Phillies relief pitcher Daniel Robert is hospitalized and in stable condition after collapsing during his first bullpen session of spring training on Sunday.
Phillies relief pitcher Daniel Robert is hospitalized and in stable condition after collapsing during his first bullpen session of spring training on Sunday.
Medical staff rushed to the aid of Robert, 31, who stumbled off the mound amid a cardiac incident at the club’s camp in Clearwater, Florida.
Phillies pitcher Daniel Robert made his Major League debut in 2024. Getty Images
The training personnel used a defibrillator and transported him to the hospital, where he is “stable and alert,” the team said.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Robert maintained consciousness throughout the event and managed to leave the field under his own power.
Robert suffered a similar cardiac incident in October, after which the Phillies medical team resuscitated him with CPR and an external defibrillator.
He then received an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), which was “triggered” during Sunday’s event.
The device data was reviewed at the hospital, according to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki.
RHP Daniel Robert collapsed throwing a bullpen session this morning in Clearwater. He had an event last year.
Team said, “The ICD was triggered as he was coming off the mound but he is stable and alert. He was taken to the local hospital to have the device data reviewed.”
Robert made 15 appearances for the Phillies in 2025. MLB Photos via Getty Images
Robert — who held a 4.15 ERA across 15 appearances with the Phillies in 2025 — returned to the franchise last month on a minor-league deal and joined the team as a non-roster invitee for training camp.
The right-hander told NBC’s Jim Salisbury that the driving factor in his return was the bond he’d forged with the organization and its medical staff, saying “I owe everything to them.”
“They stayed in touch all winter,” Robert added. “They were super accommodating. They knew exactly what was going on and had a plan for me. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to play this season, but if I was able to, I wanted it to be here because of the way the Phillies supported me. All the tests show I’m healthy. The Phillies helped me get to see some of the best doctors in the country.”
Further medical tests delayed Robert’s first bullpen of the season until Sunday.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 24: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at bat against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim during a spring training game on March 24, 2025 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers are back in Southern California on Sunday night to start the exhibition Freeway Series against the Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. Much like Friday night against the Padres at Camelback Ranch, Sunday showcases another potential opening day lineup for the Dodgers, this time with Alex Freeland at second base after getting good news Sunday morning.
Lineup
Shohei Ohtani DH Michael Tucker RF Mookie Betts SS Freddie Freeman 1B Will Smith C Max Muncy 3B Teoscar Hernández LF Andy Pages CF Alex Freeland 2B
Tyler Glasnow starts on the mound.
Other pitchers
Non-roster pitchers Chris Campos and Antoine Kelly are active for the Freeway Series, as is the full major league bullpen. Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, and Ben Casparius are expected to pitch Sunday night.
Up from the minors are Ronan Kopp (wearing number 83), Cam Day (89), Antonio Knowles (92), and Cody Morse (90).
Other position players
Miguel Rojas, Santiago Espinal, Alex Call, and Dalton Rushing are active, as is catcher Eliézer Alfonzo, the last remaining non-roster position player in camp.
Up from the minors are Zach Ehrhard (99), James Tibbs III (98), Eduardo Quintero (87), Emil Morales (93), Chase Harlan (94), and Joendry Vargas (88).
On this day, the White Sox brought back catcher Reese McGuire and parked him on the South Side. | (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
1904 Bob Elson, who would become the longest-tenured broadcaster in White Sox history, was born in Chicago.
Elson graduated from DePaul but became a WGN voice in 1929 almost completely by accident, being pulled into an audition while merely taking a tour of KWK in St. Louis and then WGN snatching him home. He would go on to cover more than 5,000 baseball games in his career.
Elson spent most of his career covering both White Sox and Cubs games, but from 1946-70 worked only on the White Sox. He had a smooth delivery that allowed him also to shift over to Blackhawks work (1934-55, interrupted only by service in World War II), and pro football (Bears and Cardinals) in the 1930s. He was also one of the first broadcasters to conduct on-field interviews.
While not exactly the most beloved or colorful voice in club history, there will never be another broadcaster who comes close to the service Bob Elson gave the White Sox.
1906 Moose Solters, who finished his career with the White Sox, was born, in Pittsburgh. The left fielder seemed on his way to superstardom, with brilliant early-career seasons for the Red Sox and Browns. But three of his four seasons from 1936-39 were poor, prompting the White Sox to buy low on Solters in a 1939 challenge trade with St. Louis, sending the Browns left fielder Rip Radcliff. Radcliff had a great 1940 season in St. Louis, leading the majors in hits. Solters also had a strong, bounce-back season.
Sadly, during the 1941 season Moose was struck by a loose baseball while walking onto the field at Griffith Stadium in Washington, sustaining a skull fracture. His comeback attempt failed, as his eyesight began to fail him as a result of the injury.
For you trivia buffs, both Solters and Marv Owen were born on exactly the same day, preceding the first White Sox championship season. Solters played three seasons with the White Sox and Owen two, and depending on the timing of transactions the birthday twins may have been briefly on the same White Sox roster: Owen was sold to the Red Sox on Dec. 8, 1939, the same day Solters came to the South Side in trade.
1985 Primary 1960s White Sox owner Art Allyn passed away at age 71, in Sarasota.
He came to the White Sox a lion and went out a lamb — or maybe it was the other way around. Allyn had the winning bid to secure the club from Bill Veeck and shrewdly rebuilt an aging team via GM Ed Short. In fact, for all of the storied White Sox seasons, the best three-year record for the franchise came under Allyn’s ownership, 1963-65.
Allyn had a heroic side off the field as well: Repulsed by the segregation Florida continued to practice into the 1960s, the owner bought a motel near the Sarasota training grounds to allow his Black White Sox players to sidestep the institutional racism still being practiced.
On the other hand, Allyn did leave the White Sox as a villain. Allyn was unwilling to hold Short’s feet to the fire after a series of sour moves in the second half of the 1960s, and the threadbare White Sox began to openly solicit Milwaukee as a relocation site after the Braves moved south to Atlanta. It was Allyn who steered the Sox up north to play a significant percentage of their home schedule at County Stadium, not Comiskey Park.
Finally, with Art on the verge of selling the White Sox to interests who would have vacated Comiskey Park permanently, Art’s brother John Allyn intervened and bought Art out in 1969, saving the White Sox for Chicago.
2026 The White Sox signed catcher Reese McGuire to a $1.2 million contract, beginning his second go-around with the team. McGuire originally played on the South Side in 2022, slashing .221/.261/.285 in 53 games before being dealt to Boston for Jake Diekman. That 0.0 WAR effort was enough to bring the 31-year-old back to town, likely costing the White Sox younger and cheaper catching prospect Korey Lee.
The Seattle Mariners for years have done a “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Night” for years, and in 2026 they will expand that to include a BYU night.
On Saturday August, 22 against the Chicago Cubs the Mariners will host a BYU Night. If you purchase the ticket special you will receive a Mariners-themed BYU Jersey. Below is the description from the Mariners.
“Rally your crew for BYU Night at T-Mobile Park on Saturday, August 22! With this exclusive offer, you can score a Mariners-themed BYU Jersey and specially priced tickets to a marquee matchup against the Cubs. Plus, $5 of every ticket sold will benefit the BYU Scholarship Replenishment Fund.”
I live in the Seattle area and have been working with the Mariners and BYU on this promotion. The Mariners have done college themed nights for regional universities in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, and this will be the furthest college themed night they have done. The Mariners have seen the success from LDS night and recognize all the BYU alumni and fans in the Pacific Northwest.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 13: Maikel Garcia #11, Bobby Witt Jr. #7, Vinnie Pasquantino #9, and Michael Massey #19 of the Kansas City Royals talk during a pitching change in the fifth inning during a game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on August 13, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s time to predict how the season will play out! How will the Royals do? Who will win MVP? Who will end up playing in the World Series?
Give us your predictions on the Royals, the playoffs, and awards for the 2026 season by filling out this short survey. You can see last year’s predictions here. We’ll unveil what the readers predicted on Wednesday, plus predictions from our writers.
DENVER, COLORADO - JANUARY 30: A girl holds a sign that states "NO!" as demonstrators participate in a protest against ICE "reign of terror" actions ongoing in Minnesota on January 30, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. Many similar demonstrations are occurring nationwide today in a uniformed display of collective protest. (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images) | Getty Images
No.
…
Wait, you want more? How about in bold?
No.
Ok, I guess I should probably show my working a little bit. So what I did was gather up the D-backs’ spring training results for each season since 2003 (which is where ESPN’s statistics begin), with the exception of 2020 – when both spring training and the regular season were kinda half-assed. I took the win percentage of the team that spring (ties, which are a thing in the Cactus League, were discarded) and plotted it against the regular season record for the same year. If there was any kind of correlation, you’d expect there to be a visible line. Here’s what the graph actually looks like:
Yeah, I’m not really seeing it, unless I squint particularly hard. Far and away the best spring record was in 2016, when the Diamondbacks went 24-8, the best spring record in the majors by 2.5 games. If you don’t remember much else about the 2016 season, there’s good reason for that. Conversely, one of the worst springs came in 2011, when Arizona went 12-25, the lowest win percentage in the Cactus League. But that ended up being the last time the team won the division, doing so by a comfortable eight-game margin. All told, the correlation between spring and regular season records is .105 – pretty weak.
That figure is roughly in line with an earlier and broader study, carried out in 2002. It concluded, “The correlation between spring records and regular season records is .15… For comparison, the correlation between last year’s regular season record and this year’s regular season record during the same period is a much stronger .52.” In other words, if you want to see how a team is going to do this year, looking at how they did last year is going to be a far better predictor, than what they are doing in spring. There are a lot of reasons for this, mostly connected to the fact that teams are simply not trying their utmost to win Cactus League games.
We see this in line-ups which become a game of “Who’s he?” after the fifth inning. In pitchers who enter a game more interested in refining a particular pitch – or perhaps, trying out a new one – than getting people out. In outfielders not putting their bodies on the line to make preseason plays which could end up in injury. In schedules which don’t reflect the regular season – this spring, the D-backs play the White Sox as often as any NL West opponent. In veterans who, let’s be honest, aren’t fighting for a roster spot, know exactly what they need to do to be ready, and are understandably disinclined to do any more.
There is an argument to be made that there is a connection, but it’s diluted by time. After all, the Opening Day roster for the D-backs in 2025, was radically different from the one which took the field after the trade deadline. [As a rough check, of the fourteen players to appear in the D-backs’ August 1 game against the Athletics, only half were on the Opening Day roster] So, let’s plot Arizona’s spring training record against what the team does at the very start of the season, with their record through the end of April that season. Maybe that will show a greater degree of correlation?
…or not. “Not” works too. Indeed, and slightly weirdly, there is actually less correlation, with a figure of just .007. It does vary. Last year, the numbers were actually fairly close: 17-14 in spring, then 16-14 through the end of April. But over three consecutive seasons either side of COVID, from 2018 through 2021, there was a gap of more than 150 points in the win percentages. The all-time gap, however, belongs to 2008, at a whopping 314 points. The Diamondbacks went an underwhelming 8-12 in spring, then roared out of the gate with a 20-8 record, before… Yeah, it kinda was downhill for them thereafter.
It does all average out over time. The composite record from 2003-25 (again, excluding 2020) comes in at a win percentage of .495, which sits almost exactly between the team’s record through April (.510) and their mark across all regular season games (.478) over the same period. The D-backs have generally been… well, mediocre over the past twenty-plus years and that is reflected in general mediocrity before Opening Day. Might be interesting to see whether or not that applies to, say, the Dodgers: are they as good in spring as they have been during the regular season? But, meh. It’s the Dodgers, so who cares?
Below is the actual data used in the graphs. Told you I’d show my working. 🙂
Mets top outfield prospect Carson Benge entered 2026 spring training with every chance to not only win a spot on the Opening Day roster but also the starting job in right field.
And while the team concluded their Grapefruit League schedule with a 4-3 loss to the Miami Marlins on Sunday afternoon, Benge still does not yet know what his fate will be, telling reporters afterwards that he still has not been informed whether or not he has made the team.
“Still waiting,” he said with a smile.
On paper, Benge did everything he needed to, and then some, to make the club this spring. The 23-year-old hit .366 with a .435 OBP, driving in five runs and stealing a base. And that doesn’t include a home run that he hit in an exhibition game against Team Israel.
But even more than that, Benge looked the part, which was what the Mets wanted to see from him this spring. He worked the count, took pitches the other way, and looked good defensively in right field.
"I’m happy that I carried myself in a very good way and I showed everyone what kind of person I am, and I feel like that spoke the loudest for me," Benge said.
With Mike Tauchman heading for meniscus surgery, all signs point towards Benge not only making the team but starting on Thursday against Pirates ace Paul Skenes.
But whether Benge ends up making the club or not, he gained some invaluable experience by being around the team for all of 2026 camp.
"Just the level that these guys play at, day in and day out they put in the work," Benge said. "They put real focus into everything they do, from preparation, hydration, stuff on the field, and stuff off the field. That’s really what I picked up."
The Mets will pack up and head back to New York, where they'll play an intra-squad scrimmage game on Monday in preparation for Thursday's Opening Day.
Benge was unsure whether or not he'll be heading north with the big club, but he's ready to roll with the punches on whatever comes next.
"I’m excited to get out of here and play some ball, wherever that may be," he said.
Will Warren has set the tone this spring, and his final tune-up did not disappoint, as the Yankees defeated the Phillies 6-2 on Sunday afternoon.
In what turned into an eventful first inning, Warren had to work around a leadoff double by Kyle Schwarber. After the extra-base hit, Warren leaned on both his stuff and a little help from the challenge system. J.T. Realmuto had a borderline pitch called a ball, but catcher J.C. Escarra quickly signaled for a review. The call was overturned, giving Warren his first strikeout of the afternoon.
Bryce Harper followed with a challenge of his own the following at bat on a called strike and lost, then grounded out to move Schwarber to third, briefly putting pressure back on the Yankees’ right-hander.
With a runner 90 feet away, Warren went right back to work. After getting ahead in the count, he turned to the ABS system himself when a two-strike pitch at the top of the zone was called a ball. Warren’s challenge was successful and the call was overturned, strike three was awarded, and Schwarber was stranded at third to end the inning.
In total, the Yankees went 2-for-2 on successful challenges in the frame, while one additional challenge against them stood. The most aggressive team using the system this spring lived up to that billing early and often on Sunday.
After the leadoff hit, Warren retired 15 straight. His final line was all you could hope for and then some: five innings, six strikeouts, one hit, no walks, and just 62 pitches.
It was the perfect finishing touch on a strong spring for the still-official-nickname-less Will Warren. If he keeps pitching like this, he is going to need one. Wicked Willy? The Mississippi Magician? We’ll work on it.
Soon, the Yankees broke the gridlock. Following a successful challenge, Ryan McMahon put New York on the board with a single to center, scoring Giancarlo Stanton and moving Jazz Chisholm Jr. to third.
Jazz did not stay there long, coming home on Escarra’s hard-hit single to right as the Yankees pushed the lead to 2-0. Nola limited the damage from there, stranding two runners to end the fourth, but his afternoon would not last much longer.
In the bottom of the fifth, Aaron Judge put an emphatic end to Nola’s outing, launching a changeup over the left-field wall for one of his trademark, effortless rockets. The blast traveled 380 feet off the bat at 111.7 mph and would have left all 30 big league parks, a reminder that even in spring, Judge’s power plays anywhere.
The Yankees were not done in the inning. Ben Rice followed Judge’s home run with a double and later came around to score on a Chisholm single to right, extending the lead and continuing a strong offensive frame.
The Phillies threatened in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with no outs against Camilo Doval. Doval responded by strucking out Adolis García and then induced Edmundo Sosa into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play, escaping the jam and preserving the Yankees’ lead.
The Phillies finally broke through in the top of the eighth against left-hander Tim Hill. Schwarber got all of a sinker and drove it out to left, cutting the Yankees’ lead in half at 4-2.
The Yankees answered right back in the bottom of the eighth.
Max Schuemann laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring home Oswaldo Cabrera, pushing the lead back to three. Moments later, Amed Rosario followed with a single up the middle, scoring Kyle West making the score were it would finish at 6-2.
The Yankees now head west to wrap up spring training with a two-game matchup against the Cubs at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona.
First pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. ET, with the game available on WFAN 660 AM for Yankees listeners and 104.3 The Score for Cubs coverage. Carlos Lagrange is expected to get the start for New York, while Shota Imanaga is lined up for Chicago.
Seattle outfielder Randy Arozarena revealed Saturday that he has apologized to teammate Cal Raleigh, following his flagrant rant aimed at the superstar catcher earlier this month at the World Baseball Classic.
Following an altercation on the global stage, Seattle teammates have returned their focus to Opening Day.
Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena revealed Saturday that he has apologized to teammate Cal Raleigh, following his flagrant rant aimed at the superstar catcher earlier this month at the World Baseball Classic.
In a statement released through the club, the two-time All-Star emphasized that there’s no bad blood between the “brothers and teammates.”
Randy Arozarena playing for Team Mexico during the 2026 World Baseball Classic. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“I understand that with Opening Day a few days away, I don’t want it to be a distraction,” Arozarena said. “Cal and I have talked and I apologized for what I said after the game. Nothing in the WBC takes away from the fact that we are brothers and teammates.”
The Mariners sluggers sparked controversy at the WBC while pitted against each other during Team USA’s 5-3 group stage win over Mexico on March 9.
Raleigh, behind the dish for the U.S., spurned a handshake from Arozarena as he came up to bat, the same non-greeting that Mexico’s star outfielder received from U.S. catcher Will Smith at the 2023 WBC.
Even so, Arozarena didn’t take kindly to being slighted by his longtime teammate — with whom he’s played since 2024 and helped punch Seattle’s first ticket to the ALCS since 2001 — going off on a profanity-laced tirade in Spanish to Mexican journalist Luis Gilbert after the game.
Raleigh immediately brushed off the situation, saying the pair had already spoken and that it wasn’t a “big deal at all.”
In case there was any doubt, the reigning MLB home run king reiterated his comments on Saturday, telling reporters that he and Arozarena are both ready to put the past behind them.
Seattle Mariners teammates Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“We talked it out, and everything went great,” Raleigh said, via MLB.com. “Randy knows that I love him, and he’s a brother, and it’s in the past and none of us are carrying this forward. We’re in a good spot. We talked it out. We were both sorry, and we both got in a good place and we’re both happy to be here, too.
“It was really good walking in the door and seeing everybody. As fun as [the WBC] was, it was nice to feel back here. It feels like the family’s all back together in a way.”
Mariners skipper Dan Wilson applauded Seattle’s united clubhouse, underscoring that he wasn’t shocked by Arozarena’s apology — and that everyone’s focused on the same goal.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” Wilson said, via MLB.com. “That’s what we’ve talked about in that clubhouse. It’s just a special group. They love each other, and yeah, it’s time. I think we’re all ready to get back to Seattle and get this thing started.”
The defending AL West champs open their season at home against the Guardians on Thursday.
But even with that much punch in the lineup, the Mets couldn’t do much of anything against Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara, until they started a rally in the fourth. Alcantara didn't allow a hit until a Francisco Lindor single off the first baseman's glove in the fourth inning. Juan Soto followed with a single of his own, and Bo Bichette then ripped a double into the left field corner to give the Mets their first run of the day. A Jorge Polanco sac fly to left and a Brett Baty single up the middle made it a three-run inning for the Mets.
Alcantara was pulled in fourth but came back out to pitch the fifth. In all, the righty went 4.2 innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits while striking out six without a walk.
-- David Peterson made his final start of the spring for the Mets. After a pair of scoreless innings, the tall lefty allowed a run in the third on a pair of singles and wild pitch. He got into another jam in the fourth, with runners at first and third and one out, but a pickoff at first base followed by a strikeout on the next pitch quickly ended the threat.
Peterson went 5.0 inning, allowing one earned run on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk. His ERA for the spring was 4.15.
--Carson Benge showed off another aspect of his overall game, dropping a bunt single off Alcantara and advancing to second on a throwing error. Benge went 1-for-3, and with Mike Tauchman to undergo surgery for a torn meniscus, it sure appears like Benge will be the Opening Day right fielder. He finished his spring with a .366 average.
-- Luke Weaver didn’t end his spring on a high note. The right-handed reliever entered to pitch the sixth, but his command was all over the place. Weaver recorded just one out and walked three, leaving with the bases loaded.
He’d ultimately be charged with one earned run, and he finished his spring with an ERA of 2.08.
--Lindor went 1-for-4, ending his shortened spring training with a .158 average. Bichette and Baty both ended their springs with identical .333 batting averages.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 27: Donovan Solano #16 of the Texas Rangers covers as José Ramírez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians steals second base during the first inning at Progressive Field on September 27, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.
Today we are looking at utility guy Donovan Solano.
Donovan Solano was just barely a Texas Ranger in 2025. Signed to a minor league deal in early September, after he had been released by the Seattle Mariners, Solano played in 10 games for Round Rock in September before their season ended.
One week later, Josh Smith went on the paternity list prior to the Rangers’ final series of the season, in Cleveland. Needing someone who could play the infield to round out the roster for the final three games, the Rangers selected Solano’s contract. To the extent there was any discussion about it at the time, it was about why the Rangers opted for him, rather than Justin Foscue, who was already on the 40 man roster.
Solano started at second base for the Rangers in Game 161, and went 0 for 3. He came into Game 162 in the bottom of the 9th, after Joc Pederson had pinch hit for starting second baseman Cody Freeman, and didn’t get a plate appearance.
Solano is currently, as I type this, a 38 year old free agent. He played for Colombia in the WBC in this year’s competition, going 1 for 10 with 7 walks and 4 strikeouts, giving him an entertaining .100/.471/.100 slash line.
Under the circumstances, it seems likely Solano’s professional career is over.
Solano has had an unusual career arc. Signed in 2005 by the St. Louis Cardinals, he never was added to their 40 man roster, and became a minor league free agent after the 2011 season. He spent a few years in a part-time role with the Marlins from 2012-14, primarily playing second base, then was released at the end of the 2015 season after a .189/.215/.244 slash line in 94 plate appearances.
Solano signed with the Yankees, but spent most of 2016 in the minors, getting just nine games in the bigs that year, and then spent all of 2017 and 2018 in AAA, with the Yankees in 2017 and the Dodgers in 2018. Solano, aged 31, was signed by the San Francisco Giants for the 2019 season, and it seemed then that he was probably done as a major leaguer, other than possibly the occasional cameo when there was a need for a short-term replacement.
Nonetheless, Solano’s 2019 was the start of an unexpected and surprising six year run as a useful major league role player. Called up by the Giants after six weeks in AAA, Solano slashed .330/.360/.456 in 228 plate appearances. He followed that up with a .326/.365/.463 slash line in 54 games in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, winning the Silver Slugger Award for second base.
Solano became eligible for free agency after 2021 — another solid year with the Giants — and he signed a one year deal with Cincinnati, followed by a one year deal with Minnesota for 2023. In 2024, Solano didn’t sign until mid-April, with the San Diego Padres, but once he did, he put up a 760 OPS in 309 plate appearances.
Solano shifted to play more first base and third base after he left San Francisco, and with the Mariners in 2025, he played almost exclusively first base. His .247/.291/.337 slash line wasn’t first base production, however, and especially once the M’s acquired Josh Naylor, Solano became superfluous, resulting in his ultimately being cut loose on September 1.
Father Time catches up with us all, and it looks like it has for Solano. Still, it is worth taking a moment to appreciate the unlikely, unexpected run he had from 2019-24, from age 31-36, when he put up a 7.6 bWAR and .294/.353/.415 slash line in 546 games. Pretty remarkable for a guy who had a 0.1 bWAR and .257/.306/.331 slash line in 370 games from age 24-28, and spent most of three years stuck in AAA as a major league veteran holding on for another chance.
With Opening Day less than a week away, you almost wish Spring Training ended with this – – the Spring Breakout game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Here, we’ll see a grip of guys with a lot of promise square up against the product of what MLB.com is calling the #1 ranked farm system in all of baseball.
On that list, the A’s came in at #18. Not terribly great and a little surprising, given how much young talent the team seems to have. It’s also been a Spring Training highlighted by the performance of some of these players listed in the starting lineup
Yes, all eyes will be on Leo De Vries and starting pitcher Jamie Arnold. But me personally? I’m anxious to see how the young Breyson Guedez performs. He initially caught my eye when he took Michael King deep a week or so ago. His swing reminds me of Terrence Long and he’s only 18! So much potential there.
Sure, Tommy “Tanks” White has become the Glen Powell of the A’s farm system, though that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be giving two-way player Shotaro Morii a little love too. He’ll be starting at second base and possibly throwing a few frames? We’ll see. The A’s are carrying a lot of arms I’d like see heave, such as Gage Jump and Braden Nett. I’m curious to how they’ll roll these guys out over nine innings against the Brewers.
Fun day at the yard! This’ll be the last Spring Breakout game before tournament play kicks in next spring. Last year saw the A’s beat up on the San Diego Padres in a game that featured Nick Kurtz, Luis Morales, Max Muncy, Denzel Clarke, and Colby Thomas!
Besides Leo De Vries (because of course) who is a player you’re not only excited to see play today but also hope will be wearing the green and gold in the big ‘26?
GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 12: Nick Lodolo #40 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches during the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch on Thursday, March 12, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Julia Jacome/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Cincinnati Reds lefty starter Nick Lodolo has repeatedly dealt with blister issues on his left index finger, and left index finger blisters are pretty problematic when you are a lefty starter. On Sunday in his final start of Cactus League play before Thursday’s Opening Day in Cincinnati, Lodolo was forced to exit after facing only two batters when a blister issue popped up once again.
He started out walking Steven Kwan, decidedly not strutting his stuff. He then yielded a two-run homer to Angel Martinez before the Reds training staff was summoned to the mound. It was at that point that the decision was made to get Lodolo out of there, which is not exactly the best tune-up for the season’s start just a handful of days away.
The hope, of course, is that pulling him this early into his work will have kept the issue from getting too serious, much the same way the scenario with Brady Singer has fortunately played out. That said, the Reds had already made plans to carry six starting pitchers with Brandon Williamson, Chase Burns, and Rhett Lowder all theoretically shoehorning into just two starts a turn, so there is at least some baked-in depth should there be any issues with Lodolo a) being ready for his Game Two start or b) not being stretched out enough to go deep into his Game Two start.
Obviously, no blister is a damning issue, but it’s impossible not to notice just how often this keeps happening to Cincinnati’s stud lefty. Let’s just hope they caught this particular iteration early.
Feb 24, 2026; North Port, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez (40) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers during spring training at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
It’s a good thing that it’s still spring training and not the regular season because this was the type of performance that would’ve resulted in a very rough outing for Reynaldo López had it come in a game that counted. Instead, it’s something to think about with the regular season on the horizon as López struggled and ended up getting pulled in the fifth inning of this spring training contest.
This figured to be a stern test for López anyways with the Twins posting something that looks very similar to what their Opening Day lineup could look like laster this week. Still, I’d like to imagine that everybody associated with and rooting for the Braves would’ve preferred if López looked a lot better today.
The first three innings of this outing actually went very smoothly for Reynaldo López — he retired the side in order in the first and second innings (a double-play ball helped him get out of the second) and avoided trouble from a one-out single in the third inning. The fourth inning is when things started to get a little shaky, as López got the inning started off by walking Byron Buxton and then giving up a single to Matt Wallner. Another double play ball got López out of this situation but by now it was clear that López’s velocity was going to be sitting below 90-mph on his heater.
By the time the fifth inning had rolled around, the Twins decided that it was time to tee off. López kept a few pitches hanging enticingly in the strike zone during this frame and the Twins capitalized each time. The first resulted in a Royce Lewis double, the second was a single from Austin Martin and then the third and biggest mistake got crushed by Luke Keaschall for a three-run shot that put the Twins in front.
The 80-mph slider was the last pitch that López threw in this one as he finished with 4.2 innings under his belt, along with four earned runs on five hits and two walks. López only finished with one strikeout once he was done, which was his strikeout of Buxton all the way back in the first inning. His velocity also left something to be desired as well, as he was actually sitting at 89-mph with the four-seamer and the velocity on all of his other pitches was way down as well.
Obviously the hope is that he was trying to ease into the regular season and you could make an argument that that this was the case since his velocity was higher in his most recent start before this one. Granted, his four-seamer was still below his usual average of 95-mph back on March 17 but it still looked more lively back then than it did today. Still, it’s pretty concerning that López did struggle in both of his final two starts before the regular season. We could end up laughing about this if he bounces back once the games begin to count but it’s still not great to see when you’re coming off of a season-ending shoulder injury from the season before!
hard for me to believe this is completely meaningless data for a guy's last spring training start pic.twitter.com/ZlTfdaRlw0
As far as the bats for the Braves go, the first inning was the peak for Atlanta. The Braves scored their first two runs via some good ol’ fashioned A-B-C baseball: Brett Wisely got on with a leadoff walk, Jorge Mateo laid down a sacrifice bunt and ended up making it on base and into scoring position thanks to a throwing error and then Drake Baldwin brought them both in with a bouncer through the middle to initially put the Braves in the lead. Dominic Smith proceeded to cash in Baldwin’s run with an RBI single of his own to make it a three-run first inning.
Drake Baldwin and Dominic Smith both added hits to their tally later on and that was about as good as it got for the Braves from the first inning onwards. Taj Bradley settled down a bit once he got his second chance (he got pulled from the mess during the first inning and returned for the second frame) and the Braves just didn’t get a lot done in terms of production against the Twins and their pitching staff past the first inning.
The big story of the day was Reynaldo López’s underwhelming performance, though. I do remember saying earlier during spring training that if Spencer Strider’s velocity was low in the latter portions of camp like it was to start out then it was perfectly fine to start worrying. Strider doesn’t appear to have that issue but López certainly does and again, the main hope is that he was simply trying not to overexert himself with the regular season around the corner. If it’s like that once things are serious, watch out.
