MLB Baseball 24 Hours

Last updated: May 24, 2026, 11:53 PM ET

Yankees Lead With Power

Gerrit Cole made his long-awaited return tossing six shutout innings after a 569-day absence following elbow ligament reconstruction, giving the Yankees a dominant outing against a division rival. The ace's sharpness came full circle just hours later when Aaron Judge ended a career-worst 11-game RBI drought with a two-run walk-off homer against the Rays. Meanwhile, Teoscar Hernández matched a career high with six RBIs in the Dodgers' 11-3 rout of the Brewers, while Kiké Hernández is expected to activate Monday for his season debut after left elbow surgery, adding another bat to Los Angeles's already deep lineup. The Dodgers also optioned reliever Robert Gasser back to Triple-A after he blew an early lead, with manager Pat Murphy suggesting the lefty may have been tipping his pitches.

Angels, Guardians Deliver Dominant Pitching

Reid Detmers was nearly untouchable for eight innings, striking out a career-high 14 batters, and the Angels swept the Rangers 2-1 when a throwing error by Justin Foscue in the ninth sealed the win. Across the league, Gavin Williams matched Phillies ace Cristopher Sanchez with eight scoreless innings before Kyle Manzardo delivered a pinch-hit homer in the ninth to lift the Guardians to a 1-0 win. Jake Irvin and Washington combined on a one-hitter, blanking the Braves 2-0 in a game where the Nationals right-hander felt tightness in his shoulder toward the end of his five-inning, hitless stretch.

Injuries Pile Up Across the League

The injury list grew longer across several clubs. The Blue Jays took a double hit when starter Dylan Cease exited in the fifth with left hamstring discomfort and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. left after being hit in the elbow by a pitch. George Springer, meanwhile, hit his 65th career leadoff homer but the Jays still sent Paul Skenes to consecutive losses for the first time this season. The Rockies watched Jose Quintana depart in the second inning with left elbow discomfort, while the Rays placed Jonny DeLuca on the 10-day IL with a strained hamstring. The Tigers added left-hander Brant Hurter to the 15-day IL with lumbar spine inflammation, and second baseman Gleyber Torres said his left oblique strain is not fully healed as he halts swinging the bat during recovery. The Nationals placed Jake Irvin on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder strain, which he called "positive" news, though the timing of the move seemed to contradict his recent strong outing. The Astros' Yordan Alvarez exited with back spasms in the sixth inning and will miss the series finale, compounding health concerns in Houston.

Late-Game Drama and Debut Stories

Bryan Torres, who four years ago considered retiring, homered in his emotional MLB debut at age 28 for the St. Louis Cardinals. Garrett Crochet, the Red Sox ace left-hander, is set to throw batting practice off the Fenway Park mound Tuesday as he returns from shoulder inflammation, a cautious but encouraging step. The Mets scratched Juan Soto due to illness against the Marlins, removing their biggest offensive threat from the lineup on a Sunday game. The Cubs gave Ian Happ the day off and moved Pete Crow-Armstrong to the leadoff spot against the Astros, a shakeup that came as Yordan Alvarez was exiting with back spasms. On the mound, the Brewers' decision to option Gasser down reflected a broader reluctance to trust the young lefty after a rough outing that may have exposed tipping habits.