Shohei Ohtani got back to two-way stardom on Wednesday against the Padres. He drilled a leadoff home run, which was all the support he needed. Ohtani breezed through five shutout innings, lowering his ERA to 0.73.
1. AL East duel delivers
Two of the most promising arms in the AL East faced off on Wednesday, and both came through with excellent outings. Trey Yesavage silenced an imposing Yankees offense over six innings to secure the win. Cam Schlittler matched him through six frames, but flinched in the seventh inning. He allowed the first three batters to reach, then walked in a run on an ABS challenge. Reliever Jake Bird allowed an inherited runner to score. Yesavage and Schlittler each boast sub-2.00 ERAs with hefty strikeout numbers. Their matchups will continue to be appointment viewing.
2. Tong call-up could be coming
Mets right-hander Jonah Tong was scratched from his Triple-A start on Wednesday. The club wanted to have him as an option this weekend against the Marlins, manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters (h/t Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). The 22-year-old is among the top prospects in the organization. Tong posted strong strikeout numbers in his brief 2025 debut, but struggled with walks and run prevention. It’s been a similar story at Syracuse this year. Tong has a 32.7% strikeout rate to go with a 14.3% walk rate and a 5.68 ERA in nine minor league outings.
3. Rays keep rolling
Elsewhere in the AL East, Tampa Bay won its fourth game in a row with a comeback victory over the Orioles. Baltimore entered the eighth inning with a 3-1 lead, looking to salvage a game from the series. Anthony Nunez got two outs after a leadoff single, but couldn’t escape the frame. Jonathan Aranda came through with a double to tie the game. Richie Palacios followed with an RBI single. Ryan Vilade then stole home to stretch Tampa Bay’s lead. The club has won eight of 10 and now holds a four-game lead in the division. The Rays face off against the Yankees in a critical divisional battle this weekend.
Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images
