HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 26: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees runs the bases after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on April 26, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Maria Lysaker/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you haven’t been paying much attention to non-Orioles baseball so far this year, I regret to inform you that the 2026 New York Yankees are a good team. Their 20 wins are the most in the American League. They have scored 153 runs, second-most in the AL. They have allowed 106, which is the fewest. And while the Orioles spent yesterday playing a doubleheader, the Yankees had an off day.
It could be a long four-game series. And, in fact, the Orioles play the Yankees in seven of the next 13 games.
On offense, the Yankees are being led, as expected, by Aaron Judge. In his 11th season, Judge leads the league with 12 home runs and has an OPS of 1.002. More surprising is first baseman Ben Rice, who has 10 home runs and an even higher OPS than Judge. In Rice’s case, something tells me that a .373 BABIP and a17.2% walk rate are probably not sustainable. Arguably, they are the best offense in the AL.
The starting pitching on the Yankees has been insanely good this year. It has been the best in baseball. The Orioles will face their top four starters in this series. Two of them are lefties. Three of them have K/9 over 10. They just called up one of their top prospects, Elmer Rodríguez, to round out the rotation.
The relief pitching hasn’t been as good as the starters, but they have still been good with an opposing OPS of .710. Closer David Bednar leads the league with nine saves, but his ERA of 3.55 and WHIP of 1.658 are a little ugly.
Note: As of Thursday night, the Orioles have not announced any starters for this series. Chris Bassitt and Brandon Young pitched yesterday, so they are out. With Trevor Rogers and Dean Kremer on the IL, it’s unclear how things will shake out.
Kyle Bradish could pitch on regular rest tonight and Shane Baz could pitch on regular rest on Sunday. Down in the minors, Cade Povich last pitched on April 25th. It stands to reason he’ll be called up for this series to pitch today or tomorrow. As for Monday? Maybe Albert Suárez, if they add him back to the 40-man.
Game 1: Friday, 7:05
TBD vs RHP Will Warren (3-0, 2.59 ERA, 37 SO)
After pitching to a 4.44 ERA over 33 starts last year and getting a few Rookie of the Year votes, Warren is off to a great start in 2026. After failing to pitch deep into the game in his first four starts, Warren has gone seven and six innings in his last two.
So far this year, Warren has good numbers across the board with a 28.7% strikeout rate and just a 5.4% walk rate. When he isn’t striking guys out, he is getting groundouts 48.8% of the time. He’s been doing this despite an average fastball velocity of 93.9 mph.
Last year, Warren faced the Orioles four times, and they did pretty well against him. In 20 innings, he gave up 11 runs (4.95 ERA) and the Orioles hit .272/.333/.506. But that was 4.44 ERA Warren, not 2.59 ERA Warren. In limited plate appearances, Gunnar Henderson (3-for-7, 4 BB) and Colton Cowser (3-for-7) have fared well against Warren.
Game 2: Saturday, 1:35
TBD vs LHP Ryan Weathers 1-2, 3.21 ERA, 40 SO
Lefty alert! The Yankees traded for Weathers in January, with the 26-year-old pitcher coming to the American League for the first time in his career. After a tough start with the Padres, Weathers looked good for the Marlins over the last two seasons before the trade. That has continued for six starts this year with the Yankees.
Weathers is a big strikeout guy with a K rate of just under 30% so far this year, but has struggled with the homer. He’s given up five long balls in six starts, but none in his last appearance against the Astros.
Weathers has never faced the Orioles, and no current Orioles have much experience against him.
Game 3: Sunday, 1:35
TBD vs LHP Max Fried (4-1, 2.09 ERA, 37 SO)
Oh great. Max Fried. Back-to-back lefties!
Imagine a world where the Orioles had signed Max Fried before the 2025 season instead of the Yankees? I can’t either, but it would have been cool. Fried has been exactly what the Yankees expected after signing the ace to an eight-year contract.
Fried’s 47.1 innings pitched over seven starts is tops in the league at this point. He hasn’t been striking as many guys out so far, but is keeping guys off base with just 4.9 hits per nine innings and a WHIP of just 0.803.
Last year, Fried faced the Orioles twice. In June, Fried had the old Quality Start with three runs in six inning. In September, Fried struck out 13 Orioles in 7 shutout innings.
From their time together in the NL East, Pete Alonso has faced Fried 48 times with a hitting line of .238/.333/.405 with two home runs.
Game 4: Monday, 7:05
TBD vs RHP Cam Schlittler (4-1, 1.51 ERA, 49 SO)
Are these guys kidding me with these tiny ERAs? Come on!
The Yankees drafted Schlittler in the seventh round of the 2022 draft. He debuted last year with a 2.96 ERA in 14 starts and has been even better this year. He has that tiny 1.51 ERA and leads the league in FIP (1.51), WHIP (0.744), and K/BB (8.17). In case you’re wondering, the Orioles drafted Preston Johnson in the seventh round of the 2022 draft. He is currently on the roster of the Mississippi Mud Monsters of the Frontier League.
Schlittler’s Statcast page is a sea of red. His fastball averages over 97 mph and he has a curve ball that drops in at just 84. He strikes out over 30% of batters and hardly allows home runs.
Last year, Schlittler faced the Orioles twice. In 12.1 innings, he allowed just one run on 5 hits and struck out 15.
How do you think the Orioles will do this series? Let us know in the comments.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 29: Ildemaro Vargas #6 of the Arizona Diamondbacks hits a single against the Milwaukee Brewers during the second inning at American Family Field on April 29, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
McCann has set a mark by pitching more times before the end of April as a position player than anyone in MLB history, according to Baseball Reference’s Jessica Brand.
The long-time major league catcher has already thrown in four games, including Thursday’s blowout loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Woodruff’s first pitch of the game was a four-seamer at 84.2 mph, and it didn’t improve as he tried to settle into his outing. He worked around a leadoff walk with a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless first inning, then didn’t touch 85 mph with any of his pitches in the second while retiring a batter and surrendered a single to start the frame.
In hindsight, the first signs that something was amiss may have appeared in Woodruff’s previous outing against the Pirates, when 59 of his 71 pitches were varieties of fastballs. His four-seamer averaged 92.9 mph — which was actually up a tick — but he was part of the decision to come out of the game after only five innings, according to Murphy.
Despite Milwaukee Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff being pulled after just 1.1 innings, they still blew out the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-1 on Thursday. But in the process, Diamondbacks infielder Ildemaro Vargas made Venezuelan history.
Vargas went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles in the loss. He extended his hitting streak to 26, which ties the record for longest by a Venezuelan-born player, originally set by Wilson Ramos in 2019, via independent journalist Francys Romero.
Vargas’ .378 batting average is 20 points higher than Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays, who has the second-best batting average in baseball at .358. Vargas’ .378 batting average is 42 points ahead of Xavier Edwards of the Miami Marlins, who is in second place in the National League in batting average at .336.
With the 2026 MLB season only a month old, both the players and owners are already looking to the future. The league’s collective-bargaining agreement (CBA) expires at the end of the season, and both sides are expected to engage in multiple contentious rounds of negotiation.
In an effort to get ahead of that, the owners and MLBPA will reportedly start meeting in the coming weeks, per The Athletic. At the center of those talks is a salary cap, which the owners are eager to implement.
We’re roughly one month into the 2026 Major League Baseball regular season, and that means it’s time for a league-wide check-in. Specifically, we’re going to highlight 10 baseball entities that qualify as “pleasant surprises” thus far. What’s a surprise? Something that’s gone contrary to general expectations. What’s the pleasant part of this? It means the player/team/etc has exceeded expectations in a positive way.
Now let’s look at 10 pleasant baseball surprises that stand out through the first month of the season. We’ll proceed in no particular order, just like time itself …
The Phillies swept the Giants in Thursday’s doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park with a 3-2 walk-off victory in Game 1 and a 6-5 walk-off victory in 10 innings in Game 2, leading them to a 3-0 start under interim manager Don Mattingly.
It was the first time the Phillies had two walk-off wins on the same day since July 24, 1998, against the Marlins. The last team to accomplish the feat was the Pirates on May 28, 2004, against the Cubs.
Apr 30, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff (53) walks off the mound with an injury in the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Good morning everyone and happy Friday!
The M’s are on national TV tonight with an Apple TV broadcast on tap for the series opener with the Royals. The Apple TV broadcast has long been my favorite of the national TV presentations. Which ones have you been impressed with so far in 2026?
Adam Jude at The Seattle Times spoke to Mariners brass about the impressive start to the season for M’s second baseman Cole Young.
Around the league…
Brewers veteran starter Brandon Woodruff was removed from yesterday’s game and will undergo an MRI after seeing an alarming drop in velocity during his outing.
Rustin Dodd at The Athletic spoke to several professional athletes — including Logan Gilbert — about why they take on a “persona” when they get on the field or court. ($)
With the first month of the minor league season in the books, we‘re checking in on the top 25 Mets prospects who made our list ahead of the 2026 season.
I was a Nolan McLean skeptic coming into the season. It’s not that I thought he would be bad, but in the 48.0 innings he pitched last season, he was basically as good as the NL and AL Cy Young Award winners and I did not think that would be sustainable over an entire season. Well, here we are a month into the 2026 season, and by the eye test and by the metrics, it seems like it might be sustainable; the right-hander is somehow even better than he was last season! One month down, five more to go, if these trends continue, the Mets might be looking at their seventh Rookie of the Year and/or fifth Cy Young Award winner, either of which would be their first since 2019 when Pete Alonso won the former and Jacob deGrom won the latter.
It’s not exactly fair to grade Carson Benge the same way I am grading everyone else on this list (with the exception of Nolan McLean, but with him, it’s a moot point). Yes, Benge is struggling, but might he be excelling if he was in Triple-A? Might another hitter who is in the upper levels of the minors right now struggle just as much, if not more, if promoted to the majors tomorrow? Over the offseason, Benge spent a lot of time working with his former head coach at Oklahoma State, Josh Holliday; his swing during his time at OSU was decidedly not a major-league swing, with too much hand movement interfering with his ability to get them into optimal hitting position and to keep his body balanced. Early in the season, it was looking like Benge had gotten into that habit, something he eliminated just prior to signing with the Mets and going pro. Whether or not he is doing this intentionally, if so, if he begins to succeed with it or adjusts and streamlines his mechanics, remains to be seen. Regardless, this is certainly not the start that even the biggest Benge critic was expecting.
It’s been a confusing month for Tong. Outside of an elevated walk rate- command has been a weakness Tong has traditionally always had, though it really wasn’t much of a noticeable issue last season- Tong is still doing everything you want to see. He has limited batters to a .211 BAA and his 38 strikeouts are most on the team and second in the International League. Issuing all those free passes and allowing five home runs in 25.1 innings will screw with your ERA, though. I’m not too worried about Tong, and obviously I’d rather see excellent performance than poor performance, but I think the right-hander will start improving as the weather warms and he gets better acclimated to the Triple-A/MLB ball.
Two games in and A.J. Ewing already has 7 hits in Triple-A. That’s…something else. After having no trouble in Single-A, High-A, or Double-A last season, Ewing continued where he left off, demolishing the Eastern League until his promotion to Syracuse earlier this week. As I’ve said before, there are things Ewing could improve, mainly improving his groundball:flyball ratio, which was a not-that-great 55.1%:22.4% in Binghamton. While it would be great if he keeps posting impressive numbers and gets promoted to Queens sooner rather than later, I’d rather see Ewing not be rushed and improve on the things he could stand improving on, so he can truly be a big-time contributor when he gets the call
Reimer has gotten off to such a cold start to the season after having such a great year last year. He has been walking a lot, which has basically been sustaining his offense- such that it is- but he has also seen a spike in his strikeout rate by nearly 10%. The rest of his batted ball data is more of less in line with the numbers he posted in 2026, so here’s hoping this is just an adjustment period while facing better pitchers.
I repeated I don’t know how many times last year that when Ryan Clifford is on, he is capable of single-handedly carrying a team, but when he’s on the schneid, he is almost unwatchable. Such has been Ryan Clifford’s April. In his first two series’, he hit .219/.265/.250 in 8 games with 1 double, 2 walks, and 16 strikeouts. In his next series, he hit .200/.333/.333 in 6 games with 2 doubles, 3 walks, and 8 strikeouts. In his next, he hit .375/.474/.875 in 5 games with 2 doubles, 2 home runs, and 3 walks to 2 strikeouts. In his next, he hit .217/.296/.478 in 6 games with 2 home runs and 3 walks to 11 strikeouts. As I write this, Clifford has notched just one hit in the three games in Syracuse’s current series against Lehigh Valley while drawing 1 walk and striking out 7 times- and of course it was a home run. I’m just not a believer in Clifford’s hit tool; I mean, you’d hope with a .340 BABIP, a guy could do better than a .224 average, but here we are. He’s on the cusp of the majors, at this point, he is what he is.
I had very high hopes for Watson coming into 2026, and, well, they really haven’t been realized yet. He has roughly the same sample size in Double-A Binghamton in 2026 as he did last season, and basically everything is trending in the wrong direction (with the exception of his walk rate, which is slightly improved). He is inducing about 10% fewer groundballs and is allowing about 10% more line drives, contributing to the high BABIP and the more hits allowed than innings pitched. Hopefully, as the weather improves, so too does Watson.
Jack Wenninger has been one of the bright spots in an April that has seen so many players, in the majors and in the minors, under-perform. I’m happy that the right-hander is getting the recognition that he deserves. The stuff has been effective and there are no major red flags to think that he will be hit hard by the regression bug. I do think he is performing above his head a little bit, but I think Wenninger is unquestionably a major league caliber pitcher and will pitch in some capacity sooner rather than later.
Unlike 2024 first-round pick Carson Benge, 2025 first-round pick Mitch Voit was always going to be something of a project. Not considered nearly as polished as Benge, he ran roughshod over the lower minors, while Voit is not. The infielder has been treading water in Brooklyn, anchored down a bit by a sub-.300 BABIP that he should have the ability to raise in the long haul with more line drives hit with authority and fewer weakly hit fly balls- both things he is capable of doing.
Santucci’s 5.71 ERA is pretty deceptive. He is allowing too many walks- he’s always had that problem- but outside of that, he’s doing everything else right. He’s been limiting the hits, keeping the ball on the ground at a solidly average rate, and has been striking out a surprising number of batters; with a 53.1% LOB%, it just seems like Santucci is getting burned by the relievers after him failing to get outs.
What superlatives can we use that haven’t already been used? The youngest qualified player in the Florida State League, Peña is fourth in the circuit in batting average, sixth in on-base percentage, ninth in OPS, sixth in stolen bases and is walking more than he is striking out. His batted ball data is impeccable, and with the exception of not pulling the ball enough, almost perfect. Yes, he is just 18-years-old, but at this point, he is making the Florida State League look like child’s play. The Cyclones are gonna need some marquee players to put butts in those seats, let’s make it happen sooner rather than later.
Thornton was pitching exceptionally well in Double-A Binghamton last season, prior to an oblique injury sustained in early July that ended his season prematurely. This season? Not so much. So far in the young season, the left-hander is more hittable than he was last year, with his peripherals all trending in the wrong direction. Between the chilly weather and his shaking off the cobwebs, I wouldn’t be worried right now, but as a pitcher who is a sum-of-all-parts guy rather than someone with exceptional stuff, Thornton admittedly doesn’t have too much wiggle room for mistakes.
Through his first twelve games, Morabito hit .295. Over the course of his next 12, he hit .225. Nick Morabito is an extremely BABIP-dependent hitter given the fact that he hits over 50% of the balls he puts in play on the ground; case in point, he had a .333 BABIP over his first 12 games, and a .241 in his next 12. The outfielder has been walking a lot more, striking out a bit less, and has been showing a little more power as compared to last season, all of which is sorely needed ones if he wants to take the next step and become a meaningful MLB contributor on the offensive side.
Gordon began the season on the 7-Day Injured List with a lat injury. He began a rehab assignment with the St. Lucie Mets at the end of the month, allowing three runs on three hits while throwing 23 pitches, recording just one out.
Chris Suero was never going to run a particularly high batting average, but yeesh. Thanks to his power and his walk rate, he’s put up an above-average wRC+ though. Go figure. The backstop/outfielder has seen a 10% decrease in his line drive and groundball rates, and a massive 20% increase in his flyball rate. His Pull% dropped almost 20% while his Center% increased about 10% and his Opp% increased about 5%; in short, Suero is hitting more balls in the air, which is good, but he’s hitting fewer balls to his pull-side for power. All those extra flyballs are dying out there in center and right. Conceptually, should be a correctable issue, so here’s hoping.
Ross began the year on the 7-Day Injured List, suffering from ‘arm fatigue’. He appeared in four rehab games, two with Single-A St. Lucie and two with High-A Brooklyn, and looked fine in them. He has since appeared in a single game for Triple-A Syracuse after being activated, allowing a pair of runs in 0.2 innings, allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out one.
Lambert still is who he is; he’s been stingy allowing hits but negates that by allowing tons of walks, this season a bit more than last. Key to his schtick has been his ability to strike batters out left and right, and Lambert has not really been able to do that so far this season, at least up to his standards. Nothing about his performance has been all that red flag worthy outside of the uptick in walks and decrease in strikeouts, but we’re working with an 8.2 inning sample size here. I have confidence that things will normalize a bit as the season progresses.
Another player whose offense I expected to be depressed due to being in Brooklyn, I didn’t necessarily expect Jimenez’ batting line to be so depressing. Jimenez comes up to the plate looking to swing and swing hard, and that he does, resulting in plenty of strikeouts and plenty of poorly hit balls put in play for easy outs. Very few players hit their way out of Brooklyn, and Jimenez will likely have to either adapt, growing as a player and changing his approach to whatever degree, or risk posting the worst offensive numbers among every player in the minor league system like he is now.
Lantigua was held back in extended spring training when the minor league season began in order to better rehab a core muscle injury. He was activated at the end of the month and played in both halves of a doubleheader, notching one hit, a double.
The physical and baseball growth that was envisioned when Eli Serrano III was drafted still hasn’t manifested itself. The outfielder is walking plenty and has shown no major platoon splits against fellow left-handers, but the hit tool still isn’t up to snuff and the power still isn’t up to snuff; scouts and evaluators still rave about certain underlying hitting metrics and expected statistics, but at a certain point, we need to start seeing the results that have largely been absent.
Guzman got off to a slow start, hitting below the Mendoza line, failing to record a single extra base hit, and striking out at an elevated rate while barely walking. Around the middle of the month, things started clicking and hit a solid .275 with 4 doubles, 1 triple, and 4 home runs for the rest of the month, with 9 walks to 14 strikeouts. The strikeouts are baked into Guzman’s profile, but as long as he is hitting for power, you can live with that. He has about the same amount of games with St. Lucie this year as he did last year, and while he hasn’t been able to continue that torrid pace- he hit .333/.381/.604 with 13 doubles, 2 triples, and 3 home runs in 26 games- he has been looking solid since the middle of the month.
Expectations weren’t especially high for Gutierrez coming into the year. He showed some improvements as a hitter, the advanced metrics showed many were legitimate, and his defense generally got neutral-to-positive reviews. Playing in Brooklyn, I’m not surprised that he is struggling offensively, but more concerning to me is that there are more reports that his defense is bad. I knew he had a scattershot arm, but based on what I have heard, from what I have seen, and from the stats, it’s bad enough that he might not be able to stick behind the dish despite doing everything else back there solidly enough. As a 20-year-old catcher, there’s still plenty of time to figure things out, but he’s really going to need to improve his defense since his offensive profile is not exactly sky high.
Vargas started the season out slowly, but it looked like he was starting to come out of that funk towards the end of the month. In the last series he played in, against the Erie SeaWolves, he hit .412 with a pair of doubles and a pair of stolen bases, walking 4 times to 5 strikeouts. Unfortunately, he was placed on the on the 7-Day Injured List on the 29th with a shoulder injury.
The Rockets take the court tonight in Houston for Game 6 of their series against LeBron James and the Lakers again minus Kevin Durant…and are favored to force a Game 7 after impressive back-to-back-wins without their Hall of Fame teammate.
The Lakers enter Game 6 still ahead 3–2, but the tone of the series has shifted dramatically after those back‑to‑back losses. Despite LeBron James’ 25 points in Game 5, Los Angeles’ offense has sputtered, failing to reach 100 points in the last two contests. Austin Reaves did return for LA from an oblique injury in Game 5, but Luka Dončić (hamstring) remains out. Reaves played 34 minutes and scored 22 points, but it was not enough to finish off the Rockets.
Houston, meanwhile, has completely flipped the energy of the series. After losing the first three games, the Rockets have stormed back, winning Games 4 and 5 without Durant but with physical defense and balanced scoring. Jabari Smith Jr. led the way offensively with 22 points, while Tari Eason and Alperen Şengün added 18 and 14, respectively. The Rockets were outrebounded 41-34 in Game 5 but defensively held the Lakers to 42% shooting from the field and just 26% (7-27) from deep.
Ultimately, Game 6 will hinge on composure and execution. The Rockets have momentum, home‑court advantage, and a sudden belief that they can complete an historic comeback. For their part, the Lakers need to execute better on offense. Expect LeBron to take on heavy playmaking duties and it is fair to expect Reaves to move back into the starting lineup after coming off the bench in Game 5.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch Live: Lakers vs. Rockets
Date: Friday, May 1, 2026
Time: 9:30PM EST
Site: Toyota Center
City: Houston, TX
Network/Streaming: Prime Video
Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Game Odds: Lakers vs. Rockets
The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Los Angeles Lakers (+142), Houston Rockets (-170)
Spread: Rockets -3.5
Total: 206.5 points
This game opened Rockets -3.5 with the Game Total set at 207.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Lakers vs. Rockets
Los Angeles Lakers
PG Austin Reaves
SG Marcus Smart
C Deandre Ayton
SF LeBron James
PF Rui Hachimura
Houston Rockets
PG Amen Thompson
SG Reed Sheppard
C Alperen Sengun
SF Tari Eason
PF Jabari Smith Jr.
Injury Report: Lakers vs. Rockets
Los Angeles Lakers
Luka Doncic (hamstring) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Houston Rockets
Kevin Durant (ankle/knee) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
Steven Adams (ankle) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
Fred VanVleet (knee) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: Lakers vs. Rockets
The Lakers are 26-17 on the road this season
The Rockets are 31-12 at home this season
The Rockets are 38-49 ATS this season
LA is 48-38-1 ATS this season
The OVER has cashed in 41 of the Rockets’ 87 games this season (41-46)
The OVER has cashed in 44 of the Lakers’ 87 games this season (44-43)
Austin Reaves shot 4-16 from the field (2-8 from beyond the arc) in Game 5
Reed Sheppard was 2-7 from deep in Game 5 but was 8-20 in the 2 previous games in Houston in this series
LeBron James is 0-9 over the past 2 games from three-point range
James is 11-29 (37.9%) from the field the last 2 games / He shot 51.5% from the field during the regular season
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s Lakers and Rockets’ game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Rockets on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Rockets -3.5 ATS
Total: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Game Total UNDER 206.5
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One of the features of the transfer portal is players from smaller schools and conferences get to prove themselves at the mid-major level and earn an opportunity to step up a level of competition.
So who is next in line to take their big game to a bigger stage?
Top mid-major players on the move in college basketball transfer portal
Cruz Davis, Texas Tech (Hofstra)
Texas Tech landed its Christian Anderson replacement in former Hofstra guard Cruz Davis, the CAA Player of the Year in 2026. Davis averaged 20.1 points with 4.7 assists last season, and was No. 37 in USA TODAY Sports' transfer portal player rankings before committing.
The Plano, Texas product fared well vs Power conference teams last season, scoring 17 vs. UCF, 36 vs. Pitt and 22 vs. Syracuse, and will be a key piece to Grant McCasland's Red Raiders reload without Anderson gone and JT Toppin coming back from an ACL injury.
The 6-8 Lithuanian was ranked No. 7 in USA TODAY Sports' portal player rankings after averaging 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for a 27-win Saint Mary’s team last season. Unsurprisingly, the first-team All-West Coast Conference pick followed former Gaels coach Randy Bennett to Arizona State, where he was hired to replace Bobby Hurley.
Alex Wilkins, Kentucky (Furman)
From a zero-star recruit to Big Blue Nation in the span of a year. Wilkins had a standout freshman season for the Southern Conference champions and led the league in field goals made. The 6-5 guard averaged a team-high 17.8 points and 4.7 assists per game. In the NCAA Tournament, the No. 28 player in USA TODAY Sports’ portal rankings showed he could compete against elite competition, scoring 21 points in a competitive game against eventual national runner-up UConn. With three years of eligibility, he’ll be more than just a quick rental, which will help Mark Pope try to find some much-needed stability in Lexington.
Ryan Sabol, Providence (Buffalo)
If Lundblade was one of the top available shooters in the portal, Sabol quite possibly was the top shooter available in the portal. Sabol's 3.8 made 3s per game were third-most in the nation, and he did so at 39.9% clip.
He averaged 18.8 points per game and had 14 games where he hit at least five 3-pointers. He'll be a good fit for Bryan Hodgson's system in Providence. Hodgson's South Florida team led the American Conference in scoring last season and was second in the league in made 3s.
Tyler Lundblade, Tennessee (Belmont)
The reigning Missouri Valley Conference player of the year was one of the top shooters available in the portal and fills a clear need for the Vols, who need to replace their top six scorers from this past season. The former walk-on made 40.6% of his 3-pointers despite having a high shooting volume, with 8.8 attempts per game from beyond the arc. Tennessee's top returning 3-point shooters (Ethan Burg and Troy Henderson) had 15 makes all season.
Terrence Hill Jr., Tennessee (VCU)
Let's stay on Rocky Top. The sophomore had a breakout season in 2025-26, averaging 15 points a game on 46.6% shooting. He showed he won't be scared by brand names after scoring 34 points against North Carolina in the Rams' first round in the NCAA Tournament.
Hill only started two games for VCU last season, but beginning in January, he routinely played 30-plus minutes, providing a spark off the bench.
Drew Scharnowski, Duke (Belmont)
Duke had a clear need in the post with Cameron Boozer headed for the NBA Draft lottery and Maliq Brown out of eligibility. The 6-9 Scharnowski could slot alongside returning Blue Devils center Patrick Ngongba II or provide valuable frontcourt depth. A first-team All-MVC pick, Scharnowski was the No. 50 player in USA TODAY’s portal rankings after averaging 10.7 points, six rebounds and 2.6 assists per game as a sophomore for a Belmont team that went 26-6. He was a strong presence down low, too, with 1.3 blocks per game. At the start of the portal process, the prevailing thought was Scharnowski would follow former Belmont coach Casey Alexander to Kansas State. The big man set his sights higher and will test himself in the Blue Devils crucible.
Tyrone Riley IV, Oregon (San Francisco)
Riley will get plenty of run as the Ducks return just one player from last season's roster.
The 6-6 junior wing has 65 starts under his belt and averaged 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and one steal a game last season for the Dons. He shot 47.2% from the field and 36.8% from 3 on his way to a second-team All-WCC selection.
In games against Power conference foes Minnesota, Colorado and Mississippi State (OK, maybe not a murderer's row), Riley averaged 14 ppg, and he put up 17 points on Saint Louis and 16 vs. Gonzaga.
Jaquan Johnson, Iowa State (Bradley)
How would Iowa State replace Tamin Lipsey? The Cyclones point guard started all 137 games he played for ISU and left as the school's all-time steals leader and fourth in career assists.
Enter, Johnson. About as seamless of a fit as you could hope for if you're the Cyclones. He took an enormous leap from his freshman to his sophomore season, improving his scoring average from 6.6 to 16.9 points per game to help him earn first-team All-MVC honors, MVC most improved player and all-defensive team honors (thanks to his 2.6 steals per game).
He is only 5-11, which could cause some problems against bigger, more athletic competition in a major conference, but his all-around production is impressive, with 3.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
Gavin Doty, Syracuse (Siena)
Doty is following Gerry McNamara from Siena to Syracuse and did just about everything he could to try to pull off a stunning 16-over-1 upset over Duke in the NCAA Tournament, scoring a team-high 21 points in a 71-65 first-round loss. The 6-5 sophomore led the Saints in scoring at 18 points per game and was an excellent rebounder for someone his size, pulling down a team-high 6.9 boards per game.
He won't be an unknown to McNamara, and his near-immediate commitment to the Orange says a lot about his coach's belief that Doty can scale up from the MAAC to the ACC.
Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant has missed most of the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers and a similar pattern is expected for Game 6.
Durant missed Game 1 with a right knee contusion, an injury he sustained during practice a day before the game. He scored 23 points in a Game 2 loss, but suffered a left ankle sprain that has kept him sidelined for Games 3, 4 and 5.
The pain in his ankle will likely keep him from competing in the potential elimination Game 6 in Houston. League sources told ESPN's Shams Charania that Durant will not play, as the Rockets trail the Lakers 3-2 in their best-of-seven series. Durant was listed as "doubtful" on the NBA injury report as of 10 p.m. ET, April 30.
The Rockets have won the previous two matchups against the Lakers after falling down 3-0 in the series. A Game 7 is scheduled for Sunday, May 3, if necessary.
Durant's timetable for a return was a minimum of two weeks, sources told Charania. He first suffered the ankle injury on April 21. If the Rockets can force Game 7, it would be just days before the two-week mark given for Durant.
The Rockets have won back-to-back games without Durant, though, led by their young, future core of Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard and Alperen Sengun. Smith led Houston with a team-high 22 points in the Rockets' 99-93 Game 5 win in Los Angeles. Thompson led the Rockets with 23 points in their 115-96 Game 4 win in Houston.
Durant, 37, averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 78 games during the 2025-26 regular season.
The Philadelphia Flyers are going to have to prepare for a very quick turnaround for their upcoming series against the Metropolitan Division rival Carolina Hurricanes in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
On Thursday night, it was announced that Game 1 between the Flyers and Hurricanes will be set for 8 p.m. on Saturday night, with the Flyers having to travel down to Raleigh, North Carolina, for the first two games.
Thursday was a scheduled, and well-deserved, day off for the team after a teeth-gritting 1-0 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 on Wednesday night.
Notably, both the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins, and Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning, still have their Round 1 matchups ongoing.
Their respective Game 6s will take place on Sunday, though, at the time of this writing, a time has not been specified for either game.
As for the Flyers and Hurricanes, Carolina took the season series by a decisive 3-1 margin, and it could very well have been a 4-0 sweep if not for some late-season heroics from the Flyers.
Back on April 13, with the Hurricanes resting a number of key players, including Sebastian Aho, Jaccob Slavin, Seth Jarvis, captain Jordan Staal, and Andrei Svechnikov, the Flyers stole a 3-2 decision in a a lengthy shootout to book their trip to the playoffs.
A significantly weakened Hurricanes team still jumped out to a 2-0 lead, though Matvei Michkov, Trevor Zegras, and Porter Martone all delivered in the clutch to knot things up at 2-2.
Dan Vladar was his usual reliable self, making 24 saves on 26 shots and stopping all four Hurricanes attempts he faced in the shootout that night.
Vladar is coming off a monster 42-save shutout of the Penguins in Game 6, so the Czech netminder is white-hot heading into this bloodbath with Carolina.
The Flyers' offense has struggled so far in the playoffs, as Rasmus Ristolainen leads the team with five points, and Travis Sanheim and Martone are the only two Flyers with multiple goals (two apiece).
They'll need to ramp it up to have any chance of beating the vaunted Hurricanes, especially having to start fast on the road beginning Saturday night.
On Wednesday night, the Montreal Canadiens went up 3-2 in their series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Former Chicago Blackhawks third overall pick Kirby Dach scored one of Montreal’s 3 goals in the victory.
Earlier in the series, Marty St. Louis kept Dach in the lineup after a horrific game that included a bad turnover that led to a Lightning overtime winner. Since then, he’s been one of the Canadiens’ most impactful forwards.
On the other side is Tampa Bay’s Brandon Hagel, who is also a former Chicago Blackhawks forward. Although he didn’t impact the scoresheet in Game 5, he’s been their best player, drawing a lot of attention to the fact that the Blackhawks traded him away.
On Thursday, all four prominent players the Blackhawks traded at the deadline were on the ice for their new teams. One of them had a good night, and the other three went out with a whimper.
First, Nick Foligno and the Minnesota Wild defeated the Dallas Stars 5-2, earning a first-round victory in Game 6 at home. Foligno didn’t have any points while playing on a line with his brother, Marcus, but he was a physical specimen all over the ice for the entire game.
Foligno is more of a depth piece to the Wild than he was as the captain of the Blackhawks. He throws his weight around, brings a sense of urgency on every shift, and provides a steady game in all three zones.
The nightcap was Game 6 between the Anaheim Ducks and the Edmonton Oilers. With a 3-2 series lead, the Ducks had a chance to eliminate Jason Dickinson, Connor Murphy, Colton Dach, and the Oilers.
From the puck drop on, the Ducks were the better team. Eventually, they skated their way to a 5-2 win of their own and will move on to the second round for the first time since 2017.
Connor Murphy scored a goal for the Oilers in Game 6, and it was assisted by Colton Dach. Dickinson almost single-handedly won Game 1 with two goals of his own. The Blackhawks, who moved on to the Oilers, did their job, but it wasn’t enough.
Anaheim’s head coach is former Blackhawks head coach and three-time Stanley Cup champion Joel Quenneville. There are a lot of parallels between what Quenneville has now and what he had when he first got the Blackhawks into the playoffs. He seems to be saying the right things and putting the right systems into place once again.
Even when Quenneville was in Florida, he had the team on the rise. When he left, they kept it going and have been to three straight finals and won two. Now, the Ducks are trying to do something similar.
Stan Bowman, who was Quenneville’s GM for part of his tenure in Chicago, is the GM of the Oilers. Some of his moves have been questionable, and there is now a lot of pressure to make Connor McDavid happy before he packs his bags.
Up next are three Game 6’s on Friday, including the big Canadiens (Kirby Dach) vs Lightning (Brandon Hagel) matchup. Foligno and the Wild will face the Colorado Avalanche in Round 2.
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PORTLAND, OREGON - APRIL 26: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the second half of Game Four of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on April 26, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NBA released the next round of game days as the Spurs move on to the next round of Western Conference Semifinals. Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News posted this on x.com.
Per NBA: The San Antonio vs. DEN-MIN series will be played on May 4, 6, 8, 10, 12*, 15*, 17*.
The Spurs will host the first game on Monday, May 4th followed by Game 2 on Wednesday, May 6th. Denver, vanquished on Thursday night leaves the Spurs to face the Timberwolves. They will then head to Minneapolis for Game 3 which takes place on Friday, May 8th with Game 4 on Mother’s Day, May 10th.
If Game 5 is needed, the Spurs will host on Tuesday, May 12th. Game 6 is scheduled for Friday, May 15 back in Minneapolis, before returning to San Antonio for Game 7 on Sunday, May 17, as needed.
Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.
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NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 02: Simon Nemec #17 of the New Jersey Devils reacts during the third period against the Washington Capitals at Prudential Center on April 02, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. The New Jersey Devils defeated the Washington Capitals 7-3. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
“Hischier has made it known his goal is to win a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils, and he’s certainly a player they need to keep around if they’re serious about doing so. He has averaged 32.4 goals and 72.6 points per 82 games over the last three seasons. That production alone makes him irreplaceable, let alone all that gets put on his plate defensively and in the faceoff dot. It’s rare to find players who can not only hold their own, but excel, with the kind of usage Hischier draws.” [Infernal Access ($)]
“Despite the disappointing season, the New Jersey Devils still had a few players who exceeded expectations.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]
What might new contracts look like for Nico Hischier, Simon Nemec and Arseny Gritsyuk? Some projections: [New Jersey Hockey Now]
Hockey Links
The Flyers, Wild and Ducks advance, and the Penguins, Stars and Oilers are done:
THE BATTLE OF PENNSYLVANIA BELONGS TO THE FLYERS! 🤩
Your Lady Byng Memorial Trophy finalists are… 🏆 #NHLAwards
The trophy is presented annually to the player judged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability. pic.twitter.com/wsCXBieTLB
“The on-ice officials not only missed Greig uppercutting a defenseless Hurricanes defenseman, but they also put Brind’Amour’s team on the PK afterward, something the Canes coach said shouldn’t be acceptable given how many people in the building saw the incident take place. But after years of watching mistakes such as this, Brind’Amour didn’t place blame on the two refs and two linesmen on the ice. Instead, he went back to an argument he has been making since he stepped behind the bench: the NHL’s officials need more help to get things right.” [The Athletic ($)]
“Jessica Campbell will not return to the Seattle Kraken bench next season, the team announced Thursday. Campbell’s contract is expiring this summer, and sources told ESPN that she has received interest across the league.” [ESPN]
A cool moment before Tuesday’s Bruins-Sabres game in Buffalo: “Seconds into ‘O Canada,’ national anthem singer Cami Clune’s microphone malfunctioned. A dutiful crowd of 19,070 — Shane and Andrea Doan included — rushed to her aid with a full-throated, word-for-word reinforcement.” [The Athletic ($)]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 27: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins takes the ice against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Five of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 27, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The offseason is here a little earlier than the Penguins wanted it to be. As they shift into that mode, here’s what to watch for in the upcoming weeks for the early portion of decisions that will need to be made and events to unfold prior to the busy period around the draft and free agency.
Step 1: The Wilkes-Barre playoff run
Pittsburgh’s season is over but there’s still important information to glean for the organization within their AHL team. There are several players in Wilkes-Barre now, from Sergei Murashov to Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, Avery Hayes and Harrison Brunicke that will have very good chances to graduate to the NHL as soon as the start of next season. The organization would love to see a deep run by WBS to see which young players rise to the occasion and pique their interest when it comes to sorting out their squad for next season and which holes they might still want to fill via trades and free agents over the summer. The Pens probably wouldn’t have traded for Arturs Silovs without his 2025 Calder Cup run, this year their targets could well be internal for projecting to the NHL club.
Step 2: Find out draft position
Pittsburgh’s draft spot is currently 22nd, with draft position being set by regular season performance and not playoff results (until Conference Finals and Stanley Cup teams getting bumped to the end of the order, anyways). The Pens’ slot could move up to 20th if both the Flyers beat Carolina next round AND Vegas doesn’t advance to the Western Conference Final. If one of those items occur then the Pittsburgh pick moves to 21st. If neither of them happen, the pick remains 22nd. Vegas is up 3-2 in their series on Utah to move onto the next round and Carolina is a heavy favorite, so for draft positioning there might not be a move up from 22nd, but it’s one of those things to sit back and wait and see how it goes.
Step 3: Sort out Evgeni Malkin
This could take hours, days, weeks or even months to reach a conclusion. Malkin has made no secret his desire to return in 2026-27 with the Penguins. Kyle Dubas, on the other hand, has been in no rush to extend the star forward. Malkin will turn 40 this summer and the Penguins want to get younger, but he did produce 61 points in 56 games this season. Objectively, there shouldn’t be much to think about here to give the franchise icon a one-year extension. He’s still a productive player that could and should help the team next season and likely even come at a discounted rate. (It also doesn’t hurt that Malkin will help sell tickets and merch while keeping Sidney Crosby happier).
Step 4: Ownership transition
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman recently said the sale of the Penguins from FSG to the Hoffmann announced in December is ‘on track’ but didn’t give a timetable of when it would be completed. That requires Board of Governors approval and they haven’t had a meeting recently to get to that business. Immediate reactions might be for some sort of drastic change or shifts but it usually doesn’t pan out like that from the very start. It’s still an important item to check off the list, even if it likely won’t alter the offseason or team direction.
Step 5: Other free agents
The unrestricted free agents on the NHL roster, along with Malkin, are Kevin Hayes, Anthony Mantha, Noel Acciari, Connor Dewar, Connor Clifton, Ryan Shea, Ilya Solovyov and Stuart Skinner. In an effort to get younger, most of these names have likely played their final game as a Penguin. To varying levels, a few (most likely Dewar, Shea and Solovyov) will at least be approached for a possible return, if not get outright efforts to keep for next season. Maybe that applies to some of Acciari, Mantha and Skinner too, though I’d personally put those three names in a much less likely to return category at this point.
For restricted free agents, the Pens have Egor Chinakhov and Arturs Silovs to deal with (plus Koivunen and Joel Blomqvist down in the AHL). In this day and age it’s not uncommon to not tender an RFA and try to get a better deal for the team – that happened with Dewar and Phil Tomasino last year, but it’s a no-brainer that everyone mentioned in this category will get a qualifying offer and have their rights retained by the Pens.
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There are certainly other items to consider and items to get to as well, depending on how aggressive the team might feel about what to do with someone like Ryan Graves or whatever might happen with the Kris Letang situation, whose no movement contract turns to a 10-team no trade on July 1st. Items like that are not as pressing or immediate for this early look at the offseason items and decisions that will unfold first.
Apr 30, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) controls the ball against Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) during the second quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
It wasn’t a good day for the Brotherhood Thursday in the NBA playoffs.
Jayson Tatum and Boston lost to Philadelphia, 106-93. That series is now tied 3-3. Minnesota eliminated Tyus Jones and the Denver Nuggets with a 110-98 win in Game 6. And New York eliminated Atlanta, also in Game 6, but this was more like a Mafia-style elimination than an NBA game. It was just brutal.
The halftime score was 83-36, and at one point, the Knicks were up by 60. NBA playoff teams are not supposed to be down by 60. Unbelievable.
New York blew the game open with a 39-4 run that was basically flawless. They’ll probably never be in a game like this again. It’s a one-off…but what a one-off it was! When the players on this Knicks team are old men, they’ll have dreams about this game. It was an incredible performance.
Minnesota won despite lacking their starting backcourt, which can’t make the Nuggets very happy.
Jones got in for 12 minutes, scoring 4 points and dishing out 3 assists. Typically, he had no turnovers.
Finally, Jayson Tatum and Boston missed a chance to eliminate Philly, as the Jays (Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown) both played less than their best. Brown had 18 points on 7-17/2-6, and got just 1 rebound. Tatum finished with 17 on 6-13/2-6, with 11 rebounds and 3 assists.
Tatum only played 29 minutes, leaving the game with 4:03 In the third quarter after a problem with his left leg. He said after the game that he left to ride the bike, but when he came back out, the game was out of reach, so the starters were rested for Game 7.
On Friday, we’ll get Detroit at Orlando in Game 6, with the Magic up 3-2, Toronto hosting Cleveland with the Cavaliers up 3-2, and Los Angeles at Houston, with the Lakers up 3-2.
And just like that, April is behind us. The season is flying, and the lineup picture is finally starting to settle in some places while staying murky in others. Here's where every team stands heading into the weekend.
⚾️ Baseball is back! MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Ildemaro Vargas has started 15 straight and 19 of 20. He's typically at 1B but plays 2B when Ketel Marte is at designated hitter. There was some overlap, but Adrian Del Castillo and Gabriel Moreno essentially flipped being on the IL and batting cleanup. Jose Fernandez is getting starts at 1B and DH while filling in at SS when Geraldo Perdomo sits.
Athletics
Brent Rooker surprisingly returned on Sunday and served as the DH in three straight before being given a day off Thursday. Tyler Soderstrom (shoulder/head) is banged up, which could lead to more middle-of-the-lineup chances against righties for Carlos Cortes. Darell Hernaiz has started four straight at 3B since Max Muncy was diagnosed with a fractured hand.
Atlanta Braves
Ronald Acuña Jr. and Drake Baldwin have hit 1-2 in all 31 games for the Braves this year. Michael Harris II (who is raking) began the year in the bottom-third but has worked his way up to fifth vs. RHP. Austin Riley is down to sixth against righties. Mauricio Dubon has been in the lineup for all but two games this season, mostly at SS but with some LF mixed in.
Baltimore Orioles
Gunnar Henderson, Taylor Ward, and Pete Alonso have played every game so far, including Thursday's doubleheader. Adley Rutschman has started six of eight since returning from the IL, including his first appearance as a DH. Jeremiah Jackson has started 19 straight at 2B. Colton Cowser has started against just one of the past four right-handers Baltimore has faced.
Boston Red Sox
There's a new manager in town, but no major lineup changes yet. The difficulty with this roster continues to be who serves as the DH between Roman Anthony and Jarren Duran each day, and that doesn't even factor in playing time for Masataka Yoshida. Since Chad Tracy took over, the 1-4 against righties has been Duran/Contreras/Anthony/Abreu. Marcelo Mayer still hasn't started against a lefty.
Chicago Cubs
Moisés Ballesteros has hit second against the past two right-handers they've faced, and he got his first start at catcher this week. Note that those two-hole starts coincided with off-days for Alex Bregman and Seiya Suzuki. Pete Crow-Armstrong still hasn't hit higher than 8th since April 12. Matt Shaw has started 8 of 19 games since Suzuki returned from the IL, with starts mixed in at 1B, 2B, 3B, CF, and RF.
Chicago White Sox
Sam Antonacci has started 11 of 14 since he was called up, including two of five vs. lefties. He's made starts at 2B and LF. The leadoff plan is Chase Meidroth against lefties and Andrew Benintendi vs. right-handers. Everson Pereira is on the IL with a strained pec, opening up some middle-of-the-order opportunities.
Cincinnati Reds
Sal Stewart has two starts at second base and one at third base. Otherwise, he's the everyday cleanup-hitting first baseman. Nathaniel Lowe has started seven straight as the team's DH, which coincides with Eugenio Suarez (oblique) landing on the IL. JJ Bleday is up from Triple-A and playing left field against righties, which cuts into Rece Hinds' PT.
Cleveland Guardians
Travis Bazzana has played second base and hit seventh in his first two MLB games. Juan Brito was optioned as the corresponding move, so there should be everyday ABs against righties at minimum. We'll see what happens when they start facing lefties with Bazzana up.
Colorado Rockies
Edouard Julien remains the leadoff hitter against righties, while Jordan Beck has taken the role against lefties. Jake McCarthy and Brenton Doyle are splitting center field against righties, while Doyle gets the position versus lefties.
Detroit Tigers
Kevin McGonigle leads off against righties and bats third against lefties. Colt Keith hits third against righties and sits against lefties. Matt Vierling and Wenceel Perez are in line for more outfield playing time with Parker Meadows (arm) and Javier Baez (ankle) both sidelined.
Houston Astros
Yordan Alvarez has played every game this year. Carlos Correa had led off in nine straight before resting the second leg of Thursday's doubleheader. Jose Altuve has dropped to fifth against righties while Isaac Paredes has moved up to third. Dustin Harris is getting left field starts against RHPs with Joey Loperfido sidelined.
Kansas City Royals
Jac Caglianone is 2-for-9 in starts against southpaws. Michael Massey has plenty of runway at second base with Jonathan India (shoulder) out for the year.
Los Angeles Angels
Yoan Moncada has hit third against the past three right-handers, with Nolan Schanuel dropping to fifth. Moncada is in a 3B platoon with Oswald Peraza. He, Josh Lowe, and Adam Frazier all sat in four straight when the Angels had a run of lefties recently. Travis d'Arnaud should be the regular catcher with Logan O'Hoppe (wrist) on the IL.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani was out of the lineup in two of his five starts on the mound. Otherwise, he's played every game. Kyle Tucker began the year hitting second with Freddie Freeman at cleanup, but that has recently flipped. Hyeseong Kim has started 17 of 22 at SS, including nine straight, since Mookie Betts (oblique) went on the IL.
They've kept things pretty steady. Owen Caissie and Graham Pauley are in platoons. Kyle Stowers has started against the only lefty he's had a chance to face since returning from the IL, and he got a start at 1B this past Sunday. That'll be interesting to track.
Milwaukee Brewers
Jackson Chourio (hand) could return early next week. Garrett Mitchell has led off against the past two righties. Gary Sánchez was getting regular run as the team's DH once Christian Yelich (groin) went on the IL, but Tyler Black has started four of six as the DH since being recalled from Triple-A.
Minnesota Twins
Luke Keaschall and Royce Lewis continue to bat in the bottom half of the lineup for now. Austin Martin is still getting two-hole reps against lefties while Trevor Larnach gets them vs. righties.
New York Mets
Juan Soto has been the DH in eight straight since returning from his calf injury. Ronny Mauricio has started six of seven at shortstop since Francisco Lindor (calf) went down. Brett Baty is a regular against righties at either 1B or RF. Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien have played every game.
New York Yankees
Jasson Domínguez has played in three straight since being recalled from Triple-A, and Randal Grichuk was just designated for assignment. Assuming everything checks out with his elbow, Domínguez should get everyday at-bats until Giancarlo Stanton (calf) returns. All eyes on when Anthony Volpe (shoulder) returns and how that affects José Caballero, who has sat just once this year.
Philadelphia Phillies
Trea Turner,Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper have started every game. Adolis Garcia is hitting cleanup against righties and fifth vs. lefties. Felix Reyes is fourth against lefties. No meaningful changes yet following Rob Thomson's firing. JT Realmuto (back) could return this weekend.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Still waiting to see if and when Konnor Griffin makes a meaningful move up the order. Marcell Ozuna has sat three of six as his struggles persist.
San Diego Padres
Fernando Tatis Jr. is already up to five starts at second base. Ty France has started five of six at first base, which is helping him catch up in starts among the four 1B/DH types San Diego is rotating through.
Gavin Sheets (22 total starts)
Miguel Andújar (18)
Nick Castellanos (14)
Ty France (13)
San Francisco Giants
Willy Adames was removed from the leadoff role this week in favor of Jung Hoo Lee and Heliot Ramos, who are splitting it. Casey Schmitt is hitting cleanup with Rafael Devers dropped to fifth.
Seattle Mariners
Cole Young has still yet to miss a game, playing against all lefties despite consistently batting in the bottom third of the order. Leo Rivas is filling in at 3B for Brendan Donovan (groin). JP Crawford leads off against righties while Rob Refsnyder does so against lefties.
St. Louis Cardinals
Ivan Herrera has started every game and hit second. Pretty consistent usage overall for the Cardinals, who haven't dealt with many offensive injuries.
Tampa Bay Rays
Chandler Simpson has started all but two games this season, and he's led off against 14 consecutive right-handers. Jonathan Aranda is 6-for-6 in starts against southpaws after not being a regular vs. them last season. Jake Fraley, Cedric Mullins, and Richie Palacios predictably remain in platoon roles.
Texas Rangers
Brandon Nimmo has started and led off in every game. Josh Jung has been in the two-hole for three straight. Evan Carter is 2-for-2 in starts against lefties while Wyatt Langford (forearm) is out. He was 0-for-5 in starts against them previously..
Toronto Blue Jays
George Springer is back, so the regular leadoff role should be his again. Jesús Sanchez hits second or fourth against right-handers.
Washington Nationals
Luis Garcia Jr. is batting second against RHP while playing sporadically against southpaws. Brady House gets to bat third or fourth when he starts, which is most games but not all of them.
On Friday night, the Montreal Canadiens will have a golden opportunity to qualify for the second round of the playoffs by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning for a fourth time. If they do manage it, it will only have taken four years for the Kent Hughes/Jeff Gorton/Martin St-Louis regime to win a playoff round. That would be remarkable.
If you compare them with the Canadiens’ long-time rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs, they hired Brendan Shanahan and Kyle Dubas to mould their rebuild in 2014. They missed the playoffs in their first two seasons, just like the Canadiens did in their first two seasons with the new administration at the helm.
Both franchises made the playoffs in their front office’s third season at the helm. That was in 2017 for the Leafs, when they lost in the first round to the Washington Capitals in six games. For Montreal, that was in 2025, when they too lost to the Caps in the first round, but in five games.
Then, for the next two seasons, Toronto lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games. The following year, they lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the qualifying round. In 2021, they lost to Montreal in seven games after leading the series 3-1. In 2022, they lost to the Lightning in seven games. It took the Shanahan/Dubas duo nine years to finally win a round in the playoffs.
The Canadiens could potentially do it in four and a half years, half the time. Why? Because the Habs have been built the right way. They did not focus solely on the big names and handcuff themselves with big contracts and no movement clauses. The Leafs had Morgan Reilly, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews and John Tavares from 2018 onwards. There was a lot of star power that faded when it really counted, and Toronto couldn’t overcome it.
This year in the playoffs, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky have been struggling to put up points at even strength. Suzuki has five points, four of which have come on the man-advantage; Caufield has four points, all on the power play, just like Slafkovsky’s three points.
Still, the Canadiens lead the series. Why? Because of their depth, which they have because Hughes was able to sign his top guns to reasonable contracts with team-friendly cap hits. The way he handled the negotiations for Caufield, Slafkovsky, Guhle and Hutson has been exemplary, and he’s been able to add good complementary pieces along the way like Mike Matheson, Zach Bolduc, Noah Dobson, Alexandre Texier, Alexandre Carrier, Alex Newhook and even Kirby Dach of late has stepped up.
Of course, you can’t call a rebuild an unmitigated success until a Stanley Cup has been won, but if the Canadiens manage to reach the second round in such a short time, it will be further evidence that they are doing things the right way.
Jorge Montanez