Hunter Greene will make his 2026 Cactus League debut on Saturday afternoon in the ballpark formerly known as Maryvale, as the Cincinnati Reds hit the road to take on their NL Central rivals from Milwaukee.
Manager Terry Francona has rolled out a lineup chock full of regulars for the outing, too, as the lineup and travel roster for the day reveal.
With lefty Rob Zastryzny on the mound, Tito has once again opted to align his outfield with TJ Friedl in LF and Dane Myers in CF, doing his best to both maximize his defensive prowess out there while also getting more guys in the lineup who can, in theory, hit southpaws. Blake Dunn, who’s fresh off his first homer of the spring, will get the start in RF.
On the infield, Sal Stewart will get a game in at 3B. He’s already gotten starts at both 1B and 2B so far this spring as the club is choosing to see just how much defensive versatility he can provide for their daily shuffling – shuffling that includes Spencer Steer sliding over to start at 1B on the day.
We’re also getting a look at Christian Encarnacion-Strand in the lineup, finally. He’s reportedly been dealing with a minor hamstring issue while in camp, and he’ll be limited to DH duties this afternoon.
Most importantly, though, is that this game will finally be one you can watch. Both Reds.tv and Brewers.tv will have coverage, and you’ll be able to choose which of those feeds to watch via MLB.tv. It’s one of the free games of the day, too, so you won’t even need to buy your season subscription yet first.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 17: Starling Marte #6 of the New York Mets waits for a pitch in the second inning during a game against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field on September 17, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals had little offensive production from their outfield last year, and while they brought in Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas and are counting on improvement from Jac Caglianone, they are still looking for reinforcements. That could include veteran Starling Marte, as reporter Yancen Pujols indicates. He reports that the Royals are discussing a deal with the former Mets outfielder, with New York Post reporter Jon Heyman confirming.
Update 1:37 p.m.: It’s a one-year deal.
One-year MLB deal for Marte, according to sources, and expectation is he'll get his physical in the next couple of days. Depth and bench bat for #Royals, another RH option for the outfield. They'll have to make a roster move when this official. @YancenPujols first reported. https://t.co/oDJbAxzCLE
The Royals have been reportedly interested in Marte before, reportedly inquiring about a trade with the Mets last year. The 37-year-old is a free agent now, coming off a season where he hit .270/.335/.410 with nine home runs and seven steals in 98 games with the Mets, worth 1.0 rWAR. Marte has generally been a high-average, high-contact hitter, although he has had trouble staying on the field later in his career, and rates poorly defensively in the outfield.
Marte began his career in 2012 with the Pirates, and was a Gold Glover early on in left, earning an All-Star appearance in 2015. He signed a four-year, $78 million contract with the Mets before the 2022 season and was an All-Star that season, batting .292/.347/.468 wth 16 home runs. He followed that up with an awful 2023, but has been an above-average hitter in each of the last two seasons, although he has not appeared in as many as 100 games in either season.
Marte is a right-handed hitter, but does not have much of a platoon split. He played in just 12 games in the outfield last year and was -8 in Outs Above Average in 2024. He would likely need to spend most of his time at designated hitter, with occasional spells in the outfield. Collins and Thomas are trying to earn playing time in left field, but Collins is coming off a knee injury and Thomas is coming off foot surgery in the offseason.
DUNEDIN, Fla. – Bryce Harper’s final at-bat before heading to the World Baseball Classic resulted in a solo home run Saturday.
Harper, who was set to fly to Phoenix with other area Team USA members on Saturday night, was happy with the way he swung the bat in his first four Grapefruit League games. He left camp 3 for 8 with two doubles, a homer, three walks and four RBIs.
Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Brad Keller and the rest of Team USA will open WBC play Friday night in Houston against Team Brazil.
“It happens quick,” Harper said. “Better hurry up and flip (the switch).”
Team USA will play a couple of exhibition games against big-league clubs in Arizona before heading to Houston, so Harper will get a few more at-bats before the tournament. He likes where his swing is at this early stage of the spring and he wants to keep it there in the WBC — and beyond.
“Just try to quiet down as much as possible, meaning you don’t get so amped up and so excited that your swing goes to crap,” he said. “Just try to stay as calm as I can. The game is going to speed up no matter what. I’ve tried to do that all camp, just trying to get pitches in the zone, swing at strikes and take my walks when I can. I’ve done a pretty good job at that in the first four games I’ve played. Just trying to slow down.”
Harper’s home run came in the fifth inning of a 7-5 loss to Toronto. He hit a 1-1 changeup from former Phillies farmhand Connor Seabold.
“He’s controlling the strike zone and taking his walks,” manager Rob Thomson said of Harper’s early at-bats. “He got the head out on a pitch today and hit the ball out of the ballpark, which is good to see.”
With Team USA, Harper could end up facing some Phillies teammates in the WBC. Taijuan Walker (Mexico), Aaron Nola (Italy) and Cristopher Sanchez (Dominican Republic) will all pitch in the tournament and there’s a chance Jesus Luzardo could opt-in if Venezuela goes deep in the event. At least that’s what he told a Venezuelan news outlet Friday.
“I hope I don’t face Sanchy,” Harper said with a laugh. Sanchez was dominant in two innings of work against Toronto on Saturday.
• Luzardo pitched in a simulated game on Saturday. He will make his first Grapefruit League start Thursday in Clearwater against Boston.
• Reliever Orion Kerkering, slowed by a sore hamstring early in camp, threw a bullpen session Saturday, and all went well. Kerkering is working on a splitter this spring.
“It’s just to add another look,” Thomson said. “He’s got the two-seamer, he’s got the riding fastball, he’s got a slider. Now, you’ve got a ball going straight down if he can master it.”
• Infield prospect Aidan Miller remains out of action with lower back soreness. He has yet to play in Grapefruit League action and there is no timetable for his return. All he is doing baseball-wise is playing light catch.
Sunday is March 1. Time is getting tight for Miller to be ready to open the minor-league season on time.
Thomson acknowledged that Miller was “behind,” but added, “We’ve still got some time.”
Thomson was asked about his level of concern about Miller’s back issue.
“He’s a young kid and I trust our training staff,” Thomson said. “We’re just being precautious.”
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 2: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers is tagged out in a rundown by Cam Devanney #34 of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the seventh inning during a game at PNC Park on September 2, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Poor fundamentals are a pet peeve of mine simply because they are among the few skills all players can master whether they are the single most or least talented athlete on the roster. Nonetheless so many players and so many teams struggle to execute correctly basics they have been taught and have been working on since high school if not Little League.
Here I’m not talking about basics such as “throw strikes” or “plant your feet properly before you throw”. These may be key skills but not every body easily repeats the necessary motions and coordination. As much as I think Max Muncy needs to figure out how throw more accurately more often, and as much as I believe hard work and repetition can improve the odds, his body just may or may not have that skill.
The fundamentals I am referring to are the skills everyone possesses but not everyone has the discipline to execute time and time again. An outfielder throwing to the cut off man, an infielder running a trapped runner back to the previous base, taking the time to make sure you get one out before trying to get two — these are more fundamental aspects of the game that are within every big league player’s bandwidth.
The A’s don’t have the market cornered on sloppy fundamentals, but at the same time they have hardly run a clinic. So far in spring training some glitches have already reared their ugly heads — though arguably spring training is precisely the time to make, and correct, these mistakes.
Muncy took such a conservative lead off of 2B, perhaps even thinking about tagging up with one out if the ball was caught, and found himself with egg on his face when he couldn’t score from 2B on a ball that banged off the RF wall. That shouldn’t happen — your position waiting to see if a ball at the wall is caught or not needs to be far enough along to the next base that you can negotiate two bases should it crash off the barrier 330 feet from home plate.
Once again A’s pitchers have proven to be shaky at holding base runners close enough to 1B for Shea Langeliers to have a fighting chance. This was a huge problem in last year’s Cactus League and bled into the regular season. It’s not about pick offs, it’s about keeping runners from getting walking leads or huge leads without being held in check.
There is reason to hope the A’s defense will be much improved this season. It starts with Denzel Clarke anchoring the outfield from CF, where he is not only a human highlight reel but also is very fundamentally sound. Adding Jeff McNeil on the infield strengthens that group, Tyler Soderstrom was a revelation when he moved to the outfield, and Nick Kurtz has the benefit of experience to improve upon his poor 2025 numbers. One can also hope Jacob Wilson is healthier and more mobile.
Where the A’s are vulnerable is that as a hitting group, while imposing they are not a team that is likely to take many extra bases as they have few base stealing threats and average overall speed. They can’t then afford to be a team that gives away a lot of bases by throwing to the wrong base, botching rundowns, letting runners get walking leads, and so on.
That the A’s are 1-5 so far is utterly meaningless. The Colorado Rockies are 6-2 but will be lucky to win 12 games in April. What is worth watching, however, is how fundamentally sound the team looks as it gears up for Opening Day in now less than a month. (Less than a month!!!)
Keep a keen eye on this essential aspect of the game as it could go a ways to predicting the A’s fortunes in 2026.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Los Angeles Dodgers do not expect two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell to be ready for opening day as he works on coming back from a shoulder injury that has lingered since last season.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Friday that the lefty has been throwing on flat ground, not the mound, and is making progress.
Snell was limited to 11 games last year in the regular season, going 5-4 with a 2.35 ERA. He was 3-2 in six postseason starts and helped the Dodgers repeat as World Series champions.
In a spring training game against San Francisco, right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave up two runs and five hits while striking out five over three innings. Yamamoto will head to Japan for the World Baseball Classic with Dodgers teammate Shohei Ohtani.
CLEARWATER, FL - FEBRUARY 25: Zach McKinstry #39 of the Detroit Tigers celebrates with teammates in the dugout during the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Detroit Tigers vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Time/Place: 1:05 p.m., Charlotte Sports Park – Port Charlotte, FL SB Nation Site: DRaysBay Media: MLB Audio
FORMER CUBS IN DODGERS CAMP: Kyle Tucker. That’s it. (Plus former Cubs prospects Jackson Ferris and Zyhir Hope, who went to L.A. for Michael Busch.)
CUBS vs. DODGERS: After dropping two games to the Dodgers in Tokyo last year, the Cubs took four of five from L.A. the rest of the year. These teams will meet again Sunday, March 15 at Sloan Park.
Colin Rea will start for the Cubs. Other Cubs pitchers scheduled today: Javier Assad, Jeff Brigham and Ben Brown.
Justin Wrobleski will start for the Dodgers. Other Dodgers pitchers scheduled today: Edwin Díaz, Ronan Kopp, Tanner Scott, Patrick Copen, Wyatt Mills and Jerming Rosario. The Dodgers are a split squad today.
Today’s game is on TV via the Dodgers channel SportsNet LA. No radio broadcast.
Please visit our SB Nation Dodgers site True Blue LA. If you do go there to interact with Dodgers fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
As we have done in the past, we’ll have a first pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time. For today, that will be 2 p.m. CT and 3:30 p.m. CT.
These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked ”Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher photos and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.
Feb 14, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael McGreevy (36) speaks to catcher Ivan Herrera (48) inside a dugout during spring training at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Not that we’re too worried about the wins and losses too much at this point, but the St. Louis Cardinals will take their 4-win, 3-loss record against the Florida Marlins on Saturday, February 28. According to MLB.com, Michael McGreevy will start for St. Louis while it will once again be Eury Pérez for the Marlins.
SARASOTA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 16: Kyle Bradish #38 of the Baltimore Orioles smiles during practice at Ed Smith Stadium on February 16, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Baltimore Orioles/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s beginning to feel more like spring, kind of. Temperatures in Baltimore will reach nearly 60 degrees today. It’s positively balmy around here.
The Orioles, of course, have been enjoying pleasant weather for a couple of weeks now, and they’re back in action in Sarasota today. Kyle Bradish will make his second start after a somewhat rocky debut earlier this week. Most of the Orioles’ regulars will be behind him, though not Samuel Basallo, who left Thursday’s game with right abdominal discomfort. There’s no indication that Basallo’s injury will be long lasting, and he told the media yesterday that he felt fine, but there’s no reason to push him back into the lineup yet.
Gunnar Henderson and Tyler O’Neill will take the top two spots in the lineup, collecting as many at-bats as they can before they leave for the World Baseball Classic. Coby Mayo gets another start at third base. The O’s will face former NL Rookie of the Year runner-up Spencer Strider, making his spring debut for the Braves.
Orioles lineup:
SS Gunnar Henderson RF Tyler O’Neill 1B Pete Alonso LF Taylor Ward C Adley Rutschman DH Ryan Mountcastle 3B Coby Mayo CF Leody Taveras 2B Jeremiah Jackson
PORT CHARLOTTE, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 24: Walker Jenkins #75 of the Minnesota Twins lines out during the first inning of a spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park on February 24, 2026 in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by Mark Taylor/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First Pitch (CT):12:05 TV: Twins.TV (via NESN) Radio: NA Know Yo’ Foe:Over the Monster
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 28: Starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. #43 of the Houston Astros delivers a pitch during the first inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 28, 2025 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) | Getty Images
His first Grapefruit League appearance of 2026 didn’t last long, but it was certainly encouraging.
Maybe there’s still a little gas left in the tank after all.
Friday’s 2026 Grapefruit League debut by Lance McCullers Jr. may not have seemed like much, but it was huge. For Lance, for the Astros, for fans who may not even know it yet, it was huge.
Coming off a season where his fastball velocity was so bad he couldn’t even throw it, Friday was a massive step forward. Not only could he throw his sinker, he could throw his four-seam. It allowed him to do something he couldn’t do last year at all, and that is get quick outs.
Saddled with low velocity last season that sometimes saw him unable to break 91 MPH on his fastball and sinker, Lance relied on his knuckle curve and slider. His curve is legendary in Houston, and his slider is a very good pitch, but there were several issues relying heavily on those two pitches.
The first was he struggled with command, and it was difficult for him to throw them for strikes.
Second, they are both ‘swing-and-miss’ type pitches. They aren’t designed to get weak contact, ground balls, pop ups, etc. They are supposed to make you look helpless at the plate and put you away.
Between his lack of command and inability to get any quick outs, Lance was going deep counts far too often on seemingly every batter, and usually behind in the count as well.
When you can’t throw a fastball, and can’t locate your curve, guys sit on your slider. When MLB hitters sit on a pitch with no fear of getting caught by a different one for a strike, they are going to get to you. Lance felt the pain of that last season.
It’s why there was so much consternation of what could Lance do this year to be a part of the team. Could he even make the team? Can Lance pitch out of the bullpen? Would the Astros put him through waivers for the purposes of giving him his unconditional release and eat the final year of his contract?
None of those questions can be fully answered in the 8 pitches McCullers threw on Friday, but there was something found that maybe had not been seen over the past two years for him: Hope.
McCullers second pitch of the game was a four-seam clocked at 93.2 MPH. Maybe you noticed. Maybe you didn’t. Now you will. He threw 4 pitches to C.J. Abrams, and got him to pop up on a knuckle curve.
Jacob Young stepped into the box. Sinker. 93.5 MPH. Sinker. 93.8 MPH. Ground ball to first. Two out.
Enter Dylan Crews to the box. Sinker. 94.6 MPH. Four-seam. 93.3 MPH. Pop up to 2nd. Inning over.
1-2-3. 8 pitches.
I know its spring training, but McCullers was able to lean on 2 pitches he could barely throw last season. His velocity was up. He got quick outs. These are the things Lance needs in his arsenal if he can find his way back into the rotation and ever be close to the pitcher he once was. These are things he will need if he can be a reliable arm out of the pen (provided his arm can handle the rigors of Pen Life).
It’s too early to tell if McCullers can maintain that level of velocity, let alone build off it. It’s too early to tell if he can maintain that velocity over 20 pitches, 50 pitches, 90 pitches.
But he showed a velocity increase, one that there were no offseason reports of him having.
He showed us there’s hope.
Were you encouraged by McCullers’ first outing in Grapefruit League? Let us know in the comments below.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 20, 2026: Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers in the field during the fourth inning of a spring training game against the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium on February 20, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for February 28, 2026 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Rangers are squaring off against the defending World Champion Dodgers of Los Angeles in today’s spring training matchup.
The lineup:
Carter — CF
Langford — LF
Pederson — 1B
Jansen — C
Haggerty — RF
Duran — 2B
Canha — DH
Wade — SS
Bride — 3B
Jack Leiter is starting, and is expected to be followed by Carter Baumler, Michael Otanez, Luis Curvelo, Josh Trentadue and Dalton Pence.
FORT MYERS, FL - FEBRUARY 17: Sonny Gray #54 of the Boston Red Sox poses for a photo during the Boston Red Sox photo day at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Is it on TV?
Once again it’s on NESN. Moreover, it’s also on WHDH for locals who don’t have cable. The Sox have gotten a lot of crap in recent years for not broadcasting more spring training games, so let’s give them some credit for an increased broadcast schedule this spring. So far every game but two has been televised.
What’s the lineup?
What should we watch for?
It’s our first look at Sonny Gray, so expect that to take up most of the attention. But as yesterday’s first inning injury scare against the Braves reminded us, the most important thing in this game is staying healthy.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 17: (ALTERNATE CROP) Josh Jung #6 of the Texas Rangers poses for a portrait during photo day at Surprise Stadium on February 17, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers infielders Josh Jung and Justin Foscue will each miss about 10 days due to injuries, per manager Skip Schumaker, via the beats. Jung has an adductor strain, and Foscue has a hamstring strain.
Both Jung and Foscue have struggled to stay healthy during their professional careers, and these latest developments aren’t going to help either shake their reputations for being injury prone. In the case of Foscue, the timing is especially bad, as there’s a spot available on the Opening Day roster for a righthanded hitting platoon DH and bench bat, and he’ll be losing opportunities to earn that spot.
Neither player’s ability to be ready for Opening Day would appear to be impacted, which is good news, given the sudden lack of infield depth the Rangers have. After trading Marcus Semien to the New York Mets, the team is expecting Josh Smith to move from a utility role to being the regular second baseman. Ezequiel Duran is currently the utility infielder, with Cody Freeman being out the rest of the spring. Sebastian Walcott, who could have figured into the infield mix at some point in 2026, will miss most of the season after going internal brace surgery to repair the damaged UCL in his elbow.
Feb 23, 2026; Bradenton, Florida, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Paul Blackburn (58) throws a pitch during the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at LECOM Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
We’re in spring training proper now, with less than a week to go before the World Baseball Classic opens, and players on both of the teams squaring off today will represent their countries. Both the Yankees and the Blue Jays will send multiple participants to the WBC, but in the meantime the two AL East hopefuls will face off at Steinbrenner Field.
Paul Blackburn gets the ball in his second spring appearance, hoping to prove himself in a bullpen role with the MLB club. He didn’t have a great, albeit brief, stint with the club last year after coming over from Queens, but Matt Blake has worked some success with sinker-cutter combos before, and that’s Blackburn’s primary offering.
Meanwhile, José Berríos has had a rocky few months. He was on the IL for the Blue Jays’ World Series run and actually abandoned the club, returning home to Puerto Rico. This caused much discourse about the veteran’s commitment to the team, and in the midst of his apologies, Berríos was informed he was one of several Puerto Rican players who wasn’t able to be insured for the WBC, and he’ll miss the tournament. As he’s still rehabbing his right bicep, the time in camp might end up the best for him personally, but Puerto Rico is a proud baseball machine and missing what is likely his last Classic must be weighing on Berríos.
We get a pretty representative lineup today, with only Spencer Jones, who’s batting ninth, expected to not be on the Opening Day roster. Trent Grisham, Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. form a very powerful top three. Note that utilityman Amed Rosario was originally in the starting nine at third base but was scratched about an hour before first pitch, with NRI Jonathan Ornelas taking his place. This reportedly would’ve been Rosario’s last start before heading off to join Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, so an injury could be in play.
