The Mets are getting a huge boost in their lineup on Wednesday night, as superstar Juan Soto returns from the injured list.
Soto hasn’t played since April 3 due to a calf strain, but he’s back in the lineup against the Minnesota Twins, serving as the DH and hitting second.
Soto’s return comes at a time when the Mets desperately need a spark, having lost 12 straight games.
Interestingly enough, Soto told reporters on Wednesday that he didn't reach out to his teammates during the skid, citing the fact that the team has mainly been on the road.
“No, not at all,” Soto said when asked if he had spoken to teammates to try to pick them up during the losing streak. “I mean, they’ve been on the road most of the time, so I haven’t talked to them.”
That being said, Soto did express confidence in the club to be able to rebound from their recent stretch.
“We have a great lineup,” Soto said. “We have guys going through tough times right now…. It’s tough when most of the lineup is going through it. It makes it hard to win games like that.”
“It’s tough to see it,” he added about the losing streak, “and it’s a little uncomfortable to see it from the outside…. It’s a tough time, but we’re going to get out of it.”
While the Mets' lineup has been struggling to score runs lately, Soto had gotten off to a great start prior to his injury, slashing .355/.412/.516 with a home run and 5 RBI.
His presence in the lineup should make a huge difference for the Mets, and Soto is ready to get back between the white lines.
“To be back on the field is always great,” Soto said. “That's what we do this for - to be out there to share a good time with your teammates, to learn, to play the game you love."
“I don’t think there’s going to be any pressure,” he added. “I just need to be myself.”
Christian Scott ready to be back in the bigs
WhenChristian Scott takes the mound on Thursday against the Minnesota Twins, it will have been 642 days since his last big league appearance.
Scott, a fifth-round pick of the Mets in 2021, was called up in May 2024, and right away it looked like he belonged, as he went 6.2 innings of one-run ball against the Tampa Bay Rays in his major league debut.
But after nine starts, Scott’s rookie season came to an early end due to Tommy John surgery.
It’s been a long road back to the majors for Scott, but he’s more than ready for the moment.
“I want it bad. I’m hungry for it,” said the right-hander, who pitched to a 4.56 ERA in his rookie season. “It’s tough to be away from the game for a year. Getting a little taste of it and then obviously getting surgery, but I feel like I belong here and gonna do what I can to stay here and help this team win as many games as I possibly can.”
The Mets are adding Scott to the rotation and having David Peterson pitch out of the bullpen, a move they hope will help them get back on track from what is currently a 12-game losing streak.
“Obviously, we’re in a little bit of a tough stretch right now, but we’ve got a really good ball club,” Scott said, “and if anyone’s going to get out of it, we’re going to get out of it. So, we’re excited for the rest of the season moving forward.”
HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 19: Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44) dons a team cowboy hat and gets high fives from teammates after hitting a home run in the bottom of the eighth inning during the MLB game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros on April 19, 2026 at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Houston Astros (10-16) win their first road series of the season.
Yordan Alvarez hit a 2-run homer and Peter Lambert hurled 6 shutout innings as the Astros defeated the Cleveland Guardians 2-0 at Progressive Field, winning their first road series of the season.
Houston got on the board fast against Guardians starter Tanner Bibee. In the top of the first, Carlos Correa led off the game with a double. The next batter was Yordan Alvarez:
The blast was Alvarez’ MLB-leading 11th HR of the season. His now 26 RBI also lead baseball. Yordan would finish the game 3×4, collecting half of the Astros’ 6 hits on the afternoon.
It would be the only runs that an offense that has been one of the high-powered in the league would score today, and it would be enough.
Peter Lambert, making his second start as a Houston Astro, threw 6 shutout innings, allowing just 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 8. Lambert also had 16 called strikes and 16 swings and misses on the afternoon, as he continues to show an uncanny ability to miss bats. He earned his first win of the season t o even his record at 1-1.
A.J. Blubaugh, Steven Okert, and Enyel De Los Santos would complete the final 3 innings without allowing a run. Blubaugh and Okert would record holds and De Los Santos, who got 4 outs for Houston today, would pick up his 3rd Save of the season.
The Astros are off Thursday before coming back home to Daikin Park to begin a 3-game series with the New York Yankees.
With the win, the Astros improve to 10-16 on the season. They are 4GB in the AL West.
World champion expects Dutch rival to fight for fifth crown
‘It would be a miss for the sport’ if he acts on dissatisfaction
Lando Norris has said he believes Max Verstappen will continue to race in Formula One but that it would be “a miss” for the sport if the four-time world champion did decide to leave owing to his dissatisfaction with the way this season’s new regulations have affected how drivers race.
Verstappen has been outspoken in his dislike of the new regulations and their focus on electrical energy management that now makes up almost 50% of the car’s power output. He has intimated he might leave the sport but, with the rules having been adjusted by the FIA in an effort to address concerns of all drivers this week, Norris felt the Dutchman would remain in F1.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 19, 2026: Keyner Martinez #48 of the San Francisco Giants throws a pitch during the second inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Cincinnati Reds at Scottsdale Stadium on March 19, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Just three games for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates on Tuesday, as AAA Sacramento once again saw their game postponed due to poor weather. It’s already the fifth time this year that the River Cats have lost a game due to rain, and they’ll try to get it back on Saturday with a scheduled doubleheader. They also pushed back today’s game from a scheduled start time of 12:05 p.m. PT to 6:35.
Nothing can stop the Squirrels, who have responded to their 10-game winning streak being snapped by rattling off 3 straight victories. I’m enjoying this, and I’m sure they are, too!
It was once again the offense that led Richmond to victory, with a powerful attack. The Squirrels only had 9 hits, but were able to turn that into 8 runs thanks to 5 of those knocks going for extra bases.
The biggest contributor in that category was third baseman Sabin Ceballos, who hit 2-4 with a solo home run in the 1st inning, a double, and a strikeout.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 21, 2026
Ceballos, who has a .900 OPS and a 132 wRC+ on the year, is really putting his disappointing 2025 behind him, as the .670 OPS and the 102 wRC+ that he posted in AA last season looks more and more distant with every swing of the bat. It certainly seems that Ceballos has made a concerted effort to be more aggressive in the batter’s box. Last year, his passive approach drew him a lot of walks and kept his strikeout rate delightfully low, but it resulted in a lot of soft contact. As a result, he had just a .232 batting average and a lowly .106 isolated slugging, a disappointing mark after he had showed a lot of power in his debut stint with the organization in 2024, when he came over in the Jorge Soler trade.
This year, he’s bringing the aggression back, and swinging more. The result is that his strikeout rate has jumped (from 17.4% to 25.9%), but so has the average, which has leaped to .271, and the isolated slugging, which is all the way up at .250. After hitting just 6 home runs in 420 plate appearances with Richmond a year ago, Ceballos already has 3 in just 58 plate appearances this season.
All of that said … if you’re ever wondering why hitters who perform well in the Minor Leagues so often struggle in the Major Leagues, well … there are a lot of reasons, and one of them is the defense. It’s very hard to overstate just how bad Minor League defense is relative to what we watch on a daily basis in the big leagues. And as evidence, I present Ceballos’ “double”:
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 21, 2026
The other big star in the game was second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL), who had his best game of the young season, hitting 1-2 with a solo home run, a walk, a sacrifice fly, and a stolen base.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 22, 2026
You’d imagine there’s a little frustration for the switch-hitting Velasquez, who first made it to AA in 2024, and is approaching 800 plate appearances at the level. He certainly hasn’t forced the issue, but you could make the case that his AA assignment is more about roster logistics than his personal development. He had a .677 OPS, a 107 wRC+, and just a 14.3% strikeout rate a year ago, with 19 stolen bases, and that’s someone who you could at least make a compelling argument for being in AAA, were second base not being occupied daily by Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL), whom the Giants certainly prefer at this juncture.
Velasquez’s numbers are quite similar this year to last year, though he has boosted the power a little, and has a .778 OPS and a 109 wRC+, with a 14.9% strikeout rate and 3 stolen bases in as many attempts (it tells you how the Eastern League is playing to start the year that Velasquez has increased his OPS by more than .100 points, but his wRC+ by just 2).
The questions remain for Velasquez — he’s lacking in physicality, lacking in power, and lacking in defensive value — though those are questions that also exist for Furman and Luis Arráez, so that doesn’t seem to be a huge issue for the Giants at the position. That said, it does feel telling that Velasquez wasn’t an NRI, and it seems like the 22-year old will be staying in Virginia for the foreseeable future.
Left fielder Scott Bandura also continued his hot play, hitting 2-5 with a double, a stolen base, and a strikeout, which saw his OPS rise to .905 and his wRC+ to 135. Most notably, Bandura has made a huge cut to his strikeout rate, which has dropped year-over-year from 26.3% in High-A/AA to just 16.2% in AA this year. His swinging strike rate has gone from 10.0% to 7.0%, as he is making more contact and better contact, though, again … Minor League defense, everybody:
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 21, 2026
A pretty uninteresting day on the mound, with RHP Logan Martin (the incoming piece in the Mason Black trade) making his 3rd start for the organization. Martin did some good things, most notably avoiding walking any batters. But on the whole it wasn’t a great showing, as he allowed 4 runs — including a home run — in just 4 innings, with 2 earned runs and 3 strikeouts. Despite the lack of walks, Martin threw just 45 of his 76 pitches for strikes. Martin has done a good job limiting hits this year, with just 9 allowed in 12.1 innings, but he’ll need to increase the strike-throwing. He has a 4.38 ERA and a 4.99 FIP on the season.
RHP Tyler Vogel had another scoreless outing, pitching the 9th inning with 1 hit and 1 walk allowed, plus 1 strikeout. Vogel, who has a very strong case to be made for being in AAA right now, retained his perfect 0.00 ERA, though he has walked 5 batters in just 7 innings. He’s only given up 5 hits though, and no extra-base knocks.
LHP Jack Choate (No. 37 CPL) didn’t have the best outing, as he ceded a home run, but he struck out 3 batters in 2.1 innings. It seems the Giants are moving forward with Choate as a reliever this year, and so far the result has been 16 strikeouts in just 10 innings, which is exciting for the funky southpaw.
High-A Eugene (12-4)
Eugene Emeralds beat the Hillsboro Hops (Diamondbacks) 5-3 Box score
The Ems used a pair of runs in the 8th inning to pull ahead against the Hops, and with that, succeeded in avoiding their first losing streak of the year. Keep that up, I say!
Those 2 runs came off the bat of right fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL), who smacked a go-ahead 2-run home run after Eugene had blown a lead in the bottom of the 7th. Way to save the day, Lisbel!
Diaz, who finished the day 1-4, started the season slow but now has 2 home runs in his last 3 games. That — and a tiny 11.6% strikeout rate — are the lone bright spots on the year for the 20-year old, who has just a .599 OPS and a 55 wRC+ through 10 games, with a .205 batting average and no walks drawn. But on Tuesday he was the hero, and really the only offensive player worth talking about, so here’s to more days worth writing about for the toolsy young outfielder.
The top prospects in Eugene all had a few nice moments, but altogether were uninteresting: center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) hit 2-4 but struck out twice; shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) hit just 1-5 with a strikeout; designated hitter Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) hit 1-4 with a walk, a stolen base (his 10th!) and a strikeout; and left fielder Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL) went 1-4 with a double and a strikeout.
It was a really nice day on the mounding, starting with, well … the starter, LHP Charlie McDaniel. An undrafted free agent who debuted last year, McDaniel really struggled in 7 post-promotion starts with Eugene in 2025, posting a 5.77 ERA and a 4.82 FIP. But so far his 2026 is a case of learning and adapting, and Tuesday was the next data point, as he went 5 strong innings with just 2 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run allowed, while striking out 4. That was the 1st run that McDaniel had allowed all year (this was his 3rd start), and he needed just 61 pitches to get through 5 innings, throwing 41 of them for strikes.
McDaniel is remarkably consistent when it comes to throwing strikes. In Low-A last year, he walked 2.2 batters per 9 innings, then 2.4 in Eugene, and now 2.5 this year. His strikeouts per 9 innings, over those same 3 periods, went from 8.6 to 8.4 to 8.2. Consistency!
He’s a contact pitcher, and what he’s doing better this year is getting the ball back on the ground. He pitched well in San Jose in his debut season when he had a 46.8% ground ball rate, with just 0.3 home runs per 9 innings allowed. His struggles in Eugene last year included just a 33.3% ground ball rate, and 1.6 dingers per 9. This year? A 54.2% ground ball rate, and no home runs allowed yet.
RHP Ben Peterson closed out the game with a brilliant showing, striking out 2 batters while tossing 2 perfect innings. Like McDaniel, Peterson is an undrafted free agent who debuted last season and, like McDaniel, he wasn’t too sharp upon his Eugene debut following a 2025 promotion. In 27 innings last year, the UNC alum struck out 27 batters, while walking 12. But this year, the 24-year old already has 12 strikeouts in just 8 innings … and with only 1 free pass.
Low-A San Jose (12-4)
San Jose Giants beat the Ontario Tower Buzzers (Dodgers) 12-2 Box score
Another offensive explosion for the Baby Giants, who scored in double digits for the whopping 6th time already this season. Perhaps their big brothers in San Francisco could learn to do the same?
Yet despite the gaudy run total (again), the star for San Jose was on the mound, in the form of RHP Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL). We haven’t talked about Martinez all that much this year, but Tuesday’s start was one worth discussing, as the 21-year old was nothing short of dynamic.
Martinez, who was signed in 2023 out of Venezuela and enjoyed a serious breakout season a year ago, mowed down Ontario batters for 5 innings, giving up just 1 hit — a swinging bunt — and walking 1 batter, while striking out 7. That’s how you introduce a new team to the California League (this is the 1st season of affiliated ball for Ontario [California, not Canada], and the 1st game between the the Tower Buzzers and Baby Giants).
#SFGiants #7 prospect Keyner Martinez has his best start of 2026, wrapping up his day with a line of:
It was a tremendous display of strike-throwing prowess for Martinez, who did hit a batter, but threw 45 of 62 pitches for strikes. Martinez had a dominant showing in the ACL a year ago, and backed it up with a very nice run of games in a short stint with San Jose. But his 2025 got off to a slow start, as he allowed 7 runs in 6.2 innings through his 1st 2 starts. But it turns out that the 3rd time is, indeed, the charm. And now he looks much more like himself. And while the overall numbers are still poor — he has a 5.40 ERA and a 5.02 FIP — Martinez has 16 strikeouts against 5 walks in 11.2 innings, and those are exciting numbers.
RHP Jose T. Perez also pitched well, coming out of the bullpen to throw 2 scoreless innings with 1 hit, 1 walk, and 1 hit batter, plus 4 strikeouts. It’s been a fascinating career for the 22-year old Perez, who was signed in 2021 out of the Dominican Republic. He pitched just 3.1 innings that year, then lost the rest of the season to injury … and also all of 2022 ….. and 2023 ….. and 2024. He returned last year, made 1 appearance in the DSL, and then was the rare in-season international promotion, as he jumped up to the ACL. His numbers weren’t great in Arizona, but he still ended the season with a short stint in San Jose, where he begins this year, his 1st year of full-season ball.
Perez is struggling with command, as he’s walked 8 batters in 7.1 innings, but he’s also struck out 10, en route to a 6.14 ERA and a 7.58 FIP through 4 outings. Patience is certainly required, as this was just the 18th game of his young career.
The offense again put on a show, knocking 12 hits and drawing 9 walks. The star was first baseman Hayden Jatczak, an undrafted free agent from Kent State playing in his debut season. The right-handed hitter was an absolute force to be reckoned with, hitting 2-3 with a 3-run home run, drawing 2 walks, knocking in 4 runs, and striking out once. Hell of a day at the office!
Jatczak’s debut season has been a dream thus far, as he’s rocking a 1.019 OPS and a 161 wRC+ with a higher walk rate (22.9%) than strikeout rate (17.1%) through 15 games. The cold water for the UDFA is obvious, however: he’ll turn 25 later this season, and is nearly 3 years older than his average peer at the level. So we’ll need to see him face more advanced pitching before we start to mention him alongside Bo Davidson and Parks Harber as the next great undrafted hitter in the team’s system. But you can only beat up on the pitchers in front of you, and so far Jatczak is doing exactly that.
Also doing that is right fielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL) whose torrential attack on Cal League pitchers continues. Maldonado had just another brilliant day, hitting 3-4 with a double, a sacrifice fly, and a strikeout, while stealing 2 bases. It really does feel like July’s 7th-round pick found something, and saw it all click together. Following a subpar brief debut last year, look at what Maldonado has done to start his 1st full season:
First 9 games: 6-34, 0 home runs, 0 doubles Next 5 games: 13-21, 6 home runs, 3 doubles
And just like that, the 22-year old has a 1.158 OPS and a 175 wRC+, and is putting himself on the radar.
Nice games for left fielder Damian Bravo and designated hitter Jeremiah Jenkins. Bravo, a 22-year old 15th-round pick in 2025, hit 2-4 with a double and a hit by pitch, raising his OPS to .780 and his wRC+ to 86; Jenkins, a 22-year old 14th-round pick in 2024, went 2-3 with a double, 2 walks, and a strikeout, boosting his OPS to 1.151 and his wRC+ to 182 in his 2nd pass through the level.
Speaking of “level,” it was the rare quiet day for shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) who hit just 1-5, though he didn’t strike out and he had an RBI. Level now has a 10-game hitting streak as he continues to look like a star in the making, even on his quiet days.
The Carolina Hurricanes take a 2-0 series lead into the Canadian Tire Centre to face the Ottawa Senators in Game 3 on Thursday, April 23.
My top Hurricanes vs. Senators predictions and NHL picks are calling for Ottawa to take down Game 3, thanks in large part to another standout showing from Linus Ullmark.
Hurricanes vs Senators Game 3 prediction
Hurricanes vs Senators best bet: Linus Ullmark Over 25.5 saves (-130)
Ottawa Senators No. 1 Linus Ullmark has a .917 SV% with 12.34 goals saved above expected across his past 11 starts.
The Carolina Hurricanes have peppered him with 29.24 shots per 60 minutes, and considering they finished the regular season ranked second in shots per game (31.5) and first in Corsi For percentage at 5-on-5 on the highway, I’m confident Ullmark will see the necessary rubber to clear this number.
It’s also important to highlight Carolina finished second in long-range shots, and it's also attempted 70.5 shots per 60 at 5-on-5 against the Sens to start the series.
Hurricanes vs Senators Game 3 same-game parlay
The Senators went 9-1-1 on home ice to close out the regular season and allowed the fourth-fewest expected goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 for the year, so with Ullmark also in top form, I expect the Sens to lead the way in keeping this total Under the number.
The final leg of this same-game parlay turns to Ottawa defenseman Thomas Chabot. He’s turned his 12 shot attempts into just two shots through the first two games of the series. Count on a better conversion rate tonight from the blueliner.
Hurricanes vs Senators SGP
Senators moneyline
Under 5.5
Thomas Chabot Over 1.5 shots
Hurricanes vs Senators Game 3 goal scorer pick
Tim Stutzle (+195)
I think there’s a bit of a disconnect between the underlying numbers for Sens star Tim Stutzle and how dangerous he’s actually been on the ice.
While he’s generated just 0.86 individual expected goals on six shots and four individual high-danger scoring chances during the series, he’s done everything but find the back of the net with multiple missed Grade-A chances in both games.
Stutzle finally capitalizes with a goal in Game 3.
The Ottawa Senators have won nine of their last 11 games at home (+6.20 Units / 31% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Hurricanes vs. Senators.
How to watch Hurricanes vs Senators Game 3
Location
Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON
Date
Thursday, April 23, 2026
Puck drop
7:30 p.m. ET
TV
Sportsnet
Hurricanes vs Senators latest injuries
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.
After both Game 1 and Game 2 reached clutch time, the only playoff series to induce such a stressor in both opening games, everyone should expect the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves to throw haymakers in every remaining game of this series.
Haymakers require superstars to show up in every way. This Nuggets vs. Timberwolves same-game parlay trusts Anthony Edwards to continue to fill the stat sheet in Game 3 on Thursday, April 23.
For more NBA picks, check out my complete Nuggets vs. Timberwolves predictions.
Our best Nuggets vs Timberwolves SGP for Game 3
Whether Anthony Edwards finds his shot or not, he can be trusted to continue to crash the glass. Edwards is just 5 of 20 from beyond the arc in this series, a direct reflection of the pained knee that cost him much of the last month of the regular season.
Whether it is rust or pain, Edwards’s shot is not in rhythm.
He's still playing plenty aggressively, though, grabbing 19 rebounds in the first two games of this series. Edwards has always stuffed the stat sheet in the postseason.
Counting the two games of these playoffs, he's now found at least six rebounds in 24 of his last 33 playoff games.
Ant's shot is not the only one in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ lineup impacted by a pained knee. Jaden McDaniels has gone 1-for-15 from beyond the arc in his last four games.
Yet he may get some added defensive focus in Game 3, given his pointed comments on every bad defender on the Denver Nuggets’ roster, also known as every player on the Nuggets’ roster in McDaniels’s opinion.
Less Edwards from beyond the arc and less McDaniels from beyond the arc should lead to only more Donte DiVincenzo from beyond the arc, particularly after going 4-for-7 from deep in Game 2 as he scored 16 points.
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.
After losing the first two games in Pittsburgh, the Penguins will head to Philadelphia for a pivotal game three. It's basically a must-win for the Penguins because if they fall down 3-0 in the series, it's virtually over. There's a reason why only four teams in NHL history have ever come back from that deficit.
The Penguins have scored only two goals in this series, largely because the Flyers are so good at defending the neutral zone and their own zone. They're shutting down the passing lanes and taking away a lot of the Penguins' shooting lanes. They've also done a great job of keeping the Penguins to the outside, preventing them from reaching the high-danger areas.
In light of all of that, the Penguins are tweaking their lines for Wednesday's game, looking for a spark offensively.
Here's what the projected lineup looks like:
Forwards
Rakell-Crosby-Rust
Malkin-Novak-Mantha
Chinakhov-Kindel-Brazeau
Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari
Defensive pairs
Wotherspoon-Karlsson
Girard-Letang
Shea-Clifton
Stuart Skinner will start in goal after another great game on Monday.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Penguins head coach Dan Muse hopes these changes will lead to more goals.
It's also time for the Penguins to play with a lead. They have yet to do that in this series, and it's costing them. If they can get a lead, it could force the Flyers to open up a little bit, which could play into the Penguins' hands.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh, TNT, truTV, and HBO Max. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
Juan Soto | (Photo by Evan Yu/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The Mets have officially reinstated Juan Soto from the injured list, and he’ll serve as designated hitter and bat second tonight as the Mets face Twins left-handed pitcher Connor Prielipp.
In a corresponding move, the Mets optioned catcher Hayden Senger to Triple-A Syracuse. The team had previously been carrying three catchers—Francisco Alvarez, Luis Torrens, and Senger—but will proceed with two.
Since Soto exited early from an April 3 game against San Francisco with a right calf strain, the Mets have gone 4-12, with all dozen losses coming as part of an ongoing 12-game losing streak. Over the course of those twelve games, the Mets have scored just 22 runs, and the team’s 75 runs scored on the season rank last in baseball. In other words, they’re certainly hoping Soto, who was batting .355 with a .928 OPS in eight games before getting hurt, can pick up right where he left off.
Senger, meanwhile, didn’t get any in-game action during his few days on the active roster after being recalled on Saturday. He will join a Syracuse lineup that is currently seeing far better times than the major league squad.
The best rivalry in the NBA is well on its way to putting together a spectacular finale to a postseason trilogy. The Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves have now met three times in the last four postseasons, and Minnesota’s Game 2 upset made it clear this series should be every bit as intriguing and chaotic as the previous two.
My Nuggets vs. Timberwolves predictions and these NBA picks anticipate a tense Game 3 on Thursday, April 23, but that tension underscores one player’s postseason habits.
Nuggets vs Timberwolves prediction
Nuggets vs Timberwolves best bet: Anthony Edwards Over 5.5 rebounds (-120)
Game 2 shifted when Anthony Edwards stopped relying on his jumpers and began driving into the paint. His knee is clearly in pain, but the greater issue may simply be that the Minnesota Timberwolves’ superstar is a bit rusty after missing all but three games in the season’s final month.
He went 5-of-20 from deep in the first two games of this series, and no one is foolish enough to give much credit for that to the Denver Nuggets’ defense. Edwards is simply not shooting well right now.
But he is playing thoroughly, as he always does in the postseason. He grabbed nine rebounds in Game 1 and then 10 in Game 2, fitting a long-time playoffs pattern.
As the Timberwolves reached the Western Conference Finals in each of the last two springs, Edwards crashed the glass more and more aggressively. Two years ago, he averaged 5.4 rebounds per game in the regular season; in the playoffs, that climbed to 7.0 while grabbing at least six boards in 10 of 16 games.
Last year, Edwards averaged 5.7 rebounds per game in the regular season; in the playoffs, that climbed to 7.8 while grabbing at least six rebounds in 12 of 15 games.
No one should be surprised Edwards is finding the glass in the postseason. Hammer this prop until it reaches 7.0, if not 7.5.
Nuggets vs Timberwolves same-game parlay
Donte DiVincenzo received Anthony Edwards’s favorite compliment after Game 2. The Covers.comeditorial desk will probably publish that Edwards said DiVincenzo has “gorilla nuts.” Hitting 4-of-7 threes while scoring 16 points certainly earned that praise.
More pertinently, DiVincenzo has excelled with added rest this season. He has played four games on three days' rest, shooting 46.4% from deep in those chances. That may be a small sample size, but 13-of-28 from beyond the arc is rather notable.
The good news for Minnesota is that those shots should take 3-pointers away from Jaden McDaniels, whose deep shooting has fallen off a cliff late this season. He shot 29.5% from beyond the arc in March and then went 1-of-8 in two regular-season games in April. Worse yet, he went 0-of-7 from deep in the first two games of this series.
Nuggets vs Timberwolves SGP
Anthony Edwards Over 5.5 rebounds
Donte DiVincenzo Over 11.5 points
Jaden McDaniels Under 1.5 threes
Our "from downtown" SGP: A rested Jokic
Nikola Jokic found a lot of the front of the rim in Game 2’s second half. Playing 40 minutes in two games in three nights can have that exhausting effect.
But now Jokic has three days to recover, will be playing with more oxygen in the air, and is undoubtedly aggravated that Rudy Gobert got the better of him in Monday’s fourth quarter.
Game 3 should be a Jokic showcase, even if the game’s overall defense drastically improves thanks to the added day between games.
Nuggets vs Timberwolves SGP
Anthony Edwards Over 5.5 rebounds
Nikola Jokic Over 29.5 points
Under 234
Nuggets vs Timberwolves odds for Game 3
Spread: Nuggets -2 | Timberwolves +2
Moneyline: Nuggets -135 | Timberwolves +115
Over/Under: Over 234 | Under 234
Nuggets vs Timberwolves betting trend to know
The Minnesota Timberwolves have hit the Game Total Under in 24 of their last 35 games at home (+11.90 Units / 31% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Nuggets vs. Timberwolves.
How to watch Nuggets vs Timberwolves Game 3
Location
Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
Date
Thursday, April 23, 2026
Tip-off
9:30 p.m. ET
TV
Prime Video
Nuggets vs Timberwolves latest injuries
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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 17: Logan Gilbert #36 of the Seattle Mariners looks on against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at T-Mobile Park on April 17, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There have been several low moments already in this young season but dropping last night’s game – and therefore the series – to the A’s ranks pretty high up there, for me. After taking back some momentum with a series win against Texas, the Mariners have let that slip through their fingers, again struggling to come up with clutch hits and string together offensive threats, leaving the pitching staff, which has not been perfect, little to no room for error. Logan Gilbert has the task of trying to right the ship today, and while he’s historically been good at playing the role of stopper, this year’s version of Logan Gilbert hasn’t quite looked like his 2023 self.
Lineups:
The A’s are sending Aaron Civale to the mound.
Roster News:
The A’s made a roster move prior to today’s game, moving OF Denzel Clarke (Josh Naylor’s cousin!) to the 10-day IL and selecting OF Colby Thomas from Triple-A Las Vegas.
As a reminder, the Mariners have made a couple of moves this week: first, moving Brendan Donovan to the 10-day IL and calling up INF Will Wilson from Tacoma; and second, calling up RHP Alex Hoppe and DFAing Casey Legumina.
Game Information:
Game time: 1:1o PT
TV: Mariners TV, with Aaron Goldsmith and Ryon Healy, and Angie Mentink as field reporter
Radio: Seattle Sports 710, with Rick Rizzs and Gary Hill Jr.
The Ducks didn't shy away from the moment in their first playoff game in eight years, going toe-to-toe with the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1. They shrugged off a sluggish first period, erased a two-goal deficit in the second period and had a one-goal lead heading into the third period. However, they conceded two goals in the final frame, including the go-ahead goal with 1:54 remaining.
Troy Terry, who got the Ducks on the board just 19 seconds into the second period, noted during his postgame scrum how little mental mistakes can sway a series in favor of either team.
"(The loss is) hard to swallow," Terry said. "But I'm proud of our group, and I'm excited for the rest of this series. We proved it to ourselves."
Apr 20, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers center Matt Savoie (22) with center Connor McDavid (97) attempt to stop Anaheim Ducks right winger Troy Terry (19) in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs during the second period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images
Anaheim did not practice on Tuesday in between games aside from Game 1's scratches getting some light work in. Alex Killorn, John Carlson, Lukáš Dostál and head coach Joel Quenneville addressed the media as part of Anaheim's mandatory media availability for the day.
"I didn't love our start to the game," Killorn said. "I think we kind of maybe dipped our toes in a little bit. A lot of (our) guys haven't played in the playoffs. But what I did like is our resiliency after going down two goals to come back. And that second period was a really great period for us. I liked that. And then once we got the lead, we may have sat back just a little bit. A bunch of things we can learn from, but, overall, pretty good game."
"I think (we can be better in) taking care of the slot area," Dostál, who stopped 30 of 34 shots, said. "Every single team in the playoffs––doesn't matter if it's us, Edmonton or any other team; that's one dangerous area in hockey where you have to take care of it. I felt otherwise (that) we did a pretty good job on the defensive part, but I believe that's something we've just gotta focus on. Same with me, I've gotta make those saves there."
"I think we executed our game plan well on both sides of the ice," Carlson said. "I think we probably played one of our better games with the lead since I've been here as well. It didn't manufacture us anything, but I think (there's) things to build on, to work through and keep getting better (at)."
"I think that we wanted to find out about our guys in the playoffs," Quenneville said. "I thought we showed that we're competitive. I think there's some things we can learn from, and we've got to get better as we go along in the series, anyway. And I think that we look individually and collectively, that there are some positive things. Technically, we can be stronger in areas, but the effort was there. The pace was fine, and we expect to get better in order to win and be successful and that's our challenge. And I think that for a lot of the guys, getting their first exposure was a good sign in what their games (are) and what they bring and the upside to go along with that as well."
Apr 20, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) and Anaheim Ducks center Tim Washe (42) battle for the puck in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs during the third period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images
Ducks captain Radko Gudas will miss Game 2 with an undisclosed injury. He is day-to-day, per Quenneville. Drew Helleson will draw into the lineup, making his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut.
"Drew played some nice games for us down the stretch here," Quenneville said. "Drew's had some good moments for us. He gives us some quickness, some size and that spot with his partner (Tyson Hinds), they played together at some point over the last few years. Just want him to be consistent and be predictable."
"I'm excited to get out there and feel the emotions and the physicality," Helleson said. "(The coaching staff expects me to) just play my game. Defend well. Be hard to play against, make simple plays, just things I've been doing here lately. Hopefully, I can keep that going."
Former Ducks forward Adam Henrique will miss Game 2 after suffering an injury during Game 1. He played just 2:56 after exiting in the first period and did not return to the game. Josh Samanski will draw into the lineup in his place. Jason Dickinson is also a game-time decision, per Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch. Curtis Lazar would draw in if Dickinson is unable to play.
While Game 1 may feel like a lost opportunity for Anaheim, they can find solace in the fact that they were able to erase a multi-goal deficit and, momentarily, hold a lead against a hardened Oilers team.
Apr 20, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson (91) and center Mikael Granlund (64) celebrate a goal on the Edmonton Oilers in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs during the second period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images
Terry and Leo Carlsson shined in their playoff debuts, with both having multi-point performances. Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard were both kept off the scoresheet for the Oilers, but Jason Dickinson and Kasperi Kapanen provided depth scoring with two goals apiece. On the backend, Jake Walman picked up two assists. Anaheim will need their depth to provide the same kind of secondary scoring moving forward.
"We need everybody," Quenneville said. "We're gonna need everybody going forward every game, every shift. We're calling on everybody to get better from the first game. There are some positives we've taken out of that game, but we're gonna need more. Can't be satisfied with that."
"I think our PK did a tremendous job," Mason McTavish said. "That's one of the best power plays ever; they did a great job. Also, shutting down McDavid, that's not easy to do. I thought we did a good job limiting his touches and space. He's a great player. Obviously, he's going to get some chances, but I thought we did a good job eliminating that."
"There should be a lot of credit to Anaheim," Knoblauch said. "They did a great job making it hard for us to get into the zone. Usually, Connor's making those plays. The other night, they were able to get their sticks on pucks. More often than not, he's making those. Tonight, we'll have to see if we have to make some big adjustments."
Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville speaks to the media after their morning skate at Rogers Place.
Ducks Projected Lines
Chris Kreider - Leo Carlsson - Troy Terry Alex Killorn - Mikael Granlund - Beckett Sennecke Mason McTavish - Ryan Poehling - Cutter Gauthier Jeff Viel - Tim Washe - Ian Moore
Jackson LaCombe - Jacob Trouba Pavel Mintyukov - John Carlson Tyson Hinds - Drew Helleson
Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)
Oilers Projected Lines
Matt Savoie - Connor McDavid - Zach Hyman Vasily Podkolzin - Leon Draisaitl - Kasperi Kapanen Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jason Dickinson - Jack Roslovic Colton Dach - Josh Samanski - Trent Frederic
The Detroit Red Wings are entering a critical offseason after missing the playoffs for a tenth straight year, a finish that has left fans searching for answers about how the organization can finally take a step toward contention next season.
Much of the discussion has centered on captain Dylan Larkin, who played through injuries this season and still produced 67 points in 74 games. The performance has sparked mixed reactions among fans.
Some argue Larkin should be producing more consistently in his role as captain, especially given his history as a point-per-game player in previous seasons. Others point to his two-way impact, leadership, and skating ability as traits that are increasingly rare in today’s NHL, making him an invaluable part of the roster even when not at his offensive peak.
The debate has even stretched into more extreme territory online, with some calling for a change in leadership or even suggesting trade scenarios, despite Larkin being a Michigan native and long-time face of the franchise.
However, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman recently pushed back strongly on those rumors. Speaking on Sportsnet’s Oilers Now, Friedman dismissed the idea that Detroit would consider moving its captain.
“I’ve had people wonder, would they ever move Dylan Larkin, I think that’s crazy,” Friedman said.
During his end-of-season availability, Larkin called the year “not great” and admitted it was especially frustrating given another missed playoff berth for the Red Wings. He took accountability as captain, noting he needed to do a better job driving play and establishing momentum, particularly at home as they suffered many debilitating losses at Little Caesars Arena to end off the season.
Despite the disappointment, he reaffirmed his commitment to the franchise, stressing his goal of helping lead Detroit back to the playoffs and eventually competing for a Stanley Cup has not waivered.
Larkin just completed his 11th NHL season, sitting at 276 goals and 367 assists for 643 points across 808 games. He continues to climb the franchise’s all-time ranks and remains under contract through 2031, reinforcing the expectation that he will remain a cornerstone of the Red Wings moving forward.
Despite that stability, the narrative around his tenure has grown complicated. Detroit has not reached the playoffs since Larkin’s rookie season, a statistic that continues to follow both player and team as expectations rise.
If Larkin were ever to leave, it would likely be on his own terms, driven by a desire to compete for a Stanley Cup and play in meaningful postseason games more consistently.
Adding to his recent resume, Larkin also represented Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where he helped capture a gold medal in what stands as the biggest international achievement of his career to date. That experience is expected to further fuel his desire to compete in high-pressure, playoff-style environments at the NHL level.
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Convenience has been the theme so far in the Pittsburgh Penguins' first-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers when it comes to the selection of the third goaltender for games. They recalled Wheeling Nailers (ECHL) goaltender Taylor Gauthier for the first two games of the series in Pittsburgh, since Wheeling is less than two hours from Pittsburgh.
And it appears they continued to roll with that same theme ahead of Game 3 in Philadelphia.
On Wednesday, the Penguins recalled young netminder Sergei Murashov from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins of the AHL, likely to serve as the team's emergency goaltender for Games 3 and 4. WBS is a little more than three hours from Philadelphia, as opposed to Wheeling being more than seven hours.
WBS has already clinched a first-round bye in the Calder Cup Playoffs, and their seeding is locked in.
Murashov, 21, has played in five NHL games this season, going 1-1-2 with an .897 save percentage and a 2.56 goals-against average. At the AHL level, he is 24-9-3 with a .919 save percentage and a 2.20 goals-against average.
He figures to be the third goaltender behind Stuart Skinner - who has earned his third-straight start - and Arturs Silovs, who was the backup in the Penguins' first two games, both of which they dropped to go down 2-0 in the best-of-seven series. Game 3 is Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. ET, while Game 4 is scheduled for Saturday at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Niagara Falls breadmaker has been roasted after making a special bath of Buffalo "sabre" bread that bore an uncanny resemblance to a penis.
This bread got a rise out of onlookers.
An upstate bakery is getting roasted over the X-rated shape of a special batch of Buffalo Sabres-themed bread that it released in honor of the ongoing Stanley Cup playoffs.
Di Camillo Bakery in Niagara Falls was paying tribute to hometown — or at least hometown-adjacent — hockey team, who are currently tied 1-1 with the Boston Bruins, 7 News WKBW reported.
After initially mulling over making hockey sticks or pucks, the company settled on depicting the team’s logo with a sword-shaped baguette featuring a sesame seed pommel.
Unfortunately, the wholesome local story took a turn into the gutter after many people noticed that the breadstick bore an uncanny resemblance to a penis.
Many social media users clocked the bread’s phallic shape. Facebook/Di Camillo Bakery
“We wanted to do something hockey related,” breadmaker president Matthew Di Camillo innocently said of the playoffs “good luck charm,” confessing that he hoped to make a “lot of them.”
But the creation instead got burned online.
“How did the guy making this keep a straight face?” wondered one critic on Facebook, while another quipped, “I bet it’s made with dill dough.”
“This is our good luck charm for the Sabres playoffs,” said bakery guru Matthew Di Camillo. WKBW
“That’s the bread she says is ‘Just Friends,'” joked a third about the well-endowed wheat sword.
Another prankster wrote, “Use Viagra instead of yeast to get that kinda rise.”
Di Camillo’s magnum opus also got burned on Reddit, with one commenter flatly declaring, “Yeah that’s a penis.”
Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson celebrates his goal during the third period in Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Boston Bruins on April 19 in Buffalo. AP
“That thing’s got a Doaner,” said another, making a play on the name of Buffalo Sabres player Josh Doan.
Apr 21, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) high-fives forward Paul George (8) after a game against the Boston Celtics in game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
The Philadelphia 76ers’ surprising Game 2 win over the Boston Celtics was a shot in the arm to fans across the Delaware Valley. Before Tuesday night, everyone was collectively shoveling dirt on the grave of the Sixers’ 2025-26 season, but 48 minutes and one wink from VJ Edgecombe has us believing again that Philadelphia isn’t just a hockey town.
In addition to more ambiguous things like “tried harder” and “fought more,” the biggest reason the Sixers won Game 2 was good old-fashioned shooting variance. Philadelphia shot 19-of-39 (48.7 percent) from three, while Boston shot 13-of-50 (26.0 percent). Those figures were a huge reversal from Game 1, when the Sixers connected on just 4-of-23 (17.4 percent) and the Celtics sank 16-of-44 (36.4 percent). For reference, the Celtics were eighth in the league during the regular season at 36.7 percent and the Sixers were 23rd at 35.3 percent.
So that’s it then? Make or miss league, right? However, the Sixers leaned into a tactical strategy in Game 2. Look at the shot chart for Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe combined, courtesy of NBA.com Stats.
Look at all of those above-the-break three-point attempts! The starting backcourt took nearly as many shots from that area as the entire team attempted total threes in Game 1. And sure, some of that was Tyrese Maxey showing off some And-1 handles and breaking ankles, but a lot of it was about as simple a basketball play as you can make: take a big man and have him screen for the small man.
Tyrese Maxey making me eat my words, sinks two HUGE triples here in Q4 after struggling for a bit. pic.twitter.com/tHWI97UTQl
Boston’s defense plays drop coverage against high screens, more or less allowing guards to step into looks from the top of the key, rather than give up what are generally considered more efficient shots in the paint or from the short corner. The thing is, though, the Sixers’ offense typically doesn’t generate those more efficient looks. They basically run isos or wait for the shot clock to run down and throw up prayer balls, and I’m generalizing a bit due to a season’s worth of frustration, but anyone would tell you Nick Nurse hasn’t been running a tactical masterclass on that side of the court.
So honestly, run this offense the entire game.
Have Andre Drummond or Adem Bona set a screen up top for Maxey and Edgecombe and tell them to let it fly. Spam the play to death. Be like every 10-year-old video gamer trying to get his Create-A-Player as much action as possible. If they’re not each attempting double-digit threes in each game from here on out, something is wrong. It’s the cleanest path to getting open looks within the offense and, as the underdog, the Sixers should be looking to find ways to increase variance on a nightly basis. There’s no better way to increase variance than by jacking up a bunch of three-pointers. Maybe you actually force the Celtics out of their defensive comfort zone, or maybe you ride the wings of small sample size shooting variance to the promised land (the promised land being the second round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs).
