Stay updated on everything baseball with our morning MLB News & Moments articles. We’ve got you covered to keep you in the know.
Thursday’s action gave us only six games on the slate, with a couple matinees that saw the offenses of two 2025 playoff teams continue to sputter. On the other hand, several of last season’s worst teams continued to surprise and play good baseball. Let’s get into it.
Today’s Headlines
‘Bronx Bombers’ Silenced
The Athletics came into the Bronx and won a series for the first time since 2016, capping it off with a one-hit performance by Jeffrey Springs (7 IP, 0 ER, 6 K, 1 H, 2 BB) and the bullpen. Ryan Weathers (8 IP, 1 ER, 7 K, 7 H, 0 B) pitched quite well himself but came away with the loss, as the Yankees failed to provide him with any run support. New York’s 8-4 record hides the fact that most of their lineup has not been producing (understatement) to start the season, especially the bottom half.
Their infield has become an ever-changing bag of mixed pieces, which has included Ryan McMahon at both third base and shortstop recently, as well as Amed Rosario at second and José Caballero at short. Those players may all have their moments throughout the season, but it is hard to envision any of them putting together any kind of consistent production. The club currently ranks a shocking 28th in the league in hits per game, indicating that there are major red flags behind the 8-4 record.
Twins Complete Four-Game Sweep of Detroit
There is not one preseason prognosticator who could truthfully say that they had the Minnesota Twins projected to finish higher in the AL Central than the Detroit Tigers this season. While we have tons of baseball left to play, this week’s four-game series that just wrapped up between the two clubs should have people taking notice of a potential power shift within the division.
Behind pitching that gave up six runs to Detroit in Wednesday’s game but only six runs in the other three games combined, the Twins were able to come into Comerica Park, secure the sweep, and with a 7-6 record go above .500 for the first time since June 15 of last season. The jury is out still on if this Twins team is for real, but they certainly look more competitive than last year when they were an AL-worst 37-63 over the final 100 games of the 2025 season. The Tigers, on the other hand, have shown very little positives other than the play of rookie Kevin McGonigle. Their starting pitching has been particularly poor, with Tarik Skubal being the only one of the current bunch who is nearly-guaranteed to right the ship sooner than later. With a 4-9 record heading into the weekend, the Tigers will need to show serious signs of life this weekend against the Miami Marlins, who are 8-5 themselves and playing good ball.
Marlins’ Offense Stays Hot
Speaking of Miami, they were able to beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 on Thursday to secure a four-game series split, with their offense leading the way once again. The club currently ranks fifth in baseball in runs scored per game (5.15) and fourth in hits per game (8.92). They have a lineup full of young hitters who the average fan likely had not heard of coming into the year, but who are quickly making names for themselves, such as Liam Hicks and Owen Caissie. With Sandy Alcantara looking like an absolute workhorse once again, averaging over 8 IP per start through his first three outings, the Marlins are not to be taken lightly this season.
E-Rod Continues To Dominate
Eduardo Rodriguez, after two very poor seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, has come back in his third season with the club (11th season overall in the big leagues) and so far has looked like a new man in 2026. After failing to keep his ERA below 5.00 in each of the previous two seasons, he now has a sparkling 0.50 ERA and 1.00 WHIP through 18 IP over his first three outings. He led the Diamondbacks to a 7-1 win over the New York Mets on Thursday in a rematch between the two World Baseball Classic Championship game starters, handing Nolan McLean the loss despite a strong performance himself (6.1 IP, 2 ER, 8 K, 3 H, 2 BB).
The lone bright spot for the Mets’ offense was a solo blast from Luis Robert Jr. Jr., who has looked great for his new club so far this year after being traded from the White Sox for Luisangel Acuña.
Both clubs now sit at 7-6, with the Diamondbacks staying on the road for a series at the Philadelphia Phillies this weekend, and the Mets staying in Citi Field to welcome the Athletics for a three-game set.
By The Numbers
⚾ 409. That’s the distance traveled, in feet, of the home run hit by Cincinnati Reds rookie third baseman Sal Stewart on Thursday. Stewart is hitting .364 with four home runs on the young season, and is looking like an early favorite for NL Rookie of the Year.
⚾ 104. That’s the exit velocity, in MPH, of a fly out by New York Yankees‘ first baseman Ben Rice on Thursday during their one-hit performance. It’s notable because it was the only ball that a Yankee hit that was over 100 mph in the entire game — the Athletics had eight such balls put in play, by comparison.
Best Moments From Yesterday
City Connect Unveiling
Eight teams unveiled new City Connect uniforms yesterday. Designed to reflect cultural aspects of each team’s respective home city, the uniform series began in 2021 and usually involves individual releases. Yesterday marked the first time that the league decided to unveil them in a bunch, with new uniforms for Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, San Diego and Texas being showcased.
Wilson Knocked the Cover off the Ball (Literally)
We hear the phrase “knocked the cover off the ball” sometimes when an announcer is referring to a particularly scorching line drive or home run, but on Thursday the Athletics‘ Jacob Wilson managed to literally tear the cover off of a baseball on a hit where the exit velocity registered a whopping… 14.3 mph? I’m guessing the ball was already losing its seams prior to that weak contact, but who knows. Stranger things have happened on a baseball field.
Web Gem in Miami
During Thursday’s 8-1 loss to Miami, Cincinnati Red’s outfielder Dane Myers made one of the better catches that you will see all year, not only getting to a ball most others would not have, but holding on to it through some serious contact with the wall.
Web Gem in Kansas City
Meanwhile, during Kansas City’s 2-0 loss to the White Sox, Bobby Witt Jr.. was doing Bobby Witt Jr.. things.
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾Athletics‘ outfielder Brent Rooker had to leave Thursday’s game in the first inning after experiencing right flank discomfort on a swing during his first at-bat. He will undergo further testing today (April 10) to determine the severity of the injury.
⚾ Detroit Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows had to be hospitalized for overnight observation after he collided with fellow outfielder Riley Greene while converging on a fly ball during Thursday’s loss to the Minnesota Twins. Meadows was down for several minutes after the collision, appearing dazed before finally sitting up and being helped off the field on a cart.
⚾ The Los Angeles Angels announced that right-handed reliever Robert Stephenson will miss the entire 2026 season after undergoing ligament and flexor tendon repair surgery on his right elbow. It’s a devastating setback for the 33-year-old, who previously missed the entire 2024 season due to a separate surgery, and was limited to only 12 games in 2025 after he was diagnosed with a stretched biceps nerve.
⚾ The Associated Press reported that the average MLB salary has hit a record-high $5.3 million, led by the league-leading payrolls of the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Articles You Should Read
Taj Bradley Is Embracing the Vertical Axis — Anthony Licciardi, PitcherList
Out% Update for 2026: Good Outs vs. Lucky Outs — Taylor Tarter, PitcherList
Re-Re-Reexamining Trevor Rogers on the Cusp of Acehood — Mike Baumann, FanGraphs
Fantasy Baseball Coverage