Brooks? Me either.
Are there drawbacks to having Dillon Brooks on your favorite basketball team? Yes, there are. But is Dillon Brooks a breath of fresh air on a team that spent multiple years acting like basketball was their side hustle? Yes, he is. I think at this point we know enough about Devin Booker to know that he isn’t the type of leader anyone would describe as an “enforcer.” But, he doesn’t need to be. That is why the Suns have Dillon Brooks.
I could see an argument for trading Dillon Brooks, but I see no reason why the Suns should just let him walk after next season. The arguments I managed to come up with are flimsy at best.
Brooks has become the beating heart of this team, and the Suns should absolutely extend him.
The Larry O’Brien trophy is unlikely to make its way down East Jefferson Street anytime soon. We probably are going to have to wait until Phoenix has some of its own draft picks again before that happens. In the meantime, it is nice to watch a basketball team that cares. And that starts with Dillon Brooks.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Left-hander Cristopher Sánchez pitched seven brilliant innings, extending his scoreless streak to 44 2/3 innings and passing Hall of Famer Grover Cleveland Alexander for the Phillies franchise record, in a 3-0 win Wednesday against the San Diego Padres for a three-game sweep.
Sánchez (6-2) reached the milestone by getting through the four full innings he needed to pass Alexander, who had a 41-innng scoreless streak in 1911. He kept going through three more scoreless innings before leaving after throwing 100 pitches. He allowed six hits, struck out nine and walked none.
He pumped his fists as he walked off the mound after striking out pinch-hitter Ty France to end the seventh.
He set another franchise record by going at least seven scoreless innings for the fifth straight start, becoming the sixth to so in MLB history.
Trea Turner homered leading off the ninth, his seventh, and Kyle Schwarber hit an RBI single during the two-run sixth.
With Sánchez an inning away from the record, there was a heart-stopping moment as Manny Machado lifted a fly ball to left that Edmundo Sosa caught just in front of the wall leading off the fourth. Sánchez struck out Xander Bogaerts, Ramon Laureano doubled to left and then the lefty then got Jackson Merrill to ground out to second base to set the record.
The Padres stranded runners in scoring position in the first and second innings, and Gavin Sheets lifted a fly ball just in front of the warning track in right to end the third.
José Alvarado pitched the ninth for his first save.
Walker Buehler (3-3) took the loss.
Up next
Phillies LHP Zack Wheeler (4-0, 1.67 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday night at the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Padres RHP Lucas Giolito (2-0, 2.70) is scheduled to start Friday night at Washington.
May 27, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Rob Refsnyder (30) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a three-run home run against the Athletics in the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Heading into a pivotal divisional series in Sacramento, the vibes were off in Mariners Land. They had just dropped another series to the middling Royals in which they couldn’t put all the facets together in one game. And even though the M’s took the series opener on Monday night, their work was cut out for them with the Athletics queuing up a couple of lefties to face a lineup that has struggled against southpaws.
The Mariners rose to the occasion in emphatic fashion. They routed the A’s 9-1 Wednesday afternoon to complete a clean series sweep and take sole possession of the AL West lead for the first time in 2026.
Right off the bat in the first, the Mariners were thrown a bone in the form of a throwing error by Jeff McNeil that extended the inning and, in somewhat fitting fashion, brought to the plate the same Rob Refsnyder that the A’s so desperately clamored to face with two aboard and two out. Careful what you wish for, I suppose.
After falling into a two-strike count due to a couple of calls on pitches off the plate, Refsnyder fought back and launched a three-run homer to left to give the Mariners an early lead over lefty Jeffrey Springs. In the end, it was all they needed.
Logan Gilbert, who never pitched without the lead this afternoon, was up to the task of shutting down the A’s lineup. He went six scoreless innings, striking out six and giving up five hits and two walks. His velocity was a tick up almost across the board today, with his four-seamer averaging out to 96.4 mph for the afternoon. In total, he only generated nine whiffs, but the balls in play weren’t falling for hits.
The A’s were able to get a decent amount of hard contact off of Gilbert, but a real threat to the Mariners’ lead never materialized—some of this could be attributed to a number of quality plays from a defense that has ranked dead-last in baseball in fielding runs above average when accounting for positional adjustments, according to FanGraphs. J.P. Crawford, whose 2026 campaign has been marked by some defensive hardships so far, flashed the leather a couple of times at short and was able to complete his throws to first. Víctor Robles also had a pair of diving catches in right field—one in both of the opening two innings—and the first helped extinguish what would’ve been a opportunity to cut into the Mariners’ early lead.
The Mariners were able to keep the A’s at bay in the early going, and it allowed them to tack on with a two-out rally in the fourth. Cole Young, whose troubles facing lefties this year have amounted to a 64 wRC+ against them, was able to sneak a single into right off of McNeil’s glove. Jhonny Pereda then got on with his first of two walks for the afternoon. This passed the torch to Colt Emerson, who lined his first-career triple into the right field corner to give the Mariners a 5-0 lead.
Gilbert did have to work through some traffic in both the fourth and fifth innings. A couple of A’s hitters reached to begin the fourth but, after getting Jonah Heim to fly out, Gilbert was able to induce an inning-ending double play by Henry Bolte to end the threat. In the fifth, a two-out walk to Carlos Cortes allowed Nick Kurtz to come to the plate with a couple of baserunners on, but he flew out to center and failed to cash in on the opportunity.
The Mariners tacked on another run on a throwing error in the sixth, and Gilbert was able to turn a six-run lead over to the bullpen for the final nine outs of the afternoon. Eduard Bazardo worked a scoreless seventh and Cooper Criswell allowed a run over the remaining two innings of work.
As a cherry on top of what may be the Mariners’ most complete series of the season thus far, Julio Rodríguez added some additional insurance in the eighth, punishing a high fastball from Luis Medina for a three-run homer. It was Julio’s 10th of the season and eighth in the month of May, continuing an unprecedented start to the season for him.
Prior to Monday’s game, it wouldn’t have been unreasonable to worry about the Mariners potentially digging themselves a hole in the standings and falling further below .500, especially on their way to face the then-division-leader. That said, the series also represented a test of their resilience and an opportunity to get right back into the thick of things in the American League. They passed the test with flying colors, even with their opponent going out of their way to exploit what’s been their biggest weakness. Perhaps Wednesday could be a turning point in the 2026 season.
New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) hits a double during the first inning on April 22, 2026.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Giancarlo Stanton has finally been cleared to take the next step in his rehab — involving continuous steps in motion, otherwise known as running.
The Yankees’ veteran designated hitter underwent another round of imaging on Tuesday that “showed a lot of improvement” in his right calf, manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday, allowing him to start a running progression outside this week.
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It still remains to be seen how long that process will take before Stanton is in a position to rejoin the Yankees from his calf strain — it typically builds up to running the bases — but the 36-year-old has been hitting all along, which should expedite his comeback.
Stanton had said last week that he was feeling better than the imaging had indicated — his last MRI on May 11 showed the strain still lingering — but Tuesday’s tests finally seemed to match up.
“I think he wants it fully clear, but I think we got enough news today that allows us to take that next step to where hopefully the running goes in line with how he’s feeling and we can start to ramp up,” Boone said before the series finale against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) hits a double during the first inning on April 22, 2026. Jason Szenes for the New York Post
“Hopefully not too much longer.”
The Yankees have missed Stanton during the month he has been out, not just the production but his presence as a right-handed bat in the middle of the lineup to better break up their left-handed heavy lineup.
Stanton and Jasson Domínguez could be on similar tracks for a return, as Domínguez is ramping up baseball activities this week from a mild AC joint sprain in his left shoulder. Boone said by next week, both Domínguez and Stanton could be in a position to take live batting practice, with a rehab assignment potentially to follow for Domínguez.
José Caballero started in left field Wednesday for the first time this season, with Anthony Volpe starting a third straight game at shortstop. Instead of playing third base (where Ryan McMahon slotted in) or second base (where Amed Rosario started), Caballero got his first outfield action of the year, allowing Boone to shift Cody Bellinger to center field and sit Trent Grisham against Royals left-hander Noah Cameron.
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That also meant a day off for Jazz Chisholm Jr., who was batting .400 with a 1.138 OPS over his last 12 games.
“With the stretch we’ve been in and getting some different personnel back now, opportunity to get a couple guys in there that I want to keep active,” Boone said.
The Yankees’ 24 hits on Tuesday were their most since July 30, 2011, a lineup that had Derek Jeter leading off against Orioles starter — and future Yankees reliever — Zack Britton.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 23: Christian Walker #8 of the Houston Astros hits a two-run home run in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on May 23, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Sage Zipeto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TONIGHT’S GAME: Tonight, the Houston Astros (24-32) and Texas Rangers (25-29) will play the 3rd game of a 4-game series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX.
RHP Mike Burrows (2-6, 5.75 ERA) will make his club-leading 11th start of the season as he takes on Rangers RHP Jacob deGrom (3-4, 3.86 ERA)
Rematch: Burrows faced off against deGrom in his only other career start/app. vs. TEX on June 20, 2025 at PNC Park (6-2 L, 4.2 IP, 4 ER).
ABOUT BURROWS: RHP Mike Burrows is making his club-leading 11th start of the season tonight.
This will be his 1st career app. at Globe Life Field and his 2nd career app. vs. the Rangers overall. His other was on June 20, 2025 at PNC Park while with the Pirates, also vs. RHP Jacob deGrom (6-2 L, 4.2 IP, 4 ER).
Burrows took the loss in his last start on May 20 at MIN (6 IP, 4 ER)
THE LAST TIME: In their matchup vs. RHP Jacob deGrom on May 16 at Daikin Park, the Astros tallied 4 solo HR off the Rangers ace en route to a 4-1 win. Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Christian Walker and Zach Cole all went deep. The 4 HR matched the most that deGrom has given up in a ML outing, the other time was July 7, 2017 vs. STL.
AIR YORDAN: Last night was the 23rd multi-HR game in Yordan Alvarez’s career. He has 3 HR in his last 2 games and is 2nd in the AL in HR overall with 18 (Murakami-19).
Alvarez enters tonight’s game leading the AL in OPS (1.046), SLG (.631) and TB (125).
ROSTER MOVE: Following last night’s game, the Astros optioned RHP Jason Alexander to Triple A Sugar Land.
To take his place on the active roster, the Astros recalled RHP Logan VanWey from Triple A Sugar Land today.
ON THE MEND: LHP Josh Hader and OF Joey Loperfido had their rehab assignments transferred to Triple A Sugar Land today.
ROADIES: Tonight is the 9th game (5-3 thus far) of a 10-game, 3-city road trip for HOU. HOU went 1-2 at MIN on the 1st stop of the trip, 3-0 over the weekend vs. the Cubs at Wrigley Field and are 1-1 vs. TEX thus far with 2 games left to play.
THE SILVER BOOT SERIES: The Astros are 3-2 vs. the Rangers thus far in the 2026 Silver Boot Series. They took 2 out of 3 from Rangers, May 1517 at Daikin Park in the 1st series.
Dating back to last season, HOU has won 6 of their last 8 games vs. TEX.
Even Series: The two clubs have played each other 297 times in the regular season in their franchise histories, with the Astros holding a slight advantage, 149-148.
Recently, the Astros have had the upper hand, winning or splitting nine straight season series, going 96-53 against the Rangers since the start of the 2017 season.
200 CLUB: The Astros next win will be #200 for manager Joe Espada. Espada’s very first managerial win came via a no-hitter by RHP Ronel Blanco on April 1, 2024.
FOR STARTERS: Astros starters have a combined ERA of 3.43 (24ER/63IP) over the last 11 games (since May 15) with a 1.06 WHIP. In that span, they have allowed just 36 hits in 63.0 for an AL-best .167 opp. avg.
During that time, HOU ranks 1st in the AL in opp. avg., 4th in WHIP and 7th in ERA. Additionally, Astros starters have allowed no runs 5 times in the last 11 games.
RECENT STROS: The Astros have won 4 of 5, 5 of 7 and 7 of their last 11 games.
WALKER, TEXAS HAMMER: 1B Christian Walker is on a sizzling run as of late with 4 HR and 9 RBI in hits last 4 games.
For the season, he has been one of the top hitters in the AL and is currently 2nd in the league lead in RBI with 40. Walker also ranks 6th in HR (15) and TB (108), 7th in SLG (.529) and 12th in OPS (.863).
Walker also has not committed an error in his 56 games played.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Astros have been one of the AL’s top hitting teams on the road in 2026.
Entering today’s game, HOU leads the AL in road runs scored (141) and batting avg. (.264) and ranks 2nd in OBP (.335), SLG (.423) and OPS (.759).
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1969 – In the Dome, Doug Rader’s walkoff grand slam in the bottom of the 9th lifts the Astros to a 6-2 win over the Phillies. RHP Don Wilson punches out 13 batters en route to the complete game victory.
2008 – Hunter Pence tallies a career-high 5 hits, helping to lead the Astros to an 8-2 win over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Pence ends up going 5-for-5 with 2 RBI in the win. He would add add one more 5-hit game to his career resume on July 25, 2013 while with SF.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, May 26, 7:05 p.m. CT
Location: Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KTRH 740 AM, KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
The Yankees have received some good news on Giancarlo Stanton.
Aaron Boone told reporters prior to Wednesday night’s series finale against the Royals that the latest MRI on Stanton’s right calf showed a lot of improvement.
The righty slugger will do some outside running this week, and the team is hopeful that he’ll be able to do some more baseball activities shortly after.
“We got enough news today to take that next step to where hopefully the running goes inline with how he’s feeling and we can start to ramp things up from there,” Boone said.
The Yanks still don’t have a timeline for Stanton’s potential return.
The team's regular DH will likely require a rehab assignment before working his way back into the mix, as he hasn't appeared in a game since April 24.
Stanton was enjoying a strong start to the season before going down with the injury, hitting .256 with 14 RBI and nine extra base-hits across 90 at-bats.
“Having him in the middle [of the batting order], his presence is massive,” Boone said. “Hopefully it’s not too much longer, we obviously want him back in there because his presence is real.”
Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi lashed a staggering 12 sixes to lead Rajasthan Royals to an IPL play-off showdown against Gujarat Titans after a 47-run drubbing of Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday.
David Sandlin makes his MLB debut on the mound tonight for the White Sox. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The White Sox look to take game three of this four-game set after dropping a game last night to the Twins. Yet another new face will make his debut tonight; this time, it’s pitcher David Sandlin. This debut is due to Noah Schultz’s injury; earlier this week, Schultz was placed on the 15-day injured list with right knee patellar tendinitis.
Sandlin, 25, began his professional career with the Royals in 2022. Kansas City traded him to Boston in 2024. The Red Sox then dealt the righty to the White Sox this past winter — along with Jordan Hicks, two players to be named later, and cash – in exchange for Gage Ziehl.
Back and forearm soreness forced Sandlin to start the season on the minor league injured list. Thankfully, between his first rehab start at High-A Winston-Salem and his latest outing for Triple-A Charlotte, he has found some success. He’s given up just 12 hits in 16 1/3 innings, striking out 26. His walk rate is high, but Sandlin didn’t allow an earned run until his most recent start.
Sandlin will square off against Connor Prielipp, who is 1-2 with an ERA of 4.03 over 29 innings. In his last six starts, Prielipp has given up 22 hits, 13 earned runs and 12 walks against 30 strikeouts.
First pitch is 6:40 pm CT. You can watch the game on CHSN or listen on ESPN Chicago 1000.
May 27, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) celebrates after pitching during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
It may have looked like an innocent groundball to second base to end an inning, but the 79.5 MPH easy roller off of the bat of Jackson Merrill that was gloved by Bryson Stott and thrown to Bryce Harper at first will prove to be historic. That’s because it was with that scoreless fourth inning, Cristopher Sánchez cemented himself in history by breaking the Phillies franchise all-time record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched with 41.2 innings, passing the 41-inning mark set by Grover Cleveland Alexander in 1911.
But Sánchez wasn’t done there, as he fired off seven scoreless innings to power the Phillies to a 3-0 win and a sweep over the Padres in San Diego, establishing another Phillies record with five consecutive starts of at least 7 scoreless innings and pushing his overall streak to 44 2/3 innings. Trea Turner homered for the second time in as many days and collected another RBI with a groundout to lead the offense behind Sánchez.
Not even his best day
Ironically enough, it did not look like Sánchez had his best stuff today. He allowed an infield single to Fernando Tatis Jr. to begin his day and Tatis quickly stole second, giving Sánchez more runners in scoring position than in his entire last start. He was able to erase that runner by getting Miguel Andujar to groundout thanks to a good pick on a low throw from Harper at first before collecting a strikeout and a pop up to end the inning.
The second inning brought more traffic for Sánchez to handle after back-to-back strikeouts to begin. Merrill punched a broken bat single into left before old friend Nick Castellanos followed with another single to left, moving Merrill to third. Sánchez then fell behind the nine-hole hitter Freddy Fermin 3-1 but was able to get him to groundout to Bohm on a good sinker to end the threat after 27 pitches in the inning.
The third was much easier, even if it did feature a scare and a near end to the streak. Sánchez struck out Tatis and Andujar to begin the frame but then allowed a towering fly ball to Gavin Sheets that died just short enough of the wall for it to fall harmlessly into the glove of Adolis Garcia in right field. However, the fourth inning started with another scare, as Manny Machado looked to have ripped a home run to left, but the ball came back and was caught just shy of the wall by Edmndo Sosa after traveling 356 feet. Ramón Laureano added a two out double in the inning, but advanced no further after Merrill grounded out to give Sánchez the record.
Sánchez had more in store though, as he threw another three scoreless innings to bring his total for the day to seven and his total for his streak to 44 2/3. He allowed six hits, walked none, and struck out nine on 100 pitches exactly.
Take a moment to consider what we're watching.
Longest scoreless inning streaks by LHP since 1900:
Carl Hubbell – 45 1/3 IP, 1933 Doc White – 45 IP, 1904 Cristopher Sanchez – 44 2/3 IP, 2026*
Sánchez made five starts in the month of May, totaling 39 innings while striking out 45 and walking only three, all while not allowing a run.
Backing him up
The Phillies offense finally got Sánchez the run support he needed in the sixth when Kyle Schwarber singled through the right side with two on, allowing Justin Crawford to score from second on a weak throw from Castellanos in right. Trea Turner added another run on a groundout to short and later added insurance with his second home run of the series into the third deck of the Western Metal Supply Company in left field.
Crawford meanwhile contributed defensively as well, as he made an Aaron Rowand-esque catch in the sixth to rob Machado and possibly help preserve Sánchez’ scoreless streak.
The Phillies turned to Jonathan Bowlan and José Alvarado to finish the game as their bullpen was short, and the pair combined for two scoreless innings with one hit allowed and two strikeouts to preserve the shutout that Sánchez started.
Next matchup
The Phillies will have off tomorrow before heading to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers on Friday. Zack Wheeler (4-0, 1.67) will take the mound for the Phillies at 10:15 pm on Apple TV.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 22: Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees warms up before the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on May 22, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s alive! The Yankees’ offense finally erupted Tuesday night and the result was absolutely beautiful. New York launched six home runs, every starter recorded at least two hits (a first in franchise history), and the Yankees buried Kansas City early in a historic offensive explosion. The Bombers reached base 29 times on 24 hits and completely overwhelmed the Royals in a 15-1 thumping. Now they will look to do it again tonight.
Speaking of tonight, the Yankees hand the ball to Gerrit Cole looking to complete the sweep. After missing all of 2025 and the opening portion of this season, Cole made his season debut against Tampa Bay last week returning like a knight after a long journey. Cole tossed six scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and striking out two across an efficient 72-pitch outing.
Perhaps most importantly, the right-hander looked comfortable, albeit a little rusty, and mostly in control throughout the night, limiting hard contact while posting a tidy 0.83 WHIP in his return. That is a good sign for the Yankees long-term considering how important Cole remains to the ceiling of this roster. Each early start will be under a microscope to make sure the stuff keeps ticking back towards normal. It is so nice to see Cole pitch again, here’s to hoping the train keeps picking up steam coming down the tracks in Kansas City!
Kansas City will counter with left-hander Noah Cameron, who enters tonight with a 2-3 record and a 4.72 ERA. The 25-year-old has shown decent swing-and-miss ability with 44 strikeouts already this season, though the Yankees will hope their suddenly awake lineup can continue building momentum against another left-handed starter.
The Royals enter tonight at 22-33 and are searching for answers offensively. Kansas City managed just one run Tuesday night, coming on a solo home run from superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. Beyond Witt, however, the lineup has struggled to consistently generate offense during a disappointing start to the season. If the summer sun does not heat the Royals up soon, they might be a club to keep tabs on for trade deadline purposes.
On the offensive side for the Yankees, Paul Goldschmidt gets the leadoff assignment tonight and is followed by the Yankees’ big three of Ben Rice, Aaron Judge, and Cody Bellinger. Amed Rosario also earns another start following his huge night, this time slotting in at second base in place of Jazz Chisholm Jr. After getting a teaser during last night’s blowout, José Caballero gets the start in left field tonight while Ryan McMahon rejoins the lineup at third base.
When the offense explodes like it did Tuesday night, it may feel fair to question why the “run it back” Yankees would not simply roll out the same lineup again. However, with an off day tomorrow and a flight further west looming, Aaron Boone is clearly trying to keep his finger on the pulse of this roster while balancing rest and momentum.
For the Yankees, tonight feels like an opportunity to keep stacking momentum like poker chips. The offense finally broke loose, the bullpen’s regulars got the night off, and now the Yankees have one of the best competitors in baseball on the mound for his second start of the season with a sweep in hand if they can win their 14th straight game over Kansas City.
How to watch:
Location: Kauffman Stadium — Kansas City, MO
First pitch: 7:40 pm EDT
TV Broadcast: Amazon Prime Video | Royals.TV
Radio Broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | 96.5 The Fan, Royals Radio Network (KC)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - MAY 26: Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers celebrates at second base after hitting an RBI double during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field on May 26, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
UNDATED: Manager Davey Johnson of the New York Mets sit on the dugout during a season game. Davey Johnson managed the New York Mets from 1984-1990. (Photo by: Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds have brooms on their mind tonight in Queens, as they’ve already taken the first two games of the three game series against the New York Mets on the road in Citi Field. Now, they’ll send Andrew Abbott to the mound in the best form of his season to help make it happen.
Dating back to April 30th, Abbott has fired 28.0 IP across 5 starts, yielding just 3 ER in the process (good for a 1.29 ERA). He’s out-pitching his peripherals – something he’d done repeatedly over the last two excellent seasons – and is once again making it known that his approach to inducing weak contact might actually be a path to success given his left-handed arsenal.
Huascar Brazoban is who stands in the way of the red-hot Reds offense, at least to begin things. He’s a reliever by trade, so we’ll maybe see just a pair of innings from him before the Mets lean deeper into their bullpen.
First pitch is set for 7:10 PM ET. Lineups for both clubs are listed below!
The Cincinnati Reds, ranked third in the NL Central with a 29-25 record, face the New York Mets, who are fifth in the NL East with a 22-33 record. The New York Mets are favored with a -120 moneyline compared to the Cincinnati Reds' +100. Starting pitchers are Andrew Abbott for Cincinnati, with a 3.97 ERA, and Huascar Brazobán for New York, with a 1.73 ERA.
