Category: MLB

PHOENIX –– Despite his shaky start to spring training, the Dodgers have been steadfast about having Roki Sasaki in their opening day rotation.

On Tuesday afternoon, in a performance that Dodgers officials described as “electric,” the Japanese phenom finally started to validate that faith.

It was only a backfield B-game at Camelback Ranch. He was only facing minor-leaguers from the Chicago White Sox organization. But in a scoreless four-inning outing in which he allowed just one hit and struck out nine batters, Sasaki showed why manager Dave Roberts reaffirmed him as a virtual roster lock for the start of the season earlier in the morning.

“I just don’t see a world where he doesn’t break (camp) with us as a starter,” Roberts said in his pregame address with reporters, before later adding:  “I’m betting on the performance to continue to trend up, to be good enough (to be in the rotation), and to only get better with the talent that he has and the work that he’s put in.”

The fact Sasaki was relegated on Tuesday to backfield duty –– where he pitched against a White Sox lineup full of mostly double-A caliber talent, and in front of only a smattering of fans, team officials, scouts and autograph hounds –– was a reflection of the rough form he’d shown at the start of camp.

In each of his first two Cactus League starts, the 24-year-old right-hander had struggled to command his pitches, and his fastball especially, allowing a combined seven runs and five walks in just 3 ⅓ innings.

Even worse, his inefficient workload had complicated his primary objective this spring, needing to build up innings in his return to a starting role following last postseason’s cameo as emergency closer.

Thus, the Dodgers decided to stick Sasaki with the minor-leaguers on Tuesday, while Tyler Glasnow got the start in the team’s main game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Roberts described the decision as a way to ensure Sasaki would get through four innings, given the more controlled environment a B-game allows.

Still, it also felt like a chance for the Dodgers to take some pressure off the second-year fireballer, and shield him from the spotlight as he continues to refine his delivery.

“Command the fastball, use the split, use his breaking ball to get through the lineup, and get through four innings,” Roberts said ahead of Sasaki’s outing. “That’s what the goal is today.”

For the most part, Sasaki checked all those boxes.

He was erratic with his fastball early, but gradually dialed in his command while hitting 98-100 mph on the radar gun.

His trademark splitter and newly-added cutter left White Sox prospects looking overmatched and helpless, accounting for the majority of the 17 whiffs that helped him breeze through his outing.

The lone hit he gave up came to his first batter of the game, on a ground-ball single through the right side of the infield. After that, he struck out seven in a row and nine of his final 12 batters, allowing only one more baserunner when he plunked a hitter in the third.

Most importantly, Sasaki emerged from the afternoon feeling confident about the latest adjustments he has made to his mechanics.

“Yesterday and the day before, the process of making adjustments didn’t go well,” he said in Japanese. “But the fact it was good today means … I responded with results. I needed that right now.”

Roberts agreed, downplaying a question about the quality of competition Sasaki faced on Tuesday by pointing to the way it could provide him renewed confidence –– and catapult him through the final two weeks leading up to opening day.

“There’s still value to getting hitters out and seeing guys swing and miss,” Roberts said. “We accomplished what we wanted to.”

“Couldn’t have asked for a better day,” he added.

Team USA is 3-0 thus far in Pool B and can win the pool and advance to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals with a win Tuesday night against 2-0 Italy. Will Smith is back in the lineup behind the plate and batting fifth.

Tuesday game info

• Event: World Baseball Classic, Pool B
• Teams: United States vs. Italy
• Ballpark: Daikin Park, Houston
• Time: 6 p.m. PT
• TV: FS1
• Radio: MLB Audio, Sirius XM

If you spent the $20-$30 needed to attend today’s game as a spectator, you would’ve walked away having gotten your money’s worth.

It was a back and forth battle at Hohokam Stadium! The White Sox got to A’s starter Jeffrey Springs early, in the first inning Edgar Quero and Lenyn Sosa would do some damage. A run scoring single and a double between the two would give the South Siders a 3-0 lead before the A’s even picked up a bat.

That 3-0 lead would be short lived though. In the bottom half of the first, the A’s answered right back with a an RBI double and single of their own – – thanks to Brent Rooker and Jeff McNeil.

After a quiet second inning for both clubs, the White Sox would strike – – three times – – all off of one swing by Korey Lee. Miguel Vargas and Jarred Kelenic both scored on the dinger. Springs would not return for the fourth inning. His day ends with the troubling line of 2.2 IP, 4H, 6ER, 3 BB, and 3K :/

Tough day for the A’s southpaw but us fans have grown custom to poor pitching performances by our starting pitchers this spring.

Thankfully the offense has been cartoonishly hot. Three solo home runs by Brent Rooker, Nick Kurtz, and Shea Langeliers had the game all tied up by the end of the fourth inning. That lead, however, would be short lived thanks to a Derek Hill RBI single off of Mark Leiter Jr. in the top of the fifth.

That would be the last of the offensive damage for the White Sox. They’d carry that 7-6 lead up until the bottom of the seventh, where the Non-roster trio of Tommy White, Michael Stefanic, and Cade Marlowe tied it all up, leading to a Jared Dickey single that brought Stefanic and Marlowe home, making it 9-7 A’s.

For good measure, the A’s tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Tommy White’s single scored Leo De Vries, who just missed a home run. White would then be brought in on a Cade Marlowe fielder’s choice.

Final score sits 11-7, A’s over the White Sox. They’ll be back at it against the Arizona Diamondbacks tomorrow. Right now, the pitching matchup is scheduled to be Luis Morales vs. Ryne Nelson. This’ll be Morales’ fourth outing so far this spring. Let’s hope he can build off of the small flashes of success he experienced last week against the Angels.

For those of you tuning in to tonight’s USA vs. Team Italy WBC game, feel free to keep the conversation going below!

PORT ST. LUCIE — Jonah Tong finished last season in the major leagues, but will have to wait before receiving another chance at that level.

On Tuesday, the rookie was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, as the Mets look to find innings for the right-hander that won’t be available in major league camp.

“He’s a big part of what we’re trying to do here,” manager Carlos Mendoza said before the Mets faced the Cardinals in an exhibition game. “Just go down there and continue to develop and work on some things that you need to work on.”

Tong, 22, pitched to a 7.71 ERA in five starts for the Mets last season.

Entering camp he was viewed as rotation depth, behind Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga and David Peterson. The Mets also have Christian Scott, who is returning from Tommy John surgery rehab, as rotation depth.

“We were pretty honest with [Tong] from the very beginning, understanding that injuries happen throughout camp,” Mendoza said. “But the most likely outcome was he was probably going to start the year at Triple-A. But having that relationship with him now is more like some of the things he needs to work on.

“He’s a humble guy that wants to continue to get better, always asking good questions, which is basically what we saw [previously]. And the way he handles adversity.” 

Scott, in his first Grapefruit League outing (he previously pitched against Team Israel in a scrimmage), pitched three scoreless innings in relief in the 6-1 victory over the Cardinals. The right-hander walked four and struck out four, allowing only one hit.

The right-hander missed all of last season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He pitched 2 ²/₃ scoreless innings against Israel in his spring debut.

Luis Robert Jr.’s debut in the Grapefruit League is scheduled for Thursday against the Cardinals in Jupiter, Fla.

The outfielder has been playing minor league games every other day to slow-play his spring in an attempt to preserve his legs.

Francisco Lindor played four innings on defense in a simulated game as he rehabs from left hamate bone surgery.

Team officials remain optimistic the shortstop will be available to play Opening Day in two weeks. 

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Jasson Domínguez’s first-inning at-bat against Tanner Banks on Tuesday featured a different result and a different swing than “The Martian” had been accustomed to against lefty pitching.

The switch-hitter has struggled significantly against southpaws in his career, last year hitting just .204 with a .569 OPS and one home run in 104 plate appearances.

But against Banks, he jumped on a 1-2 four-seamer on the inside part of the plate and launched it to left field for a home run.

He jumped on the pitch, but his front foot did not jump. He took a step forward rather than the large leg kick he had displayed last season.

“Just trying to try something new,” Domínguez said after the 4-2 win over the Phillies at BayCare Ballpark. “When you’re doing bad, you’re already at the bottom.”

Perhaps the lesser movement will help Domínguez, who in all likelihood will have to prove himself against lefties — and righties, too — with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre because the Yankees do not have an opening in the Opening Day outfield barring injury.

It is also possible that simply getting more at-bats against lefties will be the key to unlocking his righty swing.

He is a natural righty but only has logged a couple hundred plate appearances as a righty in his minor league career.

“He still controls the zone from that side. It’s just continuing to get reps from that side,” manager Aaron Boone said of Domínguez — who overall is having a nice spring, going 10-for-30 with two homers, two steals and a .944 OPS. “I feel like this spring … he’s hit some balls hard for outs from that side of the plate as well. 

“He’s still a better left-handed hitter, but there’s no reason to think that over time, the right side can’t come up because he’s got power on that side, he’s got plate discipline, it’s just a matter of continuing to gain experience.”

Asked how many spots could be open in the bullpen, Boone said, “Two. Maybe one.”

That list of potential options includes Rule 5 draft pick Cade Winquest, who has had a rocky spring. If he doesn’t stick on their major league roster for the entire season, he would be sent back to the Cardinals.

But Boone said, “Frankly, there have been mixed results for the guys in the mix for the last two spots. We’ll see that play out a little bit. … There are opportunities for guys to grab it.”

That list also includes Jake Bird, who has struggled. And Boone also mentioned right-hander Kervin Castro, who spent last year with SWB.

“I think he can be a factor,” Boone said of the 27-year-old. “He opened my eyes this spring, seeing him in person for the first time.”

Boone said Anthony Volpe’s recovery from offseason labrum surgery is progressing, and the shortstop is scheduled to begin taking live at-bats in about three weeks.

The Yankees want Ben Rice to continue to focus on first base in Grapefruit League games, while catching occasional bullpens.

Boone saw Aaron Judge’s strong one-hop throw from right field to third that resulted in an out Monday night in the WBC and thought it looked familiar.

“He’s so under control and not in a hurry,” Boone said of Judge, who dealt with a right flexor strain last season that prevented him from throwing at full strength.

It hasn't been the smoothest spring training for right-hander Roki Sasaki as he prepares for his second season with the Dodgers.

Sasaki's first two starts in Cactus League play featured some issues with command and plenty of hard contact. But with left-hander Blake Snell and right-hander Gavin Stone sidelined with shoulder issues, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts left no doubt where Sasaki stood as he got ready to pitch in a B-game against White Sox minor leaguers on Tuesday.

“Having Blake [Snell] late to the season, which we know, [and] Gavin Stone, late to the season, as we know, we’re going to need Roki,” Roberts said. “With the buildup, I just don’t see a world in which he doesn’t break with us as a starter, and so, we’re going to need those innings.”

Sasaki took a promising step forward on a minor-league field at Camelback Ranch.

Read more:'He’s having a great spring.' How Santiago Espinal is playing his way onto Dodgers roster

The hard-throwing right-hander threw 59 pitches, 40 for strikes, across four innings while striking out nine of the 13 batters he faced and allowing two to reach base.

Although Roberts did not see Sasaki’s outing, he heard rave reviews from members of the organization who attended.

“They said it was electric,” Roberts said after the Dodgers' 4-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Camelback Ranch. “They said [he was touching] 98 to 100 [mph]. The fastball was spraying a little early, but then he locked it in. And then the split was on-play, short, lot of swing-and-miss. Couldn’t have asked for a better day.”

Sasaki surrendered a single through the right side of the infield to the first batter he faced, then proceeded to strike out the next seven batters. His only other hiccup came in the third inning, when he hit Jason Matthews with a stray breaking ball on a full count.

“I actually felt pretty bad the last couple days, but today I was able to make an adjustment, so that’s what I really need for right now,” Sasaki said via an interpreter after his outing. “I think I can keep moving forward.”

Sasaki was shelled in his second Cactus League start last week, allowing four runs, three walks, a single and a grand slam to the Cleveland Guardians at Goodyear Ballpark. He was lifted from the game without recording an out, only to get re-inserted in the second inning to complete two scoreless innings.

Sasaki noted mechanical issues as the reason for his struggles after the game. Tuesday, he said he felt much better, focusing on his core and obliques.

“I was actually focusing on core, oblique stuff,” Sasaki said. “I think it’s all about mechanics. If my mechanics are really good, my command is good, too.”

Read more:'Control what you can control.' Why Dodgers prospect Ryan Ward continues to wait his turn

Roberts took away plenty of value from the outing, even one against a lineup of minor leaguers.

"There's still value in getting hitters out and seeing guys swing and miss," Roberts said. "I think we accomplished what we wanted to today, we built him up. Obviously, built up some confidence. So, just go from there."

Tyler Glasnow cruises in third spring training outing

Tyler Glasnow pitched into the fifth inning of Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks, giving up a leadoff home run before settling in and giving up one other hit and one walk while striking out five in 4.1 innings of work.

“He looks as good as I’ve seen him over a period of time,” Roberts said. “And I just think that things are slowing down for him now. I really do. And I don’t know if it was going to the pen [and] pitching in the postseason the way he did, whatever it was, I just think there’s been real growth in him as a person and it is translating to on-the-field.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

This afternoon, the Colorado Rockies lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 8-1.

For a more detailed analysis, click here.

We’ll start with postgame comments from manager Warren Schaeffer:

And here’s starting pitcher Ryan Feltner:

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What exactly is the cost of a Mariners win. Certainly, it can’t be too expensive, right? Professional athletes work themselves out so hard everyday to grind out wins one-at-a-time, so you have to factor that in as an expense. Then there’s all the staff and coaches around keeping guys pointed in the right direction, their collective man hours is a heavy price. Oh, and you make sure that you spend the entire morning dealing with two of your All-Stars starting beef over a handshake on an international stage. That must be one of those hidden fees I’m always hearing about. Let’s get into the game.

Cooper Criswell took the start today opposite Royals ace Cole Ragans, and spent his 3.1 innings throwing as many strikes as possible, thirty-nine in fifty-seven pitches, and getting ten swings-and-misses. A couple hits, one to Isaac Collins in the first and a double to Carson Roccaforte in the third, were the only blemishes on his card for the day. Criswell battled against Isaac Collins in the bottom of third, getting an overturned call on an ABS challenge to stay in the count early, and ultimately get a fly ball out to right that ended an inning before it could get out of hand. He came out in the fourth and dismissed Carter Jensen on five pitches for his fifth strikeout and his day was done.

Dan Wilson had nothing but good things to say about Criswell after the game. “Really good outing for Cris. Throwing the ball well, staying ahead in counts, was pretty efficient.” Wilson went on talking about Criswell; “It’s been hard for hitters to get comfortable in there, and really try to figure him out.” On Criswell’s stuff, Wilson said, “he’s got the good movement, he’s got the good breaking balls, he’s got the good options, there’s nothing that they can get comfortable on.” When asked about Criswell’s resilience, Wilson said, “That’s the veteran experience that he’s gotten. He’s been around, he understands the game. It really does help him get back … take the next hitter and thwart whatever is going on. He’s got a slow heartbeat.”

After his outing, Criswell talked about his cutter and how it helps complete his arsenal of pitches, saying he likes to use it to, “reset the eyes of the hitter” away from the bottom of the zone that the sinker, change, and sweeper tend to end up, and making sure the hitter has to, “respect the top and bottom of the zone.”

Cole Wilcox was second out of the bullpen following Jimmy Kingsbury and pitched a clean top of the fifth but got into trouble quickly in the sixth, allowing a walk and a couple line drives, one to left for an out, and another that touched down in right. Dan brought in lefty Reid Easterly, to keep the lead, and his second pitch was taken deep to right by Kameron Misner. Those three runs ended up being all Kansas City would score.

The Mariners got the days offense started in the second by stringing together a couple of base-hits. Leo Rivas spanked a single to left before Spencer Packard doubled into the left-center gap to drive him home. The offense continued in the bottom of the fourth when Lazaro Montes slugged a double 109 mph out to center to score Patrick Wisdom, and then scored later in the inning when Bill Knight singled up the middle.

Montes and Knight teamed up again in the bottom of the sixth to generate a run. After Montes singled on a 100.8 out to right, he was standing at third with two outs when Knight managed to put a bloop into shallow right to bring him home, and get a hustle double for himself.

After the sixth it was zeroes across the board, and Michael Rucker got his first Cactus League save to close out a cool-hand-across-your-fevered-brow win.

Mariners are back at it tomorrow in Peoria hosting the Colorado Rockies at 1:10pm PST.

Other notes:

• Casey Legumina worked a perfect top of the seventh against 3 straight lefties getting a fly out, groundout, and a strikeout.
• Cole Young, Brennen Davis, Leo Rivas, Lazaro Montes, and Bill Knight all played the full nine innings of today’s game, each getting four at-bats and going a combined 6-17 with 3 RBIs and two walks.

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Spencer Jones was optioned to minor league camp Monday.

Tuesday, he was back in the Yankees lineup and showed again why the organization remains high on the 6-foot-7 outfielder with immense power — and immense strikeout totals.

The 24-year-old went deep for the fourth time this spring in a 4-2 win over the Phillies at BayCare Ballpark, a 416-foot opposite-field shot to left-center.

He’s been among the more impressive hitters and gotten greater exposure thanks to the departure of teammates who are participating in the WBC — an opportunity Jones didn’t want to waste.

“Probably the biggest thing out of this year is I feel like I belong and can compete and do whatever I can to help the team win,’’ Jones said prior to the game.

Still, he was disappointed in getting the news Monday about being moved to minor league camp, even as it was anticipated because he’s behind Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham, Cody Bellinger and Randal Grichuk, as well as Jasson Domínguez, on the depth chart.

“You never want to hear it, but it is what it is,’’ Jones said of getting the minor league news. “I’ve got a lot of work to do and we’ve got a whole, long season ahead of us. Opportunities are available, and it’s just about taking advantage of them.”

There are some scouts who believe Jones could be ready for the majors at some point later this season.

Barring an injury to one — or more — of the aforementioned outfielders, Jones appears unlikely to find himself in that position with the Yankees.

“I don’t think about what could be,” Jones said. “It’s more about ‘What do we have right now?’ and focusing on the day-to-day.”

He and the Yankees are encouraged by the adjustments Jones made last season and through the winter.

“I told him there are things out of your control,’’ Aaron Boone said. “As best you can, focus on the improvements he needs to make in this game and the good thing is he’s done that.

“The reality is he’s pushing through right now, knocking on that door [to the majors]. You just have to take care of your business and force us into a decision.”

And Jones knows that cutting down on strikeouts — and simply making more contact — is the key to advancing in his career.

He’s also taken a few aspects of perhaps the best left-handed swing on the planet — Shohei Ohtani’s — and incorporated them into his approach. That’s helped Jones, he said, “feel very still, very stable, being on time and swinging at the right pitches.”

The next step, almost certainly alongside Domínguez at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, will be trying to become less prone to slumps.

“Last year was great [and] a personal success with competing and being one of the better players in [the International] League,’’ Jones said. “Now it’s about repeating that, being who I am and consistency.”

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Reds fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The 2025 edition of the Cincinnati Reds was anchored by both TJ Friedl and Elly De La Cruz, two everyday stalwarts that posted total plate appearances of 685 and 699, respectively. Those marks ranked 21st and tied for 12th among all MLB players, a testament both to their health and good enough production that they played just about everyday against pitchers on both sides of the mound.

Those were the only two Reds to top the 600 PA threshold, though, a mark that 68 total players across the league managed to top. That was due to a number of factors – platooning the likes of lefties Gavin Lux, Will Benson, and Jake Fraley, injuries to Fraley, Austin Hays, and Noelvi Marte, and input trades of Ke’Bryan Hayes and Miguel Andujar eating into others’ playing time.

A 600 PA season is indicative of good health and everyday playing time as much as it is an offense that keeps turning the lineup over, and the hope in 2026 is that the Reds offense is much, much better than it was during a largely ineffective 2025.

That begs the question…how many 600+ PA seasons will the Reds get out of their roster in 2026?

Will they be able to keep Sal Stewart in the lineup often enough for him to get there?

Might Spencer Steer find ways to get there by being versatile to cover both outfield corners and spots all over the infield?

Could they make sure Eugenio Suárez gets there since his bat is the singular reason they brought him onto the roster?

If Matt McLain hits like he did back in 2023 and sticks in the #2 spot in the order all year, will that push his season total over the threshold?

Let us know what you think, since it’s something of a tell of how good you think this offense will be – or a tell on how much you think they’ll rotate the lineup enough to keep guys from getting that many opportunities!

The knockout stage of this year’s World Baseball Classic is taking shape as we enter the final two days of pool play.

Game No. 1: Israel (מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל) at The Netherlands (Nederland)

Venue: loanDepot Park — Miami, Florida, USA

First Pitch: 5:00 PM MDT

TV: Fox One App

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

RHP Carlos Lequerica vs LHP Ryjeteri Merite

Game No. 2: Canada at Puerto Rico

Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium — San Juan, Puerto Rico

First Pitch: 5:00 PM MDT

TV: Tubi

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

RHP Jordan Balazovic vs RHP José de León

Game No. 3: Italy (Repubblica Italiana) at United States

Venue: Daikin Park — Houston, Texas, USA

First Pitch: 7:00 PM MDT

TV: FS1

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

RHP Michael Lorenzen vs RHP Nolan McLean

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Tyler Glasnow continued his march toward pitching in the Dodgers’ opening series, pitching into the fifth inning in a 4-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday at Camelback Ranch.

Glasnow allowed a home run on his second pitch of the game, to Diamondbacks outfielder and leadoff batter Jordan Lawlar, but was otherwise stingy. He gave up only one more hit (a single) and a walk, and struck out five, and was so efficient that he even faced (and retired) one batter in the fifth inning to get to his pitch limit. Glasnow needed 60 pitches to complete his 4 1/3 innings, only nine more pitches than he used in 2 2/3 innings last Wednesday against Mexico.

He’s the first Dodgers pitcher this spring to pitch more than three innings in a Cactus League game.

On the backfields

Roki Sasaki pitched a B game at Camelback Ranch today to continue his build up, after his first two Cactus League outings had spotty results. Regardless of the performance, the Dodgers have remained confident in Sasaki from the jump, so it’s not really a surprise he’s ticketed for the opening day roster. From Sonja Chen of MLB.com:

Sasaki struck out nine White Sox minor leaguers, with Jack Harris of The California Post noting, “his fastball command still looked a little erratic at times.”

Per David Vassegh of Dodger Talk, manager Dave Roberts also said of Sasaki, “I’m betting on the performance to trend up.”

Also of note on Tuesday, Brock Stewart threw a bullpen session Tuesday morning at Camelback Ranch. After shoulder surgery in October, Stewart won’t be ready for opening day. But that he’s already throwing bullpen sessions at least puts him on the radar for potential addition to the roster at some point in early to mid-April, if all goes well.

Up next

The Dodgers have their first off day of camp on Wednesday (with another coming on March 19), then are back at Camelback Ranch on Thursday night against the Cincinnati Reds (6:05 p.m., SportsNet LA).

I didn’t go to this game and, well, the Cubs didn’t much show up either, defeated by the Rangers 8-3.

Cade Horton got cuffed around pretty good, serving up six hits, including three home runs. Horton worked 3.2 innings and threw 60 pitches. Was he working on mechanics or location? Maybe. Hopefully this is just a “let it all hang out” Spring Training outing and nothing more. Here’s some good analysis of Horton’s spring.

Here’s a breakdown of Horton’s pitches [VIDEO].

One of the Rangers home runs, by Ezequiel Duran, went a long, long way [VIDEO].

In case you care, here’s video of the other two homers, by Corey Seager and Josh Smith, though you can’t really see Horton’s pitches here nor, really, any Cubs:

Andrew McCutchen, who’s trying to make the Rangers as a non-roster invitee at age 39, doubled in a run in the fifth inning off Ryan Rolison, who’s not going to make the Opening Day roster.

Matt Shaw homered off Kumar Rocker in the sixth, his first of the spring [VIDEO].

The Cubs didn’t really do much against Jacob deGrom (but then, who does?), who threw three innings and struck out five, allowing singles to Kevin Alcántara and Michael Conforto. Here are deGrom’s five K’s [VIDEO].

The two singles were the only Cubs hits until Shaw’s homer. A sacrifice fly by Chas McCormick scored another run in the sixth.

Ethan Roberts threw a 1-2-3 sixth inning with a strikeout. Collin Snider threw a scoreless seventh with two strikeouts. The Cubs scored a third run on a double by Kade Snell in the eighth. The Cubs really like Snell, who was their fifth-round pick last year out of the University of Alabama.

The Cubs return to Sloan Park Wednesday afternoon for a matchup with the Royals. Colin Rea will start for the Cubs and Mitch Spence goes for Kansas City. Game time Wednesday is 3:05 p.m. CT and once again, there’s no TV or radio for this game, though I will be attending so will recap what I see in Mesa. Wednesday’s Cubs game is the last one this year that won’t have any broadcasts. All the rest of the spring games will have either a radio or TV broadcast or both.

From the moment the Detroit Tigers signed left-hander Enmanuel de Jesus to a minor league deal and camp invite back in December, it was clear they wouldn’t be able to stash him in the minor leagues and off the 40-man roster for long. As it turned out, interest from other teams forced the issue and so the Tigers added him to the 40-man roster on Tuesday, moving right-hander Troy Melton to the 60-day injured list as the corresponding move.

De Jesus’s deal was designed to pay the veteran $1.3 million if he played in the major leagues this season. Minor league deals like that are typically only given to players who have some interest from other teams, and they invariably come with a timetable. We expected that the Tigers would have until sometime in late April to decide to add him to the 40-man roster or De Jesus would be able to opt-out and sign wherever he chose. Those may still be the terms of the deal, but as it turns out, De Jesus also had the right to accept another deal this week. With offers coming in to pitch overseas after his outstanding showing for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, the Tigers made the call on Tuesday to purchase his contract and add him to the 40-man roster.

The 29-year-old came up in the Boston Red Sox organization before briefly bouncing around with the San Francisco Giants and the Miami Marlins, the latter of which gave him his first major league cup of coffee back in 2023. Offers were not particularly compelling at that point, and so De Jesus moved to South Korea to pitch in the KBO in 2024 and 2025.

With the Kiwoom Heroes in 2024, De Jesus made 30 starts, compiling a 3.68 ERA. He came back to the KBO with the KT Wiz in 2025, making another 30 starts with a 3.96 ERA. Those two seasons had major league teams interested, but unlike Cody Ponce or the Tigers own Drew Anderson, two 2025 KBO standouts who got major league deals this offseason, De Jesus didn’t draw much the same level of offers. Instead the Tigers were able to bring him to camp on a minor league deal, and the southpaw did his part by showing out in Grapefruit League action and in the World Baseball Classic.

De Jesus had already impressed in camp with his excellent command of a solid though modest pitch mix. His outing for Team Venezuela on March 8 solidified his standing as a pitcher of interest. De Jesus struck out eight over five innings of one-run ball with no walks and just two hits allowed as Team Venezuela defeated Team Israel. That set a record in strikeouts for Team Venezuela, putting a stamp on the performance. While the competition wasn’t particularly tough, it was again De Jesus’s excellent command and ability to execute his game plan that really stood out. As a result, franchises in Asia were reportedly calling for his services this week, and the Tigers had to decide whether they were going to add him to the roster or not.

The decision was made easier by the fact that Melton, who was expected to be a force in the bullpen and perhaps swing back to a starting role if needed during the season, has been dealing with an elbow issue that has kept him off the mound since early in spring camp. Asked about his status over the weekend, manager A.J. Hinch mentioned only that Melton was doing “plyo ball stuff,” making it clear that his status and timetable remained uncertain. On the one hand, the fact that he was doing arm strengthening work was a positive sign that Melton may avoid surgery. On the other, it looked more and more like Melton would need more rehab time and then a slow progression to build up his arm, followed by rehab outings at the Triple-A level. As his timeline started to stretch into May, the Tigers realized they wouldn’t lose anything by moving him to the 60-day injured list to open a spot for De Jesus, making the decision a pretty simple one.

De Jesus is working with both fourseam fastballs and sinkers between 92-94 mph and showing outstanding command of both pitches. He backs the two fastball types with an 86 mph cutter, and a good circle changeup averaging 85 mph this spring. The changeup has late fade and seems to have plenty of deception, making it his best pitch of the bunch as hitters don’t seem to pick it up well off the same sightlines on which he’s throwing the fourseam and sinker. Less often he’ll break off a slower slider to try and get some chase down and away from left-handed hitters.

It’s not an overpowering set of pitches, and big league hitters will be the proving ground for his mistakes, but de Jesus learned how to really pitch in the KBO, and appears to be pretty deceptive as well. He’s worked the edges of all four quadrants of the strike zone with both fastball types, while consistently bending the changeup and cutter just off the edges to either side of the plate. His easy delivery and apparent lack of tells, along with that feel for his full set of pitches has allowed him to keep hitters off balance. There have been few good swings against him from anyone this spring.

Take a look at his highlights from the WBC. You’ll see little but paint.

For now, the Tigers just had to pick up de Jesus’s contract to prevent him from signing elsewhere. He still has to make the Opening Day roster, but that’s looking like a near lock right now. We’ll assume that de Jesus will be in the Tigers’ bullpen on Opening Day along with fellow lefty Tyler Holton. Between de Jesus and Drew Anderson, that would give them two depth starters working out of the bullpen, giving Hinch a lot of flexibility to help get his rotation through the early part of the season when most injuries occur. They could also choose to keep Brant Hurter in the bullpen as well, giving them three multi-inning relievers who can handle either-handed hitters.

That setup leaves Holton, Will Vest, Kenley Jansen, and Kyle Finnegan free to handle the late innings and high leverage scenarios. With two long relief style lefties in the pen of the quality of de Jesus and Hurter, the Tigers could have them follow right-handed starters Justin Verlander, Jack Flaherty, and Casey Mize, forcing managers to decide if they want to replace left-handed hitters in the lineup with right-handers to try and get to the Tigers’ bullpen in the middle innings. If they choose to empty their bench to stack up their right-handed hitters against de Jesus and Hurter and fail to seize a lead, then that opens up the late innings for the Tigers’ right-handed high leverage arms. When Framber Valdez or Tarik Skubal start, then the Tigers can pivot to Drew Anderson to follow them, forcing the same type of decision on opposing managers.

It won’t always work out like that, but with Anderson, Hurter, and de Jesus all looking like guys who could win a fifth starter’s gig with a lot of lesser teams around the league, the depth of the Tigers’ pen would be in great shape. They’d also still have one spot left to rotate their best remaining arms through as they try to develop another reliever out of their prospects and minor league free agent signings. The Tigers could also choose to option Hurter for a while, and just use Anderson and de Jesus as the middle relievers, giving them two open spots in the pen for single inning relievers.

They don’t have to make the final decision for another two weeks, but Enmanuel de Jesus has made a great case for himself so far. Barring any trouble, he appears destined for a spot in the Tigers’ pen on Opening Day. Hopefully, Troy Melton has avoided any major injury and will be able to join him sometime in May. A hard-throwing right-hander with a good breaking ball would really tie the whole relief corps together.

On the latest episode of The Mets Pod, Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo warm up to the World Baseball Classic and close in on Opening Day.

First up, the guys celebrate the excitement of the WBC, and do a deep dive into the motivations of Juan Soto. Then, Connor and Joe discuss Mets legend David Wright spending time in camp with Bo Bichette, the solid play so far of Carson Benge, and how the Opening Day roster may shake out. 

The show also goes Down on the Farm to check in on prospects who need to step up, and answers Mailbag questions about Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio, Brett Baty, and more.

Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.