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

Maybe the Hanshin Tigers are baseball’s real evil empire.

One day after the Japanese team, which plays in the Nippon Professional Baseball league, shut out the Chicago Cubs in an exhibition contest at the Tokyo Dome, they did the same Sunday with a 3-0 win over the defending World Series champion Dodgers — and their nearly $400-million roster — in what was the Dodgers’ final tuneup before their season-opening series here against the Cubs.

The Tigers were led by a superb start from right-hander Hiroto Saiki, a six-year NPB veteran with a career 2.41 ERA in the Japanese league. Over five scoreless innings, he struck out seven batters, starting with the first at-bat of the game against Shohei Ohtani. He didn’t give up a hit until the fifth inning, when Max Muncy led off with a single.

By that point, the Tigers had also surged out a 3-0 lead, courtesy of a fourth-inning blast from Teruaki Sato off of Dodgers starter Blake Snell — setting off a raucous celebration from the heavy contingent of Tigers fans that made the 2½-hour train ride from Osaka.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was complimentary of both Saiki and Sato, saying they both looked like MLB-caliber players.

“They've clearly showed they can play at the top level,” he said.

Snell, who was making his final spring outing before a likely start in the Dodgers’ domestic home-opener back at Dodger Stadium on March 27, started his day with three flawless innings, retiring his first nine batters while striking out five.

But in the fifth, he issued a leadoff walk, surrendered a single, then threw an elevated two-strike fastball that Sato deposited into the right-field seats.

Tyler Glasnow finished the game with three scoreless innings, giving up just one hit while striking out six.

For the Dodgers, however, the real focus came before the game, when shortstop Mookie Betts, who is questionable for the team’s season-opening contests Tuesday and Wednesday because of an illness, went through pregame hitting and fielding drills.

Read more:Hernández: Shohei Ohtani home run at Tokyo Dome is another moment delivered on command

On several occasions, Betts looked fatigued taking ground balls. After the game, Roberts acknowledged Betts “really showed some fatigue, understandably so” as he continues to recover from an illness that has kept him out of spring action since March 9.

Asked the likelihood that Betts is in the opening day lineup, Roberts didn’t sound optimistic.

“We're really trying to be mindful of not just Opening Day but not putting him in harm's way,” Roberts said. “Not to put him in a position where he potentially could get hurt."

Betts is expected to participate in the Dodgers’ off-day workout Monday. But, Roberts noted, if he continues showing signs of fatigue, “I just don't think the training staff would feel good about that.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Even with franchise royalty such as David Wright and Howard Johnson owning third base for the Mets during the team’s history, the position has been a club trouble spot at times, too.

Once, the Mets traded a future baseball immortal named Nolan Ryan to try to fix their hot corner, but Jim Fregosi didn’t work out. Neither did Joe Foy, who cost the Mets a burgeoning star outfielder named Amos Otis in a swap with the Royals.

Even in recent seasons, the Mets have sought stability at third. It’s been somewhat elusive – since Wright’s last start on Opening Day in 2016, they have had six different players start the opener at the position.

Now, however, the Mets could have a long-term solution in Mark Vientos, the 25-year-old slugger who enjoyed a huge 2024 season that featured, among other eye-popping items, 27 home runs and 14 playoff RBI, a Mets record for a single postseason. 

“I knew they traded Nolan Ryan, but I didn’t know it was for third base,” Vientos said. The idea that he could be a third-base fixture for the Mets is “super-flattering,” Vientos said.

“I take it seriously,” he added. “And I work my tail off every day because I do want to make that happen.” 

 This has been a vastly different spring camp for Vientos, who spent last March hoping to earn a spot on the team at the same time he was sifting through chatter that the Mets were looking to bring in a name-brand free agent that would doom his roster chances. At one point, he said he felt like he had to “prove himself two times,” but pledged to keep grinding.

Ultimately, the Mets signed J.D. Martinez, meaning Vientos started the season in the minors instead of as the Mets’ designated hitter. But Vientos was up for good by mid-May and a breakout was in bloom at third.

“Last year, he was battling as a player,” said Mets manager Carlos Mendoza of the differences between Vientos’ last two springs. “You know, it’s a better feeling when you know you’re on the team and now you can work on, whether it’s your offense, your defense, your base-running. And that’s what he’s doing. 

“Now you see a guy who is comfortable, that had success during the regular season and the playoffs and that means a lot…I’ve seen a guy that knows he belongs in the big leagues and he knows he’s a big part of this team.” 

Mets fans have been enamored with Vientos since last season when he hit .266 with a .322 on-base percentage and a .516 slugging. His slugging percentage ranked fifth in the National League among players with at least 300 at-bats. He hit five playoff home runs, including a grand slam against the Dodgers in Game 2 of the NLCS. 

So far this spring, Vientos is 8-for-30 (.267) with two homers and five RBI. 

“I was fortunate to have the year I had last year, and they give recognition for that,” Vientos said. “And that's what makes these fans so great and I appreciate it.”

But there’s more. “The team is, for sure, giving me a different type of respect” after last season,” Vientos said. “I mean, I feel like that’s just like any job you do – you kind of have to prove yourself. And I think I proved myself somewhat last year and I want to keep proving myself and keep proving myself and gain respect from my team, in the league and from fans.” 

Mixing that kind of appreciation with Vientos’ own innate confidence could make for a strong concoction for the Mets. Vientos said his confidence was instilled by his parents when he was young.

“I’ve gotta give my parents credit,” he said. “I’ve always believed in myself. I always believed that I was destined for great things. And confidence is like a skill you work on for years and years.”

Hence, that nickname – “Swaggy V.” In part, anyway. “Swaggy V was kind of a name that came up just for the way I dressed,” Vientos said. “And, I mean, you could say the way I dress is because I’m confident. I do wear some flamboyant stuff, but I think it’s just fun, just me trying to show my personality.” 

More of that might be coming out this spring. In camp, Vientos smiles easily and greets teammates gleefully in the clubhouse. He really does look, as Mendoza says, like “a comfortable player.” 

Maybe even like the Mets’ next long-term third baseman. That would put him in some nice company.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – It was not a great night for Mets pitchers with pristine spring ERAs Saturday night, as they suffered a 4-1 loss to the Nationals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.

The Mets fell to 8-11-3 this spring, while Washington upped its record to 11-9-1.

Here are the main takeaways:

- Clay Holmes, the converted reliever who will start the Mets' season opener in 12 days, came into his start having thrown 9.2 scoreless innings this spring. But he gave up his first run of camp with two outs in the fourth inning when Paul DeJong hit an RBI double. Holmes gave up two hits in the frame; he had given up two hits all spring before that.

Holmes left the game after giving up a one-out single in the fifth inning. Reliever Max Kranick surrendered a triple to Daylen Lile, the first batter he faced, meaning Holmes was charged with a second run. Holmes allowed three hits and two runs in 4.1 innings, striking out two and walking one.

The right-hander now has a 1.29 ERA this spring and opposing batters are 5-for-49 against him, a paltry .106 average. Holmes, who threw 77 pitches, will get six “ups” in his last tune-up before the opener, Carlos Mendoza said.

- Kranick had come into the game with a spotless ledger, too, having not allowed a run over eight innings -- but the Nats got him, too. Kranick allowed two runs and three hits over 1.1 innings of work, including a two-run double to José Tena in the sixth that ended Kranick’s evening and pushed Washington’s lead to 4-1. His ERA went from 0.00 to 1.93 during his outing. 

- The Mets took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a fielder’s choice grounder by Pete Alonso with the bases loaded. Alonso hit a hard shot to third that DeJong snagged. DeJong ran and touched third and tried to nab Alonso at first for what would’ve been an inning-ending double play, but Alonso beat the relay and got a spring RBI for his hustle. 

- Luisangel Acuña, vying for playing time as a utility man or perhaps as the second baseman in Jeff McNeil’s absence, made a snazzy play at second in the first inning, diving to his left for a grounder and throwing out Nathaniel Lowe at first. The crowd gasped. Acuña later stole his third base of the spring.

- It remains to be seen how many at-bats Jesse Winker, a left-handed hitter, will get against lefties during the regular season. But on Saturday night he offered a tantalizing case for at least a few. In the second inning, he led off with a loud double to left field against southpaw starter Mitchell Parker.

One inning later, he drew a walk against Parker. Last season, Winker had 104 plate appearances against lefties, batting .236 with a .674 OPS. In 404 plate appearances against righties, Winker hit .258 with a .788 OPS.

-Former Nationals star Juan Soto got a nice hand from Nats (and Mets) fans before his first at-bat. There was a noisy contingent of Met rooters at the game.

-Mets lefty reliever A.J. Minter threw a scoreless seventh inning in his second outing of the spring. He picked a runner off at first base, according to the box score.

Game MVP

Not the Mets’ clutch hitting department. The club went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

Highlights

Pete Alonso with an RBI to bring Donovan Walton in for the first run of the game pic.twitter.com/S7aAWARLzP

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 15, 2025

The Yankees were defeated the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 in their Spring Breakout Game on Saturday night.

Here are some takeaways...

- Carlos Lagrange took the mound for the Baby Bombers. The 21-year-old was terrific as he showed off his 70-grade fastball, touching 100 mph consistently from the get-go. After allowing a leadoff single, he retired the next 11 hitters in a row before Vance Honeycutt beat him to left-center for an inside-the-park homer.

Lagrange finished with a final line of two runs (one earned) on two hits, one walk, and two strikeouts across 4.0 innings.

- Spencer Jones almost made a nice running grab ranging over to left-center on the inside-the-parker, but he wasn't able reel it in. The slugger reached base three times but his only serious damage came in the top of the seventh as he was gifted a double after the left fielder lost it in the lights.

- George Lombard Jr. was quiet at the plate over his first three at-bats, but then he reached in his next two with a walk and a single. The 19-year-old first-round pick was really impressive this spring -- demolishing a pair of homers, including a 414-foot blast that left the bat at a whopping 108.4 mph.

- Jesus Rodriguez drove in two of New York's four runs with a run scoring groundout and an RBI single.

- Ben Hess, the Yankees' first-round pick from last year, made his unofficial pro debut. He cruised through a perfect first inning of work but then allowed a run to score on Dylan Beavers' RBI single in the bottom of the sixth. The 22-year-old struck out 106 batters in 68 innings last year at Alabama.

- Alexander Vargas made a terrific over-the-shoulder running grab on a pop up in shallow right in the ninth.

Whats next

The Yankees split up to play a pair of 1:05 p.m. games on Sunday, staying in Port Charlotte to face the Rays and in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

When Carlos Carrasco signed with the Yankees on a minor league deal this offseason, his path to a roster spot looked virtually nonexistent -- but as we’ve seen so often in this sport, things can change in a hurry. 

Injuries to ace Gerrit Cole and reigning Rookie of the Year award winner Luis Gil have suddenly created a pair of huge openings in New York’s starting rotation.

Carrasco is coming off back-to-back rough campaigns to end his time with the Mets and in his return to Cleveland. But after making some changes to his mechanics over the offseason, he’s looked like a completely different pitcher this spring. 

Suddenly, the 38-year-old finds himself square in the mix for a rotation spot. 

“It’s been a really good camp for him,” manager Aaron Boone said on YES Network. “I think he came in in a good place both mentally and physically -- the buildup has gone really smooth and he’s put himself right in the middle of the conversation.”

Carrasco has pitched to a 2.45 ERA and 1.09 WHIP over his four spring appearances. 

His latest one came on Friday night, when he allowed just one run on two hits while walking one and striking out a spring-high six batters in 3.1 innings of work against a lineup full of Phillies regulars, including slugger Kyle Schwarber. 

The veteran reached into his full arsenal of pitches and generated seven swing-and-misses.

“That tells me I’m ready for the season,” Carrasco said on YES Network. “The fastball, the changeup, the slider, curveball, even the two-seamer. I got a strikeout with all of those pitches, that’s what you do in spring training. That’s what I’ve been working for and that’s what I did today.”

He did face some trouble in the first, as Schwarber led off the game with a walk and Max Kepler doubled to put two in scoring position with one out. But Aaron Judge gunned Schwarber down at the plate to help him dance out of danger. 

Otherwise, Carrasco was terrific, giving up his lone run on a sacrifice fly. 

“Another good night for him,” Boone added. “You see the swing and miss that he’s getting, it was the same way his last time out. It’s been a good build for him, I feel like there’s more power there than last year -- it’s just been a really good camp.” 

As things stand, Carrasco is likely competing with Marcus Stroman and Will Warren for one of the openings. But if he continues pitching like this, he’ll find himself back on the big-league mound in no time. 

Whether you’re a Mets fan or a Yankees fan, we can all agree it’s easy to root for Carrasco.

Giants notes: Top prospect Eldridge dealing with wrist inflammation originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SCOTTSDALE — There were some wide eyes on Saturday when the best prospects for the Giants and Texas Rangers filed into Scottsdale Stadium, but for Bryce Eldridge, it was nothing new. The Giants’ top prospect started his spring in big league camp, but he didn’t take the field in his return to the big league facility.

Eldridge is dealing with a left wrist injury that has sidelined him the past two weeks. He said he was feeling pain when swinging, but every test the Giants did came back clean and he started swinging off a tee on Saturday.

The Giants will be extremely careful with a player who could hit in the heart of their lineup for years to come. Eldridge said he hasn’t been told yet if he’s headed for Double-A or Triple-A to start the year, as the focus right now is simply on getting the inflammation out of his wrist and getting back up to speed. He said he wasn’t sure yet if he will be fully cleared by the start of the minor league season in early April.

“I think if everything goes perfectly, hopefully I’m playing towards the end of next week,” Eldridge said. 

The first baseman watched the Spring Breakout game, which ended in a tie, from the dugout. He was disappointed that he had to skip the showcase, but he said he was excited to watch his young teammates, many of whom he feels are underrated.

“We kind of get bashed for our players and our farm system. We see that they’re ranking us down low and I think a lot of us are going to catch some people off-guard this year,” Eldridge said. “The guys I’ve played with, we stack up with any minor league team we ever went against. I don’t know why we don’t get more credit than we get but we’re going to surprise some people, for sure.”

A Deal That Might Work Out

The Jorge Soler trade was meant to get the Giants out from under that contract, but they also might end up getting a big leaguer out of the swap. Third baseman Sabin Ceballos was the prospect acquired and he hit .295 with seven homers in 32 High-A games after joining the Giants organization.

Ceballos has appeared in 10 Cactus League games this spring as a backup and is 4-for-8 with a homer and four walks. He tied the Spring Breakout game with a two-run double to dead center in the bottom of the eighth.

Sabin Ceballos delivers for the @SFGiants prospects, who tie the game with a 3-run 8th! #SpringBreakoutpic.twitter.com/0C5v1sg6Nm

— MLB (@MLB) March 16, 2025

“He’s unbelievable, he’s such a great player and he’s just got that swag and that confidence. You can tell he knows he belongs,” said Eldridge. “He’s had some good hits up at the big league level when he gets the chance there. Just watching him play, I have no doubt he’s going to be a great player for a long time.”

On The Rise

After three years at High Point, two at UNC Pembroke and a delay because of the pandemic, pitcher Trent Harris was preparing for a sixth year of college baseball when the Giants called and offered a deal as an undrafted free agent.

“I would have signed for a bus ticket,” Harris said Saturday, smiling. 

He got a bit more than that, but either way, it’s looking like a steal for the organization. Harris has a 2.06 ERA in 51 minor league appearances and last season he was named the organization’s Pitching Prospect of the Year after posting a 1.81 ERA and striking out 105 batters in 79 2/3 innings.

The 26-year-old is the name most often mentioned if you ask Giants officials for a prospect who might all of a sudden get on the fast track. He likely will return to Double-A at the start of the year, but he could be an option for the big league bullpen later this season in what would be a hell of a development story.

Harris said he added a splitter to his repertoire over the offseason, in addition to his four-seamer, curve and slider. He didn’t pitch Saturday, but has four scoreless Cactus League appearances this spring. 

Less Is More

Along with Eldridge, the Giants had to scratch outfielder Dakota Jordan from their original Spring Breakout roster. Jordan was facing Logan Webb in a minor league game earlier this month when he felt some wrist discomfort after swinging at a sinker. He has been sidelined by a contusion, but it’s not considered serious. 

Jordan is a tremendous athlete who was taken in the fourth round out of Mississippi State last year and signed a deal well above slot. After losing out on their second- and third-round picks because of free agent additions, the Giants went for upside with Jordan, who some scouts felt had the best bat speed in last year’s draft class. 

This spring, Jordan is trying to slow it down. The 21-year-old said he is standing more upright at the plate and is focused on dialing it back. He described it as a “50 percent” approach.

“I’ve got the quick bat, the quick twitch — I don’t need to be all jumpy and everything,” he said of his swing. “For me, whenever I’m hitting, I kind of sit back and relax. It’s something I’ve learned even in my cage routines.”

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Jasson Dominguez tripled and drove in two runs as the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays played to a 7-7 tie in spring training action in Port Charlotte, Fla.

Here are the takeaways...

- Will Warren, looking to lock down the fifth spot in the Yanks’ rotation, was greeted with a rocket up the middle for a hit on the first pitch he threw in the bottom of the first. The righty escaped with no damage, grabbing a strikeout looking in the process.

After grabbing another strikeout looking in a 1-2-3 inning, a single, fielder’s choice, and two-out single gave the Rays a run off him in the third. He bounced back, adding another strikeout as he retired the side in order in the fourth but back-to-back singles to start the fifth ended his afternoon.

His final line: 4.0 innings, five hits, three runs, and four strikeouts.

- Dominguez fell behind 0-2 and got caught looking at a two-seam fastball on the inside corner his first time up. The left fielder laced a stand-up triple to the gap in right-center on the first pitch he saw his second at-bat to score the Yanks’ second run. He knocked in another run with a single to left in the fifth, scoring Ismael Munguia, who singled and stole second to start the inning.

The promising youngster finished the afternoon 2-for-3 with two RBI and is now slashing .256/.293/.462 on the spring.

- Austin Wells went down swinging on a high breaking pitch from Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen to lead off the game and went down swinging again in the fifth. But between those chances he grabbed the Yanks’ fourth bloop single of the afternoon to start the third inning. He finished 1-for-3.

- Pablo Reyes punched a one-out single into shallow center, just getting the looper over the outstretched arm of Brandon Lowe up the middle, before coming around to score on Ronaldo Hernández’s sacrifice fly to center. He singled again in the sixth, past a diving shortstop. 

After going 2-for-4 he is now slashing .400/.515/.440 for the spring.

- Jorbit Vivas clubbed a single to shallow right for a single to cover the corners in the second. He cracked his second hit with a run-scoring single smashed past the first baseman in the sixth. The third baseman jumped all over a breaking pitch and lined a ball that hit off the right fielder’s glove on the warning track for a double.  

Vivas finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and a strikeout.

- After entering for Wells late in the game, Ben Rice got an infield hit off the pitcher and then stole second base after getting a big jump in the seventh. He walked and came all the way around to score from first on a ninth-inning double by Parks Harber.

- Dom Smith flew out to right his first at-bat and did the same in the third inning, but this time netted an RBI on a sac fly. He tapped into a 4-6-3 double play and struck out looking to finish the day 0-for-3 with an RBI.

- Oswaldo Cabrera went down swinging on three pitches to start the second and chased a pitch up and out of the zone in the third to go down on strikes. He walked to start the sixth and was lifted for a pinch-runner.

- Geoff Hartlieb, a 31-year-old righty with MLB experience, came in with two runners on in the fifth and walked the first guy he faced. Signed this offseason on a minor league deal, Hartlieb got a 6-4-3 double play, but a walk, single, and double down the first baseline saw the score tied. A four-pitch walk to re-load the bases chased Hartlieb. Minor leaguer Huey Morrill played fireman to nail down a strikeout for the final out.

- Carlos Rodon, the day after he was named the Opening Day starter, was set to make the start Saturday, but manager Aaron Boone opted for the left-hander to work in a more controlled environment of a live batting practice in Tampa.

Highlights

Stand-up triple for the Martian 👽 pic.twitter.com/Ls0goQmUeb

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 15, 2025

Another Domínguez Drive 👊 pic.twitter.com/tFIMQs4CqA

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 15, 2025

Will Warren Weekend Work 👏 pic.twitter.com/OFQveH6ZKS

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 15, 2025

What’s next

The Yankees split up to play a pair of 1:05 p.m. games on Sunday, staying in Port Charlotte to face these same Rays and in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Sandoval eager to help Posey regime in return to Giants camp originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SCOTTSDALE — You could almost see the wheels churning in Pablo Sandoval’s head as he looked down at the dirt on Saturday morning. The Giants were between rounds of batting practice and he had stepped out from behind the cage to help collect baseballs. He had a jersey on and there were fans filing into Scottsdale Stadium, many of whom happily yelled out to the Panda. 

Why not take a few swings? 

Sandoval resisted the urge, although not because he’s retired. The popular former Giants third baseman played a few weeks in Dubai earlier this year and plans to suit up for the Staten Island FerryHawks for a second straight summer. 

Sandoval is 38 and four years removed from his last big league game, but he said he’ll keep taking swings as long as it’s feasible. His family loves watching him, even if it is in independent leagues these days. 

“I’ll play until my body breaks down,” he said, laughing. 

In the meantime, Sandoval is trying a different role. He’s not sure if he ever wants to coach full-time, and he’s not sure if his wife would even allow that much time away from home, but he wants to remain involved with the Giants. Sandoval was excited to see former teammate Buster Posey get named president of baseball operations, and in December, he sent Posey a text to say that he would like to help out if he could. Posey was happy to add Sandoval to the list of spring training special instructors. 

The two were once at the heart of the lineup at Oracle Park, and they won three titles together. Sandoval believes those days will return under Posey. 

“He knows how important it is to wear this jersey,” he said. “He knows how to win. He knows how to put the pieces together.”

Posey also knows Sandoval can bring a unique perspective, having gone through plenty of ups and downs in his career. After speaking to reporters Saturday morning, Sandoval hopped in a car to drive to the organization’s minor league facility, where he and fellow guest instructor Jeremy Affeldt were set to address the organization’s prospects. 

“I reached out to Buster (last year) and said if he needs help with the young guys, I’m always going to be available to help them,” he said. 

Sandoval will spend much of his time in big league camp with young position players like Heliot Ramos, Luis Matos and Tyler Fitzgerald, but it’s his interactions with the oldest player in camp that would surely be the most fascinating to any Giants fans. Justin Verlander said earlier this spring that he hasn’t talked to Posey yet about the 2012 World Series, but he wouldn’t shy away from any conversation. 

“I don’t mind, man,” he said on the Giants Talk Podcast. “If you play long enough, you’re going to have some things not go your way and that’s obviously a great part of the Giants legacy. I hate that I was a part of it, but I also was in the World Series and heck, man, it doesn’t always go your way.”

Verlander’s struggles in Game 1 of that series came largely because of Sandoval, who twice took him deep as part of a historic three-homer game. Sandoval would be named MVP of that series, but he said it didn’t come up when he saw Verlander this weekend. It was a bit weird seeing Verlander in orange and black, but Sandoval said his main takeaway was that the 20-year veteran has already taken on a leadership role with his new franchise.

“I don’t bring it up,” he said of 2012, smiling. “When you respect a player, a guy that’s still playing and throwing the ball the way he is, you don’t bring old memories up.”

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Here's what happened in Mets Land on Friday, in case you missed it...

---

• Last year he was a reliever, this year Clay Holmes will be the Mets' Opening Day starter
• Carlos Mendoza spoke about Holmes getting the call before the right-hander said he was "honored" to get the nod
• Brandon Nimmo said his ailing knee feels good, but that his status for Opening Day is uncertain
• On the diamond, Juan Soto smacked a home run and drove in two against the Cardinals
• The big highlight came on the mound where Kodai Senga debuted a new pitch: the "miracle ball"
• Mendoza praised the righty, saying "If he's healthy, he's an ace"
• After pitching 3.1 innings against St. Louis, Senga spoke about the new pitch and his goals for the 2025 season
• From Port St. Luice, our Anthony McCarron explained why Senga rediscovering his peak form is more important than ever to the Mets
• In addition to Nimmo's injury update, we learned that José Butto is dealing with a "minor" groin injury

Shohei Ohtani produced on command.

Again.

Just as he did when he played in the World Baseball Classic. Just as he did when he reached the 40-40 and 50-50 homer-steals milestones last season. Just as he did in his first playoff game with the Dodgers.

Technically, the game in which Ohtani played on Saturday night was an exhibition game.

In reality, it was more than that.

Read more:Battling illness, Dodgers' Mookie Betts questionable for Tokyo Series games

Many of the fans who packed the Tokyo Dome paid hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to watch the Dodgers play the Yomiuri Giants. Tickets for the game were selling on the secondary market for upwards of $600.

Years from now, people who weren’t here will claim they were. The people who actually were here won’t be complaining about the outrageous ticket prices.

Moments are what stay with fans, and Ohtani delivered another in the Dodgers’ 5-1 victory.

In his second at-bat of his first game wearing a major league uniform in his home country, Ohtani was thrown a curveball by Giants right-hander Shosei Togo that remained over the plate.

Ohtani pounced on the mistake, launching the ball halfway up the right-field stands.

“It went up at a good angle, so even though it was [hit] a little with the end [of the bat], I thought it would get in,” Ohtani said in Japanese.

In person, the people here witnessed scenes with which they had become familiar on television.

The waving of his hands in the direction of the bench as he rounded the bases.

The tossing of sunflower seeds by Teoscar Hernández.

Ohtani knew the game counted, even though it didn’t.

“So many people came,” he said, “even though it was an exhibition.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts arrived in Japan this week battling an illness, and is questionable to be ready for the club's regular-season openers on Tuesday and Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs, manager Dave Roberts said.

Betts did not play in the Dodgers' 5-1 exhibition win over the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league, and will be again held out of Sunday's exhibition against the Hanshin Tigers.

However, as Betts left the ballpark Saturday, he joked that he's "still alive" and was feeling better.

“He’s been really sick, lost some weight, so we’re trying to get him hydrated,” Roberts said earlier in the day. “We’ll see how these days go before we even think about making a decision for opening day.”

Read more:Hernández: Shohei Ohtani home run at Tokyo Dome delivers yet another moment seemingly on command

Betts first started feeling under the weather during the Dodgers’ final week of spring camp, sitting out their final two games of Cactus League play.

Roberts said there wasn’t much consideration to having Betts stay back from the team’s week-long trip to Tokyo, noting that “the doctors felt it was safe enough for him to make the trip.”

Betts did not participate in the Dodgers’ workout at the Tokyo Dome on Friday, but did take the field Saturday for pregame drills. On Sunday, Roberts said Betts is scheduled to have a "full day" of hitting and infield work.

"Then we’ll see how it goes from there,” he reiterated.

On the field Saturday, all the attention was fixed — as expected — on Shohei Ohtani, who was playing in his home country for the first time since representing Team Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

In his first trip to the plate, Ohtani received a loud ovation before drawing a full-count walk. In his next, he brought the Tokyo Dome to life, launching a 391-foot, two-run home run to right field as part of a five-run third-inning rally by the Dodgers — who also got long balls from Michael Conforto and Teoscar Hernández in the frame.

“He just has the ability, when there’s expectations for him, to do something special,” Roberts said.

Just like on Friday, when the more than 10,000 fans who attended the Dodgers’ open team workout roared at the sight of Ohtani on the field, the mere presence of the three-time MVP caused a stir before Saturday’s sellout crowd.

When he took the field pregame for a session of catch play in the outfield — Ohtani has maintained his flat-ground throwing sessions this week, even though he paused bullpen sessions near the end of spring camp in his continued recovery as a pitcher from a 2023 Tommy John surgery — fans stampeded toward the bottom of the lower bowl, roaring in approval with almost every throw.

When he came to the plate for the first time, seemingly everyone in attendance whipped out their phones to capture the moment — getting their first chance to see the country’s baseball hero in person with a Major League Baseball team.

“This many people came, even though it was an exhibition,” Ohtani said in Japanese afterward. “Personally, it felt like I was back for the first time in a while.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Phillies' bullpen picture becoming clearer with 6 more spring cuts originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The composition of the Phillies’ season-opening bullpen became clearer on Saturday when they removed six more pitchers from their spring training roster.

Left-hander Nick Vespi and righties Koyo Aoyagi, Jose Cuas, Joel Kuhnel, John McMillon and Guillo Zuñiga were reassigned to minor-league camp. So was infielder Rodolfo Castro.

All six of the pitchers were in camp as non-roster invitees. Aoyagi, Cuas, McMillon and Zuñiga have minor-league options remaining; Vespi and Castro do not.

Six locks for the Phillies’ season-opening bullpen are Jordan Romano, Orion Kerkering, Jose Alvarado, Tanner Banks, Jose Ruiz and Joe Ross. Matt Strahm would have been another but he’s dealing with a left shoulder impingement that could keep him out for Opening Day. This leaves five pitchers on the Phillies’ active spring training roster for two bullpen spots. One of those jobs will most likely go to Taijuan Walker.

The other opening will come down to Nabil Crismatt, Devin Sweet, Kyle Tyler, Michael Mercado or someone the Phillies pluck away from another organization before the regular season begins.

Crismatt, who started the Phillies’ Grapefruit League opener, has the most big-league experience of the four. He is also the only one of the four who is not on the Phillies’ 40-man roster, so the team would have to remove someone to add him if he ends up as the selection.

Crismatt is a 30-year-old right-hander from Colombia who made 114 appearances from 2020-24 with the Padres, Cardinals, Dodgers and Diamondbacks. He owns a 3.71 ERA in 177 innings. Crismatt is not a hard thrower, averaging 90 mph with his four-seam fastball and sinker, but has solid off-speed stuff led by a changeup. He has pitched well this spring, allowing two runs over 6⅔ innings with six strikeouts and one walk.

The Phillies acquired Sweet from the Tigers on November 4 for cash considerations, likely because they were so impressed by his huge strikeout numbers (111 K’s in 76 innings) at Triple A. Sweet has allowed three runs in five innings this spring.

Mercado is a hard thrower trying to find his role in the organization heading into his age-26 season. He has been both a starter and reliever for the Phillies but it appears they currently view him as a multi-inning reliever. Mercado has allowed five runs (four earned) in 3⅔ innings of camp.

Tyler was claimed off waivers by the Phillies last August from the Marlins after he appeared in eight games with Miami, starting seven. He has allowed just two unearned runs in 6⅔ innings this spring. Tyler, who relies primarily on his cutter, is one of many pieces of starting pitching depth the Phillies have between Triple A and the majors, along with Mick Abel, Seth Johnson, Tyler Phillips and Alan Rangel. Moises Chace and Jean Cabrera are two more starters on the 40-man roster likely to begin the year at Double A. And there is, of course, top prospect Andrew Painter, who is building up gradually in his first season back from Tommy John surgery but could be helping the Phillies in the majors by July.