Arizona Diamondbacks catcher James McCann tied an MLB record Thursday, becoming the first position player to pitch in four games before May.

Alas, since Thursday was the last day of April, he won’t get an opportunity to surpass Christian Bethancourt, who also pitched in four April games for the San Diego Padres in 2017.

McCann threw one inning in the D-backs’ 13-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, allowing one unearned run and one hit with two walks. He got through the eighth inning on a barrage of soft, high-arching “eephus” tosses.

The veteran catcher’s first 22 pitches averaged 36.8 mph with five of them reaching 40 mph. His fourth pitch was clocked at 49.6, but was outside of the strike zone for a leadoff walk to Brice Turang.

However, McCann reared back for his final pitch of the inning, throwing a 65 mph fastball in the lower middle of the zone that Sal Frelick grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. (The Brewers outfielder hit his third homer of the season in the seventh inning, which may have helped him avoid ridicule.)

McCann finished with 24 pitches, 11 of them strikes. The run he gave up was unearned, due to a throwing error from second baseman Tim Tawa. With no earned runs allowed, McCann lowered his season ERA from 15.00 to 11.25. In his four appearances this season, the catcher has allowed five runs, nine hits and three walks in four innings.

On the bright side for Arizona, infielder Ildemaro Vargas extended his season-opening hit streak to 23 games. That tied him for the second longest hit streak to start a season since 1940, according to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs. Vargas — who has hit in 26 consecutive games — currently leads MLB with a .378 batting average and ranks third with a 1.087 OPS.

Vargas has also made five pitching appearances during his 10 MLB seasons if the D-backs need another position player in a blowout. But don’t tell Arizona manager Torey Lovullo.

Using McCann to pitch in a blowout rankled Lovullo, who told D-backs.TV’s Todd Walsh (via On SI) after the game he hates using position players as pitchers.

“”Probably one of my least favorite things in baseball,” Lovullo said.

Yet he went to McCann twice in the past three days — both in games during which the D-backs gave up 13 runs. Arizona has allowed 10 or more runs in five games this season.

For his career, McCann has a 10.50 ERA in six appearances with no strikeouts and three walks in six innings. His previous two pitching stints were for the Baltimore Orioles, one each during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Thursday’s defeat dropped Arizona to 16-14, good for third place in the National League West. It has lost five of its past nine games.

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher James McCann tied an MLB record Thursday, becoming the first position player to pitch in four games before May.

Alas, since Thursday was the last day of April, he won’t get an opportunity to surpass Christian Bethancourt, who also pitched in four April games for the San Diego Padres in 2017.

McCann threw one inning in the D-backs’ 13-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, allowing one unearned run and one hit with two walks. He got through the eighth inning on a barrage of soft, high-arching “eephus” tosses.

The veteran catcher’s first 22 pitches averaged 36.8 mph with five of them reaching 40 mph. His fourth pitch was clocked at 49.6, but was outside of the strike zone for a leadoff walk to Brice Turang.

However, McCann reared back for his final pitch of the inning, throwing a 65 mph fastball in the lower middle of the zone that Sal Frelick grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. (The Brewers outfielder hit his third homer of the season in the seventh inning, which may have helped him avoid ridicule.)

McCann finished with 24 pitches, 11 of them strikes. The run he gave up was unearned, due to a throwing error from second baseman Tim Tawa. With no earned runs allowed, McCann lowered his season ERA from 15.00 to 11.25. In his four appearances this season, the catcher has allowed five runs, nine hits and three walks in four innings.

On the bright side for Arizona, infielder Ildemaro Vargas extended his season-opening hit streak to 23 games. That tied him for the second longest hit streak to start a season since 1940, according to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs. Vargas — who has hit in 26 consecutive games — currently leads MLB with a .378 batting average and ranks third with a 1.087 OPS.

Vargas has also made five pitching appearances during his 10 MLB seasons if the D-backs need another position player in a blowout. But don’t tell Arizona manager Torey Lovullo.

Using McCann to pitch in a blowout rankled Lovullo, who told D-backs.TV’s Todd Walsh (via On SI) after the game he hates using position players as pitchers.

“”Probably one of my least favorite things in baseball,” Lovullo said.

Yet he went to McCann twice in the past three days — both in games during which the D-backs gave up 13 runs. Arizona has allowed 10 or more runs in five games this season.

For his career, McCann has a 10.50 ERA in six appearances with no strikeouts and three walks in six innings. His previous two pitching stints were for the Baltimore Orioles, one each during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Thursday’s defeat dropped Arizona to 16-14, good for third place in the National League West. It has lost five of its past nine games.

It is nice to have Springer back in the lineup.

GO JAYS GO.

You could hardly get a better representation of the 2026 Orioles season than the doubleheader that they played against the Astros on Thursday. In one game, they swung the bats well and got some pretty good pitching and they blew out the Astros. Check out Paul Folkemer’s recap of the first game. That one was much more fun than this second game, in which the Orioles combined pretty bad pitching, pretty bad defense, and hitting that, while fine, was not enough to overcome these other things. They lost, 11-5, to split the doubleheader and close out their month of April at 15-16.

There is a meme that goes around that begins with, “Inside you there are two wolves.” A legend of no fixed origin, this is a tale told by an elder to a young person about inner conflict, how our best selves are battling against our worst selves. Which one wins? Whichever one you feed. These 2026 Orioles feed their good wolves some days and their bad wolves other days. Then there’s this doubleheader, where they fed both. They are the same team that looks very different at different times. Only over a longer stretch of the season will we know which wolf will win.

The bad wolves appeared from the beginning of the game. To be sure, the Orioles were helped along by luck going the Astros way, such as when Houston got its first baserunner with one out on an infield single hit by Yordan Alvarez, of all people. Usually, getting Alvarez to hit a ball only 57mph is going to be a good thing. However, starting pitcher Brandon Young could not hold the Astros there, allowing another single.

With two men on base, Houston’s Dustin Harris floated a line drive out to right field in the direction of Tyler O’Neill. The Orioles right fielder gave just about the most ungraceful pursuit of the ball this side of Heston Kjerstad, then as it bounced up, he bobbled the bounce. Runners scored from second and third base on this two-out single. Harris scored when Yainer Diaz hit a ball back up the middle that Jeremiah Jackson was unable to field cleanly. If I had the power, I would have put this one in the error column.

So, at this point there are two runs in, two outs, and two men on base. The runs allowed by Young were not entirely his fault. He had the opportunity to limit the damage and get out of it. And he… gave up a home run to Cam Smith. Who is Cam Smith? Exactly. He came into the game with a .670 OPS for the season. Don’t give up a home run to that guy! On the other hand, who is Brandon Young? Exactly. He had a 6.24 ERA in the majors last season and after today’s clunker has a 6.75 ERA for 2026.

This was a classic of what I call the Jake Arrieta Memorial Inning – the Orioles version of Arrieta, that is. He was always getting into trouble that was not entirely his fault and then, presented with the chance to get out of it, he frequently failed. Bad luck, bad defense, and bad pitching put the Orioles down by five runs before they ever got to bat. Young allowed one more run for good measure because he gave up a homer to Alvarez. I can’t get too mad about that one.

That was only the first two innings worth of stuff happening to Young! Before he was done with, he was charged for ten runs, of which seven were earned. Four runs crossed in the fourth inning, many of which stemmed from an error in which Jeremiah Jackson, who delighted everyone with a grand slam in the first game, missed a catch at second base on a fielder’s choice. Again, the defense let him down but Young could not help himself.

One might have hoped to see a bit more from the Orioles hitters against Houston starter Lance McCullers. Whenever I write his name, I want to say Carson McCullers, but that’s an author, not the baseball player. Carson McCullers wrote a book called The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, maybe the most depressing book that I’ve ever read in my life. More depressing than this Orioles game, which is saying something.

Anyway, the baseball player McCullers brought a 6.75 ERA for 2026 into today. Did the Orioles make him look like it? Eh. They scored three runs in his six innings, so it could have been worse, but only getting two hits when batters have been OPSing .835 against McCullers this season is kind of a bummer. Also, it didn’t matter that much, since the Orioles gave up eleven runs. It’s tough to win when you give up eleven runs.

Now 31 games into this season, the Orioles are both the team that blew out a last place Astros team, 10-3, and the team that was blown out by a last place Astros team, 11-5. They are a team that hit two grand slams in one game and a team that keeps bungling stuff that shouldn’t be bungled, to say nothing of its challenges with guys in positions that require range only they don’t seem to possess the range or instincts to make up for a lack of range. Either one could win out as the season moves along. Or they will remain in tension and remain near .500. That’s still a lot better than last April and May.

Things get tougher for the Orioles starting tomorrow, when they begin a four-game set against the Yankees, the team that has, by far, the best record in the American League. The O’s will see the Yankees seven times in their next 16 games, with another three games against the first place Braves. It’s going to get harder. If the Orioles are actually bad, we’ll find that out in the next month.

As of this writing, there is no scheduled Orioles starting pitcher for the 7:05 Friday series opener. I’m guessing Cade Povich gets recalled from Norfolk. The O’s will be facing righty Will Warren, who has a 2.59 ERA up to this point in the season.

Cleveland Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana made his MLB debut Tuesday, marking the latest from the loaded 2024 MLB Draft to arrive in the majors and another addition to what’s shaping up to be a special 2026 rookie class.

First-year players such as Kevin McGonigle and JJ Wetherholt broke camp with their big-league clubs and have been making an impact since Opening Day, but others, such as Bazzana, had to prove a little bit more in the upper minors before getting the call. While both leagues’ Rookie of the Year races are already quite crowded, there’s still plenty of time for more exciting debuts to take place this season, and there’s no shortage of talented minor-league players making their case to be the next one up.

Here’s a look at six prospects off to hot starts in the upper levels who could make a difference in the majors this summer.

1B/OF James Tibbs III, Los Angeles Dodgers

What a whirlwind it has been for the 13th overall pick in the 2024 draft, now multiple organizations removed from the one that selected him. The San Francisco Giants picked Tibbs after his tremendous three years starring at Florida State, but he was dealt to Boston less than a year later as part of the Rafael Devers trade. Tibbs’ Red Sox tenure was even shorter, as he was flipped to the Dodgers for Dustin May at the deadline after posting a .586 OPS across 30 Double-A games with Boston. Tibbs finished strong at the same level with the Dodgers org, demonstrating the strong lefty bat that made him a first-rounder. That set the stage for Tibbs to start his second professional season at Triple-A, where he has burst out of the gates with a spectacular first-month slash line: .321/.430/.723 with 11 home runs, tied for the minor-league lead.

The stupendous slugging numbers — supported by stellar underlying batted-ball data — are difficult to ignore. But there are two major obstacles that Tibbs must overcome if he is to make an impact in the majors this season. The first is the obvious red flag in his profile: the strikeouts. As Munetaka Murakami is currently demonstrating with one of the league’s lowest in-zone contact rates (70.7%), there is a path to potent production if the whiffs are offset by prolific power and a healthy walk rate, both of which Tibbs is delivering. But his 29% strikeout rate and 68% in-zone contact rate in Triple-A are troubling marks for a hitter hoping to make consistent contact, and Tibbs is one of a few prospects (Bryce Eldridge, Spencer Jones) who need to improve at least marginally in that area to be considered viable big-league bats.

Even if Tibbs can dial back the swing-and-miss and continue to rake, there’s then the matter of breaking into a stacked Dodgers depth chart that doesn’t have any openings at his positions. With megastars entrenched at DH (Shohei Ohtani), first base (Freddie Freeman) and right field (Kyle Tucker), Tibbs’ only realistic path to playing time would be to usurp Teoscar Hernandez as the superior option in left field, a tall task considering Hernandez is owed roughly $40 million through 2027. This invites the possibility that Tibbs could be traded again before he reaches the majors, a potentially stunning sequence for a first-round pick who has performed the way he has. This quandary is hardly unique to Tibbs — just ask Dalton Rushing, Alex Freeland and Ryan Ward, among others — but his scorching start and first-round pedigree make him particularly intriguing in the coming months.

OF Emmanuel Rodriguez, Minnesota Twins

Rodriguez shares some similarities to Tibbs — he too is a 23-year-old with big, left-handed power, a bunch of walks and severe swing-and-miss concerns — but he has taken a much different road to the doorstep of the big leagues. Rather than bouncing among organizations, Rodriguez’s developmental derailments have come from injuries, which have limited him to 318 minor-league games across six minor-league seasons. Still, the Dominican Republic native has been a staple in the Twins’ farm system for years, having received a $2.5 million bonus as one of the top prospects in the 2019 international class. And when he has played, Rodriguez has performed, with a career .254/.423/.491 slash line while predominantly playing center field.

In the offseason, Rodriguez was one of the youngest and most productive hitters in the Dominican Winter League, and he hasn’t cooled off much to start his Triple-A season, posting a 141 wRC+ through his first 23 games. He recently registered the highest exit velocity of any batted ball at that level this season: a 118.3-mph home run. In the majors, only Oneil Cruz has hit a ball harder than that in 2026.

Rodriguez is also a quality defender in center field, but with Byron Buxton thriving in Minnesota, Rodriguez’s best chance to break through in the near future is in left or right field, though there are also DH at-bats to be had (Twins’ designated hitters have combined for 70 wRC+ this season, 25th in MLB). Veterans Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner remain in the Minnesota outfield mix, but neither should block Rodriguez from getting big-league reps soon. Amid a rebuilding year for the Twins, Rodriguez is one of several top prospects (Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper) in Triple-A whom we could see in Minnesota this summer.

2B/OF AJ Ewing, New York Mets

The 2023 draft has already yielded a pair of major leaguers for the Mets in ascendant ace Nolan McLean (third round) and right-hander Brandon Sproat (second round), who was dealt to Milwaukee in the Freddy Peralta trade. New York’s first-round pick from that year — Colin Houck, a high school shortstop from Georgia — has struggled to gain traction in the minors. But Ewin, another prep hitter selected in the fourth round, has seen his prospect stock explode since entering pro ball.

Ewing was taken with the 134th overall pick, the one awarded to the Mets as compensation for Jacob deGrom declining the qualifying offer and signing elsewhere. Primarily a shortstop at his Ohio high school and on the showcase circuit, Ewing has mostly played center field in the minors, with a smattering of second base and corner outfield mixed in. He broke out in a big way last year, climbing to Double-A while hitting .315/.401/.429. What he lacks in over-the-fence pop (he hit just three home runs in 124 games last year), he makes up for with his terrific approach and plus-plus wheels, enabling 26 doubles, 10 triples and a whopping 70 stolen bases, the fifth-most in the minors, in 2025.

Back in Double-A to begin this season, Ewing picked up right where he left off, posting a 1.053 OPS in his first 18 games, including homers in back-to-back games. That earned him a promotion to Triple-A this week, where he announced his presence with a three-hit game.

Considering he just got to Triple-A, the 21-year-old Ewing might be more of a second-half option than an imminent call-up, but his performance has placed him firmly on the Mets’ radar. And given the team’s massive struggles on offense — and several key position players on the injured list — it’s not hard to envision New York turning to the farm system for help.

(Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports)

LHP Robby Snelling, Miami Marlins

Fresh off a series win at Dodger Stadium and sitting at 15-16 and second in the wonky NL East, the Marlins have so far proven friskier than many expected. But the rotation has not been a driving force behind that success, with a pesky offense that wreaks havoc on the basepaths leading the way and a surprisingly stout bullpen locking down the later innings. Marlins starting pitchers are in the middle of the pack by most measures and they lag behind in the swing-and-miss category, ranking 26th in strikeout rate. One option to add a jolt to the starting staff is the 22-year-old Snelling, one of the top left-handed pitching prospects in the minors. The 39th pick by the Padres out of a Nevada high school in 2022, Snelling was shipped to Miami as part of the package for Tanner Scott at the 2024 trade deadline.

The Marlins might actually have two future impact southpaws, with 21-year-old Thomas White also well-regarded in scouting circles. But White began the year injured and has made only two starts in Triple-A this season. Snelling, meanwhile, has made five starts with Jacksonville after posting a 1.27 ERA across 11 Triple-A starts to finish last season. He leads with a 95-mph heater but has a balanced mix of secondaries, leaning most heavily on his curveball in the upper minors. Strike-throwing has been a challenge for Snelling this year — a departure from his solid control exhibited prior — but he has given opposing hitters fits nevertheless. His 37.6% strikeout rate leads Triple-A arms, and he has allowed just 11 hits across 24 innings of work.

Four Miami rotation spots are fairly spoken for: Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez, Max Meyer and the sneaky stellar Janson Junk. But offseason addition Chris Paddack has struggled, and it’s reasonable to expect the Marlins to seek an upgrade sooner rather than later. Several alternatives loom in Triple-A, so Snelling might not be next in line, but he should warrant a major-league look at some point this season.

RHP Carlos Lagrange, New York Yankees

When it comes to the Yankees’ pitching staff, much of the early-season focus has been on the outstanding performance of the rotation and the timelines for Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón to return from their respective injuries. But Lagrange, whose eye-popping velocity made him one of the biggest stories of Yankees spring training, is another important name to monitor as the season progresses. The enormous right-hander exploded on the scene last year, racking up 168 strikeouts in 120 innings and reaching Double-A, and his high-octane arsenal was on display in the Grapefruit League, raising the possibility that he could be a major factor for New York in the majors in 2026.

While Lagrange has been deployed as a starter and has been reasonably effective across five Triple-A outings, the pending returns of Cole and Rodon to an already crowded rotation make it nearly impossible to envision a path for Lagrange to break into the rotation anytime soon. But that doesn’t mean New York won’t be tempted to call him up, with his elite velocity a tantalizing potential spark to add to a bullpen that has thus far been more average than great. The 22-year-old’s fastball has averaged 99.3 mph, and he has thrown 25 pitches in excess of 101 mph, including a 102.6-mph bolt that ranks as the fastest pitch thrown in Triple-A this season. It’s reasonable for the Yankees to play it slow here, especially with the big-league ballclub off to a great start and no pressing need. But don’t be surprised if Lagrange emerges as a high-leverage weapon in the coming months.

LHP Kade Anderson, Seattle Mariners

A stroke of lottery luck launched the Mariners all the way up to the No. 3 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, despite their minuscule odds to land a top selection after an 85-win season. That shocking sequence put Seattle in a unique position as a contender picking an elite prospect near the top of the draft. The Mariners used that pick on Anderson, a left-hander from LSU who was widely regarded as the top pitcher in the class. He earned that distinction by thriving in the SEC and showcasing plus command of a four-pitch mix, with rare aptitude for an amateur arm. Less than a year later, Anderson has pitched himself into position to potentially contribute to the Mariners’ championship ambitions in his first full professional season.

Anderson did not pitch in an official game after signing with Seattle last summer, meaning his professional debut had to wait until this spring. He immediately stood out in bullpen sessions and on the backfields during spring training and has continued to make a strong impression across his first four outings in Double-A, allowing just one earned run in 18 ⅔ innings. In his second start, Anderson combined pure dominance with ridiculous efficiency, needing just 70 pitches to strike out 11 across five no-hit innings. For reference, only one pitcher this century has racked up that many strikeouts with as few pitches in a single game: Chris Sale in 2018. 

That Anderson will reach the majors this season is not a given. For one, he’s the only prospect of the six covered in this article who hasn’t yet reached Triple-A. And Seattle boasts a wealth of quality arms in its rotation, meaning there’s no urgent need to rush Anderson’s development. However, beyond the All-Star trio of Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo and George Kirby, there is some uncertainty lurking with the next batch of right-handers, due to injury (Bryce Miller), underperformance (Luis Castillo) or lack of a lengthy track record (Emerson Hancock). All three are capable of pitching their way into solidified roles, but if one or multiple of their seasons go sideways, Anderson could emerge as Seattle’s next-best starter. That he could also offer a left-handed element to a rotation that has been overwhelmingly right-handed in recent years is a nice bonus.

Cleveland Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana made his MLB debut Tuesday, marking the latest from the loaded 2024 MLB Draft to arrive in the majors and another addition to what’s shaping up to be a special 2026 rookie class.

First-year players such as Kevin McGonigle and JJ Wetherholt broke camp with their big-league clubs and have been making an impact since Opening Day, but others, such as Bazzana, had to prove a little bit more in the upper minors before getting the call. While both leagues’ Rookie of the Year races are already quite crowded, there’s still plenty of time for more exciting debuts to take place this season, and there’s no shortage of talented minor-league players making their case to be the next one up.

Here’s a look at six prospects off to hot starts in the upper levels who could make a difference in the majors this summer.

1B/OF James Tibbs III, Los Angeles Dodgers

What a whirlwind it has been for the 13th overall pick in the 2024 draft, now multiple organizations removed from the one that selected him. The San Francisco Giants picked Tibbs after his tremendous three years starring at Florida State, but he was dealt to Boston less than a year later as part of the Rafael Devers trade. Tibbs’ Red Sox tenure was even shorter, as he was flipped to the Dodgers for Dustin May at the deadline after posting a .586 OPS across 30 Double-A games with Boston. Tibbs finished strong at the same level with the Dodgers org, demonstrating the strong lefty bat that made him a first-rounder. That set the stage for Tibbs to start his second professional season at Triple-A, where he has burst out of the gates with a spectacular first-month slash line: .321/.430/.723 with 11 home runs, tied for the minor-league lead.

The stupendous slugging numbers — supported by stellar underlying batted-ball data — are difficult to ignore. But there are two major obstacles that Tibbs must overcome if he is to make an impact in the majors this season. The first is the obvious red flag in his profile: the strikeouts. As Munetaka Murakami is currently demonstrating with one of the league’s lowest in-zone contact rates (70.7%), there is a path to potent production if the whiffs are offset by prolific power and a healthy walk rate, both of which Tibbs is delivering. But his 29% strikeout rate and 68% in-zone contact rate in Triple-A are troubling marks for a hitter hoping to make consistent contact, and Tibbs is one of a few prospects (Bryce Eldridge, Spencer Jones) who need to improve at least marginally in that area to be considered viable big-league bats.

Even if Tibbs can dial back the swing-and-miss and continue to rake, there’s then the matter of breaking into a stacked Dodgers depth chart that doesn’t have any openings at his positions. With megastars entrenched at DH (Shohei Ohtani), first base (Freddie Freeman) and right field (Kyle Tucker), Tibbs’ only realistic path to playing time would be to usurp Teoscar Hernandez as the superior option in left field, a tall task considering Hernandez is owed roughly $40 million through 2027. This invites the possibility that Tibbs could be traded again before he reaches the majors, a potentially stunning sequence for a first-round pick who has performed the way he has. This quandary is hardly unique to Tibbs — just ask Dalton Rushing, Alex Freeland and Ryan Ward, among others — but his scorching start and first-round pedigree make him particularly intriguing in the coming months.

OF Emmanuel Rodriguez, Minnesota Twins

Rodriguez shares some similarities to Tibbs — he too is a 23-year-old with big, left-handed power, a bunch of walks and severe swing-and-miss concerns — but he has taken a much different road to the doorstep of the big leagues. Rather than bouncing among organizations, Rodriguez’s developmental derailments have come from injuries, which have limited him to 318 minor-league games across six minor-league seasons. Still, the Dominican Republic native has been a staple in the Twins’ farm system for years, having received a $2.5 million bonus as one of the top prospects in the 2019 international class. And when he has played, Rodriguez has performed, with a career .254/.423/.491 slash line while predominantly playing center field.

In the offseason, Rodriguez was one of the youngest and most productive hitters in the Dominican Winter League, and he hasn’t cooled off much to start his Triple-A season, posting a 141 wRC+ through his first 23 games. He recently registered the highest exit velocity of any batted ball at that level this season: a 118.3-mph home run. In the majors, only Oneil Cruz has hit a ball harder than that in 2026.

Rodriguez is also a quality defender in center field, but with Byron Buxton thriving in Minnesota, Rodriguez’s best chance to break through in the near future is in left or right field, though there are also DH at-bats to be had (Twins’ designated hitters have combined for 70 wRC+ this season, 25th in MLB). Veterans Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner remain in the Minnesota outfield mix, but neither should block Rodriguez from getting big-league reps soon. Amid a rebuilding year for the Twins, Rodriguez is one of several top prospects (Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper) in Triple-A whom we could see in Minnesota this summer.

2B/OF AJ Ewing, New York Mets

The 2023 draft has already yielded a pair of major leaguers for the Mets in ascendant ace Nolan McLean (third round) and right-hander Brandon Sproat (second round), who was dealt to Milwaukee in the Freddy Peralta trade. New York’s first-round pick from that year — Colin Houck, a high school shortstop from Georgia — has struggled to gain traction in the minors. But Ewin, another prep hitter selected in the fourth round, has seen his prospect stock explode since entering pro ball.

Ewing was taken with the 134th overall pick, the one awarded to the Mets as compensation for Jacob deGrom declining the qualifying offer and signing elsewhere. Primarily a shortstop at his Ohio high school and on the showcase circuit, Ewing has mostly played center field in the minors, with a smattering of second base and corner outfield mixed in. He broke out in a big way last year, climbing to Double-A while hitting .315/.401/.429. What he lacks in over-the-fence pop (he hit just three home runs in 124 games last year), he makes up for with his terrific approach and plus-plus wheels, enabling 26 doubles, 10 triples and a whopping 70 stolen bases, the fifth-most in the minors, in 2025.

Back in Double-A to begin this season, Ewing picked up right where he left off, posting a 1.053 OPS in his first 18 games, including homers in back-to-back games. That earned him a promotion to Triple-A this week, where he announced his presence with a three-hit game.

Considering he just got to Triple-A, the 21-year-old Ewing might be more of a second-half option than an imminent call-up, but his performance has placed him firmly on the Mets’ radar. And given the team’s massive struggles on offense — and several key position players on the injured list — it’s not hard to envision New York turning to the farm system for help.

(Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports)

LHP Robby Snelling, Miami Marlins

Fresh off a series win at Dodger Stadium and sitting at 15-16 and second in the wonky NL East, the Marlins have so far proven friskier than many expected. But the rotation has not been a driving force behind that success, with a pesky offense that wreaks havoc on the basepaths leading the way and a surprisingly stout bullpen locking down the later innings. Marlins starting pitchers are in the middle of the pack by most measures and they lag behind in the swing-and-miss category, ranking 26th in strikeout rate. One option to add a jolt to the starting staff is the 22-year-old Snelling, one of the top left-handed pitching prospects in the minors. The 39th pick by the Padres out of a Nevada high school in 2022, Snelling was shipped to Miami as part of the package for Tanner Scott at the 2024 trade deadline.

The Marlins might actually have two future impact southpaws, with 21-year-old Thomas White also well-regarded in scouting circles. But White began the year injured and has made only two starts in Triple-A this season. Snelling, meanwhile, has made five starts with Jacksonville after posting a 1.27 ERA across 11 Triple-A starts to finish last season. He leads with a 95-mph heater but has a balanced mix of secondaries, leaning most heavily on his curveball in the upper minors. Strike-throwing has been a challenge for Snelling this year — a departure from his solid control exhibited prior — but he has given opposing hitters fits nevertheless. His 37.6% strikeout rate leads Triple-A arms, and he has allowed just 11 hits across 24 innings of work.

Four Miami rotation spots are fairly spoken for: Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez, Max Meyer and the sneaky stellar Janson Junk. But offseason addition Chris Paddack has struggled, and it’s reasonable to expect the Marlins to seek an upgrade sooner rather than later. Several alternatives loom in Triple-A, so Snelling might not be next in line, but he should warrant a major-league look at some point this season.

RHP Carlos Lagrange, New York Yankees

When it comes to the Yankees’ pitching staff, much of the early-season focus has been on the outstanding performance of the rotation and the timelines for Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón to return from their respective injuries. But Lagrange, whose eye-popping velocity made him one of the biggest stories of Yankees spring training, is another important name to monitor as the season progresses. The enormous right-hander exploded on the scene last year, racking up 168 strikeouts in 120 innings and reaching Double-A, and his high-octane arsenal was on display in the Grapefruit League, raising the possibility that he could be a major factor for New York in the majors in 2026.

While Lagrange has been deployed as a starter and has been reasonably effective across five Triple-A outings, the pending returns of Cole and Rodon to an already crowded rotation make it nearly impossible to envision a path for Lagrange to break into the rotation anytime soon. But that doesn’t mean New York won’t be tempted to call him up, with his elite velocity a tantalizing potential spark to add to a bullpen that has thus far been more average than great. The 22-year-old’s fastball has averaged 99.3 mph, and he has thrown 25 pitches in excess of 101 mph, including a 102.6-mph bolt that ranks as the fastest pitch thrown in Triple-A this season. It’s reasonable for the Yankees to play it slow here, especially with the big-league ballclub off to a great start and no pressing need. But don’t be surprised if Lagrange emerges as a high-leverage weapon in the coming months.

LHP Kade Anderson, Seattle Mariners

A stroke of lottery luck launched the Mariners all the way up to the No. 3 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, despite their minuscule odds to land a top selection after an 85-win season. That shocking sequence put Seattle in a unique position as a contender picking an elite prospect near the top of the draft. The Mariners used that pick on Anderson, a left-hander from LSU who was widely regarded as the top pitcher in the class. He earned that distinction by thriving in the SEC and showcasing plus command of a four-pitch mix, with rare aptitude for an amateur arm. Less than a year later, Anderson has pitched himself into position to potentially contribute to the Mariners’ championship ambitions in his first full professional season.

Anderson did not pitch in an official game after signing with Seattle last summer, meaning his professional debut had to wait until this spring. He immediately stood out in bullpen sessions and on the backfields during spring training and has continued to make a strong impression across his first four outings in Double-A, allowing just one earned run in 18 ⅔ innings. In his second start, Anderson combined pure dominance with ridiculous efficiency, needing just 70 pitches to strike out 11 across five no-hit innings. For reference, only one pitcher this century has racked up that many strikeouts with as few pitches in a single game: Chris Sale in 2018. 

That Anderson will reach the majors this season is not a given. For one, he’s the only prospect of the six covered in this article who hasn’t yet reached Triple-A. And Seattle boasts a wealth of quality arms in its rotation, meaning there’s no urgent need to rush Anderson’s development. However, beyond the All-Star trio of Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo and George Kirby, there is some uncertainty lurking with the next batch of right-handers, due to injury (Bryce Miller), underperformance (Luis Castillo) or lack of a lengthy track record (Emerson Hancock). All three are capable of pitching their way into solidified roles, but if one or multiple of their seasons go sideways, Anderson could emerge as Seattle’s next-best starter. That he could also offer a left-handed element to a rotation that has been overwhelmingly right-handed in recent years is a nice bonus.

We will keep track of every Brewers roster move here.

Last updated 4/30/25

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Jersey #	Pitchers (22)	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
56	Grant Anderson	R/R	6’0″	213	6/21/1997
26	Aaron Ashby	R/L	6’0″	194	5/24/1998
72	Coleman Crow*	R/R	6’0”	175	12/30/2000
73	Shane Drohan	L/L	6’3”	202	1/7/1999
35	Brian Fitzpatrick	S/L	6’7”	225	6/1/2000
54	Robert Gasser*	L/L	6’0″	197	5/31/1999
37	DL Hall	L/L	6’1″	209	9/19/1998
52	Kyle Harrison	R/L	6’2”	216	8/12/2001
43	Logan Henderson*	R/R	6’0″	211	3/2/2002
47	Jared Koenig**	R/L	6’5″	244	1/24/1994
50	Easton McGee*	R/R	6’7″	222	12/26/1997
29	Trevor Megill	L/R	6’8″	253	12/5/1993
32	Jacob Misiorowski	R/R	6’7″	201	4/3/2002
39	Chad Patrick	R/R	6’1″	217	8/14/1998
46	Quinn Priester**	R/R	6’3″	224	9/16/2000
27	Carlos Rodriguez*	R/R	5’11″	203	11/27/2001
23	Brandon Sproat	R/R	6’3”	205	09/17/2000
45	Abner Uribe	R/R	6’3″	205	6/20/2000
41	Jake Woodford	R/R	6’4”	215	10/28/1996
53	Brandon Woodruff	L/R	6’4”	241	2/10/1993
48	Craig Yoho*	R/R	6’2″	237	10/23/1999
58	Rob Zastryzny***	R/L	6’3″	231	3/26/1992
61	Ángel Zerpa**	L/L	6’0”	237	9/27/1999
Jersey #	Catchers (3)	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
24	William Contreras	R/R	5’10”	217	12/24/1997
15	Jeferson Quero*	R/R	6’0″	220	10/8/2002
99	Gary Sánchez	R/R	6’2”	251	12/2/1992
Jersey #	Infielders (8)	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
9	Jake Bauers	L/L	6’0″	216	10/6/1995
7	Tyler Black	L/R	6’0″	208	7/26/2000
6	David Hamilton	L/R	5’10”	192	9/29/1997
3	Joey Ortiz	R/R	5’10”	192	7/14/1998
	Cooper Pratt*	R/R	6’4”	210	8/18/2004
13	Luis Rengifo	S/R	5’9”	204	2/26/1997
2	Brice Turang	L/R	6’0″	190	11/21/1999
28	Andrew Vaughn**	R/R	5’10”	215	4/3/1998
Jersey #	Outfielders (8)	B/T	Ht	Wt	DOB
25	Akil Baddoo***	L/L	5’11”	216	8/16/1998
11	Jackson Chourio**	R/R	6’1″	199	3/11/2004
10	Sal Frelick	L/R	5’9″	191	4/19/2000
40	Greg Jones	S/R	6’0”	189	3/7/1998
20	Brandon Lockridge	R/R	6’0″	197	3/14/1997
5	Garrett Mitchell	L/R	6’2″	229	9/4/1998
16	Blake Perkins	S/R	6’0″	185	9/10/1996
22	Christian Yelich**	L/R	6’4″	220	12/5/1991

*Denotes player not on active roster

**Denotes player on non-60-day IL

***Players on 60-day IL are not counted toward 40-man roster but are included in this table

Transactions

4/29/26 – Brewers placed LHP Angel Zerpa on 15-day IL (left forearm tightness); LHP Brian Fitzpatrick selected from Triple-A Nashville

4/24/26 – Brewers recalled 3B Tyler Black and LHP Shane Drohan from Triple-A Nashville; RHP Carlos Rodriguez optioned to Triple-A Nashville; OF Luis Matos designated for assignment

4/23/26 – Brewers activated RHP Craig Yoho from 15-day injured list; Yoho optioned to Triple-A Nashville

4/18/26 – Brewers recalled RHP Carlos Rodriguez from Triple-A Nashville; RHP Coleman Crow optioned to Triple-A Nashville

4/17/26 – Brewers recalled RHP Coleman Crow from Triple-A Nashville; RHP Easton McGee optioned to Triple-A Nashville

4/14/26 – Brewers placed OF/DH Christian Yelich on 10-day IL (left groin strain); LHP Rob Zastryzny moved from 15-day IL to 60-day IL (left shoulder strain); OF Greg Jones selected from Triple-A Nashville

4/10/26 – Brewers recalled RHP Easton McGee from Triple-A Nashville

4/9/26 – Brewers optioned LHP Shane Drohan to Triple-A Nashville

4/6/26 – Brewers placed LHP Jared Koenig on 15-day IL (left elbow sprain); LHP Shane Drohan recalled from Triple-A Nashville

4/3/26 – Brewers signed SS Cooper Pratt to an eight-year contract, selected Pratt from Triple-A Nashville, and optioned him to Triple-A Nashville; OF Steward Berroa designated for assignment

3/31/26 – Brewers activated OF Luis Matos; C Jeferson Quero optioned to Triple-A Nashville

3/30/26 – Brewers traded cash considerations to the San Francisco Giants for OF Luis Matos; LHP Sammy Peralta designated for assignment

3/28/26 – Brewers placed 1B Andrew Vaughn on 10-day IL (left hamate fracture); C Jeferson Quero recalled from Triple-A Nashville

3/26/26 – Brewers placed OF Jackson Chourio on 10-day IL (left hand fracture); OF Blake Perkins recalled from Triple-A Nashville

3/25/26 – Brewers placed OF Steward Berroa on 10-day IL (right shoulder strain), RHP Craig Yoho on 15-day IL (right calf strain), RHP Quinn Priester on 15-day IL (right thoracic outlet syndrome), and LHP Rob Zastryzny on 15-day IL (left shoulder strain); RHP Easton McGee optioned to Triple-A Nashville

3/24/26 – Brewers traded RHP K.C. Hunt to the Tampa Bay Rays for RHP Jake Woodford; OF Akil Baddoo placed on 60-day injured list

2/16/26 – Brewers signed free agent IF Luis Rengifo

2/14/26 – Brewers signed free agent C Gary Sánchez

2/9/26 – Brewers traded 3B Caleb Durbin, UTIL Andruw Monasterio, UTIL Anthony Seigler, and a draft pick (No. 67 overall) to the Boston Red Sox for LHP Kyle Harrison, UTIL David Hamilton, and LHP Shane Drohan.

1/21/26 – Brewers traded RHP Freddy Peralta and RHP Tobias Myers to the New York Mets for RHP Brandon Sproat and SS/2B/OF Jett Williams

12/13/25 – Brewers traded RHP Nick Mears and OF Isaac Collins to the Kansas City Royals for LHP Ángel Zerpa

12/11/25 – Brewers signed free agent OF Akil Baddoo

11/18/25 – RHP Brandon Woodruff accepts qualifying offer

11/4/25 – Brewers decline mutual options on 1B Rhys Hoskins and LHP Jose Quintana; both players become free agents; Brewers decline club option for C William Contreras; Contreras remains with team as he enters his second arbitration year this offseason

11/3/25 – C Danny Jansen’s mutual option declined by Brewers, RHP Brandon Woodruff’s mutual option declined by Woodruff; both players become free agents; RHP Freddy Peralta’s club option for 2026 picked up by Brewers; RHP Coleman Crow added to 40-man roster

11/2/25 – RHP Shelby Miller, LHP Jordan Montgomery, and RHP Erick Fedde elected free agency

9/28/25 – Brewers activated LHP DL Hall and RHP Trevor Megill from 15-day injured list; RHP Erick Fedde designated for assignment; RHP Carlos Rodriguez optioned to ACL Brewers

9/24/25 – Brewers recalled RHP Carlos Rodriguez from Triple-A Nashville; LHP Bruce Zimmermann designated for assignment

9/21/25 – Brewers recalled LHP Robert Gasser from Triple-A Nashville; RHP Brandon Woodruff placed on 15-day injured list (right lat strain)

9/20/25 – Brewers selected LHP Bruce Zimmermann from Triple-A Nashville; RHP Joel Payamps designated for assignment

9/17/25 – Brewers activated RHP Nick Mears from 15-day injured list; LHP Jose Quintana placed on 15-day injured list (calf strain)

9/9/25 – Brewers activated 1B Rhys Hoskins from 10-day injured list; RHP Chad Patrick recalled from Triple-A Nashville; RHP Carlos Rodriguez and IF Anthony Seigler optioned to Triple-A Nashville

9/8/25 – Brewers activated RHP Grant Anderson from 15-day injured list; RHP Craig Yoho optioned to Triple-A Nashville

9/5/25 – Brewers recalled RHP Carlos Rodriguez from Triple-A Nashville; RHP Nick Mears placed on 15-day injured list (back tightness)

9/3/25 – Brewers selected the contract of RHP Joel Payamps from Triple-A Nashville; RHP Shelby Miller placed on 60-day injured list (right elbow UCL sprain)

9/1/25 – Brewers recalled RHP Craig Yoho from Triple-A Nashville; IF Joey Ortiz activated from 10-day injured list

8/30/25 – Brewers activated LHP Robert Gasser from the 60-day injured list; activated OF Jackson Chourio from the 10-day injured list; optioned LHP Robert Gasser and OF Brandon Lockridge to Triple-A Nashville; IF Oliver Dunn designated for assignment

8/29/25 – Brewers activated LHP Rob Zastryzny from the 15-day injured list; RHP Easton McGee optioned to Triple-A Nashville

8/27/25 – Brewers transferred RHP Logan Henderson from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list; RHP Erick Fedde signed as a free agent; RHP Trevor Megill placed on the 15-day injured list (right flexor strain)

8/25/25 – Brewers placed RHP Grant Anderson on the 15-day injured list (right ankle tendonitis); RHP Chad Patrick optioned, RHPs Tobias Myers and Easton McGee recalled from Triple-A Nashville

8/24/25 – Brewers optioned RHP Carlos Rodriguez, RHP Chad Patrick recalled from Triple-A Nashville

8/22/25 – Brewers placed SS Joey Ortiz on the 10-day injured list (strained left hamstring); 1B/OF Jake Bauers activated from the 10-day injured list

8/20/25 – Brewers recalled RHP Carlos Rodriguez from Triple-A Nashville; RHP Tobias Myers optioned to Triple-A Nashville; RHP Chad Patrick returned to Triple-A Nashville after doubleheader

8/18/25 – Brewers reinstated OF Isaac Collins from the paternity list; IF Tyler Black optioned to Triple-A Nashville; RHP Chad Patrick designated as 27th man for doubleheader

8/17/25 – Brewers reinstated OF Blake Perkins from the bereavement list; OF Steward Berroa optioned to Triple-A Nashville

8/16/25 – Brewers placed LHP DL Hall on the 15-day injured list (oblique strain); RHP Grant Anderson recalled from Triple-A Nashville

8/15/25 – Brewers placed OF Isaac Collins on the paternity list, OF Blake Perkins on the bereavement list, and optioned RHP Grant Anderson to Triple-A Nashville; RHP Jacob Misiorowski activated from the 15-day injured list, OF Steward Berroa and UTIL Tyler Black recalled from Triple-A Nashville

8/8/25 – Brewers placed RHP Logan Henderson on the 15-day injured list (right elbow inflammation); RHP Shelby Miller activated from the 15-day injured list; RHP Tobias Myers recalled from Triple-A Nashville

8/7/25 – RHP Easton McGee optioned to Triple-A Nashville

8/3/25 – Brewers placed RHP Jacob Misiorowski on the 15-day injured list (left tibia contusion); RHP Logan Henderson recalled from Triple-A Nashville

8/1/25 – Brewers placed OF Jackson Chourio on the 10-day injured list (hamstring strain); OF Brandon Lockridge activated

7/31/25 – Brewers designated RHP Elvis Peguero and LHP Bryan Hudson for assignment

7/31/25 – Brewers traded a PTBNL and cash considerations to the Arizona Diamondbacks for RHP Shelby Miller and LHP Jordan Montgomery

7/31/25 – Brewers traded LHP Nestor Cortes, SS prospect Jorge Quintana, and cash to the San Diego Padres for OF Brandon Lockridge

7/29/25 – Brewers recalled RHP Easton McGee, optioned RHP Craig Yoho to Triple-A Nashville

7/28/25 – Brewers traded IF prospect Jadher Areinamo to the Tampa Bay Rays for C Danny Jansen; Jansen added to active roster and C Eric Haase designated for assignment

7/28/25 – Brewers recalled RHP Craig Yoho, optioned RHP Tobias Myers to Triple-A Nashville; LHP Rob Zastryzny returned from rehab assignment at Triple-A Nashville (remains on IL)

7/26/25 – Brewers activated OF Sal Frelick from the 10-day injured list, optioned 1B/3B Tyler Black to Triple-A Nashville.

7/20/25 – Brewers placed 1B/OF Jake Bauers on the 10-day injured list (left shoulder impingement), retroactive to July 19; UTIL Tyler Black recalled from Triple-A Nashville

7/18/25 – Brewers activated LHP Aaron Ashby from the paternity list, recalled OF Blake Perkins from Triple-A Nashville; OF Sal Frelick placed on the 10-day injured list (left hamstring strain), retroactive to July 15

7/13/25 – Brewers optioned RHP Easton McGee to Triple-A Nashville, reinstated OF Blake Perkins from 60-day IL and optioned to Triple-A Nashville; OF Drew Avans designated for assignment

7/11/25 – Brewers placed LHP Aaron Ashby on the paternity list, recalled RHP Tobias Myers from Triple-A Nashville

7/9/25 – Brewers traded cash to the Los Angeles Dodgers for OF Steward Berroa; Berroa optioned to Triple-A Nashville and RHP Elvin Rodriguez designated for assignment

7/7/25 – Brewers placed 1B Rhys Hoskins on the 10-day injured list (sprained left thumb), recalled 1B Andrew Vaughn from Triple-A Nashville

7/6/25 – Brewers activated RHP Brandon Woodruff from the 60-day injured list, optioned RHP Chad Patrick to Triple-A Nashville, and moved OF Garrett Mitchell to the 60-day injured list (left shoulder surgery)

7/1/25 – Brewers designated OF Daz Cameron for assignment, placed LHP Rob Zastryzny on the 15-day injured list (rib stress reaction); 2B Anthony Seigler selected, RHP Easton McGee recalled from Triple-A Nashville

6/16/25 – Brewers activated OF Daz Cameron from the paternity list, optioned OF Drew Avans to Triple-A Nashville

6/13/25 – Brewers placed OF Daz Cameron on the paternity list, recalled OF Drew Avans and RHP Grant Anderson from Triple-A Nashville

6/13/25 – Brewers traded RHP Aaron Civale to the Chicago White Sox for 1B/OF Andrew Vaughn; Vaughn optioned to Triple-A Nashville

6/12/25 – Brewers selected RHP Jacob Misiorowski, optioned RHP Easton McGee to Triple-A Nashville, and moved RHP Brandon Woodruff to the 60-day injured list (right shoulder surgery)

6/10/25 – Brewers recalled RHP Easton McGee, optioned RHP Grant Anderson to Triple-A Nashville

6/8/25 – Brewers claimed OF Drew Avans off waivers from Athletics, optioned Avans to Triple-A Nashville

6/1/25 – Brewers reinstated LHP Jose Quintana from 15-day IL, designated LHP Tyler Alexander for assignment

5/26/25 – Brewers reinstated LHP DL Hall from 60-day IL, optioned RHP Logan Henderson to Triple-A Nashville

5/23/25 – Brewers reinstated LHP Aaron Ashby from 15-day IL, optioned RHP Carlos Rodriguez to Triple-A Nashville

5/22/25 – Brewers reinstated RHP Aaron Civale from 15-day IL, recalled RHP Carlos Rodriguez from Triple-A Nashville; RHP Joel Payamps designated for assignment, RHP Easton McGee optioned to Triple-A Nashville

5/18/25 – Brewers selected RHP Easton McGee, optioned RHP Tobias Myers to Triple-A Nashville; LHP Connor Thomas moved to the 60-day injured list (left elbow arthritis)

5/16/25 – Brewers traded cash to the New York Yankees for LHP Rob Zastryzny, optioned RHP Elvis Peguero to Triple-A Nashville

5/14/25 – Brewers recalled RHP Tobias Myers & RHP Logan Henderson, optioned LHP Bryan Hudson to Triple-A Nashville; placed LHP Jose Quintana on 15-day injured list, retroactive to 5/11 (left shoulder impingement).

5/11/25 – Brewers recalled RHP Elvis Peguero, optioned RHP Tobias Myers to Triple-A Nashville

5/9/25 – Brewers recalled LHP Bryan Hudson and 3B Andruw Monasterio from Triple-A Nashville; 3B Vinny Capra designated for assignment

5/8/25 – Brewers optioned RHP Elvin Rodriguez to Triple-A Nashville

5/3/25 – Brewers recalled RHP Elvin Rodriguez, optioned RHP Craig Yoho to Triple-A Nashville

4/26/25 – Brewers selected the contract of OF Daz Cameron, placed OF Garrett Mitchell on the 10-day IL (left oblique strain); OF Blake Perkins moved to the 60-day injured list (right shin)

4/24/25 – Brewers reinstated RHP Tobias Myers from IL, optioned LHP Bryan Hudson to Triple-A Nashville

4/21/25 – Brewers selected RHP Craig Yoho, optioned RHP Logan Henderson to Triple-A Nashville; LHP Nestor Cortes moved to the 60-day injured list (left elbow strain)

4/17/25 – Brewers recalled 3B Caleb Durbin, optioned 3B Oliver Dunn to Triple-A Nashville

4/15/25 – Brewers recalled RHP Logan Henderson, optioned RHP Elvin Rodriguez to Triple-A Nashville

4/11/25 – Brewers recalled LHP Jose Quintana, optioned RHP Elvis Peguero to Triple-A Nashville

4/8/25 – Brewers reinstated RHP Nick Mears from IL, added RHP Quinn Priester to active roster; LHP Connor Thomas placed on 15-day injured list (left elbow arthritis)

4/7/25 – Brewers traded LHP Grant Wolfram to the Baltimore Orioles for OF Daz Cameron and cash considerations

4/7/25 – Brewers traded OF Yophery Rodriguez, draft pick, and PTBNL to Boston Red Sox for RHP Quinn Priester; LHP Grant Wolfram designated for assignment

4/6/25 – Brewers placed LHP Nestor Cortes on the 15-day injured list (left elbow flexor strain); LHP Grant Wolfram recalled from Triple-A Nashville

3/31/25 – Brewers placed RHP Aaron Civale on 15-day IL (strained left hamstring); RHP Grant Anderson recalled from Triple-A Nashville

3/28/25 – Brewers traded OF Brewer Hicklen to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations

3/27/25 – Brewers announced Opening Day roster: Place seven players on IL, DFA OF Brewer Hicklen, and select RHP Chad Patrick

3/10/25 – Brewers optioned RHP Grant Anderson, RHP Logan Henderson, RHP Carlos Rodriguez, RHP Chad Patrick, LHP Grant Wolfram, and C Jeferson Quero to Triple-A Nashville

3/5/25 – Brewers signed free agent LHP Jose Quintana; LHP DL Hall moved to the 60-day injured list (left lat strain) to open a 40-man roster spot

2/12/25 – Brewers signed free agent LHP Tyler Alexander; LHP Robert Gasser moved to the 60-day injured list (Tommy John surgery) to open a 40-man roster spot

1/17/25 – Brewers signed free agent RHP Elvin Rodríguez; RHP J.B. Bukauskas DFA’d to open a 40-man roster spot

1/2/25 – Brewers traded LHP Mason Molina to the Texas Rangers for RHP Grant Anderson; LHP Tyler Jay DFA’d to open a 40-man roster spot

12/13/24 – Brewers traded RHP Devin Williams to New York Yankees for LHP Nestor Cortes and IF Caleb Durbin

12/12/24 – Brewers signed free agent LHP Grant Wolfram

12/11/24 – Brewers purchased contract of LHP Connor Thomas from St. Louis Cardinals in the Rule 5 Draft

11/22/24 – LHP Hoby Milner non-tendered, elected free agency

11/19/24 – RHP Logan Henderson and RHP Chad Patrick selected from Triple-A Nashville, added to 40-man roster

11/4/24 – 1B Jake Bauers and RHP Bryse Wilson cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A Nashville; they both elected free agency

11/4/24 – RHP Frankie Montas declined his mutual option, electing free agency

11/4/24 – C Gary Sánchez’s mutual option declined by the Brewers, making him a free agent

11/4/24 – RHP Colin Rea cleared waivers and the team declined their club option on his contract, making him a free agent

11/4/24 – Chicago Cubs claimed LHP Rob Zastryzny off waivers

11/4/24 – New York Mets claimed RHP Kevin Herget off waivers

10/31/24 – RHP Joe Ross, LHP Wade Miley, and SS Willy Adames elected free agency

Despite leading twice in this afternoon’s ballgame, the Royals fell behind in the bottom of the second and never again challenged the Athletics.

The Royals led off the scoring in the bottom of the first on a two-out RBI single by Starling Marte, the first of his three singles of the afternoon. Maikel Garcia, who doubled on the first pitch of the game, scored. Unfortunately, with the bases still loaded, Carter Jensen struck to end the frame. Jensen’s day at the plate would not improve.

In the bottom of the first, Garcia stayed in the spotlight, this time missing a grounder he normally snags, which turned into a double for A’s DH Shea Langeliers (Stephen King’s favorite Athletic) and men on second and third with none out. With one out, the A’s had the bases loaded, but Royals starting pitcher Noah Cameron minimized the damage by giving up only one run.

Garcia homered in his second at-bat of the afternoon, this time in the top of the second, to put the Royals up 2-1. Garcia had an injury scare in the bottom of the first when the Athletics tied things, but he stayed in the game, later adding another double. He finished the day 3-for-5 with two doubles, a homer, two runs, a stolen base, and one RBI.

But the A’s took control in the bottom of the inning and never ceded it. Langeliers doubled in Lawrence Butler to tie the game before Nick Kurtz doubled in both Langeliers and Jacob Wilson. Kurtz would then score on a little dribbler hit to Loftin who made an off-line throw to Salvador Perez, today’s first baseman, who failed to handle it.

5-2, Athletics.

The game settled down after that. The A’s starting pitcher, Jeffrey Springs, threw a lot of pitches in a short period of time before leaving due to the injury. The A’s bullpen took over, tossing six innings of five-hit, two-run ball. In the bottom of the seventh, the A’s scored another run before Elias Diaz homered in the top of the eighth to cut the lead to 6-3.

That was pretty much it. Jac Caglianone reached base in the top of the ninth, and with the Royals down to their last out, Vinnie Pasquantino pinch-hit. Like a lot of Royals today, he hit the ball hard, but right at an Athletic.

Game, set, match. Oakland takes the day, 6-3, and the series, 2-1.

Now the Royals are off to Seattle to take on the Mariners in a weekend series.