| Time (ET) | Away | Home | Tmp | Rain | Wind | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6:40 PM | Philadelphia PhilliesAaron Nola (2-3, 5.14)◆◆◆◆◆ | Pittsburgh PiratesBraxton Ashcraft (2-2, 2.77)◆◆◆◆◆ | ☁️ | 70° | 1% | 5 |
| 6:45 PM | Baltimore OriolesShane Baz (1-4, 5.48)◆◆◆◆◆ | Washington NationalsZack Littell (1-4, 6.94)◆◆◆◆◆ | ☁️ | 73° | 0% | 10 |
| 6:45 PM | Toronto Blue JaysTrey Yesavage (1-1, 0.68)◆◆◆◆◆ | Detroit TigersTy Madden (0-0, 2.45)◆◆◆◆◆ | ☁️ | 67° | 1% | 8 |
| 7:10 PM | Cincinnati RedsAndrew Abbott (2-2, 4.47)◆◆◆◆◆ | Cleveland GuardiansTanner Bibee (0-5, 4.17)◆◆◆◆◆ | ⛅ | 66° | 1% | 3 |
| 7:10 PM | Miami MarlinsJanson Junk (2-3, 3.25)◆◆◆◆◆ | Tampa Bay RaysJesse Scholtens (3-2, 3.29)◆◆◆◆◆ | 🏟️ | 88° | — | — |
| 7:10 PM | Milwaukee BrewersChad Patrick (2-2, 2.57)◆◆◆◆◆ | Minnesota TwinsJoe Ryan (2-3, 3.43)◆◆◆◆◆ | ☀️ | 87° | 3% | 12 |
| 7:15 PM | Boston Red SoxConnelly Early (3-2, 3.16)◆◆◆◆◆ | Atlanta BravesSpencer Strider (1-0, 2.89)◆◆◆◆◆ | ☀️ | 79° | 0% | 6 |
| 7:15 PM | New York YankeesCam Schlittler (5-1, 1.35)◆◆◆◆◆ | New York MetsClay Holmes (4-3, 1.86)◆◆◆◆◆ | ☁️ | 68° | 0% | 11 |
| 7:40 PM | Chicago CubsEdward Cabrera (3-1, 3.88)◆◆◆◆◆ | Chicago White SoxSean Burke (2-3, 3.68)◆◆◆◆◆ | ☀️ | 72° | 0% | 12 |
| 8:10 PM | Texas RangersJack Leiter (1-3, 4.85)◆◆◆◆◆ | Houston AstrosSpencer Arrighetti (4-1, 1.88)◆◆◆◆◆ | 🏟️ | 72° | — | — |
| 8:15 PM | Kansas City RoyalsMichael Wacha (4-2, 2.63)◆◆◆◆◆ | St. Louis CardinalsDustin May (3-4, 4.85)◆◆◆◆◆ | ☁️ | 75° | 5% | 11 |
| 8:40 PM | Arizona DiamondbacksMerrill Kelly (2-3, 7.62)◆◆◆◆◆ | Colorado RockiesKyle Freeland (1-4, 6.00)◆◆◆◆◆ | ☁️ | 68° | 1% | 3 |
| 9:38 PM | Los Angeles DodgersBlake Snell (0-1, 12.00)◆◆◆◆◆ | Los Angeles AngelsJack Kochanowicz (2-2, 3.97)◆◆◆◆◆ | ☁️ | 61° | 0% | 5 |
| 9:40 PM | San Diego PadresRandy Vásquez (4-1, 3.05)◆◆◆◆◆ | Seattle MarinersEmerson Hancock (3-1, 3.21)◆◆◆◆◆ | ☁️ | 47° | 13% | 11 |
| 9:40 PM | San Francisco GiantsTyler Mahle (1-4, 5.18)◆◆◆◆◆ | AthleticsAaron Civale (4-1, 2.59)◆◆◆◆◆ | ☁️ | 67° | 0% | 10 |
The Mariners placed Raleigh on the 10-day IL with a right oblique strain — his first IL stint in 6 MLB seasons. He aggravated the injury during Wednesday's walk-off loss; it had bothered him since May 2 when he missed 3 games. He had snapped a 0-for-25 slump with a 2-hit night Tuesday. Jhonny Pereda was recalled. No firm timeline yet; oblique strains in catchers typically run 4-6 weeks minimum.
Bleday went 3-for-5 with 2 HR and 6 RBI in Cincinnati's 15-1 thrashing of Washington. He's now hitting .321/.455/.755 since being installed as the everyday LF in late April — back-to-back multi-HR games. The Reds signed him as a free agent after the A's DFA'd him. His 20%+ walk rate and sub-15% K-rate point to a sustainable breakout. Chase Burns added 6 IP / 0 ER / 7 K behind him.
Dave Roberts confirmed Thursday that Glasnow won't be ready to come off the IL when first eligible on May 22. The MRI came back clean but the back spasms haven't responded as expected. The Dodgers are also playing the long game with October in mind — they have rotation depth (Snell, Yamamoto, Wrobleski) and no need to rush him. No new timeline.
Zebby Matthews was recalled and immediately delivered: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K on 96 pitches in Minnesota's 9-1 win. The 25-year-old has elite control (1.0 BB/9 in his MLB sample), a plus changeup, and now slots into the Twins' rotation as Joe Ryan / Bailey Ober continue to anchor it. He's at 6% rostered — the priority deep-league SP add this week.
The first Subway Series of 2026 starts tonight with two of the best pitching lines in baseball facing off. Cam Schlittler (5-1, 1.35) has been one of the top breakout SPs of the season; Clay Holmes (4-3, 1.86) is now in his second year as a SP and has been similarly dominant. Both teams are top-5 in their leagues. Game time: 7:15 PM ET.
Who's Hot This Week
Teel is completing his AAA rehab assignment (hamstring) and is expected to be promoted within the week. He's hitting with a .375 OBP and a near-10% barrel rate at Triple-A — elite for a catcher. The White Sox have been platooning at the position; Teel will get the bulk of starts behind the plate once he's up. With Cal Raleigh now on the IL, two-catcher leagues need a stash, and at 11% rostered Teel is the priority pickup. Top-15 C rest of season ceiling once he debuts.
Worth Reading
Headlines Paul Goldschmidt (NYY, 3%) as the top hitter add and Ben Brown (CHC, 27%) as the priority SP. Other priority targets: Daulton Varsho (TOR, 31%), JJ Bleday, Kyle Teel (CHW, 11%), and Casey Mize (DET, 42%) as a streaming option vs. Toronto today.
Sedler walks through Will Smith's first career leadoff start (and why it matters for LAD's offense), Chase Dollander's arm-tightness pull (imaging scheduled), Christian Yelich's back concerns resurfacing, and the Susac activation in San Francisco. Streaming targets: Randy Vásquez (SD) at SEA tonight, Chris Bassitt (BAL) at WSH tomorrow.
MLBTR's deep dive on Toronto's rotation crisis: Berríos is the closest to returning (likely late May), Bieber's rehab is on track but slow, and Lauer remains the swing piece. The piece covers free-agent fits and potential trade-deadline targets — useful context if you own Yesavage, Lauer, or are watching the AL East rotation chaos.
| # | Player | Pos | PA | 14d Ago | Now | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travis BazzanaCleveland Guardians | 2B | 59 | .308 | .407 | +0.099 |
| 2 | Luis TorrensNew York Mets | C | 56 | .200 | .273 | +0.073 |
| 3 | Paul GoldschmidtNew York Yankees | 1B | 70 | .289 | .357 | +0.068 |
| 4 | Brent RookerAthletics | DH | 116 | .221 | .284 | +0.063 |
| 5 | Brandon ValenzuelaToronto Blue Jays | C | 70 | .238 | .300 | +0.062 |
| 6 | Jorge MateoAtlanta Braves | SS | 58 | .286 | .345 | +0.059 |
| 7 | Carson BengeNew York Mets | RF | 142 | .238 | .296 | +0.058 |
| 8 | Eli WhiteAtlanta Braves | LF | 62 | .200 | .258 | +0.058 |
| 9 | Jonathan ArandaTampa Bay Rays | 1B | 181 | .331 | .387 | +0.056 |
| 10 | Zack GelofAthletics | CF | 81 | .263 | .316 | +0.053 |
NEW: 10-day IL with right oblique strain — first IL stint of his career. The injury surfaced May 2 (he missed 3 games) and was aggravated in Wednesday's loss. He'll undergo evaluation back in Seattle. Oblique strains in catchers typically take 4-6 weeks minimum. Jhonny Pereda recalled.
STATUS UPDATE: Will not return when first eligible on May 22 — back spasms haven't responded as hoped. MRI was clean but the Dodgers are playing it cautious with October in mind. No new timeline; realistic return early June at the earliest.
NEW: 15-day IL retroactive to May 13 with right shoulder impingement. Herget had been Colorado's primary save option (4 saves, blown last week). Tanner Gordon recalled. Victor Vodnik and Juan Mejia are the likely save replacements but both are speculative deep-league only.
GOOD NEWS: Trending toward minimum IL stay (around May 20). The right knee bursitis is responding to treatment. Expected to slot back into the Giants' rotation immediately upon activation. The 5.06 ERA / 3.50 xFIP gap remains the bull case.
NEW: Pulled from Thursday's start with right arm tightness. Imaging scheduled this week. The Rockies' top young arm has been a 3.20 ERA bright spot in a brutal rotation. Worth monitoring — if it's anything beyond tightness, Colorado's rotation collapses entirely.
Riley O'Brien wasn't on most fantasy radars entering 2026 — he was a depth piece signed by the Cardinals on a minor-league deal who'd been bouncing between AAA and the majors for three years. Six weeks in, he's an emerging top-15 RP with 11 saves, a sub-2.50 ERA, and the kind of underlying numbers that suggest the breakout is real. The slider has been the difference — 44% whiff rate, .156 BAA, and 38% of his pitches are now sliders (up from 22% in 2025).
The fantasy implications are layered. Short-term: he's locked as the Cardinals' closer and the team is winning enough close games (40% of their wins by 2 runs or fewer) to drive volume. Top-15 RP rest of season is the floor. Mid-term: O'Brien is under team control through 2028 on a minor-league deal converted to a 40-man contract, which means the Cardinals don't need to move him — but contenders will offer the moon at the trade deadline.
The Cardinals' situation is the key context. They're 22-21 and middling in the NL Central. If they sell at the deadline (most likely), O'Brien is the top trade chip and would land with a contender — which boosts his fantasy value (more save chances) but introduces leverage uncertainty. The smart play is to hold him through the deadline regardless of where he ends up; relievers who close for one team typically close for the next, and his stuff plays anywhere.
Thursday's slate: 4 saves, 5 reliever wins, 1 blown save (Latz in MIL). Raisel Iglesias (ATL) extended his consecutive saves streak to 26 since July 28, 2025 — the most dominant closer in baseball right now. Cade Smith (CLE, 13), Mason Miller (SD, 13), and Aroldis Chapman (BOS, 9) are also locked. Sewald in Arizona just had an ugly blown save — worth watching but role is intact for now.
Read the full Ledger →| Closer | Team | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raisel Iglesias | ATL | 🟢 Locked | 26 consecutive save conversions since July 28, 2025. 25.1-inning scoreless streak. The most dominant closer in baseball right now — top-5 RP rest of season. Claim if somehow on your wire. |
| Cade Smith | CLE | 🟢 Locked | 13 saves, 10-of-11 conversion rate over his last 14 appearances. Cleveland is winning close games and Smith is locked. Top-8 RP rest of season. |
| Mason Miller | SD | 🟢 Locked | 13 saves with elite K production. The Padres' bullpen has been deep and Miller is the unquestioned ninth-inning arm. Top-10 RP rest of season. |
| Paul Sewald | ARI | 🟡 Watch | Just suffered an ugly blown save. Still has the role for now (9 saves on the year) but Closer Monkey is monitoring the next few outings closely. Hold — don't drop — but back-up alternatives in deeper leagues might be Justin Martinez. |
| Tony Santillan | CIN | HRs in four consecutive appearances; velocity 2 mph below last year. The Reds' bullpen meltdown continues. Graham Ashcraft is leveraged ahead of him for saves. Fade in standard formats. |
Reds 15, Nationals 1 — JJ Bleday's career-night 3-for-5 / 2 HR / 6 RBI performance powers a 15-run avalanche. His second multi-HR game in a row (he's now hitting .321/.455/.755 since late April). Chase Burns added 6 IP / 0 ER / 7 K behind the offense. Cincinnati has scored 25+ runs in the last two games.
Mariners' Cal Raleigh exits Wednesday's walk-off loss to the Astros after aggravating an injury to his right side — same oblique that bothered him in early May. He's now on the 10-day IL, his first IL stint in 6 MLB seasons. Raleigh had snapped a 0-for-25 slump with two singles Tuesday before the re-aggravation Wednesday.
Twins 9, Marlins 1 — Zebby Matthews' MLB return: 7 IP / 4 H / 0 ER / 1 BB / 5 K on 96 pitches against a hot Marlins offense. Byron Buxton (3-for-4, 2 R, RBI) and Ryan Jeffers (2 RBI) led the offense. Minnesota's rotation has 3 of MLB's top-10 ERAs (Ryan, Ober, Matthews).
Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.