The Opener: CBA Talks, Ohtani, Ashby
Astros right-hander Spencer Arrighetti gets another crack at the Rangers on Thursday. Arrighetti carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning against Texas two starts ago. His teammates no-hit the Rangers earlier this week. Keep a close eye on the hit column today.
1. MLBPA shares proposal
Collective bargaining discussions are underway with the MLBPA releasing its first official proposal on Wednesday. The league is expected to counter with its own proposal on Thursday. The current collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1. Talks appear to be ahead of schedule this time around. Back in 2021, the league didn’t counter the MLBPA’s initial proposal until August. Negotiations that offseason led to a lockout, but didn’t result in missed games.
2. Ohtani dominates again
Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani tossed six hitless innings on Wednesday against the Rockies. He also chipped in a leadoff home run for good measure. Ohtani lowered his ERA to 0.82. As ESPN points out, it’s the ninth-lowest ERA heading into June among pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings since 1913. It’s also the lowest mark in Dodgers history through a pitcher’s first nine starts (h/t Alden Gonzalez of ESPN). Ohtani has allowed one earned run or fewer in all but one outing this season. In a hotly contested NL Cy Young race, he’s emerging as one of the top candidates.
3. Ashby wins again
Wins aren’t the most reliable indicator of a pitcher’s effectiveness, but they’re still fun to track, especially when a surprising name is atop the leaderboard. Brewers left-hander Aaron Ashby has managed to pile up a league-leading nine wins, despite working as an opener and middle reliever. The lefty tossed two scoreless innings on Wednesday against the Cardinals. The Brewers pushed two runs across in the eighth inning to take the lead, and Trevor Megill slammed the door to secure the win for Ashby. Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams also picked up his eighth win with a quality start against the Nationals. Chris Sale of the Braves and Davis Martin of the White Sox will go for their eighth wins on Thursday.
Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images
The Opener: Cubs, Sanchez, Sandlin
After six scoreless innings against the Cardinals on Tuesday, Brewers left-hander Kyle Harrison has his ERA down to 1.57. He’s one out short of qualifying for the crown, but that mark would lead the NL. Harrison hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any of his 10 starts. The lefty has put together three straight scoreless outings.
1. Cubs lose 10th straight
The Pirates scored five runs in the first inning against the Cubs on Tuesday and never looked back. Pittsburgh cruised to a 12-1 win, handing Chicago its 10th consecutive loss. The Cubs alternated wins and losses in the first eight games of the season. Since then, they have alternated results just twice. The up-and-down performance has included two separate 10-game winning streaks and now a 10-game stretch of losses. Wednesday’s defeat dropped Chicago to a tie for fourth place in the NL Central with Pittsburgh. The series is only halfway over, so the Pirates have two more shots to gain ground on the Cubs.
2. Sanchez’s scoreless streak on the line
Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez shut out the Guardians for eight frames in his last outing, pushing his scoreless innings streak to 37 2/3. He’s gone nearly a month without giving up a run. The impressive stretch ranks second in franchise history. Sanchez needs four more zeroes to pass Grover Alexander for the Phillies’ record. He’ll match up against a vulnerable San Diego offense tonight. The Padres have the second-lowest OPS against lefties this season. No club has scored fewer runs when facing southpaws.
3. Sandlin gets the ball
White Sox right-hander David Sandlin is expected to draw the start on Wednesday against the Twins. The prospect was stellar in the minors this year, allowing just one earned run over 16 1/3 innings split between High-A and Triple-A. Sandlin posted a massive 35.1% strikeout rate over six starts. The righty joined the organization in a February trade from the Red Sox. The deal was mostly an opportunity for Boston to offload Jordan Hicks‘ contract, but it netted Chicago an intriguing arm. Sandlin draws a Minnesota offense that has performed well lately. The Twins rank ninth in OPS and 10th in wRC+ against right-handed pitching in May. Sandlin will be opposed by fellow prospect Connor Prielipp.
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Athletics Promote Gage Jump
3:05pm: The A’s officially announced their selection of Jump’s contract. Civale has indeed been placed on the 15-day IL, due to right shoulder tendonitis. Outfielder Denzel Clarke has been transferred to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man spot. Clarke has a significant hamstring strain and will be out beyond the All-Star break.
7:08am: The A’s are calling up left-hander Gage Jump, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. The 23-year-old is among the top prospects in the organization. When he first appears in a game, it will be his MLB debut. The team has yet to announce the move. The A’s have a full 40-man roster and would need to make an adjustment to add Jump.
MLB Pipeline ranks Jump at No. 3 in the Athletics system. FanGraphs‘ Eric Longenhagen has him behind only shortstop Leo De Vries. Jump has a mid-4.00s ERA at Triple-A this season, but he’s delivered a hefty 33.1% strikeout rate. He allowed just two earned runs over 9 2/3 innings in MLB Spring Training this year.
The A’s took Jump with the 73rd overall pick in the 2024 draft out of LSU. He immediately provided workhorse-level production in his first taste of pro ball, tossing 112 2/3 innings in 2025. Jump posted a 3.28 ERA and a sub-3.00 FIP between High-A and Double-A. He didn’t crack MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects last year, but sits at No. 41 in this season’s rankings.
Jump has shown a diverse pitch mix with Las Vegas. He’s leaned on the four-seamer more than half the time, but also thrown plenty of sliders (18.3%) and curveballs (13.1%). Jump has also used both a sweeper and a changeup more than 5% of the time. Control has been a bit of an issue, as Jump’s 11.8% walk rate is a significant increase from his 2025 mark.
The workload for Jump had been a bit limited to begin the year. He hadn’t completed five innings with the Aviators through eight appearances. Jump went seven strong innings in his last start, striking out nine without issuing a walk. He could step into a rotation that doesn’t have much stability outside of Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs. Manager Mark Kotsay mentioned a possible IL stint for Aaron Civale after Monday’s game, which would open up a rotation spot.
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Rays Sign Craig Kimbrel
2:30pm: The Rays have officially announced Kimbrel’s signing. In a corresponding active roster move, right-hander Jesse Scholtens has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a right wrist strain.
11:36am: Veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel is heading to the Rays on a major league deal, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Kimbrel was designated for assignment by the Mets last week and elected free agency. The 37-year-old is represented by SportsMeter.
The Rays have yet to announce the move. The club has multiple openings on its 40-man roster, so no tweak will be needed there. Kimbrel is expected to be available for tonight’s game against the Orioles, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
The Mets added Kimbrel on a minor league deal in January. He failed to break camp with the team, but was called up in early April. The right-hander didn’t allow an earned run over his first four appearances in New York. He has struggled recently, permitting seven earned runs over 9 2/3 innings in May. He covered 2 2/3 frames on Wednesday, ceding two earned runs. The Mets DFAed him on Friday.
The well-traveled Kimbrel will have appeared with 11 MLB teams once he gets into a game with the Rays. Tonight could be considered a revenge game for the righty, but he’s pitched for three other clubs since his 2024 stint in Baltimore. Kimbrel put himself back on the big-league map to close 2025. He opened the year with the Braves, but only threw an inning in the majors. The veteran bounced to the Rangers, then landed in Houston. Kimbrel put together 13 solid appearances with the Astros, posting a 2.45 ERA with a 34.8% strikeout rate.
Tampa Bay lost Pete Fairbanks to free agency and Edwin Uceta to a shoulder injury heading into 2026. Griffin Jax got the first crack at the vacated closer role, but faltered. He’s now being stretched out as a starter. Bryan Baker has assumed the 9th-inning gig and performed quite well. The former Oriole has piled up 14 saves through 24 appearances. He’s been scored upon just twice in May. Kimbrel and his 440 career saves are unlikely to unseat Baker anytime soon.
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Cole Ragans Pauses Rehab After Experiencing Elbow Stiffness
Royals left-hander Cole Ragans will be shut down from throwing for the next few days after feeling stiffness in his elbow. Kansas City’s ace went to the injured list with a left elbow impingement in early May. Ragans pitched well in a rehab outing on Saturday, but “did not recover well” from the start, manager Matt Quatraro told reporters, including Anne Rogers of MLB.com.
Ragans will take some time to see if the elbow stiffness fades before resuming his rehab. The lefty relayed to Rogers that the symptoms were similar to the pain he felt during his final big-league start before heading to the injured list. Ragans was pulled after three scoreless frames against the Guardians on May 6. He returned to the mound over the weekend, tossing 4 1/3 innings with Omaha. Ragans struck out three and had his typical fastball velocity.
The 28-year-old Ragans delivered a workhorse campaign in his first full year with Kansas City. He reached a career-high 186 1/3 innings over 32 starts in 2024. The lefty has now battled significant injury issues in each of the past two seasons.
Ragans missed three weeks with a groin strain early last year. He returned for one start in June, then went right back to the IL after straining his left rotator cuff. Ragans was knocked out of his third start of 2026 after taking a comebacker off his throwing hand. He recovered in time to make his next appearance, only to go down with the elbow issue in early May.
The stuff looks normal for Ragans this year, but the command has been out of whack. He has a massive 15.2% walk rate through 35 1/3 frames. The veteran has thrown just 60.4% of his pitches for strikes, easily a career-worst mark. Ragans piled up 12 walks in his first two starts after the hand injury, so it’s possible the comebacker was to blame for his poor control numbers. His Location+ was right at league average for one of those games, though. Ragans has an unsightly 87 Location+ for the season.
The Royals are patching together the rotation with Ragans and Kris Bubic on the shelf. The results have been solid so far. Stephen Kolek came off the IL to take Ragans’ spot. He dominated the Mariners over the weekend, tossing a complete game shutout. The righty has put together 15 1/3 scoreless innings in his past two outings. Bailey Falter and Luinder Avila are tag-teaming Bubic’s rotation spot. The pair limited the Red Sox to two earned runs over five innings last week. Falter and Avila are expected to team up against the Yankees on Tuesday.
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Spencer Turnbull Signs With Mexican League Team
Veteran right-hander Spencer Turnbull has signed with Cerveceros de Tecate of the Mexican Northern League, relays Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. Turnbull made a handful of appearances with the Blue Jays last season. He closed the year in the Royals’ minor league system.
Turnbull, 33, spent parts of seven seasons in the big leagues. The majority of his time in the majors came with the Tigers. Detroit selected Turnbull with a second-round pick in the 2014 draft. He briefly debuted with the club in 2018, then emerged as a full-time member of the rotation in 2019. The righty had a sub-4.00 FIP and a 4.62 SIERA, but didn’t get much help from a Detroit squad that lost 114 games. Turnbull led the league with 17 losses that year.
After a decent performance in the shortened 2020 campaign, injuries derailed Turnbull’s career. He got off to a strong start in 2021, including a no-hitter against the Mariners, but went down with a forearm strain after nine appearances. The injury eventually required Tommy John surgery. Turnbull missed all of 2022. He came back the following season but was limited to seven starts with a neck injury.
Turnbull landed with the Phillies in 2024 after wrapping up his time in Detroit. He looked like a reliable swingman piece in the Philadelphia bullpen. The righty struck out more than a batter per inning across 54 1/3 innings, which included seven starts and 10 relief outings. He had a solid 3.80 xFIP and a 3.67 SIERA in the multi-faceted role. Turnbull’s season was cut short in late June due to a lat strain. He made three appearances for the Blue Jays last year, posting an ERA above 7.00. Turnbull had minor league stints with the Cubs and Royals before heading to Mexico.
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The Opener: Astros No-Hitter, Cowser, Misiorowski
Mets righty Nolan McLean hadn’t given up more than three earned runs in any start through nine outings. He’s now allowed 13 earned runs over his last two starts, after the Reds put up a touchdown on Monday. New York has lost six of seven after briefly rebounding in mid-May.
1. Astros toss combined no-hitter
Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai and a pair of relievers worked together to no-hit the Rangers on Monday night. It was the first no-no in the big leagues since 2024. The outcome featured some improbable participants. Imai had been tagged for nine earned runs in 8 2/3 innings since coming back from a month-long stint on the IL for arm fatigue. The righty walked four, but navigated six innings for the first time as a big leaguer. After an inning from Steven Okert, it was Alimber Santa who finished the final two frames. The righty was making his MLB debut. “I never pictured myself coming in and finishing off a no-hitter,” Santa told reporters (h/t Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). “What I pictured was coming in and throwing strikes and maybe striking out one batter.”
2. Cowser does it again
The Orioles are off to a challenging start to the campaign, but the club has picked up three wins over the past four games, including two in exciting fashion. Outfielder Colton Cowser entered the weekend with just one home run all season. He came through with a three-run shot to walk off Kenley Jansen and the Tigers in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader. Cowser repeated the effort on Monday against the Rays, blasting a two-run homer to win the game in the bottom of the 13th inning. Baltimore will look to keep it going on Tuesday with Shane Baz heading to the mound against his former team.
3. Misiorowski breaks 100+ mph record
Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski delivered another dazzling start on Monday, striking out 12 over seven innings in a win over the Cardinals. The lanky righty walked JJ Wetherholt to begin the game, then retired the next 15 batters. Misiorowski didn’t allow a hit until Pedro Pages led off the sixth inning with a single. He completed seven innings for the second time in three starts, capping off his outing with a strikeout of Masyn Winn that included six fastballs of 100+ mph. Misiorowski’s 57 pitches of 100+ mph easily set a record in the pitch-tracking era, which goes back to 2008 (h/t Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). “That’s what I do,” Misiorowski said. “I throw hard.”
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The Opener: Dodgers’ Bullpen, Mariners’ Rotation, Detmers
Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz extended his single-season on-base streak to 47 games with a third-inning single on Sunday. He’s now tied for second in franchise history. Kurtz can tie Mark McGwire for the A’s record tonight against the Mariners.
1. Dodgers relievers continue scoreless streak
The L.A. bullpen only had to cover two innings on Sunday with Yoshinobu Yamamoto tossing seven frames. Will Klein and Tanner Scott got the job done, combining for two perfect innings with four strikeouts. The Dodgers’ relievers have now delivered 38 consecutive scoreless innings, a franchise record in the modern era. It’s the longest leaguewide streak since Cleveland’s bullpen posted zeroes for 38 2/3 innings in 2017 (h/t Sarah Langs of MLB.com). The Dodgers’ bullpen has done it without star closer Edwin Diaz, who underwent elbow surgery in April.
2. Mariners swap piggyback roles on Monday
Mariners right-handers Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo tag-teamed in their last appearance. Miller covered the first 5 2/3 innings, then Castillo went 2 1/3 innings in relief. The starters got some help from relievers Jose A. Ferrer and Andres Munoz along the way. Seattle is flipping the order on Monday against the A’s. It’ll be Castillo making the start with Miller coming in relief, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. It’s an interesting choice considering Miller’s strong work this season. The righty has allowed just two earned runs over 11 frames since returning from an oblique injury. Castillo has an ERA well above 6.00.
3. Detmers dominates Rangers
Angels left-hander Reid Detmers racked up 14 strikeouts on Sunday against Texas. He allowed just one hit over eight innings, a solo homer by Jake Burger. It was a much-needed outing after Detmers was tagged for eight earned runs in his last start. The lefty’s return to the rotation has had some bumps, but he’s pitched better than his 4.57 ERA. Detmers has a 2.87 xERA. His xFIP and SIERA are below 3.50. He’s been unlucky with a 59.4% strand rate. That number is 69.1% for his career. If Detmers can emerge as a reliable rotation option, he’ll provide a nice 1-2 punch with Jose Soriano. He could also be an attractive trade piece.
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Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Dylan Cease Leave With Injuries
8:35PM: Guerrero told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and other reporters postgame that he felt some numbness in his arm after being hit, but he described his status as just day-to-day. Manager John Schneider didn’t rule out Guerrero being in the lineup as early as Monday’s game with the Marlins, depending on how the All-Star feels after a night’s rest. Cease will undergo an MRI but also suggested to Schneider that he might not miss his next start, as the skipper said “all the [early] testing and stuff seemed pretty positive.”
1:51PM: The fifth inning on Sunday against the Pirates was a double whammy for the Blue Jays. Dylan Cease departed in the top of the frame with a leg injury. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. took a Mitch Keller sinker to the elbow in the bottom of the inning and was immediately replaced.
The team announced left hamstring discomfort as the reason for Cease’s removal. Guerrero has been diagnosed with a right elbow contusion. The first baseman had X-rays taken, which came back negative for a fracture, per the club.
Toronto has been among the most injured squads in the league. Catcher Alejandro Kirk, outfielder Nathan Lukes, and infielder/outfielder Addison Barger are currently on the injured list. Outfielder Anthony Santander had shoulder surgery will miss most or all of the season. On the pitching side, Jose Berrios, Bowden Francis, and Cody Ponce are done for the year. Shane Bieber has yet to appear this season. Max Scherzer remains out.
Cease is well-known for his impressive durability. The right-hander has never been on the 15-day injured list since debuting with the White Sox in 2019, apart from a brief stint in early 2021 for COVID-19 reasons. Cease has made 32+ starts in every season since the shortened 2020 campaign.
Guerrero also has a clean injury history. He’s never been on the injured list in his eight years in the big leagues. Guerrero has topped 155 games and 675 plate appearances in five consecutive seasons. An absence for either Cease or Guerrero would be challenging for Toronto to navigate, but neither injury seems like a major issue.
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Nick Anderson Retires
Right-hander Nick Anderson has retired, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. The 35-year-old spent six seasons in the big leagues. He pitched for five teams, most recently appearing with the Rockies in 2025.
Anderson inked a minor league deal with the Athletics in November. He earned an invitation to Spring Training, where he pitched reasonably well, tossing 10 1/3 frames with a 4.35 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning. The veteran fell short of a big-league roster spot out of camp. He triggered an upward mobility clause in his deal, but no club stepped in to add him.
With no MLB roster spot waiting for him, Anderson headed to Triple-A Las Vegas. He pitched well with the Aviators. The righty posted a 2.16 ERA with a 16:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 15 appearances. It wasn’t enough for him to earn a call-up to the A’s.
The Twins signed Anderson as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He was already 24 years old when he got his first look in pro ball. Anderson pitched well in the minors with Minnesota, reaching Triple-A by 2018. He was dealt to Miami for third baseman Brian Schales that offseason. Anderson broke camp with the Marlins in 2019. He delivered a sub-4.00 ERA with a massive 37.1% strikeout rate over 45 appearances. Miami shipped Anderson and righty Trevor Richards to Tampa Bay at the trade deadline for outfielder Jesus Sanchez and righty Ryne Stanek.
Anderson put together the best stretch of his career with the Rays, though injuries limited him from emerging as a true shutdown reliever. He closed the 2019 season with a ridiculous 52.6% strikeout rate in 23 appearances with his new team. Anderson was just as good in the postseason, allowing one earned run over 5 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts. He continued his strong work in the shortened 2020 season, opening the year with 11 scoreless appearances. He missed time with forearm inflammation, but returned in time to pick up three saves and two holds in September.
The 2020 postseason marked a shift in Anderson’s career. He struggled mightily as the Rays marched to the World Series. The righty was scored upon in eight of 10 outings. Anderson blew leads in Game 4 and Game 7 of the Fall Classic. He was charged with the loss in the final game of the series.
Anderson threw just six innings from 2021 to 2022 as he dealt with a back injury, a torn UCL, and plantar fasciitis. He departed for the Braves in free agency ahead of the 2023 season. Anderson bounced around frequently after his tenure with the Rays. He spent time with eight different organizations over the past four years. Anderson posted decent seasons with the Braves and Royals, but was ineffective in a brief stint with the Rockies last year.
Anderson wraps up his time as a big leaguer with a 3.43 ERA over 173 innings. He recorded 10 saves. The righty was one of the league’s best bat-missing relievers for a couple of seasons. Despite tailing off in the past few years, he’ll conclude his career with a 30.2% strikeout rate. We at MLBTR wish Anderson the best in whatever comes next.
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