Good morning. After starting the season with eight straight wins, the Dodgers have stumbled, going 3-6 since and slipping to third in the NL West. While a 100-win season still seems likely, early talk of 117 wins now looks pretty foolish.
- Russell Dorsey highlights five key takeaways from the first two weeks of the MLB season.
- Among them: the Braves’ rough start. At 4-11 and sitting in last place, Matt Snyder ranks how concerned Atlanta — and other slow-starting teams — should be.
- Kiri Oler dives into Atlanta’s offensive woes, pointing out their tendency to hit too many fly balls.
- Dave O’Brien shares updates on the Braves, including the return of Spencer Strider from the IL on Wednesday.
- Kiley McDaniel ranks the top 12 “true aces” in baseball (ESPN+), with Strider coming in at No. 12 despite missing last year due to elbow surgery.
- The Padres, now atop the NL West, dominated the Rockies with three straight shutouts this weekend. Michael King tossed a complete game on Sunday.
- Angels star Mike Trout had a foul ball knocked from his glove by a fan, who later apologized. Trout responded graciously, meeting the fan and his son postgame with gifts.
- Trout says he knows many around baseball are rooting for his return to peak form (The Athletic).
- Esteban Rivera explains how Corbin Carroll’s new stance has made a big difference for the Diamondbacks.
- Tyler Kepner reflects on Wilmer Flores’ steady presence with the Giants.
- Gabe Lacques writes about how Tommy Edman has become the Dodgers’ “superglue.”
- Tim Stebbins reports why the Guardians aren’t sweating closer Emmanuel Clase’s slow start.
- Bradford Doolittle explores the evolution of bat technology before the “torpedo” design.
- 1966 NL Rookie of the Year Tommy Helms has passed away at 83. He was a key figure in the Reds’ early Big Red Machine era. Condolences to his loved ones.
- Julian McWilliams breaks down Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s contract extension and its implications for the Blue Jays.
- Bob Nightengale talks to players whose free agency experiences didn’t go as hoped.
- Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru lists candidates for the next player to reach 3,000 hits.
- Ken Rosenthal shares notes from around the league, including how some minor league ballparks are playing unusually small (The Athletic).
- A golf cart malfunctioned during a Sacramento A’s game and had to be pushed off the field. Jack Baer reports.
- Check out the best ballpark giveaways for every MLB team this season.
- The Twins unveiled a Joe Mauer statue outside Target Field.
- The Rockies debuted their new City Connect uniforms.
- Brittany Ghiroli looks at how players manage the mountain of team gear and swag they accumulate (The Athletic).
- And finally, Ken Griffey Jr. traded his bat for a camera at the Masters, snapping some incredible shots in Augusta.
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