Category: MLB

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Nolan Arenado plops down on a bench in the back fields of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ spring training complex, takes off his cap, wipes the perspiration from his forehead, and breaks into a slow, expansive smile.

Sitting just a few hundred yards from the complex where his career first started with the Colorado Rockies, this is home now, perhaps for the duration of his career.

He has found peace.

No more trade rumors.

No more trade requests.

No more venting his frustration with the front office.

Home sweet home, just a five-hour drive from where he grew up in Orange County, California, and about a 20-minute drive away from where he and his wife, Laura, just purchased a new home in the Scottsdale area, with their two young  kids (3-year-old daughter, Levi, and 4-month-old son, Beau).

“I’m so much more relaxed now," Arenado tells USA TODAY Sports. “I mean, obviously, the last year or two, we kept hearing that you’re going to be traded and stuff. Now, to finally have some clarity, it feels good. Really, it feels great.

“I’m thankful for the Diamondbacks to have interest in me. Now, my goal is to hold up my end of the bargain on that and take care of business."

Last week, I wondered about which Yankees pitching prospect could have a Cam Schlittler-esque turn this year, coming up in the middle of the season to make a major impact on the Yankee staff. Elmer Rodríguez and Carlos Langrange look like prime candidates, even if it’s unlikely that any single prospect plays as well as Schlittler did in his summer audition last year.

The thought of another young power arm coming up and propelling the Yankees midseason is tantalizing, but the fact is the Yankees have a plethora of young starters already on the major-league roster. New York hopes that Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, and Carlos Rodón will ultimately lead them to glory, but with injury concerns stuck to at least two of those three, young starting pitching will have to buoy the Yankees during parts of 2026.

Schlittler stands tall, literally and figuratively, among that group of hurlers, coming off a sensational rookie campaign and one of the most memorable playoff debuts in Yankee history. There’s also Will Warren, who’s had his inconsistencies in his career but just led all rookies in starts in innings, with his baffling east-west arsenal hinting at untapped upside. Luis Gil stands at a pivotal moment in his career, not long removed from his 2024 Rookie of the Year campaign but looking to re-establish himself after a 2025 season in which he was injured and diminished. You can even arguably include Ryan Weathers in this group; though the left-hander has appeared in five different MLB seasons, he only just turned 26 and has but 280 career innings to his name.

The question today is, which of these young starters will make the biggest impact in 2026? With Rodón likely to miss about a month of the season, Cole scheduled to miss about two months, and Clarke Schmidt still on the mend, the Yankees need a chunk of these young starters to show out, if not most of them. Who will it be? Which of these inexperienced arms will prove to be most valuable to the Yankees this year?

This morning, Matt’s entry in our Yankee Birthday series highlights Ron Hassey, who had a couple of remarkable things happen to him over the course of his career. Also, Peter previews Carlos Rodón’s season, and Jeff takes a look at the Pirates as part of our 2026 MLB preview.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees at Minnesota Twins

Time: 1:05 p.m. EST

Video: Gotham Sports App, Twins.TV

Venue: Lee Health Sports Complex, Fort Myers, FL

The sun is shining, birds are chirping and the Pirates are back in Bradenton for Spring Training. Spring ball for fans is the first glimpse into how their favorite ball club is going to look in the regular season, and there has already been several noteworthy developments for the Buccos.

The new look lineup looks great

The Pirates organization made it a point this offseason to improve their bottom dwelling offense and in just a week of games, it already looks like this lineup is transformed. So far the Pirates are 5-2 in Spring and have had a couple of contests with offensive barrages overpowering their competition. It’s not uncommon for hitters to be a step behind pitchers following the long winter away from the game, but for the Pirates, it has been the complete opposite.

Against the Boston Red Sox, the Buccos scored 16 runs, with three homers recorded. In their opener against the Baltimore Orioles, this transformed offense put up eight runs with Ryan O’Hearn and Endy Rodriguez both going deep. Then against Tampa Bay, the team put up seven runs, with the team currently averaging just over six runs scored in the seven contests that they’ve played.

Obviously it’s only Spring ball, but it is very encouraging to see an offense this hot already ahead of the regular season. While the lineup will still need some fine tuning for regular season competition, there is clearly a lot of fire power coming to PNC Park this season.

Konnor Griffin is turning heads and crushing baseballs

Konnor Griffin is the unanimous top prospect in baseball, and he is showing everyone why in a big way. In the team’s contest against Boston, Griffin had two huge home runs and is already looking like a Major Leaguer.

Since arriving in Pirate City, the talk of the town has been on if Griffin can make Pittsburgh’s opening day roster. All signs are pointing to yes, but more than that, it’s looking like the Mississippi native could be the next generational super star in Major League Baseball. Griffin is very much on the same trajectory as Barry Bonds, Bryce Harper, Juan Soto and Ken Griffey Jr. At just 19-years-old, he already plays, moves and operates like a Major Leaguer, and it may already be time for Pittsburgh to consider signing Griffin to a long term deal.

Griffin could finally be the piece the Pirates need to put them over the top and emerge as real contenders in the National League. We have to hope that Bob Nutting and company don’t screw this one up.

Fans should be excited about Pirates’ baseball again

I was talking to my father a couple of weeks ago, and he was telling me that he would really love to see Pittsburgh become a great baseball city again. There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done, but it really feels like the Pirates may finally be heading back in a good direction. They have to rid themselves of some nasty heritage that has in the last 30 years not been committed to winning, and currently hold the longest playoff drought in the NL.

The black cloud that follows Pittsburgh because of the sins committed by Nutting and management is something that fans and players are still constantly working through, but there is no doubt that this Pirates squad on paper is looking to be one of the best teams they’ve had in a decade. They signed big free-agents in the offseason, went out and made smart trades and of course have some of the best talent in baseball emerging as Paul Skenes, Bubba Chandler and Griffin are looking to change the reputation of Pittsburgh’s ball club.

It’s a long 162 game season that hasn’t even started yet, but there are shades already of a quality ball team. O’Hearn has said that this Pirates team reminds him of the Baltimore teams that he found success on. Don Kelly at the helm is reimagining the culture in the clubhouse and is willing to bring back alumni to help inspire the new generation of Buccos. The best time of the year is just getting started and fans should be excited to see their Pittsburgh Pirates in 2026.

What has stood out for yinz in Spring Training? Let us know in the comments!

The Athletic and the San Diego Union-Tribuneboth reported that an unnamed source has divulged that there are five groups who submitted bids on Wednesday in the first round of offers to purchase the San Diego Padres.

The source or sources were not authorized to speak on the sale but it seems possible that the Padres could change hands within the next month to two months.

The Athletic reported a new group, headed by Vuori CEO Joe Kudla and former San Diego Chargers quarterback and NFL Hall Of Fame player Drew Brees, were one of the five to submit bids. Before today, there were reportedly three other groups who had expressed interest in the team.

Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob, Serie A club Roma and Premier League Everton owner Dan Friedkin and ClearLake Capital founding partner Jose E. Feliciano are the other three names that have been reported to be interested or to have placed bids. There is no confirmation on any of these reports.

There is no information on who the last bidder could be.

Feliciano is a Puerto Rican native who is headquartered in Santa Monica. Friedkin is a San Diego native who lives in Texas and Kudla is the Carlsbad-based owner and CEO of Vuori, he graduated from USD and began his business in 2015, per The Athletic. His company is an athletic leisure-wear brand. Brees, his partner in the bid, participates in marketing for Vuori and is a part-time San Diego resident with a long history of Padres fandom.

Sportico has valued the Padres at $2.31 billion but reports from sources inside MLB have said that the Seidler family is seeking closer to $3 billion for the team. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred made a statement when the potential sale was announced in November of 2025, stating –

“It’s a really appealing franchise. They’ve done a great job building a fan base. The in-ballpark experience in San Diego’s probably one of our best. They’ve got some great players and I expect there will be people that will be interested in buying.”

Manfred updated that statement on Feb. 12 in his yearly media gathering at the beginning of Spring Training.

“The best I can tell on you on the Padres is there is robust interest on what is viewed as a really appealing asset.”

Padres Chairman John Seidler spoke at the start of Padres Spring Training and stated that there were multiple interested parties, not all of which had been reported in the media, and what the owners were seeking in a new owner.
“We would like to see what everybody would like to see: We would like to see somebody with ties to San Diego, a deep love of San Diego and a deep love of baseball, so they can continue doing the work that we do in the community and providing the product on the field that the fans enjoy.”

He also stated the team would not be moved.

There have been widespread rumors that if Lacob were to buy the franchise, he would seek to move it out of San Diego to Northern California, where he resides and owns the Warriors.

“I can’t speak as to any details as to what may or may not be negotiated with an ultimate buyer,” Seidler said. “But if you look, a new buyer would be nuts to move the team out of San Diego, with the second-highest attendance in all of baseball last year. San Diego’s a great place for baseball. Baseball is the only major sport in San Diego right now. So, the opportunity is in San Diego, not elsewhere.”

It seems likely that the Padres could have a new owner by Opening Day or very soon thereafter. It’s unlikely most Padres fans will have a strong opinion on who would be the best owner for the team but share Seidler’s hope that a dedication to San Diego and baseball will be their motivation for owning the Padres.

This recap is late because it is being typed out on the bar of a lovely establishment in Twin Falls, Idaho, called Scooter’s. I am on my way to spring training and listened to this game – even though it was televised – while driving up and down various mountain passes. This country hilly as heck, y’all. I thus did not have time before stopping for the evening to recount what happened in today’s game, which you have likely already seen, but in case you, too, were consumed with other things, here is what happened in today’s game, another back-and-forth spring training affair where the Mariners eventually came out on top, 8-7.

Bryce Miller

Miller made his season debut and went 1.1 innings, allowing three hits and punching out one on a pitch the broadcast crew was divided between being a splitter or a curveball (Gameday says splitter now, although Gary Hill initially announced it as a curve). Miller came out firing in his spring debut, touching 98.4 on his four-seam – he did give up a double on that pitch, but it was located well across the plate and David Fry sort of stuck his bat out at it and got lucky. Shannon Drayer said on the broadcast that Miller opted not to get the surgery for his bone spur because he found a gel injection that has been working for managing the pain should it crop up, which it hasn’t; he’s not concerned, and therefore I’m not concerned.

The WBC Guys Are Getting Their Hacks In

Julio Rodríguez leaves on Saturday to join Team Dominican Republic and they’ll be happy to have him; he had a double but also worked two walks in his four plate appearances. Not to be outdone, Cal Raleigh had two doubles, although he didn’t catch seven innings this time. Randy Arozarena, who will also leave soon for the WBC, also had a double in a particularly fun first inning that saw that trio go back-to-back-to-back with doubles.

Luke Raley-Dominic Canzone: Heated Rivalry

In the position battle I’m watching most closely this spring, the healthy revenge tour of Luke Raley continues; he added another hard-hit double today off former Mariner Matt Festa, smoked at 109.8 mph. Dominic Canzone also had a hit, a line-drive single to center on a pitch inside that he fought off and got to drop.

The Spring Awakening Continues

Continuing to see a lot of playing time at second base, Michael Arroyo collected another pair of hits today, including his second double of the spring, and worked a walk. He also initiated another successful challenge; this kid really knows the strike zone. Meanwhile, Colt Emerson had two hits of his own, including a triple.

Brocketship to the Moon

While I was driving up a mountain in eastern Oregon to what felt terrifyingly close to driving onto the moon’s surface itself, Brock Rodden was checking in with his first home run of the spring. Yes it was a middle-middle first-pitch cutter that he ambushed, but still, we love healthy Brock Star.

Pitching Pile Update

It was a mixed bag for the bullpen hopefuls today. One of the best lines was posted by a pitcher I had no idea was a Mariner, one Abdiel Mendoza, who came in during to relieve Miller and polished off the second inning cleanly. Casey Legumina also had a solid outing, working a clean fifth inning with a strikeout. Cooper Criswell didn’t have as dazzling an outing as he did in his spring debut, giving up two runs on two hits and two walks, but showcased his ability as a swingman or multi-inning reliever, going two innings. Ryan Loutos struggled again, getting himself into some trouble and surrendering a big hit in the form of a three-run homer to Kate Fave Petey Halpin. Maybe the most intriguing outing for me today was Cole Wilcox, who again showcased his big stuff; he does have trouble commanding it at times, issuing a free pass, but he also collected a strikeout. It’s…so…tantalizingly…close with Wilcox.

Also close: spring training, for me. I’ll unfortunately just miss a bunch of the WBC guys as they’re leaving but will have plenty up about everyone else over the coming weeks. Make sure you’re following us on Bluesky (@LookoutLanding) for the video content and let me know if there’s anything in particular you want to hear about. I’m aiming for my first day there to be Saturday, Kade Anderson’s professional debut, so unless I fall into a canyon there will be lots of content about that come the weekend.

NJ.com | Randy Miller: Giancarlo Stanton is obsessed with winning a World Series with the Yankees. It’s too bad his elbows keep getting in the way. In an interview with Miller, the slugger explained why he didn’t want to undergo surgery to address the chronic tendinitis that is still affecting him, and reminded the world that he can’t open a bottle or a bag of chips. However, he clarified that he wants to play a full season and take home the trophy. As his 158 wRC+ and 24 home runs in 77 games last year proved, Big G can still mash with his current condition.

SNY | Alex Smith: The Yankees beat the Braves 7-3 on Thursday, with another solid outing by Elmer Rodríguez and home runs by Paul Goldschmidt, Spencer Jones, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. Rodríguez allowed two runs in three innings of work, striking out four and walking one. His changeup looked on point; he got seven whiffs and his spring ERA now stands at 3.00.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Spring training star Ryan Weathers changed his offseason routine with the intention of staying healthy. The new habits, explained in detail by Phillips, involve the elimination of “some lifting patterns in the weight room” and the implementation of “more ground-based rolling exercises that, with the help of a foam roller, focused on his spine.” Yankees fans are praying to every god they know for these habits to pay off, because he is looking fantastic on the mound.

CBS 58 News Milwaukee | Kathryn Merck: Retired MLB umpire Bruce Froemming, whose career spanned from 1971 to 2007, passed away on Wednesday, aged 86. He umpired the third-most games in league history, and spent most of his career in the National League. His strike call was unique, and he is best known by Yankees fans for being the umpire who ejected Billy Martin in Game 4 of the 1976 World Series. Rest in peace.

Manny Machado got his first two hits of Spring Training in dramatic fashion on Thursday. Machado came to the plate with the San Diego Padres trailing the Cincinnati Reds, 3-1 in the top of the third inning and blasted a two-run home run to left to tie the game, 3-3. He then watched the Reds put up six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and returned to the plate in the top of the sixth with the bases loaded and a chance to tie the game again. Machado did just that with a grand slam to center field that tied the game, 9-9. In the end, Cincinnati was able to scratch out one more run than San Diego and Machado and the Padres dropped the game at Goodyear Stadium in Goodyear, Ariz., 11-10.

The Reds won the game, but Machado was the top story from the Padres side. He was quickly followed by Sung-Mun Song who recorded his first hit in MLB action on a 96.5 mph cutter from Cincinnati reliever Graham Ashcraft, which resulted in a single to start the six-run top of the sixth inning. The base hit was a step forward for Song, who admitted in a recent report he was going to need some time to adjust to pitch velocity in the majors. Song also worked two walks in the game.

With all the offensive fireworks, the fact that Nick Pivetta started the game for San Diego kind of got lost in all the numbers. He worked two innings and allowed three runs on three hits with two walks and a strikeout. It was not the outing Padres fans expected to see from Pivetta who was the staff ace in 2025, especially after Michael King looked so dominant in his start against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. However, it was the first start of Spring Training for Pivetta and play-by-play announcers Jesse Agler and Tony Gwynn Jr. made note on the broadcast that it appeared the right-hander was working on specific pitches in his outing.

Padres pitchers Miguel Mendez and Justin Yeager each had difficult outings, which resulted in a combined six runs for the Reds. Mendez lasted 0.2 innings and allowed three runs on four hits with two walks and a strikeout. Yeager was called on to finish the inning for Mendez and he allowed two runs on two hits with a walk and a strikeout.

On the offensive side, Machado and Song were joined by Nick Solak, Gavin Sheets, Anthony Vilar, Marcos Castonon, Clay Dungan and Rodolfo Duran who all recorded at least one hit in the game. Duran had two hits, one of which was a solo home run to open the top of the third inning.

San Diego will travel to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick to take on the Colorado Rockies on Friday at 12:10 p.m.

Longtime MLB umpire Bruce Froemming, who worked the third-most games in league history and a record 11 no-hitters, died Wednesday in Milwaukee, his son Steven confirmed to the Associated Press.

He was 86.

Froemming struck his head during a fall at his Mequon, Wisc., home on Tuesday night, and doctors failed to stop the bleeding in his brain due to blood thinners he was taking, according to his son.

Known for his loud, distinctive strike call, Froemming umpired 37 consecutive seasons from 1971-2007 in the majors, working a total of 5,163 games, trailing only Bill Klem (5,373) and Joe West (5,460).

Froemming briefly pursued a semi-professional playing career, but ultimately started umpiring at age 18, working his way through the minor leagues, at times making $250 a month, before reaching the National League in 1971.

“Every game to me is important,” Froemming told NPR after he umpired his 5,000th career contest in 2006. “You know and I learned early on it’s not the level of play that you’re umpiring or officiating, it’s how you attack the sport as an official. And every game is important. It’s important to somebody. It’s important to the people that are playing, no matter at what level.

“You may think you’ve got a B game or a game that’s not important. To those kids or people that are playing it, it is important. So every game that you work you have to work at a high level.”

During his nearly four-decade career, Froemming often found himself at the forefront of some of the most memorable moments and skirmishes in MLB history.

On Sept. 2, 1972, Froemming was behind the plate for an afternoon Cubs-Padres game at Wrigley Field as three-time All-Star pitcher Milt Pappas closed in on a perfect game. With pinch-hitter Larry Stahl representing the final out, Froemming called a close 3-2 pitch ball four, ending Pappas’ bid for perfection.

While Pappas retired the next hitter to complete a no-hitter, the right-handed pitcher was upset by Froemming’s call, which remained a source of controversy.

“The word ‘close’ came in,” Froemming told MLB.com in 2016 about the call, shortly after Pappas’ passing. “The pitches were ‘close.’ I said: ‘To me, this is my perception about umpiring. It’s a ball or a strike; it’s not “close.” I’ve got it a ball or a strike.’

“When that came up the next day — ‘You could have given it to him, it was close’ — I said, ‘I’m an umpire, not a fan. I called what I saw.'”

Froemming worked 10 more no-hitters during his career, and was behind home plate for three of them: Ed Halicki (1975), Nolan Ryan (1981) and José Jiménez (1999).

The Milwaukee native was involved in a bevy of melees during his career, including working as the second base umpire during Game 3 of the 1973 National League Championship series at Shea Stadium when Bud Harrelson and Pete Rose fought near the bag.

More than three decades later, Froemming was working the plate at Fenway Park on July 24, 2004, when Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek shoved his glove into Yankees’ third baseman Alex Rodriguez’s face, inciting a brawl.

Not shy about giving anyone the hook, Froemming also recorded 125 career ejections, good for the 13th most all-time. Perhaps none were as memorable as him ejecting Yankees manager Billy Martin in Game 4 of the 1976 World Series.

The Yankees skipper chucked a baseball toward home plate in the ninth inning with Froemming at first base during first of five Fall Classics he’d work in his career.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Froemming asked Martin, according to a 1985 Los Angeles Times story.

“None of your f–king business!” Martin reportedly shot back before his ejection.

During his final season in 2007, Froemming drew the ire of then-Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for not delaying Game 2 of the ALDS between the Yankees and Indians after midges swarmed inside Jacobs Field.

“The umpire was full of [expletive],” Steinbrenner said of Froemming, who served as the crew chief. “He won’t umpire our games anymore.”

MLB stood by Froemming, who said Steinbrenner was “entitled” to his opinion, as the Yankees dropped the series to Cleveland in four games.

“He loved the fact that baseball was like a fraternity,” his son Steven told The Athletic. “You argued like hell on the field, and after the game was over, you left it at the stadium, and it was a new day tomorrow.”

After his retirement, Froemming worked as a special assistant to MLB’s vice president on umpiring.

Froemming is survived by his wife, Rosemarie, whom he married in 1957; two sons, Steven and Kevin; sister Cathy Seizer; half-brother Johnny Froemming; and two grandchildren, Nicolas and Christopher.

With Post wires

On Tuesday, I asked which pitching prospect you thought would make a name for himself in 2026.

Tonight, let’s look to the position player side of the roster.

Which Rockies prospect do you see stepping up this season?

And if you need a refresher, the most-recent PuRPs rankings are here.

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

Observations from Yankees spring training on Thursday.

Having a blast

Jazz Chisholm Jr., Paul Goldschmidt and Spencer Jones all crushed home runs in a 7-3 win over the Braves — Chisholm’s first of the spring and the second each for Goldschmidt and Jones. 

Downer for Doval

Camilo Doval made his spring debut and gave up a home run to ex-Yankees minor leaguer Ben Gamel in an inning of work. But he rebounded by striking out a pair to strand a runner on third. 

Caught my eye 

Goldschmidt’s homer came off the bat at 102.4 mph, but his single in the bottom of the first inning (against former Yankee Carlos Carrasco) was smoked at 108 mph.

Results can be deceiving in spring, especially for veterans, but quality of contact is a better measuring stick and in that regard, Goldschmidt has consistently been hitting the ball hard during the first week of games. 

Friday’s schedule

Luis Gil makes his second start of the spring when the Yankees travel to face the Twins in Fort Myers, Fla.

Takeaways from the Mets’ training camp on Thursday:

Laser show

Ronny Mauricio, whose first major league hit was clocked at 117 mph in 2023, drilled a 111-mph single to center in the fourth inning as he tries to show enough offense, as well as defensive versatility, to stick around.

First things first

Mark Vientos is 0-for-10 on the spring after going hitless again Thursday, but he made a pair of solid plays at first base.

He’s expected to be at third base when he leaves to play for Team Nicaragua in the WBC.

Caught my eye

Houston right-hander Tatsuya Imai, who was one of the more high-profile signings of the offseason, got drilled with a comebacker from Marcus Semien to lead off the game. Imai stayed in the game and pitched a scoreless first inning before departing.

Friday’s schedule

Two of the Mets’ biggest acquisitions to their pitching staff will make their debuts in Jupiter, Fla., against the Cardinals, with Freddy Peralta starting and Devin Williams out of the bullpen. Game time is 1:05 p.m.

For the second straight day, the San Francisco Giants engaged in a Cactus League slugfest. And for the second straight day, the power they provided was surpassed by the power they allowed. This time, it wasn’t quite as close as on Wednesday, as the Giants fell to the Colorado Rockies 11-3.

The good was extremely encouraging, and the bad was extremely concerning. So let’s begin with the bad, and get it out of the way as quickly as we can.

Hayden Birdsong, who opened up the spring for the Giants a week ago and only retired one batter, made his second appearance of the preseason. In the most basic statistical sense, it went better this time around. But in reality? Honestly, it might have been worse.

Birdsong entered in the fifth inning, and the first batter he faced — non-roster invitee designated hitter Chad Stevens — took him deep. In Birdsong’s defense, it was the epitome of a Spring Training, humid desert home run: it left the bat at just 99.1 mph, it traveled a mere 365 feet, and, per Statcast, it had an expected batting average of only .170. Were this a Major League game, it probably would have been an out that we didn’t think too much about … unless the Rockies were hosting the game, that is.

He recovered against the next batter, blowing a 97.1-mph fastball past center fielder Jake McCarthy in a 2-2 count.

Then the hiccups started again. Catcher Brett Sullivan had a hard-hit double, and scored on an even harder-hit single by shortstop Cole Carrigg. Right fielder Jordan Beck singled, and then Birdsong’s defense both helped him out and hurt him. Luis Arráez committed an error on what should have been a fielder’s choice, allowing third baseman Kyle Karros — son of Eric — aboard, but then Patrick Bailey threw out Beck for the second out of the inning. Birdsong, slightly rattled, engaged in an eight-pitch battle with first baseman Charlie Condon, which resulted in a walk, before retiring second baseman Adael Amador to end the inning.

Allowing three runs in one inning is emphatically better than allowing five runs in a third of an inning, but the bad results felt mere emblematic of the performance this time around, with Birdsong throwing just 19 of 32 pitches for strikes, and having a few uncompetitive encounters. Critically, after Tony Vitello expressed optimism about Birdsong’s stuff following Saturday’s rough-up, things were quite different on Thursday. This time, the manager made no attempt to put any window dressing on a bad game.

The spring is still young, but unfortunately, the early returns suggest that Birdsong has not been able to fix what doomed his season a year ago. It appears this may not be the quick fix we were all looking for.

San Francisco’s other young, ultra-electric arm in this game was better than Birdsong, though certainly not great. Blade Tidwell got the start and set down the side in order in the first, albeit narrowly avoiding the only-in-Scottsdale home run that damaged Birdsong’s ERA. The second inning was a different story for Tidwell, who was sitting around 96 and, unlike most of the team’s starters this spring, did not lose velocity in his second frame.

He lost effectiveness, though. Tidwell opened the inning with a six-pitch walk in which all six pitches were outside of the zone. That run immediately scored when Karros scorched a triple at 108.1 mph, making it the fourth hardest-hit ball of the entire game. The next batter, Condon, one-upped Karros with the second-hardest hit ball of the game: a 111.2-mph RBI single.

While that wasn’t ideal, Tidwell’s composure most certainly was. Despite having given up a pair of runs, and despite there being a runner on base with no outs, and despite a flurry of hard contact, Tidwell settled in and set down the next three batters on just six pitches, without throwing a single ball.

I wasn’t at the game, and it wasn’t televised, so I can’t speak to how Tidwell or Birdsong looked. But Tidwell’s composure to bounce back in that inning, juxtaposed against Vitello’s comments about Birdsong’s body language, certainly paint a picture for us.

While those were the most notable pitchers to take the bump for the Giants, there were a trio of other arms who joined Birdsong in giving up long balls. Lefty Reiver Sanmartin pitched the fourth and gave up a solo shot to Condon, which left the bat at 102.8 mph. Non-roster invitee Wilkin Ramos handled the sixth, and it did not go well for him. He ceded a 105-mph, 410-foot dinger to Ryan Ritter on the first of 28 pitches that he needed to get through the inning. He gave up two walks, two singles, a double, and two more runs before mercifully getting through the frame.

Prospect and NRI Trent Harris also allowed a long ball, though his performance was fairly encouraging. The undrafted reliever mostly shelved his signature curveball — something to keep an eye on — and instead leaned heavily on his cutter and slider. In the seventh inning, it worked wonders: he struck out the first two batters he faced, and then induced an inning-ending groundball.

But he stayed on the mound for the eighth inning and, while he struck out the ultra-talented Zac Veen, he also gave up a single and a two-run home run. In Harris’ defense, that dinger — Colorado’s fourth and final one of the day — was also a vintage Cactus League bomb. It was hit at just 95.2 mph, and carried an expected batting average of only .190. In all, even though he allowed as many runs as innings pitched, it was an encouraging outing for Harris, though he was pitching at the point of the game where there aren’t many Major Leaguers to be found.

The Giants couldn’t match that thump, but they did have a pair of powerful swings of the bat, including the most impressive swing of the day. In the bottom of the first inning, Matt Chapman — who is once again having a delightful swing — absolutely caught hold of one and let it ride. On the first pitch he saw from fellow righty Valento Bellozo, Chapman hit the ball 108.4 mph (the third hardest-hit ball of the day), and a staggering 460 feet for an absolute no-doubter. A thing of beauty!

In the fifth, it was the man with a new look: left fielder Heliot Ramos. Sporting bleached hair to match his Puerto Rican teammates as he heads off for the WBC, Ramos looked in midseason form against veteran reliever Viktor Vodnik, a fellow righty. Ramos got ahead in the count 2-0, and then blasted a 99-mph challenge fastball 400 feet into the opposite-field desert air for his first home run of spring.

The Giants would score their third and final run of the game two batters later: after Patrick Bailey singled and was replaced by pinch-runner Grant McCray, Harrison Bader continued his excellent spring with an RBI double.

A few more notes from the game:

• Bailey, after going a perfect 3-for-3 on challenges in his last game, lost a challenge in the first inning of this one. I’m guessing that’s not something we’ll see in the regular season.
• Ramos, as we’ve grown accustomed to, hit the absolute snot out of the ball. His home run was the seventh-hardest hit ball of the game, while his other at-bat was a single on the fifth hardest-hit ball of the day. Chapman, similarly, had the third-hardest hit ball on his homer, and the sixth hardest-hit ball on a groundout.
• NRI Parks Harber has been opening eyes ever since the Giants acquired him in the Camilo Doval trade, and there’s one primary reason: he hits the stitches off the ball. That was on display Thursday, when Harber only had one at-bat, but used it to record the hardest-hit baseball all game, a 111.8-mph single.
• If you were listening to the audio of the game, the highlight came during Harris’ strong seventh inning. The broadcasters were sitting near Harris’ family, and you could hear them screaming and cheering very loudly with every strike thrown and every out recorded. It was a great moment.
• Right-hander Spencer Bivens worked around a pair of singles to record a scoreless third inning.
• Lefty NRI Juan Sánchez made his second appearance of the spring, and it went very well. He handled a scoreless ninth inning and struck out two batters, while giving up a single. He peaked at 95.3 mph in his first spring since 2024, after missing all of last year recovering from Tommy John surgery.
• The Giants host the Dodgers tomorrow at 12:05 p.m PT and hey, what do you know, there will actually be video for that game! It’s Robbie Ray vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Tyler Mahle is expected to make his Giants debut on Saturday.

TAMPA — Next stop for Elmer Rodríguez: Puerto Rico, for a chance to pitch in front of his family.

The Yankees pitching prospect made his second and final start Thursday before leaving for the World Baseball Classic this weekend, continuing to flash his pitchability across three innings in a 7-3 win over the Braves.

“I feel like I’m building the momentum to [the WBC],” said Rodríguez, who scattered two hits and one walk for two runs while striking out four. “The past couple games felt great. So trying to keep going and see where I’m at in another week and a half.”

Rodríguez believes he is in line to pitch Puerto Rico’s third game of pool play against Cuba on March 9 at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan.

It will be a special setting for the 22-year-old, who has not pitched on his home soil since being drafted by the Red Sox in 2021 (and then flipped to the Yankees last winter for catcher Carlos Narváez).

“I’ve always wanted to pitch in front of my family,” Rodríguez said. “So getting the chance to pitch there, all the fans from Puerto Rico follow me and support me, so I’m just trying to go out there and put on a show for them.”

Giancarlo Stanton remains on track to make his spring debut either Sunday or Tuesday, as the Yankees slow-play him into games to keep him as healthy as possible.

The veteran DH, who has said all along he will have to manage the pain in his elbows due to tendinitis, has been getting his work in mostly behind the scenes during the first week of games, but was out in right field Thursday morning getting some reads on balls during batting practice.

“No change,” Boone said. “He’s been doing well. He’s ready to roll.”

Ryan McMahon once again went the other way for a two-run double off Carlos Carrasco in the first inning against the Braves, flashing more opposite-field ability with his shortened stance.

“He’s capable of that,’ Boone said. “And he’s got big power that way too. So he can drive the ball the other way with authority.”

Joe Torre arrived at camp Thursday, spending time around the batting cage before the game and then sitting with Boone during the game.

“I love having him around,” Boone said. “I just like being around him. Guys love seeing him. So as long as he keeps wanting to do it, I’m going to keep on inviting him.”

Randal Grichuk, who agreed to a minor league deal with the Yankees on Wednesday night, had not yet arrived to camp as of Thursday.

But the veteran outfielder will receive $2.5 million if he makes the Yankees, The Post’s Joel Sherman reported.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Jorge Polanco has some time to work on the finer points of playing first base — but not too much time, with Opening Day less than a month away.

The veteran infielder took another step in that direction Thursday, playing in a simulated game at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie as he looks to get more comfortable as part of the Mets’ shortstop-filled infield.

“It was a little different at the beginning,’’ Polanco said.

That’s to be expected, as the Mets are rolling the dice on Polanco moving to the corner spot — likely backed up by Mark Vientos and Brett Baty, who are also inexperienced at the position.

Vientos played first base in a 5-0 win over Houston at Ballpark of the Palm Beaches and made a pair of nice plays. Baty, still working his way back from hamstring tightness, also took part in the simulated game and is expected to get time at first base in a Grapefruit League game soon.

Polanco, who Carlos Mendoza said would be used as a DH, said he spoke with Carlos Santana to get some first-base pointers.

Polanco said Santana advised him about the mental challenges of his new position and his responsibilities from pitch to pitch, which are considerably different than they are in the middle of the infield.

Perhaps the most challenging plays, according to Polanco, will be those that involve decision-making, like when to go for a ball hit to his right or let the second baseman get it.

“You’ve just got to go do it,’’ Polanco said before channeling Ron Washington: “Everyone says first base is easy, but it’s harder than you expect,’’ Polanco said. “But this is the perfect time to get ready.”

Tyrone Taylor, somewhat of an afterthought in the early part of spring with Luis Robert Jr. set to take over in center field and Carson Benge grabbing most of the attention in right, slammed a three-run homer after getting the start in center. … Luis Torrens had a pair of hits.

With Francisco Lindor still out with a fractured hamate bone in his left hand, Ronny Mauricio got the start at shortstop Thursday, and Marcus Semien said he was impressed with Mauricio’s communication in the middle of the infield.