Category: Baseball

This rematch carried the weight of October, even if the game didn’t.

Meeting for the first time since the unforgettable Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the Toronto Blue Jays in a 14-2 win on Monday night at the Rogers Centre. 

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Though the series opener was devoid of the close battles we saw in the Fall Classic, this was still a sequel worth watching. The matchup wasn’t as competitive, but it was certainly just as revealing. 

Here are my takeaways:

1. Deja Vu: Teo Takes Mad Max Deep

Teoscar Hernandez is familiar with Max Scherzer hanging his breaking balls. Batting cleanup for the second time this season, Hernandez took Scherzer deep on a slider that fell into the heart of the strike zone, giving the Dodgers a 2-0 lead in the first inning. It was déjà vu for these World Series rivals.

You’re forgiven if, amid all the ridiculous plays from the 18-inning Game 3 in last year’s Fall Classic, you forgot about this one. Last October, Hernandez went deep off Scherzer in his first at-bat against him, putting the Dodgers on the board in a six-hour, 39-minute game they would end up winning 6-5. That solo shot from Hernandez was the only home run he hit in the World Series. Conversely, the Dodgers’ left fielder has been heating up at the plate this past week.

Hernandez’s first-inning dinger on Monday night was his second in two days and his 10th hit in his last 20 at-bats. The veteran’s excellent production came after a disappointing 1-for-10 start to the season, underlined by manager Dave Roberts benching Hernandez against the Nationals on Saturday. Hernandez had a strong spring, but the 33-year-old still needs to find consistency at the plate — particularly while Mookie Betts spends time on the injured list with an oblique strain. Hernandez’s home run at his old haunts in the Rogers Centre should help him stay hot.

2. Scherzer’s Early Exit Points To Toronto’s Larger Problem

It’s early in the season, but the Blue Jays can’t find a reliable backend starter to save their lives. Scherzer was mysteriously pulled from the series opener against the Jays after just two innings. He allowed two runs on two hits, walked one batter, and struck out two. This was the 41-year-old’s second start of the season, and he only threw 36 pitches. Whether his early exit was due to poor performance or an injury, it’s the latest blow for a Blue Jays rotation in crisis.

Toronto is already missing four of its starting pitchers, including Trey Yesavage (right shoulder impingement), Cody Ponce (torn ACL), Shane Bieber (right elbow inflammation), and Jose Berrios (right elbow stress fracture). Scherzer’s fastball velocity was down in the first inning Monday from his first outing of the year. Any prolonged absence from the veteran will spell disaster for the Blue Jays.

In a twist of fate, it’s likely that only the Dodgers could overcome the type of injury-bug running through the Jays’ rotation. Los Angeles has an embarrassing number of high-quality starters ready to be deployed in case of injuries to the major-league staff, highlighted by left-hander Justin Wrobleski’s outing on Monday. Considered a depth arm, the southpaw held Toronto to five innings of one-run ball. On the flip side, Blue Jays left-hander Josh Fleming couldn’t limit the damage after Scherzer’s exit. Fleming permitted four runs on six hits in just three innings of work from the bullpen.

3. A Tale of Two Offenses

No, this wasn’t batting practice. But the Dodgers sure treated the series opener like that, bullying Toronto’s beleaguered pitching staff for 14 runs and 17 hits, including five home runs, on Monday. No one had a better night than catcher Dalton Rushing, who went 4-for-4 with two homers. Coming off a sweep of the Nationals, Los Angeles’ powerful lineup has scored double-digit runs in three of its last four games for an absurd total of 45 runs in that stretch. By the bottom of the seventh inning, Roberts was able to get Freddie Freeman off his feet and replace him with first baseman Santiago Espinal. Second baseman Alex Freeland was the only batter in the Dodgers’ starting lineup who did not record a hit.

The Blue Jays offense, meanwhile, continued to come up empty. The lineup combined to go 4-for-26 against three Dodgers pitchers. It wasn’t until Dodgers’ veteran infielder Miguel Rojas took the mound in the ninth that the Jays collected their fifth hit and second run of the game. George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., David Schneider, Miles Straw, and Andres Gimenez all went hitless. The Blue Jays’ 36 runs scored so far this season are ranked 22nd in MLB. Their team OPS of .663 is ranked 18th in the majors. Their bats have just been unable to get it going.

Blue Jays fans were gloomy as they watched Kyle Tucker go 1-for-3 with two walks, three runs scored, and an RBI for the Dodgers. Toronto aggressively pursued Tucker, the top free agent of the offseason, before the outfielder signed a four-year, $240 million deal with Los Angeles. Despite reportedly offering a long-term deal and a competitive contract, the Blue Jays were again the bridesmaids this past winter, mirroring their failed pursuit of Shohei Ohtani before the 2024 season. For the Jays, Monday night’s laugher against the Dodgers was a painful reminder of those swings and misses. 

4. What Happened To The Blue Jays’ Defense?

The Blue Jays added a pair of errors — and a third misplay that easily could’ve officially been scored as an error — as their sloppy play continued into the World Series rematch on Monday. Fleming replaced Scherzer in the third inning and immediately committed a throwing error to first base, allowing Shohei Ohtani’s 46 mph grounder to warp into two bases for Los Angeles’ leadoff man. What could’ve been an out turned into runs scored when Freeman launched a two-run homer moments later.

In the same inning, Kazuma Okamoto couldn’t field Andy Pages’ 105-mph line drive to third base. In the fifth, Guerrero Jr. flipped an errant throw to Fleming, as Max Muncy reached base on what the official scorer called a hit to lead off the inning. Moments later, Muncy scored on an Alex Freeland groundout, instantly punishing the Jays for their mistake. So far, this Blue Jays team does not remotely resemble the strong defensive club that went to the Fall Classic last season. 

Toronto ranked first in the majors in Fielding Run Value and fourth in Defensive Runs Saved last year. The Jays have already committed eight errors in 10 games this year. It’s been a difficult start to 2026 for the defending American League champions. After getting swept by the White Sox this past weekend, the Jays suffered a demoralizing loss to the almighty Dodgers. Toronto can at least take solace in the fact that its season didn’t truly turn around until the beginning of July last year. There’s a long way to go.

4 ½. What’s Next?

Bring out the popcorn for the second game of this much-anticipated matchup on Tuesday. Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto will go toe-to-toe against veteran right-hander Kevin Gausman as the Blue Jays look to punch back and even the series. 

After winning the 2025 World Series MVP, Yamamoto has a 3.00 ERA (four earned runs in 12 innings pitched) across two starts this season. Gausman, who was terrific in the playoffs last year, is off to a historic start for the Blue Jays. After dominating against the Rockies last Wednesday, Gausman became the only pitcher since at least 1900 with 10-plus strikeouts and no walks through each of his first two starts of the season. If there’s anyone who can stop the bleeding for the Jays, it’s Gausman. 

Deesha Thosar covers Major League Baseball as a reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Blue Jays right-hander and three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer left Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers after two innings, another potential blow to Toronto’s injury-hit starting rotation.

The 41-year-old Scherzer, who re-signed with Toronto in February, allowed two runs and two hits.

Teoscar Hernandez homered in the first, driving in Kyle Tucker’s walk.

Scherzer’s fastball averaged 93.4 mph in a March 31 start against Colorado. That dropped to 92.1 in Monday’s two innings against the Dodgers.

Left-hander Josh Fleming, who was called up from Triple-A Buffalo before the game, took over in the third.

The Blue Jays have four starters on the injured list, including right-hander Cody Ponce. Last Monday, Ponce left his first big league appearance since 2021 in the third inning after injuring his knee while pursuing an infield grounder.

Right-handers Trey Yesavage (shoulder), Jose Berrios (elbow) and Shane Bieber (elbow) are all working their way back from injuries and have yet to pitch this season.

Last Friday, the Blue Jays signed 36-year-old left-hander Patrick Corbin to a one-year contract. Corbin started for Single-A Dunedin on Saturday, allowing one run in five innings.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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The New York Mets will retire Carlos Beltran’s No. 15, and he will enter the team’s hall of fame before their home game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sept. 19.

Beltrán will become the ninth player in franchise history to have his number retired. Previously, Tom Seaver (41), Mike Piazza (31), Jerry Koosman (36), Keith Hernandez (17), Willie Mays (24), Dwight Gooden (16), Darryl Strawberry (18) and David Wright (5) had their numbers retired.

The Mets also have retired the numbers of former managers Gil Hodges (14) and Casey Stengel (37) and all major league teams have retired No. 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson.

Mets outfielder Tyrone Taylor, who currently wears No. 15, will change his number to 28.

Beltrán was elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame earlier this year. He announced he would wear a Mets cap on his plaque. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be on July 26.

Beltrán was hired as the New York Mets’ manager on Nov. 1, 2019, then fired on Jan. 16, 2020, without having managed a game. New York announced its decision three days after he was the only Astros player mentioned by name in a report by Major League Baseball regarding the team’s illicit use of electronics to steal signs during Houston’s run to the 2017 World Series championship — his final season.

He was hired by the Mets as a special assistant to the general manager in February 2023. He continues to work as a special assistant to president of baseball operations David Stearns.

Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen released a statement on Monday praising Beltrán as “one of the greatest offensive players in team history, combining power and speed with elite defense.”

Beltrán said having his number retired and entering the team’s hall of fame is “the highest possible tribute, and I truly feel blessed. The Mets hold a special place in my heart. This summer will be incredibly meaningful, from my induction into the baseball Hall of Fame to this Mets hall of fame honor, with the cherry on top being my number retirement. I’m deeply grateful.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Colt Emerson had trouble hiding his smile Saturday.

The 20-year-old shortstop tried to keep a straight face through a pregame chat with reporters, but he couldn’t help cracking when twice, Triple-A Tacoma teammates intervened with good-natured ribbing. That has come with the territory after the Seattle Mariners prospect signed a $95 million, eight-year contract last week — the biggest commitment ever for a minor leaguer yet to make his major league debut.

“It’s surreal,” Emerson said before the Rainiers’ doubleheader Saturday. “It’s great knowing that the Mariners have that confidence in me, and they’re willing to even give me an opportunity, and that they see me in such a high light.”

The Mariners have showered Emerson in praise. Whether it was manager Dan Wilson or president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, multiple folks around the organization raved about Emerson’s character more so than his baseball skills last week.

Of course, nothing speaks as loudly as the contract. It surpassed Milwaukee outfielder Jackson Chourio’s $82 million, eight-year deal signed in December 2023 as the biggest for a player before his first major league game. Such deals have become more common in recent seasons. Milwaukee signed a similar one with minor league shortstop Cooper Pratt for $50.75 million last week.

[Top Questions: Dodgers, Blue Jays Face Off in First Meeting Since World Series]

Dipoto said the team first engaged in contract discussions with Emerson’s agent in spring training, and it didn’t take long for the 22nd pick in the 2023 draft to decide he wanted to be in the Pacific Northwest for the long haul.

“We felt that this was the right time to put something in front of Colt that kept him a part of what’s happening with the Mariners through the prime years of his career,” Dipoto said. “He has run up the food chain so quickly because of his performance and his maturity, work habits.”

Emerson had a breakout year in 2025, when he hit .285 with an .842 OPS, 16 homers, 28 doubles and 78 RBIs across three levels and established himself as a big league-caliber defender. His shortstop skills were on full display Saturday afternoon as he took ground balls with teammates, methodically working on his transfer and throws.

When the product of John Glenn High School in New Concord, Ohio, was growing up, his dream was to be a major league player, and make a living doing so. While the former has yet to take place — and could be delayed after fouling a ball off his right foot Saturday — Emerson has secured his family’s financial future with an eight-figure contract, and provided some clarity about his future.

There’s a chance Emerson left money on the table by signing now. His deal includes a team option for 2034, meaning his first shot at free agency will likely be delayed two or three seasons, when he’ll be into his late 20s.

“Given the security of being in the same city for the next eight years, (it) just allows me to stay the same guy,” Emerson said. “I mean, I’m never planning to change as a person, and just happy to go out there and be a winning ballplayer for the team and do whatever they need me to do.”

As Dipoto noted shortly after the contract became official, there’s risk on both sides of the deal. For Seattle, a team that came one win away from its first World Series appearance last year, it’s committing a considerable amount of payroll to an unproven player.

[MLB Rookies: Konnor Griffin Dazzles in Pirates’ Debut]

Pratt and Emerson are the eighth and ninth players to sign long-term deals before their debut since Houston’s Jon Singleton became the first in 2014. All of those have been hitters, and Pratt’s agent, Scott Boras, doesn’t expect that to change.

“If you have a precocious bat that is producing power and extraordinary minor league performance, you’ll see that,” Boras said after negotiating Pratt’s deal. “But remember, that type of talent exhibiting at these ages at 20, where they’re major league ready at 20, 21, we’re going to go back and look at the sample size, and of the 4,000 minor leaguers, you’re only going to find a very, very small group that would even be approached.”

From Emerson’s perspective, any risks with his new deal don’t come close to outweighing the rewards.

“I just see it as they want me to come up and be a winning player,” Emerson said, “and do anything I can to help the team win.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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 weekend in Major League Baseball:

Pirates win fifth-straight

Are the Pirates good? It’s a little too early for that question, given it’s still the first week of April, but Pittsburgh has been good so far and that’s not nothing. The Pirates swept the visiting Orioles over the weekend, giving them five-straight victories and a 6-3 record on the season. 

Some of the newer Pirates did their part to show off, like free agent signing Ryan O’Hearn. O’Hearn has been mashing so far, batting .367/.459/.700 on the season, and drilled his third homer of the year on Sunday off of Orioles’ starter Chris Bassitt, a 402-foot shot on a 3-0 fastball that Bassitt left up in the zone.

Konnor Griffin might not be new to the organization, but he did make his big-league debut on Friday in the Pirates’ home opener. The top prospect in the game and 2024 first-round pick didn’t get much hitting done in his first three games, but the shortstop reminded the crowd that he’s not just around for his bat.

And then there is center fielder Oneil Cruz, who made some headlines on Opening Day for misplaying some balls, but he’s been making up for that with his bat since. Cruz crushed a 91-mph pitch inside off of reliever Cade Povich, 415 feet to straightaway center, to put Pittsburgh up 8-1 on Sunday.

The Orioles would score a second run and no more, with starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft going six innings with just one run allowed while striking out eight. The right-hander didn’t allow a walk and gave up just four hits, then the bullpen mostly shut Baltimore down the rest of the way for the W.

Are the Orioles bad? It’s too early to answer that question, too, but a 3-6 start is not going to make an already uphill battle in the AL East any easier.

White Sox sweep Blue Jays

Luckily for the Orioles, they weren’t the only team from their division to struggle this weekend. The Blue Jays have now lost four in a row thanks to the White Sox hitting them with the three-game sweep. Yes, the White Sox, losers of 102 games a year ago, getting out the brooms for the defending American League champions. It’s early, yes, but those wins and losses are in the bank.

Chicago won in extra innings on Friday in their home opener, plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the 10th on a couple of singles and a throwing error to tie and walk it off. Then, on Saturday, the White Sox would win 6-3 following a three-run sixth inning that saw first baseman and NPB import Munetaka Murakami hit his fourth dinger of the season, which was followed by Colson Montgomery’s second long ball of the year. 

Chicago used an opener for an inning before giving the ball to Anthony Kay for 4.1 innings, and the group combined to hold the Jays to three runs.

The pitching was even better for the White Sox on Sunday, as they blanked Toronto, 3-0. Righty Davis Martin threw six scoreless with six strikeouts and two walks, limiting the Blue Jays to four hits, and the bullpen shut Toronto down the rest of the way.

Helping out the pitching staff was some quality defense, like this grab from Luisangel Acuna. 

The White Sox have won three in a row and four on the season, which doesn’t sound like all that much until you remember that Chicago won its fourth game last year on April 12, and in 2024 on April 26. At this rate the White Sox will win their fourth game of 2027 before they even play it.

Jo Adell, take a bow

You might have heard that Angels’ right fielder Jo Adell did something no one else has done since this info was tracked: on Saturday, he robbed three — three! — home runs in a single game. Even better, this ended up being a matchup that the Angels won 1-0 — Adell’s performance is the reason Los Angeles got the W at all.

The first robbery was just a great catch to keep Mariners’ backstop Cal Raleigh from going yard in a 0-0 game. 

The second, though, came in the top of the eighth inning with the Angels up 1-0. The bases were empty with first baseman Josh Naylor at the plate, but Sam Bachman gave up what looked like it was going to go over the right field wall… until Adell was there to haul that one in, too.

And then, in the ninth, with the Mariners trying to force extras or outright, reliever Jordan Romano came into the game to try to close the door on Seattle. He has been exceptionally homer-prone over the past two years, but apparently what he was missing was Adell out there to keep the ball from clearing the wall. Or, in the case of this catch, holding on to it even when it does clear the fence.

What a grab. And what a day for Adell! The Angels would win, 1-0, and then for good measure downed the Mariners in 11 innings, 8-7, on Sunday to take the series, too.

A Giancarlo Stanton… steal?

Giancarlo Stanton is known for one thing. Well, two things: enormous muscles, and hitting home runs with those muscles. His legs? Other than maybe also the muscle thing, not so much. Stanton did what no one expected on Sunday, though, stealing his first base since 2020, and against his former team, the Marlins.

That stolen base from 2020 was Stanton’s first since 2017, or, to put it another way, back when Stanton was still on the Marlins. It’s been awhile — given the rate he’s been working at, we might have seen the last steal of his career even if he ends up playing into his early 40s.

Marlins big inning bests Yankees

Unfortunately for the Yankees, you don’t get extra credit for the level of surprise a stolen base has. New York was up 4-2 on the Marlins through five innings, but then Miami narrowed that gap to a run in the sixth, before exploding for four more runs in the eighth.

The inning started with DH Agustin Ramirez striking out, but then center fielder Jakob Marsee and shortstop Otto Lopez drew back-to-back walks against different pitchers. Griffin Conine came in to pinch-hit, and was hit by a pitch out of the hand of Jake Bird, loading the bases for another pinch-hitter, Graham Pauley.

Pauley delivered on a double to right, scoring Marsee and Lopez to put Miami up 5-4. Ryan Yarbrough came on in relief of Bird, but things didn’t go any better for the lefty. 

He gave up a two-run single to the first batter he faced, second baseman Xavier Edwards, and then Edwards stole second. Yarbrough managed to get the next two batters, however, but the damage was done. New York would rally to put two more runs on the board in the bottom of the ninth against reliever Anthony Bender, but the Yankees needed three — Miami won the game to avoid the sweep, and stick in first place in the NL East in the process.

A slip and a catch

This probably would have been a routine catch if TJ Friedl didn’t slip, but the Reds’ left fielder failed to keep his footing. That ended up making it an impressive grab, though, since Friedl managed to control the rest of his body and stick with making the play despite the fact that he got all tripped up on the way to making it.

No credit for slipping, sure, but for making sure the end result was the same? Friedl earned that one.

It’s not spring everywhere

There have been some high spring temperatures across the country in March and early April, but they were nowhere to be found in Minnesota on Saturday. And not only was it cold, but it was cold enough for snow!

A beautiful bunt as is, but against the backdrop of snow? Baseball is something. The freezing cold weather didn’t impact the Rays at all, as they ended up winning 7-1. Hey, it’s not like the Twins are used to playing in the snow, either.

Padres come back against Red Sox

The Padres and Red Sox had a back-and-forth affair in the rubber game of their three-game set, with Boston going up early courtesy a four-run third inning, punctuated by this Masataka Yoshida RBI double.

The Padres would answer right back, however: San Diego scored three runs in both the fourth and the fifth to go up 6-4, with center fielder Jackson Merrill and first baseman Nick Castellanos both hitting RBI singles before third baseman Manny Machado hit a 3-run blast into the Green Monster seats to give the Padres the lead.

In the seventh, Yoshida had yet another big double, this time a two-run two-bagger to right, to tie the game up at 6-6.

The tie was short-lived, however, as Merrill hit it where the camera couldn’t follow to left, over the monster, and the Padres were once again up. 

Right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. would add an insurance run via sac fly in the ninth, but it proved unnecessary, as closer Mason Miller was up to the task of sitting the Red Sox down. Miller not only struck out the side, but took them down in order, too.

Miller got shortstop Trevor Story on three consecutive pitches, all sliders, then fooled both left fielder Jarren Duran and Miller’s own backstop, Freddy Fermin, with a slider that followed a 101-mph fastball. Fermin got the throw to first for the second K, though, and then first baseman Willson Contreras went down swinging, too, with Miller going 100, 101 and then back to the slider for the swing-and-miss.

Dubon 1, Perdomo’s Glove 0

Mauricio Dubon broke Geraldo Perdomo’s glove with this shot to left field on Saturday, in a little bit of shortstop-vs.-shortstop action. Dubon hit it to short but elevated, and Perdomo dove, and had it go right through his glove to left. Not “through” as in Perdomo missed, but as in the ball straight-up went through the glove. Check that slow-motion replay.

The Diamondbacks ended up winning, but Perdomo is down a glove. Poor glove.

Rooker’s walk-off shot

What a game between the Astros and Athletics in Sacramento on Sunday. The A’s ended up winning 12-10, but that doesn’t tell the half of it. It took until the fifth inning for either team to score, when DH Yordan Alvarez launched his fourth homer of the season to give the Astros a 2-0 lead. Right fielder Cam Smith would follow with an RBI single before the inning ended, but the A’s would then answer with five runs in the bottom of the frame, with DH Brent Rooker scoring a sac fly to give the Athletics a 5-3 lead.

In the seventh, first baseman Christian Walker tied things back up 5-5 with a two-run shot off of reliever J.T. Ginn. Rooker would respond immediately, though, smashing the 100th home run of his career to put the A’s up 7-5.

The back-and-forth would continue, with the two teams tied 9-9 in the ninth following a four-run eighth by Houston. It could have ended right in the bottom of the ninth as the A’s rallied, but second baseman Jose Altuve made sure that didn’t happen with this incredible play, in which he caught second baseman Jeff McNeil running home after bringing in a grounder off the bat of catcher Shea Langeliers.

The Astros would then take the lead in the top of the 10th, on an RBI single by third baseman Carlos Correa, but Rooker would come to the rescue once more. With two on in the bottom of the 10th, Rooker smashed another dinger, this one a walk-off shot.

The A’s won the series, and while it hasn’t been a great start to the season for them, taking two of three from a division rival — and via an extra-innings walk-off — is a good way to change that course.

Ohtani goes deep

It took until Friday for Dodgers’ two-way star Shohei Ohtani to hit his first home run of the season, but waiting for the second didn’t take nearly as long. Ohtani put the Dodgers on the board in the top of the third with a solo shot, in a game th

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Shohei Ohtani, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and the rest of the crew that gave us that epic 2025 World Series are back on the same diamond since that amazing Fall Classic. 

It’s an early-season reunion between the two-time World Series champion Dodgers and the stout Blue Jays squad they took down in seven games, starting with Monday’s matchup.

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Breaking down the teams and how they’ve looked so far ahead of their three-game series.

1. Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer is expected to take the mound for the Blue Jays on Monday, while the Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani set for Wednesday. How realistic will it be for Ohtani to win that award? 

Kavner: Ask Dave Roberts or any of Ohtani’s teammates, and it’s clear that winning a Cy Young is on the two-way player’s mind. “You can tell with the way he carries himself,” Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing said this spring. “He’s the greatest, and he wants to be the greatest.”

Now that Ohtani’s a back-to-back champ, he has pretty much done everything else imaginable on a baseball field. The only year he didn’t win an MVP trophy the last five seasons is the season he finished fourth in American League Cy Young Award voting in 2022. He hit 34 home runs that year and had a 2.33 ERA in 166 innings. He would probably need to throw at least that many innings again if he wants a realistic shot at winning his first Cy Young in 2026, and he would need to be considerably better in the innings he pitches than the other contenders, who are almost certain to throw more innings than him. 

Ohtani is expected to go wire-to-wire on the mound this year after being slow-played in 2025, but the Dodgers will still be mindful of keeping him as fresh as possible by extending his rest between starts at times as the season moves forward. Over the last 30 years, only one starting pitcher — Corbin Burnes in 2021 — has thrown fewer than 170 innings and won a Cy Young. Perhaps Ohtani could make it a second. It has to be considered a longshot, given his two-way duties and the Dodgers’ desire to be as healthy as possible in October, but he tends to amaze and redefine the limits of what’s possible when he puts his mind to something. 
 

2. Despite the pitching injuries the Blue Jays have, do these two teams have the best set of arms in baseball?

Thosar: The Dodgers are in that conversation, but the Blue Jays’ pitching staff isn’t at the top of the heap, even though their arms are still very good. 

Toronto’s Dylan Cease has ace-level stuff while being frustratingly inconsistent. To demonstrate that point, Cease’s Blue Jays debut couldn’t have gone much better after the right-hander struck out 12 and held the Athletics to one run in 5 ⅓ innings. But he was less dominant in his second start as he struggled with control issues and gave up three runs over 4 ⅓ innings against the White Sox. Kevin Gausman has pitched like an ace so far this year, piling up 21 strikeouts in two starts, and he was impressive in the postseason last year, but he’s 35 now and projected to decline over the course of the season. Injured starters Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce, Shane Bieber and Jose Berrios make up for an assortment of talented arms, but even if they were all healthy, the Blue Jays are still on the periphery of being considered a top-5 rotation in baseball. 

But the Dodgers? They have legitimate Cy Young award contenders in Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Ohtani leading the starting five. Roki Sasaki has Yamamoto’s durability last year (30 regular-season starts, followed by six postseason outings) was nothing short of incredible. Even though he’s an anomaly in the rotation, with Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell being elite-tier arms but injury-prone starters, the Dodgers are able to slow-play pitcher recoveries and overcome lengthy absences thanks to their excellent depth. Pitchers like Emmett Sheehan, River Ryan, Gavin Stone, and Justin Wrobleski are considered depth on the Dodgers. Anywhere else, those arms would be rotation regulars. Los Angeles’ star power, consistency, and ridiculously large quantity of high-quality arms put it at the top of any rankings. 

3. Let’s talk hitters: Who has started hot? Who needs to shake off the offseason rust?

Kavner: On a team that features three former MVPs, it’s a player who went 4-for-51 last postseason who’s carrying the Dodgers’ offense. Andy Pages can be prone to volatility at the plate, but the Dodgers are riding the roller-coaster up right now. The 25-year-old outfielder entered Sunday leading all of MLB in hits (15), with nearly twice as many as the next closest hitter on the Dodgers. Pages started the season 15-for-30, also leading the team in home runs (3) and RBI (10). The Dodgers needed to find that production from somewhere, with their stars struggling through the first week of the season. 

Entering this weekend’s series in Washington, the batting averages of the top three hitters in the Dodgers’ lineup — Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Tucker and Mookie Betts — were all in the .100 range. The Nos. 4 and 5 hitters, Freddie Freeman (.208) and Will Smith (.200), weren’t much better. This weekend was a reminder that it’s still not worth overreacting to any numbers we see, good or bad. Each of the top four hitters in the Dodgers’ lineup homered on Friday, and Ohtani, Tucker, Freeman and Smith each had multiple hits Saturday. Already, the best hitters in the lineup are getting their averages up to more respectable numbers. The only worry now is the health of Betts, who was placed on the injured list with an oblique strain. 

The Blue Jays have had their own surprises, as the typically light-hitting Andres Gimenez, who was coming off his worst-hitting season as a big-leaguer, has been the best hitter on the team. He has knocked in more runs than anyone on the team, and after hitting just seven home runs all of last year, he already has two. That total is tied with Kazuma Okamato, who has struck out in nearly half of his at-bats as a big-leaguer but has otherwise performed well, and George Springer for the most on the team. Springer, however, has been unable to reproduce last year’s resurgent year to this point, and Addison Barger has started 1-for-16 at the plate following last year’s breakout. 

4. Way-too-early take: Are these two teams the teams to beat in their respective leagues? 

Thosar: The Blue Jays aren’t the team to beat in the American League right now — that characterization belongs to the 8-1 Yankees after their red-hot start to the season — but Toronto is definitely in the mix to be a playoff threat. The Jays have a strong, balanced roster that’s hungry to finish what they started during last year’s captivating run to the World Series. As previously mentioned, their pitching is good but not dominant, and several injuries in the rotation are already cause for concern. The success of the offense, led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Springer, is dependent on big steps forward from potential breakout hitters like Barger and Okamoto. Still, the Jays should be right behind New York and neck and neck with the Mariners to finish as a top-two team in the A.L.

The Dodgers are the favorites to win the World Series and three-peat, making them the unequivocal team to beat in the National League. They addressed their two major weaknesses (the outfield and bullpen) in dramatic fashion this past offseason. They signed the consensus top free agent in outfielder Tucker and shocked everyone by acquiring the game’s top closer in Diaz. Los Angeles’ roster depth is unrivaled. The Dodgers’ phenomenal farm system will help them address any potential holes at the trade deadline. Finally, their postseason grit and back-to-back championship pedigree means they’ve proven they can get it done in October, and there’s no reason to doubt them now.
 

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The Los Angeles Dodgers placed shortstop Mookie Betts on the injured list Sunday with a right oblique strain and recalled Hyeseong Kim from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Betts left Saturday’s 10-5 victory over the Washington Nationals after walking and scoring in the first inning. Manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers believe Betts was initially injured on a check swing during the at-bat.

While Roberts said he was hesitant to put a timeline on Betts’ return, he hopes it would be quicker than a 4 to 6 week absence.

“He’s actually in better spirits,” Roberts said. “He’s obviously disappointed, but just the way he feels today, I think he’s had some dealings with that before and said it’s better than he recalls in past experience, so that was encouraging.”

Betts is hitting .179 in Los Angeles’ first eight games. The 33-year-old hit .258 with 20 homers and 82 RBIs in 150 games last season.

Kim hit .280 with three home runs and 17 RBIs in 71 games as a rookie last season.

Roberts said Kim and Miguel Rojas will likely split time at shortstop while Betts is out. Rojas replaced Betts in Saturday’s game and is batting second on Sunday against the Nationals. Roberts said Kim is likely to start two of three games in the Dodgers’ series at Toronto against the Blue Jays that begins Monday.

The Dodgers’ lineup figures to have a different look as well. Betts hit in the No. 3 spot every game this season after spending much of last year batting second.

“He’s Mookie Betts, so it certainly changes,” Roberts said. “But that’s the great thing about having depth that a lot of teams don’t have. A platoon at short and you feel like you’ve got good matchups, it’s not all bad and it gives other guys opportunities. But it’s a blow, for sure.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Jo Adell made three home run-robbing catches, including a spectacular leaping grab while crashing into the seats in the ninth inning, and the Los Angeles Angels held off the Seattle Mariners 1-0 on Saturday night.

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Jack Kochanowicz (1-0) allowed four hits and struck out seven over 5 2/3 innings, and Zach Neto provided the only run, walloping Seattle right-hander Emerson Hancock’s fourth pitch for a 443-foot homer in the first. Angels reliever Chase Silseth escaped a two-on, no-out jam in the seventh.

J.P. Crawford led off the ninth with a drive toward the right-field corner, where Adell leaped to glove the ball, flipped over the wall and fell into the first row of seats before holding his glove up to present the catch, which was upheld after a replay review.

Adell leaped high above the yellow line on the wall to deny Cal Raleigh of a solo homer in the first and made a nearly identical catch to deny Josh Naylor of a solo homer in the eighth.

Jordan Romano, the Angels’ sixth pitcher, then retired Cole Young on an infield popup and struck out Leo Rivas for his third save.

Silseth replaced Joey Lucchesi with two on in the seventh and struck Rivas looking, Luke Raley swinging and got Raleigh to ground out to second.

Kochanowicz also escaped a first-and-third, two-out jam in the first by striking out Randy Arozarena looking at an 88-mph slider and a two-on, two-out jam in the third by getting Arozarena to ground out.

The Angels backed Kochanowicz with two other super plays, left fielder Josh Lowe diving to catch Dominic Canzone’s flare in the fourth and second baseman Ozwald Peraza diving to stop Raley’s fifth-inning grounder up the middle and throwing to first.

Hancock (1-1) allowed six hits over 6 2/3 innings and struck out five after throwing six no-hit innings in his March 29 against Cleveland.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Konnor Griffin debuted in style. The 19-year-old Pirates shortstop delivered an RBI double in his first big league at-bat as Pittsburgh held off the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 on Friday.

Griffin, called up on Thursday and the consensus top prospect in baseball, looked every bit the part during an electric afternoon at PNC Park.

He laced a double to center field off Kyle Bradish (0-2) in the bottom of the second, then showcased his speed while racing home on a single to shallow right field by Jared Triolo.

The teenager, the youngest player to make his major league debut at shortstop since Alex Rodriguez did it at 18 for Seattle in 1994, also drew a walk and handled all of his defensive chances without an issue as the Pirates won their third straight. Griffin became the first Pirate under 20 to reach base twice in his debut since Bobby Del Greco in 1952.

The sellout crowd at PNC Park, which opened 25 years ago, or a full half-decade before Griffin was born on April 24, 2006, roared when Griffin was introduced during the pre-game ceremony. The roars drew even louder when he took an 85 mph curveball from Bradish and sent it rocketing to the fence in center field.

Triolo, who moved from short to third after Griffin’s promotion, had a pair of hits and his first RBI of the season. Ryan O’Hearn, Henry Davis and Oneil Cruz also drove in runs for the Pirates.

Mitch Keller (1-0) allowed two runs and six hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Gregory Soto gave up a solo home run to Gunnar Henderson with two outs in the ninth, but rebounded by striking out former New York Mets teammate Pete Alonso to pick up his first save with Pittsburgh.

Henderson finished with three hits for Baltimore. Dylan Beavers and Blaze Alexander had two hits apiece for the Orioles. Bradish was touched for four runs and six hits with three walks and six strikeouts in four innings.

Up next

The series continues Saturday when Baltimore’s Shane Baz (0-0, 6.75 ERA) faces Pittsburgh’s Carmen Mlodzinski (0-0).

Reporting by The Associated Press. 

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Aaron Judge hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the first inning, and the New York Yankees beat the Miami Marlins in their home opener Friday, 8-2, for their second 6-1 start in three seasons.

Trent Grisham reached leading off with the first of 11 walks by Marlins pitchers and Judge drove a slider into the left-field seats against Eury Perez (0-1).

Judge, who had three RBIs, hit a record 20 first-inning home runs last year, when he finished with 53 altogether. Three of Judge’s five hits this season have been home runs.

Ben Rice homered and hit a two-run double for the Yankees.

Will Warren (1-0) allowed four hits in 5 2/3 innings, including solo homers by Xavier Edwards in the first and Owen Caissie in the fifth.

Miami entered the game at 5-1, matching its franchise-best start, and had spent six days atop the NL East — double its total for 2021-25 combined. Miami pitchers had their most walks since April 2023; they had walked just nine in the team’s first six games.

Pérez (0-1) allowed four runs, two hits and a career-high six walks in four innings. He forced in runs on consecutive pitches in the second when he walked Grisham and hit Judge. Tyler Phillips threw a run-scoring wild pitch in the sixth.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jose Caballero each had two stolen bases and Judge one off catcher Liam Hicks, who has allowed 60 steals in 66 attempts since reaching the major leagues last year.

Up next, Yankees LHP Ryan Weathers (0-0), who was acquired from the Marlins in January, starts Saturday night against Miami RHP Max Meyer (0-0).

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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