LOS ANGELES — Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz said he was feeling good after undergoing elbow surgery to have five loose bodies removed from his pitching arm, and the right-hander is eager to return after the All-Star break in July.
Diaz sported three small bandages on his right elbow. He had surgery in Los Angeles.
“Everything went well,” he said. “I feel really good. I can move my arm really good right now. I’m really surprised because the surgery was on Wednesday.”
The 32-year-old reliever said he’s known about the loose bodies since 2012, when he was drafted by the Seattle Mariners out of Puerto Rico. Loose bodies are small fragments of bone or cartilage that have broken off and are floating freely in the joint space. They act like debris in the hinge joint and can potentially restrict movement.
“I knew I had it and never felt something weird with my arm,” he said. “It’s the first time in my career my arm is sore.”
Diaz didn’t feel comfortable throwing on April 19 at Colorado. He failed to get an out in the eighth inning while allowing three runs and three hits to go with a walk in Los Angeles’ 9-6 loss.
“My arm was feeling tired and tight,” he said. “Maybe that’s why the (velocity) was a little bit inconsistent.”
He told the team and was sent for imaging, which didn’t reveal any further issues in his arm.
He has yet to get the stitches out and won’t resume throwing for a couple of weeks.
“I’m going to work on my body,” he said, “so I just want to come back strong and help this team to win.”
Diaz is 29-36 with a 2.91 ERA in 527 career games. The three-time All-Star has 257 saves in 300 opportunities with 849 strikeouts.
Early on, his legs were bothering him and he was given a couple of days off. Then his arm began bothering him.
Díaz is 1-0 with a 10.50 ERA in seven games for the Dodgers, and was still getting settled in with the team. He signed a three-year, $69 million deal in the offseason, leaving the New York Mets as a free agent.
“That (stinks) to miss the first half, but that’s something I can’t control,” he said. “My teammates, they are supporting me. They say, ‘Oh, take your time. We need you in October.’ But I want to come back as soon as possible and help this team to win games.”
With Diaz on the shelf, it means the trumpet has gone silent at Dodger Stadium. Jazz musician Tatiana Tate, who performed a live version of “Narco” for Diaz’s popular entrance music, isn’t needed.
“She will be out of work for a couple months,” Diaz said, “but I hope when I come back, she comes back and plays the trumpet for me.”
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 19, 2026: Xavier Neyens #9 of the Houston Astros bats during the third inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Miami Marlins at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 19, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
This will be your weekly look at the hottest prospects in the system, highlighting the top performers at the plate and on the mound.
Who’s Hot At The Plate?
Anthony Huezo – Huezo has been on a tear to start the season and this week was no different. The 20-year-old played in four games this week and hit .538 with a double, a home run, 3 runs batted in and 4 stolen bases. Overall this year he has a .993 OPS in 17 games.
Kevin Alvarez – Alvarez is one of the Astros top prospects with a super high ceiling and he got it going this week. The 18-year-old played in four games and hit .412 with a double, 2 triples, a home run and 3 runs batted in. He’s hitting .284 this season.
Nehomar Ochoa – After a tough 2025 season, Ochoa has gotten off to a nice start in 2026. This week he hit well batting .385 with 2 home runs, 4 runs batted in and a surprising 5 stolen bases. He has a .855 OPS this season.
Xavier Neyens – Neyens, the Astros first round pick last year, he continued to get better each week. This week, Neyens hit .375 with a double, a home run, 6 runs batted in and 3 stolen bases. He’s hitting .302 with a .968 OPS over his last 11 games.
Who’s Hot On The Mound?
Javier Perez – Perez has been really strong this season and continues to fly up the prospect rankings. In his one start for Fayetteville, the right-hander struck out 7 over 6 innings allowing one unearned run. He has a 2.84 ERA this season.
Cole Hertzler – Hertzler was a sleeper pick for Astros minor league pitcher of the year and he has been dominant to start the season. This week he struck out 8 over 4 scoreless innings for Asheville. He’s racked up 25 K in 16.2 innings with a 1.62 ERA.
Bryce Mayer – Another good outing for Mayer this week, the Astros minor league pitcher of the year in 2025. This week the right-hander struck out 8 over 4.1 innings allowing 1 run. He has a 3.60 ERA with 17 K in 10 innings this season.
Trey Dombroski – Dombroski continues to churn out solid starts. The 2022 4th rounder had a nice start this week striking out 7 batters over 5 innings allowing just one run. His turn for a promotion to Sugar Land should come at some point.
TEAM ERA and OPS:
Sugar Land – From 3.16 ERA to 3.61 ERA – From .682 OPS to .689 OPS
Corpus Christi – From 3.77 ERA to 3.72 ERA – From .673 OPS to .631 OPS
Asheville – From 6.52 ERA to 6.95 ERA – From .739 OPS to .732 OPS
Fayetteville – From 6.16 ERA to 5.16 ERA – From .709 OPS to .757 OPS
Mattingly previously managed the Los Angeles Dodgers (2011-2015) and Miami Marlins (2016-2022) and spent the past three seasons as the Toronto Blue Jays' bench coach, nearly winning his first World Series as a player or coach in 2025.
Mattingly's son, Preston, is the Phillies' general manager, a position he began prior to the 2025 season. A first-round pick in 2006, Preston Mattingly spent six seasons in the minors with a .232 batting average.
Mattingly has a career 889-950 record and is 10-14 in the postseason, famously getting knocked out three years in a row with the Dodgers before Dave Roberts took over.
The team stating that Mattingly would be the interim for the rest of the season was a surprise, with recently-fired Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora expected to be at the top of the list in Philadelphia, having won a World Series in Boston with now-Phillies president Dave Dombrowski.
But USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale reported Tuesday that the Phillies did in fact offer the job to Cora before promoting Mattingly.
Thomson led the Phillies to the 2022 World Series after replacing Joe Girardi in the middle of the season, and Philadelphia has reached the postseason in each of the past four seasons.
The series is tied 2-2 after the Knicks won Game 4, 114-98, and the series, like the momentum, shifts back to New York.
The Knicks have the chance to go up 3-2 with a win on its home court. New York held Atlanta to 24% from three (10/41) and shot 45% from deep themselves (14/31). The Knicks had three different players score at least 19 points and for a second straight game, OG Anunoby led the team in scoring.
Atlanta is coming off its worst shooting performance of the series. If you take away Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Gabe Vincent's three-pointers, then Atlanta was an abysmal 3-of-27 (11.1%) from deep. The Hawks also had their highest amount of turnovers in the series during the Game 4 loss (18).
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: Hawks vs. Knicks
Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Time: 8:10 PM EST
Site: Madison Square Garden
City: New York City, NY
Network/Streaming: NBC / Peacock
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: Hawks vs. Knicks
The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Atlanta Hawks (+205), New York Knicks (-250)
Spread: Knicks -6.5
Total: 214.5 points
This game opened Knicks -5.5 with the Total set at 214.5.
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: Hawks vs. Knicks
Atlanta Hawks
PG CJ McCollum
SG Nickeil Walker-Alexander
SF Dyson Daniels
PF Jalen Johnson
C Onyeka Okoungwu
New York Knicks
PG Jalen Brunson
SG Josh Hart
SF Mikal Bridges
PF OG Anunoby
C Karl-Anthony Towns
Injury Report: Hawks vs. Knicks
New York Knicks
None
Atlanta Hawks
None
Important stats, trends and insights: Hawks vs. Knicks
Atlanta is 46-40 ATS this season
Atlanta is 43-42 to the Over and 24-19 to Over as the road team
Atlanta is 24-19 ATS as road team
New York is 46-41 ATS this season
New York is an NBA-best 28-14 ATS at home
New York is 48-39 to the Under and 23-19 to the Under as the home team
Rotoworld Best Bet
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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 Hawks and Knicks’ game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Knicks’ Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Knicks -6.5 ATS
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 214.5
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PHILADELPHIA — Manager Rob Thomson, who led the Phillies to four straight playoff appearances, including the 2022 World Series, was fired after Philadelphia lost 11 of 12 games and began the day tied for last place in the majors.
Bench coach Don Mattingly was named interim manager through the end of the season and third-base coach Dusty Wathan was promoted to bench coach.
Thomson went 355-270 and had led a Phillies team loaded with high-priced talent that included Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner to consecutive division titles. The 62-year-old Thomson, a baseball lifer finally promoted to his first managerial stint in 2022, signed a contract extension in the offseason through the 2027 season and was again expected to lead the Phillies into World Series contention.
The Phillies and their $300-plus million payroll have instead been one of the biggest flops in the baseball and had lost 10 straight games before ace Zack Wheeler led them to a win against Atlanta on Saturday. The Phillies lost to Atlanta on Sunday and fell to 9-19 overall, tied with the divisional rival New York Mets.
Thomson is the second manager fired in baseball this season after the Red Sox fired Alex Cora and five coaches.
NEW YORK — Outfielder Austin Slater agreed to a one-year contract with the slumping New York Mets, who designated Tommy Pham for assignment two weeks after calling him up.
Slater gets a $1 million salary while in the major leagues and the chance to earn $100,000 in performance bonuses for plate appearances: $25,000 each for 150, 225, 300 and 375.
Slater, 33, signed a minor league contract with Detroit on Feb. 12, hit .267 with one homer and four RBIs in 15 spring training games and was released at his request on March 21. He signed with Miami on March 25 and hit .174 (4 for 23) with four walks and one RBI on sacrifice fly in 12 games, then was designated for assignment.
He refused an outright assignment to Triple-A Jacksonville and elected free agency.
Slater has a .247 average with 45 homers and 185 RBIs in 10 seasons with San Francisco (2017-24), Cincinnati (2024), Baltimore (2024), the Chicago White Sox (2025), the New York Yankees (2025) and Miami.
Pham, 38, went 0 for 13 in nine games with the Mets after he was called up on April 13.
New York also claimed infielder Eric Wagaman off waivers from Minnesota and optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse.
The Mets have lost 15 of 17 games and are tied with Philadelphia for the worst record in the major leagues at 9-19.
The Yankees appear to be calling up one of their top prospects.
During his weekly appearance on theTalkin’ Yanks podcast, manager Aaron Boone strongly hinted that the team is calling up right-hander pitcher Elmer Rodriguez.
Boone said the team will be inserting a fifth starter into the rotation on Wednesday, and it's someone who hasn't pitched in the majors for the Yankees, and it's not Carlos Lagrange.
The 6-foot-4 righty is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 3 prospect in the Yankees system, behind only George Lombard Jr. and Lagrange.
Acquired by the Yankees in a 2024 trade that sent catcher Carlos Narvaez to the Boston Red Sox, Rodriguez has been outstanding for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, pitching to a 1.27 ERA in four starts, striking out 20 in 21.1 innings.
The Yankees previously had Will Warren slated to start on Wednesday against the Texas Rangers, but Boone said that Rodriguez will make his debut on Wednesday, which means Warren will be pushed back.
Additionally, Boone announced that utility player Max Schuemann will be called up to take Giancarlo Stanton’s spot on the roster, as the slugger is set to hit the IL with a calf strain.
The 28-year-old was Schuemann was hitting .203 with a home run and seven RBI in 23 games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season.
Apr 25, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies head coach Rob Thomson (49) makes a pitching change against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
After a 9-19 start to the season and a softer schedule coming up, the Phillies fired manager Rob Thomson and promoted Don Mattingly to the interim position.
In addition, the Phillies made some other moves to the coaching staff. Dusty Wathan is now the bench coach and AAA manager Anthony Contreras was promoted to Phillies third base coach.
Rob Thomson’s manager tenure ends as one of the most successful in Phillies history. Among managers with at least 3 seasons, Thomson’s .568 winning percentage ranks at the top. In 5 seasons, three of them being full seasons, his 355 wins ranks tenth.
From the time Thomson took over, all the Phillies did was win. He inherited a 22-29 club in 2022 that sneaked into the playoffs and eventually made the World Series. They won 90 games the following season and reached Game 7 of the NLCS. In 2024 and 25, Thomson led the club to back-to-back division titles for the first time since 2010-11.
With the Dodgers, Mattingly oversaw a team that increased it’s win total for four straight seasons along with three straight division titles but was let go in 2015 after they lost to the New York Mets in a five-game NLDS series.
Mattingly was immediately hired by the Miami Marlins to but could not replicate the same success. The only winning season he had was back in 2020, when the Marlins went 31-29 in a shortened 60 game season and even won their wild card series against the Chicago Cubs.
Across all twelve seasons, Mattingly finished with a record of 889-950 with two playoff series wins in four attempts.
The Colorado Avalanche spent the regular season overwhelming opponents with speed and scoring, but their first-round sweep of the Los Angeles Kings served as a reminder of an old playoff truth: defense wins championships.
Colorado dismissed Los Angeles in four straight games, allowing just five total goals across the series while surrendering only two at five-on-five. For a team that already led the NHL defensively during the regular season at 2.40 goals allowed per game, the Avalanche elevated their structure, discipline, and commitment when the stakes rose.
Defensive Identity Takes Center Stage
The Kings entered the postseason as a dangerous, detail-oriented opponent capable of grinding games into uncomfortable territory. Instead, Colorado met that challenge head-on and dictated the terms of the series.
The Avalanche outscored Los Angeles 13-5 overall, including a commanding 9-2 edge at five-on-five. Colorado also limited the Kings to just 25.3 shots per game while generating 30.8 of its own, a testament to puck possession and territorial control throughout the matchup.
Special teams were another decisive factor. Colorado killed off 13 of 16 Los Angeles power plays — an 81.2 percent success rate — and added a shorthanded goal of its own. Two of the three power-play goals allowed came with the Kings skating six-on-four, further emphasizing how difficult clean chances were to find against Colorado’s penalty killers.
For head coach Jared Bednar, the defensive dominance was simply the continuation of habits built over months.
“We stuck with our game plan and what we’ve been preaching all year on the defensive side of things,” Bednar told NHL.com after Game Four. “And it paid off for us.”
While Colorado finished the regular season as one of hockey’s most dangerous offensive clubs at 3.63 goals per game, this series illustrated a more complete identity. The Avalanche did not need track meets or scoring explosions to advance. They won with layers, patience, puck management, and relentless pressure.
"I think we have the ability to play different ways in order to win,” Bednar said. “But when you talk about championship teams, it's the defending that pushes you over the top. And I thought we were committed to that from the drop of the puck in Game One [until] the buzzer went in Game Four.”
Wedgewood Steadies the Net, Stars Deliver Up Front
Behind Colorado’s defensive shell stood Scott Wedgewood, who delivered one of the sharpest performances of the opening round. The veteran netminder posted a .950 save percentage and a 1.21 goals-against average, repeatedly extinguishing momentum whenever Los Angeles threatened to climb back into games.
After Game Three, Bednar praised the calm presence Wedgewood brought to the crease.
"I think he's been outstanding," Bednar said. "He's been great. Big saves when you need them. Relaxed. Looks confident.”
Wedgewood, meanwhile, described the moment with genuine appreciation after Colorado’s overtime win in Game Two.
"You play in under pressure moments,” Wedgewood said. “I think mentally, over my career, I've kind of been building my own scar tissue just trying to stay alive and stay in this league. So mentally, I feel like the playoffs are almost kind of what I've been putting the pressure on myself to get here. It's honestly felt like really fun hockey. Obviously, you know what's at stake."
Offensively, Colorado still received the production expected from a contender. Nathan MacKinnon, Artturi Lehkonen, and Gabriel Landeskog each recorded two goals and two assists in the series, while Cale Makar and Nicolas Roy added two goals apiece. Devon Toews, Nazem Kadri, and Martin Necas each chipped in two assists, underscoring the balance that makes Colorado so difficult to contain.
MacKinnon’s impact, however, extended well beyond the scoresheet. Bednar pointed to his work away from the puck against key Los Angeles threats such as Quinton Byfield and Anze Kopitar, another sign of the buy-in required to win in spring.
Colorado now awaits either the Minnesota Wild or Dallas Stars in the second round, two opponents capable of presenting entirely different challenges. But if the opening round proved anything, it is that the Avalanche are no longer relying solely on firepower.
They have rediscovered the harder edge of championship hockey — and that should concern the rest of the Western Conference.
The hockey world lost a beloved figure this week as it was announced Tuesday morning that John Garrett had passed away. The 74-year-old began his career as an analyst on Hockey Night in Canada in 1985 and spent 20 years doing colour commentary for the Vancouver Canucks. Before becoming an analyst, Garrett was a goaltender in the NHL, which included playing 56 games with Vancouver.
Multiple statements have been released honouring Garrett. In one released by the Canucks, Jim Rutherford wrote, "Cheech was a special person and an important part of Canucks history. He loved this team and took great pride in sharing the game with our fans. His personality, insight, and genuine care for the people around him made a lasting impression on our players, staff, and everyone who had the chance to work with him. This is a very difficult loss for all of us, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones"
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman also released a statement and wrote, "The National Hockey League family is stunned and saddened by the sudden passing of John Garrett, whose astute analysis took fans – particularly in Western Canada – inside our game for the last four decades.
"Following a 13-season career as a goaltender in the WHA and the NHL, Garrett moved into the broadcast booth in 1986 and never left, contributing his encyclopedic knowledge and expert insight to national broadcasts on Sportsnet and local broadcasts for the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and, for two decades, the Vancouver Canucks.
"On a personal note, I always enjoyed catching up with John when our travels around the League intersected – as they did one last time on Friday night in Utah, when he broadcast the Mammoth’s first ever home playoff game. We send our deepest condolences to his family, his friends around the game and his many fans."
John Garrett (Photo Credit: @Canucks on "X")
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ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 26: Rob Thomson #49 of the Philadelphia Phillies walks off the field in the fifth inning during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on April 26, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Philadelphia Phillies have fired manager Rob Thomson, per multiple reports, with the team having gotten off to a 9-19 start, tied with the Mets for the worst record in the majors. Don Mattingly has been named the team’s interim manager.
Thomson, 62, was named the Phillies’ interim manager 51 games into the 2022 season after Joe Girardi was fired. Thomson spent almost 30 years — 1990-2017 — as a minor league manager and then major league coach in the New York Yankees’ system before leaving the Yankees to be the bench coach for Gabe Kapler, who was hired by the Phillies after the 2017 season. When Kapler was fired and Girardi was hired after the 2019 season, Thomson, who had been a coach under Girardi with the Yankees, stayed in his role.
The 2022 Phillies team went 65-46 under Thomson and made it to the World Series, where they lost to the Houston Astros. Thomson, who had announced prior to the 2022 season that he would retire after the season, stayed on as the team’s manager, with the Phillies winning 90, 95 and 96 games the past three seasons.
The 2023 Phillies team seemed primed to make it to the World Series, but fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS. I don’t remember what happened in the World Series that year. Philadelphia got knocked out in the NLDS each of the last two seasons, and Thomson was seen as being under some pressure heading into the season. With the awful start, the Phillies have opted to make a change.
This is the second manager of a big market team that has stumbled out of the gates to be fired. Alex Cora was fired by the Boston Red Sox just days ago, and there was immediate speculation that Cora could be headed to Philly to replace Thomson. Cora was originally hired as Red Sox manager by current Phillies president Dave Dombrowski, when Dombrowski was running the Red Sox.
UPDATE — Per the Athletic, the Phillies offered their managerial job to Cora, and he turned them down.
The Royals may have just turned a corner — and it started with one of their most impressive comebacks in recent memory.
In this episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast, hosts Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco break down the Kansas City Royals’ stunning comeback from a 6–0 deficit against the Angels, along with their first sweep of the season. The discussion explores what this stretch reveals about the team’s resilience, confidence, and evolving identity as the season begins to take shape.
The hosts dive into key performances, including Seth Lugo’s steady presence on the mound and the continued emergence of Jack Caglianone, whose adjustments against left-handed pitching and recent power surge are beginning to stand out. At the same time, they take an honest look at ongoing concerns — including Salvador Perez’s offensive struggles, bullpen inconsistency, and defensive lapses that could still limit the team’s ceiling.
Beyond individual performances, the episode examines broader trends in the Royals’ lineup construction, offensive approach, and pitching depth, using creative comparisons and analytics to contextualize player roles and effectiveness. The conversation also revisits the ongoing Kansas City stadium debate, highlighting location, funding considerations, and community impact as the franchise looks toward its long-term future.
From on-field execution to off-field decisions, this episode captures a pivotal moment for the Royals — balancing optimism from a signature win with the realities that still need to be addressed.
And with that, we are well into the grind of the 2026 season. To this point, the Cubs hadn’t yet lost three straight. But the combo of a battered pitching staff, their 11th game in 11 days, and their fourth straight game against elite opposition turned out to be just too much for the Cubs. As it turns out, two weeks ago, the Cubs hadn’t won three straight either. As it is, right now, the second longest winning streak of the year for the Cubs is two. And the third longest is one. So it’s been a weird distribution of wins and losses through the first 29 games of the season. Weird distribution or no, the team is 17-12. As we sit here today, 17-12 feels a little unsatisfying. This is true largely because the team had won 10 straight before this three-game losing streak.
To be fair, this game was quite a bit different than the two losses in Los Angeles. In those two games, the Dodgers offense pummeled them in one and the Dodgers pitching shut them out in the other. Those were lopsided losses. But this one was largely competitive throughout. The Cubs were down three early and four late. But, they scored seven runs between the second and ninth innings. So at minimum, it felt like they at least had a puncher’s chance.
Ironically, this one started to feel hopeless as the bullpen withered yet again. It felt hopeless because Mason Miller had only pitched once over the last three days and was almost certainly available to throw. He hadn’t allowed a run since last August and had recently set a record for most consecutive scoreless innings as a Padre. A hit tip to Mason, reliever or no, that’s an impressive accomplishment. I also hate to see a streak like that stopped in part by what looked like a wildly blown call on a ball down the line. The Cubs managed to go on and score two runs, ending Miller’s streak and made the game go down to the last batter.
You’ll pardon me if I don’t lose sleep over the blown call in the ninth. In the fifth inning, Ben Brown pretty clearly appeared to have thrown strike three at a time when it would have ended the inning while the Cubs were still leading. They went on to allow two runs in the inning. More importantly, it had a ripple effect on how the Cub bullpen was utilized. Ben Brown had to face two extra hitters and then only threw two innings. He’d thrown more than two innings about 40 percent of the time previously. Had he been more efficient, maybe he goes back out for one more inning.
Lost in all of this was the first start of the season at catcher for young star Moisés Ballesteros. I won’t pretend to speak for him, but I’d bet that in a heartbeat he would trade his third inning grand slam for catching a shutout. To my eye, his catching was uneven. He had a passed ball and allowed two steals. I also thought that a couple of times his mechanics were “busy” and it looked like a couple of potential balls were called strikes based off of his receiving of the pitch and lack of framing. I’m reminded of Kyle Schwarber. An offense-first catcher who moved quickly through the system because of his elite bat. It can be tricky to get enough time to nurture the catching side. I suspect the same will happen here.
But that bat plays. He could be a great one.
Three Positives:
Ballesteros. Grand slam. He also scorched one off of a lefty reliever that unfortunately was stopped by the Padre shortstop.
Seiya Suzuki. He also homered and added a single.
Dansby Swanson had two singles and a walk.
Game 29, April 27: Padres 9, Cubs 7 (17-12)
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Moisés Ballesteros (.295). 1-4, HR, 4 RBI, R
Hero: Pete Crow-Armstrong (.192). 1-3, BB, SB
Sidekick: Seiya Suzuki (.090). 2-4, 2B, HR
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Matthew Boyd (-.266). 4 IP, 22 BF, 8 H, 2 BB, 5 ER, 4 K
Goat: Michael Busch (-.245). 0-5
Kid: Alex Bregman (-.150). 0-4, BB, R
WPA Play of the Game: Moisés Ballesteros hit a two-out grand slam in the third to give the Cubs a two-run lead. (.389)
*Padres Play of the Game: Nick Castellanos batted with runners on second and third with two outs, the Padres down one. He singled, driving in two. (.283)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 28 Winner: Michael Busch received 81 of 107 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 3/Bottom 3)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Nico Hoerner +7.5
Michael Conforto +7
Carson Kelly/Moisés Ballesteros +6
Matt Shaw/Seiya Suzuki -7
Jacob Webb -9
Pete Crow-Armstrong -10
Current Win Pace: 95
Up Next: At 8:40 p.m. CT, the Cubs battle the Padres again in San Diego. Edward Cabrera (2-0, 2.73, 29.2 IP) makes his sixth Cub start. Last time out, he allowed three earned runs over seven. 31-year-old righty Walker Buehler (1-2, 5.75, 20.1 IP) will make his sixth start as a Padre. Last time out he lost, allowing four runs in just 2.2 IP in Colorado.
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 27: Ranger Suarez #55 of the Boston Red Sox leaves the field during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Monday, April 27, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Thomas Skrlj/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
A light Monday slate, along with some of the Yanks’ rivals facing each other, made for a quiet night. The good news about these teams playing each other is that someone has to lose. The bad news is someone has to win. Monday, for example, Boston and Tampa took down Toronto and Cleveland, respectively.
With any luck, Tuesday night the Jays and Guardians will return the favor, especially since the Rays are lurking behind New York as April comes to a close and I personally hate it when good things happen to the Red Sox. Unfortunately, those BoSox are the story of the night as stellar pitching and timely hitting from some scuffling youngsters propelled them to victory.
Boston Red Sox (12-17) 5, Toronto Blue Jays (12-16) 0
Both clubs entered Monday gazing longingly up at .500, with the Red Sox going so far as to decimate their coaching staff over the weekend. There was reason to think this could be a good game, however, with Boston sending Ranger Suarez to face off with Dylan Cease.
In the opening innings, that is exactly how the game unfolded with the two hurlers putting matching zeroes in the run column. Once the game hit the middle innings, though, Boston’s young guys got to Cease. First, Marcelo Mayer singled in a run in the fourth. In the fifth, Roman Anthony did the same to make it 2-0 Boston. Wilyer Abreu and Caleb Durbin followed suit, the former with the double and the latter with a knock in the sixth, to extend the BoSox lead to 4-0.
Suarez was the story of the night though. The lefty has been up and down so far in 2026 but on this night he was definitely up. He walked Davis Schneider in the third but as the game progressed, the Jays remained out of the hit column. He finally gave up a single in the bottom of the sixth but quickly worked around it. By the time he was done, he’d spun eight innings of one-hit shutout ball, putting Boston in position to win its third consecutive game.
Tampa Bay Rays (17-11) 3, Cleveland Guardians (15-15) 2: The Rays, annoying as ever, are nipping at the Yankees’ heels early this season and Monday was no different. Cleveland jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a Daniel Schneemann home run off Rays’ starter Steven Matz in the bottom of the fifth. But that was basically all the damage Matz allowed, spinning seven innings and keeping Tampa in the game. In the top of the eighth, down 2-1, Tampa broke through. A solo home run from Jonathan Aranda tied the game, then Ryan Vilade singled in the game-winning run. Another night. Another Rays win. Blech.
Seattle Mariners (14-16) 4, Minnesota Twins (13-16) 11: Luis Castillo entered tonight in the throes of an awful start to the season, his fine work against the Yankees in his season debut on March 30th an outlier. He ended his night still mired in a brutal beginning to 2026. Minnesota touched him up for seven runs in five innings, highlighted by a three-run bomb by Kody Clemens and a two-run jack off the bat of Byron Buxton. For a Seattle lineup whose stars are not hitting to the back of their baseball cards, that was a daunting deficit, one much too steep to overcome.
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 14: Channing Austin (95) of the New York Mets pitches against the Houston Astros during a Minor League spring training game on March 14, 2026 at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
As I began writing this on Monday morning, A.J. Ewing was officially promoted to Triple-A Syracuse. Assuming he does not return to Double-A Binghamton, he hit .349/.481/.571 there with 6 doubles, 1 triple, and 2 home runs in 18 games, while drawing 17 walks to 15 strikeouts and stealing 12 bases in 13 tries. If Ewing does not run into a brick wall in Syracuse, he is on the fast track to being a major league contributor sooner rather than later.
I have some doubts as to whether or not Ewing will hit the ground running. In fact, were it up to me, I would not have promoted him to Triple-A just yet. In the 46 games he played with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies between the end of 2025 and the beginning of this season, Ewing has a cumulative 342/.413/.478 batting line, with 13 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, 24 walks to 44 strikeouts, and 24 stolen bases in 27 attempts. Impressive numbers, no doubt.
But in just 46 games. Why rush things? As great as Ewing is and has been, he’s no Juan Soto, Bryce Harper, Ken Griffey Jr., or Robin Yount.
That Ewing is performing as great as he is as a 21-year-old in Double-A is excellent, but there are still areas for improvement. Ewing can hit the ball hard, but he’s not elevating the ball; he totaled a 22.4% line drive rate with Binghamton, a 55.1% groundball rate, and a 22.4% fly ball rate. The 22.4% line drive rate is excellent, but the 55.1% groundball rate and 22.4% line drive rate both need work; both are about 10% off what you’d want to optimally see.
Ewing is not a slugger, more of his game is based around using his legs, so it is not imperative that he begin hitting the ball in the air with more authority, but as I have said about fellow groundball enthusiast Nick Morabito, more of those groundballs are going to be converted into outs in the majors and the likelihood that he posts a .426 BABIP to support a .349 batting average and .481 on-base percentage is slim.
There is a very good chance that Ewing begins hitting more flyballs and doing more damage with pitches hit in the air in Triple-A, but given the environment in the International League, I will wonder how much of that would be Ewing’s doing and how much of that is simply the result of playing in an environment where teams average 4.93 runs are scored per game. Games at the Triple-A level utilize the MLB baseball, rather than the MiLB baseball. MLB balls are made of higher-quality leather and feature flatter, smaller seams on the ball. MiLB balls are softer than the MLB ball and feature seams that are larger. Introducing the new ball and pitchers taking time to adapt to it has supercharged the International League/Pacific Coast League hitting environment since the changes were made in 2021. Should Ewing start blasting home runs left and right, how much of that would be him making a concerted change in his approach to maximize his offense and how much of it would be him just taking advantage of pitchers struggling to get the feel of a ball they might not necessarily be used to throwing? In the Eastern League, we might get clearer answers if that began happening.
All of this shouldn’t come off as sour grapes, and I hope it doesn’t; why would I be unhappy if A.J. Ewing is developing as a baseball player? All I watch is minor league baseball, I’m happy that he’s developing faster and even better than we could’ve imagined a year ago. All I’m saying is that, as great as Ewing is and has been, he isn’t a once-in-a-generation talent. There are things Ewing can improve on to increase the odds that he becomes an everyday regular, and as a 21-year-old, there’s no need to rush or force the process.
Austin Channing
Week: 2 G (2 GS), 9.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 11 K (High-A)
Channing Austin was signed by the Mets as an undrafted free agent in July 2024. A born-and-raised Brooklynite, Austin attended Poly Prep in Dyker Heights, where he was a four-year letterwinner and two-year captain at the prestigious institution. Primarily an infielder, he helped lead the Blue Devils to NYSAIS in 2017 and 2018, received All-League honors in 2019, and was named to Poly Prep’s All-Decade Team. Like many who graduated high school in 2020, Austin went undrafted in the COVID-shortened 2020 MLB Draft and honored his commitment to the University of Virginia.
The 19-year-old did not play much in 2021. Head coach Brian O’Connor had Austin- now focusing exclusively on pitcher- pitch in two games in relief, and to make matters worse, the right-hander did not exactly impress in those two games, allowing three runs while recording just a single out, walking two batters, hitting a batter, and throwing two wild pitches. He supplemented his time on the field by playing for the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks of the New England Collegiate Baseball League and entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, looking to switch to a program that would allow him to play more.
Austin transferred to the University of Southern California, but once again, he got very little playing time. In his first year with the Trojans, the right-hander appeared in two games, and once again struggled. Recording just two outs over his two innings of work, Austin allowed four runs- two earned- on four walks and a wild pitch. That summer, he once again supplemented his playing time with time on the mound on summer collegiate leagues, this time with the New York Phenoms of the Atlantic Collegiate League and the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
While it’s hard to pitch less than what Austin did in 2021 with Virginia and 2022 with USC, the right-hander accomplished that in 2023: an injury prevented him from playing altogether in 2023. He returned to the mound in 2024, his redshirt junior season, and made 14 appearances on the mound, posting a 6.28 ERA in 14.1 innings, allowing 16 hits, walking 15, and striking out 17. Eligible for the 2024 MLB Draft, he went unsigned; seeking to showcase himself to major league ballclubs, he played in the MLB Draft League that summer. Appearing in 8 games for the Trenton Thunder, Austin posted a 3.00 ERA in 15.0 innings, allowing 11 hits, walking 5, and striking out 16. Based on his performance there, the Mets signed him as an undrafted free agent at the end of July. He was assigned to the Single-A St. Lucie Mets and made a single appearance over the rest of the summer, allowing a hit, walking a batter, and striking out a batter in 1.1 innings of work.
He returned to the St. Lucie Mets when the 2025 season began and spent the majority of the year with them. Making 11 starts and appearing in 20 games total, the right-hander posted a 4.31 ERA in 71.0 innings, allowing 67 hits, walking 43, and striking out 66. At the end of the season, he was promoted to High-A Brooklyn, where he made a single regular season start and then threw a bit during Brooklyn’s playoff run. He remained in Brooklyn to begin the 2026 season and the hometown boy has been benefitting from off-season work coupled with the South Atlantic League run environment, currently possessing the best ERA in the league among qualified starting pitchers.
Austin throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot with a long arm circle through the back. The right-hander has a standard repertoire, throwing a four-seam fastball, changeup, gyroscopic slider, and curveball. Generally speaking, he throws his fastball roughly 50% of the time, and then evenly mixes in his secondary pitches, going a bit more heavy on his slider than his changeup or curve.
Austin’s fastball can top out at 97, 98 MPH but generally sitting in the mid-90s, sitting in the low-to-mid-90s. The pitch has shown above-average spin rates, and because of how that spin activates, his fastball shows above-average induced vertical break. His command of the pitch is not great, and while batters haven’t done much damage against the pitch, the right-hander has too often set himself up to fail by not establishing the fastball.
His curveball sits in the low-to-mid-80s and features slight 1-7 break. His slider sits in the same velocity band, averaging a higher range within that band and has sharper movement. Depending on the day and his feel for the pitches, either can be Austin’s most effective strikeout pitch. Over the 2025 offseason, he has been working on commanding both pitches better, throwing more in the zone.
His changeup has been his least effective secondary pitch, sitting in the mid-to-high-80s. The pitch does not have much velocity differential as compared to his fastball and does not have much vertical or horizontal movement to it. When he can locate the pitch on the edges of the plate, it can get some whiffs, but in the zone, when batters make contact with it, it generally has not fared well.
