Max Meyer’s Approach Is Working
Marlins right-hander Max Meyer held the Cardinals to two earned runs across 5 1/3 innings on Monday. One of those tallies came around on a Calvin Faucher wild pitch, tying the game and ruining Meyer’s chance at a win, but it was another solid outing for the young starter. Meyer has allowed three earned runs or fewer in all five appearances. He’s flashed the best swing-and-miss stuff of his career.
The 27-year-old Meyer has been a slider-first pitcher as a big leaguer. It remains his most-used pitch in 2026, but he’s also ramped up his sweeper usage. Meyer is relying on his breaking balls more than half the time (52.3%). The arsenal tweak has led to throwing his four-seamer at a career-low 19.8% rate. It’s a worthwhile adjustment given the pitch’s performance. Meyer’s heater had a -7 Run Value in 2024, back when he was throwing it nearly as often as his slider. He cut the usage to 22.2% last season, but it still posted a -6 Run Value.
The strikeouts finally came against St. Louis. Meyer punched out eight Cardinals, with the sweeper doing most of the damage (five Ks). He came into the outing with an excellent 13.3% swinging-strike rate, but a middling 22.7% strikeout rate. Considering his most-used pitch has a whiff rate above 50%, a better-than-league-average strikeout rate should be expected. Meyer now ranks ninth among qualified starters with a 14.4% swinging-strike rate. Only two pitchers were above 15% in 2025 (Tarik Skubal, Dylan Cease).
The increased reliance on his breaking balls has pushed Meyer’s strikeout rate to a career-best 25.2%. He has a sub-4.00 ERA supported by a 3.77 xFIP and a 3.78 SIERA. Walks have been the main drawback. Meyer has issued free passes at a 9.9% clip, more than 2% above his career mark heading into the season. He walked two Cardinals on Monday, giving him multiple BBs in all but one outing. He also hit two Cardinals and uncorked a wild pitch.
Meyer hasn’t just made gains in the strikeout department. He’s also taken a step forward in terms of contact quality. The righty has a career-low 38.6% hard-hit rate. That number has never been below 44% in any of his three previous big-league seasons. Meyer has permitted an 8.6% barrel rate, which is still above league average but represents a major improvement on his 11.2% career mark.
Miami selected Meyer with the third overall pick in the 2020 draft. He was among the organization’s top prospects as recently as 2024. Injuries have kept him from consistently contributing with the big-league club. Meyer suffered an elbow sprain just two starts into his MLB tenure in 2022. He underwent Tommy John surgery and missed all of 2023. Meyer returned to the big leagues for 11 starts in 2024. A shoulder injury ended his season prematurely in September. Meyer broke camp with the team last season, but a hip injury cost him the final three months of the campaign.
A healthy and effective Meyer would be a big boost to a Marlins rotation that has more young firepower on the way. Top prospect Thomas White has a silly 45.0% strikeout rate through three Triple-A starts. Robby Snelling has been just as good, with a sub-2.00 ERA and 31 strikeouts over 19 innings at Jacksonville. It’s easy to forget Eury Perez is still only 23 years old. Miami has the makings of an imposing rotation, regardless of whether they trade ace Sandy Alcantara.
Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images
The Opener: Mets, Counsell, MLBTR Chat
Here are a couple of items to monitor on Tuesday, plus a link to submit questions for a live chat with MLBTR’s Steve Adams.
1. Mets’ losing streak
The last time the Mets won a game, the Artemis II crew was still in space. New York has dropped 11 straight after a sweep against the Cubs over the weekend. The club is back home tonight to face the Twins for a three-game set. Nolan McLean will get the ball with a chance to stop the skid. The Mets’ return to New York means we’re officially on Juan Soto watch. Manager Carlos Mendoza said the star outfielder would come back from his calf injury during the homestand.
2. Counsell bristles at Ohtani Rule
With pitching injuries mounting in Chicago, Cubs manager Craig Counsell shared his take on the two-way player rule, which allows teams to carry a pitcher who doesn’t count against the team’s total. “I’ve never understood it,” Counsell told reporters, including Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. “It’s an offensive rule, essentially. It’s a rule to help offense, more than anything, if you ask me. And then there’s one team that’s allowed to carry basically one of both, and he gets special consideration, which is probably the most bizarre rule. For one team.”
Players meet the two-way designation by pitching 20 innings and playing 20 games as the DH or in the field, with three plate appearances needed for those games to count. The requirements can be met in the current season or either of the two previous seasons. Teams are limited to 13 pitchers on the 26-man roster before September.
3. MLBTR chat today:
Our guy Steve Adams will be around at 1 pm CT today to discuss everything going on around the league in a live chat. If you have something to ask him, use this link to submit questions. Follow the chat using the same link, which will also provide a transcript of the conversation once it’s over in case you missed it.
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The Opener: Ohtani, Miller, Waldichuk
Here are a few items to track to begin the week…
1. Ohtani’s 51-game on-base streak
An RBI double in the third inning of Sunday’s game against the Rockies pushed Shohei Ohtani‘s on-base streak to 51 games. He now sits alone in third place in Dodgers’ history (since 1900). Shawn Green is next on the list at 53 games. Ohtani will need another week of reaching base safely to catch Duke Snider, who compiled a 58-game on-base streak in 1954. The Dodgers face left-hander Jose Quintana in the final game of the series tonight. Left-on-left matchups have been no issue for Ohtani. He has a .998 OPS in 27 plate appearances against southpaws this season.
2. Miller nearing Padres’ record
Flamethrower Mason Miller locked down his eighth save on Sunday against the Angels. The right-hander retired the side in order, pushing his scoreless innings streak to 32 2/3 innings. Miller is now one clean frame away from Cla Meredith‘s franchise record. He’s permitted just two hits and two walks this season. Of the 34 outs Miller has recorded, 27 have come via strikeout. Miller was last scored upon on August 5. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. turned around a 103 mph fastball for a game-tying two-run homer in the eighth inning. Miller was saddled with a blown save, but the Padres ultimately won in 11 innings. San Diego opens a three-game set against Colorado on Tuesday.
3. Waldichuk visiting specialist
Left-hander Ken Waldichuk is getting a second opinion on his injured forearm today, reports Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. The initial recommendation for the lefty was Tommy John surgery. Waldichuk missed the 2024 season while recovering from TJ and did not reach the majors last year. He made his long-awaited big-league return in Washington’s second game of the season. Ian Happ rudely welcomed him back with a three-run homer on his first pitch. Waldichuk left an April 12 matchup against the Brewers in the middle of a Brice Turang at-bat. He hit the 15-day IL shortly after, and soon moved to the 60-day IL.
Photo courtesy of Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images
Orioles Outright Jayvien Sandridge
Orioles left-hander Jayvien Sandridge has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A, the club announced. Sandridge was bumped off the 40-man to clear space for catcher Sam Huff, who had his contract selected earlier this week.
The 27-year-old Sandridge bounced around this offseason. The Yankees designated him for assignment in January. He was traded to the Angels for cash. Sandridge then went through the same process in March, getting DFAed by the Angels and traded to the Orioles, again for cash. No club took a shot on Sandridge this time through the waiver process.
The move to Baltimore was a homecoming for Sandridge. He was drafted by the organization in the 32nd round of the 2018 draft. The lefty only spent two seasons in the Orioles’ system. Sandridge had stints in various levels of the minors with the Reds and Padres before coming to the Yankees. He made his big-league debut for New York last year during the Subway Series. The Mets’ Pete Alonso welcomed Sandridge to the majors with a three-run home run. He was charged with two runs and recorded two outs in his lone appearance.
Sandridge’s MLB outing was a decent representation of his minor league career. He struck out a pair, but also walked two and hit a batter against the Mets. Sandridge has shown solid swing-and-miss stuff in the minors, including a 32.7% strikeout rate across three levels last season. He’s punched out nearly 13 batters per nine innings in three Triple-A campaigns. The problem has been the walks. Sandridge’s 11.5% walk rate in 2025 was the best mark of his career. He’d been above 17% in each of the three previous seasons.
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Royals Recall Mason Black
Right-hander Mason Black is set for his Royals debut on Sunday. He’ll be joined by catcher Elias Diaz, who had his contract selected by the club. Right-hander Mitch Spence and infielder Tyler Tolbert were optioned to make room for Black and Diaz, the team announced. Right-hander James McArthur was moved to the 60-day IL to clear a 40-man spot for Diaz.
Kansas City acquired Black from the Giants for right-hander Logan Martin in November. Black had some fanfare when he first came up with San Francisco in 2024, but he failed to provide consistent results. The righty finished his Giants tenure with a 6.47 ERA in 10 games over the past two seasons.
The 26-year-old Black was almost exclusively used as a starter in San Francisco, but he’s moved to a relief role with Kansas City. He has a 3.86 ERA over seven appearances at Triple-A this year. Black locked down the first two saves of his professional career with Omaha. Despite the full-time move to the bullpen, Black has just a 12.5% strikeout rate so far. Often, those numbers improve when starters make the change to relief work, as their stuff usually plays up in shorter outings.
Spence joined the organization in February following a trade from the Athletics. He didn’t break camp with the team, but came up in early April when right-hander Luinder Avila was sent down. Spence was tagged for six earned runs across four innings in mop-up duty against the Yankees on Saturday. He’ll head back to Triple-A after just the one big-league appearance.
Tolbert made the team out of camp, beating out Drew Waters for a roster spot. Michael Massey‘s calf strain in MLB Spring Training helped Tolbert and Nick Loftin earn roster spots. Loftin was sent down when Massey returned. Now, it’s Tolbert’s turn. He appeared in eight games with the Royals, with the majority of his work coming as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. Tolbert managed a hit in five plate appearances.
McArthur missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing elbow surgery. He opened the 2026 campaign on the 15-day IL due to elbow inflammation. His return timeline is uncertain. The righty was a key member of Kansas City’s late-inning group when he last pitched, recording 18 saves in 2024.
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Yankees Trade Braden Shewmake To Astros
The Yankees have traded infielder Braden Shewmake to the Astros. Minor league right-hander Wilmy Sanchez is heading to New York in the deal. Both teams have announced the swap.
The Astros have also placed Joey Loperfido on the IL. The move was expected after the outfielder left Friday’s game with a quad injury. Right-hander Jayden Murray was recalled to take Loperfido’s spot. The Astros had been rolling with 12 pitchers, but will now be back to a more traditional 13-man staff.
Shewmake could provide some infield depth to a Houston squad missing multiple shortstops. Jeremy Pena is on the IL with a hamstring injury. Nick Allen left with back spasms on Friday. He’s yet to return to the lineup. Shewmake would be an option to get called up if Allen is forced to the IL.
The Astros are Shewmake’s fourth organization since the start of 2025. After getting designated for assignment by the White Sox, he was claimed by the Royals. Kansas City DFAed him shortly after, and he was scooped up by the Yankees. Shewmake posted an 82 wRC+ in 72 games with New York’s Triple-A affiliate last season. He hit .250 with a couple of doubles and a stolen base in 10 games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year.
Sanchez came to Houston as an international free agent in 2022. He steadily worked his way up the system, with generally solid results at each stop. After splitting time as a starter and reliever to begin his pro career, Sanchez transitioned to the bullpen full-time in 2024. He notched a 3.50 ERA across 54 innings between Single-A and High-A. Sanchez pushed his strikeout rate up to 33.9% in his first year as strictly a reliever.
The 2025 campaign was a rough one for Sanchez. He made the jump to Double-A and stumbled to a 6.05 ERA in 46 appearances. After working around some control issues at previous levels, Sanchez’s walk rate spiked to a career-worst 17.5% with Corpus Christi. He’s trimmed that number back to 14.8% through five Double-A outings this year. The results have improved, as Sanchez has allowed just one run over seven innings.
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Pirates Recall Wilber Dotel For MLB Debut
Right-hander Wilber Dotel will join the Pirates on Sunday, the club announced. Fellow righty Cam Sanders was optioned back to Triple-A. Dotel is among the top pitching prospects in the organization yet to appear in the big leagues. He’s already on the 40-man roster, so an additional move was not required.
The 23-year-old Dotel was off to a rocky start in Indianapolis. He was knocked around for eight earned runs in his first two outings. The righty tossed 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball in his most recent appearance, which came last Sunday. Dotel will initially pitch out of the bullpen, per Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pirates’ relievers had to cover nine innings in a wild 13-inning loss to the Rays on Saturday.
MLB Pipeline ranks Dotel as the No. 12 prospect in the organization. He’s behind Seth Hernandez (No. 2), Hunter Barco (No. 4), and Antwone Kelly (No. 8). Barco has already had multiple stints with the big-league club. The 19-year-old Hernandez was the club’s top pick in last year’s draft. Kelly began the year with Dotel in Triple-A, but he’s scuffled to a 9.75 ERA.
Pittsburgh signed Dotel out of the Dominican Republic in 2020. He’s generally delivered solid results from a run prevention perspective, but control has been an issue. Dotel had a walk rate above 11% at every minor league stop heading into 2025. He was able to trim the free passes to an 8.0% rate in 27 starts at Double-A last season. The righty also boosted his strikeout rate to 24.5%, his best mark since 2022 in the Complex league.
Dotel hasn’t made a relief appearance for a couple of seasons. Pittsburgh has a sturdy top four in the rotation with Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler, and Braxton Ashcraft. Carmen Mlodzinski was used as a traditional starter in his first three appearances before coming in behind an opener in his last outing. He’s been effective this season, holding down the fifth spot in the rotation while Jared Jones works his way back from elbow surgery. Dotel doesn’t have a clear route to a starting gig at the moment.
Photo courtesy of Thomas Bender of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, via Imagn Images
Nationals To Recall Andrew Alvarez
Left-hander Andrew Alvarez is heading back to the big leagues, first reported by Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. The 26-year-old pitched well in his first opportunity with the Nationals last season. Alvarez is taking the roster spot of right-hander Paxton Schultz, who was sent down on Saturday, the team announced.
The new management in Washington has made a habit of shuffling arms in the bullpen. Once Alvarez gets into the game, he’ll be the fifth reliever to make an appearance who wasn’t on the Opening Day roster. Schultz was coming off one of his most effective outings of the season. The righty tossed three innings of one-run ball in relief of a struggling Zack Littell on Friday. A season-high 48 pitches likely sealed Schultz’s fate.
Alvarez was first promoted in September of last season. He fired five scoreless innings against the Marlins to earn a win in his debut. It was the first of three scoreless outings for Alvarez, who finished with a 2.31 ERA across five starts. The lefty allowed just two earned runs over nine innings in MLB Spring Training, but opened the year at Triple-A. Alvarez has a 4.66 ERA through four games with Rochester.
While the strikeout and walk numbers were underwhelming, Alvarez got ground balls at an excellent 58.2% clip in his 23 1/3 innings with the Nats. He flashed a five-pitch mix, but relied primarily on a low-90s fastball and two breaking balls.
Alvarez last pitched on Tuesday, so he’s on regular rest today. That’s a notable scheduling note considering it’ll be Miles Mikolas handling the bulk of the innings for the Nats. The former Cardinal has been pounded for 20 earned runs in 15 2/3 innings. Washington has taken steps to adjust Mikolas’ workload. In his most recent outing, PJ Poulin opened the game. In the start before that, he tag-teamed with Brad Lord, with both pitchers covering three innings. Mark Zuckerman of Nats Journal reports that Poulin will open again today against the Giants.
Mikolas is on a cheap one-year, $2.25MM deal. It’s not out of the question that his rotation spot could devolve into an open competition. Mitchell Parker is already back on the big league roster after beginning the season at Triple-A. He made 30 starts with the club in 2025. Lord made 19 starts in a swingman role last year. Alvarez has been used exclusively as a starter for the past few seasons.
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Astros Notes: Harris, Loperfido, Allen, Sousa
Outfielder Dustin Harris is expected to be with the Astros “soon,” manager Joe Espada told reporters, including Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Harris was nabbed off waivers from the White Sox on Saturday. The 26-year-old appeared in six games with Chicago.
Harris was off to a decent start in a part-time role. He got on base at a hefty .438 clip and chipped in two steals to open the season. The 26-year-old was called up when Austin Hays went to the IL in early April. Harris was squeezed off the roster after the White Sox called up infield prospect Sam Antonacci.
The lefty-swinging Harris was drafted by the Athletics but has spent most of his professional career with the Rangers. The outfielder debuted with the club in 2023. He totaled 50 plate appearances between the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Harris hasn’t had an extended chance to flash the power/speed combo he showed in the minors. He put together a 20/25 season between Single-A and High-A in 2021. Harris has swiped 30+ bags in the minors in each of the past three years.
Harris would seem to be a replacement for Joey Loperfido. The outfielder is expected to land on the IL, per Espada, as relayed by Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Loperfido was removed with a quad injury in the sixth inning of Friday’s loss to the Cardinals.
Houston acquired Loperfido from the Blue Jays straight up for Jesus Sanchez in mid-February. He broke camp with the club and has appeared in all but two games so far. Loperfido has spent time at all three outfield spots, with the majority of his work coming in left field. He’s slashing .259/.333/.345 across 66 plate appearances.
Shortstop Nick Allen was also knocked out of that game against St. Louis. Isaac Paredes replaced him due to back spasms (h/t McTaggart). Paredes himself was then removed from the contest with a leg injury. Shay Whitcomb replaced him in the infield. Whitcomb started at third base on Saturday, with Paredes returning to the lineup at DH. Allen was not in the starting nine.
Allen joined the organization following a trade from the Braves in November. The glove-first veteran had made five starts since shortstop Jeremy Pena went down with a hamstring injury last weekend. Allen’s absence would lead to more time at shortstop for Carlos Correa, with Paredes slotting in at third. The Astros are already rolling with that configuration on a semi-regular basis. Paredes has also picked up starts at first and second base.
On the pitching side, left-hander Bennett Sousa is nearing a return. The reliever’s last obstacle in the minors is pitching on consecutive days, which he’s in line to do next week, per Kawahara. Sousa went down with an oblique strain near the end of MLB Spring Training.
After brief stints with the club in 2023 and 2024, Sousa emerged as a key member of the bullpen last season. He delivered a 2.84 ERA across a career-high 50 appearances. The lefty secured seven holds and four saves. Houston entered the 2026 campaign with Bryan King and Steven Okert as the left-handers in the bullpen. Once healthy, Sousa will give them another option from the left side, as will the eventual return of Josh Hader.
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Bryce Miller To Make Rehab Start
Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller will head out on a rehab assignment this weekend. The 27-year-old is working his way back from an oblique injury. He’ll start for Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday, general manager Justin Hollander told reporters, including Daniel Kramer of MLB.com.
Miller fell behind the other starters during the spring after experiencing tightness in his side. The issue ultimately landed him on the injured list to open the season. The righty is coming off an injury-plagued 2025 campaign. He went down with elbow inflammation midway through May. Miller initially returned from the injury at the end of May. He was hammered for eight earned runs over nine innings and went back on the IL with the same injury.
The elbow injury didn’t stop Miller from contributing in the postseason. Despite an ineffective eight starts to close the regular season, he delivered three strong outings in the playoffs. Miller held the Tigers to two earned runs in his lone ALDS appearance, then notched a pair of one-run outings against the Blue Jays in the ALCS. He earned the win in Game 1 of the series with a quality start against Toronto.
Miller is expected to need the full 30 days allotted for the rehab assignment, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. The plan is for him to throw two innings or 30 pitches with the Rainiers tomorrow. Now that Miller has a definitive timeline, questions will arise about who he’ll replace in the starting rotation. Right-hander Emerson Hancock slotted into Miller’s spot to open the season. He’s been phenomenal, posting a 2.28 ERA with a 25:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
“If we get a month from now, and that’s what happens, we’ll figure it out,” Hollander said when asked about potentially having six pitchers for five rotation spots. “We haven’t made any decisions on that whatsoever.”
Hancock has had shots in the past, as the Mariners have dealt with injuries to Miller, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert. It’s never gone nearly this well. The 26-year-old had an ERA in the mid to high-4.00s in each of his first three big-league seasons. His “best” strikeout rate heading into this year was his 16.6% mark in 2025. That number sits at 29.4% through four starts this season. Hancock has made significant arsenal changes, prioritizing his four-seamer over his sinker and throwing his sweeper 27.4% of the time, up from 3.2% in 2025. His Stuff+ is up to 107. He’d topped out at a 91 Stuff+ in his three previous seasons.
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