DENVER, COLORADO - SEPTEMBER 21: Starting pitcher Kyle Freeland #21of the Colorado Rockies throws against the Los Angeles Angels in the second inning at Coors Field on September 21, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yesterday, facing off against Nick Pivetta and what may well have been a preview of the Padres Opening Day lineup, the Rockies managed a convincing 9-3 victory. Combining 14 hits across ten different batters, the offensive outburst was a team effort. Similarly, on the pitching side, six different pitchers combined to only allow four hits and two walks while striking out seven.
Today, the Rockies take on the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium in a duel between both teams Opening Day starters.
For the Royals, that means Cole Ragans will be on the mound. After a fourth place finish in the AL Cy Young race in 2024, shoulder problems limited Ragans to 61.2 innings last year.
So far this spring Ragans has struggled to keep runs off the board and enters todays contest with an 8.44 ERA. That can largely be attributed to his second start of the spring in which he allowed six runs in fewer than two innings.
Opposing him will be Kyle Freeland in his final tune up before his franchise record fifth Opening Day start. Between his two other spring training starts and his exhibition game against team USA, Freeland has looked sharp (two runs/seven strikeouts) in limited innings (six).
He has yet to exceed a pitch count of 43 this spring, so how high he’s able to push that number in this final outing will inform how long Warren Schaeffer will be able to use him on Opening Day.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 04, 2023: Gabriel Arias #13 of the Cleveland Guardians looks on during the eighth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field on August 4, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by George Kubas/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Guardians fans will see Gabriel Arias as the team’s starting shortstop to begin 2026. How long will he stay there?
Readers of this blog may recall that I have been staunchly of the opinion that the Guardians should start Brayan Rocchio at short and let Travis Bazzana or Juan Brito try their hand at second base to begin 2026, allowing Arias and Daniel Schneemann to compete for the utility role. In over 1,000 major league plate appearances, Arias has a 76 wRC+. His defense at short – especially his bazooka of an arm – has been good. But Arias is 342nd in wRC+ out of 360 MLB hitters with 1,000 plate appearances or more since 2021. That is simply not good enough to hold a place in a major league lineup.
However, Arias is about to get one more shot at proving a Guardians’ front office that apparently loves him like I love Matt Festa a chance to show their unreasonable faith is justified. Partially this is because Juan Brito did not do anything to win the second base job this Spring, and partially it is because Bazzana has not quite been busting down the door to make his ML debut. But, I genuinely think the Guardians still have a sliver of hope for Arias to become a valuable major league. Let’s look at what reasons for hope they may have:
–Arias is only 26 years old.
This is, reasonably, the last year an Arias defender can point to his youth. 27 is generally acknowledged as the peak age for the average major league player and by 1,200 plate appearances, the conclusions to be drawn about the average major league hitter are pretty sticky. There are always exceptions and late breakouts. But, within the general bounds of logic, the team shouldn’t have any doubts about what kind of player Arias is by the end of May, if he is given regular plate appearances and doesn’t show marked improvement. Arias will be handed the full-time shortstop job and all the runway needed to keep it. So, he will have no excuse of having to fight for playing time.
–Arias has shown an improved ability to avoid chasing.
It is hard to know what to make of Spring Training stats, but Arias has always had three primary flaws as a hitter: 1. He chases bad pitches, 2. He hits too many groundballs, and 3. He whiffs too much in the zone. Numbers 2 and 3 on this list have remained true in Spring Training so far, but Arias has cut his chase rate 15% from his career average and his overall whiff rate by 3%, while hitting the ball as hard as he ever has (his only skill as a hitter). Can he sustain this? Very probably not. But if he can make a significant cut in chase and a minor cut in whiff, he would give himself a chance at a 90 wRC+, which would make him a roughly 3-win player with his fielding skills at short.
–Arias was an incredibly clutch hitter last season.
It is useless to read much into one season’s worth of situational data. With that said, Arias had a 182 wRC+ in high leverage situations last season. For a player whose attention has often seemed to wander, he showed the ability to lock in at crucial moments last year. It’s not repeatable but it can give players a sense of confidence and calm at the plate that can carry over. Arias has tried to move his hand position and stand closer to the plate this spring. Perhaps the adjustments and confidence can provide some intangibles to give him slight improvements to inch his offensive output up.
–Arias’s glove at short has the potential to be GOLD.
When Arias is focused, he is a great defender at short. When he isn’t focused, his arm is still strong enough to cover over a multitude of sins. Arias and Rocchio provided great defense for the Guardians down the stretch in 2025 and they will get a chance to do the same to begin 2026. Perhaps that familiarity and trust will enable Arias to grow into the potential we have all seen in him since day one.
I believe by June, we will see Brayan Rocchio at short and Travis Bazzana at second base. But, I’ll be rooting for Arias to prove me wrong and make the team look like geniuses for sticking with him this long. Either way, we are about to find out the answer to “how do you solve a problem like Gabriel?” very soon.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: Alex Freeland #76 talks with Hyeseong Kim #6 of the Los Angeles Dodgers between innings of a spring training game against the Seattle Mariners at Camelback Ranch on February 23, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Getaway day for the Dodgers on Saturday morning in Arizona. Emmet Sheehan is on the mound, Will Klein is also scheduled to pitch, and the starting lineup has four players who will be on the opening day roster.
The Royals are making noise on the global stage — and baseball itself may be on the verge of change.
In this episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast, Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco break down a dramatic World Baseball Classic run, highlighted by Venezuela’s upset over Team USA and standout performances from Kansas City Royals players. The hosts dive into Salvador Perez’s leadership and clutch moments, as well as Maikel Garcia’s breakout tournament, cementing his status as a rising star after an MVP-caliber showing.
Back in Arizona, the focus shifts to the future of the organization as Royals prospects shine in Spring Breakout action, including standout performances from recent draft picks and emerging arms pushing their way into the conversation. The episode provides a detailed look at Kansas City’s developing pipeline and what it could mean for the team’s long-term competitiveness.
Beyond player performance, Jacob and Jeremy explore the future of baseball itself, breaking down experimental rule changes in the minors — including second base positioning adjustments, pitch clock tweaks, and potential challenge systems for check swings and pitch communication issues. The discussion examines what changes could realistically make their way to MLB and how they might impact the game’s pace, fairness, and fan experience.
From international dominance to organizational depth and the evolution of the sport, this episode delivers a complete snapshot of where the Royals — and baseball — are headed.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 10: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros at bat during a spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 10, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here’s our mini primer on the A.L. West with longtime National MLB writer, Kyle Glaser.
We start of course with the Astros, who are looking to reclaim the division.
Has the Astros window for titles closed?
Has the window closed for Houston?
I wouldn’t say the Astros are completely out of the running, but there is no question they’ve lost a lot of talent in recent years and are no longer the dominant team they once were. Their success this year will depend heavily on if Yordan Alvarez can stay healthy and if Tatsuya Imai and Mike Burrows fortify the rotation as hoped. If that happens, they’ll be fine. If not, it could be a long season.
It’s still such an enjoyment to watch the daily enthusiasm that Jose Altuve approaches the game with. Do you think if he continues to be productive, we’ll see him as a first ballot member at Cooperstown?
First ballot will be tough unless Altuve reaches 3,000 hits, and even then I expect some voters won’t vote for him because of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. That said, with a strong finish to his career, I think it’s very likely he will be elected to the Hall of Fame, even if it isn’t on the first ballot.
If the Astros get off to a slow start, could Joe Espada be on the hot seat?
Espada will be on the hot seat this season even though he doesn’t deserve to be. Let’s not forget he’s led two flawed, injury-riddled teams to 88 and 87 wins, respectively, in his first two seasons as a manager. But Astros owner Jim Crane is notoriously demanding, and it would not shock me if he fires Espada if things don’t go according to plan this season. It would be a mistake for him to do so, but there’s no question it’s a very real possibility.
Is the most exciting player in the division Julio Rodriguez? Is he the one guy you’d personally pay to see?
Julio Rodriguez is the most exciting player in the division and one of the 5-10 most exciting players in all of baseball. Cal Raleigh is coming off a historic season, Nick Kurtz is an unbelievable offensive talent and let’s not forget Mike Trout is still around, but no one else can impact a game offensively, defensively and on the basepaths like Rodriguez. I expect him to come out extra motivated after how close the Mariners came to reaching their first World Series last year and deliver an MVP-caliber season.
Doesn’t it “feel” like it’s been much longer than Fall of 2023 since the Rangers won the World Series?
There’s no question the Rangers’ last two seasons have been a disappointment and they’re in a very different place as an organization. They really need their young players like Wyatt Langford, Josh Jung, Evan Carter, Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker to deliver strong, consistent, healthy seasons. Otherwise, it’s hard to see things meaningfully changing for them this year, even with the additions of MacKenzie Gore and Brandon Nimmo.
Does A.L. West place multiple teams into the post season or just the division winner?
I think it will be close, just as it was last season when the Astros missed out on a wild card spot because of a tiebreaker. I expect the Mariners to run away with the division and assert themselves as arguably the best team in the American League. I can see the Astros contending for the final AL wild card spot, and don’t rule out the Athletics if you’re looking for a sleeper team. Their offense will be one of the best and most exciting to watch in baseball, and even with a lot of question marks on their pitching staff, they’re going to win some slugfests.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 19: Joe Espada #19 of the Houston Astros smiles during spring training workouts at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 19, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Astros manager Joe Espada made the declaration before today’s spring training game vs. the Mets.
Today, Houston Astros manager Joe Espada declared the team would open the season with a 5-man rotation, a reversal from earlier statements about using a 6-man rotation this season.
Astros manager Joe Espada said the club will open the season with a five-man rotation.
While the Astros can still employ a 6-man rotation at various points this season, it does perhaps signal a lean towards more traditional relievers on the team to start the season, before swapping arms and moving to a 6-man rotation later on.
The Astros signed Tatsuya Imai from Japan this offseason, and he is used to only pitching once per week on the NPB schedule. It is one of the biggest reasons the Astros will likely use a 6-man rotation this season, to keep things as close to “normal” for Imai in his first season in MLB.
Most likely projection for the Astros initial 5-man rotation would be Hunter Brown, Mike Burrows, Tatsuya Imai, Cristian Javier and Lance McCullers Jr.
It will be worth watching to see if pitchers like Spencer Arrighetti, A.J. Blubaugh, and Ryan Weiss pitch out of the pen to start the season, or go to Triple-A Sugar Land to stay stretched out. All three would be unlikely to be in the bullpen at the same time, as at least one of them would be the proposed sixth starter, and would need to be stretched out to go 5 or more innings.
The Mets continue the winnowing of their major league camp, optioning catcher Hayden Senger to Triple-A Syracuse. The Mets currently have 38 players in big league camp.
Senger, who made headlines last winter for his tale of working at Whole Foods in the offseason, appeared in 33 games for the Mets in 2025, filling in for Francisco Alvarez when he was both injured and in Triple-A, working on his swing. He batted .181/.221/.194 with four home runs in 78 plate appearances.
This roster move is good news for Mets fans, as it means that the club is not worried about Francisco Alvarez, who was pulled from Thursday night’s game with back tightness. Alvarez is in the lineup today for the Mets’ home game against the Astros at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie.
This spring, the Mets had a number of catchers in camp alongside Senger, Alvarez, and Luis Torrens, including veterans Austin Barnes and Ben Rortvedt, as well as prospects Kevin Parada, Jose Aular, and Chris Suero.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 19: Codi Heuer #54 of the Texas Rangers poses for a portrait during photo day at Surprise Stadium on February 19, 2025 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.
Today we are looking at pitcher Codi Heuer.
Codi Heuer made one appearance for the Texas Rangers in 2025. The Rangers purchased his contract on June 1, when they needed a fresh arm in the pen when Nathan Eovaldi went to the i.l., and designated Tucker Barnhart for assignment to make room for him on the 40 man roster. He recorded the final four outs in a game in Tampa on June 3, striking out one and allowing a homer, and was optioned to AAA the next day. On July 31, needing to clear a 40 man roster spot, the Rangers traded Heuer to Detroit for cash.
Not much there at first glance. Nonetheless, Heuer’s appearance with the Rangers is notable, as a study in perseverence.
Codi Heuer was originally a sixth round pick of the Chicago White Sox in 2018 out of Wichita State (go Shockers!). Never a highly regarded prospect, he nonetheless ended up being part of the ChiSox bullpen in 2020, putting up a 1.52 ERA in 21 games and pitching in two of Chicago’s Wild Card Series games against Oakland.
In 2021, he wasn’t as successful, putting up a 5.12 ERA in 40 games for the White Sox before being traded, along with Nick Madrigal, to the Chicago Cubs for Craig Kimbrel. Heuer put up a 3.14 ERA in 25 games for the Cubs post-trade, picking up a save against the Pirates in his final appearance in 2021.
Little could Heuer have guessed it would be the last major league game he would appear in for over three years.
In spring training of 2022, Heuer was diagnosed with a damaged UCL and underwent Tommy John surgery. After missing all of 2022, he started a rehab assignment in early May, 2023.
Heuer made 15 appearances for the Iowa Cubs, and seemed to be close to being activated from the injured list when he went out for rehab appearance #15. In that game, though, he faced two batters before being pulled. It turned out he had re-injured his elbow — this time, suffering a fracture. 14 months of rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, followed by six weeks of game appearances at AAA, and just when it seemed like he was going to be back in the majors, he ended up instead back where he started — needing to rehab for another year-plus from an elbow injury.
Heuer became a free agent in November, 2023, and signed a two year minor league contract with the Rangers in April, 2024. He spent the season rehabbing, the second time in three years where he didn’t throw a competitive pitch.
Spring training, 2025, Heuer was a non-roster invitee to the major league camp. He was assigned to Round Rock to start the year and did solid work out of the pen before being summoned back to the major leagues.
That outing on June 3, in Tampa, was a pretty big deal. Heuer had to have wondered, time and again, if he’d ever make it back to the big leagues. He had to have thought, particularly after the second injury, if another grueling year of rehab was worth it. He wasn’t a star, someone who would be sure of making big money upon his return. No, he was a fringe player, someone whose reward, if he was able to make it back, was likely to be the life of a AAA veteran, toiling away and hoping for an opportunity to reclaim a role as a major leaguer.
But he persevered. He stuck with it. And he made it back to the top of the mountain. He deserves a tip of the cap for that.
Heuer made a pair of major league appearances for Detroit after the trade, but spent most of his time at Toledo, the Tigers’ AAA affiliate. He was released in September, and was signed to a minor league deal by the Cleveland Guardians. He most likely will be with Columbus, the Guardians’ AAA affiliate, to start the year.
I’ll be rooting for him to be called up at some point in the 2026 season.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 12: Houston Astros pitcher Mike Burrows (50) throws the ball from the mound during a MLB spring training game against the Washington Nationals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 12, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Houston Astros (10-13-3) travel to Port St. Lucie to face the New York Mets (12-10-2) in Grapefruit League play.
RHP Mike Burrows (1-0) will make his fifth start of the Spring as he takes on Mets RHP Jonah Tong (0-1).
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: New addition RHP Mike Burrows has had an impressive Spring for the Astros. In his four starts, he is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA while allowing just six hits in 12.2 innings of work with 15 K’s.
The Astros acquired Burrows this offseason from PIT as part of a three-team, six-player trade. In that deal, the Astros traded OF Jacob Melton and minor leaguer RHP Anderson Brito to the Rays, while the Rays traded IF Brandon Lowe, OF Jake Mangum and LHP Mason Montgomery to the Pirates.
Burrows pitched most of the 2025 season with the Pirates, making 23 appearances (19 starts) and going 2-4 with a 3.94 ERA (42ER/96IP), striking out 97 hitters in 96.0 IP.
Mar 15, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers left fielder Riley Greene (31) singles during the third inning against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 10: Levi Wells #93 of the Baltimore Orioles throws a pitch against the Houston Astros during the second inningof a spring training game at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 10, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With this afternoon’s game, the Orioles spring training season in Florida will be over. There are two more exhibition games to be played in Baltimore and in Washington, but those are not part of the Grapefruit League. The O’s bring a 10-13-3 record into this one, with two games that were canceled due to rain. Good thing spring training record doesn’t matter for anything, right? Right.
It does not seem that the Orioles are all that concerned in getting a final tune-up start for one of their regular season starting pitchers with this game. The team announced yesterday that the starter for this game will be prospect Levi Wells. Okay then. Good luck to him.
One thing I’m interested in today is whether the Orioles say anything more about Dylan Beavers’s knee discomfort. The outfield prospect was scratched from the starting lineup in yesterday’s game due to something in his right knee. If that’s more than a day-to-day situation, he might be starting the season on the injured list, which would certainly shake up all of the roster projections.
That may have been announced in the time between when I got this article scheduled and when it goes live. I thought I’d be able to get the relevant pre-game information into here before I had to leave the house and that has turned out not to be the case. Apologies also that there’s no starting lineup in here. I believe in your ability to find out that information elsewhere. If there’s bad news about Beavers, panic as appropriate in the comments. Or if there’s good news, celebrate as appropriate! Or if there’s no news, be uncertainly anxious as appropriate.
This game will be airing on MASN in the broadcast area, as well as on the flagship radio stations of 98 Rock/WBAL 1090 in their broadcast radius.
Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II (11) during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images
The St. Louis Cardinals continue the run toward the end of Spring Training with a game versus the Miami Marlins today starting at 12:05pm for the final game this year at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. According to MLB.com, the Miami Marlins will have Janson Junk start the game. It’s Mason Molina taking the mound for the Cardinals.
MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 8: Jacob Lopez #57 of the Athletics throws a pitch during a Spring Training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at HoHoKam Stadium on March 8, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Quick turn around for our boys as they go from ending last night’s game around 9 P.M. to first pitch today at 11:05 A.M. Ready for another exhibition contest for your Saturday morning?
The A’s will go with left-hander Jacob Lopez today. He’s been brought along slowly this spring because of that elbow but it seems he’s made it through camp without any setbacks and he seems ready for the season ahead. Based off the scheduling, are the A’s planning on having him start the second game of the season behind Severino?
Here’s the Athletics lineup for today’s contest against the Dodgers:
After playing most of the starters last night Kotsay is giving them all a breather and letting them sleep in this morning. Instead today’s starting nine will feature mostly backups and prospects, though we do have center fielder Denzel Clarke getting the leadoff spot this morning. Gotta get at bats if he wants to improve with the stick, right?
The bottom third of the lineup is interesting as we’ll see Leo De Vries, Henry Bolte, and Tommy White all bring up the rear. Those are some of the biggest names in the pipeline right now and it wouldn’t be a shock to see them in the Athletics lineup at some point in the future together. Perhaps as early as this year?
The Dodgers meanwhile have Emmitt Sheehan getting the ball for the start this morning. The righty is all but guaranteed a rotation spot, but his talent has never been the question. It’s been his health. So far during camp he’s made just two appearances but that’s probably more than enough for the vaunted Dodgers, who can afford to slow-play their best pitchers early in the season.
Like the A’s, no regulars in the lineup today. At this point it feels like both squads are just going through the motions and ready for Opening Day. Aren’t we all?
Let’s just get through today unscathed. Eyes on Lopez in that regard but everyone stay healthy please? We don’t need any last-minute injuries this year. Go A’s!
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - MARCH 5: Nathaniel Lowe #31 of the Cincinnati Reds at bat during a Spring Training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Goodyear Ballpark on March 5, 2026 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As is always the case during the six-plus weeks between the day pitchers and catchers report and the actual Opening Day of the regular season, injuries have begun to dictate the precise direction the roster of the Cincinnati Reds will go.
Hunter Greene, resident ace, will be out until about the All Star break after having bone chips removed from his right elbow. New lefty reliever Caleb Ferguson will be out for a few weeks as he works his way back from an oblique issue. Considering there’s no one-for-one way to replace an ace or the team’s go-to lefty reliever, the Reds will likely end up with something of a ripple effect down roster, and that plays into these latest projections.
Beyond that, there’s the looming administrative decisions. Some players on the fringe of the roster still have options remaining, while others do not – building an Opening Day roster capable of winning games early is important, no doubt, but so is making sure you’ve got the most possible depth for seven months of baseball is, too. So, we’re going to see some decisions that walk that tightrope made this week, too.
With Opening Day now less than a week away and Cactus League play wrapping this weekend, here’s our last, final stab at what the team’s Opening Day roster will look like.
Starting Rotation
LHP Andrew Abbott
LHP Nick Lodolo
RHP Brady Singer
RHP Chase Burns
RHP Rhett Lowder
LHP Brandon Williamson
Notes: This is a known, that the Reds will have six guys for five spots but not a ‘six-man rotation.’ How that actually shakes out, though, remains to be seen.
Burns, Lowder, and Williamson may each have a would-be start skipped, one or two may piggyback with another, and off-days baked into the early season schedule will define this while Greene is out, too. What we do know is that manager Terry Francona has said plainly that this won’t be the mix for the long term, but this is an early way to limit innings on that trio while also making sure there’s a big-league capable starter for each and every game, too.
What we don’t know, though, is exactly how much we can expect from them as relief options, and that impacts how we build out the team’s bullpen below significantly.
Bullpen
RHP Emilio Pagán
RHP Tony Santillan
RHP Graham Ashcraft
LHP Brock Burke
RHP Pierce Johnson
RHP Connor Phillips
LHP Sam Moll
Notes: Moll is locked in a battle for a spot here with Zach Maxwell with the rest listed here already having made the roster (and the likes of Luis Mey and Kyle Nicolas having been told they won’t make the club for Opening Day). Moll, though, is out of options, and his presence as a lefty with Ferguson out is a double-whammy for why he’ll make the club.
There’s no way the Reds will risk losing him altogether on waivers before the season even begins given the other injuries on the roster right now. That’s a bummer for Big Sugar, but he’ll marinate with AAA Louisville and firmly be in the mix at the big league level at some point down the road.
Position Players
C Tyler Stephenson
C Jose Trevino
1B Nathaniel Lowe
DH/IF Eugenio Suárez
IF Sal Stewart
IF Matt McLain
IF Elly De La Cruz
3B Ke’Bryan Hayes
IF/OF Spencer Steer
OF TJ Friedl
OF Noelvi Marte
OF Will Benson
OF Dane Myers
Notes: Not a ton of movement here aside from Benson having been told he’d made the club, and that bumps JJ Bleday – who has options – off the Opening Day roster and back to AAA Louisville. That may be a tough pill to swallow for him, but he struggled last year, spent time in AAA last year, and still needs to show he’s made fundamental changes, and that’s a scenario very similar to where Benson (and Noelvi Marte) were this time last year when both were sent to AAA to begin the year and work their way back.
It’s a bummer for Rece Hinds, too, as he’s shown out well all spring after a solid 2025 with AAA Louisville, but he, too has options.
It’s that maximized flexibility that makes me think the Reds will do what it takes to keep Nate Lowe within the franchise, and since he’s a non-roster guy that means adding him to the 40-man and carrying him on Opening Day. They can’t simply option him to AAA, as he’s got an opt-out clause with his veteran status. While he’s not a perfect roster fit, he’s a proven guy who’s got a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove under his belt, and he even hit well last year down the stretch with Boston last season. You don’t just let that walk when you’ve got it around as a bench option, especially when your likely 1B to start the season (Sal Stewart) is a rookie who’s barely played there and there’s a dearth of legitimate left-handed hitting on the roster (or in the franchise altogether).
Mar 11, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
We’re just days away from the season starting for real, and that can make the remaining Grapefruit League showdowns feel kind of underwhelming. For today at least, the big hook is the starting pitching matchup, with one of the game’s most reliable workhorses facing one of its bright up-and-comers, as the Yankees travel down to Lakeland to play the Tigers.
Framber Valdez has never been the best pitcher in baseball, but for the last five years or so has comfortably been very damn good. He’s put up a 4+ fWAR season in three of the last four campaigns, and was the second-biggest pitching target of this winter’s FA class. While he certainly slots behind Tarik Skubal in the Tigers’ rotation, he’s a terrific No. 2, with a bowling-ball sinker that makes it very difficult to go yard, and regularly touching 190+ innings pitched — not notable for 1996, sure, but in today’s game is pretty close to workhorse status.
Cam Schlittler meanwhile is just getting started. The right-hander had a Cinderella 2025, and comes into this season needing to find a way to augment his terrific fastball options with some kind of breaking or offspeed pitch. He’s been great in spring action so far, striking out a hilarious 43.5 percent of hitters faced, albeit in just six innings. Look at his secondary offerings today as a good sign of what the club expects from him once the games actually count.
Offensively, this is certainly an away spring game type of lineup. The Yankees will feature some regulars but nobody that will likely be a day-to-day starter save for catcher Austin Wells, and of course José Caballero who is likely to be the Opening Day shortstop. Paul Goldschmidt leads off, with recently-named fourth outfielder Randal Grichuk and likely Triple-A depth Paul DeJong also scheduled to play.
How to watch
Location: Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium — Lakeland, FL
First pitch: 1:05 pm ET
TV broadcast: Gotham Sports App | Detroit Sports App
