MLB Baseball 3 Days

Last updated: April 12, 2026, 8:30 AM ET

Injury Bug Bites Key Shortstops & Pitchers

A wave of physical setbacks swept through the league over the weekend, impacting both the Houston Astros and the New York Mets. Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena exited Saturday against the Mariners with right knee tightness and is scheduled for an MRI, compounding issues for Houston, which also placed starter Cristian Javier and outfielder Jake Meyers on the injured list Friday Astros place righty Javier. Adding further concern for the club, rookie pitcher Tatsuya Imai returned to Houston for evaluation due to right arm fatigue, prompting manager Joe Espada to state the news was "just not good." Meanwhile, the Mets are grappling with uncharacteristic errors from Francisco Lindor, who committed his third miscue in two days during an 11-6 defeat to the A's Lindor's gaffes leave Mets at loss, while reliever Clay Holmes also departed his Friday start against Oakland with left hamstring tightness Mets' Holmes exits vs. A's.

Catchers & Position Players Land on IL

The injury crisis extended across positions, sidelining several key players just as the season gains momentum. Baltimore's All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman landed on the 10-day IL before Saturday's game versus the Giants due to left ankle inflammation. In Toronto, George Springer's already difficult season worsened; the outfielder fractured his left big toe during the Blue Jays' 7-4 loss to the Twins. The Twins are also shuffling their roster, sending infielder Royce Lewis and right-hander Cody Laweryson to the injured list Twins INF Lewis, RHP Laweryson headed to IL. Further south, the Angels rookie right-hander George Klassen was pulled in the third inning of his start Saturday with a bruised nail on his right index finger Angels' Klassen leaves start, and the Marlins placed outfielder Griffin Conine on the 10-day IL due to a left hamstring tear Marlins OF Conine out.

AL West & Oakland Roster Moves

The American League West saw significant roster adjustments, including the Athletics ending a lengthy player streak while the Astros managed their pitching staff issues Oakland's streak ends. Oakland placed outfielder Brent Rooker on the 10-day IL for an oblique strain, terminating his run of 213 consecutive games played A's place Rooker on IL. In related action, the struggling Oakland club managed a low-scoring victory over the Yankees on Thursday, with Jeffrey Springs leading a bullpen effort that culminated in a one-hitter Springs, A's bullpen toss 1-hitter. On the transaction front, the Yankees designated reliever Cade Winquest without ever giving him an opportunity to pitch in a major league contest Yankees designate Winquest.

Offensive Fireworks & Record Breaking

While injuries mounted, several stars delivered electrifying performances at the plate, including a historic night for the Dodgers' Max Muncy and a new on-base benchmark set by Shohei Ohtani Dodgers' Muncy caps 3-HR night. Los Angeles staged a dramatic comeback against the Rangers, climaxing when Muncy crushed a game-winning, two-out solo home run in the ninth inning to secure an 8-7 victory after he had already tallied two other homers Muncy caps 3-HR night with walk-off shot. Across the coast, Shohei Ohtani extended his personal on-base streak to 44 games with a fifth-inning single, officially surpassing Ichiro Suzuki's record for any Japanese-born player Ohtani surpasses Ichiro's record.

Roster Shuffling & Player Updates

Teams continued to manage their 26-man rosters, with the Mets making a high-profile bullpen change while other teams provided updates on returning players Mets call up reliever Kimbrel. The Mets called up veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel and subsequently designated left-hander Richard Lovelady for assignment to clear space Mets call up reliever Kimbrel. Meanwhile, Seiya Suzuki was activated by the Cubs after missing the start of the season with a sprained knee and was inserted into the lineup for Friday's series opener against the Pirates Cubs OF Suzuki set for season debut. In Milwaukee, Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio is progressing from his broken hand, though the team indicated he remains "not quite ready" to resume swinging a bat Chourio (hand) still 'not quite ready'.

League Business, Broadcasts, & Off-Field News

Beyond the diamond action, league finances and off-field honors captured attention, including a record high for average player salary and local government maneuvering for a new stadium MLB average salary hits record $5.34M. A recent salary study revealed that the average MLB salary increased by 3.4% on Opening Day, reaching an all-time high of $5.34 million, with the New York Mets leading spending at the season's outset Study: MLB average salary hits record $5.34M. In Kansas City, local officials are actively pursuing a plan that would authorize the issuance of $600 million in municipal bonds to finance a replacement stadium for the Royals K.C. officials mull $600M in bonds. On the celebratory front, the Mariners unveiled a statue honoring Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki on Friday, though the ceremony was marred when the bronze bat on the statue unexpectedly broke during the unveiling. Furthermore, the league noted modest progress in diversity, confirming that the percentage of Black players on Opening Day rosters increased for the second consecutive year, a feat unseen in over two decades MLB's percentage of Black players increases.

Media, Nostalgia, & Future Outlook

Media coverage and historical retrospectives provided additional color as the league moves into its second full week of play Grading MLB's City Connect uniforms. NBC is preparing for its Sunday night baseball broadcasts, announcing that the three-time Grammy Award-winning Zac Brown Band will perform the opening segment. In franchise history reflection, this week marks the 50th anniversary of the first free agent contract, prompting an analysis ranking the historical success and failure of the 8,340 deals executed over the past half-century Free agency turns 50. Meanwhile, the latest installment of the league Power Rankings saw the Brewers and Pirates move up the standings while the Red Sox fell following unexpected early-season results MLB Power Rankings: Brewers, Pirates rise.