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When shifting from month to month in the MLB season, I tend to assign different values or goals to each segment. The first month of the season is just a feeling-out period, seeing what you have on your roster, where your offseason succeeded or failed, and who might be surprising or needing reinforcement. Now, as we are in the early days of May, things start to take a more serious tone, yet still not too much. Yes, every win matters, and you want to bank them to put you in a good position for the stretch run. We are not quite at the quarter mark of the season, but things are taking shape. No team is running away with anything, which sets up the rest of the season to be very entertaining.
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Today’s Headlines
Ejections Spark Padres’ Rally vs. Yankees
Sometimes, a manager knows he needs to get ejected to spark his team. Sometimes, an ejection just comes about naturally and still has that same effect. Following ejections of Fernando Tatis Jr. and manager Mike Shildt, the San Diego Padres scored four times with two outs in the top of the eighth inning to surge past the New York Yankees 4-3 on a rainy night at Yankee Stadium. Tatis was tossed after striking out for arguing a called second strike by home plate umpire Adrian Johnson, then Shildt rushed out of the dugout, throwing his lineup card, pen, and then his glasses to earn a trip to the clubhouse. Runners were on first and second against former Yankees closer Devin Williams when that happened. Luis Arraez then drew a walk to load the bases, and Williams exited in favor of Luke Weaver. Manny Machado then doubled home a pair of runs to pull the Padres within 3-2. Xander Bogaerts then lined a single to left, easily scoring Arraez, and Machado scored as the throw from left fielder Cody Bellinger was offline. The teams dealt with two 28-minute rain delays — one pregame, the other in the fourth.
Smith-Shawver Shoves
Following their 0-7 start, Atlanta is close to reaching .500 for the first time in 2025. That is thanks to guys like AJ Smith-Shawver and others who have stepped up in the absence of a couple of star players. Smith-Shawver was on center stage by taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning as Atlanta topped the Cincinnati Reds 4-0. Santiago Espinal was the only one to get a hit off Smith-Shawver in eight innings, leading off the eighth with a ground single up the middle. Smith-Shawver walked four and struck out five in the best start of his 12-game career, lowering his season ERA to 3.00. The Reds lost left fielder Tyler Callihan to a broken left forearm when he crashed into the side wall chasing Matt Olson’s drive down the line in the third inning. Olson would up with a two-run inside-the-park homer.
Wilson, A’s Walk Off Mariners
If you took a survey asking what two teams have been the hottest since mid-April, you would be hard-pressed to come up with the Seattle Mariners or the Athletics, much less both of them. Yet that is exactly what they are. Since April 15, the A’s have the most wins with 13 (in 19 games), while the M’s have the best record at 12-5. The two AL West rivals opened a three-game series, and it lived up to that billing, with the A’s winning 7-6 in 11 innings on Jacob Wilson’s one-out walk-off, bases-loaded single. Wilson actually knocked in two runs in extra innings as he plated JJ Bleday in the 10th against Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz, who hadn’t allowed a run all season nor in his last 17 innings, including last year. The Mariners are one game up on the A’s in the West.
Homers Power Mets
Peaks and valleys are just part of a 162-game season. Following getting swept in a doubleheader by the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, the New York Mets continued their road trip by visiting the Arizona Diamondbacks, looking for something positive. But when Corbin Carroll led off the bottom of the first, it might have felt like more of the same. But thanks to homers from Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso, the Mets opened this three-game series by hanging on for a 5-4 triumph. Alonso got the Mets back on track with a no-doubt two-run blast in the top of the third to make it 2-1, then Lindor tacked on a towering three-run shot that almost landed in the pool for a 5-1 lead in the seventh. The D’backs scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it tight.
Ohtani Loves Miami
Okay, so it wasn’t a 6-for-6, 10-RBI game featuring three home runs and two steals that made him the first 50-50 player in MLB history, but Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani surely made his mark in his first game back in Miami since that historic day last season. Ohtani delivered the hardest-hit homer across MLB this season and also stole a base as the Dodgers handed the Miami Marlins a 7-4 loss. Ohtani’s ninth blast of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth, was a 117.9 mph laser that put the Dodgers up 5-0. It was his only hit of the day, but he also scored twice. Hyeseong Kim, making his first MLB start, notched his first MLB hit and scored on Ohtani’s homer. Kim made it a two-hit day when he singled again in the sixth, driving in his first run. Dodgers right fielder Teoscar Hernández left the game in the fourth inning with hamstring tightness and is likely headed for the 10-day injured list.
D’backs Reveal Newest City Connects
We have a new challenger for best City Connect uniforms in the storied history of City Connects (since 2021). The Arizona Diamondbacks unveiled their second City Connect uniforms, with a nod to the club’s original colors. The second edition is dominated by purple, with teal lettering and numbers. For their primary uniforms, the D’backs had moved to brick red and black, with a hint of teal. The Serpientes name is still scrawled across the front, just like in the original City Connects that were desert sand-colored.
Best Moments From Yesterday
A Defensive Cruz Missile
For a lifelong shortstop, Oneil Cruz is certainly looking comfortable in center field. The Pittsburgh Pirates star turned in a defensive gem with a 100 mph throw from center to nail Victor Scott II of the St. Louis Cardinals at home.
Remembering The Indigenous
There is a reason why we don’t use the nickname of the Atlanta team here at Pitcher List. But that doesn’t mean the team doesn’t know when it is time to acknowledge certain things tied to its nickname. Such was the case when players wore hand-beaded bracelets to honor Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Day.
Nature’s Beauty
No words needed.
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ Right-hander Ross Stripling, a 35-year-old who pitched nine seasons in MLB for four teams, announced his retirement. Stripling went 40-54 with a 4.17 ERA with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2016-20), Toronto Blue Jays (2020-22), San Francisco Giants (2023), and Oakland Athletics (2024).
⚾ Houston Astros outfielder-DH Yordan Alvarez was placed on the 10-day injured list with inflammation in his right hand. He missed two games over the weekend with the injury. Catcher César Salazar was called up from Triple-A.
⚾ Chicago Cubs left-handed starter Shota Imanaga went on the 15-day injured list with a strained left hamstring. Right-hander Gavin Hollowell was called up from Triple-A. Imanaga is the second prominent starter the Cubs have lost this season due to injury. Left-hander Justin Steele had season-ending UCL revision surgery in early April.
⚾ The Minnesota Twins activated third baseman Royce Lewis (strained right hamstring) and utilityman Willi Castro (strained right oblique) from the 10-day IL. Second baseman Edouard Julien and utilityman Mickey Gasper were sent to Triple-A.
⚾ The Texas Rangers have hired Bret Boone as a hitting coach, a day after firing offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker. Boone was a three-time All-Star during his 14-year MLB career. The Rangers entered Monday ranked 25th or worse in several offensive categories, including 29th in runs.
⚾ Athletics second baseman Zack Gelof was taken off his rehab assignment due to a rib injury. This is unrelated to the reason why he was on a rehab assignment. In spring training, Gelof was hit by a pitch and broke the hamate bone in his right wrist.
⚾ Mets outfielder Jesse Winker landed on the 10-day IL with a strained right oblique. He is expected to miss six to eight weeks. Mets left-handed reliever A.J. Minter, already on the 15-day IL, will have season-ending surgery to repair his torn left lat. Minter was hoping to avoid surgery, but that turned out to be the best option.
Articles You Should Read
Twins’ biggest (and scariest) question: What’s wrong with Correa? — Aaron Gleeman, The Athletic
A question of control — Patrick Dubuque, FanGraphs
Lift, launch, pull? Nationals’ Wood just tries to smoke every ball — Tyler Kepner, The Athletic
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
