Sports
Mets-Nats to feature punchless offenses vs. generous pitching
Apr 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets third baseman Bo Bichette (19) talks with catching coach J.P. Arencibia (68) following a 3-0 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images No team in baseball has scored fewer runs than the New York Mets. And no team in the National League has allowed more runs than the Washington Nationals.
Something will have to give starting Tuesday, when the skidding Mets host Washington in the opener of a three-game series between the longtime National League East rivals.
Clay Holmes (2-2, 2.10 ERA) is slated to start for the Mets against Zack Littell (0-3, 7.56) in a battle of right-handers.
Both teams were off Monday after concluding a three-game series Sunday. The Mets continued slumping as they were swept in a doubleheader by the visiting Colorado Rockies, who won the opener 3-1 before recording a 3-0 victory in the nightcap. The Nationals recorded a series win by edging the host Chicago White Sox 2-1 in 10 innings.
The wins by the Rockies completed a three-game sweep of the Mets and dropped them to 2-15 since April 8, the worst 17-game stretch for the club since New York went 2-15 from Aug. 28 through the second game of a doubleheader on Sept. 13, 2004.
The Mets are 9-19 overall, tied with the division rival Philadelphia Phillies for MLB’s worst record entering Monday. The 28-game start is tied for the worst in franchise history, while New York’s 92 runs are the sixth fewest through 28 games and its fewest since the 1981 team that had 88 runs while starting 8-19-1.
Offense may remain hard to come by for the Mets, who will be without Francisco Lindor and Jorge Polanco — their Opening Day leadoff and cleanup batters, respectively — indefinitely. Lindor is out with a strained left calf, while Polanco is battling left Achilles and right wrist ailments.
“We’ve got to continue to go through it and find ways to get the guys going,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “There’s no other way to put it. I can sit here and tell you guys a lot, but at the end of the day, we’ve got to go out and do it.”
The series against the White Sox indicated the Nationals might be in the process of figuring out their pitching issues. Although Washington has given up the second-most runs in the majors entering Monday (171, three behind the Houston Astros’ 174), the Nationals surrendered just nine runs against the White Sox despite going to extra innings in each of the last two games.
That’s the second fewest Washington has allowed in a three-game span this season, behind the eight runs it gave up while taking two of three from the Chicago Cubs and the Phillies from March 29-31.
Two of the White Sox’s four runs over the last two games came in extra innings, when the automatic runner is placed at second.
In addition, the win and save Sunday were recorded by Richard Lovelady, who began the season with the Mets, and Paxton Schultz, who was recalled from Triple-A Rochester prior to the series finale.
“This team works, they get after it,” Nationals manager Blake Butera said. “We’ve made some mistakes, no doubt, along the way. But the one thing I couldn’t be more proud (of) is just the way these guys have worked every single day.”
Holmes didn’t factor into the decision in his most recent start last Wednesday, when he allowed two runs over seven innings in the Mets’ 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins. Littell took the loss Wednesday after giving up eight runs (six earned) over six innings as the Nationals fell to the Atlanta Braves 8-6.
Holmes is 1-1 with a 1.76 ERA and one save in six career games (one start) against the Nationals. Littell is 0-1 with a 1.38 ERA in seven games (one start) against the Mets.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mets' Bo Bichette could move to SS with injury to Ronny Mauricio
Apr 24, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets third baseman Ronny Mauricio (0) singles during the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images New York Mets shortstop Ronny Mauricio broke his left thumb Saturday, meaning starting third baseman Bo Bichette temporarily could take over at his former position.
Mauricio hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning Friday night, leading the Mets to a comeback road win against the Los Angeles Angels.
And in the seventh inning Saturday night, Mauricio broke the thumb on a headfirst slide into first base in the 4-3 loss.
The Mets are expected to put the 25-year-old Mauricio on the injured list Sunday morning before they play the finale of the three-game series in Anaheim, Calif.
Mauricio has started at shortstop for the Mets as a replacement for All-Star Francisco Lindor, who is expected to be out until at least June due to a serious left-calf strain.
Now, the Mets — the big-ticket team that has the MLB’s worst record — need a replacement for the replacement.
“I am pretty sure Bo is going to be in the conversation,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of the chance Bichette could take over at shortstop.
Bichette signed a three-year, $126 million contract in January, knowing he would move to third base with Lindor entrenched at shortstop.
With the Blue Jays (2019-25), Bichette played 716 of his 748 games at short.
“Whatever the team needs,” Bichette told reporters about a possible position switch.
Mauricio, in 10 games, is hitting .219 (7-for-32). He has one extra-base hit, a home run.
Bichette has gotten off to a slow start with his new team, hitting two home runs and driving in 14 in his first 32 games. His average of .238 is well below his career .292. Last season in Toronto, he hit .311 with 18 homers and 94 RBIs.
Mauricio joins a growing list of players on the injured list for New York — a list that includes outfielder Luis Robert Jr., infielder Jorge Polanco and right-hander Kodai Senga.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mets' Clay Holmes to start against Angels for first time
Apr 28, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes (35) pitches in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images National League ERA leader Clay Holmes will start against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday afternoon as the New York Mets try for just their second road series win of the season.
When Holmes takes the mound in Anaheim, Calif., it will be his first career start against the Angels.
The right-handed Holmes (3-2, 1.75 ERA) hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any of his six starts. He comes in off an 8-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday that saw him allow three hits and a walk over six innings while striking out six.
“He’s been doing it since last year,” teammate Juan Soto told the New York Post. “No surprise what he’s been doing. He’s a grinder. He’s been putting in the work every day, so I’m really happy to see that.”
Holmes is 0-0 with a 2.35 ERA in nine career relief appearances against the Angels.
New York’s only road series victory came April 2-5 when it took three of four games at San Francisco. The Mets defeated Arizona in their next game to improve to 7-4 on the season but since have lost 18 of their next 22 games.
The Mets won the series opener, 4-3, on Friday on Ronny Mauricio’s go-ahead home run in the seventh inning. They had several excellent scoring chances to win Saturday’s game and the series before losing 4-3 in 10 innings on Oswald Peraza’s walk-off bases-loaded single off reliever Austin Warren.
It was Peraza’s first career walk-off hit and snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Angels.
“It feels amazing,” Peraza said after lining an 0-2 curveball into the gap in left-center to drive in automatic runner Adam Frazier from third. “We needed that win, and thank God. I was looking for a good pitch to hit and see the ball, and I feel so happy for the win.”
It was just the second win in 13 games for the Angels, who — like the Mets — have won only three series this season.
“I guess there was no other way to do it than a walk off,” Los Angeles manager Kurt Suzuki said. “It hasn’t been easy. So really proud of them. They grinded, they battled.”
Right-hander Jack Kochanowicz (2-0, 3.09) gets the start for Los Angeles and will try to give the Angels their first series victory since April 10-12 at Cincinnati. That also was the last time Kochanowicz picked up a victory, allowing two hits and one run over seven innings in a 10-2 win in the series opener.
A big question going into Sunday’s finale is who will be playing shortstop for the Mets.
Mauricio, filling in for injured All-Star Francisco Lindor, broke his left thumb on a head-first slide into first base, beating out an infield single in the seventh inning of Saturday’s loss.
“He’s going on the IL,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It’s tough obviously. You lose your everyday shortstop and the guy that comes up that is getting the everyday opportunity here now is hurt. Somebody else is going to have an opportunity.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves put RF Ronald Acuna Jr. on IL, recall P Spencer Strider
May 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Atlanta Braves star right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. went on the injured list on Sunday, with right-hander Spencer Strider returning from the IL to make his season debut against the Colorado Rockies in Denver.
Acuna was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring. The Braves selected fellow outfielder Jose Azocar from Triple-A Gwinnett to take Acuna’s spot on the roster.
Acuna exited in the second inning after limping toward first base on a groundout in Atlanta’s 9-1 victory over Colorado.
“It didn’t look great, him coming off the field,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “I am hoping it’s just some cramping and that type of thing, but he’s getting an MRI. That’s never good when you have to get an MRI.”
Acuna, 28, grabbed at his hamstring and pulled up when attempting to run out a grounder he hit in the second inning. He limped off the field under his own power after being examined by the team’s medical staff.
A five-time All-Star and 2023 National League MVP, Acuna is hitting .252 with two homers and nine RBIs in 34 games.
Acuna was replaced in right field by Eli White, who is hitting .196 with two homers and eight RBIs in 20 games.
Strider returned from his rehabilitation assignment and was reinstated to the roster to take the spot of fellow right-hander Hunter Stratton, who was optioned to Gwinnett following Saturday’s game.
After becoming the fastest pitcher to record 100 strikeouts (61 innings) in a season in modern MLB history in 2023, Strider made just two starts in 2024 before undergoing season-ending UCL surgery.
Last season, Strider went 7-14 with a 4.45 ERA across 23 starts in his return from injury.
Strider, 27, began this season on the injured list with an oblique strain but is prepared to rejoin the sizzling Braves. They have won both games of the weekend series to expand on the best record (24-10) in the majors.
Strider, meanwhile, has dominated the Rockies in three career appearances (two starts), going 2-0 with an 0.50 ERA. He struck out 16 batters and scattered two hits over eight innings in a 3-0 win over Colorado on Sept. 1, 2022, before striking out 13 Rockies in a six-inning win last June 14.
–Field Level Media
Mets' Bo Bichette could move to SS with injury to Ronny Mauricio
Mets' Clay Holmes to start against Angels for first time
