The MLB.com Power Rankings is a very serious enterprise in which we track which teams are rising (the Mariners, the Twins) and which teams are falling (the Padres, the Angels) with focus and seriousness of purpose. But sometimes it’s important to remember that what matters the most is ... hugs.

MEXICO CITY -- The biggest reason the Astros have struggled in April is the health of their pitching staff. Six starters have already spent time on the injured list this season, including five at the same time. That forced Houston to call up some young arms who weren’t quite ready,

ANAHEIM -- Some things are bigger than baseball. But Angels right-hander Zac Kristofak knows how the power of baseball can heal. He's used it as his platform since going through an unthinkable tragedy in 2012, when his father murdered his mother outside Atlanta when he was only 15 years old.

ARLINGTON -- Rangers rookie Wyatt Langford saw the ball hit off the right-center-field wall and turned on the jets. Once he saw third-base coach Tony Beasley aggressively windmilling, he knew he was home free -- quite literally. Langford, the Rangers’ top prospect, is mostly known for his 70-grade power, so

MILWAUKEE -- It would take something unusual to bump one of Aaron Judge’s long homers into a secondary note, especially on a day when Anthony Rizzo rounded the bases for his 300th career home run. But the Yankees captain’s controversial slide into second base had plenty of people talking on

TORONTO -- The Blue Jays' outfield came through in Sunday's 3-1 win at Rogers Centre over the Dodgers, helping Toronto end its five-game slide. First, it was Daulton Varsho, who robbed Shohei Ohtani of a hit in the first inning. And in the ninth, George Springer made the play of

ATLANTA – Austin Riley couldn’t have picked a better time to get his first RBI of the Braves’ weekend series against the Guardians at Truist Park. After going 0-for-8 on the series heading into Sunday’s rubber match, the slugging third baseman tallied two hits -- including a 10th-inning walk-off single

DETROIT -- The way Tarik Skubal finished last season, he didn’t want it to end. The way the Tigers left-hander has started this season, it’s like it never did. He won AL Pitcher of the Month last September by going 4-0 with a 0.90 ERA over his final five starts,

ANAHEIM -- Baseball's a sport where if you have a good thing going, you don't dare mess with whatever might be providing those positive vibes -- perishable or not. Last week in Chicago, while the Twins were looking for anything to reverse their early-season struggles, Kyle Farmer put out a

In case you hadn’t noticed, the Orioles have a reputation for developing young, quality big league hitters. Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson have already blossomed into young stars -- and Jackson Holliday (MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect) -- could certainly get there sometime soon. But the young talent doesn’t

Some mascots are good for a laugh. Some get you amped up. Some make you feel warm and fuzzy. Mudonna T. Pig -- a neon-pink porcine cheerleader nicknamed "the divine swine" and "the dutchess of pork" who has been entertaining St. Paul Saints fans for over 20 years -- was

SAN DIEGO -- Taijuan Walker’s right shoulder passed its first test of 2024. His reflexes? Grade them A-plus. Walker tossed 6 1/3 innings in his season debut as the Phillies completed a three-game sweep of the Padres with an 8-6 victory on Sunday afternoon at Petco Park. The right-hander, who

After entering the 2024 season projected to miss the playoffs, the Guardians have almost inarguably been MLB’s biggest surprise thus far. Entering Monday, the Guardians lead the AL with a 19-9 record and +46 run differential -- both of which rank second in MLB behind Atlanta this year, and both

NEW YORK -- When Mark Vientos arrived at Citi Field on Saturday for the first time this season, Carlos Mendoza approached him for a chat. The manager told Vientos to be ready for every opportunity. He urged him not to worry about the awkwardness of the circumstances, the fact that

TORONTO -- The Kevin Gausman effect. Facing the prospect of six straight losses and a sweep on their home turf, the Blue Jays needed their ace at his best on Sunday afternoon. Gausman delivered. The right-hander neutralized a Dodgers lineup that had haunted Toronto over the first two games of

Stay up-to-date with all the latest news on injured and recovering players from across Major League Baseball.

BOSTON -- For the Red Sox, their first walk-off win of 2024 culminated with a bloop single from Tyler O'Neill that had an exit velocity of just 63.4 mph and an expected batting average of .110, according to Statcast. But the popup trickled off shortstop Dansby Swanson’s glove in shallow

MIAMI -- There’s one word manager Dave Martinez would use to describe his club this season: Relentless. It can be seen in a multitude of ways so far this season, but perhaps no more than the Nationals' reactions to overcoming a seven-run deficit to defeat the Marlins, 12-9, on Sunday

SAN FRANCISCO -- Mike Yastrzemski couldn’t have scripted a better Fenway Park debut when the Giants last visited Boston in 2019. He caught the first pitch from his Hall of Fame grandfather, Carl, and went on to homer into the center-field bleachers, marking the first time a Yastrzemski had gone

CHICAGO -- Erick Fedde had never worked into the eighth inning of a Major League start, let alone the ninth, until a 4-2 victory for the White Sox over the Rays on Sunday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field. At 100 pitches and with a three-run lead to work with thanks

Even the very best hitters go through cold streaks. While those can often go unnoticed, it’s far different when cold spells come at the beginning of the season. Poor starts -- with no recent string of success to point to -- can raise alarm bells for any hitter, especially those

BALTIMORE -- The first six pitches to leave Craig Kimbrel’s right hand at the start of the ninth inning on Sunday afternoon were balls, and Orioles manager Brandon Hyde could tell something might be wrong. The 35-year-old closer’s body movement seemed a bit off. “The way he was walking around

This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon’s Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

BOSTON -- Red Sox righty Naoyuki Uwasawa enthusiastically arrived for his first day in the Major Leagues, a Sunday Night Baseball matchup against the Cubs at Fenway Park. It has been a whirlwind few months for the 30-year-old from Japan, who signed a Minor League deal with the Rays after

If the Rays want to see a glimpse of their future, they only need to look 700 miles north to Durham, N.C. On Sunday afternoon, top prospect Junior Caminero (MLB No. 4) homered twice in a four-hit game as rehabbing Taj Bradley, their top prospect from 2023, tossed five hitless