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HOUSTON — Entering Friday, only one player in the big leagues had lost more automated ball-strike system challenges than José Caballero, but none had won more than the Yankees shortstop.

Taking into account the situations in which Caballero has challenged and been unsuccessful — not necessarily the highest-leverage spots — some have looked worse than others on the way to being 5-for-10.

And while Aaron Boone said it is “possible” that he could get to a point where he would tell a player to stop challenging, the Yankees manager is not yet at that stage with anyone just a month into the ABS era.

That said, Boone has had conversations with Caballero about some of his challenges.

“Firm,” Boone said with a grin of the nature of those conversations. “Quite firm.”

It would not be surprising if Boone had a similar conversation with Jazz Chisholm Jr. after Friday’s 12-4 win over the Astros, following his horrific challenge on a 3-2 pitch in the ninth inning that was not close to being a ball.

“You just gotta laugh, at that point,” Chisholm said. “We were winning, it’s a kid’s game. You got to laugh at some things. Sometimes you just got to laugh at yourself and walk off. Did get fined a thousand dollars, but it’s OK.”

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Chisholm, who is 1-for-6 in challenges, indicated it was his second fine of the season.

“I put that as myself fining myself,” he said. “I got to do something for the team worth at least $1,000 after that.”

Coming into Friday’s series opener, Caballero was tied for the major league lead with five successful challenges. But his five unsuccessful challenges were tied for the second most, trailing only Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr., who had six.

Meanwhile, Caballero could be in his last week as the Yankees’ starting shortstop as Anthony Volpe is nearing a return from the injured list — perhaps as soon as the beginning of the homestand next Friday.

Boone said he was “not necessarily anticipating” Volpe returning on the last stop of this road trip against the Rangers in a series that runs Monday through Wednesday.

Carlos Rodón looking sharp in his first rehab start for the @HVRenegades.

The @Yankees southpaw racks up 4 K's over 4 1/3 scoreless innings and tosses 43 of his 65 pitches for strikes. pic.twitter.com/AhTDQZSW2f

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) April 25, 2026

Carlos Rodón began his rehab assignment Friday night at High-A Hudson Valley, throwing 65 pitches across 4 ¹/₃ scoreless innings.

The left-hander, who struck out four and allowed just one hit and one walk, is expected to need at least two more rehab starts before he might be ready to return to the Yankees rotation.

Rodón is expected to come back before Gerrit Cole, who threw 52 pitches in his second rehab start Thursday night.

“I thought [Cole] looked really good,” Boone said. “Another good step for him. I didn’t hear how he’s doing yet [Friday], I’m assuming everything was fine, but I thought he looked good. … Overall, his fastball’s in a pretty good place, both four-seam and two-seam.”

Fernando Cruz and Ryan Yarbrough both pitched Friday for the first time in over a week.

Cruz gave up a pair of solo home runs in the seventh inning before Yarbrough closed out the game with a pair of scoreless frames.

Ryan Weathers is expected to return from the paternity list to start Saturday’s game.

Devin Williams spent Thursday night with some of his new pitching coaches with the Mets looking at video of what’s gone wrong for him this season. 

“He’s not feeling sorry for himself,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of the closer, who has been scored upon in each of his last four appearances and allowed multiple base runners in six straight outings heading into Friday’s 4-3 loss to the Rockies in which he did not pitch. 

“They’re looking for what’s missing here,’’ Mendoza said. “He knows what he needs to do to get out of it. He’ll continue to get opportunities [as closer].” 

Williams’ changeup, which helped make him one of the most dominant relievers in the game — at least until Pete Alonso homered off him in the 2024 playoffs — has been hit hard this season, as batters are feasting on it. 

President of baseball operations David Stearns said Williams’ “changeup hasn’t been exactly where he wants it yet.” 

And his four-seam fastball hasn’t been much more effective. 

Pitching coach Justin Willard said they are working on some minor tweaks and said he does not believe Williams is pitching poorly because of playing in New York — even as he’s struggled as a closer in The Bronx and Queens. 

“That guy has the slowest heartbeat I’ve ever been around,” Willard said. “It’s not the atmosphere. It’s minor tweaks to get him back to the level he wants to be at, which is one of the best to have ever done this.” 

The rest of the bullpen is a bit of a mess, as well, with the Mets going with David Peterson, Sean Manaea and Tobias Myers — all options to be in the rotation — pitching in relief. 

Mendoza acknowledged Friday that might not be sustainable — and that was before Manaea threw 3 ¹/₃ innings out of the bullpen in Friday’s loss, striking out seven and throwing 61 pitches. 

Before the game, Christian Scott was optioned to Syracuse after he struggled Thursday in his return from Tommy John surgery. Scott walked five in just 1 ¹/₃ innings, but the move to Triple-A was not a product of his poor outing, according to Mendoza. 

“It had nothing to do with [Thursday] night,’’ the manager said. “The message was, ‘Flush that one, go back and you’re going to start a lot of games here.’ ” 

Since they needed an arm capable of providing length out of the pen, veteran right-hander Carl Edwards Jr. was recalled from Triple-A. 

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The 34-year-old Edwards has spent parts of 11 seasons in the majors. 

Peterson, who has pitched well in long relief after three straight poor starts, may replace Scott in the rotation and will almost certainly pitch on Wednesday, either in a start or after an opener. 

Kodai Senga starts Saturday after two of the worst outings of his career. 

Despite his subpar performance, Stearns said a move to the bullpen hasn’t been considered. 

“We’ve seen flashes from Kodai,” Stearns said. “We haven’t seen consistency. We’re banking on the flashes and him continuing to get into the rhythm of the season, but we need more consistency.” 

Jorge Polanco, nursing a right wrist contusion and a sore left Achilles, began baseball activities Friday, but is “week to week” according to Stearns. 

Whenever he does return, the Mets still hope to include him in the first base mix since they want flexibility at DH, especially with Juan Soto still being protected after his return from his calf strain. … The Mets have lost the opening game of their last five series. 

Through the heartbreak, an underdog became a big-leaguer originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

CHICAGO — A few hours before hitting cleanup in Wrigley Field on Wednesday, Felix Reyes reached under his red practice jersey and pulled out the pendant he wears around his neck, a constant reminder of his No. 1 supporter.

“Every at-bat, every game, he’s always here,” the 25-year-old Phillies rookie said.

The pendant features a small photo of Reyes and his dad, also named Felix. The photo was taken in February 2024, back home in the Dominican Republic, just a few months before Felix Sr., was struck by a car and killed at age 62 in the family’s hometown of Bani.

When young Felix was called up to the majors from Triple A last week, folks throughout the Phillies’ player development system and Latin American scouting and development departments quietly rejoiced.

“He’s an unbelievable kid, an unbelievable human, the kind you’d like to see your daughter bring home,” said Sal Agostinelli, the organization’s longtime international scouting boss who now serves as a special adviser in that department.

“Everybody loves him. He’s humble. Polite. He’s dedicated to his family. He’s worked his butt off to get where he is.

“We’re like a big family here. Felix has gone through a lot. That’s why we’re all so happy for him. It couldn’t happen to a better guy.”

Though physically imposing at 6-4, 256 pounds, Reyes is a baseball underdog. Like most young players from the Dominican Republic, he hoped to be signed at age 16, but was repeatedly passed over because he didn’t run well, didn’t have a true defensive position. Luis Garcia, a Phillies scout in the DR, always liked Reyes’ bat, however. He kept tabs on the kid as he moved around the diamond, even trying pitching at one point in an effort to catch a team’s eye.

Garcia eventually convinced another DR-based Phillies scout, Carlos Salas, to take a look. He, too, saw potential in the bat. They took some video and sent it to Agostinelli. For the bargain rate of $10,000, the Phillies took a chance and signed Reyes. He was already 19, a late signee by international standards. Maybe the late signee would be a late bloomer.

As Reyes was being passed over by other teams in the DR, he thought of quitting baseball.

His father would not let him.

“My dad introduced me to the game when I was a kid,” Reyes said with Phillies’ Spanish language interpreter Diego D’Aniello lending a hand. “He always took me to the field. I always say that after God, he’s the reason I’m with the Phillies organization right now because at one point I wanted to be done with the game. He’s the one who talked to me all the time and insisted I keep playing.”

Reyes’ journey through pro ball has been a slow climb. He signed during the pandemic and spent three years in the low minors bouncing between corner infield and outfield positions, trying to capitalize on his signature tool, his bat. He made it full-time to High A Jersey Shore in 2024 and had an outstanding showing in winter ball in Columbia following that season. Still, at the start of the 2025 season, there wasn’t a roster spot for Reyes in the minors, so he had to stay in extended spring training. Some privately say the team was considering releasing him. Others say the Phillies simply wanted him to get more at-bats before being assigned to Double A Reading.

Either way, Reyes finally got to Reading a few weeks into the season and when he did, he took off, solidifying himself on the organization’s radar screen in 95 games there.

Reyes led the Eastern League in batting average (.335), doubles (34), slugging (.572) and OPS (.937). He hit 15 homers and was league MVP.

Edwar Gonzalez, in his first season as the big club’s assistant hitting coach, watched Reyes’ development in his previous role as minor-league hitting coordinator. Gonzalez saw an improved hitter and student of the game in 2025.

“The previous winter in Columbia, that’s when he started turning the page,” Gonzalez said. “He had an amazing season there. He learned what pitchers were trying to do to him and he took that into our season. His attention to detail improved. He bought into his routine, started taking more advantage of resources and little by little got better. He bought into game-planning. He studied pitchers. Those qualities had previously been questionable. But in 2025, he was a different player. He showed great maturity.”

That happens when life hits you hard.

And Gonzalez knows how hard life hit Reyes.

Reyes had just finished a game with the Jersey Shore club on May 28, 2024. He retreated to the clubhouse and was blindsided by dozens of voice mails and texts on his phone. Earlier that day, his father, an electrical technician, had been struck by a car and killed while walking on a street back home. His younger sister, Yasmil, was injured in the accident, but survived thanks to her quick-thinking father, who was able to get her far enough out of the way to avoid full impact.

Gonzalez called Reyes that night.

“We connect with these players and we care about them,” Gonzalez said. “As soon as he heard my voice, he started crying and screaming on the phone.”

After the accident, Reyes returned to the DR and spent two weeks with his mom, Juanamaria, and five siblings, two who still live at home. While at home, Reyes experienced a wide range of emotions, from heartbreak to resolve. He realized how much his family needed him. The best way to be there for them was to continue to follow the dream he shared with his dad.

“My faith in God has helped me a lot,” he said. “It’s been one of the keys to keep me going. I’ve been through a lot of difficult times. It has helped me be stronger and move on for me and my family.

“I believe my dad is grateful to me for the way I’ve taken care of our family after everything that has happened. In the same way, I’ll always be grateful to him and never forget all he did.”

Gonzalez is amazed by the strength Reyes has shown.

“Something like what he went through can crush a person,” he said. “But he does the opposite. He keeps fighting. He doesn’t stop throwing punches. We were talking when he moved up. I told him, ‘You’re here because you’re doing great things.’

“It’s one of the most amazing stories I’ve seen in my career.”

Reyes’ journey to the majors included a storybook moment, a home run in his first big-league at-bat last week. The Phillies are struggling mightily and are searching for offense. There are still flaws in Reyes’ game, such as plate discipline, but he’s shown the ability to improve and if he continues to do that, the opportunities will continue to come.

Baseball is a performance-based business. Reyes understands that. He understands a lot of things now. And he knows the man on the pendant he wears around his neck is with him every step of the way.

“This was our dream,” Felix Reyes said. “I think he’s proud.”

Emmet Sheehan’s night started with a PitchCom issue.

There weren’t many hiccups for the Dodgers starter after that.

But, somehow, Los Angeles still lost.

The 26-year-old right-hander dominated the red-hot Cubs on Friday, but a Dodgers bullpen implosion saddled Los Angeles with a stunning 6-4 defeat at Dodger Stadium.

“He did a great job,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of his starter. “It’s just unfortunate that we couldn’t get him a win. Because he pitched his tail off.”

Sheehan, who entered with a 5.85 ERA, struck out seven of the first nine batters he faced and appeared to have control of all his pitches.

His fastball velocity — the subject of much consternation earlier this year — dipped from 95-96 mph to 92-93 mph in the fourth inning, though it came back up later.

Sheehan ultimately went 6 1/3 innings and tied his career high with 10 strikeouts. He allowed four hits and one walk.

His pristine line, however, was scuffed up in the seventh, when Alex Vesia replaced him following a Moises Ballesteros base hit. Vesia gave up two knocks, hanging one earned run on Sheehan while adding two to his own ledger.

Blake Treinen relieved Vesia an inning later and surrendered a solo shot to Alex Bregman — who was booed throughout the game — that tied the game at four.

Tanner Scott ultimately yielded the game-winning runs in the top of the ninth after Dansby Swanson took him deep to left.

Asked about his bullpen usage after the game, Roberts said, “I wouldn’t do anything different.”

“We all gotta do our parts,” he added. “Just tonight, we didn’t get it done.”

Offensively, the Dodgers started sleepily against Chicago righty Jameson Taillon, but after Hyeseong Kim recorded the team’s first hit in the third inning, they briefly woke up.

Alex Freeland worked a walk following the Kim hit, and two batters later, Will Smith plated Freeland and Kim with a three-run home run to right field.

The Dodgers tacked on another run in the fourth via a Kim single, but that’s all they’d score the rest of the night.

What it means

Baseball fans everywhere know the Dodgers are almost certainly the real deal, but they’ve sure been scuffling. They’re now losers of five of their last eight — and have some real bullpen questions.

Who’s hot

Hyeseong Kim. After a two-hit afternoon against the Giants on Thursday, the shortstop logged two more hits in the series opener against the Cubs. He scored a run, plated another and stole a bag, too. He had another hit taken away in the seventh thanks to a wild defensive play by the Cubs.

In his last four games, Kim has five hits, three RBIs and two steals.

Who’s not

Shohei Ohtani. The four-time MVP has found himself in quite the rut at the plate. After going 0-for-9 in the final two games of LA’s road series with San Francisco, he’s 0-for-3 to start things off vs. Chicago.

During one of his at-bats early in the contest, he didn’t look comfortable at all, with his helmet falling off his head on a bad swing and a miss.

Roberts, though, told reporters he thought “there was a better effort” from his star slugger.

“Obviously,” the manager said, “the results aren’t what we would hope for. But, yeah, I thought today was better.”

Up next

The Cubs and Dodgers will square off again at Dodger Stadium on Saturday at 4:15 p.m.

The Chicago Cubs (17-9) came into the series against the Dodgers (17-9) red hot having won nine straight games, their longest winning streak in 10 years. The Cubs couldn’t touch Emmet Sheehan in the series opener Friday at Dodger Stadium, but as soon as he came out Chicago pounced on the L.A. bullpen and scored six unanswered runs for the 6-4 comeback win.

Sheehan’s slider stifled the Chicago batters in the series opener, and he started the night with two perfect innings and four strikeouts. Ultimately, Sheehan wasn’t involved in the decision but struck out 10 in 6 1/3 and on 101 pitches in his most dominant start of the season.

With two outs in the third, Will Smith powered an opposite field three-run home run off a Taillon four-seam fastball to give the Dodgers the first lead of the game.

The first base hit of the night against Sheehan, a ground-rule double, came off the bat of old friend Michael Busch in the top of the fourth.

Andy Pages continues to impress. Busch tested the arm of Pages for some unknown reason with a three-run deficit. Alex Bregman singled to center, and Pages charged and fired a bullet to cut down Busch at the plate. Smith made a great tag as well to preserve the shutout for Sheehan.

It was the first outfield assist for Pages on the season but likely not the last.

Hyeseong Kim drove in Max Muncy, again with two outs, to tack on a fourth run for the Dodgers in the bottom of the fourth.

The Cubbies had runners at the corners with one out in the sixth looking to battle back. The Chicago batters adjusted, waiting on Sheehan’s slider. Dansby Swanson was hit by a pitch, and Busch singled him to third with his second hit of the game.

Sheehan earned his ninth strike out of the night when Bregman swung through a slider. Whiff No. 10 came from an ABS challenge initiated by Smith. Once again Smith used ABS to snag an extra strike back. Ian Happ went down on strikes, and the Cubs remained off the board through six.

It was the calm before the Chicago storm. After Sheehan was relieved in the seventh the Cubs attacked a shaky Dodgers pen.

Alex Vesia came in to take over for Sheehan with one out, and he was unable to hold off the late-inning Chicago offense. Vesia walked Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Swanson tripled to center field. Pages crashed against the wall, but he was unable to make the catch. Two runs came in to break up the shutout and put the Cubs right back in the game.

Nico Hoerner singled in Swanson, and all of a sudden it was a one-run game. Vesia reared back to strike out Busch and prevent the Cubs from tying the game at least momentarily.

Defense was on display by the Cubs in the home half of the seventh. Pages received a taste of his own medicine when he was thrown out in an attempt to stretch a double into a triple. Hoerner also dazzled with the glove to get the speedy Kim out at first.

Alex Freeland singled with two outs against Ryan Rolison to extend the inning and bring up Ohtani. The arguably slumping slugger struck out for the third time on the night.

Alex Bregman hit a bomb off Blake Treinen in the eighth to tie it 4-4. Happ singled. Moisés Ballesteros doubled but was thrown out at the plate by Kim’s relay from Pages. Another spot-on tag from Smith erased another run at the plate to keep it tied.

Tanner Scott continued to mightily struggle on the mound this year. Swanson completed the onslaught on the L.A. bullpen with a two-run home run to seal the deal on the come-from-behind victory.

The Cubs are going to be a problem.

Friday particulars

Home runs: Will Smith (3), Alex Bregman (3), Dansby Swanson (6)

WP — Ryan Rolison (1-0): 3 IP, 2 hits, no runs, no walks, 1 strikeout (35 pitches)

LP — Tanner Scott (0-1): 2/3 IP, 2 hits, 2 runs, no walks, no strikeouts (17 pitches)

Sv — Corbin Martin (1): 1 IP, 1 strikeout

Up next

Roki Sasaki (0-2, 6.11 ERA, 1.87 WHIP) looks for a dominant start after failing to find consistency as a starter thus far this season (4:15 p.m.; FOX). Colin Rea (3-0, 3.00 ERA, 1.04 WHIP) starts for Chicago.

It didn’t take long for the Giants to fall back to earth after taking two of three from the Dodgers.

The Marlins pounced on Adrian Houser and handed San Francisco a 9-4 loss.

Houser surrendered eight runs, all earned, on a career-high 11 hits, two of which left the yard, and took his third loss of the season Friday night to open a three-game series against Miami at Oracle Park.

The Marlins (13-13) led 8-0 by the end of the second inning, which was more than enough behind Sandy Alcantara, who only allowed the Giants (11-15) to turn nine hits into three runs across six frames.

Rafael Devers and Willy Adames were the only Giants kept off the bases as the team banged out 11 hits, matching their seventh-best total of the season. They are 6-0 when totaling 12 or more hits.

Jung Hoo Lee sent a solo shot on a hop into McCovey Cove in the eighth inning. His second home run of the season gave Lee his third hit of the night and the Giants their fourth run for the first time in five games.

What it means

The Giants rode their arms to a series win over the Dodgers. But since their season reached an early apex with Wednesday’s shutout win that clinched the series, they’ve dropped their past two games. They fell to 1-4 behind Houser, who remains their only starter yet to earn a win.

Who’s hot

Luis Arraez hit safely in the 19th game of the 25 he has played this season, raising his batting average to .320 with a 3-for-5 night. Arraez provided the only hit in Thursday’s shutout loss, and his second opposite-field single Friday night drove in Eric Haase with two outs for the Giants’ third run of the fifth inning.

The pitching staff had been on a roll, with the lowest ERA in MLB over the past week entering the game (2.22), but that was quickly put to a halt when the Marlins jumped all over Houser.

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Who’s not

Houser’s ERA swelled to 7.36 as he allowed at least four earned runs for the fourth consecutive start. The Marlins scored on him in all four innings he touched the rubber in his worst outing of the season, culminating in a three-run home run from Connor Norby that extended Miami’s lead to 8-0.

Adames’ 0-for-5 performance dropped him to 2-for-28 with 13 strikeouts over his past six games.

Devers’ OPS stands at .565 after striking out twice and grounding into a double play. He had a chance to stunt Miami’s momentum when he stepped into the box already down 3-0 in the bottom of the first.

With runners on first and third and one out, Devers rolled over on an 0-1 sinker and allowed the Marlins to turn two and escape the jam. It was the sixth double play Devers has hit into in 26 games, tied for the second-most in MLB. The Giants, meanwhile, are tied for the league lead with 24 as a team.

Up next

The Giants host the Marlins for two more to wrap up their home stand, and they will have to win both to take a third consecutive series after stringing together two in a row for the first time this season.

LHP Robbie Ray (2-3, 2.86) gets the ball against RHP Eury Pérez (2-1, 4.15) in a Saturday matinee.