Category: MLB

Action is starting to pick up in spring camp as the beginning of Grapefruit League play looms ahead this weekend. The Tigers will kick off their 2026 spring schedule on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. ET on the road against the Yankees. Then they’ll welcome in the Orioles and the Twins on Sunday and Monday at home, also set for 1:05 p.m. ET start times.

On Wednesday morning, the tentative pitching plan for the first three games was reported by Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic Detroit. Keider Montero will kick things off against the Yankees. Jack Flaherty and minor league lefty Bryan Sammons are scheduled to face the Orioles on Sunday, and Tarik Skubal will make his spring debut on Monday against the Twins. Free agent acquisition Drew Anderson will also pitch on Monday. And of course this is all subject to change.

Saturday’s game is set to be broadcast on what is now Tigers TV, while the games on Sunday and Monday will only be on the radio with Dan Dickerson on the mic.

Justin Verlander was back in Lakeland throwing a bullpen after being away over the weekend on a personal matter. He and Dillon Dingler had some conversations about setups behind the plate and how the future Hall of Famer likes his targets set. They also talked a bit about angles to hitters on either side of the plate.

You can check that out below, and as a bonus we have Josue Briceño taking Tarik Skubal deep in a live BP session. Even in practice, you love to see that from the 21-year-old top 100 ranked slugging prospect. Hitting a tank to right off the best left-hander in the game is a nice note for the Tigers #4 ranked prospect.

So, I guess they’re really doing this, huh? We’ve been hearing more and more from the Braves (particularly President of Baseball Operations/GM Alex Anthopoulos) about how the club is reportedly pretty confident in their internal options and are willing to let the fifth spot in the rotation be an open competition instead of going out and snapping up another starting pitcher, either via trade or free agency.

It would be understandable to think that this might be a GM-speak smokescreen of sorts since I’m certain that the Braves wouldn’t be the only team looking to give their rotation a last-minute boost at this stage in the baseball calendar. Well, apparently it’s not a smokescreen and this is just the way it’s going to be. Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that one name that the Braves were previously linked to was actually a bit overblown. Lucas Giolito’s name has been associated with the Braves for long portions of the offseason and as it turns out, you should probably hold off on getting your Giolito jerseys any time soon.

There have been reports linking the Braves to free-agent starter Lucas Giolito, but any connection between the parties has been overstated, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has learned. The Braves haven’t been involved in Giolito’s market.

That also explains why the Braves didn’t exactly go hard on pursuing Chris Bassitt before he got picked up by the Orioles. Here’s more from that article from Burns:

The Braves also didn’t seriously pursue veteran Chris Bassitt, whom many speculated was a logical fit and would’ve been welcomed in the clubhouse.

The only conclusion to make here is that the Braves are likely dead serious about feeling confident in their internal options. The natural thing to do next is to mosey on over to FanGraphs to take a look at what the Braves depth chart is looking like when it comes to their rotation. You’ve got the four names that the team has mentioned since spring training began: Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo López and Grant Holmes. Then you have the fifth spot, which is projected to be filled by none other than Bryce Elder, himself.

Again: As long as Elder isn’t at the top of the “Innings Pitched” leaderboard for this team, this might end up being fine. If Elder stays in that fifth spot and can simply eat innings while (hopefully) avoiding his habit of grooving at least one or even two pitches right down the middle for them to get hit to the moon then this should be fine! However, if the rotation continues to struggle with health like they did last season then there’s a very good chance that this could come back to bite this ballclub in the butt. Again, the internal depth for this pitching staff isn’t exactly encouraging and it surely doesn’t help quell any anxiety to see guys like Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep go down this early in the season’s calendar.

Perhaps that explains why the team didn’t get aggressive in pursuing starting pitching in free agency. I suppose they figure that as long as both Schwellenbach and Waldrep have a smooth recovery and that the rotation stays healthy then this will be a perfectly fine rotation. To be fair to the front office, things did work out with the pitching staff as recently as 2024, which the GM will be quick to remind anybody who asks that they led the league in ERA (ERA-, FIP and FIP- as well) during that campaign. From that 2024 rotation, Chris Sale is still here alongside Reynaldo López and (hopefully at some point) Spencer Schwellenbach will be able to contribute as well.

With that being said, banking on a repeat of 2024 would be about as risky of a bet as saying that the entire rotation is going to get seriously injured yet again. The hope is for this part rotation to land somewhere in the upper-middle portion between those two extremes and if things go right as far as health is concerned, that could very well be the case.

Still, I really don’t think it was the best idea to simply run it back with the internal depth instead of seriously pursuing some outside options. Of course, I’m just a blogger and for all we know, the Braves may have simply just hit their ceiling as far as the budget is concerned (which is not the same as being cheap — again, this roster was shooting for a Top 5 payroll and very nearly reached that space) and the corporate overlords running the team simply weren’t willing to move the ceiling any higher. That could also explain why the team went to arbitration with Dylan Lee over $200 thousand but that’s another story for another day.

I think we’re all hoping that it works out with this rotation but if it doesn’t then your concerns are totally valid! We’ll see what happens, y’all.

Last offseason, the Rays acquired Mason Englert from the Tigers for Drew Sommers, adding a flexible, multi-inning arm with option years. Englert fit that role well, posting solid results while working more than one inning in nearly half his appearances.

But the interesting question is whether the Rays should ask for more. Marc Topkin reported that Englert was in consideration for a rotation spot prior to bringing in Nick Martinez. Signing Martinez should not come at the expense of Englert getting stretched out.

Englert’s combination of plus strike-throwing, shape diversity, and outlier command – particularly of his change-up – gives him traits that translate beyond middle relief. With incremental adjustments already underway in, there’s a plausible path toward a back-end starter role.

Background

A fourth-round pick in 2018, Englert lost nearly three seasons to Tommy John surgery and the pandemic but quickly established himself as a strike-throwing starter in A-ball. By 2022, his 66% strike rate and deep repertoire made him a Rule 5 target.

The Tigers followed the usual script for Rule 5 pickups who have to remain on the major league roster. They deployed him in low-leverage relief. It wasn’t a surprise that Englert didn’t immediately replicate his previous MiLB success – especially when considering he skipped AAA.

In 2024 Rule 5 no longer applied, meaning Englert could be optioned, and he appropriately spent most of the season in AAA. His production in the majors, when promoted, still wasn’t great, but it was an improvement from what he had shown in 2023.

Joining the Rays

Englert’s defining trait is strike-throwing – a skill the Rays value quite a bit.

The team helped alter Englert’s cutter shape in 2025, reducing vertical break while adding some horizontal movement. The result is a pitch with clearer separation from his four-seamer and more gyro characteristics – effectively blending his previous cutter and slider into a single, more versatile shape. The 2025 grip shows him working more around the ball (top image; index finger more on the side of the ball), compared to the more behind-the-ball grip in 2024 (bottom image; index finger more behind the ball).

Englert now throws three distinct fastball shapes – similar to the Drew Rasmussen and Shawn Armstrong molds we’ve seen in the past. Fastballs are generally the easiest shapes to command, but tend to not generate as many whiffs, so it makes sense that Englert has become more of a contact manager with this adjustment. The rest of his arsenal remains largely unchanged. Any subtle differences in shapes could be attributed to his arm slot shifting from 33 degrees in 2024 to 40 degrees in 2025.

The other change to Englert’s arsenal when he joined the Rays was that he added a larger breaking ball shape. Though used sparingly (8%), the addition hints at preparation for a starter or bulk role in 2026. This upper 70s breaking ball gives him a third distinct velocity band in his arsenal; his four-seamer and two-seamer sit low 90s while his offspeed pitch and cutter sit in the upper 80s. Multiple shapes and velocity bands give him different looks the second and third time through a lineup.

While it may lack significant velocity or VAA separation from his fastball that you’d typically want, Englert’s best pitch is his change-up. He might have 70 grade command of it. Many pitchers have a single, general intended location for each of their pitches, but Englert is actually able to locate his change-up to two distinct locations depending on the batter’s handedness. Below is his heatmap of the pitch against RHB last season:

And here it is to LHB:

While this pitch doesn’t have any physical outlier traits in movement or how it interacts with his fastball, his command of it is an outlier. It’s clear why he feels so comfortable throwing the pitch to righties just as much as lefties.

The obvious objection to Englert moving to the rotation is that he doesn’t miss enough bats to profile as a traditional starter. His velocity sits in the low 90s, and his whiff rates have been modest. But the Rays have repeatedly shown they value shape diversity and command over pure velocity. Starting isn’t only about overpowering hitters; it’s about sequencing, disrupting timing, and navigating a lineup. Englert’s arsenal gives him tools to do exactly that.

Looking Ahead to 2026

Given his command, shape diversity, and developmental runway, the Rays have little to lose by stretching him out. He has distinct attack plans for both LHB and RHB, with enough shapes to vary sequencing multiple times through a lineup. He may not immediately crack the major league rotation, and he’s in his final option year so there’s some flexibility with how he could be used between AAA and the majors. The Rays don’t need Mason Englert to become a frontline starter. They just need to find out if there’s more here than middle relief, and the evidence suggests it’s worth asking the question.

The 2026 edition of Red Reporter’s Community Prospect Rankings wrapped this week, doing so with nearly 3,000 total responses during the voting process. Thank you to each and every one of you who took the time to participate with us this year.

Here’s how the list shook out:

1. Sal Stewart
2. Alfredo Duno
3. Rhett Lowder
4. Hector Rodriguez
5. Edwin Arroyo
6. Cam Collier
7. Steele Hall
8. Tyson Lewis
9. Chase Petty
10. Arnaldo Lantigua
11. Jose Franco
12. Zach Maxwell
13. Leo Balcazar
14. Adolfo Sanchez
15. Carlos Jorge
16. Aaron Watson
17. Julian Aguiar
18. Tyler Callihan
19. Sheng-En Lin
20. Ricky Cabrera

Here’s how the Top 20 of the 2025 Community Prospect Rankings looked for comparison:

1. Rhett Lowder
2. Chase Burns
3. Edwin Arroyo
4. Chase Petty
5. Cam Collier
6. Sal Stewart
7. Alfredo Duno
8. Sammy Stafura
9. Ricky Cabrera
10. Hector Rodriguez
11. Tyson Lewis
12. Connor Phillips
13. Sheng-En Lin
14. Luke Holman
15. Zach Maxwell
16. Ty Floyd
17. Adam Serwinowski
18. Rece Hinds
19. Carlos Jorge
20. Julian Aguiar

Obviously, there were some graduates from last year’s rankings, with Chase Burns, Connor Phillips, and Rece Hinds having logged enough big league service time to no longer qualify as prospects anymore. Sammy Stafura was included in the deal with Pittsburgh that landed Ke’Bryan Hayes in Cincinnati, while Adam Serwinowski was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the three-team deal that landed Zack Littell with the Reds for last season’s stretch run.

Congrats to those Reds prospects on the distinguished honor of being included in this year’s CPR!

TAMPA, FL – There was no spring training surprise with Giancarlo Stanton in this Yankees camp.

“Ready to go," said Stanton on Tuesday, about the one-year anniversary when he arrived in Florida with elbow issues that delayed his entry until mid-June.

As a slugging right-handed hitter, the designated hitter’s “presence in the middle of the lineup is really big," said manager Aaron Boone, who “really noticed it" in 2024.

Following a lost 2023 season, Stanton was “such a presence" behind Juan Soto and Aaron Judge in 2024, culminating in another terrific postseason – seven homers in 14 games.

Last year, Stanton clubbed 24 homers with 66 RBIs in just 77 games, and his .944 OPS was the highest of his eight-year Yankees career.

Here are five things to know as he enters his ninth season in pinstripes:

Giancarlo Stanton’s elbow management

Entering his age 36 season, Stanton reported to camp leaner and “ready to go, ready for a good buildup in spring."

Stanton is still managing his elbow condition; it was likened to a severe bout of tennis elbow last year, and “as I said before, it’s not going to go anywhere.

“There’s always going to be maintenance, but it won’t hinder me from any work. That’s what’s most important."

Giancarlo Stanton’s defensive availability

Last August, Aaron Judge’s flexor strain put Stanton back in play as a part-time outfielder.

This year, Boone can see Stanton getting some outfield starts and “there’s even a chance we get some outfield" play during the exhibition season.

It’ll probably be a week before Stanton gets in a Grapefruit League game, with Boone keen on slow-playing certain veterans.

But during the season, “we want to keep that (outfield) option going," said Boone. “Best case, we probably almost never have to use him because everyone’s healthy and doing their thing, but we know that’s a little unrealistic."

Boone also believes the occasional outfield starts “can keep him healthy… I think it helps him," and Stanton agrees.

There were times when Stanton wanted to play more outfield (he made 18 starts), but he’s on board with any plan “for us to be the best and for me to stay out there."

Giancarlo Stanton’s Hall of Fame chances

Stanton’s 453 career home runs are the most by any active player.

He could potentially reach the 500 home run club in 2027, and his current hitter comps through age 35 via Baseball-Reference.com include Hall of Famers Willie McCovey, Willie Stargell and Harmon Killebrew.

As for milestones like 500 homers, Stanton said he’s only focused on “the next one," and the one after that.

“Those (personal) numbers are not the same as ‘We’re going to win the World Series,’" said Stanton. “That’s the way I’m looking at it."

Giancarlo Stanton’s incomplete career

Like his veteran teammates Judge, Gerrit Cole and Paul Goldschmidt, Stanton is still seeking that elusive World Series ring.

“The goal is a championship,’’ said Stanton. “But you’ve got to do what’s in between. Not (just) to get there, but complete it.’’

And in that sense, Stanton said his story “is still being written’’ since “the point of being a Yankee is being a champion.

“There’s always going to be a stain there without that.’’

Giancarlo Stanton contract

In December 2017, the Yankees' blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins brought Stanton to the Bronx, with the Yanks absorbing nearly all of what was a then-record 13-year, $325 million contract.

There are only two guaranteed years left, with Stanton owed a total of $64 million - $30 million of which is to be paid by the Marlins.

For luxury tax purposes, Stanton's contract is still a $25 million annual hit on the Yanks' payroll.

After the 2027 season, the Yankees hold a $25 million club option on Stanton for 2028, or they can buy him out for $10 million.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Giancarlo Stanton Hall of Fame? Yankees slugger ready for 2026

When Mickey Morandini pulled it off, it came so quickly, even the announcers didn’t realize what happened.

And who could blame them? An unassisted triple play had only happened eight times in Major League Baseball history.

Why are we talking about Morandini’s magical moment? Because, on Tuesday, a ticket to the Sept. 20, 1992 game featuring Morandini’s Philadelphia Phillies against Barry Bonds’ Pittsburgh Pirates — sold for a whopping $1,540.

To put that in perspective of Pirates tickets, the most recent sale of Bill Mazeroski’s Game 7 World Series walk-off was $945. Paul Skenes' rookie debut ticket last sold for $708. But unlike those two, PSA had never graded an exemplar from this game.

At the time, Morandini, who caught a fly ball from Jeff King, doubled off a runner who left second and tagged Bonds on his way to second, was also ticked about not thinking about the memorabilia.

Video shows Morandini, who batted .268 in 11 years in the majors, flipping the ball up in the air as he runs by the mound.

“That was stupid on my part,” he told reporters after the game. “It was probably hit as a foul ball to some fan.”

Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct and one of the country's leading reporters on the collectibles market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.

The first piece of Nationals related content I saw was DJ Herz doing some throwing. This is great because it shows he is making progress in his Tommy John recovery. However, what interested me was the black band on his left elbow. Herz is not the only pitcher to be wearing one of these bands. In fact, it has been common this spring.

DJ Herz (recovering from Tommy John) has the black elbow band on, and is getting some work in this morning. pic.twitter.com/1llbUYS5G1

— Ryan Shenker (@RyanShenker) February 18, 2026

I wanted to learn more about this device and see why so many Nats pitchers are using this thing. What I found was very interesting. The device is a Pulse workload monitor made by Driveline. It costs $320 and is designed to help pitchers know their limits. Pulse measures arm speed and workload metrics. If a pitcher’s arm speed drops unexpectedly, you now know when to take a break.

This is a really cool device and is in line with the Nats new vision. We wrote about the Nats Driveline connection earlier this month, and this is just another example of that. While the Nats want to add stuff to their pitchers, they are also going to be aware of the potential injury risk that comes with that.

Seen this a lot in pictures this spring with Nats pitchers. They are driveline pulse sensors and they measure workload on the arms. More much needed tech added for the Nats! https://t.co/Eyoftg38J3

— Nationals Source (@NationalsSource) February 18, 2026

Based on my research, I think the implementation of this device is being driven by Pitching Coach Simon Mathews. Driveline mentions that the Reds were early adopters of this device. Kyle Boddy, the founder of Driveline actually worked for the Reds for a bit. There is an article from 2021 describing how the Reds had been implementing the Pulse device.  

Mathews actually joined the Reds organization in 2021, and was involved in their rehab work for pitchers. That means he is very aware of this device and is likely a big proponent of it. It is no coincidence that it is all over Nats camp now. With that rehab background, Mathews is putting an emphasis on arm health.

However, this device is not just for pitchers with injuries. Healthy Nats arms have also been using it to track their workload. On one of the first days of camp, the Nats posted a photo of Brad Lord throwing, and he had the Pulse band on. It is easier to find a Nats pitcher wearing one than it is to see them without it.

baseball things are happening pic.twitter.com/PudV98hLsf

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) February 14, 2026

This is such a cool contraption and it is one of many pieces of new technology the Nats have. Pulse obviously helps you catch potential injuries, but it can also help you optimize throwing plans. It allows you to know how far you can push a player while not risking injury or overuse. Optimizing performance is so important for pitchers, and this is a great tool for that.

It is not just the big leaguers using these things though. I saw a video of Nats third round pick Landon Harmon throwing a bullpen, and the 19 year old had a Pulse band on his right elbow. Honestly, this tool might be even more important for young pitchers who do not totally understand their limits yet.

#Nationals 2025 3rd round pick Landon Harmon, 19, is throwing absolute gas for strikes this morning. pic.twitter.com/5o0mDWJIUh

— Ryan Shenker (@RyanShenker) February 17, 2026

That is not to say it can’t help veterans. There is a cool video from a couple years ago of Reds pitcher Nick Martinez talking about how much the Pulse band has helped him. For so long, the Nats were not taking part in these kinds of innovative practices. Now, with Paul Toboni at the wheel, the Nats are all in on innovating.

Honestly, keeping pitchers healthy might be the next great frontier for baseball minds. We know so much about how to optimize stuff, but it comes at the cost of pitchers’ elbows. If we can find a way to keep guys healthy while throwing nasty stuff, you can get an edge over the competition. The Pulse monitors are only the first step in that process, but it is cool that the Nats are trying this out.

Last season saw Chase Burns go from ‘highly talented high draft pick who’d never thrown a pro pitch’ to perhaps the game’s top rated pitching prospect prior to making his big league debut with the Cincinnati Reds in late June. Meanwhile, Tyson Lewis hit balls so damn hard in Arizona in his first action as a pro that by the time he wrapped play in Daytona he’d found himself on Top 100 lists all over the place.

Alfredo Duno mashed his way to the top of the Reds list, emerging from a two-year odyssey to be a clear-cut catcher of the future with a bat featuring as much power as anyone, anywhere.

In a similar vein, Mike Sirota – who was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Gavin Lux deal – burst onto the scene in a huge, huge way, and now finds himself a consensus Top 100 prospect overall. Oops.

It happens each and every year, players who go from unknowns to household names (at least with prospect wonks), players who live up to the billing and more.

As we just wrapped the 2026 edition of our Community Prospect Rankings around here, who’s your pick among Reds prospects to be the biggest riser between now and season’s end? Could it be Cam Collier or Edwin Arroyo, two bats coming off power-sapping injuries that finally find a healthy swing once again?

Will Steele Hall, who only finds himself on the fringes of some Top 100 overall lists, hit the ground running and prove early the faith the Reds scouts placed in him?

Could we see an arm like Aaron Watson show his polished approach is ready to move fast?

Or, might we see someone making the jump stateside from Dominican Summer League play show the world they’re ready to tackle full-season ball at a level previously thought to be above their head?

What say you? Which Cincinnati Reds prospect is poised for a breakout 2026?

Spring training is officially here now that the Detroit Tigers have reported to Lakeland to begin their preseason workouts. The excitement in the air is palpable as winter fades, leaving the smell of fresh-cut grass and clay wafting through the air.

Getting down to Florida — or Arizona — for the rebirth of baseball is in and of itself a significant experience for fans both young and old, offering an opportunity to see their favorite players in a more intimate setting than back in the big stadiums. It also offers those living up north a temporary respite from the frigid weather back home.

As you can see below, the Tigers are settling in and getting ready for the opening game this Saturday in Tampa against the New York Yankees.

📁 2026
└ 📁 spring training
└ 📁 home videos
└ 📼 return to TigerTown pic.twitter.com/HWC3nYfp0o

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) February 16, 2026

So today’s prompt for open discussion is the question of whether you, our cherished Bless You Boys reader, have ever been to spring training, and if so, what was your experience? Do you plan on trekking down I-75 this year to see the Olde English D in preseason action?

Those of you who have been around the site know that I cut my teeth at BYB providing spring training and minor league coverage from Lakeland. I have been going out there since I was a kid, and I enjoy every trip out there (as long as I can avoid I-4).

So now it is your turn! Let us know about your sentiments and experiences when it comes to spring training in the comments below.

Last January, the Dodgers were chasing Roki Sasaki and needed more international signing bonus money. That led them to utilizing their deep farm system to trade Dylan Campbell to the Phillies in return for some of that international money.

Now the Phillies have an interesting prospect.

Dylan Campbell – 80 (I promise you, that’s not Griffin Burkholder’s pie slice)
Mavis Graves – 31
Keaton Anthony – 15
Yoniel Curet – 13
Carson DeMartini – 13
Griffin Burkholder – 10
Alex McFarlane – 9
Seth Johnson – 4
Ramon Marquez – 4
Zach McCambley – 4
Devin Saltiban – 2

Having players that can be developed into utility guys are useful. Think about how much the team uses Edmundo Sosa. Were they to be able to develop someone like that, it would be invaluable as they would not have to worry about going out and signing one that is either on the downslope of his career or isn’t that good in the first place. Campbell may not get to the Sosa-esque level of utility production, but even getting someone like him to try and create a prospect is worthwhile endeavor. It’s something they really need to do more of.

2025 stats (w/ Lakewood and Reading)

514 PA, .215/.298/.367, 14 HR, 60 RBI, 33 SB, 9.9 BB%, 21.4 K%, 95 wC+

Fangraphs scouting report

Short levers and strong wrists give Campbell notable hitterish traits, and he told MLB Pipeline’s Sam Dykstra that he was working with a new swing in the AFL (for what it’s worth, it looked the same to me). Though he has kept his infielder’s mitt handy for occasional second base duty in pro ball, Campbell was introduced to first and third base for the first time in the AFL. A stocky athlete whose meaty torso and trunk taper down to toothpick ankles, Campbell runs well in a straight line but isn’t the best lateral mover. Defensive versatility is going to be important to his rosterability, but he played the corner infield so infrequently in Arizona that seeing him enough to satisfactorily evaluate his prospects there was difficult. Campbell is back on the radar as a potential bat-first utilityman who plays the outfield corners and hopefully at least one infield position.

With each new post, we’ll reveal who won the voting for that particular slot, then post new players for you to vote on, adding another one to the list each time until we get to our final tally of 20. Once we get to 20 top prospects, we’ll do an honorable mention post at the end. If a player gets traded to another team, we’ll just chuck him right on outta here and all the players will move up a spot. If a prospect gets acquired, we’ll ask where he should go on the list.

Probably the most important thing about this whole process – please vote. Give us a few minutes of your time, just click a button and then we can discuss other players and things in the comment section, but don’t forget – VOTE!

We are nearly at the point where we get to watch the Dodgers play actual games, with the exhibition slate starting this Saturday. Timelines over the last week-plus have been inundated with the sights and sounds from spring training, from backfield workouts to clubhouse speeches.

The Dodgers already brought back two of the players most of us expected to return, with Evan Phillips and Kiké Hernández signing last week, though both will miss the beginning of the season while rehabbing.

Also rehabbing is Tommy Edman after right ankle surgery, and his injured list stint to begin the season opens up an actual position battle in camp, for second base.

Blake Snell being a bit behind schedule in throwing at least puts his opening day readiness into question, which could open up another opportunity for another pitcher to earn some early starts in the rotation.

With 41 players on the 40-man roster (Phillips is on the 60-day injured list) and another 34 non-roster invitees after infielder Santiago Espinal signed this week, that means a whopping 75 players in big league camp at the moment at Camelback Ranch.

It feels like the Dodgers will make an active roster out of those 75 players currently in camp, but with just over five weeks remaining until opening day, there’s plenty of time remaining for more moves to be made. You never know who might hit the waiver wire in the next few weeks, maybe even a certain backup catcher.

Today’s question is what’s one roster move you think the Dodgers should make before opening day?

Javier Báez had little choice but offer a full mea culpa, even if the situation proved a little absurd.

"This is all my fault," he told reporters in Lakeland, Florida regarding a positive test for marijuana that will prevent him from representing Puerto Rico in next month's World Baseball Classic.

"I'm the one that failed the test. It really hurts my family, my reputation, but it's part of it. Other than that, I got a long season to go, and I got to prepare for that."

Báez, a Detroit Tigers 2025 All-Star, would not have been caught up in a positive test simply under MLB's auspices. The league has not tested members of the 40-man roster for marijuana and after the 2019 season stopped suspending minor league players for positive tests for pot.

Yet the World Baseball Softball Federation, which administers the WBC, still considers it a banned substance, even in this era when other governing bodies prefer players use marijuana rather than opioids to manage pain and other maladies.

His suspension landed at a particularly inopportune time for Puerto Rico's squad, which learned the same week that fellow All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor will not play due to insurance concerns; Lindor eventually suffered a hamate bone injury, anyway.

Báez, 33, is expected to play a key multi-positional role again for the Tigers. He just hoped to rep his home territory in the WBC before then.

"I understand the rules," says Báez, per the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. "It's not like I was taking steroids or anything to last longer or whatever. They made that decision.

"I'm fine with it – I mean, I'm not fine with it. I just keep my mouth shut."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tigers' Javy Baez takes blame for failed drug test that cost him WBC

Good morning! Yesterday was media day in Fort Myers. That’s always been one of the more low-key fun days of spring training, a chance for players to show some personality and for fans to see new faces in the home whites for the first time.

But as the first photos from media day started circulating, the fan reaction wasn’t exactly “fun.” Instead, fans were angry. And they were right to be, because the 2026 Red Sox uniforms look like absolute garbage. Enshittification has come for one of the most classic uniforms in all of world sports:

I’m not even kidding they cannot play a single regular season game like this. This is like actually offensive https://t.co/pthRstsFyC

— Jake (@JakeWallinger) February 17, 2026

I’m going to have an aneurysm they’re not even pressed in the same spot on different jerseys #endfanaticshttps://t.co/PGB1obnZDlpic.twitter.com/UFGqDPmWgV

— Ceddanne Rafaela Enjoyer (@RafaelaEnjoyer) February 17, 2026

Who approved these new Red Sox uniforms? And how do we get them fired?

— Yas 💋 (@yaasssmyn) February 17, 2026

2021 vs 2026

Same piping. Pure incompetence by Fanatics

Destroying iconic jerseys, one team and season at a time #EndFanaticshttps://t.co/94SWkuRor3pic.twitter.com/SncZtS8D5H

— End Fanatics (@End_Fanatics) February 17, 2026

If you’re not familiar with the company that is Fanatics and the monopoly in sports apparel it’s built over the last decade or so, the long and short of it is this: the company makes cheap-looking jerseys with little care or quality control, but it dominates the market because it enables the billionaire owners who sign exclusive deals with it to make a teeny-tiny bit more money than they used to.

Maybe you don’t think it’s a big deal that the Red Sox are going to take the field this year looking like they’re wearing knock-off jerseys from Building #19. After all, it’s just a shirt. But that’s precisely why it is a big deal to me. It isn’t hard to get this right. All Major League Baseball needs to do is accept a little less money in order to look good, do right by players and fans, and preserve the classic look of a jersey that has existed for almost a century now. And yet they just can’t. They are constitutionally incapable of doing anything that doesn’t make them the most money possible, no matter how much money they already have.

I know that a lot of fans just won’t care. But it’s hard for me to look at these jerseys and not see them as emblematic of some of the larger forces of cultural and social degradation that are being heaped upon all of us in this hyper-exploitative phase of human history. Fix the goddamn jerseys, John Henry.

Talk about that, whatever else you want, and, as always, be good to one another.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be rolling out a series of prospect previews for Spring Training. We begin with arguably the Astros’ top prospect in camp this year: Brice Matthews.

Brice Matthews, a Houston native and Atascocita High School graduate, went on to play college baseball at Nebraska. After solid freshman and sophomore campaigns, he broke out as a junior, slashing .359/.481/.723 with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Viewed as one of the best overall athletes in the 2023 draft thanks to his rare power-speed combination, the Astros selected him with the 28th overall pick in the first round.

Matthews’ first full professional season in 2024 got off to a slow start when he missed about a month with lower back issues. Once healthy, he returned to High-A and immediately made an impact, hitting six home runs in his first seven games back to earn a promotion to Double-A. He finished the year with 15 home runs, 32 stolen bases, and an .865 OPS across the three levels.

Assigned to Triple-A out of Spring Training in 2025, Matthews continued to validate the scouting reports. He hit .283 with 10 home runs and 25 stolen bases in 73 games, earning a call-up to Houston. His big league stint exposed some swing-and-miss concerns as he struck out 20 times in 42 at-bats, but he also flashed his upside with four home runs.

Matthews possesses some of the highest upside in the system, pairing impact power and speed with the versatility to move around the diamond. He played games at second base, third base, shortstop and center field last year. His long-term defensive home may not be settled yet, but with a strong spring, he could carve out a super utility role for the Astros in 2026.

Good day everyone! We’ve got a lot of news to get to as we kick off this Wednesday — let’s dive in.

In Mariners news…

• Josh Naylor, who never jokes about anything, says he was entirely serious about the Mariners’ clubhouse dog Tucker playing a major role in his re-signing with the team.
• Daniel Kramer spoke to Julio Rodríguez, who is embracing his role as a veteran on this M’s squad heading into his age-25 season.

Around the league…

• Longtime MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark stunned the baseball world with the sudden announcement that he is stepping down from his post. It was later revealed that he did so due to recent allegations of an inappropriate relationship with this sister-in-law, who also worked at the union office.
• Things don’t look good for Twins starter Pablo López, who has a “significant” tear of his UCL that will likely require Tommy John surgery.
• The Akron RubberDucks announced that they will play under the alternate identity “The Cream Stick Donuts” for a weekend series this year; I think we’ve officially taken this thing too far.
• Eric Logenhagen and Brendan Gawlowski at Fangraphs discussed the prospects they disagree about most in this year’s preseason rankings.
• Meanwhile, Dan Szymborski at Fangraphs unveiled the ZiPS top 100 prospects.

Anders’ picks…

• Looking for another fun daily sports puzzle game? Check out StatPad, which is a neat twist on the standard grid game.