Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

Move over, Tiger King. The newest Netflix star is the home run king.

Netflix announced Thursday that Barry Bonds would be a special guest studio analyst for their telecast of the season opener between the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees Wed., March 25. Bonds will join Albert Pujols and Anthony Rizzo as part of the pregame and postgame shows, a panel that combined for 1,768 home runs. Much like chicks, Netflix digs the long ball.

Bonds won’t be the only legendary Giants outfielder who will be part of the broadcast. Hunter Pence will be in the booth, alongside Matt Vasgersian and Hall of Fame pitcher CC Sabathia, giving each of the teams an alumni voice in color commentary.

Netflix had teased the announcement of Bonds, originally only announcing that a “Special Guest” would join the broadcast. However, John Shea reported that the streaming giant would be filling McCovey Cove with 73 red kayaks bearing the Netflix logo in honor of the 25th anniversary of Bonds’ record-breaking 73-homer season in 2001. So there was a strong chance the secret unannounced studio guy would indeed be Bonds.

In fact, who were the other possibilities? Brandon Belt would have only agreed to join the crew if he could be the studio captain. Huey Lewis specializes in national anthems, not baseball analysis. Tim Lincecum is shy. Barry Zito would bring an acoustic guitar. Brandon Crawford would only get on board if the Cheese Steak Shop was a sponsor. Gavin Newsom would blow Netflix’s entire hair and makeup budget. Aubrey Huff might be banned from even having a Netflix account, much less appearing on a Netflix show.

If it goes well, we’d like to humbly suggest some more SF Giants Netflix programming”

“Lou Seal In Paris”

The cuddly seal with the amorphous body moves to Paris in order to school European mascots in American-style clownery and his signature “belly bump” move. Lou struggles with driving his golf cart on the correct side of the road, wins over a squad of soccer hooligans and finds love with his downstairs neighbor, a Cirque du Soleil acrobat who is also an otter.

“Jake Paul vs. Hunter Strickland”

Hunter Strickland loves starting fights. Jake Paul loves scheduling fights. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound former Giants closer has a size advantage over Paul, but Paul has more experience. As for punchable faces, they’re about even. However, Michael Morse and Jeff Samardzija are not allowed to intervene!

“The Blanco Lotus”

See what happens and who gets murdered at a luxury hotel in Venezuela run by former Giants outfielder Gregor Blanco, his twin brother Gregory Blanco, and his little brother, Gregson Blanco. Unlike that other Lotus show, these three brothers won’t have any inappropriate contact with each other.

“Bay Bridgerton”

Tony Vitello struggles to learn etiquette in the complicated society of major league baseball, all while dealing with malicious gossip published by “Lord Whistledown” (Joe Maddon).

“Squib Game”

Luis Arraez competes in an intense, life-or-death game show where players face a series of dangerous challenges that mainly require putting a baseball in play, no matter how softly. If his BABIP drops too low, the Giants offense dies.

“Danny Ozark”

Giants manager Danny Ozark has to launder money for a Mexican drug cartel, all while trying to keep the 1984 Giants out of last place in the National League West. Starring J.K. Simmons as Ozark and Pete Rose, Jr. as Pete Rose, Sr.

Congratulations to Mr. Bonds! Let’s hope Hall of Fame voters aren’t all watching Paramount Plus instead.

We got a night game folks! The Athletics are set to play host to their division rivals the Seattle Mariners tonight in one of the final games of spring, a sold-out crowd that is ready to see our A’s take the win. With about a week to go before Opening Day things are going to start getting really ramped up here over the next few games. A’s fans should be seeing plenty of the regulars getting their at-bats in, the pitchers getting their final tune-ups, and the bullpen arms making their final cases for a ticket to Toronto. Should be an intense week and one that’ll also feature the Athletics’ Breakout game on Sunday afternoon. Gear up and prepare for the last exhibition contests before games begin to count.

The A’s have veteran right-hander Aaron Civale taking the ball for the club in what’ll be just his third appearance this spring. The 30-year-old veteran of seven big league seasons likely didn’t need much time to ramp up and be ready for Opening Day though. His first outing saw him allow a pair of runs on 60 pitches. His most recent appearance didn’t yield great results (six runs on nine hits) but he did get all the way up to 75 pitches. That’s probably been his biggest goal since arriving to the A’s at the last possible moment but it seems he’s going to be stretched out enough to take his spot in the Opening Day rotation, which has all been assured to him by the team. We’ll be hoping to see him produce better results tonight but as long as he gets his pitches in everything should be smooth sailing for the righty until the regular season. From there however we’ll need to start seeing results.

Here’s the Athletics’ lineup for tonight’s contest:

No surprise that manager Mark Kotsay is trotting out most of the regulars tonight. In fact, dare I say that this looks like the probably Opening Day lineup? I don’t want to start an argument about Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers’ spots in the lineup. No matter how you feel about it, the Athletics are going to prioritize getting them the most at bats possible this coming year. We’ll see if it lasts for six months but this is how the A’s will likely stack up next week in Toronto against their right-handed ace Dylan Cease.

We have Lawrence Butler back in the lineup but not manning right. While he’s been behind the rest of his teammates during camp as he completes his rehab for a torn patellar tendon, Butler’s been getting in his at-bats in controlled settings and finally made it into a game earlier this week. He’s yet to fully get right field under his belt much during camp, which is the final step in his rehab. He’s DH’ing tonight so that’s a positive, but the hope is that we see him out on the outfield grass a few more times before games start to really count.

The Mariners kept their cards close to the chest all afternoon, only announcing their starter a couple hours before first pitch. Seattle will counter Civale with right-hander Randy Dobnak. The 31-year-old is with the M’s on a minor league deal after spending the previous five years with the Minnesota Twins. He’s unlikely to make their Opening Day roster but could be an option for them later in the season if Seattle’s vaunted rotation suffers any injuries. Shouldn’t be too hard of an assignment for the A’s starting nine tonight but you never know!

And here’s how the M’s lineup breaks down for tonight’s game:

While the A’s are sending out their expected regular starting lineup the Mariners have more replacements than everyday guys in today’s starting nine. Civale needs to be careful with first baseman Josh Naylor but other than him he should try to be aggressive against Mariners batters this evening.

The A’s are 12-14 during camp and with five games left there’s still time to finish at or above .500. I know, meaningless, but still would be nice to break camp with a winning record. Let’s go A’s!

We’re officially one week away from Opening Day. The roster is coming more into focus as the day gets closer, but there are a few games to still play this spring. Tonight, the Brewers host the Rangers.

Prior to today’s game, the Brewers announced a few (perhaps surprising) roster moves. Blake Perkins, Tyler Black, and Logan Henderson were optioned to Triple-A, and Cooper Pratt was reassigned to the minor league camp. Perkins appeared to be in line for a spot on the Opening Day roster, but he will start in Nashville instead. While Perkins has not had a bad spring, Brandon Lockridge’s spring has been strong enough that he may have played his way into a roster spot. This also means Garrett Mitchell is likely ready for the regular season, especially if the Brewers are making this move a week before the start of the season. With these roster moves, 34 players — 18 pitchers and 16 position players — remain in camp, with eight more cuts between now and next Thursday.

Both Lockridge and Mitchell are in tonight’s lineup for their game against the Rangers. Sal Frelick takes the other spot in the outfield and is batting leadoff. Joey Ortiz and Christian Yelich fill out the top of the lineup, and Andrew Vaughn bats fourth behind them. Gary Sánchez and Luis Rengifo bat sixth and seventh, and David Hamilton finishes out the lineup for tonight. Many of the projected Opening Day starters are in the lineup, but the full lineup won’t come together until the remaining Brewers return from the World Baseball Classic.

Brandon Woodruff gets the start tonight for the Brewers. This will be an important start for Woodruff to see if he will be ready for the start of the season. He has only appeared in one game this spring, a two-inning scoreless start against the Angels on March 13. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out three. In today’s start, the plan is for him to pitch four innings. Also scheduled to pitch tonight are Grant Anderson, Trevor Megill, and Jared Koenig.

First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the Brewers Radio Network.

Chicago White Sox at San Diego Padres, March 19, 2026, 6:10 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Peoria Sports Complex – Peoria, AZ

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.

• Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
• Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
• Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads

GB community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!

The Colorado Rockies are hosting the San Francisco Giants at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick this evening. The game was bumped into the evening because of blistering hot temperatures in Arizona.

Speaking of hot topics, who says we need to put the World Baseball Classic behind us? Venezuela may have ended the tournament victorious, but they had to get through the teams represented by both of today’s starting pitchers to do so.

On the mound for the Rockies—representing Samurai Japan—is the right-handed Tomoyuki Sugano. Sugano will be making his first appearance in a Rockies uniform this spring, as he had to depart for Japan’s training camp just shortly after signing in free agency. The 36-year-old decorated Japanese pitcher made one start during the World Baseball Classic, shutting out Australia for four innings. He pounded the strike zone without walking a batter and tallied two strikeouts.

Starting for the Giants—and representing Team USA—is right-handed ace Logan Webb. The Rockies are no stranger to Webb, who has dominated them throughout his career. Webb has posted a 2.97 ERA in 19 career appearances against the Rockies. During the World Baseball Classic, Webb was excellent for Team USA. He gave up just one run via a solo home run in 8 2/3 innings across his two starts. He struck out 11 batters and walked just one.

First Pitch: 7:10 PM MDT

TV: None

Radio: None

Lineups:

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

The Spring Breakout games have arrived.

For those unaware, the Spring Breakout is when MLB host a series of games from each teams with rosters consisting of that organization’s top prospects.

This year, the Rays will have two of Baseball America’s top 100 prospects on their roster,

Starting in 2027, the Spring Breakout will be turned into a single-elimination tourament with champions being crowned in both the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues. However, 2026 will just be a exhibition game.

This year, the Rays prospects will take on a team of prospects from the New York Mets system at Clover Park in St. Lucie with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET which can be seen on MLB.tv, Amazon, MLB.com, and MLB Network.

Among the Rays prospects making up the roster are outfielder Theo Gillen, who was the Rays first round selection in 2024 and most recently ranked as the 64th best prospect in the game by Baseball America (2nd in the Rays system). Recently acquired Jacob Melton will also be there as well as 2025 first round pick Daniel Pierce.

Sluggling first baseman Xavier Isaac put on a show during the first Spring Breakout games in 2024 and will be making another appearances for the Rays tonight. The former first rounded had a lost 2025 campaign after undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor last July, however, he appears fully healthy now and has been crushing the ball in Spring Training.

Carson Williams was slated to participate, he homered during last year’s games, but an injury to Taylor Walls may have opened a spot on the Rays active roster. So, Williams has rejoined the Rays big league camp and may just be the team’s Opening Day starting shortstop.

Some notable pitchers taking the mound will be Anderson Brito and Michael Forret, both of whom were acquired by the Rays in separate trades made just hours apart from each other.

Here is the complete Rays roster:

PITCHERS (8)
Ryan Andrade, RHP, NR
Anderson Brito, RHP, No. 6
Alex Cook, RHP, NR
Derrick Edington, RHP, NR
Michael Forret, RHP, No. 8
Mason Nichols, RHP, NR
Hayden Snelsire, RHP, NR
Jose Urbina, RHP, No. 17

CATCHERS (2)
Caden Bodine, C, No. 13
Nathan Flewelling, C, No. 11

INFIELDERS (10)
Gregory Barrios, SS, NR
Cooper Flemming, SS, No. 28
Taitn Gray, 1B, No. 30
Xavier Isaac, 1B, No. 14
Tre’ Morgan, 1B/OF, No. 19
Daniel Pierce, SS, No. 5
Emilien Pitre, 2B/SS, NR
Adrian Santana, SS, NR
Will Simpson, 1B, NR
Brayden Taylor, INF, NR

OUTFIELDERS (7)
Theo Gillen, OF, No. 2/MLB No. 76
Brailer Guerrero, OF, No. 24
Mac Horvath, OF, NR
Jacob Melton, OF, No. 4
Dean Moss, OF, No. 29
Austin Overn, OF, No. 26
Brendan Summerhill, OF, No. 21

The newly rebuilt Ingram Little League Ballpark, decimated by the devastating July 4, 2025 flooding will officially be debuted with a grand opening event set for Saturday, March 21 at 9 a.m. CT.

The Astros Foundation, together with the Community Foundation of Texas Hill Country, Major League Baseball, the Texas Rangers, a number of other MLB teams, as well as Texas-based baseball programs and foundations supported the efforts to rebuild and transform this key fixture of the local community in Central Texas.

The new ballpark includes three primary fields, two practice fields, newly imagined batting cages and other amenities agreed to by the Ingram Little League Board of Directors.

The grand opening event will include a ribbon cutting, remarks from special officials, a ceremonial first pitch and exhibition games between Ingram Little League teams and the Astros Youth Academy teams.

Timeline of events for Saturday, March 21

9:00 AM – Program Begins – Welcome, Prayer, National Anthem

9:15 AM – Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for New Ingram Little League Ballpark Complex

9:25 AM – Special Speaker Remarks

9: 35 AM – Ceremonial First Pitch

9:37 AM – Play Ball announcement and closing remarks

10:00 AM – Games begin between Ingram Little Leaguers and Astros Youth Academy 12U boys’ baseball and 12U softball.

The Good Guys will be up late in the desert tonight as they use two split-squad teams in Arizona for a Cactus League doubleheader. The opener is against the Diamondbacks at 8: 05 p.m. CST and will be followed by the Padres game at 8:10 p.m. CST. Remember…double your pleasure, double the fun!

Davis Martin’s got the ball against Arizona, and the spotlight, for whatever that’s worth, in March. The righthander has been solid this spring, going 2-1, with a 3.00 ERA, and 10 Ks. Last time out on March 13, he spun four scoreless, gave up a single hit, and punched out four. Efficient, clean, no drama. If he can whisk that into the regular season, that would be terrific now that he has his position in the starting rotation locked down.

Across the diamond, it’s old friend Michael Soroka. How has he done this spring? Well, he’s been a mess with a 9.82 ERA and 2.73 WHIP through four innings. Sure, it’s a small sample size, but the wild command is what’s plagued his entire big league career. Maybe he finds it tonight, or maybe the Sox bats make him sweat. He did play for Team Canada in the WBC and was a bit less of a disaster, going 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA over 5 2/3 frames.

This South Side lineup is a grab bag with your regulars, prospects, and a few wild cards. Andrew Benintendi and Colson Montgomery top the card with Austin Hays and his hot bat in the three-hole. Munetaka Murakami brings some mystery to the middle, batting cleanup followed by Chase Meidroth, Lenyn Sosa, Jarred Kelenic, and Luisangel Acuña.

Here’s how the D-Backs will go up against Martin:

There will not be any TV for this one. If you want in, it’s radio or bust. Old-school. Tune in to ESPN 1000 to hear Len and DJ on the call.

Five minutes later, because preseason is weird like that, the second squad takes on San Diego.

Jonathan Cannon starts this one, even though he was optioned to Charlotte on March 17. Spring Training rules: more suggestions than law. Mike Vasil’s injury cracks the door open, so Cannon’s outings suddenly matter a little more. A good night here, and he’s back in the conversation.

The Padres counter with Michael King, who’s been roughed up this spring to the tune of a 0-2 record, 9.95 ERA, and 1.74 WHIP in four starts. Don’t be fooled, though. When he’s right, King can deal. Last year, he was 5-3 with a 3.44 ERA in 15 starts. The stuff is there. The question is whether he can stay on the mound and keep it together as the 30-year-old battled through several injuries in 2025.

Chicago’s lineup in this one is very much a “prove it or pack it” group. Outside of Korey Lee, Miguel Vargas, and probably Curtis Mead, there aren’t many locks, or even near-locks, for the 26-man roster here. That leaves a whole lot of guys playing for one of two things: a last-minute bench job or a strong impression heading into Charlotte. It’s the kind of lineup where every at-bat matters a little more, whether it’s someone trying to force their way north or just making sure they’re first in line when the inevitable injuries hit.

Friars’ skipper Craig Stammen trots out his offense looking for their 14th win:

Tonight’s bonus for you is that MLB.TV is giving this one away, so you can actually watch without selling your soul or finding a sketchy stream.

This afternoon, the Colorado Rockies continued to make their spring training transactions as they refine the roster heading into the start of the 2026 season.

The following players were assigned to Minor League camp:

• Infielder/outfielder Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP)
• Infielder/outfielder Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP)
• Infielder/outfielder Vimael Machín

The decision to reassign Carrigg and Machín does not come as a surprise. Condon, however, was a contender for the first base starting position. In 39 at-bats, Condon slashed .385/.457/.713 with a 1.175 OPS. He also hit three home runs.

At this point, all signs point to T.J. Rumfield as the Rockies Opening Day first baseman.

Colorado has 40 active players remaining in Major League camp, including seven non-roster invitees.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Hayden Birdsong didn’t get the second opinion he was seeking after visiting Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas this week, and now the Giants‘ young starter will miss the 2026 season.

Meister will surgically repair the ulnar collateral ligament in Birdsong’s right elbow, otherwise known as Tommy John surgery, ruling out the 24-year-old right-hander until at least early next season.

The operation typically comes with a timetable of about 12-16 months for a full recovery.

The Giants announced Birdsong’s decision Thursday and said he will undergo the procedure next week.

“It’s hard to [say] you’re happy for him, based on the circumstances, but it is nice that after a few days of muddy waters to have some clarity,” manager Tony Vitello said.

Birdsong said he felt a “pop” and a “snap” in his elbow after throwing a curveball on the second-to-last pitch of what turned out to be his final outing of the spring last Tuesday. An MRI revealed a Grade 2 sprain of his UCL and a strain in his forearm, indicating there was structural damage.

Vitello said Birdsong was “convicted” in his decision, even while considering nonsurgical options. The second opinion from Meister, one of the leading specialists in pitchers’ elbow repairs, sealed the deal.

“He would just like to move on and make sure there aren’t any creeping thoughts in the back of his head, like, ‘Am I healthy?’ or this or that,” Vitello said. “Just push forward with what he and others think the best thing is.”

Meister also performed Robbie Ray’s elbow reconstruction in 2022 and Giants minor-leaguer Cole Waites’ operation in 2023. Ray, like Birdsong, had issues in his forearm and elbow.

“Meister did mine; he’s been great,” said Ray, who didn’t try to influence Birdsong one way or the other. “Just trying to be encouraging. Let him know that whatever happens he’s in good hands. Our training staff here is excellent.”

The decision probably doesn’t impact the Giants’ plans for their Opening Day roster — Birdsong had fallen behind Landen Roupp and Trevor McDonald among their young pitchers — but losing him for the year is a blow to their pitching depth in the upper minors.

Birdsong likely would have been among the first pitchers called up from Triple-A when a need arose in the Giants’ rotation or bullpen. He has performed both roles and had appeared to make strides in his last time on the mound before, as he described it, a “freak” pitch put an end to his season.

“He was really sharp his last time out, but you can’t undo the past,” Vitello said. “I think the big thing for him is to take that baton … and carry it. Because you can still watch the game, have conversations, learn. You’d like to think the best-case scenario, like a lot of guys in the past, you can come back stronger.”

The loss makes the Giants more likely to call on Carson Whisenhunt, who was optioned to Triple-A on Wednesday. Carson Seymour, Blade Tidwell and Tristan Beck are all still in camp and should also be candidates to contribute at some point.

SF Giants injury report

Infielder Parks Harber will miss 4-6 weeks after straining his hamstring in a Cactus League game last week. Harber, 24, had been one of the Giants’ spring standouts with a .357 batting average and .996 OPS in 33 plate appearances. He was acquired from the Yankees at the trade deadline last summer in the deal for Camilo Doval.

A pair of prospects were ruled out from the Giants’ spring showcase game Thursday night, including highly touted shortstop Josuar Gonzalez. The 18-year-old top prospect suffered a mild hamstring strain in minor-league action at Papago Park earlier this week. Johnny Level, another infield prospect, also missed the game with low back tightness.

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His command has remained alarmingly inconsistent. His explanations are starting to sound more like excuses.

Roki Sasaki has done little this spring to inspire confidence that he will be an effective starting pitcher this season.

But he will be on the Dodgers’ opening-day roster.

“He’s going to be one of our starters,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters this week.

Asked by Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group whether Sasaki was one of the team’s 13 best pitchers, Roberts offered a revealing non-answer.

“He’s going to start the season in the rotation,” Roberts said.

In other words, no.

That doesn’t mean the Dodgers shouldn’t have the unseasoned 24-year-old on their major league roster. Just because they technically have the right to option Sasaki to the minor leagues doesn’t mean they should.

Sasaki trusted them when he chose to play for them. Regardless of whether they believe he will succeed, they now owe their second-year right-hander the same courtesy.

Doing right by Sasaki is in the best interest of everyone involved – for Sasaki, who believes he can start in the major leagues, and for the Dodgers, whose dealings with him could influence how they are viewed by the future Japanese players.

Examining the Dodgers’ position with Sasaki requires revisiting the circumstances under which he was signed. 

Because he was only 23 when the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese league made him available to major league teams before the 2025 season, he was classified as an international amateur. As such, Sasaki could only sign a minor league contract.

The bargain price made Sasaki the most desirable Japanese free agent in history outside of Shohei Ohtani.

Yu Darvish and Daisuke Matsuzaka were comparable to Sasaki in stature when they moved stateside, but each cost their original major league teams more than $100 million. 

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Sasaki could have fetched $200 million on the open market. The Dodgers landed him for just a $6.5-million bonus.

Rules prohibited teams from making any promises to Sasaki about a future contract or roster spot, but the Dodgers had to know they were taking on unspoken responsibilities when they signed him. 

Here was a pitcher viewed as arguably the most talented ever produced by his home country, one pursued by other teams as a frontline starter.

The scale of the vision they sold Sasaki became evident at his introductory news conference when president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said he would be part of the rotation from the start of his rookie season. There were mentions of a Cy Young Award and comparisons to Paul Skenes.

Sasaki flopped in the regular season last year. 

Maybe it was because his preparation was rushed so that he could start in the Dodgers’ season-opening series in Tokyo. Maybe it was because of the unfamiliar part of the major league game such as the pitch clock or slicker American baseball. Maybe it was the shoulder problem that ended up sidelining him for four months. 

Or maybe he just wasn’t as good as the Dodgers thought.

He managed to salvage the year by returning as a reliever in the final week of the regular season. 

He became the closer in October, his festive entrance music and 100-mph fastball transforming him into a crowd favorite. While he became less dominant with each passing round of the playoffs, he was without question a major reason why the Dodgers won the World Series.

Something else worth recalling: Sasaki agreed to pitch in relief under the condition that he be given an opportunity to start this year.

The Dodgers are honoring their arrangement, and it’s important they do so. 

The reality is that Americans are viewed as particularly untrustworthy in many parts of the world, and that perception is strengthened every time a foreign player and his major league team have entirely dissimilar interpretations of the same deal. 

In the case of Sasaki, he obviously expects to be afforded the luxury of treating spring training as a time to experiment in preparation for the regular season rather than to prove anything.

He wouldn’t be the only Japanese player to have treated the exhibition season in this way. 

Ichiro Suzuki was famously doubted by his own manager in his first major league camp. Ohtani was compared to a high school hitter in a Yahoo Sports article that quoted several scouts who broke down his miserable Cactus League performance.

Sasaki has a 13.50 earned-run average in three exhibition starts, but he hasn’t sounded concerned.

“If I’m able to pitch the entire season,” Sasaki told reporters after his most recent Cactus League game, “I don’t think anyone will remember spring training.”

The Dodgers are giving him the same chance the Angels once gave Ohtani to prove the skeptics wrong, and why not?

Sasaki is not pushing Tarik Skubal out of the rotation. 

Sasaki’s spot comes at the expense of River Ryan, whose workload the team will carefully monitor this year because he is coming back from Tommy John surgery. 

What happens from here is entirely up to Sasaki.

He won’t be able to point a finger at the Dodgers for demoting him right as he thought everything was about to come together.

He won’t be able to complain about how they didn’t trust him after telling him how much they believed in him.

If he fails, this will be squarely on him.

If World Baseball Classic organizers want more MLB stars in the tournament’s mix, Max Scherzer said this week he has a solution that “would get everybody to participate.”

During a sitdown interview with Foul Territory’s A.J. Pierzynski and Erik Kratz, Scherzer claimed a small schedule tweak would have players lining up for WBC uniforms.

“I wish this tournament was pushed back two weeks,” the future Hall of Famer said, before explaining 14 additional days would significantly lessen athletes’ concerns about injuries.

“Two more weeks here and in my opinion, you’d really drop the risk factor for pitchers,” he said, “and you would get everybody to participate.”

The WBC traditionally kicks off in early March, and while that’s not necessarily a problem for Big League hitters, Scherzer told Pierzynski and Kratz it’s a significant issue for pitchers.

The Blue Jays starter called throwing in high-intensity games so early in the season “a huge risk factor.”

But if the showcase started in late March, Scherzer said it’d change everything.

“Everybody wants to be out there competing for their country,” said the 42-year-old, who’s never participated in a WBC. “Full stop. There’s no argument about that. Everybody wants to. It’s just you have a risk factor to this. This is hard on your arm.”

Scherzer acknowledged that might mean the MLB season would have to drop from 162 games to 155 and there would be a financial loss, but he said the benefit for the sport would be worth it.

“The WBC is great. Everybody is watching,” Scherzer said. “Can you imagine if all the players were in it and it’s even better? You’re having even better baseball. The WBC can be even better with that regard.”

Plus, Scherzer noted April matchups are “not high-revenue games” for MLB teams.

The WBC began on March 5 and concluded on March 17. Team USA advanced to the finals, but lost, 3-2, to Venezuela.

Red, white and blue fans have pointed out that adding star pitchers like Garrett Crochett and Bryan Woo — or even getting more innings out of Tarik Skubal and Mason Miller — could have resulted in a championship, and Scherzer said his idea would have paved the way for that reality.

“Where’s the perfect slice here?” he said. “It’s right now (in late March). Start it right now and that would solve a lot of this.”

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Thursday night the Cincinnati Reds will send the best and brightest pieces of their farm system to Scottsdale to take on the best and brightest prospects from the system of the San Francisco Giants, the 2026 edition of the Spring Breakout Game.

Cincinnati won’t be sending the likes of Rhett Lowder or Sal Stewart, I should note, despite both still maintaining rookie status (and, in most cases, ‘prospect’ status). That’s because those two are going to be part of the big league Reds roster come Opening Day. Instead, the Reds will turn over the reins to the likes of Alfredo Duno, Edwin Arroyo, Tyson Lewis, Cam Collier & Co.

Right-hander Chase Petty will toe the rubber to start for Cincinnati’s young stars, and the team will lineup this way:

Of note is a middle infield of Arroyo at short and Leo Balcazar at 2B given that the likes of Steele Hall and Tyson Lewis are both on the roster (and expected to play). My best guess is that the Reds will work those two in together at some point mid-game.

Also on the roster is 2025 2nd round pick Aaron Watson, whom the Reds selected out of Trinity Christian Academy down in Jacksonville last summer. The 19 year old didn’t throw a single professional pitch last year after being drafted, and it would be cool to see him get into some pretty serious non-serious action this evening for the first time.

I say ‘see’ because this one should be able to be viewed most places thanks to televised coverage by NBC Sports Bay Area (and, therefore, MLB.tv). I’ve even seen some reports that it may be viewable via MLB.com, though I cannot guarantee that’s the case at the moment.

First pitch is set for 9:05 PM ET, so put on a pot of coffee while you watch the first round of the NCAA Tournament first.

Sports!

Jurickson Profar is officially out for the 2026 season. 

The Braves outfielder’s appeal for his performance-enhancing drug (PED), 162-game suspension was resolved.

He will also be ineligible to play during the postseason.

It’s the second time Profar tested positive and was suspended for PEDs after receiving an 80-game ban last year, getting popped for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) after appearing in Atlanta’s first four games of the season.

This time around, Profar tested positive for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites, per ESPN.

At the time of the first suspension, Profar proclaimed innocence, claiming he’d “never willingly take a banned substance.”

“This is especially painful for me because anyone who knows me and has seen me play knows I am deeply passionate about the game,” Profar said in a statement last March. “There is nothing I love more than competing with my teammates and being a fan favorite. I want to apologize to the entire Braves organization, my teammates, and the fans. It is because of my deep love and respect for this game that I would never knowingly do anything to cheat it.”

He is the sixth MLB player to receive the 162-game ban for a second PED violation since the penalty was bumped to a full season in 2014. 

Profar was set to enter the second year of a three-year, $42 million deal he signed with the Braves before the 2025 season. 

He will forfeit his entire $15 million salary for this season. 

When not suspended last season, Profar hit .245/.353/.434 with 14 home runs and 43 RBIs in 80 games for Atlanta. 

The former No. 1 overall prospect had a career season in 2024 before the PED suspensions, hitting .280/.380/.459 with 24 long balls while making his first career All-Star team and winning a Silver Slugger award.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Ronny Mauricio languished on the bench for the final six weeks of last season, and the Mets weren’t prepared to let that happen again.

The shortstop was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday, eliminating him from a potential backup role on the Opening Day roster.

Mauricio played mainly shortstop this spring while Francisco Lindor rehabbed from hamate bone surgery in his left hand.

But Lindor returned in the last week to begin playing in the Grapefruit League, signaling his buildup toward next Thursday’s season opener at Citi Field.

It’s possible the Mets will go without a backup shortstop, instead using Bo Bichette at the position as needed during the season.

“We’re getting to those days where we have to make tough decisions and this was one of them,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “But we said it from the beginning: We need Ronny Mauricio to play and for him right now with everyone — knock on wood — healthy, he needs to go down to get everyday reps.”

Mauricio, 24, produced a .313/.389/.531 slash line with one homer and five RBIs in 13 exhibition games this spring. Last season, he saw extensive action at third base, but was squeezed to the bench in mid-August. He received only 20 at-bats over the final six weeks of the season.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns later said Mauricio was kept on the major league roster to preserve his option for this season. The Mets would have otherwise lost that minor league option on Mauricio.

Mauricio missed the 2024 season while rehabbing from multiple knee surgeries.

“We’re very pleased with how he went about his business, what he showed here in camp,” Mendoza said. “Not only he’s healthy, but his ability to play shortstop. He got a lot of reps there and played pretty well, so that is exciting — the fact that he’s playing not only third base, but keeping shortstop as an option.”

Mendoza, a Venezuelan, said he was in tears watching Team Venezuela win the WBC final by beating Team USA, on Tuesday.

“This is something people don’t realize how big a deal it is, especially for a country that suffered so much for the last 20 years,” Mendoza said. “All around the world, there’s families that are feeling and celebrating this victory.”

Kodai Senga, who had a solid start Thursday against the Astros, is scheduled to remain in Port St. Lucie to pitch in a minor league game after the Mets break camp next week.

Mendoza has not announced his rotation beyond Freddy Peralta on Opening Day, but it would appear Senga won’t pitch in the first series against the Pirates.