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India v England: men’s T20 World Cup semi-final – live

T20 World Cup updates from Mumbai; 1.30pm GMT start
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Afternoon everyone and welcome to the biggest thing since the Ashes. After a largely wretched winter, England have somehow made their way to a World Cup semi-final. They are now David, up against Goliath: the world’s best T20 team, on their home turf. But India have looked vulnerable at times in this tournament and England have kept finding a way to win, mostly by luring the opposition into a false sense of security and then relying on Will Jacks to bail them out. Being the underdogs should suit them nicely.

It’s the third time in a row that these two sides have met in the semi-final of a T20 World Cup. England won the first with the greatest of ease before India took all too predictable revenge in the second. This one is harder to call. India bring more firepower, especially now that Sanju Samson has come to the party. They have Jasprit Bumrah, the world’s most lethal fast bowler, and spinners to spare.

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Phillies News: Jhoan Duran, Bryce Harper, Johan Rojas

Mar 4, 2026; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) throws a pitch during the fourth inning against Team Canada at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The World Baseball Classic officially got underway last night with the first game in the Tokyo Dome that featured Chinese Taipei and Australia. There are a couple of lower-level Phillies prospects on Team Australia, but most of the names you would recognize won’t start official WBC play until tomorrow. Meanwhile, we still have plenty of meaningless spring training games to satiate your appetite!

On to the links.

Phillies news:

MLB news:

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Orioles news: Kittredge out for Opening Day, Wells stepping up

SARASOTA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 12: Andrew Kittredge #39 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during practice at Ed Smith Stadium on February 12, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Baltimore Orioles/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Hello, friends.

There are now three weeks remaining until Orioles Opening Day. Between now and March 23 are more exhibition games that will hopefully help the team set a successful roster. They travel to play the Rays today, a game that will not be televised by either team and will only have a radio broadcast from the Rays side. Those are not my favorite spring training games.

Yesterday’s contest saw the Orioles lose to the Astros, 4-2. There was some sloppiness, including two runs that scored on the same strikeout – yeah, really – Pete Alonso getting thrown out by a mile trying to score, and Colton Cowser getting picked off first base. Reliever Keegan Akin gave up another run. The results aren’t there for him so far this spring. There is time to turn it around, but it seems like there’s some reliever every year who stinks in spring training and that’s just who he is this year. Akin would only be following in Cionel Pérez’s footsteps if he ended up that way.

One guy who IS getting the results is Vance Honeycutt. Oh yeah, he did it again. The outfield prospect whose 2025 season made him look like a complete bust hit another homer yesterday, which makes it four home runs in four at-bats. If you haven’t seen the video yet, trust me and watch this:

Holy mackerel. This latest blast from Honeycutt came off of a Triple-A pitcher for the Astros named Miguel Ullola. That’s not quite as impressive as hitting a homer off an MLB-experienced pitcher – which Honeycutt has done before, just to be clear – but it’s still a tougher pitcher than he was facing last year in High-A. It’s early yet to proclaim there’s something real going on here. He’s going to have to do this in real games, at multiple levels, before he can overcome last year’s track record. But, you know, maybe?

Not all news was good in Orioles camp yesterday. Manager Craig Albernaz revealed before Wednesday’s game that reliever Andrew Kittredge, who the Orioles went out of their way to re-acquire back in November, is suffering from shoulder inflammation. Kittredge is “a low probability for Opening Day,” and Albernaz also said “we don’t want to put any timetable on him,” which probably means a while. A bullpen that is light on proven names gets even thinner. Time will tell us if “sign only Ryan Helsley to improve the relief corps” was a good offseason strategy.

Helsley pitched a scoreless inning yesterday. So did Dietrich Enns, another expected Opening Day reliever. Tyler Wells struck out three batters over two scoreless innings. He’s yet to allow a run this spring. People have wanted Wells in the Orioles bullpen for a few years now and it might be happening this year at last, out of necessity but hopefully also because of performance.

Orioles stuff you might have missed

Vance Honeycutt’s stunning home run streak gives hope for a slow-starting career (The Baltimore Banner)
The general sports columnists, too, have taken note of Honeycutt’s fascinating little spring accomplishment. He’s the only guy in all of spring training with four homers!

Kittredge’s shoulder injury, Wells’s role out of bullpen, Bautista’s progress after surgery (School of Roch)
It would be pretty funny, in a morbid way, if the Orioles traded Kittredge away at the right time only to trade for him again at the wrong time. At least they’ve still got prospect Wilfri De La Cruz out of the deal.

Do the Orioles have enough in the back end of their bullpen? (Steve on Baseball)
Steve Melewski observes there isn’t much of a backup plan if Helsley comes out of the gate looking as bad as he did with the Mets to close out last season.

Jackson Holliday to begin hitting with surgically repaired hand (The Baltimore Sun)
A solid incremental update, although not one that’s going to change the picture that he’s going to miss some time in the regular season.

Guest coaches Ben McDonald and Scott McGregor share their wisdom (Baltimore Baseball)
Albernaz said of these two and other guest coaches, “They’re great mental skills coaches.” McDonald is apparently a lot more excited about Orioles minor league pitchers than he was four or five years ago.

Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries

Today in 1996, the Veterans Committee selected Earl Weaver for the Baseball Hall of Fame. His legend needs no elaboration in Birdland.

There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2012-13 three-gamer L.J. Hoes, 2002-07 pitcher Érik Bédard, 1993-98 outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds, and 2000-01 pitcher José Mercedes. Today is Mercedes’s 55th birthday, so an extra happy birthday to him.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: cartographer Gerardus Mercator (1512), magician Penn Jillette (1955), voice actor Yuri Lowenthal (1971), and singer-songwriter Madison Beer (1999).

On this day in history…

In 1770, British soldiers opened fire on a crowd of colonists in Boston, Massachusetts, killing five people. Though several years passed before ongoing open hostilities, this event proved a key rallying cry in the drive for independence for the North American colonies.

In 1872, engineer George Westinghouse received a patent for his air brake, the principle of which still forms the core of brakes on trains to this day.

In 1946, once and future British prime minister Winston Churchill gave a speech at Westminster College in Missouri where he coined the now-famous phrase “Iron Curtain” regarding the wall separating Soviet-controlled countries from the rest of the world.

In 1953, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, who had been in power for more than 30 years, died days after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage.

A random Orioles trivia question

I received a little book of Orioles trivia questions for Christmas. I’ll ask a question in this space each time it’s my turn until I run out of questions or forget. I’ve been skipping stupid or incredibly easy questions, so we’re already on #56. In the book, they’re multiple choice answers, but that would be too easy here, wouldn’t it? Here’s today’s question:

How many members of the 500 home run club played for the Orioles during their careers?

Manny Machado, sitting on 369 home runs heading into his age 33 season, might well add one more to the tally before he’s done. He sure doesn’t count yet, though. If you were wondering, our recently signed Polar Bear Pete Alonso has 264 home runs. If he averages at least 35 home runs per year with the Orioles, he might get on the list before his career is done too.

**

And that’s the way it is in Birdland on March 5. Have a safe Thursday.

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MLB rookies to watch: Konnor Griffin, Kevin McGonigle look like real deal

It’s perhaps the ultimate rite of spring – poring over prospect ratings, getting too excited over a rookie’s chance to impact their Major League Baseball squad, going nuts over absurdly small samples of fake baseball in Grapefruit and Cactus league exhibitions.

Well, maybe this is the year to revel in it a bit.

Four top prospects have done little to dispel that they may not only be big league-ready, but poised to break through even before the most starry-eyed prospect-head could’ve imagined.

Yes, three weeks remain before Opening Day, plenty of time for twentysomethings to get schooled by superior pitching and steady veterans look more alluring to a manager. Noted.

Let’s take a minute to hone in on four uber prospects who have made the industry take notice with their early performances in camp:

Konnor Griffin, SS, Pirates

Might as well start with the aircraft carrier. Griffin is a teenager, at least until April 24, the game’s top prospect and a dude who has no idea how to tamp down the hype surrounding his name.

Thankfully, the dude finally mixed in a single in an exhibition against Colombia, ending his spring streak of every hit being a gargantuan home run. Alas, those tape-measure shots did little to dull the roar that emerged from a .333/.415/.527 first professional season that started at low A and concluded at Class AA.

At 6-foot-3, 222 pounds, Griffin looks the part and, in his comportment and style of play, acts it as well. Ace Paul Skenes has voiced his support that the kid start in Pittsburgh sooner rather than later.

And for whatever it’s worth, he’s still at shortstop while presumed incumbent Jared Triolo is getting reps at third.

Tea leaves will soon turn to brass tacks. And the most anticipated debut in several years may very well stay on the fast track.

Kevin McGonigle, SS, Tigers

Here’s the deal: The Tigers were a really good team last year, falling short of the ALCS only because the Seattle Mariners outlasted them in a 15-inning elimination game. And the really good team returned virtually intact on the position-player side.

Run it back? Not so fast, perhaps.

McGonigle is the consensus No. 2 prospect in the industry behind Griffin and we just have to say, this simply doesn’t happen. Nos. 1-2 never bust down the door in tandem, in spring training. Perhaps 1 is major league-ready and 2 is an uber talented kid ticketed for Class A.

But no. While Griffin’s loud noises in Bradenton have generated attention, McGonigle is doing even more to win a job up in Lakeland.

The Tigers keep putting him in high-profile positions – imagine never playing above Class AAA and suddenly playing behind Tarik Skubal – and he keeps answering. They batted him leadoff against the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic team in front of a crowd in the D.R. ready to tear the roof off in support of their heroes.

And McGonigle hit a leadoff home run and produced a 3-for-3 night.

Never mind the stats, which are great – six hits in 15 Grapefruit League at-bats, a 1.137 OPS. The 21-year-old simply seems unbothered, and steady.

“The confidence that he's showing in his at-bats against these particular pitchers,” manager A.J. Hinch said after McGonigle lit up the Dominicans, “is impressive.”

There was little doubt McGonigle would impact the Tigers this season, especially as it got closer to the playoffs. The next three weeks will reveal just how much that timeline has sped up.

Justin Crawford, OF, Phillies

Don’t be alarmed, but the Phillies very much look poised to plug a young player into the lineup.

Nope, John Middleton’s store-bought NL East champions all won’t carry nine-figure contracts this season. In fact, one of the most important positions figures to be manned by a guy making his major league debut when he jogs out to center field March 26 at Citizens Bank Park, when the Phillies open against the Texas Rangers.

He’s had a very nice spring thus far, with six hits in 19 at-bats, including three doubles, a nice catch in center field and, like McGonigle, a feeling that he’s ready.

Probably more than ready.

Crawford is 22 and has 112 Class AAA games already under his belt. And it’s true ... legacy players are typically less fazed by the big league environment and Crawford bears many uncanny resemblances – looks and game-wise – to his father Carl, a four-time All-Star.

Unlike Griffin or McGonigle, Crawford carries neither the top two prospect hype nor the weight of franchise expectations. Batting ninth in a lineup of All-Stars is actually a pretty great way to break in.

Right now, it feels only a matter of time.

Andrew Painter, RHP, Phillies

OK, it was just two innings in a fake baseball game in Clearwater.

Yet 20 pitches, two perfect frames against the New York Yankees and a sense of command – figuratively and literally – went an awful long way toward cementing Painter’s spot in Philadelphia’s rotation to begin the season.

“I was very encouraged,” manager Rob Thomson told reporters after the March 1 outing. “I thought it was great.”

It is no small thing. It’d been three years since Painter’s first exhibition start. Then came Tommy John surgery, sidelining what was then the game’s top pitching prospect, and two years spent largely on the mend. He fought himself and his new arm a bit last summer, costing him a chance at a late-season recall once Zack Wheeler succumbed to a blood clot and thoracic outlet surgery.

Wheeler won’t be ready until perhaps a month into this season. That created the opening Painter is vying for and, most likely, has already nailed down.

His next start is March 7 against the defending American League champion Toronto Blue Jays. They will see a guy with enhanced confidence and a five-pitch mix building himself up for his big league debut.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Konnor Griffin, Kevin McGonigle lead MLB rookies to watch in spring

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Ranking World Baseball Classic champions: Shohei, Japan stand above

Teams competing in the World Baseball Classic have a most delicate task: Carve out a legacy in less than two weeks.

Yet despite the microwaved format that’s inverse to how we typically watch the sport and assess greatness, the five championship teams all managed to both showcase their talents, conserve their resources and suppress some pretty elite competition to hoist the trophy at tournament’s end.

The WBC has changed almost as much as the sport itself in two decades. Ranking the best of the best is certainly a dicey proposition, as several mini-eras have emerged in the game during that span.

Still, some squads shined a bit brighter. With that, ranking the five WBC champions as the 2026 edition gets under way March 5:

5. Japan 2006

Record: 5-3, 60-21 run differential

Pool play: 2-1 (Lost to Korea 3-1, beat China 18-2, beat Chinese Taipei 14-3)

Second round: 1-2 (Lost to Korea 2-1, lost to USA 4-3, beat Mexico 6-1, advanced on tiebreaker among USA, Mexico, Japan).

Semifinals: Beat Korea 6-0.

Final: Beat Cuba 10-6

Star power: Daisuke Matsuzaka – one year away from making the leap from Japan to the Boston Red Sox for a total commitment of $103 million – won all three of his starts, giving up three earned runs in 13 innings, a 1.38 mark, striking out 10. Ichiro Suzuki showed he was still in the peak of his MLB career, ripping 12 hits in 33 at-bats and producing a .964 OPS.

And while Koji Uehara was most renowned stateside as a reliever, including with the 2013 champion Red Sox, he was a dominant starter then, having won 20 games as a 24-year-old in 1999. In this WBC, he was unbeaten in three starts with 16 strikeouts to zero walks. Uehara avenged Japan’s two previous losses to Korea, pitching seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts in the semifinals.

Championship: Matsuzaka tossed four innings of one-run ball while Suzuki reached base three times and scored three runs to subdue Cuba.

Legacy: They’re the lone WBC champ to suffer three losses, dampening the ledger a bit. Yet it was a harbinger for the next decade in the game, as Matsuzaka, Nori Aoki and Aki Iwamura went on to populate our TVs in subsequent Octobers.

4. Dominican Republic 2013

Record: 8-0, 36-14 run differential

Pool play: 3-0 (Beat Puerto Rico 4-2, beat Spain 6-3, beat Venezuela 9-3)

Second round: 3-0 (Beat Italy 5-4, beat USA 3-1, beat Puerto Rico 2-0)

Semifinals: Beat Netherlands 4-1

Finals: Beat Puerto Rico 3-0.

Star power: Robinson Cano, on a fast track to Cooperstown at the time, banged out 15 hits, two homers and a 1.296 OPS. Nelson Cruz and Jose Reyes contributed 10 and 11 hits, respectively while Hanley Ramirez, 29, and Carlos Santana, 27, each hit a pair of homers. Even 39-year-old Miguel Tejada put up a .316/.350/.368 line.

Hard to believe the lone unbeaten champ in WBC history called upon Sam Deduno as its ace, but he gave up one earned run in 13 innings (0.69 ERA) of three starts. Edinson Volquez also started three games but struggled, striking out nine but walking six. That’s OK – the bullpen was heroic. Fernando Rodney – who saved seven of their eight wins – Pedro Strop, Santiago Casilla, Octavio Dotel and Kelvin Herrera gave up zero runs and 11 hits across 28 innings.

Championship: Deduno pitched five shutout innings against a Puerto Rico lineup with 36-year-old DH Carlos Beltran and Yadier Molina in the middle, but precious little else. And, of course, Dotel, Strop and Casilla combined for four innings of one-hit, no-run relief.

Legacy: It’s tough to argue with an unbeaten squad, and the bullpen managed to hold down the fort. But the lack of a true No. 1 – and the tepid opponent they faced in the final – downgrades the Dominicans just a bit here.

3. USA 2017

Record: 6-2, 41-21 run differential

Pool play: 2-1 (Beat Canada 8-0, lost to Dominican Republic 7-5, beat Colombia 3-2)

Second round: 2-1 (Beat Venezuela 4-2, lost to Puerto Rico 6-5, beat Dominican Republic 6-3.

Semifinals: Beat Japan 2-1

Finals: Beat Puerto Rico 8-0

Star power: The home team finally got one, though it was due in large part to high-end grinders rather than superstars. Shortstop Brandon Crawford and Eric Hosmer each had 10 hits and OPSes north of 1.000. Christian Yelich scored a team-high seven runs. And the consensus starting squad had Gold Glovers (Buster Posey, Hosmer, Ian Kinsler, Crawford, Nolan Arenado, Adam Jones, Yelich, Andrew McCutchen) at every position.

Marcus Stroman carried, starting three games, pitching 15 1/3 innings with a 2.35 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. Danny Duffy started and won two games, including the must-win quarterfinal against the Dominicans. Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek combined for nine innings of scoreless relief.

Championship: Stroman pitched six innings of one-hit ball, while Kinsler – who also homered – Yelich, Arenado, McCutchen and Giancarlo Stanton each had two-hit games. Puerto Rico started Seth Lugo and had a star-studded lineup compared to its 2013 finalists: Francisco Lindor, a young Carlos Correa, Beltran, Molina and Javy Baez.

Legacy: This team remains the only group that beat all the Latin American powers – Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico – as well as Japan to win it all. And this WBC marked a turning point, with Jones’ home run robbery of Manny Machado in the quarterfinals at Petco Park turning it into a can’t-miss event.

2. Japan 2009

Record: 7-2, 50-16 run differential

Pool play: 2-1 (Lost to Korea 1-0, beat Korea 14-2, beat China 4-0)

Second round: 3-1 (Beat Cuba 6-0, lost to Korea 4-1, beat Cuba 5-0, beat Korea 6-2)

Semifinals: Beat Venezuela 10-2

Finals: Beat Korea 5-3

Star power: Perhaps the apex of Japanese talent, both old and new. Suzuki banged out 12 more hits and scored seven runs, and Aoki also had a dozen hits and drove in seven. Catcher Kenji Johjima never found stardom with the Seattle Mariners but had a 10-for-30 WBC with a home run.

Meanwhile, Matsuzaka was back, as he posted a 2.86 ERA and Japan won all three of his starts, but this time he had company. Yu Darvish, the 22-year-old who was still three years away from debuting with the Texas Rangers, struck out 20 in 13 innings with a 1.000 WHIP. And Hisashi Iwakuma, who won 63 games in six seasons with the Mariners, posted a 1.35 ERA in three starts an a relief appearance.

Final vs. Korea: Iwakuma pitched four-hit ball into the eighth and Suzuki had four hits, including a two-out, two-strike two-run single in the top of the 10th inning off Chang Hong Lim, giving the WBC a thrilling finish that wouldn’t be matched for 14 years.

Legacy: Let it be known that the Japanese WBC squads of the aughts struggled mightily with Korea. But they were more or less unbeatable otherwise and this team’s pitching depth separates it from almost all the champions.

1. Japan 2023

Record: 7-0, 56-18 run differential

Pool play: 3-0 (Beat Korea 13-4, beat Czechia 10-2, beat Australia 7-1)

Quarterfinals: Beat Italy 9-3

Semifinals: Beat Mexico 6-5

Finals: Beat USA 3-2

Star power: Might be oversimplifying it to say any team with Shohei Ohtani is a default No. 1. Yet he truly never disappoints. Ohtani led Japan with 10 hits and 10 walks, produced a 1.345 OPS and, on the mound, a 1.86 ERA in winning both his starts and adding his epic relief strikeout of Mike Trout to end the championship. Munetaka Murakami – catch him on Chicago’s South Side this spring – produced an .845 OPS while American-born Lars Nootbaar posted a .424 OBP.

Future Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto had his international coming-out party, striking out 12 in 7 1/3 innings. The youngsters – Shota Imanaga, Rōki Sasaki and Yamamoto – ensured that Darvish, now 36, could get hit a little harder and Japan survived it.

Final vs. USA: Ohtani’s strikeout of Trout was the Polaroid moment; home runs from this year’s spring curiosities – Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto of the Toronto Blue Jays – pushed them toward victory. Kyle Schwarber got Team USA within 3-2 with a solo homer, but that only made Ohtani’s heroics all the more necessary.

Legacy: It’s debatable whether this squad is deeper overall than the 2009 edition; it will take a few seasons to gauge Murakami and Okamoto’s MLB production to further contextualize the talent. But any team with Ohtani already has a massive edge – and he proved it emphatically.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Baseball Classic: Ranking the previous five champions

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Pirates pitchers Dennis Santana and Gregory Soto star in Dominican Republic exhibition

SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - MARCH 03: Dennis Santana #60 of the Dominican Republic pitches during an exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers at Estadio Quisqueya on March 03, 2026 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the middle of Spring Training, but they have a couple of players who are playing in the World Baseball Classic, including two bullpen guys who will be suiting up for the Dominican Republic.    

Right-handed pitcher Dennis Santana and left-handed pitcher Gregory Soto showed up against the Detroit Tigers in an exhibition match at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo on March 3.

Soto entered the game in the third inning where he struggled early. He walked first baseman Spencer Torkelson and allowed a single to Tigers third baseman Colt Kieth.

 After the struggle, the lefty was able to get out of the inning without allowing a run. He got center fielder Max Clark to ground out, then he struck out second baseman Zack McKinstry and designated hitter Thayron Lizano to end the inning. 

Santana then came in the fourth inning where he struck out catcher Jake Rodgers on an 85 mph slider. 

Santana just threw 18 pitches after allowing an unearned run from the bat of Riley Greene. Even though it was a short outing for the righty, he looked solid against a Tigers team that made the playoffs last season. 

Santana and Soto are two of the Pirates best bullpen arms and they are going to be important pieces to one of the better pitching staffs in all of baseball going into the 2026 season.

Santana was picked off of waivers from the Yankees in 2024. He has quickly improved with the team and had a strong year in 2025. He became the full time closer after the Bucs traded David Bender to the Yankees at the trade deadline. 

He finished with a 4-5 record in 70 appearances, a 2.18 ERA over 70.1 innings pitched, 13 holds, 16 saves in 19 opportunities, 60 strikeouts to 17 walks, a .179 opposing batting average and a 0.87 WHIP.

The Pirates signed Soto to a one-year, $7.75 million deal, which was made official on Dec. 15, giving them an important piece of their bullpen. Soto is coming off of a 2025 season where he had a 3.96 ERA over 45 appearances and 36.1 innings pitched with the Baltimore Orioles, before they traded him to the New York Mets at the deadline. 

I am excited to see what Santana and Soto will do for the Pirates this season. Pittsburgh’s starting rotation should be great which will put pressure on the bullpen to do its job as well.  

I will obviously be rooting for team USA and pitcher Paul Skenes during the World baseball classic but I will also keep a close eye and see what two of our top bullpen guys are doing for team Dominican Republic.  

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Is Shohei Ohtani pitching for Japan in World Baseball Classic? What to know

Shohei Ohtani will once again be one of the top players in the World Baseball Classic with Team Japan.

The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar designated hitter/pitcher helped Japan to its first World Baseball Classic title in more than a decade at the 2023 World Baseball Classic when he struck out then-Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout to clinch that victory over Team USA inside LoanDepot Park in Miami.

The Ohtani-Trout matchup remains one of the more cinematic and talked-about moments in baseball history three years later.

REQUIRED READING: Can Shohei Ohtani win Cy Young Award? He expects to be in conversation

But as the 2026 World Baseball Classic begins, that matchup won't be seeing a Round 2 in the international tournament, as Trout was not named to the United States' roster after serving as its captain because of insurance issues.

Ohtani also is not expected to step on the mound for Japan, whose rotation will be headlined by his Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto, at the World Baseball Classic.

Japan starts its title-defending run on Friday, March 6 against Chinese Taipei bright and early at 5 a.m. ET over in Japan at the Tokyo Dome in Pool C play.

Here's what to know on whether Ohtani is pitching for Japan in the WBC:

Is Shohei Ohtani pitching in World Baseball Classic for Japan?

No, Ohtani will not be pitching for Japan in the World Baseball Classic. He will only hit for the defending WBC champions and will be slotted in at the designated hitter spot.

Why is Shohei Ohtani not pitching in World Baseball Classic for Japan?

Ohtani's decision not pitch in the World Baseball Classic was announced at DodgerFest in January, and appears to be one made by him to manage his workload before opening day with the Dodgers on Thursday, March 26 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"It’s been a great offseason. Mostly business as usual," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton on Saturday, Jan. 31 according to MLB.com. "I think the good thing is that I wasn’t hurt this year or had any injury. … I’m very healthy. Glad that I am. The only wrinkle is going to be the World Baseball Classic, so I’m wrapping up (the offseason) a little early."

Ohtani's manager, Dave Roberts, mentioned at a Dodgers' offseason fan event that he wasn't surprised by his star player's decision not to pitch in the WBC, and that it was Ohtani's decision to make himself.

"Understanding what he did last year, what he had to go through to then how best to prepare himself for '26 to do both – it just seemed like the right decision," Roberts said on Jan. 31 according to MLB.com. "So, I wasn't surprised – and feel really good with that one."

It also appears that Ohtani's decision not to pitch in the WBC, where he could get injured before opening day, has to do with one of his bigger goals: winning the Cy Young Award with the Dodgers.

"Getting a Cy Young means being able to throw more innings and being able to pitch throughout the whole season," Ohtani said through Dodgers interpreter Will Ireton on Friday, Feb. 13. "So if that's the end result, that's a good sign for me."

Japan schedule for World Baseball Classic

Here's a full breakdown of Japan's schedule for the World Baseball Classic:

All times Eastern

Pool C Play

  • Game 1: March 6 vs. Chinese Taipei | 5 a.m. | Fox Sports 1 (Fubo)
  • Game 2: March 7 vs. South Korea | 5 a.m. | Fox Sports 1 (Fubo)
  • Game 3: March 8 vs. Australia | 6 a.m. | Fox Sports 1 (Fubo)
  • Game 4: March 10 vs. Czechia | 6 a.m. | Fox Sports 1 (Fubo)

Knockout round

  • Quarterfinals: March 13/14 in Miami
  • Semifinals: March 15/16 in Miami
  • Final: March 17 in Miami

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Shohei Ohtani pitching for Japan in 2026 World Baseball Classic?

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Will George Lombard Jr. play a role for the Yankees in 2026?

Mar 4, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; New York Yankees shortstop George Lombard Jr. (96) rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

There’s nothing like the early days of spring to get the imagination going. Pitchers show up with new pitches, hitters show up with improved swings and approaches, everyone is in the best shape of their lives, and hope springs, well, eternal.

Among those bright spring training traditions is letting one’s optimism run wild when it comes to prospects. Prospects are unproven, untested, but that they’re untested means we haven’t yet seen them fail, making it that much easier to dream. George Lombard Jr., the Yankees’ consensus top prospect, certainly gave us a reason to dream yesterday:

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That’s a 20-year-old shortstop, facing perhaps the second- or third-best pitcher on the planet, taking a 97-mph fastball in a 1-2 count way out to left field. Lord knows we can’t jump to conclusions based on spring training, much less one swing in spring training, but if there was ever a swing to get excited about, it’s that one.

We won’t know what Lombard will ultimately become for many years, but after seeing him do that against Garrett Crochet, it’s not hard to ask: will he play a major role for the Yankees this year? The smart money probably says no. He’s still only 20, and he’s coming off a minor-league season that was fine more than anything, posting a .748 OPS across two levels, albeit while flashing big tools and playing largely against players much older than him. The Yankees also have José  Caballero, Ryan McMahon, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. lined up to start on the infield dirt, with Anthony Volpe likely to reclaim a starting job once he’s healthy.

Yet is it crazy to wonder if there’s any way Lombard could force himself into the conversation? Caballero and McMahon both project as average-ish players. If one of them played slightly below that standard, and Lombard was tearing up the high minors in the first half of the season, could he enter the picture? And then there’s the matter of Volpe, who was basically the worst regular starter in baseball for a good chunk of 2025. Better health could and should help him regress in a positive manner this year, but we’ve all grown weary of Volpe struggling for infuriatingly long periods. If he does it again, will the Yankees resist in challenging their top prospect, much as they did with Volpe himself three years ago?

Most 20-year-old prospects don’t end up playing a prominent roles for their big-league clubs. But we’re at spring training, and it’s time to dream big. Do you think Lombard will make an impact as soon as this year?

It’ll be another loaded day on the site today, starting off with Kevin’s recap of the official opener of the WBC, which took place late last night between Chinese Taipei and Australia. Josh will also finish off our preview coverage of the WBC with an overview of Pool D, while Jeff will continue our general 2026 MLB Preview with a look at the St. Louis Cardinals. Also, Michael brings us our latest player preview by analyzing Giancarlo Stanton, and Peter profiles Doug Bird as part of our Yankee Birthday series.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins

Time: 1:05 p.m. EST

Video: YES, Gotham Sports App, Twins.tv

Venue: George M. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa, FL

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‘I’ll never be that kind of manager’: Brighton’s Hürzeler hits out at Arteta and Arsenal – video

The Brighton manager, Fabian Hürzeler, accused Arsenal of playing by their own rules in a void left by weak Premier League refereeing after the Gunners' 1-0 win at the Amex Stadium on Wednesday.

Bukayo Saka’s early goal moved Arsenal seven points clear at the top of the table, with Manchester City drawing 2-2 at home against Nottingham Forest.

'I think there was only one team who tried to play football today,' said Hürzeler. 'If they win the Premier League, no one will ask how ... [But] I will never be that kind of manager who tries to win in that way.

'Of course, every team will manage and waste time but there has to be a limit, and the limit has to be set by the Premier League.'

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Los Angeles hosts New York in a non-conference matchup

New York Islanders (35-22-5, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Los Angeles Kings (24-22-14, in the Pacific Division)

Los Angeles; Thursday, 9:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Kings -146, Islanders +122; over/under is 5.5

BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Kings and the New York Islanders meet in a non-conference matchup.

Los Angeles has a 24-22-14 record overall and a 9-14-7 record on its home ice. The Kings have an 18-2-7 record in games they score at least three goals.

New York has a 35-22-5 record overall and an 18-12-3 record in road games. The Islanders have an 18-5-0 record in games decided by one goal.

The matchup Thursday is the first meeting this season between the two clubs.

TOP PERFORMERS: Artemi Panarin has 19 goals and 41 assists for the Kings. Adrian Kempe has five goals and six assists over the last 10 games.

Mathew Barzal has 17 goals and 38 assists for the Islanders. Matthew Schaefer has scored seven goals with three assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Kings: 3-6-1, averaging 2.1 goals, 3.4 assists, 3.9 penalties and 11 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.

Islanders: 7-3-0, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.2 assists, 2.9 penalties and 6.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

INJURIES: Kings: None listed.

Islanders: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Canadiens visit the Ducks after Newhook's 2-goal game

Montreal Canadiens (33-18-9, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Anaheim Ducks (34-24-3, in the Pacific Division)

Anaheim, California; Friday, 9 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens visit the Anaheim Ducks after Alexander Newhook's two-goal game against the San Jose Sharks in the Canadiens' 7-5 loss.

Anaheim is 34-24-3 overall and 21-9-1 at home. The Ducks have gone 15-7-2 when they commit fewer penalties than their opponent.

Montreal has a 33-18-9 record overall and a 16-7-7 record on the road. The Canadiens have a 30-7-8 record in games they score at least three goals.

Friday's game is the first time these teams meet this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Cutter Gauthier has 31 goals and 24 assists for the Ducks. Beckett Sennecke has five goals and eight assists over the past 10 games.

Cole Caufield has 35 goals and 25 assists for the Canadiens. Nicholas Suzuki has four goals and 10 assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Ducks: 7-3-0, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.1 assists, 2.7 penalties and 5.9 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.

Canadiens: 5-3-2, averaging 4.1 goals, 6.9 assists, 3.9 penalties and 8.1 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.

INJURIES: Ducks: None listed.

Canadiens: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Golden Knights host the Wild after overtime victory

Minnesota Wild (36-16-10, in the Central Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (29-19-14, in the Pacific Division)

Paradise, Nevada; Friday, 10 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Wild visit the Vegas Golden Knights after the Golden Knights defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in overtime.

Vegas is 29-19-14 overall and 14-8-7 in home games. The Golden Knights have a +13 scoring differential, with 204 total goals scored and 191 allowed.

Minnesota has an 18-9-3 record on the road and a 36-16-10 record overall. The Wild rank eighth in NHL play with 205 total goals (averaging 3.3 per game).

The teams match up Friday for the third time this season. The Wild won 5-2 in the previous meeting.

TOP PERFORMERS: Mark Stone has 21 goals and 38 assists for the Golden Knights. Ivan Barbashev has seven goals and two assists over the past 10 games.

Quinn Hughes has six goals and 55 assists for the Wild. Matthew Boldy has scored eight goals with 13 assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 4-5-1, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.7 assists, three penalties and 6.9 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.

Wild: 7-2-1, averaging four goals, 6.8 assists, 3.5 penalties and 7.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

INJURIES: Golden Knights: None listed.

Wild: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Why the World Baseball Classic means so much to USA

Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani during World Baseball Classic warm-up games in 2026
Aaron Judge (left) and Shohei Ohtani (right) have been the Most Valuable Player in the American League and National League, respectively, in each of the past two seasons [Getty Images]

USA's ice hockey teams restored some national pride as both won gold at the Winter Olympics.

Now their men's baseball team aims to follow suit at this month's World Baseball Classic.

The sport may be known as 'America's Pastime' but the USA are not the reigning champions.

In fact, Japan have won three of the previous five editions, beating the US on their own turf in a thrilling finale in 2023.

But the US have named a star-studded roster and sought help from the nation's most decorated Olympian, with Great Britain among the teams standing in their way.

What is the WBC?

The World Baseball Classic was first staged in 2006 as an invitational event before replacing the Baseball World Cup - held for the 39th and final time in 2011 - as the sport's official world championship.

Each tournament has been held in multiple countries, with 16 teams competing in the first four editions before expanding to 20 for the fifth staging in 2023.

Japan won the first two tournaments before the Dominican Republic triumphed in 2013, followed by the USA in 2017.

Then came an epic ending three years ago, as two of Major League Baseball's best players went head-to-head in the final at-bat with the title of world champions on the line.

Japan's Shohei Ohtani faced his then Los Angeles Angels team-mate Mike Trout and struck out the US captain to clinch a 3-2 victory.

As in 2023, there are three host nations, with 20 teams having qualified. They are spread across four pools and will play a round-robin format, with the top two teams from each pool qualifying for the quarter-finals.

All Pool C games take place in Tokyo, Japan, including Thursday's opener between Chinese Taipei and Australia, while all Pool A games will be played in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Houston and Miami will host Pools B and D, respectively, and share the quarter-finals. Miami's LoanDepot Park will then stage the semi-finals and final from 15-17 March.

How USA are trying to channel Olympic spirit

Michael Phelps with Team USA before their World Baseball Classic exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants in 2026
Michael Phelps has spent time with Team USA this week [Getty Images]

In the early editions of the WBC, America's top players were reluctant to take part, preferring to focus on spring training or recovering from injury. Even now, some players are unable to play because of insurance issues.

But the perception of the tournament began to change in 2017. Watching the USA triumph convinced Trout to make himself available for 2023, and other MLB stars decided to take up one of the few opportunities they have to represent their country.

The unique circumstances of that 2023 finale also helped to build the WBC's prestige, and this year the tournament will boast the highest calibre of players it has ever had.

This will be the first WBC to feature the holders of MLB's four most prestigious awards - Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal.

Three-time Most Valuable Player Judge, 33, will make his Classic debut as captain of a US roster that includes Bryce Harper and Cal Raleigh.

Legendary swimmer Michael Phelps spoke to the team on Monday and the 23-time Olympic champion stepped into the dugout during Tuesday's exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants.

"He was intense, I thought it was an awesome speech," said Team USA manager Mark DeRosa.

"There's nothing better than winning gold for USA - it's pretty much what it centered around," added Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher. "We've got to keep that moving."

Which other stars will play?

Most of the other 30-man rosters feature mainly minor league players with a smattering of stars. Of the 600 players in total, about half are affiliated with MLB teams, with 190 currently on MLB rosters.

They include a record 78 players who have been named to an All-Star team, with 36 selected last year. The US have the most, but the Dominican Republic and Venezuela have at least 12 All Stars.

Juan Soto plays for the New York Mets on the most lucrative contract in world sport - worth a staggering $765m (£600m) - and he will lead the 2013 champions while Ronald Acuna Jr stars for Venezuela.

Czechia are the only team without an MLB-affiliated player but again have Ondrej Satoria, the electrician who struck out four-time MVP Ohtani in 2023.

Ohtani will not pitch as the two-way superstar continues his recovery from elbow surgery and the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to release team-mate Yoshinobu Yamamoto because they "understand how important the WBC is to everyone in Japan".

The 27-year-old pitcher, who was series MVP as he and Ohtani helped the Dodgers win last year's World Series, added: "I'm in good shape, so I can play in the WBC and be ready for the Dodgers' opening game."

Nolan Arenado has switched allegiance from Team USA to Puerto Rico, who will feature pitcher Edwin Diaz, while Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran will play for Mexico, and Australia will be led by Travis Bazzana, the first overall pick of the 2024 MLB draft.

And with baseball returning to the Olympics, the two highest-ranked teams from the Americas will qualify for LA 2028, besides the hosts USA.

Who are the GB stars to watch?

Great Britain made their WBC debut in 2023, winning one of their four games to finish fourth in their pool and secure an automatic place in this year's edition.

Their current roster features 11 of those players while Jazz Chisholm Jr of the New York Yankees will represent Britain for the first time in 10 years.

The 28-year-old is the only All Star on the British roster after injury prevented the Bahamas-born infielder from taking part in 2023.

He will be co-captain with catcher Harry Ford, who was traded from the Seattle Mariners to the Washington Nationals in December and hit two home runs during GB's 2023 campaign.

They are two of 20 GB players currently affiliated with an MLB team, while eight have MLB experience.

GB are in Pool B so will be based in Houston and begin their campaign on Friday against Mexico before facing the USA, Italy and Brazil.

US pitcher Tarik Skubal is set to make his only start of the tournament against GB on Saturday, while GB's best chance of victory will come in their final pool game on Monday against Brazil, the lowest-ranked team in their group.

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Football’s converging moral panics hold up a mirror to our fractured world | Jonathan Liew

From grappling at corners to VAR, the endless list of complaints reflects a wider sense of dislocation from ‘the product’

A terrible boredom stalks the land. Across the nation’s television studios and podcast armchairs, wearied men grizzle accursedly with forked tongues into branded microphones: entombed by a game they despise and yet are paid so generously to discuss. Out there in the wild digital beyond, the sickness festers still deeper. The game has gone, they type into a little white box. This is not the football I once loved, click send. The beautiful game is broken, pleads the Telegraph. They think it’s all over, and perhaps it always was.

Arne Slot is no longer enjoying himself, and presumably a good proportion of the Liverpool fans at Molineux on Tuesday night know exactly how he feels. John Terry is no longer enjoying himself. Yaya Touré is “disappointed”. Ruud Gullit is so disgusted he has decided to stop watching. Chris Sutton thinks Arsenal will be the ugliest winners in Premier League history. Mark Goldbridge is bored out of his mind, albeit nowhere near as bored as you would presumably need to be to watch a Mark Goldbridge livestream.

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QPR’s Jonathan Varane: ‘Football is a big part of my life, but it’s not everything’

Midfielder tapped into history while frustrated by injury but hopes to help a young side rediscover promising form

Jonathan Varane’s 2026 didn’t get off to the best start. Four days into the new year, the QPR midfielder sprained a knee during a 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday and was a frustrated spectator for more than a month.

Varane had been desperate to play his part, with QPR hoping to push for the playoffs, but the 24-year-old took the opportunity to indulge in two of his other passions: reading and history. That included a trip with his teammate Paul Nardi to the British Museum, where the ancient Egyptian artefacts proved of particular fascination.

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