Category: MLB

The Athletics fell short for the first time this week, suffering a 3-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Following three straight days in which the A’s scored more than five runs, Diamondbacks pitchers shut the A’s offense down today, limiting a lineup full of starters to only one run.

A’s starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs pitched much better this afternoon in his second spring tuneup appearance. He did not allow a run over two and one-third innings. However, he gave up three hits and one walk. Springs made things difficult for himself as two back-to-back jams raised his pitch count, likely the reason why he was removed from the game midway through rather than after the third inning.

Reliever Tyler Ferguson replaced Springs and induced a double play grounder to end that inning. He pitched the next inning as well, although that did not go as well because Diamondbacks infielder Jacob Amaya hit a two-run home run to right field. Amaya drove in all three of Arizona’s runs, his third RBI a sacrifice fly off A’s reliever Justin Sterner in the sixth inning. Sterner and Ferguson have not had the best starts to spring. On the other hand, left-handed relievers Hogan Harris and Matt Krook have been flawless so far, with a spot in the bullpen potentially available for Krook should he continue having success this spring.

Meanwhile, it seemed from the game’s beginning that it was not going to be a good day for the A’s offense. Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Pfaadt, making his first spring start, got through the first inning on just four pitches. The A’s did not threaten until the third inning when they got two runners on base to knock Pfaadt out of the game. Unfortunately, A’s first baseman Nick Kurtz grounded into a double play against the Diamondbacks reliever to end that scoring threat.

The A’s lone run came the next inning, courtesy of Jacob Wilson’s sacrifice fly, which was set up by back-to-back singles from Tyler Soderstrom and Brent Rooker.

Later in the game, the A’s had a couple of chances to put more runs on the scoreboard. They wasted Kurtz’s leadoff double in the sixth inning and then Colby Thomas grounded out with two of his teammates on base to end the eighth inning.

The A’s will look to bounce back tomorrow at the Los Angeles Angels. Right-hander Luis Morales will make his third appearance and second start. The Angels will counter with their latest reclamation project, right-hander Alek Manoah, who is off to a strong start this spring. A’s fans will also get their second look at last year’s first-round pick, left-hander Jamie Arnold. If they all pan out and stay healthy, Morales, Arnold and fellow pitching prospect Gage Jump could be the top-of-the-rotation arms that can get the A’s back to consistent playoff contention.

Notes

• Third baseman Max Muncy made his second throwing error this spring. His defensive consistency remains a question as he competes for the starting job.
• Leo De Vries got another hit today and is now batting .375 in the Cactus League! Impressive for a 19-year-old.
• Colby Thomas continued his slow, injury-hampered start to the spring. There are still multiple weeks until the regular season starts, but at this point he seems likely to start the season in Triple-A unless he starts playing and contributing more.

PHOENIX –– It’s not often that Dodger fans are outnumbered in the stands at spring training games.

Then again, it’s not every day they get a break from the normal monotony of the Cactus League schedule to face a national team in a World Baseball Classic tune-up game.

That was the case Wednesday, as Team Mexico visited Camelback Ranch for an exhibition ahead of the upcoming WBC.

Thus, the normal waves of blue and white in the crowd were replaced by streaks of red and green, with a lively, split crowd in attendance for the Dodgers’ 7-5 win.

“It’s like an All-Star team, you know, but now you’re playing for not a league –– you’re playing for your country,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game, which featured the playing of both the U.S. and Mexican national anthems and a ceremonial first pitch from Fernando Valenzuela Jr.

“There’s a lot more patriotism, certainly. And it means a lot, to see Team Mexico. And then once this Classic starts, I’m a fan. I just like watching these guys jell.”

Here are four takeaways from Wednesday’s game.

Pages power

Andy Pages was already having a good spring, entering with a .333 average in Cactus League play. But on Wednesday, he went to another level, hitting a 430-foot home run in the first inning and a down-the-line double in the third. In the fourth, Pages nearly hit another homer, too, pulling a deep drive just foul before striking out in a 10-pitch at-bat.

Sheehan debuts

After falling behind schedule early this spring while dealing with an illness, Emmet Sheehan made his spring debut Wednesday, pitching two innings out of the bullpen as he continues to ramp up. Despite the right-hander’s late start to Cactus League play, Roberts said there should still be time for Sheehan to be built up enough to be in the Dodgers’ rotation come opening day.

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Caught my eye:

On Monday, Dalton Rushing quipped that his goal this year is to hit 200 singles –– a reflection of his focus on being a harder out instead of chasing power. That mindset might be working. In his two games since, he has no singles, but has hit a home run, a triple and a double, with the latter two knocks coming in Wednesday’s game.

Up next

It’s back to Cactus League action for the Dodgers on Thursday, as they travel to Goodyear Ballpark to face the Reds. Cole Irvin, a non-roster invitee trying to earn a roster spot, will start on the mound.

Box Score

Despite a vintage performance from Christian Yelich, who reached base three times in his spring debut, Milwaukee fell to the Chicago Cubs 4-1. Chicago jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and never looked back.

In the top of the first, Brandon Sproat made short work of the Cubs, retiring the top of the order on just 11 pitches. Sal Frelick and Andrew Vaughn both made outs to start the bottom of the frame, but Christian Yelich reached on a walk and Gary Sánchez singled. Akil Baddoo, the next batter up, grounded into a force out at second to end the mini rally.

Chicago promptly broke the tie in the top of the second. With one out in the frame, James Triantos hit a line drive single into right field, scoring Chas McCormick from second to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead. David Hamilton led off the bottom of the second inning with a bunt single. He then stole second to give the Brewers a runner in scoring position with nobody out. That brought up three of the Brewers top prospects — Luis Lara, Cooper Pratt, and Jesús Made — but all came up empty, leaving Milwaukee scoreless.

The Cubs tacked on another run in the top of the third on a walk, a single, and a RBI groundout from Moises Ballesteros. While Sproat allowed two earned runs in his three innings of work, he racked up four strikeouts and his stuff looked great — as seen below:

Brandon Sproat de-bats Kevin Alcantara with a changeup

Has been a pretty clear focus on the sinker/cutter combo today for Sproat, but also more changeups than usual for him.

The epitome of a spring training start really.

Anyway, the stuff is quite good. pic.twitter.com/8InkY2mN0J

— Spencer Michaelis (@smichaelis234) March 4, 2026

The Brewers finally got on the board courtesy of a Christian Yelich solo shot that came off the bat at 106.8 mph. Notably, if you watch the video, you’ll notice that Yelich is using a bigger leg kick, which he had stopped using in early 2024 in favor of more of a toe-tap. This could be indicative of a long-term change in his approach, or it could just be him experimenting during spring training. The leg kick was clearly working for him today, so we’ll likely see it in more games this spring.

CHRISTIAN YELICH DINGERS

WE’RE BACK pic.twitter.com/1iHym5PXxc

— Tapping The Keg Sports (@TappingTheKeg) March 4, 2026

Unfortunately, Yelich’s home run would be the last time the Brewers would score, while Chicago tacked on a couple of insurance runs against Logan Henderson. Triantos hit a double in the fourth, then reached third on a Frelick error. Former Brewer Owen Miller knocked Triantos in with a sac fly. Jefferson Rojas hit a solo home run two innings later to bring the game to its final score: Chicago 4, Milwaukee 1.

Shane Drohan worked the final three innings of the loss, allowing just a single hit while striking out four and holding the Cubs scoreless. The Brewers briefly mounted a rally in the ninth after Eddys Leonard and Brady Ebel both singled, but Daniel Dickinson and Greg Jones both struck out to end the game.

Other than Yelich, who singled, walked, and homered, Milwaukee was only able to muster five more hits — all singles. Two of those were the Hamilton bunt and the Sanchez single in the first. Jesús Made singled in the seventh, but got picked off trying to steal second by Cubs pitcher Vince Velasquez. A pair of singles in the ninth also went for naught. Despite the loss, there were still a few things to feel good about — especially Yelich and Drohan’s performances. Drohan wasn’t facing the Cubs’ starters today, but he looked borderline dominant.

Milwaukee will be back on the field again tomorrow as they take on another division rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. CT.

Included in the Dodgers’ 7-5 win over Mexico in Wednesday’s exhibition at Camelback Ranch were a few performances that can’t help but be viewed with an eye toward the regular season.

Each of Andy Pages’ seven previous starts this spring were in center field, so he got to stay off his feet a bit on Wednesday as the designated hitter. Pages followed the assignment to a tee with a home run and double in his first two at-bats.

Start it off, Andy! #DodgersSTpic.twitter.com/dz2Zt2V9D5

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 4, 2026

Pages has five extra-base hits in 23 plate appearances this spring.

Dalton Rushing continues to hit the ball hard, and often in the air, this spring. That included a second-inning triple off the center field wall for another run, then an RBI double into the right field corner in the third inning. Baseball Savant didn’t register data for that triple, but in Rushing’s other 11 batted balls this spring have an average exit velocity of 100.3 mph, including six balls hit over 100 mph.

He has two home runs this spring to go with his two extra-base hits on Wednesday.

Back-2-back RBI doubles gives the boys in blue the lead! #DodgersSTpic.twitter.com/kcGe9MoK6B

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) March 4, 2026

It’s never wise to read too much into exhibition stats, but how the Dodgers have utilized and talked about veteran non-roster infielder Santiago Espinal this spring fits the pattern of someone exceedingly likely to begin the regular season on the active roster.

Wednesday was Espinal’s seventh start this spring, getting the call at third base against Mexico. He had an RBI double in the third inning to go with his fly ball that somehow landed for a single in the second. Espinal has reached base 14 times in 21 trips to the plate so far this spring, and while you should take that .667 on-base percentage with a grain of salt, his on-roster percentage appears from my vantage point to be north of that.

On the mound

After pitching to one batter in the third inning in his first Cactus League affair last Thursday, Tyler Glasnow on Wednesday faced five batters in the third inning against Mexico. That third frame gave the right-hander the most trouble, with two singles and a run plating a run, driven in by Toronto Blue Jays catcher (and last year’s final batter) Alejandro Kirk to drive Glasnow from the game.

Glasnow left with two runners on, and both scored on a single off reliever Jacob Frost, the Dodgers’ 10th-round draft pick last season out of Kansas State. Glasnow threw 51 pitches this time around, up from 33 six days prior, staying in progression toward the opening series of the regular season with time still for three more exhibition starts to further prepare.

Emmet Sheehan got the ball to start the fourth, pitching in his first game this spring (not including some simulated action on the backfields). While there is still time enough in camp to build up his innings, Sheehan didn’t do himself any favors by recording only four outs in his nine batters faced.

Mexico got three singles and two walks off Sheehan, who didn’t strike anyone out on Wednesday. One run scored against him but it could have been worse, having left with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth inning. But Carlos Duran induced an inning-ending double play to strand all three runners.

Keeping options open

With Pages at DH on Wednesday, Alex Call got the start in center field, his first time at the position this spring.

Call played one inning in center field for the Dodgers after getting acquired last July, and over the last two seasons with the Washington Nationals totaled seven games, four starts, and 46 innings at the position. In his career Call has started 85 games in center, 77 of them coming in 2023.

Up next

The Dodgers wade back into the Cactus League on Thursday with their second trip to Goodyear in three days, this time to face the Cincinnati Reds (12:05 p.m. PT; SportsNet LA, ESPN). Non-roster invitee Cole Irvin gets the start for Los Angeles, in his third outing this spring.

For 24-year-old Alex Freeland, the time is now.

After the switch-hitting middle infielder enjoyed a cup of coffee in the big leagues last season, he’s trying to break camp with the Dodgers and get increased playing time at second base with veteran Tommy Edman expected to be on the injured list as he works his way back from right ankle surgery.

Freeland, who played 29 games with the Dodgers last season, and second-year utility man Hyeseong Kim, who played 71 games and was on the postseason roster, are among those vying for playing time at the start of the season, with veteran Miguel Rojas and and nonroster invite Santiago Espinal also in the mix.

Kim, who started Cactus League games at second base and center field, recently departed for the World Baseball Classic as he competes for Team South Korea, opening a door for Freeland to get more reps in the heart of the Cactus League season.

Read more:Dodgers' Roki Sasaki struggles early in second Cactus League start, then settles down

“Opportunity is present, so I’m trying to make the most of it,” Freeland said. “It sucks that Tommy’s not ready and he won’t be ready for the beginning of the season. He’s a big part of this team, so I wish him a super speedy recovery and I hope that he gets out there as quickly as possible. But yeah, with Hyeseong being gone, I am getting more reps at second and short, so I’m just trying to make the most of them.”

Freeland entered last season as MLB Pipeline’s No. 45 overall prospect. Though he posted a .190/.292/.310 slash line at the big league level, prospect analyst Jim Callis still has high hopes for Freeland.

“Freeland doesn't have a wow tool but he does a lot of things well,” Callis said. “His best attribute is probably his defense at shortstop and versatility to play other positions. He's a switch-hitter who draws a lot of walks and has some sneaky pop. He's just an average runner, but his instincts allow him to play quicker than that.”

As a switch-hitter, Freeland has had more success from the left side than the right. He worked on his swing from both sides of the plate over the offseason and feels he’s in a good place.

"My right-handed hitting could be better,” Freeland said. “I mean, part of my game is walking, so I felt like I wasn’t patient at the right times last year. Sometimes I was too patient, just taking pitches down the middle. Walking is a big part of my game, so I’m looking to walk, and I feel like I’ve done that this spring training.”

Freeland has drawn eight walks in 24 plate appearances in Cactus League play, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has been impressed with what he has seen this spring.

"Maturity,” Roberts said. “Playing both sides of the baseball really well. The bat, right-handed looks really good. Lefty is typically his strong side, but I like the right-handed at-bats. Just playing with a lot of real confidence.”

If it weren’t for the Dodgers’ star-studded roster, Callis believes Freeland’s chances at playing time would be better.

“On a lot of teams, Freeland would be getting a chance to compete for the starting shortstop job, but he's blocked on the Dodgers,” Callis said. “He's probably looking at more of a utility role than starting in Los Angeles, and he could be attractive to other clubs in trade talks too.”

Freeland, however, is embracing his role and hopes to earn his stripes. He’s tried to soak up as much as he can from the veteran stars he’s been able to spend time with.

Read more:Shaikin: Will Klein isn't surprised he saved the Dodgers' World Series dynasty

“Miggy Ro has always got something good to say. Muncy, Freddie, I mean they’ve been around so long, they’ve seen so many different things, so it’s like whatever I have a question about, like I can easily go and talk to one of them, and they’ve got an answer for me," Freeland said of Rojas, Max Muncy and Freddie Freeman. "And it’s great to have guys like that in the clubhouse.”

Freeland grew up an Atlanta Braves fan and admired Freeman for years. Freeland never imagined he one day would share a locker room with the nine-time All-Star first baseman, who spent the first 12 years of his career in Atlanta.

“I watched Freddie growing up and Mookie,” Freeland said of Freeman and Betts. “So, I mean, it’s kind of like a full-circle moment, like I watched Freddie a lot when he was with the Braves, coming up, because I lived in Georgia, so like I’d go and watch minor league games and see him in Gwinett.”

Tyler Glasnow makes second spring start

Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow made his second start of Cactus League play, pitching into the third inning of Wednesday's game against Team Mexico. After giving up two hits and striking out three over two scoreless innings, Glasnow gave up an RBI single to Alejandro Kirk, the Toronto Blue Jays catcher, and was lifted with two runners on and two outs in the third after throwing 50 pitches. Both runners came around to score.

"I still feel good," Glasnow said after his outing. "It's not going to be perfect every week. As a whole, everything's lined up and feeling good."

Right-hander Emmet Sheehan made his first appearance of the spring, pitching 1-1/3 innings and giving up one run on three hits and two walks. Left-hander Alex Vesia pitched his fourth perfect inning in as many appearances, recording two strikeouts.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Record 7-4. Change on 2025: +1.5. 5-inning record: 3-7-1.

The Diamondbacks rolled their spring winning streak to five games, with a well-pitched victory over the Athletics in Hohokam. Their pitchers held the opposition to six hits, just one (a double) for extra bases, and a pair of walks. The sole run came against former (and hopefully not future) Arizona closer Paul Sewald, who allowed two hits and a sacrifice fly in the fourth. Starter Brandon Pfaadt in his spring debut, still went 2.1 innings, allowing a hit and a walk with one K. He needed only 25 pitches for that, thanks in particular to a four-pitch first frame. Brandyn Garcia was the pick of the relievers, striking out two of the three batters faced. Isaiah Campbell pitched a clean ninth inning for the save.

Arizona certainly had chances to score more than three, but went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position – and one of those hits didn’t even bring across a run. The Diamondbacks got two in the fourth as Jacob Amaya’s first home-run of spring scored him and Luken Baker. The pair were also responsible for the D-backs’ third and final run in the fifth, Baker being driven in by an Amaya sacrifice fly. Jacob singled in addition to his home-run, and drove in all three Arizona runs. Tommy Troy went 3-for-4 and got his spring average up to .524, while also stealing his first base; Baker walked in addition to his hit.

ABS challenges went 2-for-3 on the day, and the D-backs will be on the road again tomorrow. They will face the Cubs at Sloan Park: first pitch is at 1:05 pm, with Ryne Nelson scheduled to start for Arizona.

The Cubs got some good pitching performances Wednesday afternoon against the Brewers, but a potentially even bigger story was four ABS challenges made by Moisés Ballesteros, all of which he got right!

That’s a skill that can definitely translate to MLB regular season games. Perhaps there’s hope for Ballesteros to do some MLB catching after all.

The Cubs won the game 4-1. Let’s first look at the Ballesteros challenges. Two of them were on the same at-bat to Luis Lara:

Here’s the first call, and you can see how close it was [VIDEO].

Here’s a call made while Jesús Made was at bat, also in the second [VIDEO].

And one more, with David Hamilton at bat in the fourth [VIDEO].

Good work by Ballesteros, who’s getting a bit more catching time with Miguel Amaya away at the World Baseball Classic. He also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

Edward Cabrera threw efficiently in 2.2 innings and 45 pitches, striking out a pair. Here are the two K’s [VIDEO].

James Triantos went 2-for-3 and drove in a run with this single [VIDEO].

Cubs prospect Jefferson Rojas, who’s been impressive this spring, homered in the sixth, his second [VIDEO].

Non-roster outfielders Dylan Carlson and Chas McCormick both went 1-for-3 in this game.

Jaxon Wiggins, who got lit up in his first spring outing over the weekend, looked much better in this game, throwing two scoreless innings, also with two strikeouts. Vince Velasquez, a late NRI add, threw for the first time this spring and also put together two scoreless innings, with three strikeouts.

So overall, a lot of small things were done well by the Cubs in this game. I was especially impressed by Ballesteros’ strike zone judgment.

The Cubs return to Sloan Park Thursday to face the Diamondbacks. Colin Rea will start for the Cubs and Ryne Nelson will go for Arizona. Game time is 2:05 p.m. CT. No TV or radio for Thursday’s game.

Does trading a player like Sam Carrick make sense for the New York Rangers ahead of the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline?

Carrick has exceeded all expectations since the Rangers signed him to a three-year, $3 million contract in the summer of 2024. 

In a limited bottom-six role, Carrick has still been able to etch his mark with the Rangers, making his money off of playing a scrappy, physical brand of hockey. 

Despite standing at about 6’0’’, Carrick has stepped up as the Rangers’ primary enforcer. 

“I think it's certainly needed. It's a necessary role in this league,” Carrick said of the enforcer role.“You're not going to have your A game every night. Sometimes you're looking for other ways to get a spark and get either the crowd into it, or get your team into it, or get yourself into it, whatever it is. There's different situations, a lot of the time that's (fighting) an easy way to do it, and sometimes it sparks the team.”

Through Carrick’s fearless attitude on the ice, he’s gained the recognition of both the team’s coaching staff and his teammates. 

“I think he's an important part of this team with the role he plays,” Sullivan said of Carrick. “He gets defensive zone starts, he's conscientious defensively, he's part of the penalty kill. He's a huge momentum guy for us, whether it be his physicality and sticking up for his teammates, or just by nature, how he plays the game with the line that he's on.”

With More Trust Comes More Responsibility For Gabe PerreaultThe emergence of Gabe Perreault is something for New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/">Rangers</a> fans to be excited about.&nbsp;

While Carrick’s physical style of play and hard-nose persona fit what Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury is attempting to build, he doesn't exactly fit the franchise’s current timeline. 

Drury’s Jan. 16 letter issued to fans outlining the Rangers’ plan to retool the roster indicates that the team will be looking to trade veteran players with the goal of getting younger. 

Contending teams certainly covet what Carrick brings to the table in terms of his two-way abilities, while his physical nature perfectly translates to playoff hockey. 

If the Rangers make Carrick available, he’ll be a desirable candidate on the trade market and could garner a hefty return. 

He still has one year remaining on his current contract after the 2025-26 campaign and a reasonable $1 million cap hit. 

If the Rangers want to make room for some of the young talent for the remainder of this season and into next year, on top of accumulating more draft picks, trading Carrick would be a decision worth considering.

Tonight, the Nationals are taking part in an exciting and unique exhibition. They are facing Team Venezuela as they get ready for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. The Venezuelans have a stacked roster, especially offensively. Tonight will be a good test for the young Nats, who are rolling out a strong lineup.

Speaking of that lineup, it is the closest thing we have seen to a potential Opening Day lineup. I don’t think it will look exactly like this, but it will be close. James Wood, CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews, Daylen Lile and Brady House all feature. Interestingly, Luis Garcia Jr. will be playing first base for the first time this spring. We will also get to see Foster Griffin for the first time. The crafty lefty signed with the Nats after three highly successful seasons in Japan.

ready to go

watch LIVE for FREE on https://t.co/iUBDqlACVs‼️ pic.twitter.com/HuYTLi8eib

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) March 4, 2026

The Venezuelan lineup is loaded with well-known names. Ronald Acuna Jr., Salvador Perez and Luis Arraez are just a few notable names in this star studded lineup. While Jose Altuve will not be playing this WBC, the Venezuelans have more than enough fire power to make a surprise run in the competition. On the mound, Venezuela will be featuring Eduardo Rodriguez. The veteran lefty has not been the same since signing a big contract in Arizona, but he is still a serviceable big league innings eater.

Lineup de Venezuela 🇻🇪 hoy vs. Washington:

Ronald Acuña Jr. RF
Javier Sanoja CF
Luis Arráez 2B
Salvador Pérez C
Jackson Chourio BD
Eugenio Suárez 3B
Wilyer Abreu LF
Willson Contreras 1B
Ezequiel Tovar SS

Eduardo Rodríguez P

— German Augusto Cartaya (@germancartaya) March 4, 2026

Game Info:

Stadium: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches

Time: 6:05 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: N/A

This is a really exciting game that I am really looking forward to. It will be interesting to see how Foster Griffin fares against such a strong lineup. I am also interested to see how the boys can match up with a really solid Venezuela team. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

In the cage match known as the American League East, the Tampa Bay Rays stand apart — and not for a good reason. After more than half a decade as regular contenders in the Junior Circuit, including two AL East titles and a trip to the 2020 World Series, the Rays have fallen to the wayside over the past two years. Only unexpected disaster seasons from the Toronto Blue Jays in 2024 and the Baltimore Orioles in 2025 have saved them from the division basement the last two years, as the Rays finished these seasons with just 80 and 77 wins, respectively.

That being said, this is the Rays we’re talking about, and even if they hadn’t finished the 2025 season with a run differential giving a projected record of 84-78, only a fool would truly count them out.

2025 record: 77-85 (4th, AL East)
2026 FanGraphs projection: 81-81 (5th, AL East)

The Tampa Bay Rays run the organization like they’re playing Out of the Park Baseball, shipping out established Major League vets for prospects right at the moment they’re about to start costing money, all in the effort to keep the payroll down and keep the farm system stocked. This winter was absolutely no different, as they flipped Brandon Lowe, Josh Lowe, Jake Mangum and Shane Baz, a quartet of players who were major contributors to last year’s squad. Meanwhile, their three major free agent acquisitions — Steven Matz, Cedric Mullins, and Jake Fraley — don’t exactly break the bank financially. Furthermore, they inserted themselves into a pair of three-team trades in January, reeling in Gavin Lux from the Reds to play second base and Ben Williamson from the Mariners to back up Junior Caminero at the hot corner.

As it currently stands, the Rays lineup depends on three players: the 22-year-old Caminero (128 projected wRC+), the 27-year-old Jonathan Aranda (119 projected wRC+), and the 35-year-old Yandy Diaz (128 projected wRC+). Besides this trio, FanGraphs only expects Lux to have an above-average bat, and even there, he’s projected to only have a 101 wRC+; the rest of the lineup is filled out with players who have their best baseball in the rearview mirror (e.g., Mullins) or those who have made Anthony Volpe look like a dominant hitter (e.g., shortstop Taylor Walls).

Of course, the Rays have never been built on offensive prowess, but on pitching, and that remains the same this year. Even after trading Baz to the Orioles, Tampa Bay has quite a bit of depth here, as Drew Rasmussen and Ryan Pepiot give them a pair of quality starters atop the rotation. If Shane McClanahan is healthy—something which hasn’t been the case since August 2, 2023—that ostensibly gives the team a trio of quality starters 30 years of age or younger — something that few teams would say no to. Behind them, Nick Martinez and Matz should be quality depth. And despite losing Pete Fairbanks in free agency, the bullpen — headlined by Griffin Jax — has considerable veteran depth, albeit no truly dominant relievers.

All in all, the Tampa Bay Rays are a solid team, and in any other division, would likely be in a position to win enough games to challenge for a Wild Card spot. But as Dan Szymborski said back in January, “this is a tough division,” and because of that, the Rays “need some good fortune” to sneak into the playoffs.

At least this year, they’ll be able to play in their own stadium, and not the Yankees’ minor league complex.

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More Pinstripe Alley MLB team season previews can be found here.

Ask any Pittsburgh Pirates fan about the team this season and there’s likely a different tone to the conversation then years before.

The Pirates finished 2025 as a 71-91 club, depressing by five wins from the previous two seasons.

Don Kelly was promoted to manager to replace Derek Shelton, but the front office remained the same. 

It set in motion the most crucial offseason of Ben Cherington’s Pirates career entering his seventh season as general manager.

Cherington was the most active he’s ever been and provided the Pirates with their most exciting offseason in over a decade.

The Pirates added two All-Star position players and signed a designated hitter who finished 4th in NL MVP voting in 2024.

Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn, and Marcell Ozuna have added 69 home runs from a year ago to a Pirates lineup that only hit 117.  

The Bucs retained Mitch Keller, instead of trading him for a bat, and acquired relievers Mason Montgomery and Gregory Soto to their bullpen. 

No. 1 prospect Konnor Griffin is waiting in the wings and leads the team with three home runs… as a 19-year-old shortstop who hasn’t played more than 21 games above High-A.

It feels different. It feels refreshing. It feels like the Pirates have a realistic chance to make the postseason.

The atmosphere at spring training in Bradenton is also different, at least for Paul Skenes.

Coming off winning NL Rookie of the Year and NL Cy Young the last two years, Skenes is excited for what the Pirates can do this year. 

“It’s a different vibe in camp right now,” Skenes said on The Pat McAfee Show at USA Baseball camp on Monday.

Skenes is pleased by what the Bucs did in the offseason. He’s joined Team USA in preparation for the World Baseball Classic this week, but misses the preparation and camaraderie taking place for the Pirates. 

“As excited as I am to be here right now, I’m a little upset that I’m not in camp,” Skenes said. “Kinda missing out.”

He threw three innings for Team USA in its exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday. 

Skenes allowed one run on one hit in the first inning and struck out four total batters. Skenes retired the final nine batters he faced in his second spring outing.

Paul Skenes, 100mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/svXGFRnJq1

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 3, 2026

He is scheduled to face Mexico in pool play and pitch in the semifinals, if Team USA advances. 

It’s a chance for the former Air Force pitcher and catcher to represent his country and wear the red, white, and blue. 

“I'm from America, I love America… There's no bigger stage or no greater honor than wearing USA across your chest.” 🇺🇸@Pirates ace Paul Skenes discusses the pride he takes in playing for @USABaseball. pic.twitter.com/bTl8zebd3b

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 3, 2026

The Pirates have the best record of any team in spring training, tied with the Yankees at 10-2. Team USA begins the WBC on Friday night at 8 p.m. against Team Brazil. 

This will mark the first WBC since 2023, with Paul Skenes representing the Pirates on the national stage after starting the last two All-Star Games. Cinema unfolding for the USA.

In their second of two games against WBC teams, the Mets (2-0 in WBC play) defeated Israel (1-1) at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie.

• Carson Benge got the scoring started today, hitting an opposite field home run solo home run in the fifth third inning.
• David Peterson went three innings, allowing one hit, two walks, and striking out four.
• Christian Scott threw two and two-thirds innings, allowing two hits, no walks, and striking out five. The best named player in Mets’ camp, Hoss Brewer, finished out the sixth inning for the Mets, relieving Scott.
• Adbert Alzolay and Nick Burdi each gave up a run in their respective inning of work, but each also notched two strikeouts. Joey Gerber and Saul Garcia combined for a scoreless ninth.
• Zach Levenson homered in the top of the seventh to tie the game and one inning later, an RJ Schreck double put Israel up 2-1.
• While the scoring started with dingers, it was singles that ultimately decided the game for the Mets. In the bottom of the eighth, Ji Hwan Bae singled in two runs, followed by a Jacob Reimer RBI single, and the scoring closed out with a Yohairo Cuevas single, plating Reimer.

The Mets resume Grapefruit League play tomorrow with a 1:05 game in West Plam Beach against the Nationals. Justin Hagenman will take the ball for the Mets.

Christian Scott has been thinking about this day for a long time. 

After missing nearly two years following Tommy John surgery, the young Mets starter made his highly-anticipated return to game action Wednesday against Team Israel. 

Scott admitted there were some nerves, but it certainly didn’t show. 

The right-hander was in complete control, working around a walk and a stolen base in the fourth, before striking out two in the fifth, then retiring the final two batters he faced in the sixth.

Certainly an encouraging way to rip off the band-aid. 

“It felt great to go out there and have a defense behind you,” Scott said. “It was a lot of fun to be able to see people in the stands and get out there for my first game action -- I thought it went really well, just excited to be out there.”

Scott used his full arsenal as he allowed just two baserunners, struck out five, and threw 40 of 50 pitches for strikes.  

His secondary pitches looked extremely sharp on the afternoon, and he topped out at 96 mph on his fastball, a very encouraging sign this early in camp following surgery. 

“It’s just my first start, but I think there’s a lot to build off of,” Scott said.

“The way the ball is coming out, he has life on his fastball,” Carlos Mendoza added. “Not only hitting 96, but there’s a lot of life, and the way he was using all his pitches -- the cutter, the sweeper, the changeup -- it was fun to watch.”

The 26-year-old will now look to continue building up his pitch count from here. 

While he figures to begin the season in Triple-A, he could find himself back in the majors before long if he can stay on the mound and put together more dominant outings like his return.

On two separate occasions the Cincinnati Reds have turned to Hunter Greene to start for them on Opening Day, first back in 2023 and again in 2025. He’s the undisputed ace of their staff, a former #2 overall draft pick who was long assumed to be a frontline starter for any team that lucked into getting his services, and despite being banged up off and on through the years he’s absolutely begun to live up to the immense hype.

The Reds, presumably, were going to turn to Greene for the start on Opening Day 2026. After finding out this morning that Greene was dealing with stiffness in his right elbow – an issue that dates back to last fall prior to the end of the 2025 season – it’s looking less and less likely he’ll be available to do that.

As Mark Sheldon of Reds.com relayed, Greene is set for an MRI after experiencing pain in his right elbow after his first start of the spring. Greene remains optimistic that it’s not going to be anything too serious – he goes as far as confirming that his surgically repaired UCL is completely intact – but notes he knows there are bone spurs in there and that he received an injection in it over the winter after it ailed him down the stretch in 2025.

The Cincinnati Reds have a wealth of depth at starting pitcher, for now. They just welcomed back each of Rhett Lowder, Brandon Williamson, and Julian Aguiar after the trio was lost for 2025 with their own arm injuries and surgeries. Still, Greene’s the kind of arm that simply cannot be fully replaced even if the Reds are perhaps better equipped than any team in the game to stomach having him out for a short period of time.

How short that is remains to be seen. That’s why the MRI is going down in the first place. If it’s merely an issue of rest and taking time off, that’s obviously the best-case scenario, but even then that would put him behind the eight-ball to build back up to be ready by Opening Day. If it’s anything beyond that, god forbid, any timeline for when he’ll work his way back onto the 2026 squad gets thrown up in the air.

Greene, who only fired 107 IP last year and has only once reached so much as 150 IP in a season, is going to be managed with the softest of gloves in this instance. The Reds want him to get to that number and be ready to pitch deep in the playoffs, after all, and it now looks like the best route for him to get to that number may include being sidelined for the first week, weeks, month of the season and then ramping it up from there.

Brady Singer, Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, Chase Burns, Lowder, Williamson, Aguiar, and Chase Petty buy the Reds the chance to be patient with this, however serious it ends up being. Still, there was immense hope that 2026 might be the year Greene shakes off the injury bug for once and pitches well enough (and often enough) for his typically elite production to put him squarely in the mix for a Cy Young Award – or more – and now that path is already facing a serious hiccup.

Get well soon, Hunter…but also take your time.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed that shortstop Francisco Lindor started his hitting progression on Wednesday. 

The skipper didn’t provide any further details in terms of how many swings were taken. 

This is obviously another step in the right direction for the stars shortstop, who had surgery on his left hamate bone on February 11. 

Lindor played catch on Monday, took part in live defensive drills on Tuesday, and now has moved on to hitting, with Opening Day just over three weeks away. 

All along, Lindor, Mendoza, and Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns have said that they are all optimistic that the five-time All-Star will be ready to go when the Mets host the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 26.