The Seattle Mariners faithful held their breath last night as a tough 4-3 loss to the Houston Astros was overshadowed by concern over star catcher Cal Raleigh. Raleigh appeared to suffer an injury during the contest, and fans are anxiously awaiting updates today. On a brighter note, right-hander Bryce Miller delivered a highly encouraging first start of the season—did you catch his performance?
In a quirky turn of events, it turns out Logan Gilbert convinced Raleigh to shower in his jersey before Tuesday's game to break a hitting slump—and believe it or not, it worked! The baseball gods work in mysterious ways.
Looking ahead, Max Ellingsen kicked off a deep dive into the Mariners' 2026 MLB Draft strategy, with player profiles and insider nuggets rolling out soon. Jump into the comments on that article to tell Max which potential draft fits you want covered.
Elsewhere around the league, the MLB and MLBPA officially met Tuesday to open collective bargaining agreement talks—a key step for the sport's future. Meanwhile, the New York Yankees took a potentially huge hit as lefty ace Max Fried exited his start against the Orioles with a sore elbow. The Bronx Bombers' pitching staff could be in trouble if this lingers.
Over in Queens, Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez is set for surgery to repair a meniscus tear, with the team hopeful for a 6-8 week return. The Reds also placed right-handed starter Rhett Lowder on the injured list with right shoulder discomfort, but quickly responded by agreeing to a big-league deal with veteran righty Chris Paddack.
In front office news, the Dodgers hired former star outfielder Jason Heyward as a special assistant—bringing championship pedigree to the dugout. And in a scary moment on the South Side, a White Sox fan was hospitalized after falling into the visiting bullpen during yesterday's game.
For prospect watchers, MLB Pipeline named the hottest pitching prospect in each organization, while ESPN's Kiley McDaniel dropped his first mock draft of the season. Over at Fangraphs, our own Ryan Blake broke down Ceddanne Rafaela's arm strength and what truly defines a good arm in baseball, while David Laurila spoke with Yandy Díaz, who continues to fly under the radar as one of the sport's most underrated hitters.
Finally, if you're looking for some offseason reading, Adam Gopnik of The New Yorker delivered a full review of A.M. Gittlitz's new book "Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle." Grab your favorite team cap and dive into the rich history of the game.