Mega Thread 2026 MLB Season

[FreoRicci]

Jo Adell with 3 Home Run Robberies in one game. Absolutely nuts

 

[RPCB]

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

 

[revo333]

The Dodgers blue away jersey is mint.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Before the Blue Jays hosted the Dodgers in a rematch of the 2025 World Series, the Blue Jays manager confirmed to reporters that catcher Alejandro Kirk will shortly undergo surgery on his broken left thumb. The timetable for Kirk's return is dependent on whether the surgeons will need to insert a pin in his thumb, which will not be known until the surgery actually happens. Regardless of whether this is required or not, Kirk will be out for more than the minimal 10-day IL stint. John Schneider told reporters that he estimated either three to four weeks or four to six weeks, depending on whether the pin is needed. Kirk suffered the injury when he was struck by a foul tip.

The Blue Jays currently use George Springer as a full-time designated hitter on the basis that his defence in the outfield is no longer of standard, so it would be difficult to bring back Kirk into the starting nine until he is ready to resume catching. The Blue Jays will replace Kirk defensively with a mixture of Tyler Heineman and rookie Brandon Valenzuela. Heineman was Kirk's backup in 2025, hitting .289/.361/.416 in 64 games, but while he had good defence in 2025, he also cost the Blue Jays a win when he had a throwing error that allowed the White Sox to score the tying run with two outs in the tenth inning of an eventual loss. He also had a baserunning blunder and another throwing error that coughed up two runs in a 6-3 loss to Chicago on the weekend. The Blue Jays benched Heineman for Valenzuela on Sunday, but brought Heineman back for the first game of their rematch against the Dodgers.

Thumb surgery for Alejandro Kirk means an extensive absence for Blue Jays star catcher

Thumb surgery for Alejandro Kirk means an extensive absence for Blue Jays star catcher

torontosun.com

 

[Dixie Flatline]

It was recently reported that the Milwaukee Brewers were in negotiation with shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt. The Brewers announced on Good Friday that they had indeed signed Pratt to an eight-year extension. He has been selected to the Brewers' 40-man roster and optioned to Triple-A Nashville. The Brewers designated OF Steward Berroa for assignment to open the roster spot for Pratt.

According to the Associated Press, Pratt received a $3 million signing bonus and will earn $2.5 million base salary in 2026. That jumps to $3.5 million in 2027, then to $4 million in each of 2028 and 2029, $5 million in 2030 and 2031, $10.75 million in 2032, and $13 million in 2033. The Brewers have two club options worth $15 million each in 2034 and 2035 that do not come with a buyout. Pratt can escalate the value of the options if he finishes top 10 in MVP voting and earns a $200,000 bonus for every Gold Glove win and All-Star selection.

Cooper Pratt deal with Brewers can escalate by $10 million if he finishes high in MVP vote

Shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt’s $50.75 million, eight-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers includes escalators that could raise the value by $10 million if he repeatedly finishes high in MVP voting and the team exercises its two options.

apnews.com

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Baltimore Orioles have placed LHP Dietrich Enns on the IL with an infected left foot, according to the team. Manager Craig Albernaz told reporters that the infection was so serious that Enns required IV antibiotics at a Pittsburgh hospital before he could return to Baltimore. The Orioles have called up RHP Brandon Young to replace Enns on the active roster, and he goes straight into the rotation after RHP Zach Eflin was put on the IL with an elbow injury. Cade Povich was expected to start the game against Chicago but ended up pitching 5 2/3 innings in long relief for Chris Bassitt yesterday.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Kansas City Royals have activated second baseman Michael Massey off the IL after he missed the first three series of the season with a calf strain that he suffered in early March. Massey played three games at Triple-A to get in shape to play in the majors. The Royals optioned Nick Loftin to Triple-A to open the roster spot for Massey.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Houston Astros have placed Rule 5 draft selection RHP Roddery Munoz on outright waivers, according to The Athletic. Players can be placed on waivers while remaining on the 40-man roster, but it seems almost certain that the Astros will cut the pitcher if he is not claimed off waivers. If any club claims him, they would also be bound by the Rule 5 parameters. If he goes unclaimed, then by rule, the Astros would need to offer him back to the Cincinnati Reds, who could assign him to the minors without taking up a 40-man roster spot.

Munoz is an unusual Rule 5 draft selection, since he has almost 100 innings of MLB experience under his belt with the Cardinals and Marlins. But he was not a particularly effective pitcher and exhausted his option years over the 2023 to 2025 seasons. The Cardinals put Munoz on waivers in November 2025. The Reds claimed Munoz, non-tendered him and signed him to a minor league deal that exposed him to the Rule 5 draft, whereupon he was drafted by the Astros. He had a bright spring training, with 16 strikeouts in 10 innings and the Astros put him in the bullpen to open the season, but he has been hit hard with seven earned runs allowed in four innings.



The Astros subsequently announced that Munoz has been designated for assignment, with reliever Enyel De Los Santos activated off the injured list to take his position on the roster. The Astros also optioned Shay Whitcomb to Triple-A to fit third baseman Isaac Paredes on the active roster after Paredes was activated off the bereavement list.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

A big blow for the injury-depleted Cubs starting rotation with manager Craig Counsell confirming overnight that RHP Cade Horton will require season-ending surgery on his torn ulnar collateral ligament. The nature of the surgery is yet to be confirmed, since it will not be determined until he is actually in surgery.

Horton drew the start for the Cubs on Good Friday but in his second inning, he threw a pitch that was noticeably slower than his average velocity. He summoned the trainer and was removed from the game, with the Cubs announcing after the game that he had suffered "forearm discomfort". The Cubs placed him on the 15-day IL, and will have the option of putting him on the 60-day IL when they need his roster spot.

Horton finished runner up in the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year voting behind catcher Drake Baldwin despite not being promoted to the majors until mid-May. Under the rules of the Prospect Promotion Incentive, Horton accrued a full year of service time retroactively. He will continue to accrue service time while on the IL this year and will reach two-years.

The Cubs will lose Horton for the season, further depleting their stocks of starting pitchers. The Cubs also have had to place LHP Matthew Boyd

Matthew Boyd

Age

43

Ht

184cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

25.0

5star

K

13.5

5star

HB

11.6

5star

M

5.1

5star

T

3.4

5star

MG

452.0

5star

No current season stats available

D

7.0

2star

K

3.4

2star

HB

3.6

3star

M

1.6

2star

T

1.0

3star

on the IL with a relatively minor bicep strain. With Horton and Boyd on the shelf, this means that the Cubs' opening day rotation is down to RHP Edward Cabrera, RHP Jameson Taillon and LHP Shota Imanaga. The Cubs have recalled RHP Javier Assad and he draws the start for the Cubs' game today. RHP Colin Rea is likely to start tomorrow's game, although the Cubs have not made that official.

The Cubs hope to regain Boyd and LHP Justin Steele, who is recovering from his own UCL surgery that was performed about 12 months ago. Steele is currently on the 60-day IL and is not eligible to return until late May.

Given the spate of injuries, the Cubs' pitching depth is somewhat questionable. Jaxon Wiggins is regarded as one of the better pitching prospects in the league, and is currently pitching in Triple-A, but needs to improve his command before he can be seriously considered for a role in the rotation. The Cubs stashed veterans Kyle Wright and Vince Velasquez in the minors as non-rostered players, but they have not pitched in the majors since 2023 and Wright is currently injured.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Toronto Blue Jays' RHP Cody Ponce is set to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his sprained ACL in his right knee, according to Blue Jays' manager John Schneider. The estimated return to play timeline is about six months, so it is likely that Ponce will not pitch again this season unless the Blue Jays make a deep playoff run or Ponce makes it back faster than the anticipated timeline. The Blue Jays have already put the former Pirate on the 60-day IL.

It cuts short his return to the major league after pitching in Japan and Korea since 2022, including a dominant 2025 season with the Hanwha Eagles where he pitched 180 2/3 innings for a 1.89 ERA, 36.2% strikeout rate, 5.9% walk rate and a 45.7% ground ball rate. He was pitching in his first game for the Blue Jays when he suffered the injury attempting to field a ground ball. He collapsed in pain and needed the assistance of the card to be removed from the field. He was diagnosed with the sprained ACL, though he managed to avoid a tear.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Schneider also told reporters that Alejandro Kirk had the surgery to repair his broken thumb yesterday and that he had a screw placed in his thumb. He is likely to miss six weeks.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Arizona Diamondbacks have selected the contract of first baseman Luken Baker, who will take the active roster spot of first baseman Carlos Santana. The latter was placed on the 10-day IL, retroactive to 6 April, with a strained right adductor. The Diamondbacks put OF Jordan Lawlar on the 60-day IL to create a 40-man roster space for Baker, who signed a minor league contract with Arizona in the offseason.

Baker is purely a first baseman and has to rely on his bat in order to be productive. From 2023 to now, in 1,284 Triple-A plate appearances, Baker has hit 84 home runs and has a slash line of .259/.371/.555 (131 wRC+).

Baker has had some limited major league experience with the St Louis Cardinals. In 189 plate appearances in the last three seasons, Baker has hit .206/.317/.338 (87 wRC+). The Cardinals put him on waivers in August, where he was claimed by the Dodgers but then quickly outrighted. He became a free agent at the end of 2025, and signed with Arizona.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The Athletics are currently in New York playing the first of their three-game series against the Yankees after taking two of three from the Astros. They optioned RHP rookie starter Luis Morales to Triple-A after he was hit hard in his first two starts of the season, and have called up reliever Joel Kuhnel to take the roster spot. The Athletics placed RHP Gunnar Hoglund on the 60-day IL with a lumbar spine strain to create the 40-man roster spot for Kuhnel.

Kuhnel makes it back to the majors for the first time since 2024. As a non-roster invitee, he pitched 11 2/3 innings with 10 strikeouts in spring training, giving up two earned runs. He has carried that hot streak into the early part of the minor league season, striking out six of 10 batters faced over three hitless innings with the Las Vegas Aviators.

Kuhnel is primarily a sinker-slider pitcher with an average velocity of about 96 mph on average. In 93 2/3 career innings in the big leagues, he averages about 19% strikeout rate and a 52% ground ball rate. Kuhnel has no options left so must either stick on the MLB roster or be designated for assignment.

 

[Jatz]

Nice start to the season, a win over the D'backs today in extras.

 

[satty]

Schneider also told reporters that Alejandro Kirk had the surgery to repair his broken thumb yesterday and that he had a screw placed in his thumb. He is likely to miss six weeks.

Speaking of Schneider, he really let lose once he was given the ejection sign from the umpire. He was extremely close to beating the living daylights out of the homeplate umpire.

 

[RPCB]

I thought I’ve seen everything in baseball until I just saw a fan in the crowd dive for a baseball and he lost his pants around his ankles. Bare arse was seen on the screen. I’ve never turned my head faster on my life.

Poor dude will never live that one down.

 

[satty]

The Blue Jays managed to get a bases loaded situation with no outs, proceed to go scoreless.

This batting lineup definitely stinks right now. They really look out of sorts.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

LHP reliever Joey Lucchesi elected free agency after clearing outright waivers and refused an assignment to the minor league after the Angels designated him for assignment last week. Lucchesi was an unfortunate victim of circumstances. The Angels were forced to scratch scheduled starter Ryan Johnson from his start on the weekend due to a viral infection. The Angels decided to replace Johnson with pitching prospect George Klassen for a spot start, and required both a 40-man and an active roster spot for the start, with the Angels deciding on Lucchesi as the unfortunate pitcher required to make way.

Consequently, Lucchesi leaves the Angels after a brief stint with the club. He signed a major league contract with Los Angeles at the end of spring training and made three appearances for them before being released. He started poorly by allowing five of the six hitters he faced to reach base, but then followed up with a pair of scoreless outings. He lacked command, with four walks and a HPB across 2 1/3 innings as an Angel.

Lucchesi spent 2025 with the Giants, starting the season in the minor leagues but earning promotion in the middle of June. Across 38 1/3 innings in the second half of the season, he managed a 3.76 ERA, based largely on a 53% groundball rate, but the Giants were clearly unhappy with his mediocre 18.8% strikeout rate. The Giants released Lucchesi at the end of the season then re-signed him on a minor league contract. However, the Giants released him again to sign LHP Ryan Borucki late in the off-season.

 

[satty]

Always funny seeing the bullpen jog to a brawl.

 

[Jatz]

Always funny seeing the bullpen jog to a brawl.

Baseballers throw the funniest punches.

 

[FreoRicci]

Aussie Curtis Mead hits his first HR For Washington Nationals

 

[RPCB]

Baseballers throw the funniest punches.

They took their time to kick off lol.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Aussie Curtis Mead hits his first HR For Washington Nationals

A fair swing, too. Pitch wasn't even in the zone and he pulled it into the right centre field bleachers.

 

[satty]

For anyone who hasn't seen this.