June 2026 - Baseball Wiretap

What was a prime opportunity to rebound from an ugly start to the season, the New York Mets' nine-game homestand against three sub-.500 clubs only extended the nightmare for the second-most-expensive roster in the majors.

The Mets fell to the Washington Nationals 5-4 on Thursday at Citi Field to drop the three-game series and finish the homestand 3-6. They've lost 17 of their past 20 games and will begin May with the worst record in baseball at 10-21.

"Not good enough, obviously," manager Carlos Mendoza said. "Not a secret. That's not going to do it. We got to start winning series. Period."

The Detroit Tigers have hired former MLB pitcher Kyle Hendricks as a special assistant. Hendricks is expected to focus on pitching development within the organization.

Hendricks spent 11 of his 12 professional seasons with the Chicago Cubs before finishing with the Los Angeles Angels. He posted a career 3.79 ERA and is best known for his performance during Chicago's 2016 World Series championship run, when he carried a 2.13 ERA in the regular season and started Game 7.

The hiring reconnects Hendricks with Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris and general manager Jeff Greenberg, both of whom worked with him during their time in the Cubs organization.

Known throughout his career as "The Professor" for his studious approach and measured demeanor, Hendricks attended Dartmouth before being drafted in 2011. Late in his playing career, he expressed interest in eventually joining a front office or coaching staff.

Hendricks chose to step away from the game after retiring to spend time with his family. The new role with Detroit fulfills his long-stated goal of remaining involved in baseball while reuniting him with familiar colleagues.

Shohei Ohtani leads all qualified major league pitchers with a 0.60 ERA through five starts, yet the Los Angeles Dodgers dropped a 2-1 decision to the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. Ohtani allowed two runs over six innings while throwing a career-high 104 pitches.

The mark is the fifth-lowest ERA by a Dodger through his first five starts of a season since earned runs became an official National League statistic in 1912. Only Fernando Valenzuela, Don Sutton, and Jesse Petty posted lower figures through five outings.

Ohtani struck out nine batters but tied season highs with five hits allowed and three walks. He also sat out of the lineup for the second time this season, as manager Dave Roberts managed his workload given the additional rest between starts.

"I don't think he felt completely in sync. There were a lot of misfires and bad misses," Roberts said. "But for him to still find a way to navigate six innings and give up two runs, we should win the game."

A wild pickoff attempt by Ohtani in the second inning allowed an unearned run to score. Miami added an earned run in the fifth on a two-out single by Kyle Stowers.

Los Angeles went 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners on base against a Miami staff that threw just 112 pitches.

"I feel great physically. I think it's something to do with my mechanics," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton.

Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez will have further testing on his left elbow when the team returns to New York after he was hit by a pitch Wednesday.

Dominguez, two days after being called up from Triple-A, was struck by an 89.1 mph cutter from Texas Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi while batting in the fourth inning of New York's 3-0 loss.

"It got me right on the elbow, and right now, just swelling," Dominguez said after the game. "As of right now, I don't feel any concern."

The Boston Red Sox placed ace Garrett Crochet on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his pitching shoulder, the latest early season setback for the star left-hander.

The Red Sox announced the roster move before Wednesday afternoon's game against the Blue Jays in Toronto. Utility man Nate Eaton was recalled from Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding roster move.

The dismissal of Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora and five veteran coaches Saturday shocked the baseball world, but those inside the organization say the tension driving the decision had been building since Craig Breslow's arrival after the 2023 season. The Red Sox were 10-17 when Breslow delivered the news in person in Baltimore following a 17-1 victory.

Breslow pushed back on the notion that the outcome was predetermined. "The idea that this was some predetermined outcome is just not true," he said Tuesday in Toronto.

Multiple sources granted anonymity described a front office at odds with the hitting staff throughout 2025. Breslow had questioned the methods of hitting coach Pete Fatse and his assistants, with prospect Kristian Campbell's struggles at the major league level cited internally as a primary source of frustration. Campbell posted a .664 OPS before being optioned back to the minors in June 2025 and has not returned.

Third baseman Alex Bregman repeatedly advocated for the embattled hitting coaches. One source said Bregman "stepped in last year and stopped the firings." Bregman, now with the Chicago Cubs on a five-year, $175 million deal, declined to address the situation directly but said: "I got all the love in the world for those guys."

Saturday's purge also claimed franchise icon Jason Varitek, bench coach Ramon Vazquez, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson and major league hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin. No coaches who predated Breslow's tenure remain on the major league staff.

The two newly elevated hitting coaches, John Soteropulos and Collin Hetzler, both have backgrounds at Driveline, the analytics-driven training facility whose founder Kyle Boddy joined Boston as a special advisor in 2024.

"It's his show," one source said. "He's going to run it his way."

Alex Cora has turned down an offer to manage the Philadelphia Phillies, just three days after the Boston Red Sox let him go, The Post's Jon Heyman confirmed. Bench coach Don Mattingly will instead lead the club on an interim basis.

Philadelphia approached Cora after dismissing Rob Thomson on Tuesday, with the reigning NL East champions mired at 9-19, tied with the New York Mets for the worst record in baseball.

Cora and Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski share prior history. The two worked together in Boston from 2018-19, winning a World Series title in Cora's first season as manager. The Red Sox dismissed Dombrowski after the 2019 season despite an 84-78 record.

Boston fired Cora on Saturday following a 10-17 start that left the Red Sox in last place in the AL East. His farewell message to fans on social media notably omitted president of baseball operations Craig Breslow and owner John Henry.

Mattingly, 65, takes over with 12 years of managerial experience spanning the Los Angeles Dodgers (2011-15) and Miami Marlins (2016-22). He carries a career 446-363 record. His first game leading Philadelphia comes Tuesday night at home against the San Francisco Giants.

Mattingly's performance in the interim role could determine whether the Phillies revisit a pursuit of Cora this offseason.

The New York Yankees will call up right-handed pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for his major league debut Wednesday against the Texas Rangers, a league source told The Athletic. The 22-year-old fills the rotation vacancy created by Luis Gil's demotion to Triple-A on Sunday.

Rodriguez is ranked as New York's No. 6 prospect and is expected to make just two starts before returning to the minors. Carlos Rodon is on track to rejoin the rotation on May 10 following a rehab assignment, which will reclaim Rodriguez's slot.

The Yankees considered piggyback options Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn but opted against using both long relievers on the same day. Neither pitcher is fully built up, with Yarbrough limited to roughly 40 pitches and Blackburn capable of slightly more length.

Rodriguez has been sharp at the Triple-A level to open the season. Across four starts and 21 1/3 innings, he owns a 1.27 ERA and a 58 percent ground-ball rate, driven primarily by an effective sinker.

The Yankees acquired Rodriguez from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for catcher Carlos Narvae z during the 2024 offseason. Narvaez posted a productive rookie season in Boston but has since lost playing time to Connor Wong.

Manager Aaron Boone praised Rodriguez's upside in February, calling him a pitcher with a "bright future" as a major league starter. With Gil requiring additional development time in the minors, Rodriguez has emerged as the top option on New York's pitching depth chart.

A rotation spot beyond these two starts would likely require an injury opening, but the debut provides Rodriguez his most prominent showcase to date.

The Philadelphia Phillies dismissed manager Rob Thomson on Tuesday following a dismal 9-19 start to the 2026 season. Bench coach Don Mattingly, whose son Preston serves as the club's general manager, was named interim manager.

Thomson, 62, posted a .568 winning percentage across parts of five seasons — the finest mark of any Phillies manager since the 19th century. He guided Philadelphia to four straight postseason appearances and a 2022 National League pennant.

The move comes after the Phillies dropped 10 consecutive games, their longest losing streak since 1999. Philadelphia entered Tuesday carrying the largest payroll in franchise history alongside World Series expectations.

Third base coach Dusty Wathan was elevated to bench coach. Triple-A Lehigh Valley manager Anthony Contreras will join the major-league staff as third base coach.

President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski acted after just 28 games, even more swiftly than his 2022 decision to remove Joe Girardi after 51 games, when Thomson stepped in and steered the club to the World Series.

Thomson used 21 different batting orders in 28 games this season, battling lineup inconsistency throughout. The Phillies have struggled offensively, received unreliable starting pitching and played erratic defense.

Dombrowski extended Thomson's contract through 2027 just months ago, following a playoff loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers last October. The entire coaching staff received similar extensions during spring training before Tuesday's abrupt reversal.

Thomson was only the fourth manager in MLB history to reach the postseason in each of his first four full seasons.