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MLB News & Moments: Rob Thomson Departs, Phillies Win

Matt Chapman gets a birthday golden sombrero

Pablo Figueroa
MLB Morning News 4/29/2026

Stay updated on everything baseball with our morning MLB News & Moments articles. We’ve got you covered to keep you in the know.

Tuesday’s action began away from the field, as news quickly spread of the Phillies letting go of manager Rob Thomson. He becomes the second manager to be fired in 2026, following Alex Cora’s departure from Boston. Both situations were eerily similar, as the Red Sox and Phillies stumbled out of the gate despite high expectations, and it became clear that ownership tried to provide a spark to their rosters by making a huge change.

In a weird twist, Cora was approached by Philadelphia to take Thomson’s spot, but he declined, leaving Don Mattingly as the interim manager. Thomson departs the Phillies as the franchise’s ninth-winningest manager, with a 355-270 record that includes the 2022 NL pennant. As a baseball lifer who waited a long time for his shot, this exit is certainly bittersweet, but it is also a reminder that managers are always a bad streak away from landing on the hot seat.

Today’s Headlines

 

Tough-Luck Sho

Facing another game in which he started on the mound but not at the plate, Shohei Ohtani battled through six tough innings against the pesky Marlins, needing 104 pitches and ceding five hits, three walks, and two runs (one earned), albeit with nine strikeouts. The unearned run came after a throwing error by Ohtani himself, as the reigning MVP left the game with a 2-0 deficit. Miami’s Janson Junk was a bit better this time, allowing zero runs over six frames to earn the win, as the Dodgers put a run on the board until the eighth, while a missed opportunity to tie the game ultimately decided that Ohtani took his first loss of 2026. With a 0.60 ERA, Ohtani looks like a real Cy Young candidate, but he will need more run support going forward, especially if his bat is not used on the days he pitches.

The Long Road Back

A week ago, the Mets were riding an unfathomable 12-game losing streak. Since then, they have gone 3-3, but have at least shown some signs of life. Last night’s 8-0 win over the Nationals may have been their most convincing one yet, as every key member of the offense played a part in the proceedings, and the pitching was stellar. Bo Bichette opened the game with a lead-off homer, and the Mets would send ten men to the plate in the fourth as they scored seven runs, capped by a Juan Soto homer that gave the final score. The vast offensive support gave Clay Holmes plenty of room to operate, and he responded with a six-inning performance with six strikeouts and no runs allowed, lowering his ERA to 1.75. With Rob Thomson and Alex Cora now on the unemployment list, manager Carlos Mendoza would seem the next natural candidate to be fired, but the Mets can avoid that if they can keep playing like this.

Cruzin’ to Another W

In last night’s premier pitching matchup, Cam Schlittler and Jacob deGrom lived up to the billing, combining for only one run allowed over 12 innings, with 13 Ks to their names. With runs at a premium and Texas trying to make a late comeback, the game turned in a weird sequence in the eighth inning, as the Rangers decided to bunt (?!) with two men on base and Joc Pederson at the plate. The move backfired thanks to a spectacular Fernando Cruz play, and he would recover to strike out the next two batters. The lead would be extended by an Aaron Judge solo homer to start the ninth, but Texas did not go away quietly. An error opened the door for the Rangers, as they scored twice and had the tying run on second base with one out, only to see Corey Seager ground into a game-ending double play, as closer David Bednar secured the 3-2 win. The Yankees are now the first AL team to reach 20 wins in 2026.

Trey Bien!

In a season that has not gone as expected, the Toronto Blue Jays saw their biggest hope make a dramatic return, as playoff sensation Trey Yesavage made his season debut and led his team to a win. Facing the suddenly-improving Red Sox, Yesavage was efficient and attacked the strike zone, needing 74 pitches to toss 5.1 innings in which he allowed only four hits and zero walks. While his electric stuff only appeared sparsely, Yesavage managed to strike out three and keep Boston off-kilter, as the bullpen would also be stellar, allowing only one walk while striking out six to close out the 3-0 final score. Toronto’s offense was limited but cashed in on a couple of rallies, including a two-run single from Kazuma Okamoto and a later RBI hit from Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. If the Jays can find the best version of Yesavage going forward, they suddenly become a much more dangerous team.

Why Does it Always Rain on Me?

After becoming the first second baseman drafted No. 1 overall back in 2024, the hype for Travis Bazzana has been growing in Cleveland. It increased as he displayed his talent during the WBC, making his MLB debut all but inevitable. The day finally came to see Bazzana don the Guardians uniform, but the Rays were ready to spoil the party. Bazzana went hitless but managed to walk twice, as Cleveland went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position en route to a 1-0 shutout at the hands of Nick Martinez and three Tampa relievers. Martinez continued his strong season by tossing seven scoreless frames, lowering his ERA to 1.70, while Jonathan Aranda drove in the only run of the game.

 

By The Numbers

 

39 After making his debut, Travis Bazzana became the 39th Australian player to take part in an MLB game. He will try to become the seventh of them to also make the Australian Baseball Hall of Fame.

7.5 With last night’s win over the Tigers, Atlanta improved their MLB-best record to 21-9, giving it a 7.5-game lead in their division. In all other divisions, there is no difference between first and second placed that exceeds two games.

6 Shohei Ohtani made his fifth pitching start of the season. In all of them, he has gone exactly six innings, allowing no more than one earned run in each. His ERA stands at a sparkling 0.60.

23 Josh Naylor was finally caught stealing since he arrived in Seattle last season. This stops a streak of 23 straight stolen bases with the Mariners. For his career, Naylor owns an elite 85% success rate when trying to steal a base.

 

Best Moments From Yesterday

 

Nice Wether

The Cardinals have over-achieved so far in 2026, having a winning record through the first month despite preseason projections suggesting they would be a trainwreck. One of the biggest reasons for that has been the emergence of rookie JJ Wetherholt, who has hit well above average and added value as a defender. This was evident during last night’s game against the Pirates, as he denied Nick Gonzales of a hit early in the game. Wetherholt did this when the game was 1-0, and he would be instrumental in the eventual 11-7 win, as he scored three runs to add to his strong numbers.

Romo > FOMO

Facing the early front-runner for the AL Cy Young, the White Sox were not fazed and displayed their penchant for long balls, as José Soriano took his first loss of the season. The unlikely hero of the game was backup catcher Drew Romo, who had to wait a couple of years to hit his first career homer. The first one came against Soriano, as the two-run blast would give Chicago a lead they would not relinquish. Only a couple of innings later, Romo proved that power is contagious, hitting his second career dinger, this time from the right side against Brent Suter. The White Sox would end up winning by a 5-2 score, and now Drew Romo should not fear missing out on the feeling of hitting a big-league homerun.

Something New

One of baseball’s greatest features is the idea that you may see something you have never seen before. This happened for me during the Giants and Phillies game, as San Francisco squashed an early threat by completing a 5-3-1 double play. With the speedy Trea Turner at first, a Bryce Harper grounder pulled the third baseman off his position to secure an out at first. Turner alertly tried to move to third, and he appeared to get there in time, but Rafael Devers made a perfect throw as Turner veered off the base. The double play was the only memorable part of this game for the Giants, though, as the Phillies shook off today’s tough news to win with a convincing 7-0 score, with Jesús Luzardo (eight Ks over seven scoreless innings) leading the way.

Pocket Monster Roundup

A few days ago, MLB released a roundup of players listing their favorite Pokémon. While that video had mostly predictable and vanilla responses (at least half the players said Pikachu), the second version of this video saw quite a lot more Poké-connoisseurs. With responses ranging from the obscure Kingambit and a wide variety of Gen-1 pocket monsters, several players also shared their love for collecting Pokémon cards. Here’s hoping that Jameson Taillon can share his Snorlax collection in the next episode.

 

Injuries and Other Moves

 

⚾ The Marlins have placed high-priced closer Pete Fairbanks on the 15-day IL with nerve irritation, just a day after blowing a critical save against the Dodgers. Fairbanks has had a tough start to his Miami tenure, sporting a 10.00 ERA. His status will be uncertain for the upcoming weeks, while the Marlins may adopt a closer-by-committee approach in his absence. 

⚾ The Cubs have announced that ace Justin Steele, out since April 2025 following UCL surgery, will be shut down for at least a month after a setback in his recovery. The most recent injury has been described as a flexor strain, with Steele needing at least one more month before further evaluation. With Cade Horton also on the IL for the whole year, Chicago’s struggles at the top of their rotation remain the team’s priority if they are to seek in-season reinforcements. 

⚾ Following last weekend’s DFA, the Angels have officially released reliever Jordan Romano, who is now an unrestricted free agent. Despite being one of the best bullpen arms in MLB to start his career, Romano’s past three seasons have been a disaster, with a combined 8.11 ERA that first led to his departure from the Phillies and now the Angels. At 33 years old, Romano may receive other chances to bounce back, but the metrics around his pitches and his status as a failed closer may be too much to overcome.

 

Articles You Should Read

 

The Strike Zone is Shrinking — Ben Clemens, Fangraphs

7 Hours in Line for the Perfect Blue Jays Giveaway — Keegan Matheson, MLB.com

 

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Pablo Figueroa

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Pablo Figueroa is a Baseball Writer here at Pitcher List, with experience as a writer since 2013. He lives in Aguascalientes, Mexico - proud home of Los Rieleros. When he´s not thinking about baseball , he's a husband, owns two dogs, watches random episodes of The Sopranos , plays padel, and works on his day job to pay the bills.

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