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With the start of the World Baseball Classic, many Mariners are on loan to their respective national teams. As such, get ready to see some weird looks from the M’s as the organization gives some unusual opportunities to top prospects.

One of those unusual looks is right hander Cooper Criswell. The pitcher was in the Boston Red Sox organization last year, only to be DFA’d the Sox and claimed by the New York Mets. Just over a month after that, the Mets DFA’d him and the Mariners picked him up for cash. Tonight will be his third appearance this Spring but only his first start. He’s gone two innings in each of his last two outings, and it will be interesting to see how far he is pushed tonight. Probable pitchers to follow Cooper are Jose A. Ferrer, Carlos Vargas, Josh Simpson, Yosver Zulueta, and Ryan Loutos.

Also in the “weird” bucket is J.P. Crawford in the DH spot. He’s making room for Leo Rivas, who in turn is over at short to make room for Cole Young to play second and lead off.

Over in the orange dugout, there’s also a healthy portion of prospects. Real heads will zero in on Robbie Ray, former Mariner, on the mound. Since his time on the Mariners, Robbie Tight Pants has done his best to add a third pitch, picking up his knuckle curve and changeup and using the slider much, much less. Tonight will be his third start of the Spring. Following him is likely to be Carson Seymour, Keaton Winn, and Michael Fulmer. Perhaps the short probables list means they intend for Ray to go deep.

Game Information:

Game Time: 6:05 pm PT

Radio: Seattle Sports 710 AM with Rick Rizzs, Gary Hill Jr. and Shannon Drayer on the call.

TV: Mariners.TV (maybe? Sound off in the comments if it’s working for you.)

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — He is the only retired pitcher on a World Baseball Classic roster.

He’s also the only one with three Cy Young awards, three World Series championships, and 11 All-Star appearances.

And is the lone WBC pitcher who can already make reservations for his Hall of Fame induction in five years.

Clayton Kershaw, who could have stayed home in Dallas after retiring on top of the world with back-to-back World Series titles with the Los Angeles Dodgers, strolled to the mound Wednesday one last time in a spring-training game.

The moment the public address announcer at Salt River Fields called out his name as he walked to the mound, he received a thunderous standing ovation by the sellout crowd of 11,803.

“That was so cool, I had chills out there with the standing O they gave that man,’’ USA teammate and Yankees three-time MVP Aaron Judge said after the USA’s 14-4 victory against the Colorado Rockies. “The crowd went crazy for him out there pitching. Just to see him back out there and get a chance to share a clubhouse with a guy like that, and so respected around the game. He’s accomplished everything in his career.

“It was pretty special.’’

The results weren’t pretty. Kershaw gave up a home run on the third pitch he thew, walked a batter, threw a wild pitch, didn’t throw harder than 87.2 mph, and struggled with his control, throwing just six of his 13 pitches for strikes.

Yet, just wearing the red, white and blue, and considering his arm and body still felt perfectly fine in his first outing since Game 3 of the World Series, he was ecstatic.

“It was so cool,’’ Kershaw said. “I played against Colorado and Arizona a lot, so to hear that was special. ... Just being on this team was a bucket list for me from the beginning, and so getting to do that, it was really cool.

“Obviously, I thought I was never going to throw a baseball again, so to get to do that with Team USA across your chest, and come back to that dugout, that team is really special.’’

Really, his USA teammates were more thrilled than Kershaw watching him in uniform for the final time before they open the World Baseball Classic on Friday against Brazil in Houston.

“It was awesome,’’ said Paul Goldschmidt, the seven-time All-Star and former MVP, who faced Kershaw 67 times in his career. “I’ve been looking forward to playing with this guy instead of against him my whole career.

“He’s had the most amazing career anyone could imagine. It’s just awesome that he’s coming back and doing this.’’

Said two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal: “That was so awesome seeing that. ... That’s a big reason why I wanted to be part of this, to be with teammates like Clayton Kershaw.’’

Kershaw, who considers himself the emergency pitcher for Team USA, said that if his outing Wednesday was the last time he steps on the mound, “it was worth it.’’

Sorry, but USA manager Mark DeRosa isn’t going to let him sail off into the sunset of his magnificent career with his last outing being against the Rockies in a meaningless spring-training setting. Kershaw will definitely pitch sometime in the tournament when they play four pool games in five days in Houston, DeRosa says, even if it’s just in a mop-role to eat innings.

Kershaw, 37, deserves a send-off that is fitting for one of the greatest left-handed pitchers in baseball history, and pitching in a WBC game will be the perfect ending.

“I wouldn’t put on a uniform,’’ Kershaw said, “for anything else.’’

Kershaw, who spent his entire 18-year career with the Dodgers, badly wanted to pitch in the 2023 WBC. Yet, the WBC insurance wouldn’t cover him with his array of injuries, forcing him to miss the tournament.

Now, with his family getting to see him pitch one last time in Houston, this could be the perfect farewell.

“I was pretty much mentally shut down,’’ Kershaw said. “(DeRosa) called and I thought about it for a minute, and I was like, 'it’s not going to be fun to pick up a baseball again, but it’s worth it to be part of this group. …'

“It’s a great group. It’s been a lot of fun to get to know them.’’

And even as sensational as a Hollywood script it would be, Kershaw is already putting a stop to the idea he could be the one pitching the final out against former teammate Shohei Ohtani of Team Japan.

“I think for our country’s sake,’’ Kershaw said, “it’s probably better if I don’t.

“If they need me, I’ll be ready. It’s not going to be pretty, but I’ve got a lot of bullets. They just might not be quality bullets.’’

While Kershaw rules out any possibility of a future comeback after the WBC, he does have one more baseball stop before his career officially comes to an end.

He’ll be at Dodger Stadium on March 27.

He’s got a World Series ring to collect.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Clayton Kershaw WBC exhibition went badly ... but was so worth it

The Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates may well be National League Central rivals, but that hasn’t stopped them from swinging notable trades of late. Last summer, we saw the deal that sent Ke’Bryan Hayes from the Bucs down river to the Queen City, and on Wednesday evening we saw yet another deal between the two clubs.

This time, it sent infielder/outfielder Tyler Callihan up to Pittsburgh in exchange for right-handed reliever Kyle Nicolas. The Reds announced the move on Twitter.

The #Reds today acquired RHP Kyle Nicolas from the Pirates in exchange for IF/OF Tyler Callihan.

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) March 5, 2026

Nicolas, 27, is an Ohio native from Massillon and a former 2nd round pick by Pittsburgh out of Ball State University from back in 2020. He’s appeared in 86 games at the big league level across the last trio of seasons, and since the start of the 2024 season owns a 4.27 ERA and 4.00 FIP in 92.2 IP with an 89/49 K/BB in that time. At the AAA level just last year he struck out 50 batters in 35.2 IP using a combination of a fastball that flirts with triple digits (and averaged 97.6 mph during his time in the majors), and he’s also recently added a sinker in early spring training action after working with a slider and cutter over the course of his career.

He’s got an option remaining and is still pre-arb, with his first year of arbitration eligibility due in 2028.

Callihan, meanwhile, is a former 3rd round pick of the Reds who Cincinnati coaxed into turning professional with a well above-slot signing bonus. His minor league career (and brief big league career) have been littered with injuries, his broken arm just last year while playing left field the most gruesome of the bunch. Still, he’s a left-handed hitter with polish who has hit everywhere he’s been when healthy (and not rusty), and his defensive versatility will give him a shot to make the Pirates roster come Opening Day in some form or fashion.

Mexico made its final tune-up ahead of the World Baseball Classic against the back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch on Wednesday afternoon.

It was a tightly contested matchup between both squads as the fans in attendance — many of whom are both Dodgers and Mexico fans — alternated between chants of "Me-xi-co!" and "Lets go Dodgers!"

It was the Dodgers who would come out on top with a 7-5 win, thanks in large part to a three-run eighth inning sparked by a two-out, ground-rule RBI double by first baseman Joe Vetrano to break a 4-4 deadlock. Mexico rallied in the ninth but ultimately fell short.

Mexico will begin World Baseball Classic pool play on Friday against Great Britain at Daikin Park in Houston.

Here are the highlights from Wednesday's exhibition game between the Dodgers and Mexico:

Mexico rallies late, but it's not enough for the win

Down to their final out, Joey Meneses — pinch-hitting for Jonathan Aranda — turned on a fastball over the heart of the plate from Ben Casparius and lined it on a rope at 109.4 mph into center field for a double. He scored on the next at-bat when a broken-bat chopper hit by Alexis Wilson got past Dodgers third baseman Kyle Nevin and into shallow left field.

¡Ah Wilson!🗣️

Alexis Wilson produce la quinta para México. 🇲🇽 #EsMiSangre🩸🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/6fcqDAr7yT

— Novena México 🇲🇽⚾ (@MexicoBeis) March 4, 2026

Santiago Chávez came to the plate representing the tying run but struck out on four pitches to end the game.

Dodgers prospects come up big

Entering the bottom of the eighth locked in a 4-4 tie, the Dodgers got a much-needed jump-start when Austin Gauthier and the team's No. 14-ranked prospect, Elijah Hainline, drew back-to-back walks to lead off the frame. Vetrano then gave LA the lead with his ground-rule double into the right field corner.

Joe Vetrano hits a ground-rule double and Austin Gauthier scores to give the Dodgers the lead again!

Dodgers 5, Mexico 4 pic.twitter.com/j7OTairjbi

— Hyeseong Kim Muse 김혜성 (@HyeseongKimMuse) March 4, 2026

With two runners in scoring position, Dodgers No. 3 prospect and 2025 Minor League Player of the Year Eduardo Quintero added on with a sacrifice fly to center field. No. 13 prospect Kendall George capped off the big inning with a line drive single into left field that scored Vetrano from second for LA's third run of the eighth.

Andy Pages continues productive spring

Individually, Pages largely had a postseason to forget at the plate. He mustered just four hits in 51 at-bats last October, slashing a dreadful .078/.113/.098.

He had highlights in the field, like his ninth inning catch over Kiké Hernández in Game 7 of the World Series, but his lone shining moment on offense came when he chopped a groundball back to the mound in Game 4 of the NLDS that Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Orion Kerkering botched and threw away as Hyeseong Kim crossed home plate to advance to the Championship Series.

But the 25-year-old slugger has been putting it together this spring, averaging .333 with an OPS of .906 in 20 plate appearances over seven games. And on Wednesday against Mexico, Pages boomed his first longball of the year, jumping on a hanging slider and driving it 430 feet to left field to put the Dodgers on the board first.

Start it off, Andy! #DodgersSTpic.twitter.com/dz2Zt2V9D5

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 4, 2026

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mexico vs Dodgers score, highlights from WBC tune-up

While there is still a relatively small sample size, we’ve played enough Spring Training games to begin to get an idea of what players are impressing and which ones aren’t. In my attempt to be a more positive person (work in progress), I’ll ask the question who has been the most impressive player during St. Louis Cardinals Spring Training so far. I’ll begin with some nominees.

JJ Wetherholt

Let’s get the obvious pic out of the way first. JJ Wetherholt has shown a keen batting eye as he’s racked up walks while also making strong contact including a 422 foot home run against the Mets that had an exit velocity of 105.4 mph. I’ve also been impressed by JJ’s disposition. This kid is confident and looks like he belongs. The ridiculous question of whether he breaks camp with the team and makes the opening day roster should be considered answered by now. I have seen nothing that would change my mind.

Richard Fitts

I’ve only seen Richard Fitts toss two innings so far in Spring Training, but that was enough to see that he has nasty stuff. His fastball has seemed to gain velocity up from 95.9 last season to 97.6 this Spring. He’s making that Sonny Gray trade feel pretty good so far.

Joshua Baez

Top 15 prospect Joshua Baez has seen quite a bit of action for the St. Louis Cardinals so far this Spring with a solid .286 average over 14 at-bats. While the expectations coming into camp would be that Baez would start the season in Triple-A, it’s not impossible that he forces his way onto the major league roster. The question is where would there be space on the roster for that to happen, but Joshua Baez has been a bright spot so far.

Matthew Liberatore
Matthew Liberatore is starting to look more like the top-of-the-rotation pitcher that the Cardinals were hoping he’d be only 1 walk and 7 strikeouts in his first 5 innings of Spring Training appearances. Is it just me or has Matthew’s velocity increased? I haven’t seen the metrics, but that’s my impression.

Packy Naughton

Here’s a surprise mention on the list. Who saw Packy Naughton becoming a potential key part of the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen? Three scoreless innings so far in Spring Training with 4 strikeouts have put Packy on the radar for a bigger role this year than expected.

I’ve seen moments to be optimistic about from Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman, but also some old swing decision bad habits that haven’t gone away yet. Same can be said for Victor Scott II, Jimmy Crooks and Nathan Church. Who have I missed? What St. Louis Cardinals has impressed you this Spring?

The Athletics fell short for the first time this week, suffering a 3-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Following three straight days in which the A’s scored more than five runs, Diamondbacks pitchers shut the A’s offense down today, limiting a lineup full of starters to only one run.

A’s starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs pitched much better this afternoon in his second spring tuneup appearance. He did not allow a run over two and one-third innings. However, he gave up three hits and one walk. Springs made things difficult for himself as two back-to-back jams raised his pitch count, likely the reason why he was removed from the game midway through rather than after the third inning.

Reliever Tyler Ferguson replaced Springs and induced a double play grounder to end that inning. He pitched the next inning as well, although that did not go as well because Diamondbacks infielder Jacob Amaya hit a two-run home run to right field. Amaya drove in all three of Arizona’s runs, his third RBI a sacrifice fly off A’s reliever Justin Sterner in the sixth inning. Sterner and Ferguson have not had the best starts to spring. On the other hand, left-handed relievers Hogan Harris and Matt Krook have been flawless so far, with a spot in the bullpen potentially available for Krook should he continue having success this spring.

Meanwhile, it seemed from the game’s beginning that it was not going to be a good day for the A’s offense. Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Pfaadt, making his first spring start, got through the first inning on just four pitches. The A’s did not threaten until the third inning when they got two runners on base to knock Pfaadt out of the game. Unfortunately, A’s first baseman Nick Kurtz grounded into a double play against the Diamondbacks reliever to end that scoring threat.

The A’s lone run came the next inning, courtesy of Jacob Wilson’s sacrifice fly, which was set up by back-to-back singles from Tyler Soderstrom and Brent Rooker.

Later in the game, the A’s had a couple of chances to put more runs on the scoreboard. They wasted Kurtz’s leadoff double in the sixth inning and then Colby Thomas grounded out with two of his teammates on base to end the eighth inning.

The A’s will look to bounce back tomorrow at the Los Angeles Angels. Right-hander Luis Morales will make his third appearance and second start. The Angels will counter with their latest reclamation project, right-hander Alek Manoah, who is off to a strong start this spring. A’s fans will also get their second look at last year’s first-round pick, left-hander Jamie Arnold. If they all pan out and stay healthy, Morales, Arnold and fellow pitching prospect Gage Jump could be the top-of-the-rotation arms that can get the A’s back to consistent playoff contention.

Notes

• Third baseman Max Muncy made his second throwing error this spring. His defensive consistency remains a question as he competes for the starting job.
• Leo De Vries got another hit today and is now batting .375 in the Cactus League! Impressive for a 19-year-old.
• Colby Thomas continued his slow, injury-hampered start to the spring. There are still multiple weeks until the regular season starts, but at this point he seems likely to start the season in Triple-A unless he starts playing and contributing more.

Box Score

Despite a vintage performance from Christian Yelich, who reached base three times in his spring debut, Milwaukee fell to the Chicago Cubs 4-1. Chicago jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and never looked back.

In the top of the first, Brandon Sproat made short work of the Cubs, retiring the top of the order on just 11 pitches. Sal Frelick and Andrew Vaughn both made outs to start the bottom of the frame, but Christian Yelich reached on a walk and Gary Sánchez singled. Akil Baddoo, the next batter up, grounded into a force out at second to end the mini rally.

Chicago promptly broke the tie in the top of the second. With one out in the frame, James Triantos hit a line drive single into right field, scoring Chas McCormick from second to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead. David Hamilton led off the bottom of the second inning with a bunt single. He then stole second to give the Brewers a runner in scoring position with nobody out. That brought up three of the Brewers top prospects — Luis Lara, Cooper Pratt, and Jesús Made — but all came up empty, leaving Milwaukee scoreless.

The Cubs tacked on another run in the top of the third on a walk, a single, and a RBI groundout from Moises Ballesteros. While Sproat allowed two earned runs in his three innings of work, he racked up four strikeouts and his stuff looked great — as seen below:

Brandon Sproat de-bats Kevin Alcantara with a changeup

Has been a pretty clear focus on the sinker/cutter combo today for Sproat, but also more changeups than usual for him.

The epitome of a spring training start really.

Anyway, the stuff is quite good. pic.twitter.com/8InkY2mN0J

— Spencer Michaelis (@smichaelis234) March 4, 2026

The Brewers finally got on the board courtesy of a Christian Yelich solo shot that came off the bat at 106.8 mph. Notably, if you watch the video, you’ll notice that Yelich is using a bigger leg kick, which he had stopped using in early 2024 in favor of more of a toe-tap. This could be indicative of a long-term change in his approach, or it could just be him experimenting during spring training. The leg kick was clearly working for him today, so we’ll likely see it in more games this spring.

CHRISTIAN YELICH DINGERS

WE’RE BACK pic.twitter.com/1iHym5PXxc

— Tapping The Keg Sports (@TappingTheKeg) March 4, 2026

Unfortunately, Yelich’s home run would be the last time the Brewers would score, while Chicago tacked on a couple of insurance runs against Logan Henderson. Triantos hit a double in the fourth, then reached third on a Frelick error. Former Brewer Owen Miller knocked Triantos in with a sac fly. Jefferson Rojas hit a solo home run two innings later to bring the game to its final score: Chicago 4, Milwaukee 1.

Shane Drohan worked the final three innings of the loss, allowing just a single hit while striking out four and holding the Cubs scoreless. The Brewers briefly mounted a rally in the ninth after Eddys Leonard and Brady Ebel both singled, but Daniel Dickinson and Greg Jones both struck out to end the game.

Other than Yelich, who singled, walked, and homered, Milwaukee was only able to muster five more hits — all singles. Two of those were the Hamilton bunt and the Sanchez single in the first. Jesús Made singled in the seventh, but got picked off trying to steal second by Cubs pitcher Vince Velasquez. A pair of singles in the ninth also went for naught. Despite the loss, there were still a few things to feel good about — especially Yelich and Drohan’s performances. Drohan wasn’t facing the Cubs’ starters today, but he looked borderline dominant.

Milwaukee will be back on the field again tomorrow as they take on another division rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. CT.

Included in the Dodgers’ 7-5 win over Mexico in Wednesday’s exhibition at Camelback Ranch were a few performances that can’t help but be viewed with an eye toward the regular season.

Each of Andy Pages’ seven previous starts this spring were in center field, so he got to stay off his feet a bit on Wednesday as the designated hitter. Pages followed the assignment to a tee with a home run and double in his first two at-bats.

Start it off, Andy! #DodgersSTpic.twitter.com/dz2Zt2V9D5

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 4, 2026

Pages has five extra-base hits in 23 plate appearances this spring.

Dalton Rushing continues to hit the ball hard, and often in the air, this spring. That included a second-inning triple off the center field wall for another run, then an RBI double into the right field corner in the third inning. Baseball Savant didn’t register data for that triple, but in Rushing’s other 11 batted balls this spring have an average exit velocity of 100.3 mph, including six balls hit over 100 mph.

He has two home runs this spring to go with his two extra-base hits on Wednesday.

Back-2-back RBI doubles gives the boys in blue the lead! #DodgersSTpic.twitter.com/kcGe9MoK6B

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) March 4, 2026

It’s never wise to read too much into exhibition stats, but how the Dodgers have utilized and talked about veteran non-roster infielder Santiago Espinal this spring fits the pattern of someone exceedingly likely to begin the regular season on the active roster.

Wednesday was Espinal’s seventh start this spring, getting the call at third base against Mexico. He had an RBI double in the third inning to go with his fly ball that somehow landed for a single in the second. Espinal has reached base 14 times in 21 trips to the plate so far this spring, and while you should take that .667 on-base percentage with a grain of salt, his on-roster percentage appears from my vantage point to be north of that.

On the mound

After pitching to one batter in the third inning in his first Cactus League affair last Thursday, Tyler Glasnow on Wednesday faced five batters in the third inning against Mexico. That third frame gave the right-hander the most trouble, with two singles and a run plating a run, driven in by Toronto Blue Jays catcher (and last year’s final batter) Alejandro Kirk to drive Glasnow from the game.

Glasnow left with two runners on, and both scored on a single off reliever Jacob Frost, the Dodgers’ 10th-round draft pick last season out of Kansas State. Glasnow threw 51 pitches this time around, up from 33 six days prior, staying in progression toward the opening series of the regular season with time still for three more exhibition starts to further prepare.

Emmet Sheehan got the ball to start the fourth, pitching in his first game this spring (not including some simulated action on the backfields). While there is still time enough in camp to build up his innings, Sheehan didn’t do himself any favors by recording only four outs in his nine batters faced.

Mexico got three singles and two walks off Sheehan, who didn’t strike anyone out on Wednesday. One run scored against him but it could have been worse, having left with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth inning. But Carlos Duran induced an inning-ending double play to strand all three runners.

Keeping options open

With Pages at DH on Wednesday, Alex Call got the start in center field, his first time at the position this spring.

Call played one inning in center field for the Dodgers after getting acquired last July, and over the last two seasons with the Washington Nationals totaled seven games, four starts, and 46 innings at the position. In his career Call has started 85 games in center, 77 of them coming in 2023.

Up next

The Dodgers wade back into the Cactus League on Thursday with their second trip to Goodyear in three days, this time to face the Cincinnati Reds (12:05 p.m. PT; SportsNet LA, ESPN). Non-roster invitee Cole Irvin gets the start for Los Angeles, in his third outing this spring.

For 24-year-old Alex Freeland, the time is now.

After the switch-hitting middle infielder enjoyed a cup of coffee in the big leagues last season, he’s trying to break camp with the Dodgers and get increased playing time at second base with veteran Tommy Edman expected to be on the injured list as he works his way back from right ankle surgery.

Freeland, who played 29 games with the Dodgers last season, and second-year utility man Hyeseong Kim, who played 71 games and was on the postseason roster, are among those vying for playing time at the start of the season, with veteran Miguel Rojas and and nonroster invite Santiago Espinal also in the mix.

Kim, who started Cactus League games at second base and center field, recently departed for the World Baseball Classic as he competes for Team South Korea, opening a door for Freeland to get more reps in the heart of the Cactus League season.

Read more:Dodgers' Roki Sasaki struggles early in second Cactus League start, then settles down

“Opportunity is present, so I’m trying to make the most of it,” Freeland said. “It sucks that Tommy’s not ready and he won’t be ready for the beginning of the season. He’s a big part of this team, so I wish him a super speedy recovery and I hope that he gets out there as quickly as possible. But yeah, with Hyeseong being gone, I am getting more reps at second and short, so I’m just trying to make the most of them.”

Freeland entered last season as MLB Pipeline’s No. 45 overall prospect. Though he posted a .190/.292/.310 slash line at the big league level, prospect analyst Jim Callis still has high hopes for Freeland.

“Freeland doesn't have a wow tool but he does a lot of things well,” Callis said. “His best attribute is probably his defense at shortstop and versatility to play other positions. He's a switch-hitter who draws a lot of walks and has some sneaky pop. He's just an average runner, but his instincts allow him to play quicker than that.”

As a switch-hitter, Freeland has had more success from the left side than the right. He worked on his swing from both sides of the plate over the offseason and feels he’s in a good place.

"My right-handed hitting could be better,” Freeland said. “I mean, part of my game is walking, so I felt like I wasn’t patient at the right times last year. Sometimes I was too patient, just taking pitches down the middle. Walking is a big part of my game, so I’m looking to walk, and I feel like I’ve done that this spring training.”

Freeland has drawn eight walks in 24 plate appearances in Cactus League play, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has been impressed with what he has seen this spring.

"Maturity,” Roberts said. “Playing both sides of the baseball really well. The bat, right-handed looks really good. Lefty is typically his strong side, but I like the right-handed at-bats. Just playing with a lot of real confidence.”

If it weren’t for the Dodgers’ star-studded roster, Callis believes Freeland’s chances at playing time would be better.

“On a lot of teams, Freeland would be getting a chance to compete for the starting shortstop job, but he's blocked on the Dodgers,” Callis said. “He's probably looking at more of a utility role than starting in Los Angeles, and he could be attractive to other clubs in trade talks too.”

Freeland, however, is embracing his role and hopes to earn his stripes. He’s tried to soak up as much as he can from the veteran stars he’s been able to spend time with.

Read more:Shaikin: Will Klein isn't surprised he saved the Dodgers' World Series dynasty

“Miggy Ro has always got something good to say. Muncy, Freddie, I mean they’ve been around so long, they’ve seen so many different things, so it’s like whatever I have a question about, like I can easily go and talk to one of them, and they’ve got an answer for me," Freeland said of Rojas, Max Muncy and Freddie Freeman. "And it’s great to have guys like that in the clubhouse.”

Freeland grew up an Atlanta Braves fan and admired Freeman for years. Freeland never imagined he one day would share a locker room with the nine-time All-Star first baseman, who spent the first 12 years of his career in Atlanta.

“I watched Freddie growing up and Mookie,” Freeland said of Freeman and Betts. “So, I mean, it’s kind of like a full-circle moment, like I watched Freddie a lot when he was with the Braves, coming up, because I lived in Georgia, so like I’d go and watch minor league games and see him in Gwinett.”

Tyler Glasnow makes second spring start

Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow made his second start of Cactus League play, pitching into the third inning of Wednesday's game against Team Mexico. After giving up two hits and striking out three over two scoreless innings, Glasnow gave up an RBI single to Alejandro Kirk, the Toronto Blue Jays catcher, and was lifted with two runners on and two outs in the third after throwing 50 pitches. Both runners came around to score.

"I still feel good," Glasnow said after his outing. "It's not going to be perfect every week. As a whole, everything's lined up and feeling good."

Right-hander Emmet Sheehan made his first appearance of the spring, pitching 1-1/3 innings and giving up one run on three hits and two walks. Left-hander Alex Vesia pitched his fourth perfect inning in as many appearances, recording two strikeouts.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.