Admit it, there is worry.

Fess up, negative thoughts are swirling.

Could it be possible that the greatest team in baseball history isn’t even the best team in their division?

Is there a chance that a team so recently dubbed, “invincible” and “unbeatable” is actually more like “maddening” and “mediocre?”

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Does baseball’s reigning emperor have no clothes?

That was some of the talk floating through the late afternoon haze Sunday as the Dodgers followed the worst loss in Dodger Stadium history with one of the most frustrating of the season.

One moment the Chicago Cubs were beating the Dodgers 16-0, then less than 24 hours later they were winning with a quarter of those runs. One moment the Cubs were embarrassing the Dodgers, the next moment they were enraging them, a 4-2 loss that dropped the Dodgers to 3-6 since their 8-0 start.

They have lost three consecutive series for the first time in nearly a year, and it only happened once last season, and, yes, late Sunday that was Max Muncy’s bat and helmet flying through the air.

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“It’s just a bumpy two weeks,” said Mookie Betts, adding, “This isn’t the first time we sucked for two weeks.”

Read more: Dodgers offense continues to struggle in loss to Cubs

The adjective in the first sentence was appropriate. The verb in the second sentence was perfect.

The Dodgers lost Sunday’s game despite six strong innings from Tyler Glasnow, who gave up a couple of runs on two homers and rebounded from a muddy beating in Philadelphia to pitch as wonderfully as the weather.

But starting pitching isn’t the problem. It’s everything else.

The fielding generally stinks, witness the misplayed fly ball in the left-field corner by Michael Conforto that led to the eighth-inning clinching run.

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“Outs that we have to have, we gotta convert those,” said manager Dave Roberts for the umpteenth time.

The hitting, meanwhile, really stinks, this historic offense began the game ranking eighth in baseball in strikeouts and OPS while drawing only the 17th-most walks.

“We’re trying to get the job done,” said Betts. “We’re just not.”

In other words, the magic of all those wondrous plate appearances in October have at least temporarily disappeared. This Dodger team doesn’t work the count, they don’t wear down the pitcher, they don’t own the moment.

The top of the lineup has been decent, but the bottom of the order has been non-existent.

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Kiké Hernández is five for 44. Miguel Rojas is five for 31. Muncy is nine for 51 and still without a homer.

Read more: Dodgers’ Andy Pages trying to avoid sophomore slump and cement lineup spot

How bad is the group of background players who once stole the show and made this team’s stars shine? So far this season Shohei Ohtani has had seven plate appearances with runners in scoring position. All season.

“It’s a 162-game season and it’s going to be like that,” said Hernández. “You’re never going to have …every guy in the lineup be hot at the same time. I just feel like — we have more guys scuffling than guys that are feeling really good at the plate, so it’s just one of those stretches right now.”

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Standing in front of his locker after Sunday’s game, admirably facing the tough questions, Hernández made a promise.

At the beginning of the season it felt like a realistic promise. Suddenly it feels like a shaky one

“We’re going to snap out of it and we’re just going to start steamrolling people,” he said.

Maybe so, but they have to first rediscover what led them to steamrolling people in the first place. These glamorous defending world champions have to remember the time — not so long ago — when they were the gritty team with the chip on their shoulders.

“We just gotta…get back to who we are as an offense,” said Roberts. “Running counts, getting on base, taking walks when given to us, and not chasing, and trying to create stress. And when we do that, we give ourselves more opportunities. And when we don’t do that, our margin is much smaller. Pitchers have to be more perfect, and that’s a tough way to live.”

You know what’s a really tough way to live? Without Freddie Freeman. His ankle injury may be the key to this entire slide. Freeman grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning Sunday but he hasn’t been on the field much and the Dodger offense has crumbled without his cornerstone.

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Freeman played virtually the entire season in six of the last seven years, but he’s only appeared in seven of 17 games this season, so you know something is wrong. His surgically repaired ankle is still obviously bothering him, and the pain is clearly killing the Dodgers.

“Freddie is wired very routine,” said Roberts. “Being hurt, the start-stop, the (injured list) — certainly not ideal for him, or for anyone. But he’ll get there. It’s not perfect, his ankle. It’s sort of a new normal, in my opinion. I just feel he’s going to have to calibrate the new normal for his ankle.”

Freeman is apparently going to have to battle his condition the entire season. And so, apparently, will the Dodgers. It is a battle they all must win. Their title defense depends on it.

Like Hernández, Roberts made a promise.

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“We’re going to be just fine,” he said. “I still expect to win the division. I still expect to win the World Series. I appreciate the passion, the concern from our fans. But we’re going to be fine.”

OK. Sure. Absolutely. Gulp.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

It’s too early to sound any alarm bells. The lineup is too talented, they believe, for the narrative not to eventually turn.

But right now, the Dodgers’ biggest problem is not difficult to diagnose.

Their $400-million roster is not hitting, plain and simple.

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And in a 4-2 defeat to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, it cost them a third-straight series loss in the wake of their roaring 8-0 start to the season.

During that unbeaten barrage, when the Dodgers swept their opening series in Tokyo before winning all six games on their first homestand, the team’s star-studded lineup was performing as expected. Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts set the tone at the top. Teoscar Hernández, Tommy Edman and Will Smith cashed in with runners on base. And even though the bottom of the batting order was struggling, the Dodgers were still averaging more than 5 ½ runs per game, hardly seeming to notice Freddie Freeman’s early absence.

Over the last nine games, however, the offense has come to a screeching halt — serving as the biggest problem in their current 3-6 rut.

Ohtani and Betts have been solid, but far from superhuman. Everyone else is trudging along, if not toiling through a flat-out slump.

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In manager Dave Roberts’ view, there has been a lack of quality “team at-bats,” with the manager bemoaning his team’s tendency to chase pitches out of the zone in key situations.

And even when the Dodgers have swung at the right pitches, they haven’t done much with them; a sobering reality that became all the more apparent in Sunday’s nationally televised rubber match loss.

Read more: Roki Sasaki takes another step forward, Dodgers’ offense regresses in laugher of a loss

With Chicago swingman Colin Rea serving as the Cubs’ opener, the Dodgers got plenty of good pitches to hit early in their Sunday Night Baseball showdown. Roughly a dozen times, Rea offered up mid-90s mph fastball near the heart of the plate.

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But of the 16 heaters the Dodgers swung at against Rea, they whiffed six times, put only three in play and recorded just one hit — a Michael Conforto single in the second.

Conforto eventually came around to score that inning, after another single from Will Smith (a bloop hit on a first-pitch cutter) and a run-scoring knock from Kiké Hernández (his first non-home run of the season, after going deep for each of his first four hits).

From there, however, the Dodgers could mount little pressure. Rea pitched 3 ⅔ innings without allowing another run. And the Cubs bullpen was equally stout, permitting just one score the rest of the way.

On the mound, Tyler Glasnow bounced back from last week’s frustrating outing in Philadelphia, when he imploded during a third-inning rain shower for a disastrous five-run meltdown.

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“He was frustrated at himself, rightfully so,” said Roberts, who sought out Glasnow this week to ensure he’d flushed any lingering disappointment. “He’s coming into today with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder.”

Over a strong six-inning start, Glasnow just did that, striking out seven batters, walking only one and surrendering just three hits.

The only problem: Two of those hits against Glasnow left the yard.

Read more: Hernández: Yoshinobu Yamamoto can be the first Japanese pitcher to win the Cy Young

Pete Crow-Armstrong blasted a game-tying solo home run off the right-field foul pole in the third. Ex-Dodgers prospect Michael Busch ended a nine-pitch at-bat in the sixth with a solo shot to the Cubs bullpen, giving him six hits in his Chavez Ravine homecoming.

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The Dodgers did get Glasnow off the hook for the loss in the sixth. Conforto singled again to lead off the inning. Smith doubled down the line to set up Max Muncy for a game-tying sacrifice fly.

But the Dodgers — as has so often been the case over the last couple of weeks — failed to tack on.

Then, the Cubs retook the lead with more long ball in the top of the seventh, with Crow-Armstrong launching on a hanging cutter from Blake Treinen to center for his second home run of the day.

The Dodgers gift-wrapped some insurance to the Cubs in the eighth, giving up another run after Conforto missed a fly ball near the left-field line for a leadoff double.

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Given the way the Dodgers have swung the bats lately, however, Chicago didn’t need it. Over their final trips to the plate, the Dodgers’ only baserunner was via a stranded seventh-inning walk from Betts.

The Dodgers have now lost three consecutive series for the first time since last April, when they endured a similar early-season swoon. In that stretch, they have barely averaged three runs per game and are batting .218 as a team. And, half a month into the season, their struggles at the plate have given them their first big problem to address.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele needs surgery on his left elbow and will miss the rest of the 2025 season. Manager Craig Counsell shared the bad news with reporters at Dodger Stadium ahead of Sunday night’s matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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Whether or not Steele requires Tommy John surgery hasn’t yet been determined, but he will undergo a reconstructive procedure on his elbow to repair his flexor tendon and treat his UCL, according to reports.

Steele, 29, left his start last Monday versus the Texas Rangers complaining of elbow tightness after 91 pitches. To that point, he’d thrown seven scoreless innings while allowing only three hits with eight strikeouts and two walks.

“I was just doing stuff between innings to try and keep it warm, moving around,” Steele told reporters, via the Associated Press. “I told the trainers the next day, I want to come in and do a lot of recovery stuff, red light, do everything I can to get the recovery process underway. … They just made the decision to go ahead and put me on the IL.”

On Wednesday, the left-hander was placed on the 15-day injured list with what the Cubs hoped was the same tendinitis that sidelined the pitcher for three weeks last September.

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Steele underwent an MRI exam on Thursday, the results of which compelled Steele to seek a second opinion. That was presumably to determine whether or not surgery was deemed necessary.

In his four starts this season, Steele compiled a 4.76 ERA and 3-1 record with 21 strikeouts and 21 hits allowed in 22 1/3 innings. Last year, he finished with a 3.06 ERA and averaged nine strikeouts per nine innings. Two seasons ago, Steele had a breakout campaign, collecting a 3.06 ERA and 16-5 record with 176 strikeouts in a career-high 173 1/3 innings.

Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, where I review my favorite waiver wire adds and drops for each week of the MLB season.

The premise is pretty straightforward. I’ll try to give you some recommended adds each week based on recent production or role changes. When I list a player, I’ll list the category where I think he’ll be helpful or the quick reason he’s listed. I hope that it will help you determine if the player is a fit for what your team needs or not.

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For a player to qualify to be on this list, he needs to be UNDER 40% rostered in Yahoo! formats. I understand you may say, “These players aren’t available in my league,” and I can’t help you there. These players are available in over 60% of leagues and some in 98% of leagues, so they’re available in many places and that can hopefully satisfy readers in all league types.

2025 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Bobby Witt Jr., Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge lead Top 300 rest of season ranks

Hunter Greene is on the rise and Rockies call-up Zac Veen enters the Top 300.

Waiver Wire Hitters

Kyren Paris – 2B, LAA: 70% rostered (39% rostered when this article was first drafted)
(SPEED UPSIDE, POTENTIAL PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY)

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Despite Paris being well over the cut-off for this article, I wanted to include him in here because he’s one of the most-added players in fantasy baseball and has been a lightning rod for discussion online; many conversations are ones I’ve been a part of. It was pointed out to me that some of my Twitter comments made it sound like I was not interested in Paris, so I want to be clear that if he’s available in your league, you should be looking to add him. What Paris has done to start this season is stupid good, and we have that detailed video online that breaks down his swing change this off-season, which I linked to last week. Paris is a former second-round pick who could absolutely be reaching a new level of success thanks to a new swing. However, I think it’s important that we also acknowledge that Paris is a career .237 minor league hitter, had a 35% strikeout rate at Triple-A last year, and currently has just a 63% contact rate with a 17% swinging strike rate. Even with the changes, Paris has the profile of a hitter who will produce power/speed numbers but likely swing and miss a lot and have a poor batting average. Think about last season when Jo Adell got off to a hot start and we assumed he had fixed his contact issues, and then he slowed considerably as the year went on. You’re going to keep Paris in your lineup as long as he’s producing, and he could produce for a long time, but he also could wind up a .230 hitter with good power/speed numbers. You’d be really happy with that considering he was a waiver wire add, but just keep expectations in check when you’re thinking about who to drop and who to trade in order to get Paris on your team.

Jacob Wilson – SS, ATH: 39% rostered
(BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE, EVERYDAY ROLE)

Wilson was 14% rostered when we discussed him last week, so quite a few folks like what he’s doing in Sacramento, and it’s hard to blame them. If you like batting average and hate strikeouts and walks, then Jacob Wilson is for you. The Athletics’ rookie makes an elite amount of contact but doesn’t hit for power or draw walks or steal many bases. Wilson has never stolen more than four bases or hit more than seven home runs at any minor league level, so you need to be honest with yourself about what you’re after when you add Wilson. He will give you a strong batting average, and he has moved from the bottom third of the order up to sixth and could conceivably climb up to second or third if he keeps hitting. There’s a place for that on some fantasy rosters, but it may not be yours. A similar boring but dependable option in deeper formats if you need a guy like that in the infield is Geraldo Perdomo – SS, ARI (39% rostered). Perdomo has a bit more speed than Wilson, but a similar amount of power and won’t hit for as high of a batting average. However, Perdomo does also hit second for Arizona, so that keeps him in the thick of things and is part of the reason he has 13 RBIs already this season. It’s a pick-your-poison type of situation between these two, but they both have places on rosters.

Kyle Manzardo – 1B, CLE: 37% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY)

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I see that Manzardo has dipped below the 40% rostered cut-off, so I wanted to bring him back up again. Yes, he’s hitting just .200 on the season, but he’s hitting the ball hard, has a swinging strike rate of just 10%, and is still making 76% contact overall. The hits are going to fall, so now might be the time to get him onto your rosters. In deeper formats, you could also turn to Matt Mervis – 1B, MIA (2% rostered), who was a fantasy darling back when he was on the Cubs a couple of years ago. His minor league numbers didn’t carry over to the big leagues, but now he finds himself in an everyday role in Miami and has slugged four home runs while hitting .281 in his first 10 games. I should note that he also has a 39% strikeout rate and a 20.5% swinging strike rate, so the batting average is certainly going to come down. The power is for real though, as is the playing time.

Trevor Story – SS, BOS: 35% rostered
(SPEED UPSIDE, EVERY DAY JOB)

I’m not sure Story gets enough respect because he’s had a checkered past when it comes to injuries, and many fans just want to see Marceo Mayer in Boston. However, Story has turned himself into a really good defensive shortstop, and his speed makes a real impact in fantasy leagues. Through 16 games to start the season, Story has six steals and two home runs while playing every day at short. He may hit just .250 on the season, but he’s been hitting fifth in the Red Sox order, which gives him some real counting stat upside to go with 25+ stolen base speed.

TJ Friedl – OF, CIN: 35% rostered,
(SPEED UPSIDE, EVERY DAY JOB)

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If you wanted an outfielder who can help you in steals and runs scored, you could go after Friedl, who is leading off for Cincinnati. He’s only hitting .255 to start the season, and the Cincinnati lineup has been struggling, but Friedl has scored nine runs while hitting in front of Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain. His sprint speed has been falling over the last few years, but he has also consistently stolen bases when he’s in the lineup, and he’ll play every day while he’s healthy. If you’re in deeper leagues, you can also gamble on somebody like Mike Yastrzemski – OF, SF (12% rostered), who is hitting .316 with two home runs, two steals, and six RBI so far this season. Little Yaz has just a 9.2% swinging strike rate, which has led to a 77% contact rate and a solid amount of barrels early in the year. He’s not going to “break out,” but the Giants are a solid lineup, and he’s led off the last two games with LaMonte Wade Jr. struggling.

Dylan Moore – 1B/2B/3B/SS/OF, SEA: 26% rostered
(SPEED UPSIDE, PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY)

Injuries to Victor Robles and Ryan Bliss have opened up the opportunity for everyday playing time for Moore, who can play second base, third base, or the outfield. I know he sat on Friday and Saturday, but we can’t really expect the Mariners to play Leo Rivas and Miles Mastrobuoni over Moore. However, we’ve also seen Dylan Moore do this before. He has great speed and plays almost every position on the diamond. However, we also know that he struggles with making consistent contact, and the cold streaks will always be there. If you wanted a safer option with not as much upside, you could go with Josh Smith – 3B/SS/OF, TEX (14% rostered), who figures to get regular starts in left field while Wyatt Langford is out with an oblique issue. Smith also started at third base when Josh Jung was out, so the Rangers have no problem just plugging and playing him basically anywhere. He’s hitting .353 with three steals to start the season, and is a great multi-position bench piece.

Trent Grisham – OF, NYY: 20% rostered
(LINEUP UPSIDE, SNEAKY PLAYING TIME)

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I think Grisham’s recent uptick in playing time is mostly due to a hot streak and injuries/sickness elsewhere on the Yankees roster, but we have to acknowledge that he started six straight games for a stretch earlier this week and is hitting .344 with three home runs on the season. He has only 36 plate appearances, but he has just a 7.6% swinging strike rate, is not chasing out of the zone, is making contact at an 80% clip, and has an average exit velocity of 92.4 mph. The Yankees love his defense in the outfield, but playing him out there means sitting one of their other outfielders or moving them to DH and sitting Ben Rice. That makes playing time hard to come by. The playing time is more secure with somebody like Sal Frelick (OF, MIL: 20% rostered), who is playing every day in Milwaukee. Frelick is a good hitter, who is hitting .321 in his 15 games, but he’s unlikely to hit more than five home runs this season. This play is essentially about batting average and speed, but if you need those two things, Frelick is a solid gamble for you.

Zac Veen – OF, COL: 20% rostered
(SPEED UPSIDE, EVERY DAY PLAYING TIME)

The Rockies called up Zac Veen last Sunday, and since then, he has gone 3-for-19 with six strikeouts and one walk in five games. Your desire to add Veen will be dependent on how much you trust spring training and prospect pedigree. Veen is a former 9th overall pick and top 100 prospect, but he has fallen off all top 100 lists the last two seasons due to some contact issues that led to mediocre minor league performance. However, he had a strong spring and hit .387/.472/.677 in eight games at Triple-A with six strikeouts and four walks, so maybe his plate discipline is improving? He’s just 23 years old, and Coors Field will help some of his batting average risk, but I maybe woulnd’t be spending triple digits here outside of deeper formats because I’m just not sure Veen will make enough contact to stick this season.

Jorge Polanco – 2B, SEA: 19% rostered
(DEEP LEAGUE OPTION, COUNTING STATS UPSIDE)

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You never want to spin injuries into a positive, but the injury to Victor Robles may have helped Polanco. Polanco has been off to a hot start to the season, but his surgically repaired knee has been giving him some problems. With Robles not in the lineup, the Mariners are able to move Luke Raley to right field against right-handed pitchers and put Polanco in the lineup at DH, which will help him take some impact off his knees as an everyday third baseman. Polanco has gone 13-for-34 (.382) with three home runs and 12 RBI to start the season, and I wrote him up as an undervalued hitter in spring training, so I would recommend taking some shares. Jose Caballero – 2B/3B/SS, TB (8% rostered) is another multi-position option in deeper leagues after he made his first start in the outfield this week as Tampa Bay looks to get him more at-bats and cover for the injury to Josh Lowe. We know that Caballero can be a difference-maker in the stolen base category, and if he winds up playing 75% of games with 2B/3B/SS/OF eligibility, that’s pretty valuable.

Nick Kurtz – 1B, ATH: 14% rostered
(PROSPECT STASH, POWER UPSIDE)

It may be early for prospect stashes, but it depends on your league size and bench space. Kurtz was the fourth overall pick in last year’s draft and got an aggressive assignment to Triple-A after a strong spring training. Well, he’s gone 22-for-57 (.386) in his first 13 Triple-A games with seven home runs and 21 RBI. If he keeps doing this, the Athletics are going to call him up and let Tyler Soderstrom be their everyday DH. That probably means making Brent Rooker play the field, but you’re gonna have to do that if Kurtz keeps hitting like this. The A’s put Rooker in right field on Saturday when they gave Lawrence Butler a day off, so the experimenting is beginning, which means a move may be soon. Roman Anthony – OF, BOS (28% rostered) is another top prospect who may not be long for the minors. The Red Sox will need to clear up some space in the outfield for him, but he’s off to a strong start in Triple-A and should be up soon, especially if Ceddanne Rafaela continues to struggle to make good on his strong spring training. Rafaela could move into a super utility role with Jarren Duran in CF and Anthony in LF.

Nolan Schanuel – 1B, LAA: 10% rostered
(BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE, EVERYDAY ROLE)

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I had Schanuel on a few teams last year. He has good speed for a first baseman and had a 91% zone contact rate, which highlights his overall batting average upside. So far in 2025, Schanuel has posted much better bat speed numbers and has hit the two hardest balls of his MLB career. Remember that he’s only 23 years old and debuted in the same season he was drafted. There is still some potential growth here, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Schanuel hit .275 with 15 home runs and 10 steals. That’s not bad for a deeper league corner infield target. You could also pivot and grab Carlos Santana – 1B, CLE (11% rostered). The batting average won’t be as high, but Santana has two home runs and a steal so far this season and is doing what he typically does: showing elite plate discipline, not swinging and missing much, and making strong contact. This feels like a batting average or power choice here.

Ke’Bryan Hayes – 3B, PIT: 9% rostered
(ELITE LINEUP SPOT, FINALLY CHANGING?)

The results have not been there early for Hayes, but I wanted to point him out for two reasons. First, he’s hit third, fifth, or first mostly for Pittsburgh, which means he’s always in an elite lineup spot. The second is that he seems to be starting to do what we’ve long wanted him to do. It’s only been 60 plate appearances, but his pull rate is the highest it’s ever been, and his fly ball rate is the second-highest it’s ever been. His average exit velocity is 92.3 mph, and his launch angle is 14.5 degrees. He’s still not chasing; he’s being way more patient in the zone, but only swinging and missing at a 7.3% rate. If you ever said to yourself, “I like Hayes, but I wish he would try to pull and/or lift the ball more,” then maybe this is your time to buy in.

Jordan Lawlar – SS, ARI: 8% rostered
(POTENTIAL CALL-UP, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)

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We are nearing Jordan Lawlar time in Arizona. The 22-year-old has gone 16-for-56 (.286) to start the season at Triple-A with one home run and four steals, but he has also been playing second base regularly of late. That’s big news with Ketel Marte likely out until early May. The Diamondbacks look like they’re trying to see if Lawlar can fit as an everyday player for them at the keystone, and there’s a chance he could be a five-category guy when he gets the opportunity. The only caveat is that he’ll have to produce enough early on to convince Arizona to find a way to keep him up once Marte is back in the lineup.

Heston Kjerstad – OF, BAL: 6% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY)

Since Colton Cowser hit the injured list with a fractured thumb, Kjerstad has become the regular starter in left field for Baltimore. The results have not been there, and he hit just .209 in spring training, so I’m not yet convinced he’s going to take this job and run with it. However, he hits the ball hard, and the Orioles are likely going to give him enough playing time to decide if they want to keep him or trade him for pitching, so I’m willing to add him in most places just in case he starts to make more contact. Another outfielder who is struggling but will continue to get chances is Nolan Jones – OF, CLE (11% rostered). I would maybe only put Jones on your “watch list” for now, but I did feel the need to mention that, in 40 plate appearances, he has just a 9.7% swinging strike rate, has a 77% contact rate, 10.5% barrel rate, and an average exit velocity of 94 mph. It at least bares watching.

Pavin Smith – 1B/OF, ARI: 6% rostered
(COUNTING STAT UPSIDE, EVERY DAY JOB)

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It’s tough to roster players like Smith, who sit every time a left-hander is on the mound, but if you’re playing in a daily moves league or a league that lets you change hitters mid-week, you should at least put him on your radar. Smith is somebody that I’m in on after he hit .270/.348/.547 with nine home runs and a .896 OPS in 158 plate appearances in a part-time role last year. This season, he’s gone 12-for-33 (.364) with one home run and eight runs scored, while registering an average exit velocity of 94 mph. It’s early days, but he’s pulling the ball way more than average, just not lifting it as much as we’d like to see. Michael Conforto – OF, LAD (20% rostered) also fits into that boat while hitting in one of the best lineups in baseball. Yes, it’s a bummer that they don’t get at-bats every day, but remember that the overall quality of their at-bats is likely improved by not having to face lefties, so there is a trade-off there.

Hyeseong Kim – 2B/SS, LAD: 6% rostered
(POTENTIAL CALL-UP, BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE)

While Andy Pages struggles defensively in center field, Kim has been playing center field regularly in Triple-A. He was sent there to continue to work on the new swing the Dodgers had tweaked for him, and the early results are promising. Kim has gone 17-for-58 (.293) with three homers and four steals over 13 games to start the season. He has an experienced star from his time in the KBO, and it might not be long before the Dodgers give him a chance in the big leagues.

Chase Meidroth – 2B/3B/SS, CWS: 4% rostered
(BATTING AVERAGE UPSIDE, STARTING OPPORTUNITY)

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Chase Meidroth was one of the central components that came over to the White Sox in the Garrett Crochet deal. Despite the batting average not being great in spring training, he showed elite plate discipline and then went down to Triple-A and hit .267/.450/.600 with three home runs, two steals, and 11 runs scored in nine games. Now, he’s getting a shot with the White Sox and will most likely be an everyday starter now that he’s up. He’s unlikely to hit double-digit home runs, but he can steal 10 bags and hit .250-.260 while producing a solid on-base percentage. That may not have much shallow league value because of the poor lineup around him, but he’s firmly on deep league radars.

Pedro Pages – C, STL: 3% rostered
(POWER UPSIDE, STARTING JOB)

Pages is the starting catcher in St. Louis for a month with Ivan Herrera sidelines. Pages hasn’t been so bad himself, hitting 10-for-34 (.294) with a home run and seven RBI. If you’re in a two-catcher format, he makes for a solid add, as does Carlos Narvaez – C, BOS (1% rostered), who is the starting catcher in Boston now. Narvaez is more of a defensive catcher, but he has just an 11% swinging strike rate to start the season with a 12% walk rate, 78% contact rate, and 9.5% barrel rate. It’s early for most of those stats, but the point is simply that he has been average as a hitter and will play most days in Boston in the immediate future. As will Dillon Dingler – C, DET (5% rostered) in Detroit with Jake Rogers hurt. Dingler has gotten off to the best start of the group, going 12-for-31 (.387) with two home runs and eight RBI, and he was a top prospect in the Detroit system, so he’s worth a shot as well in case any of these early gains stick.

Alek Thomas – OF, ARI: 2% rostered
(FORMER TOP PROSPECT, POTENTIAL PLAYING TIME OPPORTUNITY)

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Alek Thomas was once a top prospect in the Diamondbacks organization, but he battled injuries and could never seem to transition his minor league ability into MLB success. He’s taken the starting center field job from Jake McCarthy, at least against right-handed pitching and has gone 10-for-31 (.323) with five runs and eight RBI on the season. He’s been a little more aggressive this time in the big leagues and swinging and missing more than we’ve seen from him in the past, but he also still has a 90% zone contact rate, so I’m OK with him being more aggressive if it leads to more authoritative contact. Another deep league option is Kameron Misner – OF, TB (3% rostered), who found himself with a shot at a starting job thanks to an oblique injury that could keep Josh Lowe out for multiple months. The 27-year-old Misner is off to a good start, going 8-for-22 with one home run and four RBI so far this season. He’s added 2.8 mph to his bat speed, which has added 1.7 Run Value per 100 swings, which is among the tops in baseball in the early going. Remember that Misner was a former first-round pick, who hit .248/.360/.442 with 17 home runs and 30 steals in Triple-A for the Rays last season. This could be deep league worthy while Lowe is out. His teammate Jake Mangum – OF, TB (11% rostered) is another option, especially if you’re in a deep league and looking for speed.

Jake Meyers – OF, HOU: 2% rostered
(STARTING JOB, SPEED UPSIDE)

Let’s throw another deep league option in there, but Meyers is starting every day in center field for the Astros and has gone 10-for-36 (.278) with five steals so far this season. He hits eighth in the order, so he’s unlikely to help your counting stats too much, but an outfielder who can hit .270-.280 and swipe bases in a good offense certainly has value in deeper formats. Another deeper league outfielder with a starting job is Leody Taveras – OF, TEX (3% rostered), who is hitting just .220 but has also stolen five bases so far this season. With Evan Carter in the minors and Wyatt Langford hurt, Taveras should play regularly for the foreseeable future.

Gabriel Arias – 2B/3B/SS, CLE: 2% rostered
(STARTING JOB, POWER UPSIDE)

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It might be time to start taking note of what Arias is doing. The 25-year-old won the starting second base job for the Guardians and has gone 12-for-42 (.286) with three home runs and seven RBI to start the season. Arias added 1.3 mph to his swing as well and now has an average bat speed of 75.7 mph, which is 15th-best in all of baseball, right around Elly De La Cruz, James Wood, and many other high-upside power hitters. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt talked up Arias in spring training and has used him at 2B, 3B, and SS already this season. He could be a solid bench add in deeper formats. With Masyn Winn headed to the IL, it looks like Thomas Saggese – 2B, STL (2% rostered) will be the starting shortstop in St. Louis for the immediate future. The 23-year-old has gone 8-for-17 with one home run and four RBI to start the season and hit .253/.313/.438 with 20 home runs and nine steals in 125 games at Triple-A last year, so there is some deep-league value here, especially since he will be 2B/SS eligible soon.

Adael Amador – 2B, COL: 1% rostered
(CALL UP, SPEED UPSIDE )

The Rockies are also calling up Amador, who struggled in his first taste of the big leagues last year, but he’s just 22 years old and has been showing better plate discipline this season, slashing .275/.408/.450 with two home runs, four RBI, nine runs, and three stolen bases in 49 plate appearances at Triple-A. He does have some contact issues, but there is certainly speed here, and potentially 15 home run power in Coors Field, which could make a .240 type of average palatable in fantasy leagues. The Twins are also calling up Brooks Lee – 2B/SS/3B (3% rostered) and sending Jose Miranda down to Triple-A. Lee was sidelined by a back strain late in spring training, but figured to play every day for the Twins. He didn’t have a great spring, and is not much of a power/speed threat, so I think he’s a better real-life player than fantasy player.

Waiver Wire Pitchers

Jose Soriano – SP, LAA (42% rostered)
I wrote about Jose Soriano as one of my favorite late-round starting pitcher targets for draft season. The key for him was going to be getting ahead with his sinker to give him the opportunity to go to the curve, slider, and splitter for swinging strikes. So far, so good. The overall profile can be wonky at times with Soriano, but he has three legit swinging strike offerings, so I love the foundation we can build off of here.

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Max Meyer – SP, MIA (35% rostered)
I wrote about Max Meyer as one of my undrafted starting pitchers I think have the upside to finish inside the top-25, so you can read that article to see a more detailed breakdown of why I liked him coming into the season. Obviously, what we’ve seen so far in the first few weeks doesn’t change anything for me.

Jordan Hicks – SP, SF: 35% rostered
Yes, I know Jordan Hicks had a rought start against the Yankees, and I know his sinker velocity was down to 96 mph. However, it was a cold and rainy night in New York, and essentially all of the damage against Hicks happened in the fifth inning. I’m still willing to add him and at least keep him on the bench against the Phillies to see if the velocity comes back under normal weather conditions.

Blake Treinen – RP, LAD (34% rostered)
I know people always love to chase the trendy closer when it comes to waiver wire Sunday, but sometimes I’d rather take a really good reliever in a save share. No, Treinen is not “the closer” in Los Angeles; however, he has two saves already this season and is going to get some save opportunities while pitching high-leverage innings. On days when he doesn’t get saves, he’s likely going to give you solid ratios and some strikeouts. I’d take that over a closer who may be a grenade. Jason Adam – RP, SD (35% rostered) is in the same boat. We know Adam is a good reliever. He’s going to help your ratios and steal a few wins, and when the Padres finally trade Robert Suarez, who has been on the trade block all off-season, I think it’ll be Adam that takes over and starts to get saves. You can add him now and not have to spend big money.

David Peterson – SP, NYM (34% rostered)
Peterson is yet another intriguing starter who showed some interesting tweaks in his season debut, with more movement on his changeup and a nice backfoot slider to right-handed hitters. I wrote about why Peterson is one of my favorite late-round starting pitchers to draft, so I’d encourage you to read that if you want a detailed discussion of why I like the left-hander. He lines up to start against the Cardinals this week, and I’m OK with that start.

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Matthew Boyd – SP, CHC: 28% rostered
I wrote up Matthew Boyd in this week’s Starting Pitcher News article. In that article, I discussed Boyd’s arm angle change and how it has impacted the movement on his pitches, particularly his changeup. I’m not sure it makes Boyd a locked-in every week type of starter, but Boyd has solid velocity on his fastball and is throwing from a more comfortable arm slot, so I’m happy to take gambles in deeper leagues.

Emilio Pagan – RP, CIN: 24% rostered
Pagan appears to be the favorite for saves in Cincinnati right now, and his velocity is up, but we’ve kind of seen this from him in the past. We know Pagan can go through hot stretches, but he can also give up lots of hard contact and home runs. That makes me a little nervous. Especially since Alexis Diaz is back to pitching, and pitching well, at Triple-A. Dennis Santana – RP, PIT (19% rostered) is another short-term “closer.” With David Bednar in Triple-A and Colin Holderman struggling, Santana has the closer’s role right now, but I think Bednar will be back up in a few weeks to take that job back, so I’m not making big bids here. In fact, Bednar has thrown three scoreless innings at Triple-A with five strikeouts and no walks, so I’m not sure what value the Pirates are getting out of him pitching there.

Zebby Matthews – SP, MIN: 19% rostered
Matthews was one of my favorite late-round picks early in spring training, and he has been cruising in Triple-A, We thought Matthews would get a chance when Pablo Lopez went down, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. Still, Matthews, allegedly, has a chance to be a part of a six-man rotation, and I truly believe he can be a difference-maker on fantasy rosters. Even if Festa takes the spot right now, Chris Paddack continues to struggle, and we should see Zebby up in Minnesota before long. In fact, it could be on Monday against the Mets.

Eduardo Rodriguez – SP, ARI: 19% rostered
Rodriguez is an interesting name right now because a 4.86 ERA and 1.20 WHIP through three starts is not great. However, he also has 20 strikeouts to just six walks and is getting more chases out of the zone than he has in a few years. His velocity is up from last year, and a lot of his early stats are similar to the pitcher he was in 2023, when he posted a 4.26 SIERA, 15.3% K-BB%, and 1.15 WHIP. That version of him would be solid in 15-team leagues, and he gets the Marlins this week, so he’s worth the gamble there.

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Tommy Kahnle – RP, DET: 17% rostered
Early in spring training, I had Kahnle pegged as the potential closer in Detroit, but then Beau Brieske was re-signed, and it seemed like A.J. Hinch would give him the first crack at the game. He did, and it didn’t go so well. Kahnle is a bit of a “one-trick pony” with his changeup, but I think he’s a bit safer than Santana. That’s also why I want to take stabs on Porter Hodge – RP, CHC (17% rostered). Ryan Pressly doesn’t look great, and the Cubs aren’t going to move on from him quickly because of what it took to get him to Chicago, but I think stashing Hodge makes some sense since he’s allowed just two runs while striking out nine in seven innings.

Easton Lucas – SP, TOR: 15% rostered
What do we make of Lucas? He’s looked good through two starts, but he’s a lefty who throws 92 mph and only has a rotation spot because Max Scherzer is hurt. Still, Lucas has good vertical movement on the fastball and keeps it upstairs while also featuring a change, sweeper, and slider. I guess this can work, and he has a two-start week, but one of those is against the Braves, and that worries me. David Festa – SP, MIN (7% rostered) also got the call to take Pablo Lopez’s spot in the rotation and looked solid, throwing 4.2 innings and not allowing an earned run while striking out four and walking one. However, he was pulled after 64 pitches, and I have the feeling Minnesota is going to keep limiting him like that because they did it last year too.

Tyler Mahle – SP, TEX: 13% rostered
Look, I don’t know what to make of Mahle right now. His four-seamer was down to 90.4 mph in his last start yet still got seven whiffs. How? I dunno. Maybe it was the weather, but Mahle has tons of injury concerns in the past, and seeing the velocity drop like that is a bit concerning to me. I might rather gamble on somebody like Shane Smith – SP, CWS (4% rostered), who is not in a great situation but might be pretty good. His fastball and changeup are legit and a solid foundation for success. His curve and slider are not as exciting. I wonder if he carved up Cleveland because they have so many lefties, and he could let that changeup eat. I’m not going overboard here, but it’s worth a gamble.

Brayan Bello – SP, BOS: 11% rostered
Last week, I mentioned Bello if you need an IL stash, and now we have a bit more information on his timeline. Bello is scheduled to one final rehab start this week and then will be activated before the week of the 21st. Same with Lucas Giolito – SP, BOS (21% rostered). That means that there should be a mid-week announcement that BOTH Bello and Giolito will be activated off the IL, which could drive up their FAAB price next Sunday. If you have the space and want to get ahead of it, now is the time.

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Luis L. Ortiz – SP, CLE: 5% rostered
Ortiz jumped back on the radar after a strong performance against the Royals, striking out 10 and walking two while allowing one run on two hits in 5.2 innings against the Royals. This comes after a quality start against the Angels, and I think we’re just seeing Ortiz continue to adjust to some pitch mix changes that the Guardians are having him undertake. I spoke with Guardians’ pitching coach Carl Willis at spring training about how they might adjust Ortiz’s approach, and Ortiz was a late-round target of mine in part due to those changes. I think we’re starting to see him settle in a bit, and I love picking up shares of him before this start against the Pirates.

Bobby Miller – SP, LAD: 2% rostered
It also appears that Bobby Miller is getting another chance to start in Los Angeles and will draw a home start against the Rockies. The 26-year-old has allowed three runs on six hits in 12 Triple-A innings while striking out 11 and walking 11. The command is certainly still not there, so it’s hard to get overly excited, but he’s at least a name to keep an eye on.

STREAMING STARTER PITCHERS

(ranked in loose order)

This is Roki Sasaki’s home now. The San Gabriel Mountains at his back as he stands atop the mound at Dodger Stadium. Stands filled with adoring fans. Warm spring evenings that soon will lip into summer swelter.

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Sasaki, 23, is beginning to feel at home in Chavez Ravine and with the heat that comes with choosing the Dodgers among scads of suitors when he left his native Japan in January. He is under team control for six seasons at a bargain rate, and the Dodgers are perfectly willing to allow him the space and time to become acclimated.

The right-hander made his fourth start Saturday — his second at Dodger Stadium — and it was his best yet, lasting five sturdy innings against the Chicago Cubs. Sasaki was nicked by a solo home run from former Dodger Michael Busch to lead off the second but pitched out of jams in the third and fifth, the former thanks to a leaping catch at the center field wall by Andy Pages that prevented a grand slam.

Sasaki was failed only by the Dodgers’ inability to generate offense in a 16-0 loss to the Cubs in front of a sellout crowd of 53,887. They couldn’t generate offense against starter Ben Brown, who came in with an earned-run average of 7.71 that shrunk to 5.09 after six scoreless innings.

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The Dodgers’ only runs in two games against the Cubs to begin this six-game homestand came on a three-run home run by Tommy Edman in Friday’s 3-0 Dodgers victory in which Sasaki’s countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto tossed six scoreless innings.

Read more: Hernández: Roki Sasaki’s bond with Rikuzentakata endures, long after 2011 tsunami

The Cubs erupted Saturday after Sasaki departed, and the ERA of reliever Ben Casparius skyrocketed from zero to 5.06 when he was shelled for six runs in 1 2/3 innings. The onslaught continued against Luis García, whose ERA jumped from 3.24 to 7.27 after giving up four runs in the eighth, abating only when infielder Miguel Rojas was summoned to lob 45-mph pitches that retired the side. Rojas came back out for the ninth, though, and gave up five runs. His ERA? 22.50.

Still, the memory of Sasaki’s step in the right direction lingered.

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Sasaki’s first start as a Dodger, remember, came in his homeland four weeks ago, and it didn’t go well. Neither did his second start, his Dodger Stadium debut a second consecutive blur of wayward pitches, walks, hits and runs. He recorded only five outs and fought back tears.

His third start was better, giving up one run in four innings while throwing first-pitch strikes to 13 of 17 batters. And his fourth was better yet. Sasaki established his four-seam fastball early, then leaned on his devastating splitter and functional slider as his pitch count rose and he faced batters a third time. He threw 81 pitches, 50 for strikes.

Read more: Hernández: Yoshinobu Yamamoto can be the first Japanese pitcher to win the Cy Young

OKC is looking at a big league week

Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to begin his rehab assignment Wednesday at the Dodgers’ triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City. The future Hall of Fame left-hander is not eligible to be activated from the injured list until May 17.

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Two other Dodgers pitchers recovering from injuries will pitch at Oklahoma City on Tuesday: starter Tony Gonsolin and reliever Evan Phillips. Gonsolin will make his third rehab appearance after striking out seven in 3⅓ innings Wednesday in Round Rock, Texas.

“Things are slowly moving forward,” said manager Dave Roberts, who added that injured reliever Michael Kopech will throw a second bullpen Tuesday and starter Blake Snell will begin throwing Monday.

Bobby Miller is likely to be called up from Oklahoma City to make a start for the Dodgers on Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies, meaning Yamamoto won’t pitch again until Friday to open a series at Texas.

The rehab and roster shuffling nearly obscured a bullpen session at Dodger Stadium, this one the third in two weeks by Shohei Ohtani. The right-hander recovering from elbow surgery threw 30 pitches, nearly all four-seam and two-seam fastballs, although he did mix in a few split-fingered fastballs.

Crow-Armstrong offered an extension

Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who grew up in Sherman Oaks and starred at Harvard-Westlake High, recently was offered a long-term contract extension but has not accepted it, according to MLB.com. The offer reportedly was worth up to $75 million.

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Crow-Armstrong, 23, is a talented defensive player with elite speed. He has 35 stolen bases in 40 attempts in 152 major league games, but hasn’t proved he can hit consistently. The left-handed batter and fielder is hitting .224 with 10 home runs in 446 at-bats in parts of three seasons entering Saturday’s game.

He did bat .260 during the second half last season and hit .500 in spring training this year. Whether his bat continues to improve will determine if he blossoms into a star or settles in as a great glove-fair hitter in the mold of Harrison Bader, Billy Hamilton or Peter Bourjos.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Mike Trout and Mookie Betts now have a very specific thing in common, beyond being Southern California-based MLB stars.

In a repeat of Betts’ infamous foul-ball catch in Game 4 of the 2024 World Series, in which a pair of New York Yankees fans unceremoniously ripped a caught ball out of the Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star’s glove, Trout caught a foul ball against the Houston Astros on Saturday only for it be yanked out.

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Trout made the play at the wall in foul territory down the first-base line, with replay clearly showing the ball landing in his glove and the glove closing. It was only a split-second later when an Astros fan managed to pull out the ball.

The Astros fan appeared to offer the ball back before holding his hands up and playing innocent as first-base umpire Alan Porter stepped in. The umpires eventually ruled the play was a foul ball, unlike the Betts play where fan interference was called at Yankee Stadium.

The turn of events gave Astros catcher Yainer Diaz a reprieve with two outs in the bottom of the second inning, but Diaz wound up flying out to end the frame.

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While no fan interference was called, the fan in question was seen being escorted out of the stadium.

Astros fans explains what happened on Mike Trout play

That fan did have enough time while being ejected to speak with The Athletic’s Sam Blum. Identifying himself as Jared Whalen, he expressed contrition and said he tried to catch the ball because it was going toward his son’s face:

“I just didn’t know what was going on,” the Astros fan, Jared Whalen, told The Athletic from the Daikin Park concourse while flanked by security. “I didn’t realize it was a play, it was coming at my son’s face. I just reached out.”

“I was more looking at the ball coming for my son’s face,” Whalen said. “I made sure I wasn’t in the field of play … I apologized, and (Trout) nodded his head and we’re good, I think.”

That reaction is fairly different from the aftermath of the Betts incident.

As many baseball fans will remember, that play transformed into a larger debate about player safety. In that case, MLB requested the Yankees ban the two fans from Game 5 of the World Series, and the pair was banned from all ballparks indefinitely months later.

When asked for his thoughts on those fans in December, Betts didn’t hold back:

“I would really say, ‘F*** you, guys,'” Betts replied when asked what he would say to those fans now. “I get them trying to get the ball. Cool. But, like, you tried to grab my s***.

“I was in the moment,” he added. “So I thought about throwing a ball at ’em. And then I realized, ‘Mook, you ain’t gonna do s***. Go back to right field.'”

We imagine Trout felt something similar, with the added frustration that the umpires sided against him. On the bright side, Trout entered Saturday tied for the MLB in home runs with six and added another two RBI with a single in the first inning.

Mike Trout and Mookie Betts now have a very specific thing in common, beyond being Southern California-based MLB stars.

In a repeat of Betts’ infamous foul-ball catch in Game 4 of the 2024 World Series, in which a pair of New York Yankees fans unceremoniously ripped a caught ball out of the Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star’s glove, Trout caught a foul ball against the Houston Astros on Saturday only for it be yanked out.

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Fortunately, this one had a nicer ending.

Trout made the play at the wall in foul territory down the first-base line, with replay clearly showing the ball landing in his glove and the glove closing. It was only a split-second later when an Astros fan managed to pull out the ball.

The Astros fan appeared to offer the ball back before holding his hands up and playing innocent as first-base umpire Alan Porter stepped in. The umpires eventually ruled the play was a foul ball, unlike the Betts play where fan interference was called at Yankee Stadium.

The turn of events gave Astros catcher Yainer Diaz a reprieve with two outs in the bottom of the second inning, but Diaz wound up flying out to end the frame. The Angels won the game 4-1, continuing a surprising 9-5 start for the long-struggling team.

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While no fan interference was called, the fan in question was seen being escorted out of the stadium.

Astros fans explains what happened on Mike Trout play

That fan did have enough time while being ejected to speak with The Athletic’s Sam Blum. Identifying himself as Jared Whalen, he expressed contrition and said he tried to catch the ball because it was going toward his son’s face:

“I just didn’t know what was going on,” the Astros fan, Jared Whalen, told The Athletic from the Daikin Park concourse while flanked by security. “I didn’t realize it was a play, it was coming at my son’s face. I just reached out.”

“I was more looking at the ball coming for my son’s face,” Whalen said. “I made sure I wasn’t in the field of play … I apologized, and (Trout) nodded his head and we’re good, I think.”

Trout made peace with Whalen after the game, giving him and his son some memorabilia, including a bat, and saying he appreciated his apologetic gesture right after the play.

That aftermath is fairly different from what happened following the Betts incident.

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As many baseball fans will remember, that play transformed into a larger debate about player safety. In that case, MLB requested the Yankees ban the two fans from Game 5 of the World Series, and the pair was banned from all ballparks indefinitely months later.

When asked for his thoughts on those fans in December, Betts didn’t hold back:

“I would really say, ‘F*** you, guys,'” Betts replied when asked what he would say to those fans now. “I get them trying to get the ball. Cool. But, like, you tried to grab my s***.

“I was in the moment,” he added. “So I thought about throwing a ball at ’em. And then I realized, ‘Mook, you ain’t gonna do s***. Go back to right field.'”

Trout might have felt similar frustration in the moment, but fortunately made his peace. On the bright side, Trout entered Saturday tied for the MLB in home runs with six and added another two RBI with a single in the first inning.

When the team formerly known as the Oakland Athletics announced it would play the 2025 season and beyond in Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park, a Triple-A stadium, there were a number of issues flagged.

Beyond the sharp criticism of the Las Vegas-bound team’s decision in the first place, there were concerns about the park’s facilities, most notably the players’ clubhouses. While the A’s spent millions of dollars renovating them to make them more MLB-worthy, there was no changing the fact the clubhouses were located beyond the center-field wall, rather than behind the first- and third- base lines like every MLB stadium.

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That became an issue Saturday.

New York Mets outfielder Jose Siri started the chain of events when he fouled a pitch from A’s starter J.T. Ginn off his left knee in the second inning. Siri immediately fell to the ground and eventually limped to the Mets dugout under the guidance of a trainer. Tyrone Taylor took over the at-bat and struck out to end the frame.

Siri’s knee apparently continued to feel worse over the next few minutes, as the Mets called for a cart to pick him up and take him to the clubhouse facilities. Which, again, are in center field.

The Mets ended up needing two carts, as one broke down on the way out. Several A’s employees had to manually push the cart through a gate in center field, and it did not look easy. The situation delayed the bottom of the second inning as the amused crowd looked on.

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Fortunately, the SNY booth was on the case with its usual level of analysis, such as “This is something out of Keystone Cops.”

Remember, the A’s are signed up for at least three years of this ballpark, which has a capacity of 14,014. Aside from the Tampa Bay Rays’ interim home of Steinbrenner Field, the next-closest MLB stadium by capacity is the Cleveland Guardians’ Progressive Field at 34,830. Unlike the Rays, the A’s are at their current stadium by choice, with the MLB league office’s full support.

Fortunately, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters after the game that Siri’s X-rays were negative for any damage and there are no plans for him to undergo further testing. Mendoza described the injury as a contusion and said the team will monitor the knee over the next few days before making an injured-list decision.