Author: rincon

Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles) — Before Teoscar Hernandez ran out to patrol left field in the ninth inning last Friday night, he lingered in the dugout a while longer than usual. The game was almost over, but the show was about to begin.

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In the eighth inning against the Diamondbacks, Kyle Tucker roped a go-ahead single to put the concert in motion, setting the scene for the debut of the team’s other major offseason expenditure. Hernández wanted a front-row seat to take in the spectacle as closer Edwin Diaz jogged in from Dodger Stadium’s home bullpen for the first time. 

“Everyone was waiting for that moment,” Hernández said. “I wanted to watch everything — him coming out of the bullpen, getting all the way to the mound.”

Díaz took his first step onto the newly-dubbed Uniqlo Field, patted his glove a couple times, then watched the Dodger Stadium fade into darkness as the bass in the sound system began to thump. In the left-field pavilion, trumpeter Tatiana Tate began to play “Narco,” the walk-out song that Díaz and musician Timmy Trumpet made famous in Queens. The live rendition in Los Angeles was a surprise touch that Díaz wasn’t expecting, but it added to the pageantry of the occasion. 

“It was bumping out there,” Tucker said.

Everybody, Hernández said, was surprised this actually became a reality. No one thought the three-time All-Star closer would leave New York.

But after a year in which the Dodgers’ unreliable bullpen was nearly their undoing, the back-to-back champs stayed persistent. And when they offered a few million dollars more than the Mets, giving Díaz three years and $69 million — the largest annual salary ever for a reliever — it was enough to entice the two-time National League Trevor Hoffman Reliever of the Year to leave the place he had called home for the last seven years. 

In Los Angeles, Díaz felt he had the best chance to win his first championship. He had only heard great things about the organization from his brother, Alexis, who made nine appearances for the Dodgers in 2025, and fellow Puerto Rico native Kiké Hernández, a fan favorite who now holds the Dodgers’ franchise record for most postseason games played. 

But even Dave Roberts didn’t think there was a chance of landing Díaz entering the winter. 

The Dodgers manager grew more optimistic while on vacation in early December, when the front office reached out to him about joining in on a call with Díaz. 

“We talked for probably, I’d say, 45 minutes on a Zoom,” Roberts recalled. “Afterwards, I told my wife, I go, ‘We’re gonna get him.’ I felt really good about it.’” 

Why was Roberts convinced?

“It was just kind of selling ourselves and talking about how well we value him and the culture and the team and ownership,” Roberts said. “If you really want to win a championship, this is the place to be. Obviously talked to his wife and convinced her that moving West was a good decision. Yeah, and I also think that his brother being here last year was a big help. Having him here as a call-up from the minors, and us treating him like a superstar, I think that kind of helped the decision and comfort going forward.” 

Fast-forward three months, and everything the Dodgers envisioned was playing out as planned.

On Friday afternoon, the Dodgers received their 2025 World Series rings. Díaz watched some of the ceremony from the dugout before retreating to the clubhouse to prepare for the game that night. If he wanted any extra motivation before his first performance for his new team, that was as good as any. 

“My goal for this year is being in that moment next year,” Díaz said. “I want to help this team to win. I know if this team stays healthy, we can do it again.” 

Hours later, the two players the Dodgers brought in to try to lift their chances of hoisting a World Series trophy for a third straight season — a feat that hasn’t been accomplished in more than a quarter-century — played their roles to perfection. Tucker, sandwiched between Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts at the top of one of the most decorated lineups ever constructed, reached base twice and knocked in the winning run. Díaz surrendered a walk and nothing more, striking out two batters in a scoreless ninth to secure his 254th save and first as a Dodger. 

One night later, Diaz entered again with a one-run lead again and promptly retired all three batters he faced to finish a sweep of the Diamondbacks. Stability in the late innings was a luxury these Dodgers weren’t accustomed to last year, when they ranked 21st in bullpen ERA, blew the ninth-most saves in the sport, saw the first year of Tanner Scott’s four-year, $72 million deal go up in flames and were forced to use starters in relief to carry them through October. 

Now, in a scary reality for the rest of the league as the Dodgers embrace their status as baseball villains, the back end of the Dodgers’ bullpen looks daunting. Not only does Díaz give the Dodgers the shutdown closer they lacked, but Scott also appears to be finding his form again in a lower-leverage role.

Roberts intimated this winter that Scott never felt right physically last season and believed the left-hander’s 2025 season, during which he went 1-4 with a 4.74 ERA, was an “outlier year.” At one point six months ago, at his lowest point after one of his 10 blown saves, Scott lamented that baseball hated him. By trying to be too perfect, he thought he got away from his strengths. He was missing his spots consistently. There were mechanical issues involved, too. The struggles became mentally exhausting. 

“I threw too many balls in the zone and paid for it a lot,” Scott said. “It was terrible.” 

But a new year brings a fresh slate. 

It’s a short sample, but Scott has retired seven of the eight batters he has faced in 2026, including three by strikeout, in three scoreless appearances. 

“There’s a physical component which certainly feels better,” Roberts told me in a scrum. “There’s a mental component where it’s a new year.”

Scott’s fastball, which yielded nine home runs last season, is getting the swing-and-miss that wasn’t there a year ago when the pitch too often found the middle of the plate. His slider is coming in a tick harder, and though he told me that he hasn’t changed the grip on the pitch, he has done a lot of work with Dodgers pitching coaches Mark Prior and Connor McGuiness and bullpen coach Josh Bard to get the slider in a place where he trusts it. 

“Just going back to what I did in ‘23 and ‘24 and seeing the success I had and what I was doing with it,” Scott told me. “I kind of got away from what I was doing really good the previous two years. Baseball’s a grind. You’ve got to put in the time, and it’s paying off. But we’ve got to keep going.” 

Added Roberts: “The slider’s just a better pitch this year than it ever was last year.”

Scott is careful not to get too far ahead of himself, especially given how last year went, but he’ll take the small wins. Everything, Scott said, feels good right now. It’s evident both in his presence on the mound and in the  “funky swings,” as Roberts described them, that he’s generating. 

“I think even with Tanner, who’s as good as anyone at washing the slate clean, you’ve still got to have success,” Roberts said. “When you’re not having success, it’s like, ‘Here we go again’ kind of mindset. So for him to get off to a good start, it’s important.” 

This time, the weight of finishing games has been lifted. The Dodgers have not had a single closer record more than 25 saves since Kenley Jansen departed after the 2021 season. The primary ninth-inning option has been a revolving door since then, from Craig Kimbrel in 2022 to Evan Phillips in 2023 and 2024 to Scott last season. 

With Diaz now cemented as the team’s shutdown closer, the Dodgers’ manager can deploy Scott, Alex Vesia and his other high-leverage options in more advantageous lanes as he sees fit in the innings prior. 

“It’s huge,” Roberts said. “I don’t think that there’s one way to manage a pen, but when you have a guy like Edwin Díaz as your closer, I do think it frees up other guys, myself included, not having to worry about matchups for the ninth. I think that’s freeing for me and allows for kind of getting the matchups we need in the prior innings.”

Bullpen success can be volatile, but at least in the early going, the Dodgers’ most glaring weakness from last year’s team now looks like one of their many strengths — and that’s before the expected returns later this year of relievers Phillips, Brock Stewart and Brusdar Graterol. 

The top four hitters in the Dodgers’ lineup — Ohtani, Tucker, Betts and Freddie Freeman — are batting a combined .192 through five games, yet the Dodgers are 4-1 behind an elite rotation and a fortified bullpen that has started the year 2-0 with a 1.83 ERA and a new closer who has converted each of his first two save opportunities.

Dîaz allowed his first run of the season in his third appearance Tuesday night, but Roberts attributed the result to the rainy conditions and a water-soaked mound. Díaz still rebounded to comfortably finish off the Dodgers’ win against the Guardians. 

The fact he’s there at all is still an almost unbelievable reality for those around him. 

“I just know I gotta keep doing my job,” Díaz said, “and hear the trumpets here in Dodger Stadium.”

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner.

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Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

The offseason and spring training are behind us, but there is plenty of MLB news left to cover now that the season is here. 

Here are the noteworthy transactions, injuries and more from the 2026 MLB season:

Apr. 1

Lodolo making rehab start

Reds pitcher Nick Lodolo is expected to throw 60-65 pitches during a rehab assignment on Thursday.

The left-hander, who is on the injured list due to a blister on his left index finger, will make his rehab start for Single-A Daytona against Jupiter in a Florida State League game. If Lodolo has a successful outing, he could join the Reds’ rotation during next week’s series at Miami.

Lodolo was 9-8 with a 3.33 ERA and 156 strikeouts last season.

Left-hander Caleb Ferguson (right oblique strain) threw from 90 feet on flat ground before Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is expected to accompany the team on their upcoming seven-game road trip to Texas and Miami.

Red Sox catcher scratched Wednesday

Red Sox catcher Carlos Narvaez was scratched from Boston’s finale with Houston on Wednesday for an undisclosed reason. Narváez was removed from the lineup about 2.5 hours before first pitch and replaced behind the plate by Connor Wong.

“I just made a change,” manager Alex Cora told reporters. “I talked to Carlos a little bit and we move on from there. So, it’s one of those that I felt like we needed to make the change in the lineup. And I think it’s for the best.”

When pressed if Narváez’s removal from the lineup was for a disciplinary reason, Cora didn’t directly answer the question.

“Let’s keep it between me and Carlos,” Cora said. “And he understands. This is something that happens on every club. It just happens to be early in the season, and I think it’s the right thing to do.”

The 27-year-old Narváez is hitting .444 in three games this season. He is in his second season in Boston after beginning his career with the Yankees.

Mar. 31

DeLauter exits after injury

Cleveland Guardians right fielder Chase DeLauter left the game in the first inning after fouling a pitch from Los Angeles Dodgers starter Shohei Ohtani off his back foot Tuesday night.

After a trainer came out to check on DeLauter, the rookie took a few practice swings and returned to the batter’s box. He tried to run out a grounder to third, but was thrown out and then hobbled to the tunnel.

He was diagnosed with a left foot contusion. X-rays were negative.

DeLauter was replaced by CJ Kayfus in the bottom of the first.

DeLauter was the American League rookie of the week after hitting four home runs in his first three games. He’s just the second player to accomplish the feat, joining Trevor Story of the Colorado Rockies in 2019.

Umpire loses track of count in Red Sox-Astros

Plate umpire Mark Wegner acknowledged he lost track of the count during Cam Smith’s nine-pitch walk Tuesday night in the fifth inning of the Houston Astros’ 9-2 win over the Boston Red Sox.

In fact, Smith should have been out on strikes after the third pitch.

Smith swung and missed at two cutters from Red Sox starter Brayan Bello to begin the plate appearance. After the second pitch, Joey Loperfido stole second base and Christian Walker scored on the play thanks to a throwing error by catcher Connor Wong. After about 40 seconds, Smith swung and missed at a sweeper.

That should have been strike three but Wegner, a crew chief working his 29th major league season, flashed 1-2 for the count. Six pitches later, Smith worked a walk.

“I just watched the video. I didn’t know what happened until I came in here and apparently, I somehow didn’t count the second swinging one because I said the count was 1-2. It was actually strike three,” Wegner told a pool reporter after the game. “Had anybody caught it, we can always go and call replay and check the count. I’ve never done that before. I’m not happy about it. Just made a mistake.”

Wegner said no one on the field raised an issue in the moment.

Bello said Wegner gave the count as 1-1 after his second pitch, and he didn’t question it at the time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

There is always baseball happening — almost too much baseball for one person to follow themselves.

Don’t worry, we’re here to help you by figuring out what you missed but shouldn’t have. Here are all the best moments from last night in Major League Baseball:

Yankees match MLB record

The Yankees did something that no team has managed since 1943: through their first five games New York has allowed just three runs. Somehow, the Yankees managed to lose one of those games by giving up two of those three and then scoring just one, but hey, no one is perfect.

The driving force this time around — as it was in the first game of the season — was Max Fried. The lefty starter followed up 6.1 scoreless innings on Opening Day with seven more against the Mariners on Tuesday. He also found the strikeouts he was missing in his first outing, with six Ks against a single walk in those frames, while throwing two-thirds of his 90 pitches for strikes. The result? The Yankees defeated the Mariners 5-0, for their third shutout of the season and first W against Not The Giants.

An important thing to remember about the 2026 Yankees is that Max Fried will, eventually, pair with ace Gerrit Cole like he was supposed to a year ago, before Cole underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the entire season. The rotation as a whole should not be expected to pitch like this all year, no, but Fried is legit and Cole is Cole, assuming his recovery has gone just fine — that is going to be some 1-2 punch for New York once everything settles.

Ricochets count

Not everything went New York’s way against Seattle — not that it ended up hurting them in the end. Still, check out how unfortunate this play was for the Yankees: star right fielder Aaron Judge hit a ball right back to the pitcher, reliever Cole Wilcox, and the ball deflected off of his glove… and right into the glove of second baseman Cole Young. That’s the Cole-to-Cole express right there. The Cole Train, if you will.

It’s even wilder in slow motion, since you can really see the deflection in action.

Baseball’s special brand of physics is truly something.

Shohei Ohtani, folks

Dodgers’ star two-way player Shohei Ohtani has already debuted in 2026, but Tuesday was his first time on the mound in the regular season. So he of course threw six shutout innings while allowing one hit and striking out six Guardians, helping the Dodgers to a 4-1 victory.

But wait, there’s more:

Ohtani last allowed a run in a regular-season game on Aug. 27, 2025 against the Reds. He gave up just the one, on a home run by right fielder Noelvi Marte in the third inning with one out. Since then — again, just in the regular season — Ohtani has not allowed a run. He threw another 1.2 innings in that outing, shutout opponents over his final three starts in 2025. Now he’s kicked off 2026 with six scoreless to extend that streak to 22.2 innings.

Which is fun enough on its own since it represents a career-best for Ohtani, but it’s happening in conjunction with reaching base in 36-consecutive games as a hitter — he went 1-for-3 at the plate with a single and two walks against the Guardians on Tuesday night.

C.B. Bucknor, what

There has been plenty of praise to go around for MLB’s Automated Ball-Strike challenge system, which lets pitchers and players contest called balls and strikes, but longtime umpire C.B. Bucknor has been getting torn apart early on in the season for how regularly his calls end up challenged and overturned. Generally, the ABS challenges have shown just how difficult the job of umpires is, and how well they tend to do it—there aren’t that many challenges happening, in the grand scheme of things. Except in the case of a few umps like Bucknor, who has already had eight pitches challenged and six of those overturned, and that’s before he goes behind the plate again on Wednesday.

Bucknor was the first base official on Tuesday while the Brewers hosted the Rays, but he still ended up having a call overturned anyway despite being free from ABS duty. And it was atrocious. First, a screengrab — pay close attention to what Bucknor is looking at here, because it sure is not the play he’s calling an out on.

It was egregious enough of a call that the players — especially Brewers’ first baseman Jake Bauers, who is the one that hit this ball in the first place — all looked incredulous whenever the camera panned to their faces, and the announcers were openly mocking both the call and the amount of time it took to overturn it. A true “what are we even doing here?” moment.

Well. At least a challenge system is already in place here to fix moments like this one.

Painter debuts just how Phillies need

The Phillies have had a rough start to the year, but Tuesday brought a bit of hope with it: top prospect Andrew Painter was making his big-league debut, and while he struggled a bit in Triple-A in 2025, there were reasons to believe that those issues were behind him enough to stick in the majors. The 22-year-old — 23 later this month — and former first-round pick certainly showed some of that promise against the Nationals, pitching 5.1 innings of one-run ball while allowing four hits, a walk and striking out 8. 

And hey, he even has his own fan section. That was fast.

There are still reasons for Phillies fans to be upset and annoyed, of course — Painter is just one guy in one start — but designated hitter Kyle Schwarber bashed his second homer of the year, and free-agent signing Aroldis Garcia went deep for the first time in a Phillies’ uniform, too, so there were at least some signs of the way things can come together in 2026.

This team won 96 games a year ago, and there are still a ton of talented players on the roster even if the offseason was a little quieter than it could have been, as far as acquisitions go. Painter showing up and regularly succeeding would go a long way toward keeping Philly in the race again this season.

Alonso’s first O’s dinger

Ex-Mets faced off on Tuesday, with Pete Alonso’s Orioles taking on Jacob deGrom’s Rangers. It was a good night for Alonso and not as good of one for deGrom, but in the end Texas got the W over Baltimore, anyway.

As for Alonso, he hit his first homer for the Orioles, after signing a five-year, $155 million free-agent deal this offseason. And he hit it off of his former teammate, deGrom!

The two also had a playful interaction later on, when Alonso was on first base and deGrom threw over to check on him. Pete Alonso is not really a guy a pitcher needs to worry about stealing a base — he had one in three attempts last year  — but that’s what makes this whole bit work.

Alonso is off to a pretty solid start for the O’s, hitting .316/.381/.474 in his first five games and 21 plate appearances. Baltimore is going to need a whole lot more of that to keep up in a loaded AL East this season.

Four-hit night for Adames

Giants’ leadoff hitter and shortstop Willy Adames had himself a night against the Padres, as he recorded four hits in five at-bats, while scoring twice and driving in two runs, as well. San Francisco probably didn’t need quite all that from him, given it won 9-3, but hey: Adames set the tone.

Really, though, he did. Adames hit a leadoff homer off of Padres’ starter German Marquez in the top of the first on the second pitch of the game. He then singled in the top of the second, singled again in the fifth to drive in outfielder Harrison Bader for his second RBI of the day, scored on a Heliot Ramos single later in the frame then doubled in the eighth for his fourth and final hit. Eight total bases is a pretty good day at the office.

What a debut for Fernandez

Shortstop Jose Fernandez made his big-league debut for the Diamondbacks on Tuesday against the Tigers, and it was one to remember. Signed as a teenager out of Venezuela, Fernandez wasn’t actually on Arizona’s Opening Day roster, but was added after Pavin Smith went on the 10-day IL with elbow soreness. Despite not being a top prospect in the system, Fernandez was added to the 40-man roster as depth and had a solid enough spring that the D-backs kept him in mind for a moment just like this one. It paid off for everyone involved.

Fernandez went yard twice, becoming just the seventh-ever player to do so in his big-league debut, and the second of those blasts ended up being the game-winner, too, as part of a six-run inning.

He had another hit besides, two runs, four RBIs and nine total bases. It’s just one game, but Arizona will have to give him some more opportunities to play is on the IL, to see if Fernandez can give this team a little boost while there is space on the roster for that opportunity.

Langeliers is hot

It has gone a little under the radar since the Athletics were winless to start the season — well, until they won on Tuesday night, at least — but catcher Shea Langeliers has been on fire to start 2026. Against the Braves, Langeliers picked up just the one hit, but it was a yet another homer — his fourth of the season already, and one that gave the A’s another insurance run against a potent Braves’ offense.

Langeliers is batting .350/.381/.950 in his first five games, leading the league in homers and total bases (19), and the American League in slugging percentage and RBIs (7). It’s early, of course, but Langeliers also has 60 combined homers over the past two seasons, so it’s not as if this guy never mashes and is uncharacteristically good out of the gate. Shooters shoot, hitters hit, and Langeliers is a hitter.

Just as good for the Athletics is that starting pitcher Aaron Civale had a solid outing: while he struck out just three batters and allowed a homer himself, Civale limited Atlanta to two runs in five innings, and the A’s bullpen kept the Braves scoreless the rest of the way. The pitching staff was the problem last season for the A’s, and could be an issue again in 2026, but more outings like this from Civale will keep that from being as much of a going concern.

Raleigh is no pitcher, but that’s a strike

Just watch that replay a few times, and check Cody Bellinger’s face, too. He can’t believe Mariners’ catcher Cal Raleigh can throw that fast and that accurately, but that’s just how he is back there.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

New York — On Sunday evening, about 20 minutes after the Mets’ first loss of the season, Bo Bichette materialized from the double doors on the far side of the team clubhouse. Waiting for him was a gaggle of media members teeming with cameras, microphones, notebooks and recorders. Bichette, still wearing his eye black from a game in which he went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts, stepped into the lion’s den of reporters. 

Hitting third behind Juan Soto in the team’s new-look lineup, Bichette went 1-for-14 with eight strikeouts in his first series as a Met. This was not what anybody had expected from the two-time All-Star. In seven seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, Bichette built a reputation as a low-strikeout hitter with elite bat-to-ball skills. His initial at-bats as a Met were starkly different, and in the series finale against the Pirates, the home crowd at Citi Field let him hear it. Mets fans booed Bichette for his slow start.

So, there was a lot to unpack postgame on Sunday. There was a chance it could get ugly, given this was Bichette’s first time facing the music in New York after struggling at the plate to begin the season. First impressions matter a great deal around here. 

Bichette, standing with his chin up in front of the team backdrop in the center of the quiet locker room, put on a masterclass in how to navigate difficult questions about a poor performance. He was honest. 

“Sometimes in-between, sometimes trying to do too much,” Bichette said, shaking his head, of his approach at the plate. “That’s pretty much what happens when you don’t feel good.

“I didn’t anticipate it. But I definitely felt that — wanting to have a big moment, not only for my teammates, but for the fans and everything. That’s just something I have to manage.”

If there’s one thing that can lessen the pain of a loss, it’s accountability. Mets fans have seen and heard it all throughout the organization’s 40-year championship drought. Excuses, falsehoods, egos, lack of awareness — you name it. But owning it? That’s rare. That’s the stuff of superstars, and that’s who Bichette looked like on Sunday as he candidly disclosed why he’d been out of sorts at the plate.

For players, admitting that they’re trying to be the hero is typically not something that’s said out loud. Sure, that sentiment can be shared privately with teammates, particularly with those who have been through it and might offer advice on how to overcome it. But broadcasting it to the media, where it can be used as a sound bite that will be played on a loop on TV and social media? That just doesn’t happen all that often anymore.

When he was asked about a sensitive subject, if the boos at Citi Field caught him off guard, Bichette actually laughed and said, “No. If anything, I thought it took too long. But I mean, I get it. I thought my at-bats were terrible, too.” 

Bichette’s integrity was refreshing. It was the type of leadership the Mets need in their heavily overturned clubhouse. His candor may not only help Mets fans forgive his start, but also wish he didn’t have opt-outs after every season of his three-year, $126 million contract. Bichette understood that booing comes with the territory, and it takes guts to stand in front of unfamiliar faces and choose to be honest in a new and intimidating media market. 

Still, Bichette knows he has to back it up. The third baseman smoked a go-ahead RBI single in the fifth inning of the Mets’ series opener against the Cardinals on Monday in St. Louis. He flashed a huge smile when he got to first base. 

Playing in New York isn’t for everyone, but sometimes the hyper-competitive, win-now environment is all anyone needs to flourish. 

New Mets outfielder Luis Robert Jr. has so far excelled since being acquired from the White Sox, for whom he played for six years, the most talented hitter in an otherwise hopeless lineup. The White Sox went 41-121 in 2024, setting an MLB record for the most losses in a single season. After his All-Star and Silver Slugger 2023 season, Robert was limited by injuries and produced below-league-average results the past two years. 

This season, in the short sample size of a few games, we’ve already seen Robert string together competitive at-bats and meet the moment. It’s a case study in how a change of scenery can improve player performance. 

“It’s a different feeling when you come to the ballpark and you have the chance to win every day, to go to the playoffs, to go to the top of the top,” Soto told me on Sunday in the Mets’ clubhouse. “It’s just a different feeling in all aspects. So I think this is one of the best things you can have, being on a team that wants to compete every year and tries to be part of the playoffs every year. I think it’s a different breed.”

In the 11th inning of a frigid Saturday night at Citi Field, Robert hit a three-run walk-off home run against Pirates left-hander Hunter Barco. Robert has had more success against southpaws in his career, with a batting average near .300 compared to his .260 overall mark. He didn’t waste any time showcasing how dangerous he can be in the middle of New York’s lineup, particularly when he’s locked in. Robert batted .455 (5-for-11) with five RBIs, three runs scored and three walks in the three-game series against Pittsburgh. 

“It’s really special, honestly,” Robert said through an interpreter after his game-winning homer on Saturday. “To be able to do it here? These last two games have really been special.”

While Bichette has to figure out how to manage heightened expectations in New York, Robert and the Mets have to find the best workload management to keep him healthy. 

There is no question about his raw talent. That much was obvious after he went deep in below-freezing temperatures on Saturday. The Mets gave Robert a day off on Monday, the first of many that will be incorporated into his season. The team believes recovery is the answer to the 28-year-old staying healthy all year, which is something he’s achieved just once in his seven-year big-league career, in that peak 2023 season. On average, Robert came to New York having played in just 96 games per season. 

Even if he can lift that output to around 120 games this season and be ready for October baseball, that’s a win for Robert, New York and the Mets. 

“I feel like, right from the moment that he showed up, we saw how great he can be for the team and how good of a player he can be,” Soto said. “And the ability that he has is through the roof. I’m really excited for him.”

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

There is always baseball happening — almost too much baseball for one person to follow themselves.

Don’t worry, we’re here to help you by figuring out what you missed but shouldn’t have. Here are all the best moments from the last night in Major League Baseball:

Cal Raleigh walks off M’s

After a quiet World Baseball Classic and opening weekend, it would be understandable to be a little impatient with Cal Raleigh’s start. After all, the Mariners’ backstop set all kinds of home run records last season for catchers and switch-hitters when he hit an MLB-leading 60 of them, but he hasn’t looked anything like that guy to begin 2026.

Of course, we’re mere days into the season — some patience is required at this point! Raleigh has yet to turn it on, but he at least managed a big hit on Monday, giving the Mariners a walk-off win over the Yankees in Seattle.

Raleigh didn’t start this game, but pinch-hit in the bottom of the seventh for DH Dominic Canzone, who himself had pinch-hit for Rob Refsnyder earlier, with the score knotted up at 1-1. While Raleigh struck out against lefty reliever Brent Headrick, his turn would come in the bottom of the ninth. There, reliever Paul Blackburn was 1.1 innings into a relief outing, attempting to get through a second inning of work to push the game to extras and give New York another shot at scoring in what was still a tie game. Instead, Raleigh singled to right, scoring shortstop Luis Rivas and giving the Mariners the 2-1 victory.

It was the Yankees’ first loss of the young season, which merits mention for a larger reason: every team that was still undefeated after opening weekend lost on Monday, leaving MLB without any undefeated teams less than a week into the season. On the other side, though, the Athletics still haven’t won a game: they are the lone winless club in 2026, at 0-4, thanks to being shut out by the Braves last night.

1,500 career Ks for Castillo

Before Cal Raleigh even appeared in the Mariners game against the Yankees, though, starting pitcher Luis Castillo was already putting in the work against New York. Castillo would throw six scoreless innings allowing just two hits and walks a piece, and he also struck out seven batters — the last of those was number 1,500 of his career.

This also moved Castillo into 14th place on the active strikeout leaderboards, passing Nathan Eovaldi — that’s as far as he will move up in 2026, however, as Carlos Carrasco is another 196 strikeouts in front of him, and Castillo has had over 200 strikeouts in a season twice in his nine-year career.

Castillo came over to the Mariners in a 2022 midseason trade with the Reds, and has been a model of consistency since, making at least 30 starts and throwing between 175 and 197 innings in the three full seasons since, with ERAs between 3.34 and 3.64. The 33-year-old is a vital part of the Mariners’ rotation, and his performance against a hot Yankees team is a reminder why.

Back in a Tigers uni

Tigers fans were treated to a familiar sight on Monday night, when Justin Verlander made his 2026 debut for Detroit. Verlander began his Hall of Fame career with the Tigers when they drafted him back in 2004, and then the right-hander debuted in the majors the next year before rattling off Rookie of the Year honors, seven seasons with Cy Young votes including a win in 2011, and six All-Star appearances. The Tigers traded Verlander to the Astros during the 2017 season, where he would win another two AL Cy Youngs, and then he spent 2025 with the Giants before returning to Detroit for what could be his last hurrah.

It didn’t start out all that exciting for Verlander fans, however: he gave up five runs in 3.2 innings to the Diamondbacks, striking out just one batter while walking two and allowing six hits. It took a little time last summer before he looked like Justin Verlander, too — he’s 43 years old, he might need a little more time to warm up at this point. 

Immaculate inning!

Also in that Tigers-Diamondbacks game was the 2026 — and team — debut of starting pitcher Michael Soroka. The 6-foot-5 righty signed with Arizona as a free agent this offseason after splitting time with the Nationals and Cubs in 2025, and it’s tough to argue with the early results: Soroka struck out 10 batters in five innings, breaking the team record for the most Ks in a debut, and he also posted an immaculate inning:

Nine pitches, nine strikes — the most efficient way to strike out the side possible. Soroka was on point throughout, as he allowed just four hits, no runs and one walk before handing it off to the Arizona bullpen. While things didn’t go quite as well for that group — Joe Ross was charged with six runs in less than an inning of work — Arizona was able to hold on for the 9-6 win. 

Wiemer ties MLB mark

Yes, Joey Wiemer made an out last night. More than one, actually. But before that, the Nationals’ outfielder reached base in his first 10 plate appearances of the season, tying an impressive MLB milestone. The last player to make it on base in their first 10 trips to the plate in a season was Carlos Delgado back in 2002, and that streak is the longest such one in the last 75 years.

Again, Wiemer made outs after this, ending the streak at 10, but we should still take a minute to appreciate his gaudy early season numbers. Wiemer is batting .800/.846/1.600, all of which lead Major League Baseball in 2026, and he is first in the National League in both hits (8) and total bases (16). He already has 5 runs, a triple and 2 homers, has driven in 4 and picked up a trio of walks. That’s a pretty great three-game stretch no matter when it happens, but it stands out that much more because it came during his first three games of the season.

Altuve goes yard twice in four-hit night

The Jose Altuve: Outfielder experiment is over, with the longtime second baseman back at the keystone for the Astros in 2026. Early returns seem to be positive — Altuve hit two homers and had four hits overall on Monday against the Red Sox, the 42nd four-hit game of his now 16-season career. 

Altuve singled in the bottom of the first to lead things off for Houston, then came around to score the Astros first run of the game on a double play. Altuve would single again in the third, then score a second time on a Yordan Alvarez homer. In the fifth, he walked, but he would have to wait until the seventh to score again. Which he did himself, on a solo shot off reliever Johan Oviedo, on the first pitch he saw.

That was Altuve’s first dinger of the year, but he would not wait long for his second: Altuve came up next in the eighth and went yard again, also off of Oviedo, this time on a 92.8 mph four-seamer right down the middle. 

You can’t be throwing that pitch to even a 36-year-old Jose Altuve. He is hitting .412/.565/.824 to begin the year, by the way. A bounce back offensive year paired with a better defensive season at his usual position could go a long way toward helping the Astros rebound, too.

How?!

A whole lot went wrong for the Red Sox against the Astros — see: Jose Altuve’s big night, losing 8-1 — but there was still this absolutely wild tag evasion by shortstop Trevor Story, who appeared to have doubled until he was tagged out at second by Altuve. A challenge showed that Altuve had not tagged Story, though, despite it looking very much like he did — if his jersey had been just a little bit bigger, he would have been out.

So hey, Boston lost, but on a night when it looked like Altuve could do no wrong, the Red Sox at least made him miss on a tag. Somehow.

Vargas grand slam

One of those undefeated teams that can no longer claim such is the Marlins, which hosted the White Sox on Monday. Chicago’s bats erupted in Miami, as they were already up 4-0 in the fourth inning before Miguel Vargas strode to the plate with the bases loaded. He unloaded them on the fifth pitch of the at-bat, mashing a mid-80s changeup that caught way too much of the plate to left.

That would be the end for starter Chris Paddack, who exited without recording an out in the fifth inning while allowing all but one of Chicago’s nine runs. He had six strikeouts against zero walks, but it’s hard to get excited about that when he allowed eight hits and every one of those baserunners came around to score.

Still! Miami is off to a 3-1 start — they had to lose eventually — while the White Sox get to celebrate escaping the winless void the A’s still find themselves in.

Whoops

Eugenio Suarez is a serious power hitter who can hit the ball very, very far. On Monday, he did the opposite — this is essentially the shortest distance you can hit a baseball and still have it be in fair territory.

Suarez hit it so short that he didn’t even make a move to run, either because he thought it wasn’t a live ball or because he hoped that Pirates’ catcher Henry Davis didn’t notice that was the case, either. Davis did, though, scrambling to grab it, and Suarez simply accepted his fate.

The good news for the Reds, though, is that they were able to win against the Pirates anyway, 2-0. Suarez might have made contact so meekly that it generated a 4 mph exit velocity, but he also singled in the bottom of the fourth and scored a run to add to Cincinnati’s lead.

What a play by Cronenworth

The Padres fell to the Giants on Monday, giving San Francisco its first victory of 2026, but it’s still worth taking a moment to appreciate this web gem from San Diego second baseman Jake Cronenworth. Ranging into short right field is one thing. Getting a throw off is another — Cronenworth even fell over backwards making that second part happen. But doing that and having the throw be both accurate and on time? Now that’s defense.

Again, the Padres would end up losing 3-2, but regardless of the score that is one hell of a highlight.

Hustle pays off

Cubs’ outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is known for his power, yes, but also his hustle. He just never stops moving, and moving fast, out there in the outfield, and it lets him make some ridiculous plays by sheer force of will.

He can put those legs to other uses on a baseball field, though. PCA stole 35 bases in 2025, becoming a member of the 30-home run, 30-stolen base club, and on Monday against the Angels the Chicago slugger set the transmission into high gear and made it all the way from first to home on a fly ball to right-center. Shallow right-center.

That Crow-Armstrong never stopped running should not be the focus there — there were two outs, of course he didn’t stop running. That PCA made it from first to home because he turned on the jets once it became clear he would not pass the runner in front of him, Ian Happ, in the process, and then made it in shortly behind him to give Chicago a 3-0 lead in the first, is what merits admiration.

There was still a whole lot of game to play, but Crow-Armstrong’s running gave the Cubs what proved to be the winning run — Chicago would pick up the dub, 7-2, moving to 2-2 on the season, while the Angels fell under .500 to 2-3. 

The Cubs’ starting pitcher was offseason trade acquisition Edward Cabrera, by the way, making his 2026 debut: the 6-foot-5 right-hander pitched six innings of one-hit ball, allowing no runs while striking out five Angels against one walk. A dominant performance, and the kind that Chicago traded for Cabrera this winter hoping to get a whole lot of.

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The Seattle Mariners have agreed to a $95 million, eight-year contract with top prospect Colt Emerson, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The contract, which starts this season and includes a team option for 2034, would be the largest ever for a player who has not made his major-league debut.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been announced.

The Mariners selected the 20-year-old shortstop with the 22nd overall pick in the 2023 amateur draft. Emerson entered the season as Baseball America’s No. 7 prospect.

Emerson batted .357 with one home run, a double and a 1.000 on-base percentage plus slugging in three games for Triple-A Tacoma. He appeared in 18 spring training games for the Mariners and batted .268 with two homers, eight RBIs and an .828 OPS.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Now that we have a sense of how the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System is used in an MLB game, what are our initial impressions?

Consider FOX Sports’ Dontrelle Willis a fan.

“I love it for multiple reasons,” Willis said when asked about his early impressions of the ABS challenge system on Monday night. “No. 1, how they’re doing it, it’s very quick. Also, they’re using the scoreboard, so the fans can interact with it, so the speed of it is elite.

“Also, strategically, how managers are using it: Who’s going to be able to call it? They’re taking it out of the pitchers’ hands. [Seattle Mariners manager] Dan Wilson and [Athletics manager] Stephen Vogt said the pitchers do not have that responsibility. It’s either going to be on the hitter or the catcher we trust behind the plate.”

In what’s its first full season in the big leagues (the ABS Challenge System was previously used in the minor leagues and during the 2025 MLB All-Star Game), teams get two ABS challenges per game, with only the pitcher, catcher or hitter able to challenge a call promptly after a pitch. A graphic of the pitch relative to the strike zone then appears on the big screen to determine if the pitch was a ball or a strike.

If a team correctly challenges a call, they keep their challenge. Should the game go to extra innings and a team has exhausted its challenges, they get another one for the extra inning and every one that follows.

“That’s going to be a team-to-team thing about who they trust. There are some guys in the locker room who think everything is a strike or a ball, and there are some guys that you trust that have really good eyes that walk and take a lot of pitches,” Willis said about the strategy for teams in challenging calls.

“When are you going to use this ABS? Who’s going to use it? What type of count? You are going to see, day by day, different scenarios. Hey, you might have bases loaded, a 3-2 count and a close pitch in the first inning; that could be the game for you if you feel that way. If you get the call right, hey, you retain that. But, if not, it’s going to be tricky.”

Willis also noted that he agrees with teams taking the decision to challenge calls out of pitchers’ hands because their “depth perception” can be different from a catcher or hitter due to the angles they’re releasing pitches at.

Through the first series of the 2026 MLB season (series began as early as Wednesday, Mar. 25 and ended as late as Sunday, Mar. 29), catchers were successful on 64.1% of their challenges; hitters were successful on 42.3% of their challenges; pitchers were successful on 40.0% of their challenges; in all, 53.7% of challenges by teams were successful.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports