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The dingers were finally flying yesterday, and I hit a monster +1040 homer to help my crawl out of the early-season basement.

The weather is turning, and the balls are flying. It's time to hit the MLB player props and back the bats on Dinger Tuesday.

I'm leaning on some familiar names today, but at prices I like in these settings and matchups.

Very few people are hitting the ball on the screws with a harder swing than Oneil Cruz, Pete Alonso has found his power and is the bat to back in Baltimore today, and Hunter Goodman and the Rockies could be trotting around the bags tonight vs. Houston's lousy pitching.

These are my favorite home run props for Tuesday, April 14.

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Oneil Cruz	+330
Pete Alonso	+390
Hunter Goodman	+410
💲Today's HR parlay	+10395

Oneil Cruz (+330)

When I go square, I want all the checkmarks, and I’m getting them in this Pittsburgh Pirates spot.

Oneil Cruz is a Top-5 hitter in baseball in swing speed and leads all batters in Blast Contact%, a stat that combines fast swings with barrels. Swing hard and square it up — simple.

Cruz gets a heavenly matchup vs. Miles Mikolas, who might be looking for a new job soon. Mikolas has been getting lit up, allowing 19 runs in just over 12 innings with five home runs surrendered.

He’s unlikely to go deep, and Pittsburgh should also get cracks at a taxed Nationals bullpen after hanging 16 runs on them last night. There might be four arms unavailable today from that Washington pen.

Elite form, double-digit winds blowing out, a great matchup, and a depleted bullpen all point to upside. I’m willing to go a bit shorter here at +330 and would still play it down to +300.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet Pittsburgh, Nationals.TV

Pete Alonso (+390)

There were seven homers hit at Camden Yards yesterday, with one coming off the bat of Pete Alonso, who is +EV for a dinger today at +390 with a fair price around +340, per THE BAT.

It’s another great setting with double-digit winds blowing out and Merrill Kelly making his first start of the season before handing it over to a bullpen that got tagged for seven runs over just nine outs yesterday.

Alonso is the bat to target in this lineup, boasting the best Blast Contact% numbers in the clubhouse — roughly double that of Gunnar Henderson.

The final piece is familiarity. Alonso has seen Kelly 19 times, which leans in the hitter’s favor, and the Polar Bear has gone deep three times in those matchups.

• Time: 6:35 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN, Dbacks.TV

Hunter Goodman (+410)

The Colorado Rockies are checking some home run boxes in tonight’s matchup with the Houston Astros. Houston is dealing with injuries to its rotation, which brings in Triple-A lefty Colton Gordon.

That also opens the door to a vulnerable bullpen, as the Astros are one of just two teams with a HR/9 north of 2.00.

Hunter Goodman is the target in this solid indoor matchup. He’s one of the few hitters with familiarity against Gordon and has already taken him deep in just two plate appearances. He also hits lefties much better.

Goodman brings legit power metrics, with one of the fastest swings in baseball at 79 mph, ranking 19th this season. The fair price sits in the +340 to +350 range, giving this +410 number clear value.

• Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Rockies.TV, SCHN

Today’s HR parlay

Oneil Cruz	Bet Now +10395
Pete Alonso
Hunter Goodman

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

Welcome to Tuesday everyone!

Yesterday saw the Athletics’ five-game winning streak come to an end in their first game back home in a week. They didn’t look all that ready for the Texas Rangers last night as Luis Severino’s home struggles continued again. Last night’s game was his first start back in Sacramento since last year, when he pitched to a 6.01 ERA in front of the home crowd across 16 starts. The hope was that last year was a severe anomaly but it seems that Sevy genuinely does not like pitching in a minor league ballpark. Everyone’s on the same playing field but the veteran right-hander is going from pitching in New York, with two brand-new stadiums, to a Triple-A field. That would make any of us frustrated and it seems like that trend might continue in 2026.

What should the A’s do? Do they really have any other options other than to continue trotting him out there and hoping for the best? The team can’t seriously consider skipping home starts for the expensive right-hander, but that is starting to feel like the only option at this point. Obviously can’t hide him from Sutter Health Park all season long but it doesn’t feel out of the question to maybe skip a couple of his home starts. For reference he was fantastic on the road last season with a 3.02 ERA in 14 starts last year. That’s the pitcher the A’s were hoping they were getting when they shelled out that record-breaking contract.

Anyway, it’s now it’s time for the guys to brush themselves off and get back in the win column tonight. The team is still within striking distance of first place, just one game behind the Rangers. If the team can pull out the W this evening that would put us back into a tie for first place in the AL West, something the team hasn’t been able to claim this late in a season in a long, long time. The Rangers currently sit atop the standings so it’s a perfect opportunity to knock our rivals down, retake a tie for the division lead, and start a brand new winning streak. It’ll be left-hander Jeffrey Springs on the bump for the home team tonight while the Rangers will counter with their own lefty in MacKenzie Gore.

It makes sense that the A’s were a bit tired. The MLB schedule makers didn’t do the A’s any favors in the early going, giving us 12 road games out of 15 to start the season. The A’s will like those extra home games they’ll have saved up later in the season but these early couple of weeks couldn’t have been much fun for the guys, who have to live out of suitcases when heading to other cities. And the teams they have been visiting aren’t slouches. They’ve done well to stay above water during these early couple weeks of the long season.

The loss that snapped our winning streak wasn’t the only bad news that came out of yesterday’s contest. Third baseman Max Muncy was hit on his hand by a pitch in the bottom of the fifth inning, and soon after departed:

That immediately put A’s fans on edge since the A’s don’t have much depth at the hot corner behind the 23-year-old. The former 1st-round pick is quietly off to a fine start this season, slashing .317/.349/.533 with two home runs and five RBI’s. That’s been a major boost for the offense in these early games, though he is sporting a concerning 22/2 K/BB ratio that leads cause for concern of a drop off down the line.

It seems that the club dodged a bullet however as Muncy’s injury is only being called a hand contusion. He’s likely going to be out of the lineup tonight in favor of Darell Hernaiz, but the hope is that Muncy only misses a game or two. The club should be thankful that Muncy is only dealing with a contusion and not a full-on fracture. It’s been fun getting to watch Muncy finding success in the early going but they’ll have to hit the pause button until they’re sure he’s healthy and ready to go.

That’s all we got this morning guys. Have a good one A’s fans.

A’s Coverage:

• Saturday Potpourri As A’s Reach For .500
• A’s Drop Series Opener to the Rangers 8-1
• A’s Sweep the Mets!
• A’s roster moves: Rooker to IL, Gelof recalled
• A’s roster moves: Jack Perkins recalled, Michael Kelly optioned
• Luis Morales Optioned to Triple-A
• A’s Add Former Yankees Reliever as Bullpen Depth Option
• Armchair 101: The Challenge Of Judging Decisions In Real Time
• A’s Biggest Camp Question is Already Becoming a Strength in 2026
• Extensions To Colt Emerson And Konnor Griffin A New Trend?
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Observes The Wild Denzelope In Its Natural Habitat
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Toes The Rubber With Pitching Coach Scott Emerson
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Catches Up With Starting Pitcher Jacob Lopez

MLB News and Interest:

• Blue Jays acquire Lenyn Sosa from White Sox
• Orioles manager Alberaz okay after getting hit in face with foul ball
• Red Sox ace Crochett hammered for 11 runs, 9 hits
• Mets lose sixth in a row: “Just got to ride this storm”
• Trout, Judge among NINE players to hit multiple home runs in same day
• Gerrrit Cole, Carlos Rodon nearing rehab assignments
• Diamondbacks move starter Brandon Pfaadt to bullpen
• Hitting with ‘freedom’, Cardinals’ Walker continues historic stretch of homers
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Jesus:

Can Gelof be a legitimate option up the middle on the grass?

Every man knows the pain. Owch:

This was supposed to be the year for Cade Cavalli, but so far things are off to a rocky start. After a dominant Spring Training, Cavalli was rewarded with an Opening Day start. However, things have not gone according to plan since then, with strike-throwing becoming a serious issue for the 27 year old.

The situation reached a boiling point last night, when Cavalli was unable to get out of the second inning against the Pirates. He looked sharp in the first, but he totally lost the zone in the second. Cavalli was all over the place, walking three batters in the inning, including walking in a run. There were too many uncompetitive misses, which you can see by looking at his pitch chart.

This is a problem for the Nats because Cavalli is the one guy in the rotation with premium stuff. As a starting pitcher though, you have to locate even if you do have a nasty arsenal. Right now, Cavalli is walking 6.89 batters per 9 innings, which is just untenable.  

Last season, Cavalli’s command within the strike zone left something to be desired, but his pure control was solid. He only walked 6.8% of batters, which is part of what made me bullish entering the season. It seemed like that control was heading in the right direction, and with further refinement, he had the ceiling of a number two starter.

My optimism only grew during Spring Training as well. Cavalli’s command and stuff looked sharper than ever. He only walked two batters in 14 spring innings. Cavalli was also deepening his pitch mix by adding a sweeper and was getting rave reviews from his coaches. It really seemed like we had a breakout candidate on our hands and that Cavalli would soften the blow of the MacKenzie Gore trade.

So far, that has not happened, which is a bit worrisome. At 27 years old, Cavalli needed this to be the year where he broke out. He was finally healthy for a full offseason and we know what his stuff looks like at his best. Last season was supposed to be the sneak peak, while this year was the true coming out party.

The Nationals were clearly relying on Cavalli to do this as well. There is a reason he got the Opening Day nod and had been pumped up publicly. This starting rotation was a question mark entering the season, but Cavalli was meant to be the guy to answer a lot of those questions.

With a mid to upper 90’s heater, a wipeout curveball, a new sweeper, and an underrated changeup, Cavalli has all the weaponry. However, he has been less than the sum of his parts so far in his career. He still does not really know how to sequence his pitches or get his way out of jams. That is part of the process of growing up as a pitcher, and Cavalli needs to grow up quickly.

His stuff will give him plenty of chances, but at a certain point, you have to wonder about Cavalli’s future as a starting pitcher. To be a starter in the big leagues, you need polish and command. Cavalli has not shown those attributes in his career so far. A move to the bullpen should not be on the table this season, but if these struggles continue, it should be a topic to consider in the future.

Cavalli has the stuff, but he does not have the feel. Last night, he just was not throwing strikes, but even when he is in the zone things can be problematic. His lack of precision is a big reason why Cavalli gets way fewer strikeouts than he should with his stuff. Even last year, he only struck out 18.3% of hitters. Maybe the best path for him long term is to just let his fastball and curve rip in the bullpen where command does not matter as much.

I really hope it does not come to that though, and I still think he has a chance to turn it around. His stuff is just too good to quit. However, at a certain point, the results need to come for the right hander. 

Even last night, he will tease you with what he can be. In that first inning, I thought his stuff was the sharpest it has been all season. His fastball consistently touched 98 MPH and his curveball had crazy bite. That sinker he struck out Nick Yorke with was just such a ridiculous pitch, and why he is so tantalizing. If only he could put his fastball in that spot on a consistent basis.

Then you see the second inning, and you begin to wonder about this guy. He walked the speedy Konnor Griffin on four pitches, and then clearly got in his own head. Cavalli became more focused on Griffin than the batter at the plate. Once he fell behind hitters, he either served up something down the middle that they handled, or he just walked them.

Seeing a pitcher of Cavalli’s talent level just drowning out there was frustrating to watch. The Nats are relying on Cavalli to be good. If he is not good, this staff is in real trouble. Foster Griffin and Zack Littell can be dependable arms, but they do not have the stuff to be high end starters. They can be solid, but you want your best pitchers to be better than solid.

However, we are at the point where being a league average arm makes you one of the Nats better pitchers. Spring Training truly seems to be a mirage that was driven by the pitcher friendly environment in West Palm Beach. Both the Nats and Astros, who they share a stadium with,  pitched well, but struggled with the bats this spring. Once the season started, the opposite has been the case for both teams.

We are really seeing how far away this Nats pitching staff is from being competent. They just lack the talent to be successful. Things get even worse when a talented arm like Cavalli is struggling to figure it out. The Nats need Cavalli to figure it out, or their pitching staff will be even worse than the awful unit they put out last season.

Cade Cavalli has the stuff, but we can’t wait forever to see if that light will turn on. He turns 28 later this year, so he can’t be a developmental player much longer. We need to see the development take place, and we need to see it soon.

Kyle Tucker is off to a slow start in his first season with the Dodgers, hitting just .237/.352/.305 in the early going after walking twice in four plate appearances on Monday.

Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic earlier Monday talked to Tucker and hitting coach Aaron Bates about the outfielder’s early struggles:

“I think he’s probably trying a little bit hard,” hitting coach Aaron Bates told The Athletic. “He’s just getting settled in a little bit. Everyone’s always trying hard, so I don’t want to say it that way, but it’s more so (that he’s) trying to force it, maybe force hits.”

Roki Sasaki hasn’t been effective in his three starts so far this season, including Sunday’s loss, but the Dodgers plan to keep starting him in the major league rotation for the time being.

Dylan Hernández at the California Post surmised that Sasaki’s leash might only extend until Blake Snell can return from the injured list, which is expected at some point in late May.

Maddie Lee at the Los Angeles Times wrote about Sunday’s start, with Sasaki still trying to find a way to pitch deeper into games.

With the 79th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s Dodgers debut coming Wednesday, Anthony Castrovince at MLB.com wrote about Robinson’s activism.

Shortstop Emil Morales, who was named to several top-100 prospect lists before the season, is hitting .367/.444/.500 in the early going for Class-A Ontario, which earned high praise at Baseball Prospectus.

He’s starting the year back in California, likely to spare him the brutal Michigan spring, but Morales will soon be making his debut at Great Lakes, and I look forward to seeing him compete against the advanced pitching that the Midwest League will offer,“ Nathan Graham wrote of the 19-year-old. ”The Dodgers are loaded with high-upside positional prospects, but with Morales a potential power-hitting shortstop, he might have the highest ceiling of them all.

Brendan Tunink is hitting .257/.406/.786 with three home runs and three doubles in seven games for Ontario, which landed the 20-year-old outfielder on MLB Pipeline’s prospect team of the week.

The Atlanta Braves are officially doing the bullpen shuffle. It’s not nearly as glamorous as the Super Bowl Shuffle (kids, YouTube is free) but it’s the type of thing that has to happen in order to keep a season going sometimes. This time, the focus is on two pitchers: Rolddy Muñoz is going down and now Hayden Harris is coming up.

Muñoz’s return to the big leagues went about as well as his initial stint did, which is to say that it didn’t exactly go well. Muñoz got two innings under his belt and struck out three batters but gave up three runs in the process — his very first pitch got absolutely crushed right after the Braves had cut their deficit to two runs, which was the ultimate sign that the pitching staff probably didn’t have it on this particular night.

Now, it’ll be Hayden Harris’ turn to see if he can improve upon his initial stint in the big leagues. Harris made three appearances last season and while his ERA numbers looked perfectly fine during that stint, he had a wild xERA of 11.21 and a FIP of 5.39. He’ll be coming up with an ERA of 4.76 and a FIP of 4.63 through 5.2 innings of work at the Triple-A level so far. He had an instance where he walked four batters against the Round Rock Express back on April 1 and three of those runners scored. As long as he can stay out of trouble on the basepaths then things’ll be fine. Hopefully Harris will be able to make the best out of this opportunity going forward.

We also got word that Sean Murphy’s rehab assignment is officially official. He’s going to Rome, y’all. Grab your tickets if you’re up there.

This Week in the Minors is our weekly look at notable performances from all over the system, from big-name prospects and less-heralded guys alike. The mission is to answer this simple question: “Who had a good week?”

Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers (7-7, 3.5 games back)

The Storm Chasers took 3 of 5 from the Iowa Cubs, with the Sunday finale being rained out. In the first game of the series, Ryan Bergert went 2.1 innings, giving up just a solo homer before exiting the game with an injury. He was placed on the injured list, with right elbow discomfort, the Royals #10 prospect, Ben Kudrna is on the AAA IL with the same injury. Right-handed pitcher Ben Sears got called up from AA to replace Bergert.

John Rave and Kameron Misner each had a good week, both mashing a couple of homers. Eric Cerantola, who was the spotlight in last week’s report, was great again. He threw two innings, in game one of a Friday doubleheader, striking out five batters. Cerantola is on the 40-man roster, and with some guys in the Royals bullpen struggling currently, looking at you Alex Lange and John Schreiber, he could get the call to help out.

Stephen Kolek was supposed to make his first rehab start on Sunday, so that was unfortunately wiped away due to the rain out. I assume that he’ll now start on Tuesday against the Indianapolis Indians at Werner Park. The Storm Chasers play them Tuesday through Sunday in Omaha.

Northwest Arkansas Naturals (6-3, 1 game back)

The Naturals took 4 of 6 from the Amarillo Sod Poodles this past week. Drew Beam started the first game of the series, after getting promoted from Quad Cities, where I mentioned he was someone to keep an eye on. He went 5 innings, allowing 4 hits, 1 run, and walking 1 while striking out 2. He also started the last game of the series, and the Sod Poodles saw him better this time around. Beam only went 3.1 innings, allowing 3 hits, 4 runs, walking 3 and striking out 2. He allowed 3 homers in the game as well.

Henry Williams went 5.2 innings, allowing 7 hits, 1 run and striking out 4 in a Naturals 4-1 victory. At the plate, outfielder Carson Roccaforte had a good series. The 24-year-old was 8-for-22 with three doubles, three homers, while walking six times and striking out eight times.

Dustin Dickerson hit a walk off single as well. The Naturals hit the road and will take on the Corpus Christi Hooks this week. The series runs Tuesday through Sunday.

Quad Cities River Bandits (2-4, 2 games back)

After having their whole opening weekend rained out, the River Bandits lost 4 of 6 at home to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. 19-year-old lefty David Shields struggled in both his starts. The Royals second-round pick in 2024 gave up 10 hits and 6 runs in the 6 innings he pitched. He did strike out seven batters though. In general, it was a tough series for the pitching staff overall.

At the plate, catcher Blake Mitchell was 4-for-19 with a pair of homers. Other fellow catcher, Ramon Ramirez went 5-for-19 with a homer. Ramirez did get the walk-off single to win the final game of the series as well. But overall, it was a tough series at the plate as well for the River Bandit hitters.

Quad Cities hits the road for a Tuesday-Sunday sereis against the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

Columbia Fireflies (5-4, 2 games back)

The Columbia Fireflies took 4 of 6 from the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at home this past week. 18-year-old Kendry Chourio has been a hot prospect name, in his start this week, he went 4.2 perfect innings, striking out six batters. A game the Fireflies threw a combined one-hitter, winning 1-0. Josh Hammond went 4-for-4 in Friday’s contest, with two doubles, a triple and a home run.

Outfielder Roni Cabrera also smashed a grand slam during the series. Sean Gamble was 3-19 in the series against the Pelicans. The Royals first overall pick last draft is off to a rough start in A ball.

The Fireflies are back in action, traveling to take on the Charleston RiverDogs, Tuesday through Sunday.

Game Recaps

Marte, Arenado drill 2 HRs each at cozy Camden in opener against Orioles by Ian Nicholas Quillen [DBacks.com]

The Diamondbacks took the field at Oriole Park at Camden Yards for only the 13th time in club history on Monday night. Ketel Marte and Nolan Arenadoprobably wish they’d visit a lot more often.

Marte and Arenado each homered twice against the Orioles in the opener of the third and final series of Arizona’s nine-game East Coast swing, one that eventually ended in a 9-7 loss after the D-backs’ bullpen yielded a big lead.

The pair has now connected on 12 combined Camden Yards home runs, in only 27 career games between them.

Diamondbacks blow big lead in Baltimore, move one starter to bullpen by José M. Romero and Nick Piecoro [AZ Central]

In Monday’s game, the Diamondbacks built a six-run lead, only to lose it on an Orioles rally capped by one mighty swing from slugger Pete Alonso.

Another home run, a grand slam, was the big blow in the Orioles’ comeback, as Baltimore scored five runs in the sixth inning, two in the seventh and another in the eighth against the Diamondbacks’ bullpen to turn a 7-1 deficit into a frustrating Diamondbacks loss.

“We’ve got to be better, that’s really what it comes down to,” Lovullo said.

Diamondbacks News

Ketel Marte, the Diamondbacks lead-off home run leader, hits Baltimore’s famous Eutaw Street by Alex Weiner [Arizona Sports]

Ketel Marte will be etched into Oriole Park at Camden Yards lore by smashing a home run onto Baltimore’s famed Eutaw Street during the Diamondbacks’ game against the Orioles on Monday.

Marte crushed the first pitch of the game 443 feet to right field off Baltimore right-hander Dean Kremer, clearing the seats in right field for his 15th lead-off home run.

D-backs Make Tough Rotation Decision As Merrill Kelly Returns by Alex D’Agostino [SI]

The decision was a tough one, but the D-backs appear to have made the right one, barring ugly results. Pfaadt had been struggling with single-instance blowup innings in the middle of his start, furthering the trend of struggles as he faced opposing orders the second and third times through.

Soroka had been the more obvious candidate to leave for the bullpen when Kelly was activated, but he allowed just one run in his first 10 innings. He was hit for four runs in the first inning of his third start, but settled in to throw 5.2 scoreless frames with 10 punchouts.

Former Diamondback Blaze Alexander opens up on facing former club by Wendy Lopez [Burn City Sports]

Blaze Alexander, who spent parts of his development within the Diamondbacks system and at the major league level before his trade to Baltimore in the offseason, acknowledged the emotional weight of competing against teammates and coaches. The former D-Backs infielder expects a mix of familiarity and competitiveness facing those he once shared a locker room with.

“Those are my best friends,” he said pregame, according to Arizona Central Sports’ José M. Romero. “I came up with a lot of those guys, and even the coaching staff… It’s my guys. I’m always going to root for them except for today, but I’m a fan of all of them.”

Around the League

6 MVP awards, 4 HRs: Trout, Judge do battle in epic dinger duel by Rhett Bollinger [MLB]

The battle it turned out to be was a bit more fun for Yankees fans than Angels fans, as seven-time All-Star Aaron Judge and 11-time All-Star Mike Trout both homered twice but it was New York that came out with a thrilling 11-10 walk-off win on a wild pitch. Trent Grisham also went deep twice, including hitting a game-tying two-run blast in the ninth inning off closer Jordan Romano.

It was a wild one, as it was just the second time in MLB history where two three-time MVPs each hit multiple home runs in the same game. The first was way back on June 21, 1956, when Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Roy Campanella each hit two homers.

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz OK after line drive to face [ESPN]

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz was struck in the face by a line drive, then returned after receiving treatment to embrace the guy who sent the baseball whistling into the dugout.

That’s because Orioles second baseman Jeremiah Jackson did more than just injure his manager. He also hit a grand slam that helped Baltimore erase a six-run deficit in a 9-7 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.

Turns out, Albernaz wasn’t seriously hurt by the liner that struck him in the left cheek. But he was immediately taken into the tunnel and treated by the team’s medical staff.

“He’s doing good. Just as a precaution, he’s going to get it scanned,” said bench coach Donnie Ecker, who pinch hit for Albernaz at the postgame news conference.

Mason Miller Is Unbelievable by Ben Clemens [FanGraphs]

LMy puny mortal brain is having trouble making sense of the numbers coming out of San Diego right now. It’s an uncanny valley thing. Mason Miller’s statistics just don’t quite seem like they’re numbers that you can put up in the majors. Oh, they’re all in the right columns. They’re not impossible or anything. It’s just that no one else has numbers that look quite like this, and even more so than that, if you think about what they all mean together, it doesn’t seem like the performance they describe can possibly be real.

Let’s start with the most striking statistic: 19 strikeouts in 24 batters faced. That 79.2% strikeout rate is obviously technically feasible, but I keep saying it in my head and it keeps not making sense. I look at strikeout rates a lot, particularly early in the season. But even for very good pitchers, they tend to top out around 40%, maybe 50% if they’re performing especially well. I can fit those numbers into my head. That means that about half the batters they face are going to strike out – easy enough. Face four batters in an inning? Two punchouts.

Poll: Which Team Has Been Most Impacted By Injuries This Year byNick Deeds [MLB Trade Rumors]

Every year, teams that are widely expected to succeed at the outset of the season stumble due to injury woes. Teams that look strong on paper can often perform much less impressively if even one or two key players are removed from the mix, and even the very best teams can look vulnerable with a long enough string of tough-luck injuries. 2026 has been no exception to this so far, with several teams facing substantially tougher roads in the months ahead thanks to an early injury or three putting them on the back foot. Which team has it worst when it comes to the injury bug?

{Ed. Note: The options in the poll are the Braves, Orioles, Cubs, Astros, Blue Jays, Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Brewers, Reds}

Happy Tuesday! The Mariners secured an emphatic four-game sweep of the Houston Astros behind another vintage George Kirby outing of 7 2/3 innings with two runs allowed and six strikeouts. Five of the Mariners’ six runs in their 6-2 win were brought home by Josh Naylor, who hit two home runs in back-to-back at-bats to break out of his hitting slump. Bryan Woo will take the mound in San Diego tonight against the Padres at 6:40 PM.

If you’re looking for a place to watch the last game of the Padres series on April 16th, join us at The Rebel in Wallingford for our first Lookout Landing watch party of the year! Don’t miss out on food and drink specials, exciting raffle prizes, and more.

In Mariners news…

• Michael Rosen at FanGraphs details the recent changes in Emerson Hancock’s fastball spin efficiency.
• Our very own John Trupin highlighted top prospect Kade Anderson’s hot start in Arkansas for Baseball Prospectus ($).
• The Mariners’ four-game sweep of the Houston Astros was an important series for many of the team’s key bats to re-emerge.
• RHP Bryce Miller is continuing to progress in recovery from oblique inflammation and could rejoin the team as early as this weekend to be evaluated by the Mariners’ athletic training staff.

Around the league…

• The Arizona Diamondbacks have moved starter Brandon Pfaadt to the bullpen in preparation for RHP Merrill Kelly’s return from the 15-day IL today.
• Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle is officially headed to the 60-day IL with a broken left foot.
• New York Mets RHP Nolan McLean has the highest curveball spin rate in the majors this year and is using his unique pitch mix to his advantage.
• The Houston Astros continue to be plagued with injuries as both infielder Jeremy Pena and RHP Tatsuya Imai were placed on the IL prior to yesterday’s game.
• The Minnesota Twins put up 11 runs in 1 2/3 innings against Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet in their dominant 13-6 win yesterday.

Becca’s picks…

• The U.S Women’s National Soccer Team returns to Seattle tonight for the first time since 2017 to face Japan in an international friendly.
• Catch up on all of the Seattle Storm’s draft picks from the 2026 WNBA Draft last night.

How many pitches into the game last night did you start worrying about Garrett Crochet’s health? Such is life as a baseball fan in the 21st century. But, for now at least, Crochet says there’s nothing to worry about. He and the Sox brass all confirmed he felt healthy last night, and Crochet downplayed the dip in velocity. “In the second inning, I felt like I was throwing the ball better and the results were worse. I don’t really have one thing to point to. I just feel like they had a good approach. It was all pitch types that I felt like they were absolutely smothering — and laying off the sweeper. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)

Unfortunately, the worst start of Crochet’s career came at a bad time for the Red Sox. Not only had they won two series in a row, but the entire rotation was pretty solid in the third time through. Sox starters posted a 1.52 ERA over 29 2/3 innings and were finally looking like the elite rotation we thought we were getting heading into the season. (Thomas Harrigan, MLB.com)

Elite is probably too strong a word to use for Masataka Yoshida’s start, but he has been very good, particularly at controlling the strike zone, as he’s started the season with an .868 OPS. But due to the Red Sox poor roster construction, the Sox are struggling to find a spot for him in the lineup. “In these situations, you have to be realistic. He wants to play,” Alex Cora said. “He’s in a good spot, physically, mentally obviously, communication. We have to talk. And everybody knew coming into the situation that somebody was going to have to sit.” (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

The awkward roster and poor start has some writers wondering whether the Red Sox goal in the offseason was to merely build a team that was a little better than last year, rather than a team that can chase a championship. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)

But no one can complain much about the offseason addition of Willson Contreras. “He brings an intensity and some leadership, too,” Trevor Story said. “We love that, and that’s what we need. We do have a younger group. He has done a great job of blending and making it all work. He has been a great addition and he’s playing well.” (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)

Nevertheless, the Sox slow start already has some people thinking about a possible in-season trade for Isaac Parades, Brady House, or Royce Lewis to bolster the lineup. (Jim Bowden, The Athletic)