Bucks co-owner and governor Wes Edens told ESPN that the Bucks likely will execute one of just two outcomes regarding Antetokounmpo this offseason: the team will sign another extension or he will be traded.
The star is eligible for a contract extension on Oct. 1.
The statement hints at the Bucks' intentions not to allow Antetokounmpo to play out the final year of his contract for the 2026-27 season and opt for free agency. The former two-time MVP is expected to make $58.4 million next season and has a player option in 2027-28 that would pay him $62.8 million.
The team tried to make additions to the roster, acquiring center Myles Turner before the trade deadline, in an attempt to produce a winner, but the team continued to be plagued by injuries this season.
While Antetokounmpo claims to be ready for a return, the team doesn’t have the same urgency to have him return to the court.
The Bucks have a 28-41 record as of March 20 and have lost back-to-back games. The franchise has not missed the playoffs since the 2015-16 season. Milwaukee is currently 11th in the Eastern Conference and positioned to be one of 14 teams in the NBA draft lottery in May.
Antetokounmpo was diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee and a bone bruise, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. He is expected to be reevaluated in a week. Coach Doc Rivers told reporters on March 17 that imaging of Antetokounmpo's knee did not show any structural damage. He’s missed 33 games this season.
The Knicks eventually overcame their lethargic start, and blowing a double-digit fourth quarter lead, in their 93-92 win over the Nets in Brooklyn on Friday night.
New York has won five games in a row and has now defeated the Nets 14 consecutive times.
Here are the takeaways...
-The first quarter was a slog offensively for both teams. Thanks to sloppy dribbling, turnovers and rushed shots, the two combined for just 24 points with two minutes to go. However, the scoring picked up a bit for Brooklyn in the final minutes, as the Nets hit a couple of threes to go up 22-14 after one. Brooklyn shot 41 percent from the field, including hitting 4 of 10 threes.
The Knicks shot just 21 percent and were 2 of 7 from downtown.
Mikal Bridges led the Knicks with seven points on 2 of 4 shooting. Jalen Brunson, returning to the lineup after a game off due to a stiff neck, was held scoreless in the first. The Knicks had five turnovers, the most in a first quarter for the team this season. Their 14 points were also a season low for the first frame.
-The second quarter saw a different Knicks strategy, namely giving Karl-Anthony Towns the ball and letting him get to the basket. The Knicks would cut Brooklyn's lead to four, but then the Nets began to make their threes, pushing their lead to 13 points. The Knicks were upset with the officiating in this one. Towns had to sit midway through the second after picking up his second foul and a technical for arguing.
Mitchell Robinson was unhappy with a few fouls from Nic Claxton. It boiled over when he went up for an alley-oop and Nolan Traore fouled him hard. Robinson stood over Traore. Robinson pointed at Danny Wolf, who was trying to get to his teammate and Ziare Williams pushed Robinson, causing a fracas. Cooler heads prevailed with Williams and Robinson receiving techs.
The dust-up woke up the Knicks, as their defensive intensity increased and they started to work the interior on offense. They went into halftime down 50-44.
The Knicks' 10 turnovers didn't help their cause, but the second quarter was dominated by Towns, who scored 10 of his 13 points in the frame. The Knicks were still shooting just 32 percent from the field, but they've supplemented that by getting to the free-throw line. They were 14 of 20 from the charity stripe -- Robinson was 1-for-5 from there at the half.
-The Knicks started the second half on a 7-0 run to take their first lead since early in the first quarter. The 50-50 balls the Knicks were losing in the first half, they started to get. Offensive rebounds and better defense helped New York.
The intensity between the two teams boiled over again when Claxton and OG Anunoby got into a pushing match early in the third that resulted in double techs.
The Nets punched back to retake the lead, and it was back and forth until the final minutes when the Knicks got off to an 11-0 run. Jordan Clarkson and Brunson led the run with their scoring and passing to give New York a 75-65 lead heading into the fourth.
-The fourth quarter started like the third ended, with the Knicks' offense buzzing and grabbing a lead as large as 14 points. However, the offense began to stall and the Nets' three-point shot helped them cut New York's lead to five, forcing a Mike Brown timeout. Even with Brunson back in the game, the offense was stagnant as Brooklyn went out to a 17-0 run to retake the lead with three-and-a-half minutes remaining.
Towns checked in, and the offense opened up. The team answered with an 8-0 run, with Brunson scoring back-to-back buckets to give the Knicks the lead they wouldn't relinquish. But Towns' defense was priceless, with his contests at the rim causing the Nets players to alter their shots. The Knicks couldn't ice the game at the free-throw line as the Nets hit a quick three to cut the Knicks' lead to 93-92 with five seconds remaining. Towns then missed his two free throws, allowing Brooklyn to get the final shot.
The Nets couldn't get a clean look, however, as the Knicks' defense held to deliver the win.
-Brunson had a tough night shooting. He scored 17 points but on 7-for-19 shooting, and he dished eight assists. Towns led the team with 26 points and 15 rebounds. Anunoby posted 16 points on 7 of 13 shooting while Bridges had nine points and seven rebounds in 36 minutes.
Clarkson was the leading scorer off the bench with nine points.
-Landry Shamet was inserted into the starting lineup with Josh Hart (knee) missing the game. He scored just three points on 1 of 5 shooting in 22 minutes, but did not appear in the fourth quarter with what the Knicks called a right knee.
Game MVP: Karl-Anthony Towns
Towns was questionable for this game due to personal reasons, but they would have lost this one without him. When they were down, Towns entered the game and a flip switched for the team. Towns helped on both ends of the floor, allowing the Knicks to escape Brooklyn with the win.
UCLA guard Skyy Clark is in need of a dentist appointment.
Clark had his front tooth knocked out during the second half of UCLA’s 75-71NCAA Tournament win against UCF.
Clark’s tooth was dislodged after he dove to the floor in an attempt to get a loose ball. UCF’s Themus Fulks inadvertently elbowed Clark in the face as he tried to pry the basketball away from the UCLA guard.
Clark pointed to his missing tooth after the play. He was tended to by UCLA’s medical staff and later checked back into the game without his front tooth. He even hit a free throw with 2.3 seconds left to seal the victory for the Bruins.
TORONTO (AP) — Alexander Nikishin scored 41 seconds into overtime to give the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina Hurricanes a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday night.
Nikishin fired a shot beyond goalie Joseph Woll’s blocker.
Eric Robinson scored on a penalty shot for Carolina, K’Andre Miller and Jordan Staal also had goals, and Brandon Bussi made 23 saves. Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho each had two assists.
John Tavares, William Nylander and Dakota Joshua scored for Toronto. Woll stopped 32 shots, and Matias Maccelli had two assists.
Robinson scored on the penalty shot in the second period after being hooked on a breakaway by defenseman Troy Stecher. The Carolina winger beat Woll to the glove side.
Aho became the third player to hit at least 70 points in five seasons with the Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers franchise. Ron Francis (11) and Eric Staal (seven) top the list.
Toronto captain Auston Matthews had surgery on his left MCL in New York on Thursday. He was injured last week on a knee-on-knee hit from Anaheim defenseman Radko Gudas.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Logan Thompson made 30 saves, losing his shutout bid with just 43 seconds remaining, and the Washington Capitals beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Friday night.
Ryan Leonard scored midway through the first period, and Aliaksei Protas added an empty-netter with 1:43 remaining.
Jesper Bratt scored for the Devils, extending his point streak with three goals and four assists over his last seven games. Jake Allen stopped 26 shots.
It was the third meeting between the teams and the first that didn't require extra time. The Devils beat the Capitals in a 3-2 shootout win on Nov. 15, but lost 4-3 in overtime on Dec. 27. Thompson and Allen covered the net in all three games. They will conclude their season series on April 2 in Newark.
Up next
Devils visit the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night.
Capitals wrap a four-game homestand against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday afternoon.
NOTRE DAME, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame senior Eszter Muhari won her third career individual national title in epee and the Fighting Irish fencing team won the inaugural women's three-weapon national championship on Friday after edging Columbia 102-99.
It was the 15th national championship for the Irish after winning 14 co-ed titles, including six of the last eight. Notre Dame won the national championship last year in the final year of the combined women’s and men’s team championship.
Muhari also won epee in 2023 and 2025 to finish her Notre Dame career as the sixth woman in NCAA history to win three or more individual titles.
Harvard junior Jessica Guo won the foil for her second NCAA championship, adding to the title she earned in 2024. Guo rallied to go ahead 7-5 after the second period and secured the title with a 15-6 victory over Columbia’s Carolina Stutchbury, who earned first-team honors for the second consecutive year.
Natalia Botello became the first Ohio State Buckeye to win the NCAA women’s saber crown and the fourth individual national champion in program history, joining Katarzyna Dabrowa (epee, 2012), Eleanor Harvey (foil, 2016) and Yelena Kalkina (epee, 1997).
The men’s championships begin on Saturday with three rounds in each weapon.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA filed a complaint in federal court Friday seeking an emergency restraining order to stop online sportsbook DraftKings from using registered trademarks associated with the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments.
The complaint for trademark infringement was filed in the Southern District of Indiana and requests that DraftKings stop using terms including “March Madness,” “Final Four,” “Elite Eight” and “Sweet Sixteen" or variations of them in sports betting products, promotional campaigns or marketing.
A message seeking comment was sent after business hours to DraftKings' general media relations address.
The NCAA said in the complaint its trademarks are used to identify, brand, advertise and distinguish the tournaments across broadcast media, digital platforms, merchandise, sponsorships and licensed commercial activities.
“On the eve of the Tournaments, DraftKings deliberately adopted and prominently began using the NCAA’s iconic NCAA Basketball Marks, including confusingly similar variations thereof, to trade on — and usurp — the immense goodwill, recognition, and consumer trust embodied in those Marks at the precise moment of peak public attention,” the complaint said.
Screenshots of DraftKings wagering platforms were included in exhibits attached to the complaint.
“DraftKings’s unlawful use quickly proliferated across its consumer-facing websites and mobile applications, embedding the marks and logos into betting menus, promotional graphics, and marketing publications, to deliberately exacerbate consumer confusion and reinforce a false association with or sponsorship by the NCAA in order to continuously capitalize on the goodwill of the NCAA,” the complaint said.
The NCAA said it avoids any appearance of affiliation with gambling companies and has declined sportsbook sponsorships, banned sports betting by athletes and staff and publicly opposed prop bets and micro-bets. The NCAA noted it has launched initiatives to prevent harassment and improper influence in college sports and preserve the integrity of its competitions.
"Every day that DraftKings continues to use these marks, millions of sports fans — and, critically, college students and young adults who are particularly susceptible to gambling harm — are exposed to the false suggestion that the Association has authorized or endorsed DraftKings’ gambling platform,” the NCAA said in a statement.
Feb 26, 2026; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Seattle Mariners right fielder Connor Joe (9) hits a single against the Cleveland Guardians in the second inning at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
This afternoon’s Spring Breakout game probably had the majority of Mariners fans’ eyeballs on it, but the big club is winding down Cactus League play, with just three games remaining after tonight. The M’s will face off against the Guardians before opening the season against them on Thursday, although the pitching matchup this evening is quite a ways from Logan Gilbert vs. Tanner Bibee.
Cleveland is rolling out what will likely be their Opening Day lineup, while Seattle is a bit more mix-and-match. Notably, Cole Young is getting the start at shortstop with J.P. Crawford still on the shelf. The M’s also made another round of roster cuts, re-assigning Brennen Davis, Dane Dunning, and World Baseball Classic champion Jhonathan Díaz to minor-league camp. Just four non-roster invitees remain in camp, and Connor Joe, manning first base tonight, is one of them. Bet you didn’t have that on your bingo card.
The Mariners prospects lost their Spring Breakout game today to the top-ranked farm, the Brewers prospects, 7-3. Offensively, the Mariners prospects did rack up some hits, but squandered run-scoring opportunities and failed to come through with clutch RBIs, outside of Lazaro Montes, who went 3-for-3 and drove in two of the Mariners’ three runs. Montes also stole a base and handled right field well, continuing to show that he’s more than just a power hitter.
It won't make highlight reels, but Lazaro Montes quietly had a very good Spring Breakout game, going 3-for-3 with three singles, driving in two of the Mariners' three runs, and stealing a base. Nice controlled swing on a curveball here to gap a single. pic.twitter.com/qdoOYZNm8C
The bigger issue was on the pitching side; Mariners pitching prospects struck out 10, but also walked seven, with four of those walks belonging to the normally stingy Kade Anderson, who had a tough outing. Anderson was slated to pitch three innings but couldn’t clear the third after struggling through his first two. He seemed to not have his fastball command, falling behind in counts and leaving pitches on the plate that got damaged: in his first inning of work, he allowed the tying run on back-to-back hard hits, one on a hanging slider and one on the changeup. Anderson navigated out of trouble in that inning, striking out Jeferson Quero on a wicked curveball. He also avoided damage in the fifth despite issuing two walks, one a four-pitch walk to Brock Wilken where Anderson just could not land his fastball, missing in three times.
The trouble persisted in the sixth, which Anderson opened with a five-pitch walk to Jett Williams, again failing to locate his fastball – this time missing up – and then lost a seven-pitch battle with Jesus Madé. Anderson tried to sneak a first-pitch slider past the next hitter, Luis Peña, but Peña pounced on it for a three-run home run that cracked the game open.
Things continued to devolve, with new shortstop Nick Becker committing a throwing error on what should have been the first out of the inning with a throw that would significantly raise Perry Hill’s blood pressure, and Charlie Beilenson, put in for Anderson after he failed to record an out in the sixth, didn’t fare much better, giving up a pair of singles and a bases-loaded walk to make it 5-2 Milwaukee. Casey Hintz, a 2025 draft pick out of Arizona and an under-the-radar name to know in this system, eventually came in to clean up the mess.
Mason Peters, a favorite of LL prospect guru Max, gave up the other two runs in this game, also issuing two walks, but also recorded two strikeouts in 1.1 innings of work. At this point it’s probably worth mentioning that with triple-digit heat on the field, it’s very possible we weren’t seeing the best representation of these pitchers’ arsenals or command, although it didn’t seem to affect Milwaukee’s pitchers, who issued just three walks, beating the Mariners at their own dominate-the-zone game.
The pitching story of this game for the Mariners, though, is Ryan Sloan’s performance to open the game: nine up, nine down, three strikeouts, and nothing squared up on him. Sloan got the starting nod and utterly stifled the powerful Brewers prospects the first time through the lineup, showcasing his riding fastball at 97-98 up in the zone, his heavy sinker, his swing-and-miss slider, and the cutter he can use for weak contact outs. He didn’t even throw his changeup, leaving that pitch for hitters to sweat in their nightmares. If we want to be a little picky about Sloan, we could say at times he overthrew his pitches, but he was intentional even in that, riding it up out of the zone to try to tempt hitters (it did not). Otherwise, though, it was about as close to a star-making performance as you’ll see in these games; expect the Ryan Sloan hype train to gather speed after this outing.
9 ⬆️ 9 ⬇️
MLB's No. 33 overall prospect Ryan Sloan (@Mariners) twirls 3 perfect frames with a trio of strikeouts in Spring Breakout action! pic.twitter.com/Y1sdTwxsK2
Outside of Montes, the other most impressive offensive performance belongs to Yorger Bautista, “La Bestia.” Bautista is a stockily-built player but showed off some speed on a triple, legging it out against a strong defensive centerfielder in Luis Lara; he was cut down at home trying to score on a fielder’s choice out. In the ninth, La Bestia decided to take matters into his own hands, launching this homer that had the whole broadcast crew oohing and aahing:
Yorger Bautista just one-hopped a homer off what appears to be a concession stand, and out of the ballpark alotgether at Spring Breakout.
Also of note: Felnin Celesten put on a clinic at shortstop, cutting down the speedy Brewers prospects who dared to put the ball on the ground on the left side of the infield. His footwork was sure and speedy, his mechanics clean, and his throws strong and on-target. Celesten’s line in the box score doesn’t look impressive, but his at-bats were impressive, as he battled in the box—just missing a long home run at once point—and worked a walk.
Behind Ryan Sloan's perfect three innings: a couple of really nice surehanded plays at shortstop by Felnin Celesten. pic.twitter.com/6oRjLM4ire
ATLANTA (AP) — Virginia junior Claire Curzan repeated as champion in the 100-yard backstroke on Friday and the Cavaliers remained in first place heading into the final day of the women’s swimming and diving championships.
Curzan won the race with the second-fastest time ever at 48.24, trailing only Gretchen Walsh (48.10). She was 1.38 seconds faster than Bella Sims and Maggie Wanezek, who tied for second.
Curzan also joined freshman Sara Curtis, Aimee Canny and Anna Moesch to dominate the 400 medley relay, winning by 3.13 seconds over Tennessee.
The Cavaliers also secured two second-place finishes to lead the team standings with 437.5 points, followed by Texas with 272 and Stanford 242.5.
Stanford's Lucy Bell also defended her title in the 200 breaststroke with a program-record 2:02.38. Then Bell's teammate Torri Huske earned a second individual title at the NCAAs with a time of 20.66 in the 50 freestyle.
California freshman Claire Weinstein led wire-to-wire in the 500 freestyle.
South Carolina diver Sophie Verzyl won the three-meter competition.
The meet wraps up on Saturday with the 200 IM, 100 free, 200 fly, 200 back and 400 free relay.
No. 9 seed Utah State pulled off an upset against No. 8 Villanova in a 86-76 win during the first round of the Men's NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena in San Diego, California, on March 20.
It was a back-and-forth battle throughout, everything that you love about March Madness.
Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun must have said something during the pregame pep talk inside the Aggies' locker room that resonated with his players as they jumped out to a 22-13 lead.
What needs to be studied is Calhoun's playbook, let alone coaching.
"This guy is an offensive genius," CBS commentator and former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy said of Calhoun.
Once Villanova settled into the game, they went on a run of their own, eventually taking their first lead of the game, 33-31, with 5:10 to go in the first half. They kept a two-point lead going into the halftime break, largely thanks to 7-of-14 shooting from deep, while the Aggies only connected on one attempt in eight tries. They ended the game with 14 threes on 47% shooting, while Utah State shot 13% for the game.
Villanova built a 10-point lead early in the second half but Utah State didn't fade or shy away from the task.
The fight of the Aggies' throughout the game is what really turned heads. They remained calm, leaned on each other and went on a 14-4 run to climb their way back to tie the game at 54 with 14:05 remaining.
Both teams continued to trade blows until Utah State pulled away in the end starting on the defensive end which turned into easy fastbreak points, and offensively, they were polished. The Aggies ended the game on a 15-3 run.
"Defense. Coach came in at halftime [and said] we're in a good spot, down two," said senior guard MJ Collins Jr. who had 20 points. "We weren't making threes, so we knew we had to rely on our defense. And it kind of carried us over in the second half. That's what we're known for, getting our offense based off our defense. You know, we switched up a couple coverages late in the game, and it kind of messed them up. They were kind of stagnant, and we executed off of it."
Calhoun showcases coaching 'masterclass'
CBS Sports analyst Jamal Mashburn, who played 11 NBA seasons out of University of Kentucky, had high praise for Calhoun and what he's done with the Utah State program.
"Just a masterful job of what he's been able to do," Mashburn said. "Teach these kids how to play that way, and also put them in a position to be aggressive and not be afraid to make mistakes."
Even TNT Sports host Adam Lefkoe had to admire Calhoun's coaching prowess.
"Many of you have not seen Utah State. But we sat here and went, 'Coaches around the country need to steal their plays.' Hopefully they don't steal their players," Lefkoe said. "Utah State's offense was phenomenal. ... Let's look at the highlights because almost every play you see is a masterclass from coach Calhoun."
Held in high regard is Calhoun, who's in his second season as the head men's basketball coach at Utah State. He's the 22nd head coach in the Aggies' men's basketball program history.
"I really want to tip our cap to Villanova," Calhoun told reporters after the game. "I thought that was just a tremendous basketball game. They're very, very well coached. I thought Kevin [Willard] did a great job of, you know, really changing up the defenses, man, zone. They made an incredible amount of threes, and they put a ton of pressure on the paint."
He added: "Kevin is a tremendous coach, but our guys in the last seven, eight minutes, I thought we really buckled down. Our execution offensively was tremendous, our screening, getting to the next action. And I thought what won the game was our 'will to' and our 'want to' this team has been very connected throughout the year, and in March, you have to be connected."
Utah State was led by junior guard Mason Falslev with 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Fellow senior guard Drake Allen filled the stat sheet with 11 points, six assists, three rebounds and three steals. Freshman forward Adlan Elamin, who climbed the rafters a few times for soaring dunks, added 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Villanova was led by sophomore guard Bryce Lindsay with 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting, including 6-of-11 from beyond the three-point stripe. Senior forward Duke Brennan and junior guard Tyler Perkins each had 15. Sophomore guard Malachi Palmer added 11 for the Wildcats.
Utah State finding their 'swagger'
Calhoun has his team playing with a chip on their shoulder and so far it's served them well.
"We did not like our seed. We were not too fond of being a 9-seed," Calhoun said. "We won 28 games. We won the [Mountain West] regular season title, we won the tournament title. So when this team has an edge, and they play, you know, with a little bit of swagger and a little bit of toughness and resilience, we can cause a lot of problems."
"You know, this defense was originated from from Ralph Willard, Kevin's father, and it's hard to play against," Calhoun said. "So I think, as MJ said, we didn't want to overreact to the threes, but we felt like the game would loosen up eventually. And you saw MJ made some big steals, Mason, Adlan, Drake, their activity, KT's [Karson Templin] activity, defensively, I thought was the difference."
Up next for the Aggies are another pack of Wildcats, No. 1-seeded Arizona in the NCAA men's basketball tournament Round of 32.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 05: CJ Kayfus #2 of the Cleveland Guardians rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch on March 05, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 08: Rowdy Tellez #44 of the Mexico in action during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game between Brazil and Mexico at Daikin Park on March 08, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After the conclusion of tonight’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Jon Heyman reported that the Atlanta Braves have added veteran first baseman/designated hitter Rowdy Tellez on a minor league deal.
The left-handed hitting Tellez is an eight-year big league veteran who has posted double-digit home runs in every season since 2019, outside of the COVID-shortened 2020 season. He hit a career-high 35 homers with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2022.
Although is isn’t the right-handed hitting option the Braves could use as part of a DH-platoon, he could be an upgrade over Dominic Smith, who the Braves added during Spring Training as another left-handed hitting first baseman/designated hitter option.
Tellez, 31, was a teammate of Braves’ infield prospect Nacho Alvarez, Jr. on team Mexico during this year’s World Baseball Classic. He had not signed with a team this off-season after splitting 2025 between Seattle and Texas.
Feb 17, 2026; Surprise, AZ, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi during media day at Surprise Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images
Today, on the Spring Equinox, the Texas Rangers welcome a sliver of San Francisco Giants to Surprise for a Cactus League night game.
RHP Nathan Eovaldi makes what is surely his final appearance of the spring ahead of his Opening Day start next Thursday. San Francisco will counter with RHP Spencer Bivens for the split squad Giants.
Today’s Lineups
GIANTS
RANGERS
Drew Gilbert – CF
Brandon Nimmo – RF
Daniel Susac – DH
Wyatt Langford – CF
Will Brennan – LF
Corey Seager – SS
Victor Bericoto – RF
Jake Burger – 1B
Christian Koss – 2B
Joc Pederson – DH
Gavin Kilen – SS
Josh Jung – 3B
Buddy Kennedy – 3B
Josh Smith – 2B
Jesus Rodriguez – C
Evan Carter – LF
Charlie Szykowny – 1B
Kyle Higashioka – C
Spencer Bivens – RHP
Nathan Eovaldi – RHP
There will be a telecast of this one on the Rangers Sports Network, a radio broadcast via 105.3 The Fan, or you can follow along on Gameday. First pitch from Surprise Stadium is scheduled for 8:05 pm CT.
TALKING STICK, AZ - NOVEMBER 01: A general view of Salt River Fields ballpark prior to a game between the Scottsdale Scorpions and the Salt River Rafters pitches during the game between the Scottsdale Scorpions and the Salt River Rafters at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Friday, November 1, 2024 in Talking Stick, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
As the heat island of Phoenix continues to fester, I wonder if this is going to become the way of things. By that, I mean Cactus League – and possibly, Fall League – games being moved from the afternoon to the evening, to avoid the worst heat. I’m a little surprised they moved today’s game, but left tomorrow and Sunday with the usual 1 pm starts. Saturday’s forecast high temperatures is 105 F, which would be almost indistinguishable from today, and destroying the all-time record for March 21, currently eight degrees below that. Maybe weekend attendees at the Cactus League are made of asbestos or something.
After Zac Gallen, we may expect to see LHP Philip Abner, RHP Kevin Ginkel, RHP Ryan Thompson, and RHP Andrew Hoffmann. All of those definitely have a shot at a bullpen spot. Abner has likely overtaken Brandyn Garcia after the latter’s recent struggles, but as noted earlier, Ginkel has had his problems too. As expected when spring started, the Arizona bullpen was always likely to be the area most subject to change on the team. We’re now down to less than a week before Opening Day, and perhaps half the bullpen spots are still up for grabs. We’ll talk about that more tomorrow though.
