Jack Wenninger made the first Triple-A start of his career, and things went very well, as he didn’t lalow any runs, struck out five, walked one, and gave up five hits in four-and-two-thirds innings. Joey Gerber was the only Syracuse pitcher to give up any runs in the win, as Anderson Severino, Jonathan Pintaro, and Austin Warren all made scoreless appearances.
At the plate, Christian Arroyo had the best day with a couple of hits and a pair of runs batted in. The majority of Syracuse’s hitters had at least one hit on the day, as well.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 03: Trevor Story #10 of the Boston Red Sox heads back to the dugout after he struck out swinging in the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park on June 03, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning! I have some positive news: The Red Sox will not lose today. That’s of course because they don’t play again until tomorrow’s home opener, but hey, they can’t get any worse after a reset … right?
In the meantime, we’ve gotten a good whiff of the stink emanating from this lineup over the first six games of the season, and I’m completely underwhelmed by how weak the right handed bats look. So this got me wondering, if you were to compile a list of the best right-handed hitters in baseball, how far down it would you need to go to find the find the first Red Sox right-handed bat? 50 guys? 75 guys? It’s really quite depressing if you dive into the exercise.
The first step we need to figure out to get there though is identify which right-handed bat is Boston’s best. Trevor Story has been handed the keys to the No. 2 slot, so it should be him if he’s there on merit, but Willson Contreras probably has the better case as the best right-handed stick right now. Either way, that’s an incredibly weak headliner for the category.
Talk about this and whatever else you’d like, and as always, be good to one another!
Carolina Hurricanes - 47-21-6 - 100 Points - 6-4-0 in the last 10 - Won 1- 1st in the Metro
Columbus Blue Jackets - 38-25-12 - 88 Points - 5-4-1 in the last 10 - Lost 1 - 4th in the Metro
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
The Blue Jackets closed out a three-game homestand with a 5-2 loss to the Hurricanes on Tuesday. Thursday's game at Carolina begins a stretch of three-of-four played away from Nationwide Arena through Apr. 11.
The Jackets are 9-3-1 in their last 13 road contests and rank second in the NHL in goals-against per game (2.15) and penalty kill pct. (87.9), fifth in shots against (24.8) and sixth in power play pct. (29.2) since Jan. 11.
CBJ have earned points in 25 of the last 31 contests overall (20-6-5, 45 pts) since Jan. 11. The club leads the NHL in goals-against per game (2.55) and ranks third in the NHL in points pct. (.726) and ninth-T in goals-for per game (3.39) since Jan. 11.
The Jackets also lead the NHL with a franchise-record 55 goals scored by defensemen in 2025-26 (55-133-188, 75 GP).
CBJ have collected points 10 of last 12 games against Metropolitan Division opponents since Jan. 4 (8-2-2).
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Adam Fantilli, who led the club in goals and points (tied) in March with 7-9-16 in 17 games after scoring on Tuesday, has set a single-season career high in assists and points with 21-34-55 in 75 contests.
Jet Greaves has earned points in 15 of his last 18 starts since Jan. 11 (12-3-3, 2.36 GAA, .913 SV% in 19 GP), ranking fifth among NHL goaltenders in GAA and eighth in SV% (min. 6 GP).
Kirill Marchenko notched 1-1-2 on Tuesday for his second-straight multi-point performance (1-3-4). He leads the club in goals and ranks second in points with 26-37-63 in 69 outings in 2025-26.
Mason Marchment has posted multiple points in back-to-back games (1-3-4) after collecting two assists on Tuesday. He ranks second on the team in goals since making his CBJ debut on Dec. 20, 2025 (14-13-27 in 33 GP).
Elvis Merzlikins has recorded points in 10 of his past 13 starts since Jan. 11 (8-3-2, 2.54 GAA in 14 GP).
Zach Werenski, with 21-57-78 in 68 games in 2025-26, sits two assists shy of tying the franchise's record for assists in a single season set by Artemi Panarin (79 GP in 2018-19) and matched by the defenseman in 2024-25 (81 GP).
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 19.9% - 18th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 76.4% - 26th in the NHL
Goals For - 233 - 14th in the NHL
Goals Against - 229 - 20th in the NHL
HurricanesStats
Power Play - 24.6% - 5th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 80.5% - 12th in the NHL
Goals For - 258 - 7th in the NHL
Goals Against - 215 - 7th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheHurricanes
Columbus is 30-32-0-5 all-time, and 13-17-0-3 on the road vs. Carolina.
Carolina's victory on Tuesday snapped a streak of eight-straight wins for the home team in the series. The home team has now won 12-of-15 meetings dating back to Feb. 25, 2022.
The Hurricanes have won the last seven meetings at Lenovo Center since a 6-0 CBJ victory on Jan. 13, 2022.
The winning team has scored four-plus goals in each of the past eight contests (including SO goals) and 16 of the past 18 since Oct. 23, 2021.
The winning team has won by three-plus goals in seven of the past nine meetings overall with Columbus earning two shootout victories in the other two.
Seven of the last eight played at Carolina have been decided by three or more goals.
The Blue Jackets have registered four shutouts and hat tricks in the all-time series.
The teams have combined to record less than 60 shots on goal in six of the past 10 meetings (60.0 avg.).
Who To Watch For TheHurricanes
Seth Jarvis leads the Canes with 30 goals.
Sebastian Aho leads the team with 50 assists and 75 points.
Goalie Brandon Bussi is 28-6-1 with a SV% of .897.
Frederik Andersen is 13-13-5 with a SV% of .871.
CBJ Player Notes vsHurricanes
Boone Jenner has 13 points in 26 career games against Carolina.
Zach Werenski has 17 points against the Hurricanes.
Mason Marchment has 10 points in 11 games vs. Carolina.
Injured Reserve & Other Injuries
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 37 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.
Damon Severson - Missed 3 Games - Upper Body - OUT FOR THE SEASON
Dmitri Voronkov - Missed 2 Games - Upper Body - Week-to-week
Mathieu Olivier - Missed 1 Game - Upper Body - OUT FOR THE SEASON
Isac Lundeström - Left early against Carolina on Tuesday
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 189
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
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On this day 43 years ago, Aurelio Rodríguez’s first stint with the White Sox began.
1900 The White Sox played their first-ever game, an exhibition win over the University of Illinois baseball team in Champaign, 10-9. Roy Patterson got the win.
That season, the American League wasn’t considered a major league (the AL would band together with the National League to form MLB in 1901). However, the White Sox would win the AL’s first pennant on September 12, when they beat the Cleveland Blues. 12-4 and 9-1.
1907 The best player in White Sox history (at least per his 77.5 career WAR), Luke Appling, was born in High Point, N.C. Exactly 20 years later, in Detroit, Billy Pierce was born. With their combined 127.3 WAR for the White Sox and universally beloved status, it’s safe to say there is no more important birthday on the franchise calendar than April 2.
1982 The White Sox traded outfielder Wayne Nordhagen to Toronto for third baseman Aurelio Rodríguez. Over six years with the White Sox, Nordhagen was the epitome of a replacement player, earning just 0.4 WAR over 406 career games.
Still, the White Sox got the better end of this trade: Rodríguez spent all of 1982 with the White Sox, then signed with Baltimore for the 1983 season before returning to the White Sox after his release from Baltimore in August. The defensive whiz put up 0.5 WAR over the course of essentially one entire season (140 games) in 1982-83.
1997 For the first time ever in Major League Baseball, one player’s salary is more than an entireteam’s salary.
OK, cool factoid. Why is that a part of White Sox History?
The reason — you may want to sit down for this — is that the player was on the Chicago White Sox. Yes, Albert Belle made $10 million in the first year of his free-agent deal with the South Siders, while the entire Pittsburgh Pirates payroll totaled just $9,071,667.
The 1997 season represented the last time the White Sox fielded the highest-paid player in baseball on their roster.
2006 On Opening Night, the White Sox unfurled their 2005 World Champion banner at Sox Park. The night game was a concession for an ESPN national broadcast, and the South Siders set down their division rivals, 10-4. Jim Thome hit his first White Sox home run, through a driving rain in the fourth inning, putting the home team ahead to stay.
Overall, the game was delayed for three hours by rain.
2021 Now THIS is how you make a debut!
White Sox DH Yermín Mercedes had more than 2,000 minor league at-bats before finally making an Opening Day roster in the majors. On this night in Anaheim, he had a sensational start, going 5-for-5, with four RBIs in a 12-8 win. Mercedeshad four singles and a double in the game. Chrystal O’Keefe had the next-day South Side Sox feature about Yermín’s 5-for-5 outing.
The last time a rookie had five hits in his first game in the big leagues was 1933, when Cecil Travis of the Senators did it. Before Travis, Fred Clarke had gotten five hits in his first game as well — but Mercedes became the only player in history to go a perfect 5-for-5 in his debut.
Mercedeswould go on to have 12 hits in his first four games — setting a modern major league record — and be named American League Player of the Week.
On this day just three years later, with a nod to how difficult it is to maintain a foothold in the majors, Mercedes signed a free agent contract … with the Kansas City Monarchs, an independent minor league team.
2024 White Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet wrote his name in the team record book after throwing seven innings allowing one run and striking out eight in beating Atlanta, 3-2, on a raw night at Guaranteed Rate Field.
This came off his start against Detroit on Opening Day where he allowed a single run in six innings, striking out eight. It was his first two major league starts, and the 16 total strikeouts were the most ever for a Sox pitcher in the first two starts of his career.
He also joined Jack McDowell (1991) and Juan Pizarro (1963) as throwing at least six innings with one or fewer runs and at least six strikeouts in their first two starts of the season.
The Philadelphia Flyers have a knack for making shrewd, under-the-radar trades, and one of their latest is already paying off in a big way.
Throughout the season, the Flyers have made a number of (relatively) insignificant player swaps, like trading Dennis Gilbert for Max Guenette, Ethan Samson for Roman Schmidt, and Samu Tuomaala for Christian Kyrou.
The Samson move was a bit controversial, given that the former sixth-round pick had a breakout 2024-25 season with the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms and looked solid in Flyers training camp before going down with a broken hand.
After four assists in 10 games, the Flyers swapped him for Schmidt, and later swapped Schmidt with veteran forward Boris Katchouk.
That move has been, by far, the most impactful for the Flyers' organization, injecting some life back into a Phantoms team that has had to deal with a significant amount of player turnover, including losing the likes of Alex Bump and Denver Barkey to the NHL on a permanent basis.
Having been acquired by the Flyers from the Minnesota Wild on March 1, shortly before the March 6 NHL trade deadline, Katchouk, 27, has already established himself as a top-line player for the Phantoms, featuring on the power play and playing both center and wing.
In just 11 games with Lehigh Valley, the 2016 No. 44 overall pick has erupted for five goals, four assists, and nine points, matching the five goals he had in 29 games between the Iowa Wild and Syracuse Crunch earlier this season.
It helps for the Flyers, too, that Katchouk has 179 games of NHL experience and 15 goals; that experience matters in a locker room that also has David Jiricek, Devin Kaplan, Riley Thompson, Carson Bjarnason, Aleksei Kolosov, Cole Knuble, and Oliver Bonk in it.
If post-NHL trade deadline call-up limitations weren't a factor, it's easy to imagine a world where the Flyers bring Katchouk into the fold as a depth forward, especially with Rodrigo Abols (ankle) still out of commission.
In the meantime, Rick Tocchet and Co. are managing with a fourth line of Sean Couturier, waiver wire pickup Luke Glendening, and Garnet Hathaway.
The journeyman Katchouk, however, is making his case to find a new home in pro hockey.
There’s no denying that Joe Veleno didn’t live up to his potential. When the Detroit Red Wings drafted him 30th overall at the 2018 draft, they expected more than a career-best season of 28 points in 80 games, which is why they eventually decided to move on. So did Veleno, though; he realized he would never be the dominant force he was in the QMJHL, and he decided to adapt.
When he signed a one-year, $900,000 cap hit contract with the Montreal Canadiens, it raised a few eyebrows, but with just eight games to go in the season, it seems obvious that it was an astute move by GM Kent Hughes.
Not that the Montreal native has produced more than he did in Detroit, or in Chicago, for that matter, but when the Canadiens called upon him (he has played 55 of the 74 games Montreal played so far), he was ready to go.
While Veleno embraced his bottom-of-the-lineup support role and only contributed two goals and two assists, he has been throwing his body around and committing to forecheck as if there was no tomorrow, which there almost isn’t when you’re a player on the bubble, playing for your spot in the lineup every night.
Through his 55 games, the winger/center has landed 139 hits, the third-highest total on the team, behind Zachary Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj, who have 155 hits in 72 games for the former and in 57 games for the latter.
The fact that he has converted into a player who’s throwing his weight around can only help him get more games with the Canadiens, especially with the playoffs fast approaching. On top of being willing to play a physical game, he also has the hockey IQ necessary to thrive in Martin St-Louis’ system, and when the Habs are healthy, the coach may face quite a predicament when he has to decide who to scratch. He brings an energy and physical presence that some veterans just can’t bring anymore, on top of being able to take faceoffs.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 30: Tre Jones #30 of the Chicago Bulls smiles after the game against the San Antonio Spurs on March 30, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
On Monday night, the Spurs hosted the Chicago Bulls. Prior to the game, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson shared some great memories and kind words regarding former Spurs guard Tre Jones.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson on Tre Jones, who returns to San Antonio tonight as a member of the Chicago Bulls: “He was at the forefront of doing that in terms of bringing the right approach and energy every single day. … He’s a competitive little sucker.” pic.twitter.com/GInen6vIhC
“He was at the forefront of doing that in terms of bringing the right approach and energy every single day. … He’s a competitive little sucker.”
Before the game, I caught Tre in shoot around. He stepped away the moment his family came to the court. He was all smiles, which is how Spurs fans most remember him.
A common practice when a former player returns, the Spurs honor him with a video tribute during the opponent introductions. Monday night was no exception. As the in-arena PA announcer introduced the Bulls, he paused before calling Tre Jones and the lights dimmed as a video displayed on the Jumbotron.
Spurs honored Tre Jones with a tribute video prior to tonight’s game. Tre is one of the kindest people to ever play with the Spurs. He has a big hand in this year’s success by showing this young group how to work, prepare, fight and never give up. pic.twitter.com/h7SsxcpikC
Jones was drafted by the Spurs in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft, 41st overall. He played with the Spurs for his first four-and-a-half seasons. He was a key component of the three-team trade that brought De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio.
Jones exemplified Spurs culture, played the role asked of him, maintained a positive attitude, and made significant contributions during the team’s greatest transition.
Once the game started, Jones had an impressive night, starting the game with a steal and a layup to kick off all scorers for the night. He ended with 23 points on 9 of 13 shooting, two rebounds and three assists as they came up short against the Silver & Black.
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Apr 1, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford (2) reacts as he hits a walk off game winning RBI single during the tenth inning against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
What a great couple of days for the Phillies rookies. First, Andrew Painter dazzled in his first start and stopped a three-game losing streak, and then less than 24 hours later, Justin Crawford collected his first walk-off hit and RBI in the tenth inning to cap off a memorable comeback. There will surely be growing pains, but the Phillies’ infusion of youth has already brought a spark to the 2026 season.
BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 01: Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) congratulates Orioles pitcher Albert Suarez (49) at the conclusion of the game between the Texas Rangers and the Baltimore Orioles on April 01, 2026 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MD. (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Hello, friends.
It only felt for a couple of days there like the Orioles were going to lose every game they ever play again. Thanks to Trevor Rogers and a breakout day from the offense, they were able to avoid a sweep by the Rangers with an 8-3 victory yesterday. Check out my recap of the game for more of the lovely totals.
After yesterday’s win, the Orioles are 3-3 through their first six games. That’s the same record that they had through six games a year ago. Only 3.7% of the season has been played. Lots of baseball remains. Coming up next for the Orioles is a three-game set against the Pirates, but that doesn’t start until Friday. Both they and the Pirates have the day off today.
Wednesday brought a couple of roster developments that may well have an impact on the whole rest of the season. The Orioles placed Zach Eflin on the 15-day injured list. That was no surprise. There’s still no diagnosis for his injury. I don’t think the MRI will bring good news. The other thing was that, in order to get Albert Suárez onto the roster, they transferred Jordan Westburg to the 60-day injured list. That means that the earliest that Westburg can play is the end of May.
I’ve been thinking that if we don’t see Westburg by May 1, that means we’re not going to see him at all this year. If I’m right in my guess, then this means we won’t see him. At some point, the Orioles will announce he needs the surgery and he’ll get it and he’ll be done for the year. I could be wrong. I often am when it comes to predicting the Orioles. My reasoning is that, if Westburg’s recovery was on pace that the platelet-rich plasma was working, then we’d be hearing by now about when he’ll start a rehab assignment. Instead, he’s heading the other direction.
Another open question is who will replace Eflin in the rotation. My assumption here – again, this could be wrong – is that it’s going to be Dean Kremer. The challenge with that is that the Orioles can’t recall Kremer until April 9 unless someone goes on the injured list at the same time. I think they’ll need someone to start on Monday or Tuesday, and there’s no guarantee that there will be an injured pitcher by then. That’s a problem for Monday or Tuesday, though. Yesterday, Elias solved his “we need long relief to save the rest of the bullpen” problem and it paid off with Suárez pitching three innings.
An early, nerdy look at the challenge system (FanGraphs) And speaking of ABS challenges, the folks at FG are on top of figuring out how players seem to be using the challenges early on. It’ll be interesting to see how usage evolves over time, since after all it’s only been less than a week now.
Albernaz on Suárez joining Orioles (School of Roch) The manager has a connection to Suárez from back when they were both minor leaguers in the Rays organization.
Today in 1976, the Orioles and Athletics made a six-player trade that brought future Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson to Baltimore for one season.
There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 1996-97 outfielder Pete Incaviglia, 1957 pitcher Art Ceccarelli, 1960-61 pitcher Gordon Jones, and 1959 infielder Bobby Ávila.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: Frankish king Charlemagne (747), fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen (1805), playwright Émile Zola (1840), and baseball Hall of Famers Hughie Jennings (1869), Luke Appling (1907), and Don Sutton (1945).
On this day in history…
In 1513, the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León landed on the mainland of what are now the United States for the first time. The first landing took place between the mouth of the St. John’s River and modern-day St. Augustine, Florida.
In 1800, composer Ludwig van Beethoven’s First Symphony had its premiere in Vienna, conducted by the man himself.
In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany, which brought the country into the conflict that today we call World War I.
A random Orioles trivia question
I received a random book of Orioles trivia questions for Christmas. I’ll ask one of the questions each time it’s my turn in this space until I run out of questions. Since I’ve been skipping stupid questions (I suspect this book was churned out by AI with minimal human oversight,) today is the penultimate question for this exercise. Here’s today’s question:
Who was the first Orioles pitcher to lead the American League in strikeouts for a season?
**
And that’s the way it is in Birdland on April 2. Have a safe Thursday.
TAMPA, FL - DECEMBER 4: Jonas Johansson #31 of the Tampa Bay Lightning makes a save against Bryan Rust #17 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at the Benchmark International Arena on December 4, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Who:Pittsburgh Penguins (38-21-16, 92 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division) @ Tampa Bay Lightning (46-22-6, 98 points, 2nd place Atlantic Division)
When: 7:00 p.m. eastern
How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and The Spot, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The March of the Penguins concludes literally (though perhaps not figuratively) tonight with the team wrapping up their franchise record of 17 games in a calendar month. The Pens are 7-6-3 and managed to hold on against a brutal schedule while weathering some key absences. There’s another flurry of weekend games, the Florida Panthers play in PPG Paints both Saturday (5:00pm start) and Sunday (3:00pm start) and then Pittsburgh gets their first stretch of three days without games next Mon-Wed since early January (not counting the Olympic break). The Pens then pick back up a week from tonight on the road in New Jersey.
Opponent Track: Tampa was 6-0-2 in last eight prior to Tuesday home game against Montreal, where the Lightning lost 4-1. Tampa has a big game coming up on Saturday against the hard-charging Bruins.
Season Series: The Penguins always seem to play Tampa well, despite the difference in team strengths in the last few years. Pittsburgh is 8-4-2 overall since the 2021-22 season against the Lightning, including a 1-0-1 record this season. The Pens blew a 3-0 lead but still pulled off a regulation 4-3 win over Tampa courtesy Evgeni Malkin’s late GWG and three-point night back on December 4th. In the second meeting, Malkin scored late in the third period on January 13th to tie the game 1-1, though Tampa would go onto win in the shootout.
Hidden Stat: As referenced above, Malkin has 3G+1A in the two games against the Lightning this season. He’s got 12 goals in the other 48 non-Tampa games he’s played this season.
Getting to know the Lightning
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Jake Guentzel – Brayden Point – Nikita Kucherov
Gage Goncalves – Anthony Cirelli – Oliver Bjorkstrand
Potential scratches: Victor Hedman (away from team on personal leave), Brandon Hagel (injury, doubtful to play tonight),
Injured Reserve: Declan Carlile, Dominic James
Somewhat breaking news in that Hagel picked up an injury in Tuesday night’s game against Montreal and, as of yesterday, looks like he will not be playing against the Pens. Add in Victor Hedman’s absence and Tampa suddenly is missing some key pieces.
Hagel being out meant the Lightning concentrated a lot of their strength yesterday in practice on the top line with Guentzel-Point-Kucherov. Previously, Guentzel+Point were on one line and Kucherov was working on a different line with Hagel to split the talent. It looks like they are going to load all the way up for this game and probably count on that top line to do a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of scoring.
Moser, who started out in Arizona for three seasons before coming over to Tampa in 2024, is probably one of the most under-rated or under-talked about great players in the league. Moser was involved in the trade that sent Mikhail Sergachev to Utah, which has worked out great for Tampa to send out an older star that they couldn’t afford and replace him with a younger, very capable option to take over.
There are few things in the NHL more consistent than Jake Guentzel getting close to 40 goals and 80 points in a season with health (or right on pace, less the games whatever games missed with injury) over the past nine years and he’s back at it again this season. The 45 assists are already a single-season high and he’s closing in on his best year in points (84).
Guentzel’s been hot lately, riding a current five-game point streak (5G+4A).
Health has been a major storyline for Tampa, almost all their best players from Kucherov, Point, Hedman, McDonagh, Hagel, Cirelli, Raddysh and Paul have missed at least a handful of games at various times this season, and some more than a few. Luckily for them Vasilievskiy has been on his game and the waterfall of injuries still has their lineup seeing more than it’s share of talent.
Kucherov has been going absolutely berserk lately with some downright Lemieux-esque production. Kuch has 39 points (11G+26A) in his last 20 games and is right in the thick of the Art Ross race. He’s four points behind leader Connor McDavid, despite the Tampa star playing seven less games.
Key Matchup: Tampa the…defensive juggernaut?
Tampa is stacked all over the board, they’re second in 5v5 goals, top-10 in Corsi, Fenwick and finishing metrics offensively. That and the star power is what they’re known for, but they’ve really buckled down defensively this season as well. Their PK is good, their goaltending is a lot better with Vasilievskiy than backup Johansson and they find ways to limit the amount of shots opponents take. Despite an anonymous defense that’s missed a bunch of their top blueliners at the same time, they’ve found ways to play keep-away with the puck and limit opportunities against.
In the first matchup back in December, the Pens got 31 shots against Tampa (and scored four goals on Johansson). In the second matchup, Pittsburgh registered 27 shots, only scoring once on Vasilievskiy. The Penguins average 29.0 shots/game, that second game is what TB will be looking to replicate to keep the Pittsburgh offense quiet by limiting what the explosive Pittsburgh offense can generate. It’ll be a strong and fun matchup, since the Pens are flying and have scored 13 total goals in their two games this week.
Playoff implications nearly absent today
A lot of models from HockeyStats to TheAthletic have the Islanders, Blue Jackets and Flyers all headed for the 95-96 point range. That makes today almost like a house money situation for the Penguins, who should still be on track to easily clear that regardless of today’s results. For as crucial as the games against NYI and Detroit were earlier, the stress is eased for now on the Penguins with where they’re at in the standings and projected to go.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Egor Chinakhov – Sidney Crosby – Rickard Rakell
Anthony Mantha – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
Avery Hayes – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau
Elmer Soderblom – Connor Dewar – Noel Acciari
DEFENSEMEN
Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard / Kris Letang
Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton
Goalies: Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs
Potential Scratches: Bryan Rust*, Rutger McGroarty, Ilya Solovyov, Blake Lizotte (injured), Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Ville Koivunen
IR: Filip Hallander, Jack St. Ivany
The Penguins didn’t practice yesterday before heading out to make the trip, we’ll have to wait for today to see if Rust is able to play tonight. If so, Hayes will likely get bumped out of the lineup and some of the top-three lines will get shaken up.
Similarly, the goalie question is still out there for how long the Pens will be faithful to their rotation. Last week they gave Skinner two starts in a row for the first time in a while, as the playoffs near it’ll be interesting to see if they start making him more of the primary option in net.
Rickard Rakell (6G+2A) is on a five-game point streak.
Sid seeks seventh
Sidney Crosby will be moving on up in the all-time rankings with his next two points to tie and pass Steve Yzerman
Rank Player PTSRank Player PTS
1 Wayne Gretzky 2,857 5 Ron Francis 1,798
2 Jaromir Jagr 1,951 6 Marcel Dionne 1,771
3 Mark Messier 1,887 7 Steve Yzerman 1,755
4 Gordie Howe 1,850 8 Sidney Crosby 1,754
Once Crosby hits 1,756 he will also be in second place all-time for most points by a player with a single franchise, trailing only Mr. Hockey Gordie Howe’s 1,809 points recorded as a Red Wing.
Crosby needs three more points to clinch a 21st consecutive season of a point/game and extend his own NHL record.
Some other various milestones and potential happenings tonight:
Soderblom set to appear in 100th career NHL games
Bryan Rust (498) looking to become 11th player to score 500 points as a Penguin
Evgeni Malkin (1,399) looking to become 23rd player in NHL history with 1,400 points
Egor Chinakhov (18) looking for first career 20-goal season
Anthony Mantha (58) is approaching the 60-point plateau for the first time
The Twins (1-4) and the Royals (3-2) close out their three-game series Thursday afternoon in Kansas City. Taj Bradley takes the ball for Minnesota and Cole Ragans gets the start for the Royals.
The Royals have taken the first two games. The opener was a pitchers’ duel. Last night was anything but as the teams combined for 22 runs on 24 hits with the Royals prevailing 13-9. Every starter in the lineup collected at least one hit for Kansas City. Jonathan India drove in 5 with a couple hits including his first home run of the season. The Bullpen for the Royals was rancid but starter Noah Cameron was quite the oppositelimiting the Twins to one run over five innings to earn his first win of the season. Josh Bell smacked his first bomb of 2026 in the loss for Minnesota. Starter Joe Ryan was less than good for the Twins allowing five runs on nine hits in just four innings.
Lets dive into this afternoon’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game Details and How to Watch: Twins vs. Royals
Date: Thursday, April 2, 2026
Time: 2:10PM EST
Site: Kauffman Stadium
City: Kansas City, MO
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, Royals.TV, Twins.TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: Twins vs. Royals
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of FanDuel:
Moneyline: Minnesota Twins (+135), Kansas City Royals (-163)
Spread: Twins +1.5 (-156) / Royals -1.5 (+129)
Total: 9.5 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers: Twins vs. Royals
Pitching matchup for April 2:
Twins: Taj Bradley Season Totals: 4.1 IP, 0-0, 2.08 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 9K, 3 BB
Bobby Witt Jr. does not have an extra base hit this season
Rookie Carter Jensen is just 2-16 (.125) through 5 games
The Royals are 3-2 despite being outscored 23-22 on the season
Royce Lewis has 3 hits on the season and all 3 are extra-base hits (2 HRs, 1 Double)
The Twins collectively are hitting .210 this season
The Royals as a team are hitting .244 this season
The Royals team batting average rose .052 yesterday
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB 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!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Twins vs. Royals
The Twins are 2-3 on the Run Line this season
Kansas City is 3-2 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 2 times in Minnesota’s 5 games this season (2-3)
The OVER cashed yesterday for the first time this season for the Royals (1-4)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions: Twins vs. Royals
Rotoworld Bet 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 MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection 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 Wednesday’s game between the Twins and the Royals:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Royals on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Royals on the Run Line.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 9.5.
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The Mets (3-3) and the Giants (2-4) open a four-game series Thursday night at Oracle Park. New York arrives in town after losing two of three in St. Louis to the Cardinals. The Mets lost yesterday 2-1 in eleven innings thanks to an infield single from Masyn Winn that scored JJ Wetherholt. The Mets had opportunities to win but Marcus Semien flied out to right to end the ninth and eleventh innings stranding four baserunners in the process.
The Giants were smacked yesterday by the Padres, 7-1. Nick Pivetta threw five shutout innings, and Ramon Laureano cracked his second home run of the young season to highlight the afternoon for the Padres. Luis Arraez collected three hits for San Francisco in the loss.
Neither New York nor San Francisco are clicking offensively to this point. The Giants have scored but 14 runs and are hitting a combined .201 through six games. The Mets are not much better. As a team, New York is hitting .211. They have scored 23 runs in six games and hit just four home runs.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game Details and How to Watch: Mets vs. Giants
Date: Thursday, April 2, 2026
Time: 9:45PM EST
Site: Oracle Park
City: San Francisco, CA
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, MLB Network, NBC Sports Bay Area, SNY
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: Mets vs. Giants
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of FanDuel:
Moneyline: New York Mets (-126), San Francisco Giants (+104)
Spread: Mets -1.5 (+135) / Giants +1.5 (-163)
Total: 7 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers: Mets vs. Giants
Pitching matchup for April 2:
Mets: David Peterson Season Totals: 5.1 IP, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 3K, 2 BB
Giants: Robbie Ray Season Totals: 5.1 IP, 0-1, 3.38 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 4K, 0 BB
Who’s Hot? Who’s Not! Mets vs. Giants
Juan Soto has at least 1 hit in each of the Mets’ first 6 games this season and is hitting .346 (9-26)
Devin Williams has appeared in 3 games pitching a total of 3 innings allowing one hit and zero runs while striking out 4
Bo Bichette is 3-27 with 0 extra base hits
Willy Adames’ modest 3-game hitting streak was snapped yesterday
Heliot Ramos has struck out 10 times in 22 ABs this season
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB 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!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Mets vs. Giants
The Mets are 3-3 on the Run Line this season
The Giants are 2-4 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 4 times in New York’s 6 games this season (1-5)
The OVER has cashed once for San Francisco this season (1-4-1)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions: Mets vs. Giants
Rotoworld Bet 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 MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection 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 Wednesday’s game between the Mets and the Giants:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Mets on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on either side on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 7.0.
Sharper Angles: Mets vs. Giants
Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Giants First Five Innings UNDER 1.5 Runs
Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on Juan Soto 2+ Total Bases
Follow our experts on scials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
The Thunder have won the first two games of the four-game season series. The fourth game will be played on April 7.
The Thunder have won three straight games and will enter the game as the Western Conference’s top team with a 60-16 record. The Lakers have won 13 of their last 14 games and compiled a 50-26 overall record. The Lakers’ recent success has helped the team push its way up the conference standings; they currently sit in third place.
Thursday night's game will serve as one of the toughest games remaining on the Lakers' regular-season schedule and provide a sense of where the team stands against one of the league's best teams ahead of the postseason.
The Lakers have not made it past the first round since 2023, when the team reached the conference finals as a seventh seed but was then swept by the Denver Nuggets.
Doncic has led the way for Los Angeles this year with an MVP-like season, but the supporting cast around him has stepped up when needed, too. LeBron James produced a triple-double on March 30 in a 120-101 victory over the Washington Wizards while Doncic was suspended. Austin Reaves also showed the ability to produce early in the season, scoring 51 points against the Sacramento Kings and 41 against the Portland Trail Blazers on back-to-back nights.
Doncic has nearly averaged a triple-double with 33.8 points, 8.3 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game this season in 63 games played. He leads the league in scoring.
Here’s how to watch the big Western Conference showdown:
How to watch Lakers vs. Thunder
When: Thursday, April 2
Time: 6:30 p.m. PT (9:30 p.m. ET)
Where: Paycom Center (Oklahoma City)
TV: Spectrum SportsNet
Streaming: Amazon Prime
Lakers-Thunder seasons series results
Nov. 12: Thunder 121, Lakers 92
Feb 9: Thunder 119, Lakers 110
April 2: Lakers at Thunder, 6:30 p.m. PT (9:30 p.m. ET)
April 7: Thunder at Lakers, 7:30 p.m. PT (10:30 p.m. ET)
This is the time of the NBA season, with two weeks to go before the start of the playoffs, when teams want to be playing their best basketball.
Squads that are playing well late in regular seasons often outperform their perceived record and can go on deep playoff runs. Sometimes it’s the case of a team finally finding its identity, sometimes it’s the return of an injured star reinvigorating a lineup and sometimes, frankly, it’s a case of veteran teams coasting through much of the season, saving their best for when games matter most.
Yet, that isn’t necessarily the case for everyone. Some teams have hit recent struggles and are sputtering headed into the end of the 2025-26 season.
Here’s a look at who’s hot in the NBA and who is decidedly not:
Who's hot?
Atlanta Hawks
Since the All-Star break, the Hawks have been the hottest team in the East, going 18-3 in that span. The coaching job Quin Snyder has done this season is nothing short of remarkable. This season alone, the Hawks have been through several iterations of this team — from an opening night starting lineup that played just 24 minutes together to eventual trades of Trae Young and Kristaps Porziņģis — but have now settled on a team-first, ball-sharing identity that’s backed by defense.
Atlanta is averaging 30.3 assists per game, which is currently tied for eighth-most in NBA history. And, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker settling into a larger role and being paired alongside Dyson Daniels, the Hawks have a ferocious clamp on opposing wing scorers. Recent victories over the Celtics and Pistons — the top two teams in the East — show how dangerous this team can be.
San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder
These two get a quick mention and are paired because they have been the best teams in the West for much of the season. San Antonio has gone an NBA-best 20-2 since the All-Star break and the Thunder are 18-2 over that span. They’re led by their Most Valuable Player candidates in Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and they look every bit like title contenders.
Los Angeles Lakers
This one is mostly thanks to Luka Dončić. He’s on an absolute heater lately, averaging 39.7 points per game over his last 10 and 37.5 in the entire month of March. Los Angeles has won 13 of its last 14, and some of those have come against big opponents: the Knicks, Nuggets, Rockets (twice) and the Cavaliers.
LeBron James has embraced play-making and is putting Dončić and the rest of his teammates in position to make shots; over the last seven games, James is averaging 8.4 assists per contest, tied for ninth most over that span. The defense has been better, and this looks like a team — after crashing out in the first round of the playoffs last year — that knew it needed to conserve some energy for this stretch run.
Charlotte Hornets
They’re the No. 8 seed in the East, but Charlotte could be a problem either way in the play-in. Since the All-Star break, the Hornets have posted the NBA’s second-best offensive rating (122.1), which is just 0.1 behind the league’s top team, the San Antonio Spurs. A lot of that offense has come from LaMelo Ball, sure, but Rookie of the Year favorite Kon Knueppel has been a revelation, and Charlotte suddenly has shooting all over the floor.
It hasn’t been one-sided, however. Since the break, the Hornets have posted the NBA’s sixth-best defensive rating (109.8).
Who's not?
Miami Heat
On March 12, the Heat toppled the Bucks to improve to 38-29, remaining in the sixth seed. It was their seventh consecutive victory and 10th in 12 tries. Since then, it has been an unmitigated disaster.
Miami has lost eight of its last 10 and its defensive identity has crumbled. This is the side of the ball on which the Heat pride themselves, yet Miami has allowed opposing teams to score 126.4 points per 100 possessions, the worst mark in the NBA over that span. All-Star guard Norman Powell has missed a lot of this run with a back injury and an upper respiratory illness, but the team is hopeless in stopping opposing offenses any time Bam Adebayo sits for even a few minutes. Worst yet, they’ve been struggling as he has been on the floor.
Orlando Magic
In a lot of ways, Orlando’s recent stretch is much like Miami’s: the Magic went on a seven-game winning streak prior to losing six consecutive and eight of 10. The issue for Orlando has been its offense. The one thing that Orlando has on Miami, however, is that the Magic went a perfect 5-0 against the Heat.
The other good thing is that they just got Franz Wagner back Wednesday, April 1 from a left ankle sprain that had sidelined him for more than a month. Still, he was on a minutes restriction, and the Magic lost by 29 against Atlanta.
Phoenix Suns
It turns out Devin Booker couldn’t quite carry Phoenix during a rash of injuries that saw Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams miss extended time, while role players Grayson Allen and Haywood Highsmith have also had to sit in spots.
The biggest blow was the left hand injury to Brooks, who is averaging a career-high 20.6 points per game. He made his return Tuesday, March 31 in an eventual loss against the Magic, and Phoenix has lost seven of its last 10. That’s the bad news.
The good? Phoenix has remained locked into the No. 7 seed, where it has been since Jan. 23, and the Clippers — who are 3 games back — probably have too much ground to make up.
Either way, there had been a slight chance that the Suns could contend for that No. 6 seed and automatic playoff berth in the crowded West. After this recent losing stretch, however, and with the Suns 4½ games back of Minnesota, that’s a near impossibility.
Connecticut, Illinois, Arizona and Michigan made the national semifinals with their major playmakers having the primary roles. But what has allowed this quartet to reach the biggest stage in men's college basketball is that they also get significant contributions from people outside the spotlight. It's going to take more than the top guys to cut down the nets − just look at UConn's Braylon Mullins in the Elite Eight.
So, which under-the-radar players have the chance to step up and be the catalyst for a national championship? Here is one player to watch for each team.
Connecticut: Malachi Smith
The health of Silas Demary Jr. has been a talking point for UConn as the lead guard, but Smith has stepped up well and become a reliable guard during the tournament.
It was big for Smith, who started in 77 games at Dayton before transferring to Storrs this season, to accept a bench role for the Huskies, but he's wound up becoming a vital part of the second unit, and his value has only risen as the season ended. After averaging 2.7 assists per game before the tournament began, he's averaging 5.5 in the four tournament games. Smith made the most his starting role in the first two rounds, when he played more than 30 minutes against Furman and UCLA.
Even with Demary back, Smith has earned increased minutes and it's paying off for Dan Hurley.
Illinois: Kylan Boswell
It makes sense to see a senior playing a big role for Illinois, but it's easy to forget Boswell is won't turn 21 until later this month, and he'll have to play up to his experience in order for the Fighting Illini to break through.
A look at the stat sheet may make you wonder how Boswell makes such a difference − averaging just 8.3 points and 2 assists during the tournament − but he is the heart and soul of the team, a guy that brings energy and intensity. That will be needed defensively since Connecticut is one of the best teams sharing, so he will have to bring pressure to limit passing lanes. Illinois' offense has done well, but it could really use Boswell as he has struggled to score, as he went a combined 0-for-7 from the field in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. If he can find a shooting touch, that makes the back court mightily stronger.
The Final Four means a lot to many, but Boswell is playing a big part on his hometown team. The Champaign native will have the chance to bring its first national title home.
Arizona: Ivan Kharchenkov
You want someone that is willing to lay it all on the line every single play? Kharchenkov is your guy.
There may no be no one with more hustle than than the freshman from Germany who is diving for the ball and playing an aggressive style of ball that really makes opponents uncomfortable. If you look at moments where Arizona swung momentum to its side, most of the time its because of Kharchenkov. Not only that, but he's raised his level in the postseason. He entered the NCAA Tournament averaging 10.1 points and 4.1 rebounds, but he's improved that to 14 point and 6.5 rebounds per contest.
Teams cannot relax when Kharchenkov is on the court, as he is will do the little things that could be the key moments in an Arizona win.
Michigan: Elliot Cadeau
Michigan is the highest-scoring offense left in the tournament, averaging 87.7 points per game. None of it happens without the guard play of Cadeau.
The North Carolina transfer has had a renaissance in Ann Arbor, averaging 5.8 assists per game. While he's been dishing it out at a great rate, he's really honed in on taking care of the ball, with fewer than four turnovers in each of the last six games. That's on top averaging a career-best 10.2 points per game and becoming a reliable 3-point shooter. What makes it even more incredible? He is partially deaf in his right ear, has asthma and had surgery his freshman year to treat a progressive eye disorder.
Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara get most of the attention, but the offense doesn't move as exceptional as it does without Cadeau. Michigan needs its guard to spearhead the attack to keep the offense as lethal as its been all season.
