Category: Baseball

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!

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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.

Let's play ✌️! pic.twitter.com/MiEcuC1yDB

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 19, 2026

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

Under the lights in Glendale. pic.twitter.com/iJLLWGRPwt

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) March 19, 2026

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.

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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:

Thursday night in Peoria. pic.twitter.com/cqwgMJ5E5T

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 19, 2026

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.

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:

Spring Breakout lineup‼️ pic.twitter.com/FAr7LcT7fX

— Reds On The Rise (@RedsOnTheRise) March 19, 2026

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!

Mets Lineup

1. A.J. Ewing, CF
2. Elian Pena, SS
3. Jacob Reimer, 3B
4. Ryan Clifford, 1B
5. Eli Serrano III, RF
6. Chris Suero, C
7. Mitch Voit, 2B
8. Nick Morabito, LF
9. Randy Guzman, DH

SP: Jack Wenninger

Rays Lineup

1. Austin Overn, LF
2. Theo Gillen, RF
3. Jacob Melton, CF
4. Xavier Isaac, DH
5. Tre’ Morgan, 1B
6. Braydon Taylor, 3B
7. Nathan Flewelling, C
8. Adrian Santana, 2B
9. Daniel Pierce, SS

SP: Jose Urbina

Broadcast info

First pitch: 7:10pm EDT
TV: SNY

What more can you say about a team that has won back-to-back World Series and are the overwhelming favorites to make it a three-peat? The Dodgers have positioned themselves to become the first team since the turn-of-the-millennium Yankees to win three titles in a row, which would make them just the third team in over half a century to accomplish the feat. They have become the true evil empire of baseball, scoffing at the playoff crapshoot mentality, the envy of 29 other fan bases who wish the teams they supported were as fully invested in winning every single season.

2025 record: 93-69 (1st, NL West)
2026 FanGraphs projection: 99-63 (1st, NL West)

Employing possibly the greatest all-around player in MLB history is always a decent place to start. Shohei Ohtani is going for his fourth-straight MVP and fifth in the last six seasons, and in fairness it’s difficult to pick out a legitimate challenger for his crown in the NL. No player in the sport is projected to be more valuable in 2026 — when combining his hitting and pitching projections, Ohtani’s projected fWAR of 8.4 clocks in at over a full win more than Aaron Judge.

As all-powerful as he is, the Dodgers have created an enviable supporting cast around their unicorn talent. Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts no longer at their peak? No worries, they’ll just sign the undisputed No. 1 free agent hitter for $60 million per year! And that’s not to say Freeman and Betts won’t be productive in 2026. Over the last two seasons, Freeman has settled in as roughly a four-win first baseman and can be expected to do the same this year, while Betts’ situation is slightly more murky. He is coming off a career-worst performance in a full season, ending the year marginally better than league average with the bat. All the same, 3.4 fWAR is still a borderline All-Star, it just fell short of the incredibly high standard he set in his first five seasons in LA — averaging a 146 wRC+ and roughly 6.0 fWAR/650 PA.

FanGraph Depth Charts projects a healthy rebound from Betts, he and Freeman expected to post a wRC+ somewhere in the 130s while combining to be worth between eight and nine wins. That’s still a roughly five-to-six win shortage relative to their peaks, but would you look at that, the Dodgers brought in Kyle Tucker to neatly make up that deficit. So what exactly does $60 million a year buy you these days? In King Tuck’s case, 33 home runs, a 142 wRC+, and 4.9 fWAR if Depth Charts is to be believed — all top-12 marks among hitters’ projections. Between Ohtani, Betts, and Tucker, the Dodgers should have three of the 12 most valuable players in MLB in 2026.

That doesn’t even take into account the rest of the supporting cast. Catcher Will Smith and center fielder Andy Pages are projected to be among the top-eight at their positions, ticketed to be worth more than three wins apiece. In fact, Hyeseong Kim is their only starter projected to produce less than 19 home runs, a 112 wRC+, and 2.1 fWAR.

If there’s anything that’s going to trip them up, it’s on the pitching side. Yoshinobu Yamamoto established himself as a top-ten starting pitcher in the league last year and that should remain the case in 2026. However, behind their ace lies a ton of injury and downside risk. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are walking human Band-Aids, though the Dodgers’ plan for the pair appears to be to not care about the regular season as long as they are ready for the playoffs. Who knows how many innings the Dodgers will let Ohtani pitch? And while Emmet Sheehan had something of a breakout 2025 and Roki Sasaki found some stability after moving to the bullpen, I have heavy doubts over the pair’s ability to hold up in the rotation for an entire season.

The bullpen also features pretty wide error bars after the Dodgers had to rely on several relative unknowns in 2025 to make up for the unexpected regression of their high leverage arms. I suppose this underlies the reasoning behind LA signing Edwin Díaz away from the Mets on a three-year deal, finally cementing their closer role after several failed tries. I’m certainly not as optimistic as the projections that Tanner Scott can rebound from being replacement level in 2025, but I also wouldn’t be surprised to see them unearth some new hidden gems as they did last campaign.

A quick look at a pair of projection systems reveals just how much the Dodgers have separated themselves from the rest of the league. FanGraphs projects the Dodgers to win the division with a 99-63 record — they don’t project any other team in baseball to reach even 90 wins. They’ve been assigned a 99-percent playoff odds — the Mets are the next highest at 80.7-percent — and a whopping 26.8-percent chance to win the World Series, their closest chasers being the Mariners at 8.6-percent. Over at PECOTA things are even more stark. With a win-loss projection of 105-57, the Dodgers are projected to win 14 more games than the next-best team in the Mariners. Their 100-percent playoff odds are more than six points higher than the Mariners, while their 20.2-percent odds to win the World Series is almost five points higher than second-best Seattle.

It’s not that the Dodgers have improved that much on paper so much as two of their divisional challengers getting worse. The Diamondbacks were one of the surprise top sellers at last year’s trade deadline, dealing away three of the team’s top contributors in Eugenio Suárez, Josh Naylor, and Shelby Miller, downgrading to Nolan Arenado, Carlos Santana, and Paul Sewald to fill those roles. Meanwhile over in San Diego, focus is fixed on the looming team sale rather than the on-field product, which is how you get a starting rotation that could fail to feature a starter who throws 100 innings in 2026. We haven’t even played a game and yet the World Series is already the Dodgers’ to lose, and at this point I’m not sure I can spot a team that can steal their crown away from them.

Astros RP Bennett Sousa, who had a career season last year before being shut down with a pronator strain, injured his oblique during PFPs yesterday and will begin the season on IL:

Astros reliever Bennett Sousa injured his oblique on a fielding play in his last outing and will start the season on the IL, Joe Espada said.

— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) March 19, 2026

Sousa has just ascended to being the top setup reliever last season when he was injured, he went down about 1 week after the Astros lost closer Josh Hader for the season.

This year, the Astros have a lot more pitching depth, and are better equipped to handle the loss of a leverage reliever than they were a year ago.

Houston will begin this season the same way they ended last season in regards to those two relievers, with both Hader and now Sousa beginning the season on IL.

The Astros are lining up their rotation for the regular season, as starters Hunter Brown and Tatsuya Imai have their final tune-ups coming:

Tatsuya Imai is scheduled to pitch in the first exhibition game against Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday, Joe Espada said. Hunter Brown is scheduled to make his final spring tuneup in tomorrow’s Grapefruit League game.

— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) March 19, 2026

UT Zach Dezenzo is dealing with an elbow injury after returning from the WBC:

Zach Dezenzo relished Italy's run to the WBC semifinals but is dealing with an elbow issue as he's back in Astros camp. https://t.co/EIz03HuZYg

— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) March 18, 2026

SP J.P. France wants to show the team he can still be the effective pitcher he was during his rookie season, before a difficult shoulder capsule injury stole nearly 2 years of his career from him:

J.P. France, after losing nearly two years to injuries and surgery, is looking to show the Astros he still has the form from his rookie season. https://t.co/KoPtf7Zmfl

— Chronicle Astros (@ChronAstros) March 18, 2026

Houston’s organizational philosophy change towards being more selective at the plate was on display in the Spring Breakout game:

Astros prospects drew 18 walks in nine innings. 18. https://t.co/vw0sKMkVdT

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) March 19, 2026

Astros bench coach Omar Lopez returned to the Astros a WBC Champion:

Omar López shined as Team Venezuela manager, showing he can ‘lead on a big stage’ https://t.co/waGhZDlPwO

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) March 18, 2026

TAMPA - Here are some observations and notes from the Yankees' spring training action on Thursday...

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Max Fried fine to still be fine-tuning

Fried, the Yankees' most crucial starter entering the season, struggled in his final start before taking the mound for the regular season opener against the Giants next week. The lefty allowed three runs on five hits and walked four, but seemed earnestly grateful for the chance to stumble before the games count.

“Definitely not sharp, but also the perfect amount of being able to make that adjustment,” said Fried, who said he valued the chance to work on some different sequencing and pitch with runners on base against a Baltimore Orioles lineup that looked similar to what it will be during the regular season.

“I would rather, in this situation, have a little bit more traffic on the bases, taking the chances,” Fried said. “Something maybe I would not do during the regular season to push those boundaries and get feedback in a not completely results-based game.”

Carlos Lagrange sent down

Aaron Boone announced after the game that the Yankees reassigned the young right-hander to minor league camp. A month ago, that announcement would have felt like mere formality: At 22 years old, with 16 Double-A appearances to his name, Lagrange did not begin this spring as a candidate to break camp with a team that views itself as a World Series contender.

But after four impressive Grapefruit League outings in which he combined his 100-plus mph fastball with more consistent strike-throwing and in-zone command of his change-up and slider, Lagrange pitched his way into the Yankees' plans for 2026.

“He made it a difficult decision, which coming into this wouldn’t have even thought there was a decision,” Boone said. “He definitely caught everyone’s attention. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is impacting us early, middle, later part of the season. I don’t know. But I can just tell you we’re all very excited about his continued development and what he could mean to our team at some point.”

All spring, the Yankees handled Lagrange like a starter. He has a varied enough arsenal to stick as a starter in the majors, as long as he commands his secondary pitches like he did this spring. At the moment, the Yankees have major league starting pitching depth with reinforcements on the way. But Lagrange has pushed his way into their plans once already, and there are only so many 102 mph fastballs to be found.

With Opening Day inching closer and closer, the Yankees are gradually dealing with some roster question marks, the latest of moves involving Angel Chivilli and Carlos Lagrange. The former was optioned to Triple-A while the latter was sent to minor-league camp.

Specializing in finding hidden gems with which to build their bullpen in recent seasons, the Yankees acquired Angel Chivilli from the Rockies via trade this offseason. The young right-hander who is coming off an atrocious 2025 campaign got knocked around enough in spring training to begin the year in the minors. On a positive note, he did strike out 10 batters in 6.2 innings of work, so something to keep an eye on. Chivilli was always going to be a bit of a relief project, so he’ll have time to polish his craft at Triple-A rather than potentially costing games in the process.

Despite impressing in spring, Lagrange, who’s never pitched above Double-A, was always likely to require more seasoning in the minors. The 22-year-old allowed just one run across 9.2 innings in three appearances, one of them a start. Lagrange’s last appearance was an incredibly exciting one, holding the Red Sox scoreless through four innings, sitting 99+ mph on his heater, and generating 11 whiffs on 29 swings. His presence and impact on the major-league team seem to be only a matter of time.

Excitement is building for the San Francisco Giants, as Opening Day creeps ever closer … we’re just six days away, now. But unfortunately, the news on Thursday is anything but exciting: a few hours before the Giants play one of their final Cactus League games and their Spring Breakout contest, the Giants announced that right-handed pitcher Hayden Birdsong will undergo Tommy John surgery.

That seemed likely ever since the Giants revealed that Birdsong was sidelined with a UCL injury. Birdsong and the staff were openly weighing surgery against a lengthy rehab treatment, and opted for a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister. From there, the decision for surgery was made, and Meister will perform Tommy John on the team’s young starter next week.

It’s a huge blow for Birdsong, who was hoping to rebound from his brutal second half of 2025, and has as much talent as any pitcher in the Giants organization. And it’s quite a hit for a Giants team that is desperately hoping some of their young starting pitchers will step up and be able to fill in when the rotation needs it, while also bolstering the bullpen. They still have Trevor McDonald, Carson Whisenhunt, Blade Tidwell, and Carson Seymour, but after designating Mason Black for assignment, trading Kai-Wei Teng, and now losing Birdsong to injury, that depth has taken quite a hit.

On the bright side, Tommy John surgery is not the death sentence it once was for pitchers. These days, nearly every hard-throwing pitcher has to have TJ at least once in their career, and the vast majority return to pitch at their previous levels. If Birdsong needs reason to feel optimistic, he need just talk to the two pitchers at the top of the team’s rotation, Logan Webb and Robbie Ray. They’ve both been through it, and emerged with excellence on the other side.

But it will take a while. The surgery means that Birdsong won’t pitch at all this season, and is likely to miss the first few months of the 2027 season, as well. Given that his spot on the active roster is no sure thing, and that it could take him a while of rehab appearances to shake off the rust, it wouldn’t be surprising if Birdsong doesn’t pitch in the Majors again until 2028.

The Houston Astros (10-11-3) host the New York Mets (11-9-2) in Grapefruit League play.

RHP Peter Lambert (1-0) will make his second start and fifth appearance of the Spring tonight as he takes on Mets RHP Kodai Senga.

TONIGHT’S STARTER: RHP Peter Lambert gets his second start and fifth overall appearance of the Spring tonight. He has been solid this Spring, allowing just one run in 9.0 innings of work for a 1.00 ERA.

Lambert, who was signed as a minor league free agent in the offseason, spent the 2025 season playing in Japan for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of the NPB. In 23 appearances (22 GS) for the Swallows, he posted a 3.98 ERA (55ER/124.1IP).

Prior to his season in Japan, Lambert had been in the Rockies organization since being selected in the second round of the 2015 MLB Draft. While with the Rockies, he spent parts of four different seasons in the Major Leagues with stints in 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024. On June 6, 2019, Lambert had a record-setting ML debut, tallying nine K’s to set a franchise record for strikeouts in a debut.

TONIGHT’S POTENTIAL RELIEVERS: LHP Bryan King, LHP Steven Okert, RHP Bryan Abreu, RHP Wilmy Sanchez, RHP Jose Guedez, RHP Trey McLoughlin.

BREAKOUT WALKOFF: The Astros earned a 7-6, come-from-behind, walk-off win over the Marlins in today’s Breakout Game at CACTI Park.

TRIUMPHANT RETURN: Astros bench coach Omar Lopez rejoined the club this afternoon, fresh off of managing Team Venezuela to its first WBC championship.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Thursday, March 19, 5:05 p.m. CST

Location: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, FL

TV: none

Streaming: none

Radio: none

Very unique lineup for Astros tonight, with Paredes at 1B, Yordan in LF, Correa at SS, Whitcomb at 3B.

Astros tonight vs. Mets: pic.twitter.com/GFIBSri9s2

— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) March 19, 2026

Astros SP Peter Lambert will face what Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said was “pretty close” to his Opening Day lineup:

Tonight’s lineup 😏 #LGMpic.twitter.com/CZulZfXRws

— New York Mets (@Mets) March 19, 2026

Mets lineup

Francisco Lindor – SS
Juan Soto – LF
Bo Bichette – 3B
Jorge Polanco – 1B
Luis Robert – CF
Brett Baty – RF
Marcus Semien – 2B
Mark Vientos – DH
Francisco Alvarez – C

SP: Kodai Senga – RHP

Astros lineup

Jose Altuve – 2B
Isaac Paredes – 1B
Yordan Alvarez – LF
Carlos Correa – SS
Cam Smith – RF
Zach Cole – CF
Christian Walker – DH
Yainer Diaz – C
Shay Whitcomb – 3B

SP: Peter Lambert – RHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 6:05 PM EDT
TV: Not this time
Radio: Sorry, no

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Baltimore Orioles, March 19, 2026, 6:05 p.m. ET

Location: Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota, FL

How to Listen: KDKA-FM 93.7

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The Pittsburgh Pirates are back on the field against the Baltimore Orioles looking to grab a win in Spring Training.

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Mets manager Carlos Mendoza hit on a few topics speaking ahead of the Grapefruit League matchup with the Houston Astros on Thursday night.

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Bo Bichette to play shortstop

The Mets are still going into Opening Day with the plan for Bichette to be the everyday third baseman, but he will get some time at shortstop this weekend.

Mendoza said the plan is for Bichette to play Friday afternoon's game at short, which could hint at some roster decisions the club has to make.

“Just kinda get him a game there, that’s his position,” Mendoza said. “But as we get closer to decision-making, right? I think it was important for Bo to get some reps there in case we do go that route, where he could potentially be our back-up shortstop.”

Earlier on Thursday, the club announced Ronny Mauricio was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, meaning the Mets will likely not carry an extra shortstop on the roster with Francisco Lindor set to start the season on time after coming back from hand surgery earlier this spring.

Mendoza credited Bichette for his willingness, after Lindor’s injury, to make himself available to whatever role may be asked of him.

“Not knowing the expectations and the timetable [of Lindor’s return], he was very open to say, ‘Hey, I know third base is going to be the priority, but I can always go back and play short, I can play second, whatever the team needs,” the skipper said. “It goes to show you that he’s willing to do whatever we’re asking him to do.

“That’s why we’re giving him a game [at shortstop] tomorrow.”

And speaking of Opening Day, Friday's lineup of Lindor, Juan Soto, Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr., Brett Baty, Marcus Semien, Mark Vientos, and FranciscoAlvarez might be as close to the one the manager sends out next Thursday against Pittsburgh.

Mendoza said “there’s a good chance” a lot of those same players get the nod, adding, “It’s pretty close.”

What’s next for Nolan McLean?

Back from his start in the WBC Final, the young right-hander is set to throw on Monday at Mets camp, which would line him up to pitch the second game of the regular season on Saturday.

Mendoza called it a “great experience” for the 24-year-old to get some high-intensity innings in the WBC.

“I thought he was really good that day,” the manager said of McLean’s 4.2-inning outing against Venezuela. “I’m glad that we saw the 98, 99 [mph] early in camp, because if not, I was gonna be jumping off the couch when I was watching it. 

“But just how he handled the whole environment. An unbelievable experience for him that is going to continue to set him up for success. Coming back now, a full year here, hopefully gonna keep him healthy… I was proud of him, as well.”

Kodai Senga to get extra work in

Senga, who is making the start in Friday night’s game, will hang back in Port St. Lucie after the Mets break camp to get an additional bit of work in before re-joining the Mets on Opening Day and making his regular-season debut, Mendoza said.

The skipper added that they are still "in the beginning of having those discussions" about setting up the rotation beyond Freddy Peralta starting on Opening Day, but they "have an idea."