Rio Ngumoha, 17, scored his first goal at Anfield and stole the show in a morale-boosting victory for Liverpool
3 min Both teams have started in a 4-2-3-1 formation as expected.
1 min Fulham kick off from left to right as we watch. The home fans launch straight into a song about Andy Robertson, who announced this week that he will leave the club this summer. £8m he cost.
Continue reading...
First Pitch: 2:07 pm CDT
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN / WCCO 830 / The Wolf 102.9 FM / Audacy
Not only did the Twins blow a 4-0 lead last night in what looked like a morale-boosting, streak-extending win against a top-tier opponent, but they also officially lost two players, as Royce Lewis and Cody Laweryson hit the IL.
It’s the kind of 12-hour implosion all too familiar to the Twins, which is part of the reason that having Joe Ryan on the bump today could serve as a nice stabilizer before the series gets away from Minnesota.
In a season that requires him to step up to the level of a true ace, Ryan has had a pair of nice starts (@BAL and vs. DET), as well as a four-inning clunker against the Kansas City Royals. Perhaps the most encouraging stat is his having avoided the long ball in 14 innings so far this season, even as his H/9 and BB/9 rise above their usual averages. Ryan is 2-1 against the Jays in his career, with a 4.70 ERA in four total starts.
Random sidebar. Did you know that Joe Ryan has never intentionally walked a hitter? This sent me on a dive, whereupon I learned that actually, Mick Abel is the only member of the starting rotation to have intentionally walked a hitter in his career. Upon reflection, I suppose the proper conditions usually leading to an intentional walk are rarely present early enough in a game for a starter to be the one tasked with issuing the free pass. But I wouldn’t have guessed that the full rotation had one career IBB between them, and that it belonged to the second-youngest guy on the club.
Anyway. The Blue Jays will be tossing Eric Lauer, who boasts a career 8.80 ERA against the Twins. This is Lauer’s second season in Toronto, having pitched for the Padres and Brewers for six years before exclusively pitching in the KBO and the minor leagues in 2024. He returned to the Jays after they selected Lauer’s minor-league contract last year, and ultimately threw 4.2 innings in the marathon World Series Game 3 last October.
Lauer’s another lefty. Who would have guessed, with the way things have matched up for the Twins so far in 2026? He features a four-seam well below league-average lefty velocity, and a change/cutter/slider mix bolstered by a very occassional curveball.
The Twins will try to even the series this afternoon and give them a chance for a road victory against the Blue Jays. GO TWINS GO!
The Buffalo Sabres are in a fortuitous position with less than a week to go in the regular season. The club has already locked in their first postseason berth since 2011, and after their 5-0 shutout victory over Columbus, the Sabres have over a 95% chance to secure home-ice advantage by either Montreal or Tampa Bay losing on the weekend, or the Sabres earning two points in Chicago against the Blackhawks on Monday.
Tampa Bay and Boston play on Saturday afternoon at TD Garden, and the Blue Jackets and Canadiens face off at the Bell Centre on Saturday. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff put his group through their paces at the Harborcenter on Saturday morning and spoke to the media:
What is the status of Noah Ostlund and do you hold out any hope for him being available next weekend?
(He’s) getting better, just one of those injuries, just pain management, and as soon as we get that reduced he'll be back…… I do. Hope's the one thing you can have. He was skated this morning. He's skating every day, just trying to get through this. That's all.
How nice is it to have a two-day respite before playing the final two games?
Shocking.....we thought originally maybe off-ice again today. But then we thought there's some things we'd like to work on in a quick sense, with a turnaround, with playoffs around the corner, (we'll) probably only have maybe one more practice this week after tomorrow.
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With the power play struggling, you’ve moved Alex Tuch back on the top unit. What are you hoping for with this move?
We're going to take a look at this for a game or two, which we have that luxury. If we run it off the left side where (Dahlin), is, then we got one-timer up-top, another one timer. So we've got the hands matched up a little bit better. Before these last five games, our power player was on a pretty good pace. We've run a little bit dry, so it's now time just try something.
How has Logan Stanley fit in on the blueline?
I thought he closed his gap lot quicker. His first pass was a lot better. I think all that's related, (he) made a nice play getting up ice. But I think he plays a real predictable game. You make the easy plays and kept everybody in front of him...... I think he dealt with the year where Winnipeg lost a couple top defensemen. He was put on a power play for a while. So I think the adjustments coming here are, you're not getting quite the same role, but what he's offered us is one, one real tough guy in the back end. He does have good hands. I think we saw that the other night, that in situations where we need somebody to get up ice, he can get up ice. He's a good skater. He's physical, so I think he's a good fit. He's the type of guy you need in the playoffs.
Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo
There I was, watching the fourth quarter of the Phoenix Suns’ loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. It wasn’t a pretty sight. The youthful movement that so many have been clamoring for — myself included — was on full display, and boy, did they look youthful. Koby Brea launching bomb after bomb, Rasheer Fleming tossing the ball to the other team, no semblance of organized offense to be found. They finished with 9 points in the quarter. 73 points for the game, their lowest total since St. Patrick’s Day of 2016. Ten years since we’ve seen a Suns team score 73 or less.
But hey, that gives us a chance to look back at the Suns’ history, right? And when we do, we are reminded of darker times. Much darker times.
And as I sat there watching it unfold, I felt a little sadness creep in. Maybe it was the margaritas on a Friday night after a long week. Maybe it was something deeper. The NBA is a cycle, and the regular season is closing in on its final turn.
The back end of the season has been frustrating. When I look back at what I’ve written and the observations I’ve made, I can see where the negativity has crept into my own lens. But I also want to put something out there that reminds me, and anyone reading, of the positive things that have happened. Because even with frustrations around the rotations from head coach Jordan Ott or the issues defending the paint over the past two months, I’m not ungrateful. I’m grateful. This season could have gone sideways. We could have experienced no identity, no opportunity, and nothing to build on. Instead, an identity showed up. It faded some, but it exists. And the organization followed through on what it talked about last summer.
The cycle keeps moving, and I don’t expect a deep postseason run. Part of me is uneasy about the Play-In, about the potential Blazers or Clippers matchups, about facing teams that are trending up while the Suns are still searching this late in the year. Call it Post-Traumatic Suns Disorder. It’s an annual April tradition. And that’s fine.
Because when I look back on this season once it concludes, I’ll write about how thankful I am that it happened. This was an inflection point, and it was handled the right way. At worst, this team finishes with 44 wins. I had them at 35. There’s no version of this where I walk away disappointed.
The cycle tells you what comes next, and what comes next doesn’t carry the same rhythm as the season. I love the in-season rhythm. I’m guessing you do too. You’re here every day, reading, absorbing, reacting, and throwing your thoughts into the mix. I enjoy the thought exercises, the graphics, the podcasts, the matchups, and the injury reports. The regular season gives you a cadence that fits. And in that fourth quarter, while things were unraveling, I felt it. That quiet realization that this is almost over.
I’m looking forward to the break. Everyone needs it. The players need the mental and physical reset, and I’ll take one too. I’ll settle into it, pick a video game to play to get me through the Arizona summer, and take advantage of some rest. I always do. But I also know what’s coming. The offseason conversations, the scenarios, and the debates. They can wear on you. This offseason will be interesting. Last offseason was about laying the foundation. This one is about what you do with it, how you build on it, and how you make the next set of decisions. That part isn’t easy.
I’m looking forward to those conversations. At the same time, I’m going to miss this. The day-to-day. The random Friday night against the Lakers where everything goes sideways and you’re sitting there taking it in anyway, albeit with a little help from a reposado-based adult beverage. I’ll miss the grind. I’m thankful for it.
Last season felt like a finish line I couldn’t wait to reach. This one feels different. I don’t want it to end. It’s something to hold onto, something to appreciate. We want it to keep going as long as it can. But like every season, it ends. The question now becomes when. And we’ll learn that in the days (and hopefully weeks) to come.
Happy City Connect Saturday to all who celebrate. Which, to be clear, should be everyone.
Last night’s Dale Murphy-honoring offensive outburst propelled the Braves to a Game 1 win, teeing up the chance for a series win in Game 2 tonight.
In case you were wondering, the Braves’ records in the previous City Connect uniforms were:
The Braves are hoping to make it 2-0 in the new powder blues.
In the third turn through the rotation, Weiss and company will be sticking with Martín Pérez to toe the rubber for the Braves tonight. After a stellar long relief outing versus the Athletics on March 31, his first official start in Arizona was not as crisp. He allowed five hits, four earned runs, and one walk in his five innings of work. He wasn’t on the hook for that extra-innings loss (that dubious honor would go to Joel Payamps and his singular pitch in the tenth), but he’ll be looking to bounce back. After last night’s bungled mop-up job, José Suarez isn’t quite breathing down his neck for the spot, but Didier Fuentes might be.
As much as this is an early April game, Cleveland will be fighting to not lose their first series this year. They’ll send 25-year old lefty Parker Messick (1-0, 0.87 ERA) to face the Braves in his tenth big league start. Messick earned the fifth starter job out of camp and posted strong outings against the Dodgers and Cubs. He held the former to four hits in six efficient innings, only needing 71 pitches to earn his first win and hand LA their first loss of the season. Chicago tagged him for two hits, three walks, and one earned run.
Messick can throw the kitchen sink. He relies most heavily on the four-seamer (32.9%), followed by the changeup (22.2%). There’s been a slight uptick in sinker usage so far, but he’s unafraid to mix in the slider, curveball, and cutter.
80’s Night was a deeply overstimulating blast at the ballpark. I can do without the neon, vaporwave graphics, and Back to the Future homages, but I am hoping Game 2 brings us more Braves bombs. If you’re at the block party before tonight’s game, don’t miss Demetrius and your chance to win a Battery Power koozie!
Game Date/Time: Saturday, April 11, 7:15 p.m. EDT
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
TV: BravesVision
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan
On Wednesday, we asked you to grade the Rockies’ rotation through one start on the road and one start at home apiece (more or less). So far, fans have been impressed.
98% of responders believe the Rockies’ rotation is passing the test with a C or above.
Only 2% of folks believe the rotation is underperforming, but nobody believes they failed their initial go-around.
After seeing more starts this week, do you agree with the results? Do you still agree with your initial grade? Let us know in the comments!
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The latest news on the Houston Astros and from around MLB:
Tatsuya Imai is having trouble adapting to life in MLB at a time his team really needs him to be the star he’s shown he can be in Japan:
In the meantime, Christian Vazquez will remain Imai’s personal catcher:
Is there an injury concern with Imai?
This reminds us all of our favorite Spider-Man GIF of the two Spideys pointing at each other
Could Cody Bolton be getting tabbed to start Sunday for the Astros?
Whatever the Astros decide to do with who they add to the starting rotation (Arrighetti is a lock, Bolton appears to be getting another turn) can’t really be worse than what they have done so far:
Something to keep an eye on:
Ichiro was, of course, gracious. But talk about an embarrassment for the franchise…
Could a closer win Cy Young this year?
Kenley Jansen is not tied for 3rd all time in saves.
Ken Rosenthal says the Red Sox lack an “Aircraft Carrier” hitter.
Bryce Harper is answering the bell in Philly:
Did Jo Adell have the greatest single defensive performance ever?
The Twins are over .500 for the first time since June of last season.
Why has the Mariners offense struggled so much (at least when the Astros aren’t walking them all game)?
This is pretty awesome.
Is Pirates SS Konnor Griffin the next superstar shortstop?
Maybe the Rangers should have walked him?
Especially after they had just put up a 3 spot on one of the best closers in baseball to tie the game
“Holy Sheets!”
I believe this is called “admiring your work”.
BUNTING! IN MLB!
Maybe he needs to sacrifice a live chicken to Jobu?
This is what you get for not grabbing the baseball the second it went foul.
In 8 years in Flushing, Jeff McNeil was a 2x All Star, a Silver Slugger, and a batting champ. Fans remembered in his first at-bat in Citi Field as a visiting player.
McNeil also said there was no real ‘beef’ between he and Francisco Lindor last season in NY:
While speaking to reporters, including TSN's Chris Johnston, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube announced that former Philadelphia Flyers goalie Anthony Stolarz is done for the 2025-26 season.
Stolarz left his most recent appearance during the second period against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday. Now, with this update from Berube, the former Flyers goalie officially won't be back for the rest of the season for Toronto.
After having the best save percentage in the NHL in both 2023-24 and 2024-25, Stolarz had a down year for his standards this campaign. In 26 games this season with the Maple Leafs, he had a 10-10-3 record, an .893 save percentage, and a 3.28 goals-against average.
Stolarz was selected by the Flyers with the 45th overall pick of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. In two seasons with the Flyers, he had a 6-4-4 record, a .911 save percentage, a 2.86 goals-against average, and two shutouts.
The final weeks and, specifically, days of the NBA season always brings with it a team or two messing with the basketball Gods by trying to tank their way to a preferred match-up.
On Friday, it came from a very unexpected place. The Nuggets, who have been one of the hottest teams in the league recently, sat their entire starting lineup against the Thunder. This came after OKC listed all of Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams as out for the game.
While the Thunder have the top seed locked up, it was a far more puzzling decision from Denver, who entered the night just one game above the Lakers for the No. 3 seed and they did not have the tiebreaker.
Genuinely, it’s hard to figure out their rationalization. Perhaps they thought the Lakers would keep losing and they could work their way into a 4-5 match-up with LA? If they win their first round series, they’ll have to meet one of OKC or San Antonio in the second round, so maybe their focus was on that match-up and not the first round one.
Nuggets head coach David Adelman was asked pregame about the decision to sit all the starters and gave a very unconvincing argument as to them not tanking.
Whatever plans they had, though, probably didn’t include them actually winning the game on Saturday, which may have thrown a wrench in their plans if a 4-5 match-up with the Lakers was the end goal. With Houston losing to Minnesota and the Lakers throttling the Suns, neither the Nuggets or the Lakers can finish below the Rockets as both sides own the tiebreaker in that series.
So, there’s no Lakers-Nuggets playoff series coming in the first round, which is great for those fans with PTSD.
Overall, it was an odd decision for Denver with unclear intentions, but the end result is the standings looking like this heading into Sunday:
The scenario is very simple for the Lakers on Sunday. If they win and Denver loses, they jump to the No. 3 seed. If they win and Denver wins or they lose, they remain the No. 4 seed.
Against a Utah team that has been tanking since about November, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where they don’t win. Denver, meanwhile, plays the Spurs, who almost certainly rest a host of their players with their spot in the standings locked in as well.
It’s setting up a pretty drama-free ending to the season.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza hit on a few topics ahead of Saturday afternoon's game against the Athletics at Citi Field after talking about the call-up of Craig Kimbrel.
The Mets moved Bo Bichette down from the two-hole to the cleanup spot for Saturday’s start against A’s left-hander Jacob Lopez. And, with Jorge Polanco back in at the three spot, they moved Luis Robert Jr. up to bat behind leadoff man FranciscoLindor.
“Just wanted to shake some things up here,” Mendoza said about the lineup change.
“We’ve still got pretty good hitters at the top, but just kinda wanted to give him a different look here,” he continued. “Putting Luis in the two hole, getting Polanco back in the lineup, helps with some of the righty-lefty, then you can get creative. Just wanted to give it a different look today.”
Bichette has started to swing a better bat after a rough start to the year. After going 2-for-22 in the first five games of the year, he is 12-for-39 (.308) with two doubles and three RBI over his last nine games. (Bichette is 2-for-7, both doubles, with 2 RBI in his career against Lopez.)
The move hopefully won't cool off Robert, who is 14-for-43 (.326) to start the season with two home runs and seven RBI, good for a .928 OPS. He also has 11 walks through 13 games, after only drawing 40 walks in 110 games in 2025.
More good news on the Holmes front after the starter exited Friday’s game at the top of the sixth inning with left hamstring tightness.
“Feeling better,” Mendoza said of the right-hander. “Normal soreness after an outing. Went through a series of tests, strength-wise, in the training room and checked all of the boxes.
“So, as of right now, I think the next step is making sure he throws his bullpen couple days from now before we make the final call. But, as of right now, he’s in line to make the next start.”
Mendoza said the Mets haven’t had any discussions on possibly pushing Holmes’ next start back a few days, “But, if we feel like we gotta go there, then I’m pretty sure we will have that conversation.”
The starter said after the game he was "optimistic" about not missing time.
"Feel like I’ll be able to make my next start," Holmes said. "But until I wake up tomorrow, we don’t really know. Can’t rule anything out, but feel pretty good about it right now. I can still keep throwing. I didn’t feel it tighten up on a throw….I think we’ll be good, but we’ll have to see."
Holmes was off to a second consecutive solid outing before leaving with the injury, allowing just one run on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
Through three starts, he has a 1.50 ERA and 1.111 WHIP over 18 innings.
Baseball’s best pure hitter no longer calls San Diego home. Three-time batting champion Luis Arraez joined the San Francisco Giants on a one-year, $12 million deal this offseason. He wanted to return to being an everyday second baseman.
The San Diego Padres hoped for a reunion, but could not guarantee playing time at second. Arraez left the organization for a better opportunity, but that is life in baseball’s transient lifestyle.
Now, the Padres are trying to find new ways to score runs with a revamped top of the batting order. So far, they have managed to stay afloat despite their struggles to score runs at Petco Park.
The home schedule has been a challenge for the Friars. They opened the 2026 campaign against the talented Detroit Tigers starting rotation, followed by a series with the San Francisco Giants. For their effort, the Padres averaged 2.4 runs per game on their first homestand.
This weekend, the Friars get a brief respite against the inexperienced Colorado Rockies before facing the American League West-contending Seattle Mariners. It is hard to kickstart your offense against such quality pitching.
After a disappointing opening home stand, the Padres’ offense showed some life on their last road trip. The lineup averaged close to five runs per game away from Petco Park.
The move of Ramon Laureano to the leadoff spot has allowed the remainder of the order to wear down opposing pitching staffs with a quick strike power-hitting approach. Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Gavin Sheets, Nick Castellanos and Jake Cronenworth would never be considered an easy out. All are ready to pounce on a mistake.
It can be exhausting for a starting pitcher who has to navigate a hot lineup multiple times in a start. The goal is to force them to overthink on the mound. It is hard to be perfect with every pitch thrown. The Friars must continue to take advantage of bad pitches.
The loss of Arraez has not limited the Padres’ offense at the start of the season. Instead, the lineup is feeding off one another, as every hitter is doing their part to extend innings and score runs.
The Friar Faithful’s optimism is running high, especially after back-to-back walkoff wins. The recent outburst has demonstrated that the lineup can lift the team out of a less-than-ideal pitching matchup.
The production can only get better in the coming months.
It's all about the drama. A few years back, the NBA borrowed an idea from European soccer leagues and had all its teams play at the same time — or at least within the same conference — so there was no advantage to knowing what was needed. It sets up a situation in which two games are ending nearly simultaneously, with major playoff implications.
This year, nine of the 15 games on Sunday have some level of postseason implications. Here is everything you need to know.
The top four seeds in the East are locked in: 1) Detroit; 2) Boston; 3) New York; 4) Cleveland.
Atlanta can lock up the No. 5 seed with a win in Miami, setting up a first-round matchup with Cleveland. However, an Atlanta loss combined with a Toronto win would move the Raptors up to fifth and drop the Hawks to sixth (and a first-round meeting with New York). A Toronto loss also secures Atlanta the No. 6 seed.
If Toronto loses, it could fall to seventh if Orlando wins, which brings us to the next games that matter.
If Orlando can win on the road, it locks into the No. 7 seed, with an outside chance of jumping past Toronto to No. 6 and avoiding the play-in if the Raptors lose at home to the Nets (unlikely but not impossible). However, if Orlando loses in Boston, Philadelphia would jump up to No. 7 it can win at home over the tanking Bucks.
Orlando and Philadelphia will likely face each other in the first round of the play-in, but the No. 7 seed will host that game.
Charlotte had an impressive end to the season, but needs one more win to secure the No. 9 seed and be at home for the first of two play-in games it must win to make the playoffs. If Charlotte loses and Miami wins, the Heat jump up to ninth and host the play-in game.
The top two seeds are locked in: 1)Oklahoma City; 2) San Antonio. That doesn't mean the Spurs don't have something to play for on Sunday.
The Nuggets at Spurs is the juiciest game of the day.
San Antonio can give itself a likely much easier path to the Western Conference Finals if it shows up on the final day of the season and beats Denver. If the Nuggets lose and the shorthanded Lakers can beat tanking Utah at home, then the Lakers jump the Nuggets to be the No. 3 seed (Los Angeles and Denver would be tied, but the Lakers have the tiebreaker thanks to that wild game a few weeks back where Austin Reaves' intentionally-missed free throw rebound and bucket forced overtime, then Luka Doncic won it in OT with an amazing baseline jumper).
Neither Oklahoma City nor San Antonio wants to see Nikola Jokic and Denver in the second round. Denver is — for my money — one of the three best teams in the NBA and a true title contender. If the Nuggets fall to the No. 4 seed, they would line up to face the Thunder in the second round in a titanic battle (assuming both win their first-round series). Also in that scenario, if the Spurs win their series against a play-in team, they would face the winner of the Rockets vs. Lakers first-round series — two good teams, but neither as threatening as the Nuggets.
The Trail Blazers beat the Clippers on Friday night and, with that, control their own destiny — beat the Kings on Sunday and Portland finishes No. 8 in the West and will travel to Phoenix for a win-and-you're-in play-in game (and the Trail Blazers would just need to win one of two games to make the playoffs). However, if the Trail Blazers stumble and the Clippers beat the Warriors, the Clippers would move up to No. 8 and travel to Phoenix, while Portland would fall to ninth and host the Warriors in the first of two play-in games it would have to win to advance.
The Warriors at Clippers game is a little odd because those two teams are very likely to turn around and face each other a few days later in a win-or-go-home game, so we could see some unusual lineups and two coaches trying not to tip their hands.
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The Montreal Canadiens will continue their quest for the Atlantic Division crown against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, April 11.
Montreal narrowly won a 2-1 nailbiter on March 26th, which kick-started an ugly six-game losing streak for the Jackets.
My Blue Jackets vs. Canadiens predictions and NHL picks suggest that an iconic milestone may be achieved for the second consecutive game at the Bell Centre.
Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki is just two points shy of the century mark.
Of course, his linemate Cole Caufield had his moment of glory on Thursday, becoming the first Canadiens player to score 50 goals in a season since 1989-90. Suzuki would become the first Hab to hit 100 points in exactly 40 years.
The Habs captain has tallied 33 points in 22 games since the Olympic break, and he notched a point on both Montreal goals against Tampa Bay on Thursday.
Suzuki ranks sixth in NHL scoring over the last two seasons, and a 100-point campaign would be a significant addition to his resume.
With the 50-goal monkey off his back, Caufield remains the hottest goal scorer in 2026.
Caufield has notched 28 goals in his last 30 games and 10 in his last 11. Perhaps he has an ounce of extra motivation to find twine, as he’s just two goals behind Nathan MacKinnon for the league lead.
On the topic of red-hot Habs, Jakub Dobes has been arguably the best goalie in the league over the past month.
While more aggressive and erratic than calm and prude, Dobes has allowed two or fewer goals in seven of his last nine starts (and has won seven straight for good measure), boasting a .944 save percentage during that span.
Additionally, the Columbus Blue Jackets have only scored eight goals in their last five games.
Montreal has won eight of the last 10 matchups against Columbus, including seven straight from Nov. 2022 to Nov. 2024. Find more NHL betting trends for Blue Jackets vs. Canadiens.
| Location | Bell Centre, Montreal, QC |
| Date | Saturday, April 11, 2026 |
| Puck drop | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Sportsnet East |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
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.
You’ve read this on this site before: The Mets have designated left-handed relief pitcher Richard Lovelady for assignment. This time, he’s being replaced by veteran right-handed reliever Craig Kimbrel.
The Mets first acquired Lovelady in June last year, and they’ve now designated him for assignment five times in less than a year. Despite having DFA’d him three times during the 2025 season, the Mets signed Lovelady to a major league deal in late October. And they DFA’d him again in January to clear a 40-man roster spot when they acquired infielder Vidal Bruján.
When you look at all of that, you can’t help but feel for the player, even if there’s a sense of relief that the Mets might be moving on. Lovelady was booed at Citi Field in the Mets’ first season of the series during an extra-inning loss to the Pirates, but those boos were likely intended as much for the Mets’ front office and manager putting him in that spot as they were for the performance of Lovelady himself.
In 7.1 innings with the Mets since Opening Day this year, Lovelady has a 3.68 ERA and a 4.92 FIP. In 10.0 innings with the Mets last year, he had a 6.30 ERA and a 6.74 FIP.
"It's Time."
The NBA Playoffs return to NBC — and make their debut on Peacock — on Sunday, April 19. To celebrate that return home, NBC Sports has partnered with Ludacris — the three-time GRAMMY Award-winning recording artist, actor, and philanthropist — for an NBA playoffs promotional spot called "It's Time."
IT'S. TIME. 
— Ludacris (@Ludacris) April 11, 2026
The NBA Playoffs begin April 19 on NBC and Peacock. pic.twitter.com/DQ1YfPkXk5
The song is Ludacris' reinterpretation of the legendary "Time Has Come Today" by The Chambers Brothers. It is at the heart of a cinematic spot that weaves together the larger‑than‑life moments we have come to expect as part of the NBA Playoffs.
"When the clock's ticking and everything's on the line, that's what playoff basketball is all about," Ludacris said. "Being part of this spot and the NBA Playoffs' return to NBC and debut on Peacock feels like the positive adrenaline rush we all want & need!"
"The NBA Playoffs are where time becomes everything -- every possession, every decision, every second," said Lyndsay Signor, Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing, Universal and Television Entertainment Group. "Reimagining 'Time Has Come Today' with Ludacris allows us to honor the history of the game while delivering a modern, cinematic expression of what makes playoff basketball so compelling. As the NBA returns to NBC and debuts on Peacock, this spot sets the tone for the urgency, spectacle, and iconic moments that define the postseason."
Chris "Ludacris" Bridges incredible success is due to a combination of hit tracks — such as "Stand Up," "Get Back," "Southern Hospitality,' "Number One Spot," "Money Maker," and "My Chick Bad" — and eye-catching videos that accompany them. Together, that made for a perfect partner for NBC Sports and the NBA. Of course, many fans know Ludacris better as "Tej" from the Fast & Furious franchise.
The NBA playoffs return to NBC on Sunday, April 19, with more details on times and matchups to come.
"It's Time" will debut during Sunday Night Baseball's Cleveland Guardians at Atlanta Braves game, April 12, on NBC and Peacock. NBC Sports' coverage of the NBA Playoffs on NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN tips off one week later.