The Opener News & Rumors

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz drew a walk against right-hander Michael Wacha in the fourth inning of Wednesday’s game. The free pass pushed his streak to 18 games with a walk. Kurtz is now tied with Barry Bonds for the third-longest run since 1900 (h/t Martin Gallegos of MLB.com). Ted Williams is next on the list at 19 games.

1. Dominguez leaves after HBP

Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez was knocked out of Wednesday’s contest after taking a Nathan Eovaldi cutter to the elbow. He was replaced by Max Schuemann in left field. Dominguez underwent initial X-rays and is now headed back to New York for more imaging, per Erik Boland of Newsday Sports. It’s a tough blow for the former top prospect, who has struggled to gain his footing as a big leaguer. The returns of Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham this offseason helped push Dominguez off the Opening Day roster. An injury to Giancarlo Stanton afforded him another opportunity with the big-league squad. He was recalled on Monday and started all three games against Texas. Dominguez went 1-for-9 before the elbow injury.

2. Dobbins activation Thursday

Cardinals right-hander Hunter Dobbins is expected to be activated for a start today. The 26-year-old is making his way back from a torn ACL and has been on the 15-day IL all year so far. Dobbins came over from the Red Sox in the Willson Contreras trade, along with prospects Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita. He was solid in his first taste of the majors with Boston, delivering a 4.13 ERA across 13 appearances (11 starts). St. Louis moved several veteran players in the offseason, bringing back a slew of prospects. Dobbins will be the first of the group to debut with the club. The Cardinals have been more competitive than expected this year, but finding out what they have in the players acquired last winter will be a key storyline to watch as the season unfolds.

3. Palencia could return without rehab

The Cubs’ banged-up bullpen could get back a key piece on Friday. Closer Daniel Palencia has a chance to return for the series against the Diamondbacks, reports Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. The righty has been sidelined with what was initially labeled an oblique injury, then was updated to a lat strain. Chicago is also missing Hunter Harvey, Caleb Thielbar, Ethan Roberts, and Riley Martin. Porter Hodge is done for the year. Phil Maton returned this week after missing time with a knee injury. Manager Craig Counsell has mixed and matched in the ‘pen with Palencia out. It was lefty Hoby Milner who recorded the final out on Wednesday against the Padres. He’s the fifth different Cubs reliever to pick up a save this season.

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Imagn Images

Rays third baseman Junior Caminero seems to have avoided serious injury after fouling a ball off his face on Tuesday. He reached for a Tanner Bibee breaking ball and nicked it, sending it straight down. The ball careened off the plate and struck Caminero in the jaw (h/t Talkin’ Baseball for the video). He was able to finish the at-bat, but was removed on defense.

1. Pitcher-only Ohtani deals again

For the second time this season, Shohei Ohtani did not hit in a game he pitched. The right-hander fired six innings of one-run ball against the Marlins. After reaching six innings just four times last year (including the playoffs), Ohtani has completed six frames in all five starts so far. The outing against Miami actually raised his ERA from 0.38 to 0.60. Ohtani was pitching on regular rest for the first time this season, which was part of the reason he wasn’t in the hitting lineup. “I’m always going to respect the decision regardless whether I’m pitching or doing both,” Ohtani told reporters through an interpreter (h/t Alden Gonzalez of ESPN). “I also understand the importance of getting to the end of the season with everybody healthy.”

2. Yankees pitching prospect to make debut

Right-hander Elmer Rodriguez is expected to be promoted for his MLB debut against the Rangers on Wednesday. The 22-year-old is among the top pitching prospects in New York’s system. Rodriguez came over from the Red Sox in the Carlos Narvaez trade. Boston has already reaped the rewards of the deal, with Narvaez developing into a viable everyday backstop. Now it’s the Yankees’ turn to find out how they fared in the trade. Rodriguez climbed from High-A all the way to Triple-A in 2025. He’s delivered a 1.27 ERA across four starts with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season.

3. Mattingly off to 1-0 start

The Phillies cruised to a shutout win over the Giants behind seven strong innings from Jesus Luzardo. It’s the first victory for interim manager Don Mattingly, who took over after Rob Thomson was fired on Tuesday. Mattingly is now 10 wins shy of reaching 900 victories as a big-league manager. He led the Dodgers to five straight winning seasons from 2011 to 2015. Los Angeles won three consecutive division titles in that stretch, but postseason success eluded the club. Mattingly’s run with the Marlins wasn’t as successful. Miami finished above .500 just once during his seven seasons in charge, and that was the shortened 2020 campaign. Mattingly will be tasked with turning around a Philadelphia squad that is currently tied with the Mets for the worst record in baseball.

Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images

The Dodgers walked off the Marlins on Monday night. Manager Dave Roberts emptied his bench to spur the comeback. Catcher Dalton Rushing pinch-hit for Santiago Espinal, walking and scoring the game-tying run. If the game didn’t end on a base hit by Kyle Tucker, the defensive alignment would’ve been interesting in extras. Roberts confirmed to reporters (including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic) that it would’ve been Rushing at first base, Max Muncy at second base, and Freddie Freeman at third base.

1. Bazzana gets the call

The Guardians are expected to promote second baseman Travis Bazzana for Tuesday’s matchup against the Rays. The top overall pick in the 2024 draft was off to an excellent start at Triple-A, posting a 152 wRC+ across 117 plate appearances. MLB Pipeline ranks Bazzana as the No. 1 prospect in the Cleveland organization and No. 16 overall. The infielder is slated for everyday reps at the keystone, where the club has struggled to find consistent production. Utilityman Daniel Schneemann has hit well in minimal time at the position, but Juan Brito has struggled to a .176/.250/.255. Brayan Rocchio wasn’t much better, though he’s heated up since moving to shortstop after the Gabriel Arias injury. Bazzana should have plenty of runway to stake his claim to the second base gig.

2. Yesavage makes his return

Blue Jays right-hander Trey Yesavage is slated to make his season debut against the Red Sox. The 2025 postseason star has been sidelined with a shoulder impingement. Yesavage hasn’t exactly dominated during his rehab assignment, posting a 7.50 ERA in 12 innings between Single-A and Triple-A, but the punchouts have been there (28.6% strikeout rate). Yesavage will rejoin a Toronto rotation desperate for healthy arms. The club just lost Max Scherzer to forearm and ankle injuries. He joins Jose Berrios, Shane Bieber, and Cody Ponce on the IL. Yesavage maxed out at 71 pitches during his rehab stint, so he shouldn’t be expected to go more than five innings in his return. He’ll face off against another exciting young AL East arm, with Payton Tolle on the other side.

3. Vargas on improbable run

Diamondbacks utility player Ildemaro Vargas has gone from versatile journeyman to one of the best hitters in the league this season. The 34-year-old just launched four home runs and knocked in 12 en route to NL Player of the Week honors. Vargas is slashing an absurd .367/.383/.722 through 82 plate appearances. He’s riding a 20-game hit streak. Vargas has already matched his career high with six home runs, a mark he set back in 2019 in his first stint with Arizona. It’s hard to imagine Vargas continuing this torrid stretch, but the underlying stats largely back it up. He ranks in the 99th percentile for xBA and in the 89th percentile for xSLG.

Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images

What a finish to the Mexico City series. The Padres went into the seventh inning up 7-2 on Sunday. The Diamondbacks took the lead with a six-run rally, fueled by a Tim Tawa grand slam, then tacked on four more in the eighth inning. The Diamondbacks are off Monday as they head back to the U.S. but the Padres host the Cubs in San Diego tonight.

1. Torkelson ties Detroit record

First baseman Spencer Torkelson extended the Tigers’ lead in the seventh inning on Sunday with a solo shot off righty Pierce Johnson. The blast bumped his home run streak to five games, tying him with Hank Greenberg, Rudy York, Vic Wertz, Willie Horton, and Marcus Thames for the franchise record. The most surprising part of the run might be Torkelson’s slow start coming into it. He had a .566 OPS with zero home runs before going deep on Wednesday against Chad Patrick and the Brewers. Torkelson now has an .836 OPS, a good reminder of how quickly numbers can flip this early in the year.

2. Tracy earns first MLB win

Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy is on the board as a big league manager. Boston beat the Orioles 5-3 behind a strong outing from young left-hander Connelly Early. It’s the 500th managerial win of Tracy’s career, with the first 499 coming at various stops in the minor leagues. Tracy took over for former skipper Alex Cora, who was unexpectedly fired on Saturday, along with several other coaches. The Red Sox were off to a 10-17 start under Cora. Boston now heads to Toronto for a three-game set.

3. Miller extends scoreless streak

Closer Mason Miller retired the side in order against the Diamondbacks on Saturday. The uneventful save gave him 10 on the year, three more than any other reliever. It also pushed his scoreless streak to a franchise-record 34 2/3 innings. “Big load off, for sure — I think we can stop talking about it now,” Miller told reporters, including AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. “Just keep pitching, see how long we can go.” The righty is up to eighth on the all-time list for scoreless inning streaks by relievers since 1961.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Doster, Imagn Images

Right-hander Mason Miller pushed his scoreless innings streak to 33 2/3 on Thursday against the Rockies. He’s now tied with Cla Meredith for the franchise record. Miller will have a tough task this weekend in hitter-friendly Mexico City.

1. Phillies’ losing streak

The NL East is dealing with another winless run. First, it was the Mets, who lost a dozen in a row. Now, it’s the Phillies. The club has dropped nine straight after an extra-innings loss on Thursday against the Cubs. Chicago started the streak with a pair of wins in Philadelphia, then swept the team across four games at Wrigley Field this week. The Phillies started the season with a 6-4 record. They’ve gone 2-13 over the past 15 games. Philadelphia now takes on first-place Atlanta.

2. Mexico City matchup

Our first MLB World Tour series of the season will be this weekend. The Diamondbacks and Padres will face off for a two-game set at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú in Mexico City. With the stadium sitting well above sea level, offenses have seen a boost in past series at the venue. The Padres and Giants combined for 37 runs over two games in 2023. The Astros and Rockies put up 26 runs across a pair of matchups in 2024. German Marquez and Zac Gallen will square off on Saturday.

3. Phillips to retire as a Red

Second baseman Brandon Phillips will sign a one-day contract with Cincinnati today, the team announced. The three-time All-Star last played with the Red Sox in 2018. He’ll ink a ceremonial deal with the Reds to officially retire with the club. Phillips spent 11 of his 17 MLB seasons in Cincinnati. He was a steady contributor for a squad that was regularly in the postseason during the early 2010s. Phillips provided both power and speed at the top of Cincinnati’s lineup, delivering three consecutive 20/20 campaigns from 2007 to 2009. The first year in that run saw Phillips set career highs with 30 home runs and 32 steals. He finished his career with 211 home runs and 209 steals across 1,902 games.

Photo courtesy of Bill Streicher, Imagn Images

The Mets are on the board. Now, it’s the Phillies’ turn. The club will look to end an eight-game slide in Chicago this afternoon.

1. Murakami’s home run streak

First baseman Munetaka Murakami took Ryan Thompson deep in the seventh inning of Wednesday’s contest. He’s now homered in five consecutive games, which puts him in impressive historical company (h/t Scott Merkin of MLB.com). Murakami’s homer streak ties him with Shohei Ohtani for the longest by a Japanese-born player. The five-game run matches the White Sox franchise record, set by several players. It also ties the MLB rookie record, which has been done 13 times. Colson Montgomery has also homered in four straight games, which is a record for a pair of teammates. The slugging infielders will look to keep it going against Michael Soroka on Thursday.

2. Ritchie getting the call

The Braves are promoting top prospect JR Ritchie for his MLB debut against the Nationals today. The right-hander was off to an excellent start in Triple-A, posting a 0.99 ERA across five appearances. Ritchie is taking the spot of fellow intriguing rookie Didier Fuentes, who allowed four earned runs over three innings on Wednesday, but did rack up seven strikeouts. Ritchie and Fuentes are likely to be up and down with the big-league club frequently as the organization tries to buy time for its injured starters to return.

3. Soriano’s historic start

Right-hander Jose Soriano navigated around seven hits to deliver five scoreless innings against the Blue Jays on Wednesday. The outing trimmed his ERA to 0.28. It’s the lowest mark through six starts since earned runs became an official stat in 1913, per MLB. Soriano has allowed one earned run all season, and it came in one of his most dominant outings. Drake Baldwin tagged him for a solo home run in the first inning of an April 6 start, but Soriano settled in for eight strong frames to beat Chris Sale and the Braves. He’s ripped off 24 2/3 scoreless innings since the Baldwin blast. Soriano is lined up to face the White Sox in his next start.

Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images

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.

Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images