The Opener News & Rumors

Braves left-hander Chris Sale allowed a pair of runs over five innings to earn a win over the Red Sox on Thursday. He’s defeated Boston in all three starts since getting traded before the 2024 season. Sale has a 1.50 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 18 innings against his former club.

1. Jones makes his return

Pirates right-hander Jared Jones is expected to make his season debut on Friday against the Twins. The hard-throwing righty is making his way back from UCL surgery. He missed the entire 2025 season. Jones pitched well as a rookie in 2024, delivering a sub-4.00 SIERA with more than a strikeout per inning across 22 starts. The recent top prospect was forming a strong 1-2 punch with Paul Skenes before going down with the elbow issue. Jones has excelled in five rehab starts, racking up 24 strikeouts over 18 2/3 innings with a 2.89 ERA. He’ll likely replace Carmen Mlodzinski in the rotation.

2. Martinez chasing ERA crown

Rays right-hander Nick Martinez faces the Angels tonight with a chance to move into the top spot on the ERA leaderboard. He’s been stuck behind Cam Schlittler, who tossed six innings of one-run ball last time out to keep his mark at 1.50. Martinez quieted Schlitter’s Yankees in his last outing, working around nine hits to post a quality start. He has an ERA of 1.51 through 10 appearances. Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez overtook both Martinez and Schlittler on Wednesday with yet another scoreless start. A 4.25 xERA and a 4.49 SIERA suggest Martinez’s run won’t last, though he draws an Angels offense that ranks 28th in wRC+ against righties in May.

3. Bello behind an opener

Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello will operate as a bulk reliever on Friday. Lefty Tyler Samaniego will draw the start and cover an inning or two. It’ll be Bello’s fourth appearance out of the bullpen. His results have been wildly different as a traditional starter compared to a bulk reliever this year. The righty has a 9.68 ERA in 30 2/3 innings as a starter. Coming out of the bullpen, he’s put up a 0.98 ERA over 18 1/3 frames. With Samaniego on the mound in the first inning, Bello will duck lefties Travis Bazzana and Chase DeLauter the first time through the order. He’ll also avoid switch-hitter Jose Ramirez.

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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

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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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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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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Veteran infielder Chris Taylor is not retiring. The 35-year-old has reversed course, instead going on the minor league injured list with a fractured forearm. Taylor split last season between the Dodgers and Angels. He re-upped with the Angels on a minor league deal this year.

1. Melton nearing return

Tigers right-hander Troy Melton could be activated today against the Orioles. The 25-year-old opened the season on the IL with an elbow injury. Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reported earlier this week that Melton would be in the mix for Sunday’s game. Detroit has a doubleheader today after Saturday’s matchup in Baltimore was rained out. Evan Woodbery of MLive.com pointed out that right-hander Keider Montero has been bumped to Tuesday, which would suggest an alternative option starting today (like Melton). Melton has a 1.54 ERA over four minor league outings. He emerged as an important swingman during last year’s postseason run.

2. Kurtz matches Henderson

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz singled in the first inning on Saturday against the Padres. The base hit pushed his on-base streak to 46 games, tying him with Rickey Henderson for the third-longest single-season run in franchise history. Jimmie Foxx is next on the list at 47 games. Mark McGwire sits atop the franchise leaderboard with a 48-game on-base streak in 1996. After a slow start to the season, Kurtz has put together a tremendous six-week stretch. He’s up to 6th in the league among qualified hitters in wRC+. Kurtz’s .444 OBP is 25 points ahead of the next-closest player.

3. Corbin outduels Skenes

Blue Jays lefty Patrick Corbin delivered six innings of one-run ball against the Pirates on Saturday, earning the win. It was the veteran’s first time completing six innings since August 2025. He struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter. Corbin comfortably outpitched Paul Skenes, who allowed four earned runs over five innings. Skenes has allowed nine earned runs over his past two starts, after he opened May with two scoreless eight-inning outings. George Springer launched a leadoff home run to open the scoring. Toronto chased Skenes in the sixth inning with four consecutive hits. He finished with just two strikeouts, his worst mark since the fateful Opening Day start against the Mets.

Photo courtesy of  Junfu Han of USA Today, via Imagn Images

The Cardinals went from “tarps off” to tarps on the field Friday, as the NL Central matchup between the Cards and Reds in Cincinnati was postponed due to rain.  The two clubs will make it up as part of a split doubleheader today, with games at 12:10pm CT and 6:15pm CT.

1. Henderson shines again

This may be small consolation given how the Dodgers swept the Brewers in the NLCS last season, but Milwaukee has now won each of its last nine regular-season games against Los Angeles following Friday’s 5-1 victory.  Logan Henderson earned the win after tossing five shutout innings, and might’ve gone longer if it wasn’t for a minor back problem that the right-hander told reporters (including Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) wasn’t an issue going forward.  Henderson’s performance made some history, as he is now the first pitcher in modern baseball history to allow two or fewer earned runs in each of his first 10 career starts.  The series between the NL West leaders and the NL Central leaders continues today in Milwaukee when Roki Sasaki takes the hill against Robert Gasser.

2. Williams tops Sanchez in pitching duel

Kyle Manzardo hit a ninth-inning home run off Jhoan Duran for the only run of the Guardians’ 1-0 win over the Phillies on Friday.  The game saw both starters dominate over eight innings of shutout ball, with Gavin Williams earning the win by striking out 11 batters and allowing only four hits during his gem of an outing.  Cristopher Sanchez gave up only four hits and two walks during his eight frames of work, extending the star southpaw’s scoreless innings streak to 37 2/3 frames — well within reach of Grover Cleveland Alexander‘s Phillies record of a 41-innings streak.  The red-hot Guards will try to extend their winning streak to eight games when Slade Cecconi faces Zack Wheeler today in Philadelphia.

3. Rays extend their AL East lead

Gerrit Cole looked very sharp in his return from Tommy John surgery, shutting out the Rays over six innings Friday and leaving the game with a 1-0 lead.  Tampa Bay then erupted for four runs in the top of the eighth to emerge with a 4-2 victory in Yankee Stadium, and between the Rays’ five-game win streak and the Yankees’ three-game losing streak, the Rays now hold a 5.5-game lead over New York in the division race.  The weekend series will be put on hold, however, as today’s game as already been postponed (until September 22) due to inclement weather.

The league’s two highest-scoring offenses will face off this weekend. It’ll be the Braves taking on the … Nationals? Washington surprisingly paces the league in runs so far. MLBTR’s Leo Morgenstern dove into the Nats’ offense in this piece.

1. Cole, Caballero rejoining Yankees

Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole will make his long-awaited return tonight against the Rays. The six-time All-Star missed all of 2025 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. Cole cruised through 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball in his final rehab outing, striking out six. New York will also get infielder Jose Caballero back in the mix. The versatile veteran will return after a minimum stint on the injured list with a fractured finger. Outfield prospect Spencer Jones will head back to the minors to clear room for Caballero. Jones went 4-for-24 with 12 strikeouts in his first taste of the majors.

2. Valdez gets the call 

Pirates prospect Esmerlyn Valdez is expected to be promoted for a series against the Blue Jays. He’ll take the spot of outfielder Billy Cook. Valdez is a consensus top 10 prospect in the organization. The 22-year-old has shown solid power in the minor leagues, including 26 home runs across two levels in 2025. Valdez has already popped 10 homers in 46 games at Triple-A this year. Perhaps more importantly, he’s trimmed his strikeout rate to a reasonable 21.1%. Valdez has mostly played the corner outfield spots with Indianapolis this season. He also has experience at first base. Valdez will be an option at both first and right field with Pittsburgh with Ryan O’Hearn sidelined.

3. Red-hot Guardians sweep sputtering Tigers

Cleveland beat Detroit on Thursday afternoon behind a strong outing from lefty Joey Cantillo. Recent trade acquisition Patrick Bailey launched his first home run with the club. The Guardians took all four games from the Tigers and have now won six straight and nine of 10. With the White Sox falling to the Mariners, Cleveland now has a 3.5-game lead in the AL Central. Detroit has gone in the exact opposite direction. The club has dropped six straight and nine of 10, sinking to last in the division. The Tigers had managed to stay afloat despite injury issues heading into May, with an even .500 record. The team is now 20-31 on the year. Detroit will look to get back on track in Baltimore this weekend.

Photo courtesy of Patrick Oehler of the Poughkeepsie Journal, via Imagn Images

Shohei Ohtani got back to two-way stardom on Wednesday against the Padres. He drilled a leadoff home run, which was all the support he needed. Ohtani breezed through five shutout innings, lowering his ERA to 0.73.

1. AL East duel delivers

Two of the most promising arms in the AL East faced off on Wednesday, and both came through with excellent outings. Trey Yesavage silenced an imposing Yankees offense over six innings to secure the win. Cam Schlittler matched him through six frames, but flinched in the seventh inning. He allowed the first three batters to reach, then walked in a run on an ABS challenge. Reliever Jake Bird allowed an inherited runner to score. Yesavage and Schlittler each boast sub-2.00 ERAs with hefty strikeout numbers. Their matchups will continue to be appointment viewing.

2. Tong call-up could be coming

Mets right-hander Jonah Tong was scratched from his Triple-A start on Wednesday. The club wanted to have him as an option this weekend against the Marlins, manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters (h/t Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). The 22-year-old is among the top prospects in the organization. Tong posted strong strikeout numbers in his brief 2025 debut, but struggled with walks and run prevention. It’s been a similar story at Syracuse this year. Tong has a 32.7% strikeout rate to go with a 14.3% walk rate and a 5.68 ERA in nine minor league outings.

3. Rays keep rolling

Elsewhere in the AL East, Tampa Bay won its fourth game in a row with a comeback victory over the Orioles. Baltimore entered the eighth inning with a 3-1 lead, looking to salvage a game from the series. Anthony Nunez got two outs after a leadoff single, but couldn’t escape the frame. Jonathan Aranda came through with a double to tie the game. Richie Palacios followed with an RBI single. Ryan Vilade then stole home to stretch Tampa Bay’s lead. The club has won eight of 10 and now holds a four-game lead in the division. The Rays face off against the Yankees in a critical divisional battle this weekend.

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The Mets and Nationals are having one of the weirder series of the year. New York scored 10 runs in the 12th inning on Monday. Washington erased a 5-0 deficit on Tuesday by hanging nine runs (six earned) on Nolan McLean, including an inside-the-park grand slam by James Wood. And the four-game set is only half over.

1. Marte wins it for D-Backs

The Diamondbacks scored in the first inning on Tuesday against the Giants. They were then shut out for seven innings. The bats came alive in the bottom of the ninth inning, with Arizona scoring four times, capped off by a Ketel Marte walk-off home run. It was the first walk-off homer in the veteran’s 12-year career. Marte hasn’t boosted his OPS above .700 since mid-April, but his underlying metrics are strong. The second baseman ranks in the 88th percentile for xBA and in the 73rd percentile for xSLG. “Usually at this stage in the season, I have really good numbers,” Marte said (h/t Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports). “But (manager Torey Lovullo) always tells me you’re making good contact, don’t be so hard on yourself.”

2. Thornton to make debut

Mets pitching prospect Zach Thornton is expected to debut against the Nationals on Wednesday. The lefty is a borderline top 10 prospect in New York’s system. He’s put together a solid minor league season, posting a 3.16 in seven starts between Double-A and Triple-A. Thornton will step into the rotation spot vacated by Clay Holmes. The veteran righty may avoid surgery for his fractured fibula, but he’s still facing an extended absence. Thornton will have some runway here to stick with the big-league club if he performs well.

3. Dodgers beat Miller on career-first play

Flame-throwing closer Mason Miller came on in a tie game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night. He walked Max Muncy, who was pinch-run for by Alex Call. An over-eager Call made a move to second base before Miller went to the plate, and should’ve been picked off. Instead, Miller threw the ball away, allowing Call to advance to third. Andy Pages came through with a sac fly to give Los Angeles the lead. Will Klein closed it out to put the Dodgers back on top in the NL West. The errant pickoff throw was the first error of Miller’s career (h/t AJ Cassavell of MLB.com). It resulted in his first loss as a Padre.

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