The New York Yankees started the 2026 season hot, winning their first eight out of 10 games, but since last Tuesday, the bats have gone ice-cold.

The Yankees lost a series to the Athletics and then were swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in a series over the weekend.

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New York Yankees Aaron Judge heads to the dugout after striking out during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla., on April 11, 2026. (Jason Behnken/AP)

Aaron Judge put the team’s offensive struggles on notice after a 5-4 loss on Sunday.

“We need to simplify some things at the plate,” Judge told reporters via MLB.com. “We’re trying to hit every single pitch we see up there and getting ourselves in some bad counts and bad situations. As a group, if we simplify our approach a little bit, hunt the pitch that we’re looking for and pass the baton, I think we’ll be in a better spot.”

Judge has also been lethargic at the plate as he’s coming off three American League MVP awards in the last four seasons and some time with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge hits a two-run home run during the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla., on April 12, 2026. (Jason Behnken/AP)

CODY BELLINGER’S ACROBATIC CATCH STUNS FANS AS YANKEES WIN HOME OPENER OVER MARLINS

Through 15 games, Judge is only hitting .218 with four home runs, nine RBI and a double. He was 2-for-10 against the Rays, despite a two-run homer on Sunday.

It was the Rays’ first three-game sweep of the Yankees since 2021.

“We didn’t get a lot of traffic when we needed to in this series,” Judge added. “We had one hit for the majority of the game, and a couple of these games. I think if guys take their walks when they need to and focus on a pitch they can drive, we’ll be in a better spot.”

New York is now 8-7 this season and in a three-way tie for the American League East division lead.

New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge strikes out during the fifth inning against the Athletics in New York on April 8, 2026. (Heather Khalifa/AP)

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The Yankees return home Monday for a seven-game home stand. The team will welcome the Los Angeles Angels for four games and then turn their attention to the Kansas City Royals.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Paul Skenes is already one of the biggest stars in the sport, and whenever he takes the mound, it feels like a must-see event. Monday is another one of those occurrences when the Skenes and the Pirates take on the Washington Nationals, providing a thrilling player to factor into options to utilize the latest DraftKings promo code to get $300 in bonus bets if your first $5 wager wins. Given his name appeal, it’s no surprise to see Skenes’ MLB player prop totals on the higher side, and with that, the SportsLine Projection Model sees value in backing Skenes Under 6.5 strikeouts at +114 odds for Monday MLB best bets at DraftKings.

The Los Angeles Dodgers host the New York Mets in a battle of the two teams with the shortest MLB futures betting odds to win the National League entering the season, and the model is backing the Mets to cover on the run line as one of its Monday MLB best bets. One of SportsLine’s top experts has also locked in an NHL pick on the Minnesota Wild vs. St. Louis Blues. Claim the latest DraftKings promo code, where new users get $300 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins: 

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The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times. It was a profitable 35-29 on top-rated MLB money-line picks last season. It also excelled at making home run prop picks in 2025, returning nearly 30 units of profit. Anybody following its MLB betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns.  

Monday best bets at DraftKings Sportsbook

• Paul Skenes, Pirates, Under 6.5 strikeouts (+114) 
• Blues (+110) to defeat the Wild 
• Mets (+1.5) vs. Dodgers (-149)

Combining the three picks into a Monday parlay at DraftKings would result in a payout of +651 (risk $100 to win $651, odds subject to change). Claim $300 in bonus bets with a winning $5 wager at DraftKings here:

Paul Skenes, Pirates, Under 6.5 strikeouts (+114) 

Skenes has failed to record more than six strikeouts in any of his first three starts this season. The Nationals only struck out 18 times in 27 innings in their three-game sweep over the Brewers, and they’ve only been struck out 20 times over their last four contests. Skenes is averaging one strikeout per inning this season, but he’s only averaging four innings per start. The model projects Skenes for 6.2 strikeouts on Monday, given Washington’s heavy bat-to-ball approach. At plus-money odds for prop betting, the model projects value in fading Skenes’ strikeout total. Back Skenes’ Under at DraftKings here, and claim $300 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins as a new user:

Blues (+110) to defeat the Wild 

“This is another game where I expect a Minnesota Wild team locked into the 3 seed in the Central to rest some key contributors over the final two games,” SportsLine expert Todd Fuhrman said. “While we don’t know who will sit in this game, I actually show value in the dog if the Wild were at full speed. Look for the Blues to potentially close as a short favorite before puck drop on Monday night.” Back the Blues to win at DraftKings here, and claim $300 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins as a new user:

Mets (+1.5) vs. Dodgers (-149)

Baseball is a funny game. Although the Mets have lost five straight, including being swept at home by the A’s, there’s no reason why they can’t fly cross-country and defeat or play with the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers on Monday. The Mets are starting David Peterson, who was an All-Star last year, and the Dodgers are starting 25-year-old Justin Wrobleski. The Mets had the second-best odds behind the Dodgers to win the National League this season, so this streak of bad baseball likely won’t last the whole season. Last year, the Mets went 2-2 in L.A., and both of their losses came by one run. The model projects the Mets to cover in 61% of simulations. Back the Mets to cover at DraftKings here, and claim $300 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins as a new user:

Want more MLB and NHL picks on Monday?

You’ve seen some of the model’s Monday best bets. Now, get against the spread, total and money-line picks for all games, including the NBA, MLB, NHL, and more, all from the model that’s simulated every game 10,000 times. 

In cycling, Wout van Aert is the new King of the Hell of the North, finally triumphing in the legendary Paris-Roubaix after years of bad luck and disappointment. In tennis, Jannik Sinner has reclaimed the world number one spot, defeating his rival Carlos Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 final.

WWE’s chief of content Triple H has been under fire from fans heading into WrestleMania 42. A recent report has revealed that the head of creative is aware of what people are talking about online, which is mainly focused on the overall quality of storylines.

One of the biggest gripes of the fanbase is the involvement of Pat McAfee, as well as other celebrities, in the Road to WrestleMania 42. Others are not happy about how matches for the biggest show of the year have been built and how some of the most popular stars are not on the card.

Speaking on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer shared some insight about what is going on backstage in WWE, mainly about Triple H’s feelings about the recent air of negativity online about the product.

“I think he cares more than they let on. They try to act like they don’t listen but then they make all these things and changes so much. My impression is that they outwardly, I mean the company directive is to say that you don’t care. That we don’t listen to these people that are negative. And you know what? You go by the numbers. You can’t listen to people because you could be doing the greatest stuff in the world and people are saying it’s terrible, but if the numbers are saying it’s good then it’s good. But does he listen? Is he aware? Yes, he’s aware and he’s certainly aware that they’ve booed him at certain points over the last couple of months,” Meltzer said. [H/T Cultaholic]

Triple H is currently under a microscope, with fans hoping for an overall better WrestleMania this year. There was plenty of negativity last year after Travis Scott’s involvement in the main event between John Cena and Cody Rhodes.

Triple H to be fired by TKO?

Some fans are already calling for Triple H to be replaced as WWE’s chief of content. TKO has the power to make it happen, but despite the slower ticket sales of this year’s WrestleMania can be attributed to many different factors that are out of Hunter’s control.

However, WWE Hall of Famer Billy Gunn stirred the pot at a recent appearance on Signed by Superstars for a live in-studio signing. Gunn, who was with his New Age Outlaws partner, Road Dogg, revealed that he heard from someone that Triple H might get the boot after WrestleMania.

Road Dogg, who recently left WWE’s creative team, quickly shut down the claim. It should be noted that he’s still under a Legends contract despite his exit last month.