MLB Baseball 3 Days

Last updated: May 19, 2026, 5:48 PM ET

Return & Rehab Updates

The Yankees are preparing for a major moment as ace Gerrit Cole will make his season debut Friday at Yankee Stadium, his first major league start since Tommy John surgery last year. Manager Aaron Boone is weighing whether to skip Cole's final rehab start and push him straight to the big club, suggesting urgency around the staff's confidence in his readiness. Meanwhile, the Mets stayed red-hot with a historic 10-run 12th inning Monday that fueled a 16-7 rout of the Nationals, as Carson Benge added an RBI single and a two-run double. New York also swiped the Subway Series with two straight wins over the Yankees, their first victories in the rivalry series this year despite still sitting last in the NL East.

Injury Woes & Surgical Calendars

The injury front continues to test depth across the league. Blake Snell is scheduled to undergo elbow surgery Tuesday to remove loose bodies from his left elbow, though the Dodgers remain optimistic he can return this season. Tarik Skubal, meanwhile, is already throwing bullpen sessions symptom-free less than two weeks after loose-body removal surgery on his elbow. Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes confirmed Monday that Tyler Glasnow was shut down from his throwing program after a flare-up, complicating Los Angeles's rotation plans alongside the Snell news. On the opposite coast, Jose Berrios will undergo pitching elbow surgery Wednesday for the Blue Jays, with a recovery timeline still unknown until after the procedure. Several position players also landed on the IL, including Braves catcher Drake Baldwin, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, who went to the 10-day list with a strained right oblique, and Rangers shortstop Corey Seager, who was placed on the 10-day IL with lower back inflammation. Astros second baseman Jose Altuve will have an MRI after exiting Sunday's game with left-side soreness and was placed on the injured list with a left oblique strain. Texas starter Mac Kenzie Gore left Monday's game after one inning with muscle tightness in his back, while the Red Sox placed shortstop Trevor Story on the 10-day IL with a sports hernia and promoted utilityman Nick Sogard. In Baltimore, Jordan Westburg had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Wednesday and will miss the entire 2026 season.

Hot Streaks & Shifting Momentum

Philadelphia's resurgence under interim manager Don Mattingly reached a new peak as the Phillies improved to 15-4 since his arrival and climbed over .500 at 24-23 for the first time since April 7, beating Pittsburgh 6-0 Saturday. Dusty Wathan filled in as manager that day while Mattingly attended his son's Purdue graduation, marking a rare instance of an organizational figure stepping aside. Shohei Ohtani delivered two hits and five RBIs in a 15-2 win over the Angels, including a two-run triple that scored on a throwing error, signaling he is fully back in the lineup after a brief rest. The White Sox took two of three from the Cubs thanks to Edgar Quero's walk-off home run in the 10th, which he credited to visualizing the moment the night before. On the Marlins' side, Miami has become an unlikely source of innovation, radically rethinking batting practice and even having players call pitches from the dugout in a bid to break out of last-place futility.

Prospects, Retirements & Off-Field Stories

Colt Emerson, the Mariners' No. 6-ranked prospect, made his major league debut Sunday in a loss to the Padres, while fantasy managers are now watching for the next wave of impact rookies including Emerson and prospect stock picks projected to make noise in 2026. The Twins, meanwhile, sent former No. 1 pick Royce Lewis to the minors after a brutal stretch — 25 strikeouts in 68 plate appearances and a .132 batting average since returning from the minors on April 21. Gio Urshela retired after 10 big league seasons with eight teams, ending a career that included three years with the Yankees and a stint with Colombia at the World Baseball Classic. Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong apologized Monday for his "choice of words" in a heated exchange with a fan during Sunday's loss to the White Sox. The Nationals identified at least one person to ban from the ballpark after a white nationalist banner was unfurled Sunday. Jazz Chisholm Jr. broke out of his slump by wearing Giancarlo Stanton's pants — seven inches and 61 pounds larger than his own — and it worked.

Power Rankings, Odds & Baseball Culture

The Mets climbed to the top of ESPN's Week 7 Power Rankings on the strength of a red-hot offense, ending the Dodgers' reign at No. 1. World Series odds still favor Los Angeles, but the Phillies have climbed into contention at 24-23, and the Marlins are being watched as potential dark horses after their unconventional approach has turned spring predictions on their head. Card-carrying baseball culture took an odd turn in St. Louis, where the Cardinals endorsed a shirtless fan trend after dozens of fans sparked back-to-back wins this weekend. On the labor front, the MLB and MLBPA met this week to discuss what topics will dominate CBA negotiations as the current collective bargaining agreement approaches its endgame. Aaron Judge, meanwhile, has kept expectations sky-high for himself amid mounting pressure to end New York's title drought, even as the roster navigates a gauntlet of injuries.