KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 26: Kris Bubic #50 of the Kansas City Royals throws in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians in game two of a doubleheader at Kauffman Stadium on July 26, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The World Baseball Classic is in full swing now, but Spring Training soldiers on with those left behind. Sure, Harry Ford continued his weird dominance of the event while Shohei Ohtani continued to do very Shohei Ohtani things, and Oneil Cruz still hits a ball harder than anyone when he can make contact. Seth “Quarterrican” Lugo pitched four scoreless innings to lead Puerto Rico to victory, and Michael Wacha had a weird outing in relief for USA during their win over Brazil. But guys like Brandon Drury and Kevin Newman still want to find a way to play in MLB this year, so the games in the Cactus and Grapefruit leagues must go on.
Here’s today’s lineup; it continues to be uninspiring while seemingly half the team is scattered around the globe doing mercenary work for their ancestral homes.
Nothing against those guys I mentioned earlier, but when they join with Josh Rojas to form the heart of your order, it’s difficult to expect much of interest to happen.
Kris Bubic will take the mound for his second official appearance of spring. The stuff looked completely normal last time out, so the goal is just to see him continue to build up and not get hurt as we trudge toward Opening Day. Here are the guys on the roster who could pitch after him:
Sanchez, Aaron RHP
Way, Beck RHP
Chamberlain, Christian LHP
Cawyer, Zachary RHP
Johnson, Brandon RHP
Panzini, Shane RHP
Olivárez, Helcris LHP
Patteson, Hunter LHP
The odds are heavily against any of these pitchers making the Opening Day roster, though I did attempt to wishcast Olivárez onto the team in my latest roster prediction. But hey, if you don’t want to listen to this extremely Spring Training game, there is still plenty of WBC to watch! Team Italy is taking on Brazil as this post goes live, and Panama at Puerto Rico isn’t far off.
Don’t lose heart, Opening Day is less than three weeks away!
The fans have openly shared their sentiments, but Skubal is undeterred.
Barring a dramatic change of plans, Skubal’s first and only appearance in the 2026 World Baseball Classic for Team USA will be Saturday evening against Great Britain at Daikin Park in Houston.
He then plans to return back to the team hotel, pack his suitcase, and fly to Florida on Sunday to be back with his Detroit Tigers teammates at spring training in Lakeland.
If USA advances to the semifinals in Miami, as expected, Skubal plans to pitch one spring-training game for the Tigers, and then join Team USA in Miami – but only to be their highest-paid and most decorated cheerleader.
“It’s only a three-hour drive," Skubal said, “I can do that."
Certainly, Team USA officials would love Skubal to stay, and pitch in the semifinal or final, but that would require Skubal to alter his routine. He certainly isn’t going to pitch on short rest in the WBC, and he still needs to be ready for the Tigers’ season-opener March 26 at Petco Park in San Diego.
And, yes, he also has an astronomical payday waiting that will make him the richest starting pitcher in history, likely eclipsing $400 million – and perhaps close to $500 million.
Certainly, after just being with Team USA for a week of workouts and team bonding, Skubal concedes that he is smitten in his first WBC.
“These games are going to feel like playoff games or World Series games," Skubal said. “Those environments are what baseball is and that's where baseball is kind of going. That's why it is the best sport in the world because it is pretty international.
“When you look around at every pool, you look at all the different games going on around the world, those environments are always going to be pretty special. And that's what makes the game of baseball so beautiful."
The only real flaw of the WBC is the timing of the event. Players have been in camp for less than a month, and pitchers certainly aren’t ready to compete like it’s a postseason game.
“As far as the pitching standpoint," Skubal said, “timing is everything. If they can get the timing right to where it is not in a spring training ramp-up phase, I think that will reduce the risk of injuries for pitching, you know."
That's why why Skubal is leaving town, even though WBC fans have been openly critical about his one-and-done.
“The guys have been cool about it," Skubal said, “but I mean, obviously, like publicly, it’s a little bit different perception. But I think they understand what it means for me to be here. Obviously, I want to be in the room, you know, and that's cool for them to even take that aside and be like, 'it's awesome that you're here.'"
Players like three-time MVP Aaron Judge, captain of Team USA, has effusively praised Skubal for being on the team, condemning those who are critical over his limited role.
“He's got the two Cy Young awards, but this guy's about to make half a billion dollars here in the next offseason,’’ Judge said. “So, for him to put it all on the line for his country, and come out here and show up for us. ... You know, maybe it is just one game, but you know there's a risk with everything you do, and for him to take that risk and come out here and be with us, the boys love it."
Says Skubal: “I can’t wait to feel it. It's the first time I've ever been able to wear the USA jersey, and it's going to be special. My family and friends will get to enjoy that. It will be pretty special for everybody involved."
He still plans to pitch in the next WBC and would love to be in the 2028 Olympics, too.
“I'd love to come here and just have a game where I have 100 pitches and be ready to go," Skubal says. “So hopefully the Olympics, they get that at the All-Star break, and they get it right. That way we can send out the best lineup and arms, and they can be at max, full-go. And they don't have to worry about injuries."
PEORIA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 25: Michael King #34 of the San Diego Padres warms up during the first inning of a spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels at Peoria Stadium on February 25, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres at Cleveland Guardians, March 7, 2026, 12:05 p.m. PST
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ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 11: Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrates with Geraldo Perdomo #2 of the Arizona Diamondbacks after Perdomo hit a home run against the Texas Rangers in the third inning at Globe Life Field on August 11, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As one of the more unlikely pennant winners in recent years, the 84-win Diamondbacks of 2023 nearly reached baseball’s peak for the second time in franchise history. While it hasn’t been all doom and gloom for the Snakes, they haven’t been back to the postseason since, and they likely face an uphill battle to do so in 2026.
Despite becoming sellers at the 2025 Trade Deadline, the D-backs remained in the playoff hunt up to the final week of the season. While contending in the competitive National League West feels unlikely, they have enough talent at the top to leave things up in the air, though the realistic estimate is likely somewhere around the .500 mark.
Arizona Diamondbacks
2025 record: 80-82 (4th in NL West) 2026 FanGraphs projection: 81-81 (3rd in NL West)
As mentioned, there was a bit of a fire sale come deadline time for the Diamondbacks last season. In the span of a week at the end of July, Arizona sent off two of their best hitters in Josh Naylor and later Eugenio Suárez to the Mariners, as well as Randal Grichuk to the Royals. On the pitching side, they shipped out veteran hurlers Jordan Montgomery, Shelby Miller, and Merrill Kelly to cap off their mid-season sale.
Despite moving on from a significant portion of the talent on the top of their roster, the D-backs were able to stay in contention nearly through the end of the season, thanks in large part to the talent at the top of their depth chart.
Heading into 2026, their strength remains at the top of their lineup. Their veteran leader, Ketel Marte, is quietly one of baseball’s better position players. After a 2023 campaign that saw him put up a 152 wRC+ and finish third in MVP voting, the now 32-year-old slashed .283/.376/.517 for a 145 wRC+ in his 126 games. He is a star-level player, and perhaps a borderline MVP-type at his best. Looking forward—assuming there are no awkward clubhouse-disrupting incidents—he projects to continue with at least All-Star level production.
Elsewhere in the infield, Geraldo Perdomo was the biggest surprise for the club in 2025, and among the most significant around the league. The 26-year-old shortstop played nearly every game, nearly tripled his career high in homers with 20, and finished as a top-five position player in all of baseball by fWAR with a mark of 7.1. If the D-backs can get even a reasonable portion of that production back in 2026, they’ll be thankful. If they can, he and Marte form one of baseball’s best double play combos.
It doesn’t stop there, either, as Corbin Carroll mans the outfield for the Snakes. Since bursting onto the scene in 2023, the 25-year-old quickly established himself as one of the game’s most talented young players. On the heels of a comparative down year, he locked in that status in 2025, with his first 30-homer season, a 139 wRC+ and 6.5 fWAR. There’s little reason to suspect he won’t continue producing at an elite level in the desert, or perhaps even grow on what he’s established.
The top of the lineup is obviously strong, and the Diamondbacks will look to benefit from a few veteran acquisitions in the lineup as well. The Snakes brought in Nolan Arenado via trade, and Carlos Santana in free agency hoping to solidify positions they sold from at last year’s deadline.
The pitching side of things is slightly less exciting for the D-backs, as they’ll look to get everything they can out of their veteran arms. Zac Gallen, who took a step back after a few years of Cy Young Award contention, enters his age-30 campaign on the heels of a 4.50 FIP and a the lowest strikeout rate of his career. Ryne Nelson enters the season on the other end of swings on an upswing. 2025 saw him manage a 3.39 ERA in over 150 innings, as he’ll hope to build on a career-year to this point.
Veterans Eduardo Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt, and Michael Soroka round out the projected rotation for Arizona, and likely bring more questions than answers. Rodriguez was not great in 150 innings last year and now enters his mid-30s, Pfaadt is still waiting to take a jump to being a consistent big league starter, and Soroka has an obvious injury history that brings reasonable concern. The lack of certainty makes the return of a re-signed Merrill Kelly and former Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes (from Tommy John surgery) all the more important for Arizona.
The bullpen also brings about plenty of questions. There are some new-ish names in the fold projected to fill substantial roles out of relief in 2026, with Taylor Clarke and former Yankee Jonathan Loáisiga now on board, as well as the return of their veteran closer from 2023, Paul Sewald. The unit does, however, lack locked-in dominant arms in the back end for high-leverage spots.
The Diamondbacks have loads of talent at the top of their depth chart, but middling supplementary players and injury trouble in the rotation lead to plenty of questions outside of the top few guys. Perhaps the biggest barrier to their success, however, is the dominant Dodgers, and perennially competitive clubs in the Padres and Giants.
More Pinstripe Alley MLB team season previews can be found here.
HOUSTON — Joseph Contreras tried to go to sleep Friday night, but it was impossible.
His cell phone kept ringing. Friends were calling. Teammates from Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell, Georgia were screaming. Coaches were checking in. And family members were euphoric.
When he finally fell asleep, he had already received hundreds of text messages, and when he woke up early in the morning, hundreds more awaited.
“My phone has been blowing up," Contreras said. “We have a group chat. It was just going crazy. It was, like, 'Let's go, you're the man!'
“And it was just really exciting and knowing that they were always behind me because this year went on and on, and I could feel the presence of not just me, but my whole support staff."
Contreras, the youngest player in this World Baseball Classic, burst onto the scene Friday night when he entered the game for Brazil to face the most powerful lineup in the world.
He came in throwing 97-mph fastballs, forkballs and changeups, and although he was hardly perfect in his 1 ⅓-inning stint, he had a surreal moment that he’ll cherish forever.
Bases loaded. One out.
Judge at the plate.
And he induced an inning-ending double play grounder that had the entire baseball world buzzing.
“The scouting report was just attack him hard in, and then if we go away on him," Contreras said, “make sure it's up and away. So I was just, like, OK, I'll throw the fastball up and away. After that, it was 1-1, needed to win the count, so I decided to go two-seam hard on him."
Boom, Judge hit a routine ground ball just 77.2-mph off his bat to third baseman Leonardo Reginatto, who started the double play.
The next thing Contreras knew, he was dancing off the mound celebrating while his Brazilian teammates screamed.
“Now that I look back," Contreras said, “I can see the magnitude of bases loaded, one out. In the moment I was [thinking], “I just have to execute my pitches and just hopefully just get him out somehow. Fly ball. Maybe ground ball. Just force weak contact.'"
Certainly, it grabbed the attention of pro scouts in attendance. If Contreras was ranked 47th on the MLB.com draft prospect list, they sure want to know who the other 46 players are ahead of him.
“I think it just shows scouts that my stuff plays,” said Contreras, who has a verbal commitment with Vanderbilt. “I just followed my father’s advice. My father told me to keep attacking the zone. He also told me that I show no fear and that I should keep on working with what I've got.
“At the end of the day I need to get more outs or more strikeouts, and that is what's going to help me get to the next level."
And after watching Contreras perform Friday, there’s no doubt in the mind of Judge and other players on the USA team that they’ll be facing him again one day in the big leagues.
“I know I wasn't doing that at that age," Judge said. "Just great stuff. I know he had some poise on the mound. He's throwing 100 miles an hour. He's facing Team USA, a lot of guys he has seen on TV.
"It was just impressive seeing him control himself out there and get out of a big jam. And he had some good stuff."
He’ll be going back to reality and high school after Brazil plays its final game in the WBC.
But, oh, will he ever have some stories to tell his buddies back home.
“Can you imagine?" USA starter Logan Webb said. “This guy is throwing a high school game a week ago, and now he’s throwing 98-mph against our lineup. Impressive to watch."
How much golf can MLB players squeeze into spring training?Jessica Marksbury
When Oakland Athletics DH Brent Rooker starts the MLB spring training season in Scottsdale, Ariz., the 31-year-old two-time All-Star can look forward to competition both on the field and off.
As the Subpar guest this week, Rooker told hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz that he was just coming off a sweet round of 75 — but still got blitzed by his teammate, second baseman Jeff McNeil, who posted a 68.
“I was 3 under through five,” Rooker said, noting that he has never fired a round under par before. “I got nervous early.”
Just how often do MLB players have the chance to play golf during spring training? According to Rooker, quite a bit! He explained the details of how it all works.
“The goal normally is like between 45 and 50 at-bats,” he said of his spring training schedule. “I think there’s like 30 games, so that’s probably 18 or 19 games to get those 45 to 50 at-bats somewhere around there.
“Once you’re established and you kind of know your role and you know what you need and you know your routine and what you need to be prepared for the season, it kind of dictates itself a little bit better,” Rooker continued. “Once you’re kind of set and established, you know what you’re doing, it’s just kind of all about getting prepared for the season.”
Rooker said that the A’s organization doesn’t require game attendance during spring training when a player isn’t scheduled to play, and even if you do have to attend, you can leave after the fifth inning, which opens up ample afternoon time for a round.
“I’ve played five times since being out here, so not daily, every other day so far, probably, which, I mean, I hope to keep that pace up,” Rooker said. “Obviously, I’m by myself right now, my wife and kids come out sporadically in spring training, so when they’re here, no golf unfortunately. But when they’re not here, I try to take advantage of whatever afternoons I can.”
For more from Rooker, including his favorite course and his favorite PGA pro to follow, check out the full episode below.
CLEARWATER, Fla. — For a 22-year-old, Andrew Painter has seen a thing or two.
Gatorade Player of the Year hardware, a $3.9 million signing bonus, Tommy John surgery, two years of rehab, an underwhelming season at Triple-A and now, an inside track to be the Phillies’ fifth starter.
His calm, collected personality is quite the benefit at his age, especially for the intense Philadelphia environment he’ll soon walk into.
That experience, particularly working through command issues in his first season back from surgery, has added a new layer of skin and a different level of preparation.
On Saturday afternoon at sunny BayCare Ballpark against Toronto, that patience was tested early.
A four-pitch walk to open the game. The first allowed by any of the Phillies’ projected five starters this spring. It was the strongest indicator that Painter didn’t have his best stuff. And for a pitcher who relies on a five-pitch mix, command is what will make the six-foot-seven Florida native successful at the big-league level.
He battled anyway. Three innings, no runs.
Like a pro.
“I didn’t have my best stuff today,” Painter said. “Four-pitch walk to start, kind of go into a hole, but you’ve got to go out there and compete and get yourself out of it. I thought I made some good pitches. I thought the spin was good. I would love to get the changeup going a little bit, but you’ve got to take what you’re given that day and work with it.”
The ability to work through a rough start without letting it snowball was exactly what Rob Thomson was watching for.
“Control and command were off a little bit in the first inning, but the second inning was better than the first and the third was better than the second,” Thomson said. “The encouraging thing to me is that it didn’t spiral on him. And J.T. does a nice job mixing pitches — when Painter missed with his fastball, they changed to another pitch and got him back in his zone.”
That’s the spiral that plagued Painter in 2025 at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Opponents teed off when he fell behind early, and it happened often. His first-pitch strike percentage was 48.8 percent, a mark that would have tied for the lowest in the big leagues since 2021.
When hitters got ahead in the count, they hit .299, drew 47 walks and his WHIP ballooned to 2.74. Overall, he posted a 5.26 ERA and allowed an .826 OPS.
On Saturday, Painter consistently missed above the zone with his fastball, giving Blue Jays hitters the opportunity to swing in favorable counts against both his heater and his breaking pitches. Justin Crawford and Adolis García made impressive catches to save extra bases.
Still, he held them scoreless. And that matters.
“Any time you throw a zero out there, you can’t complain about it,” Painter said. “You can go back and look at some things you might want to tweak or adjust moving forward, but can’t complain.”
Thomson agreed that getting outs without premium stuff is its own kind of progress.
“Absolutely,” he said, when asked if the outing showed Painter can be effective even when he’s not missing bats. “The velocity’s good. He’s got a good ride to it. This part of spring, sometimes you’re going to have those outings where you don’t have the true command and control. But I’m encouraged at how he finished up.”
A big piece of that finishing up involves trust. Painter has already leaned heavily on catcher J.T. Realmuto, 34, for his preparation and feel for the strike zone.
“Everyone on the pitching staff trusts J.T.,” Painter said. “You don’t really second-guess him. Anything he calls, whatever you hear in the PitchCom, you’ve got to have confidence and conviction in it. Having J.T. back there helps that.”
Painter is a competitor. He may not always show it in his demeanor, but his offseasons prove it. He plays basketball to stay in shape and has spent years training alongside two of the more notable arms in the game —rotation mate Jesús Luzardo and Max Scherzer, who made a cameo opposite Painter on Saturday as a member of the Blue Jays.
Scherzer is 41 years old, 6,138 days Painter’s senior. The two have worked out together for years and built a genuine mentorship.
“He’s big on the prep work and the timing of the offseason, the ramp-up process,” Painter said of Scherzer. “You don’t want to get started too early, you don’t want to get going too late — you want a nice, easy build-up without any spikes. He’s been a big mentor for that.”
The competitive edge has rubbed off, too.
“Seeing him in the gym — every aspect of it,” Painter said. “Luzardo is a big one as well, where you’ll see Scherzer and Luzardo go back and forth, whether it’s some sort of three-cone drill in the weight room where it’s timed. Seeing those guys compete, I admire it.”
That competitive mindset traces back to the Tommy John recovery process, and it shows in the mature mentality the soon-to-be rookie possesses.
“With rehab, there’s only so much you can do to compete,” Painter said. “It’s just that mindset of those days where you don’t have your best stuff — that’s where the competitor really comes out and you just have to pitch.”
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 28: Nick Lodolo #40 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on September 28, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds will venture over to Surprise, Arizona for Saturday’s Cactus League action, the Kansas City Royals playing host for the day. The Royals will be starting veteran left-hander Kris Bubic, and perhaps with that in mind manager Terry Francona has rolled out a starting lineup featuring a lone left-handed hitter (TJ Friedl) to start the day.
Hat-tip to Redleg Nation’s Doug Gray for relaying the travel roster for the day, one that features red-hot regulars Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, and Sal Stewart in the heart of the lineup.
Fellow lefty Nick Lodolo will start for Cincinnati on the day, doing so now with a potential Opening Day start in his crosshairs with fellow starter Hunter Greene sidelined indefinitely with elbow stiffness. As things look at the moment, Greene will almost certainly not be ready to go on Day One, leaving the likes of Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, and Brady Singer the most obvious candidates to get the honor.
In Lodolo’s first (and only, so far) start of Cactus League play, he fired a pair of scoreless IP with 4 K, nary a walk, and a pair of scattered hits, though that did come against the lowly Chicago White Sox. On Saturday, he’ll get the chance to show even more against a more potent Royals club even though their star, Bobby Witt, Jr., is away with Team USA playing in the World Baseball Classic.
Old friends Jonathan India, Brandon Drury, and Kevin Newman are in the starting lineup today for the Royals.
First pitch is set for the usual 3:05 PM ET, though there is once again no televised feed. Reds radio will be there for your ears, however, on 1360 WSAI.
TOKYO, JAPAN - MARCH 07: Seiya Suzuki #51 of Team Japan celebrates hitting a two run home run in the first inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool C game between South Korea and Japan at Tokyo Dome on March 7, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Toru Hanai/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The WBC got wild yesterday and earlier today with eight games. I’ll try to get you as caught up as I can. There were some good performances from Cubs players as well.
Right fielder Yoelkis Guilbert and third baseman Yoán Moncada both homered as Cuba slipped past Panama, 3-1.
Guardians pitcher Logan Allen, whose mother is Panamanian, started for Panama. Guilbert, who plays in the Cuban League and winter ball in Mexico, hit a solo home run off him with two outs in the second inning. In the third, Moncada connected for a home run off of Allen with a man on to make it 3-0 Cuba.
Meanwhile, Panama couldn’t do much off of six Cuban pitchers. They managed to get one run when former Braves infielder Johan Camargo singled home Cardinals minor leaguer Leonardo Bernel. But that was all the offense they could manage.
Catcher Miguel Amaya started for Panama and went 0 for 3 before he was pulled for a pinch-hitter. Christian Bethancourt, who is back with the Cubs these days, was 0 for 1.
Once starter José Quintana left the game, Puerto Rico had no problem putting away Colombia, 5-0.
Quintana was magnificent for Colombia. He allowed only one baserunner over three innings, a leadoff walk in the third. But thanks to a 4-6-3 double play, Quintana faced the minimum over his three innings.
But former Mets and Angels minor leaguer Adrián Almeida came on to pitch the fourth and he retired Puerto Rico in order in that inning. But then he came out for the fifth and got rocked for five runs. After A’s teammates Carlos Cortes and Darell Hernaiz both singled to start the inning, an error by Colombian third baseman Gio Urshela allowed one run to score and opened up the five-run inning. Eddie Rosario and Martin Maldonado had RBI singles, Willi Castro hit an RBI double and Heliot Ramos had a sacrifice fly.
Colombia managed just five singles, three of them by outfielder Harold Ramírez who was 3 for 4.
Team Mexico scored three runs in the eighth inning and four in the top of the ninth to turn a tight contest into an 8-2 blowout.
Javier Assad got the start for Mexico and he shut down the British batters for 3.2 scoreless innings. Assad allowed two hits. He walked one and struck out two.
Mexico struck first in the top of the second with a solo home run by Braves infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. The blast came off of Great Britain starter and Red Sox minor leaguer Jack Anderson.
Mexico then pushed across four more runs in the top of the ninth. Great Britain got a consolation run in the bottom of the inning on a double by Trayce Thompson.
Cubs minor leaguer BJ Murray Jr. was 1 for 3 with a walk for Great Britain.
The US tacked on another run in the third inning when Cal Raleigh walked with the bases loaded.
It looked like the rout was on when the US scored four runs in the top of the fifth inning. Byron Buxton was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for one run, then Brice Turang emptied the bases with this three-run double [VIDEO]
But Michael Wacha let the Brazilians back in the game when he allowed three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Former Astros minor leaguer Victo Masai hit a two-run home run. [VIDEO] which was the key hit of the inning.
But Brazil ran out of pitchers who could throw a strike and Team USA scored seven runs on three singles and five walks in the top of the ninth.
Brazil’s pitching staff clearly struggled to find the plate as they walked 17 (!!) US batters and hit two of them.
Alex Bregman was 0 for 1 with four walks and one hit by pitch. He scored twice and had one RBI.
Pete Crow-Armstrong took over center field after Byron Buxton was hit by a pitch (purely precautionary, we were told) and was 0 for 2 with a bases-loaded walk in the ninth.
Jan Novák, who had two years in rookie ball with the Orioles over a decade ago, got the start against Chinese Taipei and got rocked for two runs in the first and four in the second.
After Fairchild’s home run, the game was pretty much over as Czechia could only manage four hits. A’s minor leaguer Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, Diamondbacks minor leaguer Yu-Min Lin and former Diamondbacks farmhand Kai-Wei Lin combined on the shutout, which ended after seven innings because of the mercy rule.
Korea jumped out to an early lead over the favored hosts, but in the end Japan had too much talent and prevailed 8-6.
Korea jumped all over Samurai Japan starter Yusei Kikuchi, scoring three runs in the top of the first. Jung Ho Lee hit an RBI single, followed by a two-run double by LG Twins first baseman Bo Gyeong Moon [VIDEO].
Shohei Ohtani (who else?) brought Japan level with a solo home run in the third. But Japan wasn’t done. After Softbank outfielder Kensuke Kondoh struck out, Suzuki and Masataka Yoshida went back-to-back to give Japan a 5-3 lead.
But Japan proved to be too much for Korea and scored three more times in the seventh. Suzuki walked with the bases loaded and then Yoshida hit a two-run single.
Korea tried to rally off of Softbank Hawks reliever Yuki Matsumoto in the top of the eighth. Jung Hoo Lee led off the inning with a double and would come around to score on a two-out single by the NC Dino’s Ju Won Kim. Matsumoto then loaded the bases, but Hyeseong Kim struck out with the go-ahead run on first to end th threat.
Venezuela scored four runs in the fifth inning and had little trouble in their first game against the Netherlands.
Ronald Acuña Jr. led off the bottom of the first inning with a double off of Netherlands starter Antwone Kelly, who pitched for the Pirates Double-A affiliate in Altoona last year. Acuña scored two batters later on a single by Luis Arraez.
Nicaragua gave the powerhouse Dominicans an early scare, but eventually won going away thanks to home runs by Junior Caminero, Julio Rodríguez and Oneil Cruz.
Dominican starter Christopher Sánchez struggled, giving up one run in the top of the first inning and two in the second. Blue Jays minor league outfielder Ismael Munguia had one RBI single of Sánchez in the first. Brewers Triple-A shortstop Freddy Zamora had an RBI double in the second and Chase Dawson of the indy ball Schaumburg Boomers had an RBI single. [VIDEO]
However, the Dominicans scored twice in the bottom of the first with an RBI double by Ketel Marte and an RBI groundout by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. So it was 3-2 Nicaragua until the bottom of the third inning, when Rodríguez singled home Juan Soto.
Julio Rodríguez made it 6-3 with a solo home run in the seventh. Then the Dominicans exploded for six runs in the bottom of the eighth, highlighted by this monster 450-foot three-run home run by Oneil Cruz. [VIDEO]
Mar 6, 2026; Lakeland, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers right fielder Kerry Carpenter (30) hits during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images
SARASOTA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 12: Cade Povich #37 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches live during practice at Ed Smith Stadium on February 12, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Baltimore Orioles/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of the oddities of spring training is when you get a split squad and two different sets of Orioles are playing at once. That’s what’s happening here on Saturday, with one set of Orioles staying in Sarasota to play some Twins, and another set of Orioles traveling to the Braves spring home to play a game there.
Tough luck if you want to watch on TV or streaming. Although this game was initially listed for a MASN broadcast, it isn’t now. I don’t know why they changed their plans. The Sarasota game is Orioles radio only. If you have access to the Braves feed on MLB.tv, you can watch the road guys in action. That game has a Braves radio feed as well.
Home Orioles starting lineup
Heston Kjerstad – RF
Adley Rutschman – C
Pete Alonso – 1B
Taylor Ward – DH
Blaze Alexander – CF
Coby Mayo – 3B
Leody Taveras – RF
Thairo Estrada – 2B
Wehiwa Aloy – SS
Cade Povich is the starting pitcher for the home Orioles today.
It is not worth getting worked up too much about spring training lineups and this is doubly true on a split squad day where the team is required to send a minimum number of MLB players along on its road game. Still, there are a couple of interesting things.
One, Alexander playing center field. It seems like “maybe this fast middle-infielder can handle center field” is one of those perpetual thoughts that is seldom tried. Remember how often we heard it about Jorge Mateo, for instance. He started a total of 14 games in center field for the Orioles. It wasn’t an ongoing thing. We’ll see if Alexander playing there becomes a thing or if it’s just a weird one-off for this split squad day.
Two, Aloy is in the starting lineup. It’s not typical to see a player who isn’t even a non-roster invite make a start – Aloy’s appearances are “borrowed from minor league camp.” Easier to make it work on a split squad day, especially when the expected starting shortstop, Gunnar Henderson, is away with Team USA for the World Baseball Classic, not that Team USA’s manager seems to have the savvy to recognize Henderson as a starting lineup-caliber player there.
Road Orioles starting lineup
Dylan Beavers – CF
Ryan Mountcastle – 1B
Samuel Basallo – C
Bryan Ramos – 3B
Reed Trimble – RF
Weston Wilson – LF
Sam Huff – DH
Willy Vasquez – 2B
José Barrero – SS
Luis De León is the starting pitcher for the road team. It’s too bad there’s not a local broadcast for one of the team’s top pitching prospects in action. On the other hand, there’s not much to see with the rest of this.
Probably it means nothing, but I do have a slight eyebrow raised at Colton Cowser not being in either of these starting lineups. If he doesn’t play tomorrow either, that might be a thing to keep an eye on.
I follow Orioles news very closely and I could not tell you one thing about Willy Vasquez or José Barrero.
I don’t know whether Vance Honeycutt is available for either of these teams to try to continue his perfect and homer-heavy sporadic spring at-bat streak.
FORMER CUBS IN ATHLETICS CAMP: Mark Leiter Jr., Brooks Kriske.
CUBS IN THE WBC: Alex Bregman, 0-for-1 with four walks and a HBP. Pete Crow-Armstrong, 0-for-2, one walk. Miguel Amaya, 0-for-3. Seiya Suzuki, 3-for-7, two home runs, two walks, four RBI, four runs. Daniel Palencia: 1 IP, two strikeouts. Javier Assad, 3 IP, 0.00 ERA, two strikeouts.
Here are today’s particulars.
The Cubs lineup was not available at posting time. Please check BCB social media for the Cubs lineup.
Shōta Imanaga will start for the Cubs. Other Cubs pitchers scheduled today: Gavin Hollowell, Riley Martin, Jack Neely, Jeff Brigham and Connor Schultz.
Mason Barnett will start for the A’s. Other A’s pitchers scheduled today: Hogan Harris, Justin Sterner and Matt Krook. The A’s are a split squad today.
No TV today. There will be a radio broadcast on The Score.
Please visit our SB Nation A’s site Athletics Nation. If you do go there to interact with A’s fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
As we have done in the past, we’ll have a first pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time. For today, that will be 2 p.m. CT and 3:30 p.m. CT.
These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked ”Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher photos and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.
Feb 22, 2026; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Leahy (62) pitches against the Houston Astros during the first inning at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Kyle Leahy will have another opportunity to prove to the St. Louis Cardinals that he has what it takes to be a starter as he’ll be on the mound to do battle with the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium. According to MLB.com, Kodai Senga will make the Spring Training start for the Mets. The Cardinals have Masyn Winn leading off again for some reason while JJ Wetherholt is in the cleanup spot.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 07: Christian Vazquez #8 of the Minnesota Twins celebrates with Manuel Margot #13 and Max Kepler #26 after hitting a walk-off home run against the Houston Astros on July 7, 2024 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Houston brings back a member of it’s 2022 World Series Champion team to back up Yainer Diaz.
The Houston Astros finally addressed their backup catcher situation today, bringing back catcher Christian Vazquez on a minor league deal.
Vazquez was a member of the Astros’ 2022 World Championship team, acquired at the deadline to boost catcher production down the stretch and in the playoffs.
Vazquez has always had an excellent defensive reputation, and still grades as an above average defensive catcher. It’s his offense that has fallen since 2022, but that may not be the Astros’ primary decision for making this move.
While Vazquez had always been a decent to solid hitter for the Red Sox, his limited playing time after being acquired by the Astros in a deadline deal that sent Enmanuel Valdez and Wilyer Abreu to Boston had a notable impact on his offensive production.
Vazquez arrived in Houston batting .282 with a .759 OPS. However, he would find himself on the bench more often than not and his production dropped. He would bat .250 with a .585 OPS in 104 AB for the Astros in the second half of 2022.
Vazquez, who has a career .262 AVG and .700 OPS as a member of the Red Sox, would never approach his Boston numbers again. After leaving Houston following the 2022 season, he has played the last 3 seasons in Minnesota, where the bat has been invisible.
2023: .223 AVG .598 OPS
2024: .221 AVG .575 OPS
2025: .189 AVG .545 OPS
Those numbers are actually slightly worse than Martin Maldonado’s numbers with Houston from 2021-2023, when his offense became a major concern as his defense began to slide. Maldonado, to his credit, could hit double digit HRs, twice in that span hitting 15 HR in a single season. Vazquez has 16 HR over the last 3 years combined.
It would seem, however, that Vazquez is being brought back more for his defense, leadership, and ability to help develop young pitchers. Vazquez has a reputation for tremendous preparation work, keen awareness and a very high baseball IQ.
Houston has a lot of young and new pitchers on it’s staff, and Vazquez could be a boon to those players in their development and success.
Vazquez did have some key moments in the Astros 2022 Championship run, including catching the first combined no-hitter (and second ever no-hitter) in World Series history in Game 4 of the 2022 Series.
He also delivered a two-run single in Game 3 of the ALCS leading the Astros to a 5-0 victory over the Yankees.
Vazquez is currently playing for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, and will join the Astros afterwards.
Vazquez should be considered the favorite to start the season on the main roster as the backup to Yainer Diaz based on his experience alone. Houston has not been shy about it’s reservations regarding Cesar Salazar’s inexperience and ability to perform at the major league level. Despite not yet having joined the team, Vazquez’ leadership and experience will likely be the deciding factors.
CLEARWATER, FL - MARCH 1: Andrew Painter #76 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch against the New York Yankees during the first inning of the spring training baseball game at BayCare Ballpark on March 1, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
