Category: MLB

Kodai Senga continued his strong spring, and Luis Robert Jr. and Marcus Semien led the way offensively as the Mets defeated the Houston Astros, 6-2, in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Thursday night.

The Mets are now 12-9 in Grapefruit League play with a week to go before Opening Day.

Here are the takeaways...

-Senga wasn't as dominant as his last spring start, but he showed a lot of resiliency, stranding runners and not allowing his lack of pinpoint command to get to him.

He allowed a baserunner in his first three innings, including a runner on second with one out, but got Christian Walker to ground out and Yainer Diaz to strike out to get out of the jam in the second inning. In the fourth, Cam Smith doubled with one out but was stranded when Senga got Zach Cole to pop up and Walker out on strikes.

Senga was done after four scoreless innings (63 pitches, 41 strikes), allowing three hits and one walk while striking out four. He's now thrown seven consecutive scoreless innings and has 11 strikeouts in 9.2 innings pitched.

Most encouraging was that he topped out at 97.3 mph on Thursday and has reached 99 mph this spring.

-The Mets had their A-squad on the field and scratched across a run in the second thanks to aRobert double and Semien sac fly, which was set up by a Brett Baty flyout. Baty started in right field on Thursday.

In the fourth, they had another chance to put up some runs after Bo Bichette led off with a single and Jorge Polanco walked. Robert popped up, but Baty picked him up with a double that plated Bichette. Polanco was late breaking from first, so he didn't score, but the Mets would get a run anyway. After Semien struck out, and Mark Vientos walked to load the bases, catcher Jose Aular walked to push across a run.

Aular pinch-hit for Francisco Alvarez, who was supposed to catch the entire game but got pulled after just one at-bat in three innings.

-The Mets blew open the game in the fifth. Juan Soto and Bichette led off with back-to-back walks, and then Polanco dumped a single to load the bases. Robert fought back from down 0-2 to even the count and then doubled in two runs to give the Mets a 5-0 lead. Semien followed a Baty walk with a sac fly to drive in the team's third run of the inning. The threat of more was extinguished after Vientos grounded into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

-Francisco Lindor, in just his third spring game, went hitless but played seven innings at shortstop without issue.

-Here's how the Mets' starters fared:

• Lindor: 0-4, BB
• Soto: 0-2, R, BB
• Bichette: 2-2, 2 R, BB
• Polanco: 1-2, 2 R, 2 BB
• Robert Jr.: 2-4, 2 RBI, R
• Baty: 1-3, RBI, BB
• Semien: 0-1, 2 RBI, BB
• Vientos: 0-3, BB
• Alvarez: 0-1

-For the Mets bullpen on this day, Craig Kimbrel got some work in, hoping to crack the Opening Day roster. He struck out the two batters he faced (on just 12 pitches) in the sixth and came back out for the seventh. He struck out the leadoff hitter before allowing a triple -- a hit that right fielder AJ Salgado tried to make a diving catch on, but had it get past him. Kimbrel was pulled after the hit, and the next pitcher allowed a single and the future Hall of Fame closer's run to score.

Highlights

Luis Robert Jr. drops in a double pic.twitter.com/hsdh0QbF7q

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 19, 2026

Kodai Senga snags the grounder! pic.twitter.com/jM9jaOD0RM

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 19, 2026

Brett Baty rips a long RBI double to drive in Bo Bichette! pic.twitter.com/rm3g8kW5ka

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 19, 2026

A 2-run double for Luis Robert Jr. brings home Juan Soto and Bo Bichette to make it 5-0 Mets! pic.twitter.com/cg9IaYYPSc

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 19, 2026

Kodai Senga's four strikeouts today vs. the Astros pic.twitter.com/QMzUb5PyGc

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 19, 2026

Craig Kimbrel strikes out a pair in the 6th pic.twitter.com/hOu0tGzkhf

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 20, 2026

What's next

The Mets continue their spring training slate by hosting the Cardinals at PSL on Friday afternoon, starting at 1:10 p.m. on SNY.

Today the Texas Rangers have hopped the bus for a trip over to Phoenix, AZ to have a Cactus League quarrel against the Milwaukee Brewers.

LHP Jacob Latz will take the mound for Texas as the battle for the final spot in the rotation — of which Latz remains a competitor — nears a conclusion. Milwaukee will counter with RHP Brandon Woodruff.

You can listen to the game via 105.3 The Fan or follow along on Gameday. First pitch from American Family Fields of Phoenix is scheduled for 8:10 pm CT.

Go Rangers!

And, for the nightcap, here’s your major league spring training lineup for the Guardians:

A night game – and this one was actually scheduled this way, rather than being pushed back to the night to avoid the heat! Can’t say I blame anyone though. A high of 103 F today is just… wrong for mid-March, and it’s only a couple of degrees cooler than that now. Forecast high of 105 F tomorrow. Dear lord. I’m starting the countdown to the annual declaration by Mrs. SnakePit that she can’t take it any more, and we need to move. Don’t think we’ve ever previously had that discussion before Opening Day. Speaking of which, a week from now, things will be under way in games that matter…

Under the lights in Glendale. pic.twitter.com/iJLLWGRPwt

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) March 19, 2026

Definitely an A-bullpen kinda day, with all the scheduled pitchers after Michael Soroka being ones with a non-zero chance of making the Opening Day roster. Specifically: RHP Kevin Ginkel, RHP Ryan Thompson, LHP Brandyn Garcia, RHP Jonathan Loaisiga and RHP Andrew Hoffmann. Garcia might be the one on thinnest ice, after a pair of spectacularly bad outings. Eleven batters faced, two outs – three hits, four walks and two hit batters. One more appearance like that and there’ll almost be no way back for him, considering there are only a handful of spring games left.

No broadcast apparently for this one, so you are on your own. Recappage should follow, but I’ll be on my phone, so it may be short and/or misspelled.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Bryce Eldridge didn’t make the Giants’ Opening Day roster.

The club’s top prospect was optioned to Triple-A on Thursday along with two other cuts that left 42 players still in major-league camp with San Francisco.

Eldridge, 21, was considered a serious option for the Opening Day roster despite his age and lack of experience due to his advanced approach at the plate and raw power.

However, the 6-foot-7 slugger entered the spring with questions about his defensive abilities at first base, a position he only picked up after the Giants drafted him 16th overall in 2023.

Look no further than Eldridge’s playing time this spring for how seriously the Giants were considering breaking camp with him. Only two players logged more at-bats.

Eldridge made some of the hardest contact of anyone in the Cactus League but struck out in 19 of his 49 plate appearances (38.7%). He ended spring batting .225 (9 for 40) in 19 games with one homer, one triple and four doubles but admitted to not feeling comfortable in the box toward the end of camp.

“For him overall to look dangerous and comfortable at the same time is something that we’re all analyzing from over here probably even more so than the result,” manager Tony Vitello said Thursday afternoon before the decision had been made public. “I think he has found that at times. It’s a matter of it being consistent. Part of that just comes from reps.”

Eldridge wasn’t likely to get many defensive reps at the big-league level with Rafael Devers expected to handle first base. He will get an opportunity to get everyday reps in the field and at the plate to start the season with Triple-A Sacramento.

The Giants, meanwhile, will be able to time Eldridge’s call-up when he is feeling better at the plate. In the meantime, the roster move opens the door for players such as Luis Matos and Jerar Encarnacion, who have put together strong springs but are out of options.

Eldridge has played 84 games above Double-A, including 10 at the major-league level at the end of last season. He recorded three hits in 28 at-bats and is still seeking his first big-league home run.

In three minor-league seasons, Eldridge has 56 home runs, a .275 batting average and an .861 OPS. It didn’t take long for the hype train to leave the station after he began posting elite exit velocities in complex-league games shortly after being drafted as an 18-year-old high schooler. Eldridge emerged as one of the top prospects in all of baseball in 2024 as he climbed through four minor-league levels.

Now the consensus top prospect in the Giants‘ farm system, Eldridge was rated the No. 25 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline and No. 18 in Baseball America’s Top 100 entering this spring.

Move over, Tiger King. The newest Netflix star is the home run king.

Barry Bonds is in the building.

The Home Run King, 7x NL MVP, Single Season Home Run Leader and Giants legend joins the crew for MLB Opening Night: Yankees vs. Giants.

LIVE on Netflix March 25 with special coverage beginning at 7PM ET | 4PM PT. pic.twitter.com/XT12G00up2

— netflix⁷ (@netflix) March 19, 2026

Netflix announced Thursday that Barry Bonds would be a special guest studio analyst for their telecast of the season opener between the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees Wed., March 25. Bonds will join Albert Pujols and Anthony Rizzo as part of the pregame and postgame shows, a panel that combined for 1,768 home runs. Much like chicks, Netflix digs the long ball.

Bonds won’t be the only legendary Giants outfielder who will be part of the broadcast. Hunter Pence will be in the booth, alongside Matt Vasgersian and Hall of Fame pitcher CC Sabathia, giving each of the teams an alumni voice in color commentary.

Netflix had teased the announcement of Bonds, originally only announcing that a “Special Guest” would join the broadcast. However, John Shea reported that the streaming giant would be filling McCovey Cove with 73 red kayaks bearing the Netflix logo in honor of the 25th anniversary of Bonds’ record-breaking 73-homer season in 2001. So there was a strong chance the secret unannounced studio guy would indeed be Bonds.

In fact, who were the other possibilities? Brandon Belt would have only agreed to join the crew if he could be the studio captain. Huey Lewis specializes in national anthems, not baseball analysis. Tim Lincecum is shy. Barry Zito would bring an acoustic guitar. Brandon Crawford would only get on board if the Cheese Steak Shop was a sponsor. Gavin Newsom would blow Netflix’s entire hair and makeup budget. Aubrey Huff might be banned from even having a Netflix account, much less appearing on a Netflix show.

If it goes well, we’d like to humbly suggest some more SF Giants Netflix programming”

“Lou Seal In Paris”

The cuddly seal with the amorphous body moves to Paris in order to school European mascots in American-style clownery and his signature “belly bump” move. Lou struggles with driving his golf cart on the correct side of the road, wins over a squad of soccer hooligans and finds love with his downstairs neighbor, a Cirque du Soleil acrobat who is also an otter.

“Jake Paul vs. Hunter Strickland”

Hunter Strickland loves starting fights. Jake Paul loves scheduling fights. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound former Giants closer has a size advantage over Paul, but Paul has more experience. As for punchable faces, they’re about even. However, Michael Morse and Jeff Samardzija are not allowed to intervene!

“The Blanco Lotus”

See what happens and who gets murdered at a luxury hotel in Venezuela run by former Giants outfielder Gregor Blanco, his twin brother Gregory Blanco, and his little brother, Gregson Blanco. Unlike that other Lotus show, these three brothers won’t have any inappropriate contact with each other.

“Bay Bridgerton”

Tony Vitello struggles to learn etiquette in the complicated society of major league baseball, all while dealing with malicious gossip published by “Lord Whistledown” (Joe Maddon).

“Squib Game”

Luis Arraez competes in an intense, life-or-death game show where players face a series of dangerous challenges that mainly require putting a baseball in play, no matter how softly. If his BABIP drops too low, the Giants offense dies.

“Danny Ozark”

Giants manager Danny Ozark has to launder money for a Mexican drug cartel, all while trying to keep the 1984 Giants out of last place in the National League West. Starring J.K. Simmons as Ozark and Pete Rose, Jr. as Pete Rose, Sr.

Congratulations to Mr. Bonds! Let’s hope Hall of Fame voters aren’t all watching Paramount Plus instead.

We got a night game folks! The Athletics are set to play host to their division rivals the Seattle Mariners tonight in one of the final games of spring, a sold-out crowd that is ready to see our A’s take the win. With about a week to go before Opening Day things are going to start getting really ramped up here over the next few games. A’s fans should be seeing plenty of the regulars getting their at-bats in, the pitchers getting their final tune-ups, and the bullpen arms making their final cases for a ticket to Toronto. Should be an intense week and one that’ll also feature the Athletics’ Breakout game on Sunday afternoon. Gear up and prepare for the last exhibition contests before games begin to count.

The A’s have veteran right-hander Aaron Civale taking the ball for the club in what’ll be just his third appearance this spring. The 30-year-old veteran of seven big league seasons likely didn’t need much time to ramp up and be ready for Opening Day though. His first outing saw him allow a pair of runs on 60 pitches. His most recent appearance didn’t yield great results (six runs on nine hits) but he did get all the way up to 75 pitches. That’s probably been his biggest goal since arriving to the A’s at the last possible moment but it seems he’s going to be stretched out enough to take his spot in the Opening Day rotation, which has all been assured to him by the team. We’ll be hoping to see him produce better results tonight but as long as he gets his pitches in everything should be smooth sailing for the righty until the regular season. From there however we’ll need to start seeing results.

Here’s the Athletics’ lineup for tonight’s contest:

Today's lineup vs. Seattle – March 19, 2026 at Hohokam Stadium pic.twitter.com/Ufbzqfdn9x

— A's Communications (@AthleticsPR) March 19, 2026

No surprise that manager Mark Kotsay is trotting out most of the regulars tonight. In fact, dare I say that this looks like the probably Opening Day lineup? I don’t want to start an argument about Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers’ spots in the lineup. No matter how you feel about it, the Athletics are going to prioritize getting them the most at bats possible this coming year. We’ll see if it lasts for six months but this is how the A’s will likely stack up next week in Toronto against their right-handed ace Dylan Cease.

We have Lawrence Butler back in the lineup but not manning right. While he’s been behind the rest of his teammates during camp as he completes his rehab for a torn patellar tendon, Butler’s been getting in his at-bats in controlled settings and finally made it into a game earlier this week. He’s yet to fully get right field under his belt much during camp, which is the final step in his rehab. He’s DH’ing tonight so that’s a positive, but the hope is that we see him out on the outfield grass a few more times before games start to really count.

The Mariners kept their cards close to the chest all afternoon, only announcing their starter a couple hours before first pitch. Seattle will counter Civale with right-hander Randy Dobnak. The 31-year-old is with the M’s on a minor league deal after spending the previous five years with the Minnesota Twins. He’s unlikely to make their Opening Day roster but could be an option for them later in the season if Seattle’s vaunted rotation suffers any injuries. Shouldn’t be too hard of an assignment for the A’s starting nine tonight but you never know!

And here’s how the M’s lineup breaks down for tonight’s game:

An evening with the Mariners. pic.twitter.com/8KR7pKsXvg

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) March 19, 2026

While the A’s are sending out their expected regular starting lineup the Mariners have more replacements than everyday guys in today’s starting nine. Civale needs to be careful with first baseman Josh Naylor but other than him he should try to be aggressive against Mariners batters this evening.

The A’s are 12-14 during camp and with five games left there’s still time to finish at or above .500. I know, meaningless, but still would be nice to break camp with a winning record. Let’s go A’s!

We’re officially one week away from Opening Day. The roster is coming more into focus as the day gets closer, but there are a few games to still play this spring. Tonight, the Brewers host the Rangers.

Prior to today’s game, the Brewers announced a few (perhaps surprising) roster moves. Blake Perkins, Tyler Black, and Logan Henderson were optioned to Triple-A, and Cooper Pratt was reassigned to the minor league camp. Perkins appeared to be in line for a spot on the Opening Day roster, but he will start in Nashville instead. While Perkins has not had a bad spring, Brandon Lockridge’s spring has been strong enough that he may have played his way into a roster spot. This also means Garrett Mitchell is likely ready for the regular season, especially if the Brewers are making this move a week before the start of the season. With these roster moves, 34 players — 18 pitchers and 16 position players — remain in camp, with eight more cuts between now and next Thursday.

Blake Perkins was optioned to Triple-A this morning along with Tyler Black and Logan Henderson. Cooper Pratt reassigned to MiLB camp.

Not the news Perkins wanted after parts of the past 3 years with the Brewers. This appears to clear a path to Opening Day for Brandon Lockridge.

— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) March 19, 2026

Both Lockridge and Mitchell are in tonight’s lineup for their game against the Rangers. Sal Frelick takes the other spot in the outfield and is batting leadoff. Joey Ortiz and Christian Yelich fill out the top of the lineup, and Andrew Vaughn bats fourth behind them. Gary Sánchez and Luis Rengifo bat sixth and seventh, and David Hamilton finishes out the lineup for tonight. Many of the projected Opening Day starters are in the lineup, but the full lineup won’t come together until the remaining Brewers return from the World Baseball Classic.

Brandon Woodruff gets the start tonight for the Brewers. This will be an important start for Woodruff to see if he will be ready for the start of the season. He has only appeared in one game this spring, a two-inning scoreless start against the Angels on March 13. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out three. In today’s start, the plan is for him to pitch four innings. Also scheduled to pitch tonight are Grant Anderson, Trevor Megill, and Jared Koenig.

First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the Brewers Radio Network.

Another night game

📻: ESPN Milwaukee#ThisIsMyCrewpic.twitter.com/xvafD7tJDV

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) March 19, 2026

Rangers lineup for March 19, 2026 at Milwaukee pic.twitter.com/6vs8VnJcBa

— Texas Rangers PR (@TXRangersPR) March 19, 2026

Chicago White Sox at San Diego Padres, March 19, 2026, 6:10 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Peoria Sports Complex – Peoria, AZ

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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Thursday night in Peoria. pic.twitter.com/cqwgMJ5E5T

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 19, 2026

Let's play ✌️! pic.twitter.com/MiEcuC1yDB

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 19, 2026

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• Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
• Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
• Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads

GB community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!

The Colorado Rockies are hosting the San Francisco Giants at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick this evening. The game was bumped into the evening because of blistering hot temperatures in Arizona.

Speaking of hot topics, who says we need to put the World Baseball Classic behind us? Venezuela may have ended the tournament victorious, but they had to get through the teams represented by both of today’s starting pitchers to do so.

On the mound for the Rockies—representing Samurai Japan—is the right-handed Tomoyuki Sugano. Sugano will be making his first appearance in a Rockies uniform this spring, as he had to depart for Japan’s training camp just shortly after signing in free agency. The 36-year-old decorated Japanese pitcher made one start during the World Baseball Classic, shutting out Australia for four innings. He pounded the strike zone without walking a batter and tallied two strikeouts.

Starting for the Giants—and representing Team USA—is right-handed ace Logan Webb. The Rockies are no stranger to Webb, who has dominated them throughout his career. Webb has posted a 2.97 ERA in 19 career appearances against the Rockies. During the World Baseball Classic, Webb was excellent for Team USA. He gave up just one run via a solo home run in 8 2/3 innings across his two starts. He struck out 11 batters and walked just one.

First Pitch: 7:10 PM MDT

TV: None

Radio: None

Lineups:

Thursday night baseball! pic.twitter.com/WMPdOexhve

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) March 19, 2026

Headed down the road to visit the Rockies 🏜️ pic.twitter.com/c5fhruG6ud

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) March 19, 2026

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The Spring Breakout games have arrived.

For those unaware, the Spring Breakout is when MLB host a series of games from each teams with rosters consisting of that organization’s top prospects.

This year, the Rays will have two of Baseball America’s top 100 prospects on their roster,

Starting in 2027, the Spring Breakout will be turned into a single-elimination tourament with champions being crowned in both the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues. However, 2026 will just be a exhibition game.

This year, the Rays prospects will take on a team of prospects from the New York Mets system at Clover Park in St. Lucie with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET which can be seen on MLB.tv, Amazon, MLB.com, and MLB Network.

Among the Rays prospects making up the roster are outfielder Theo Gillen, who was the Rays first round selection in 2024 and most recently ranked as the 64th best prospect in the game by Baseball America (2nd in the Rays system). Recently acquired Jacob Melton will also be there as well as 2025 first round pick Daniel Pierce.

Sluggling first baseman Xavier Isaac put on a show during the first Spring Breakout games in 2024 and will be making another appearances for the Rays tonight. The former first rounded had a lost 2025 campaign after undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor last July, however, he appears fully healthy now and has been crushing the ball in Spring Training.

Carson Williams was slated to participate, he homered during last year’s games, but an injury to Taylor Walls may have opened a spot on the Rays active roster. So, Williams has rejoined the Rays big league camp and may just be the team’s Opening Day starting shortstop.

Some notable pitchers taking the mound will be Anderson Brito and Michael Forret, both of whom were acquired by the Rays in separate trades made just hours apart from each other.

Here is the complete Rays roster:

PITCHERS (8)
Ryan Andrade, RHP, NR
Anderson Brito, RHP, No. 6
Alex Cook, RHP, NR
Derrick Edington, RHP, NR
Michael Forret, RHP, No. 8
Mason Nichols, RHP, NR
Hayden Snelsire, RHP, NR
Jose Urbina, RHP, No. 17

CATCHERS (2)
Caden Bodine, C, No. 13
Nathan Flewelling, C, No. 11

INFIELDERS (10)
Gregory Barrios, SS, NR
Cooper Flemming, SS, No. 28
Taitn Gray, 1B, No. 30
Xavier Isaac, 1B, No. 14
Tre’ Morgan, 1B/OF, No. 19
Daniel Pierce, SS, No. 5
Emilien Pitre, 2B/SS, NR
Adrian Santana, SS, NR
Will Simpson, 1B, NR
Brayden Taylor, INF, NR

OUTFIELDERS (7)
Theo Gillen, OF, No. 2/MLB No. 76
Brailer Guerrero, OF, No. 24
Mac Horvath, OF, NR
Jacob Melton, OF, No. 4
Dean Moss, OF, No. 29
Austin Overn, OF, No. 26
Brendan Summerhill, OF, No. 21

The newly rebuilt Ingram Little League Ballpark, decimated by the devastating July 4, 2025 flooding will officially be debuted with a grand opening event set for Saturday, March 21 at 9 a.m. CT.

The Astros Foundation, together with the Community Foundation of Texas Hill Country, Major League Baseball, the Texas Rangers, a number of other MLB teams, as well as Texas-based baseball programs and foundations supported the efforts to rebuild and transform this key fixture of the local community in Central Texas.

The new ballpark includes three primary fields, two practice fields, newly imagined batting cages and other amenities agreed to by the Ingram Little League Board of Directors.

The grand opening event will include a ribbon cutting, remarks from special officials, a ceremonial first pitch and exhibition games between Ingram Little League teams and the Astros Youth Academy teams.

Timeline of events for Saturday, March 21

9:00 AM – Program Begins – Welcome, Prayer, National Anthem

9:15 AM – Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for New Ingram Little League Ballpark Complex

9:25 AM – Special Speaker Remarks

9: 35 AM – Ceremonial First Pitch

9:37 AM – Play Ball announcement and closing remarks

10:00 AM – Games begin between Ingram Little Leaguers and Astros Youth Academy 12U boys’ baseball and 12U softball.

The Good Guys will be up late in the desert tonight as they use two split-squad teams in Arizona for a Cactus League doubleheader. The opener is against the Diamondbacks at 8: 05 p.m. CST and will be followed by the Padres game at 8:10 p.m. CST. Remember…double your pleasure, double the fun!

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Davis Martin’s got the ball against Arizona, and the spotlight, for whatever that’s worth, in March. The righthander has been solid this spring, going 2-1, with a 3.00 ERA, and 10 Ks. Last time out on March 13, he spun four scoreless, gave up a single hit, and punched out four. Efficient, clean, no drama. If he can whisk that into the regular season, that would be terrific now that he has his position in the starting rotation locked down.

Across the diamond, it’s old friend Michael Soroka. How has he done this spring? Well, he’s been a mess with a 9.82 ERA and 2.73 WHIP through four innings. Sure, it’s a small sample size, but the wild command is what’s plagued his entire big league career. Maybe he finds it tonight, or maybe the Sox bats make him sweat. He did play for Team Canada in the WBC and was a bit less of a disaster, going 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA over 5 2/3 frames.

This South Side lineup is a grab bag with your regulars, prospects, and a few wild cards. Andrew Benintendi and Colson Montgomery top the card with Austin Hays and his hot bat in the three-hole. Munetaka Murakami brings some mystery to the middle, batting cleanup followed by Chase Meidroth, Lenyn Sosa, Jarred Kelenic, and Luisangel Acuña.

Let's play ✌️! pic.twitter.com/MiEcuC1yDB

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 19, 2026

Here’s how the D-Backs will go up against Martin:

Under the lights in Glendale. pic.twitter.com/iJLLWGRPwt

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) March 19, 2026

There will not be any TV for this one. If you want in, it’s radio or bust. Old-school. Tune in to ESPN 1000 to hear Len and DJ on the call.

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Five minutes later, because preseason is weird like that, the second squad takes on San Diego.

Jonathan Cannon starts this one, even though he was optioned to Charlotte on March 17. Spring Training rules: more suggestions than law. Mike Vasil’s injury cracks the door open, so Cannon’s outings suddenly matter a little more. A good night here, and he’s back in the conversation.

The Padres counter with Michael King, who’s been roughed up this spring to the tune of a 0-2 record, 9.95 ERA, and 1.74 WHIP in four starts. Don’t be fooled, though. When he’s right, King can deal. Last year, he was 5-3 with a 3.44 ERA in 15 starts. The stuff is there. The question is whether he can stay on the mound and keep it together as the 30-year-old battled through several injuries in 2025.

Chicago’s lineup in this one is very much a “prove it or pack it” group. Outside of Korey Lee, Miguel Vargas, and probably Curtis Mead, there aren’t many locks, or even near-locks, for the 26-man roster here. That leaves a whole lot of guys playing for one of two things: a last-minute bench job or a strong impression heading into Charlotte. It’s the kind of lineup where every at-bat matters a little more, whether it’s someone trying to force their way north or just making sure they’re first in line when the inevitable injuries hit.

Friars’ skipper Craig Stammen trots out his offense looking for their 14th win:

Thursday night in Peoria. pic.twitter.com/cqwgMJ5E5T

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 19, 2026

Tonight’s bonus for you is that MLB.TV is giving this one away, so you can actually watch without selling your soul or finding a sketchy stream.

This afternoon, the Colorado Rockies continued to make their spring training transactions as they refine the roster heading into the start of the 2026 season.

The following players were assigned to Minor League camp:

• Infielder/outfielder Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP)
• Infielder/outfielder Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP)
• Infielder/outfielder Vimael Machín

The decision to reassign Carrigg and Machín does not come as a surprise. Condon, however, was a contender for the first base starting position. In 39 at-bats, Condon slashed .385/.457/.713 with a 1.175 OPS. He also hit three home runs.

At this point, all signs point to T.J. Rumfield as the Rockies Opening Day first baseman.

Colorado has 40 active players remaining in Major League camp, including seven non-roster invitees.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Hayden Birdsong didn’t get the second opinion he was seeking after visiting Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas this week, and now the Giants‘ young starter will miss the 2026 season.

Meister will surgically repair the ulnar collateral ligament in Birdsong’s right elbow, otherwise known as Tommy John surgery, ruling out the 24-year-old right-hander until at least early next season.

The operation typically comes with a timetable of about 12-16 months for a full recovery.

The Giants announced Birdsong’s decision Thursday and said he will undergo the procedure next week.

“It’s hard to [say] you’re happy for him, based on the circumstances, but it is nice that after a few days of muddy waters to have some clarity,” manager Tony Vitello said.

Birdsong said he felt a “pop” and a “snap” in his elbow after throwing a curveball on the second-to-last pitch of what turned out to be his final outing of the spring last Tuesday. An MRI revealed a Grade 2 sprain of his UCL and a strain in his forearm, indicating there was structural damage.

Vitello said Birdsong was “convicted” in his decision, even while considering nonsurgical options. The second opinion from Meister, one of the leading specialists in pitchers’ elbow repairs, sealed the deal.

“He would just like to move on and make sure there aren’t any creeping thoughts in the back of his head, like, ‘Am I healthy?’ or this or that,” Vitello said. “Just push forward with what he and others think the best thing is.”

Meister also performed Robbie Ray’s elbow reconstruction in 2022 and Giants minor-leaguer Cole Waites’ operation in 2023. Ray, like Birdsong, had issues in his forearm and elbow.

“Meister did mine; he’s been great,” said Ray, who didn’t try to influence Birdsong one way or the other. “Just trying to be encouraging. Let him know that whatever happens he’s in good hands. Our training staff here is excellent.”

The decision probably doesn’t impact the Giants’ plans for their Opening Day roster — Birdsong had fallen behind Landen Roupp and Trevor McDonald among their young pitchers — but losing him for the year is a blow to their pitching depth in the upper minors.

Birdsong likely would have been among the first pitchers called up from Triple-A when a need arose in the Giants’ rotation or bullpen. He has performed both roles and had appeared to make strides in his last time on the mound before, as he described it, a “freak” pitch put an end to his season.

“He was really sharp his last time out, but you can’t undo the past,” Vitello said. “I think the big thing for him is to take that baton … and carry it. Because you can still watch the game, have conversations, learn. You’d like to think the best-case scenario, like a lot of guys in the past, you can come back stronger.”

The loss makes the Giants more likely to call on Carson Whisenhunt, who was optioned to Triple-A on Wednesday. Carson Seymour, Blade Tidwell and Tristan Beck are all still in camp and should also be candidates to contribute at some point.

SF Giants injury report

Infielder Parks Harber will miss 4-6 weeks after straining his hamstring in a Cactus League game last week. Harber, 24, had been one of the Giants’ spring standouts with a .357 batting average and .996 OPS in 33 plate appearances. He was acquired from the Yankees at the trade deadline last summer in the deal for Camilo Doval.

A pair of prospects were ruled out from the Giants’ spring showcase game Thursday night, including highly touted shortstop Josuar Gonzalez. The 18-year-old top prospect suffered a mild hamstring strain in minor-league action at Papago Park earlier this week. Johnny Level, another infield prospect, also missed the game with low back tightness.

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