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The San Diego Padres entered Spring Training with questions about their starting pitching rotation. There were rumors in the offseason about Mason Miller being converted back to a starter – he will not be. There was also talk about David Morgan and/or Brian Hoeing being stretched out to become starters because the Padres knew they would not have much of their 2025 rotation returning. Morgan remains in the bullpen and Hoeing will be lost for the season after needing elbow surgery.

Dylan Cease reached free agency and signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. Michael King also reached free agency, but after time on the market he re-signed and returned to San Diego. Nick Pivetta was still on the team, but rumors about a possible trade involving Pivetta percolated in many of the early offseason conversations – he remains on the roster. It was announced that Yu Darvish would miss the entire 2026 season after offseason surgery on his elbow and Joe Musgrove was returning from his own surgery and what he could provide over 162-game season was unknown.

San Diego president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller turned to the free agent market, but after re-signing King, he seemed reluctant to add a free agent pitcher on much more than a minor league deal. He did add German Marquez and Griffin Canning on major league deals, but Marquez received a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2027 for $1.75 million and Canning got a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2027 for $2.5 million. Other than Marquez and Canning, Walker Buehler, Marco Gonzales and Triston McKenzie were all added on minor league deals. JP Sears and Matt Waldron were already on the San Diego roster and were starting rotation options heading into Spring Training.

Padres manager Craig Stammen announced Monday that Musgrove would likely not be on the Opening Day roster after having difficulty bouncing back from his last throwing session and a start against Great Britain, who was preparing for the World Baseball Classic. Pivetta recently missed time with arm fatigue and recently returned, but there was a moment of concern for Padres fans.

The current San Diego rotation is:

1. Michael King
2. Nick Pivetta
3. Randy Vasquez
4. TBA
5. TBA

The expectation is that Buehler and Marquez will occupy those positions because Canning will be out until sometime in May after recovering from his own injury that occurred last season. Gonzales was hammered his last time out against the Texas Rangers and McKenzie has had trouble with control throughout spring, but his velocity has been impressive. Sears has continued to allow home runs and Waldron is trying to work back to the mound after having surgery to address a hemorrhoid issue.  

It would appear the San Diego rotation is in shambles with only King and Pivetta as front of the rotation pitchers. Vasquez will move up out of necessity, but that means the back of the rotation will be filled by some combination of Marquez, Buehler, Sears, Waldron, McKenzie and Gonzales at least until Canning is cleared to return. The typical disclaimer applies; this is assuming Preller does not make a trade to address the starting rotation like he did when he added Cease prior to the plane taking off for Korea to open the 2024 season.

Gaslamp Ball would like to know what your level of concern is regarding the Padres’ rotation with Opening Day just 10 days away. Results from the Padres Reacts Survey poll question will be announced later this week.

In the quiet aftermath of a national heartbreak, the words of Shohei Ohtani carried the weight of an entire baseball nation on Monday when the two-way sensation wrote a heartfelt message on his Instagram account.

Last Saturday night in Miami, Team Japan – the gold standard of the World Baseball Classic with three titles – watched its dream dissolve under the bright lights of LoanDepot Park. 

After dominating group play on their home soil at the Tokyo Dome in Japan, the Samurai traveled to Miami to face Venezuela in the quarterfinals. 

Japan led 5-2 in the game, thanks in large part to Ohtani’s game-tying blast in the bottom of the first inning, and his Dodgers’ teammate, Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s stellar start. 

However, Venezuela stormed back and stunned the defending champions 8-5, marking the first time in the tournament’s 20-year history that Japan failed to reach the semifinals. 

It was the kind of loss that lingers.

And Ohtani knew it.

Two days later, as he traveled back to Glendale, Arizona for the quiet rhythm of spring training, the Dodgers superstar wrote a message of gratitude, disappointment, and reflection.

View this post on Instagram

“Dear fans, thank you very much for your support. Your cheers gave us a push in the back every day,” Ohtani wrote in Japanese.

Then came the honesty.

“We didn’t get the results we wanted, and I’m pained by my shortcomings.”

Those words landed with the humility that has defined the most recognizable player in baseball. Ohtani thanked the players, coaches and staff who shared the dugout with him, acknowledging that even a short tournament can feel like a lifetime when worn across the chest of your own country.

“To the players, manager, coaches, and the staffers who supported the team, it was a short time, but I’m grateful from the bottom of my heart that I was able to experience baseball with you as a representative of Japan.”

“Additionally, I want to express my gratitude to the players from the countries we played starting in the first round.”

He even tipped his cap to the team that ended their run.

“Also, to the folks from victorious Venezuela, congratulations.”

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That’s who Ohtani is. Even in defeat, the perspective remains bigger than the scoreboard.

In 2023, Ohtani stood atop the baseball world, striking out his former teammate Mike Trout to seal Japan’s championship and create one of the sport’s most iconic moments.

Now, Ohtani returns to Camelback Ranch chasing something else entirely –  a third straight World Series title and another chapter in a career that increasingly feels less like a baseball story and more like mythology wearing cleats.

Japan’s tournament ended in shock.

Ohtani’s pursuit of greatness, however, never stops.

For the first time in its 64-year history, Dodger Stadium is attaching itself to a corporate sponsorship.

Katie Woo of The Athletic first reported Sunday that the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a deal with Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo to be the official field presenting partner of the historic ballpark. Uniqlo does not have the naming rights to Dodger Stadium itself, as the team reportedly made it a priority to keep the only name the ballpark has ever had intact.

"That has never been for sale,” team president Stan Kasten told the Los Angeles Times in 2017. “It never will be for sale.”

Rather, the sponsorship is for the playing field alone and will likely be something along the lines of Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium.

It's a similar setup to another historic LA venue — the playing field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the home of the USC Trojans football team, has been known as United Airlines Field since 2019 while keeping the stadium's name.

Uniqlo began as a fast-fashion brand based in Japan in 2017 and has since grown to over 1,000 stores worldwide. As part of the deal, it will have a prominent presence throughout the ballpark, including a new sign in the center field plaza. Per The Athletic, Uniqlo will also hold exclusive marketing and promotional opportunities as the organization’s top sponsor.

Coming off a successful stint with the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, Carlos Mendoza has confirmed that Huascar Brazobán will be a part of the Mets’ bullpen if he remains healthy to finish off the spring. When speaking about his 36-year-old right-hander, Mendoza added, “If everything continues to trend in that direction…he’s going to be a part of our bullpen.”

Mendoza faced 13 batters in the WBC and struck out seven of them. He walked one and did not allow a hit over four shutout innings. Brazobán has also allowed one hit and walked one while striking out five over three shutout innings with the Mets this spring prior to his WBC performance.

Brazobán was second among all Mets relievers last season with 63 innings pitched, trailing only Edwin Díaz on that front. Meanwhile, he was fourth in appearances (52) behind Ryne Stanek (65), Díaz (62), and Reed Garrett (58). He finished the year with a 3.57 ERA and a 4.04 FIP, with 57 strikeouts and 27 walks. Brazobán still has a Minor League option, which made his spot in the bullpen anything but a guarantee, but his strong spring performance made it an easy choice for Mendoza.

The Mets have now essentially locked in six of their seven bullpen spots with closer Devin Williams, set-up man Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, Luis García, Tobias Myers, and Brazobán. With the team expected to deploy a six-man rotation, Mendoza will run a seven-man bullpen, leaving one spot left to fill. Craig Kimbrel is the most high-profile name remaining, but his performance this spring has done little to earn him a spot. He is competing against guys like Bryan Hudson, Austin Warren and Joey Gerbe, to name a few. The Mets are expected to make their decision as close to Opening Day as possible, to allow for more time to analyze their options. The Mets open their season against the Pirates on Thursday, March 26 at 1:15 pm at Citi Field.

The Nationals have lost their last couple spring games, so they will look to get back in the win column against the Mets. More importantly, the Nats quiet bats will try to get things going before the season starts in 10 days. We also get to see the return of Jacob Young.

This is a bit of an unusual looking lineup for the Nats. Jacob Young will hit second in his return to the lineup. He usually hits at the bottom of the order, but the team wants him to get more at bats. Dylan Crews is back in left field, as he gets more exposure to that position. Luis Garcia Jr. is back at his natural second base position after a couple games at first. Zach Penrod will be the opener in this one, so we should see plenty of relievers tonight.

The Mets lineup is mostly made up of reserves, but there are a couple notable faces in there. Catcher Francisco Alvarez is the biggest name in the lineup. Nats fans will also get a look at the Mets top hitting prospect Carson Benge. David Peterson has been a mainstay in the Mets rotation for a few years now, and he will get the ball tonight.

Game Info:

Stadium: Clover Park

Time: 6:10 PM EST

TV: SNY/MLB TV

Radio: The Team 980

With the season just 10 days away, we are winding down Spring Training. It would be great for the Nats bats to show more life against a starter they will see plenty of this season. Hopefully the likes of James Wood and Dylan Crews can snap out of their malaise at the plate. Follow along down below and let’s go Nats!

It’s only fitting that the pitcher who recorded the Dodgers’ final eight outs of the World Series will take the mound on opening day, as the club tries to pick up where it left off in 2025 and chase a third straight championship in 2026.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Monday that World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto will toe the rubber for the March 26 opener at Dodger Stadium against the Arizona Diamondbacks — the second straight year he's had the honor and the first time at home, after pitching last season's opener in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs.

Roberts added Yamamoto is expected to return to Camelback Ranch soon, after participating in the World Baseball Classic with Team Japan. The Samurai Warriors, seeking a second straight WBC title, were eliminated by Team Venezuela Saturday night in the quarterfinals.

Yamamoto is expected to make one more start in the Cactus League before opening day, although the date has yet to be scheduled, according to Roberts.

Read more:Swanson: Yoshinobu Yamamoto might not wear a cape, but he has super powers

Shohei Ohtani returned to Dodgers camp Monday morning, and Roberts plans to have a conversation with him soon about configuring his throwing plan leading up to regular season play. Per Roberts, Ohtani threw four innings in a simulated game while with Team Japan last Thursday.

“He’s going to get here and throw a bullpen,” Roberts said, adding: “I’m trying to figure out when we can get him into a game, but it should be here in the next day or two, to take some at bats. But as far as his progression, there’s going to be a bullpen soon, and [we’re] trying to figure out what day he’s going to pitch this week. It should be this week, but I’m not sure which day yet.”

Ohtani has not pitched in a Cactus League game and did not pitch in the WBC. Roberts does not expect the four-time MVP to be fully stretched out by the start of the regular season. Still, as Roberts notes, he’s further along than he was at this time a year ago, when he was working his way back from Tommy John surgery.

“I think this year we’re certainly north of that, I don’t see how we won’t be able to get to three or four innings in a major league game, so that’s certainly a better jumping-off point than last year, so we’ll see how it goes,” Roberts said.

Beyond Yamamoto, Ohtani and trusty veteran Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers’ back end of the rotation is still taking shape. Though Roberts had considered a six-man rotation to begin regular season play, he indicated Monday that he expects the club to use a five-man rotation, noting that things are still "fluid."

Last week, Roberts said he "didn’t see a world in which Roki Sasaki doesn’t break [camp] as a starter." That would leave one rotation spot up for the taking, with 25-year-old Justin Wrobleski, 26-year-old Emmet Sheehan and 27-year-old River Ryan among those in the running.

Sasaki to make Cactus League start Tuesday

Sasaki is scheduled to make a Cactus League start Tuesday night against the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium.

Sasaki struck out nine of 13 batters he faced in B-game last week against Chicago White Sox minor leaguers on the backfields of Camelback Ranch.

Read more:Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani apologizes for 'shortcomings' in Japan's early exit from WBC

“The last outing was really good, albeit on the other side,” Roberts said. “I’m looking to see it myself and see just more of what he did. So, if he can throw the fastball the way he did, throw the split the way he did, he should be able to manage major league hitters. So, I’m really excited about what we see from him tomorrow. Hopefully, the plan is to get him through five innings, and that would be a huge win.”

Dodgers ‘dodge a bullet’ with Gavin Stone

While Gavin Stone has not yet returned to throwing since he was shut down two weeks ago, Roberts shared an encouraging update regarding his 27-year-old pitcher that he is working his way back from shoulder surgery that caused him to miss all of 2025.

“He is pain-free now, yes,” Roberts said. “I know that he’s close to starting to ramp up again. I think it was two weeks that we wanted to have him not throw a baseball, and so, just building up the arm strength, getting that soreness out. But I think we dodged a bullet, considering where we were at a few weeks ago.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Mets Lineup

1. Carson Benge – RF
2. Mark Vientos – 1B
3. Francisco Alvarez – C
4. Jared Young – DH
5. Ronny Mauricio – SS
6. Christian Arroyo – 2B
7. Jose Rojas – LF
8. Vidal Brujan – 3B
9. Cristian Pache – CF

David Peterson – LHP

Nationals Lineup

1. James Wood – DH
2. Jacob Young – CF
3. Dylan Crews – LF
4. Andres Chaparro – 1B
5. Daylen Lile – RF
6. CJ Abrams – SS
7. Luis Garcia – 2B
8. Jose Tena – 3B
9. Riley Adams – C

Andre Granillo – RHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 6:10 PM EDT
TV: SNY

We’re now less than two weeks away from Opening Day, and the Yankees have a few choices left to make regarding their roster. Namely, they’re whittling down who on the pitching staff is going to be heading with the team to San Francisco, and then based off of that deciding if they’re going to carry an extra infielder or not. On top of that, they’re waiting for the rest of their players to return from the World Baseball Classic, which will be wrapping up tomorrow, freeing them to start making more of the expected cuts to their spring camp.

As we approach the start of the 2026 season, it’s time to start nailing down the final pieces of the puzzle. Who will be the last handful of relievers that the Yankees carry with them to start the year? Will they opt for a shorter bullpen to give themselves an extra position player on the bench, and if they do how do they solve things once the off-days shorten up? How well do you expect the team to do in their opening month or so, and will the early standings be favorable or an uphill battle? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.

Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of March 19th will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza spoke on a number of topics prior to Monday’s game against the Nationals on SNY…

What’s left for Benge to show

Carson Benge has done everything the Mets have asked of him in his bid for an Opening Day roster spot. 

After another strong showing this weekend, the youngster is now hitting .367 with a triple, a stolen base, five RBI, and a .840 OPS over 10 games. 

He also lifted an opposite-field solo homer in a exhibition against Team Israel. 

With just a week of spring games left, the Mets are simply looking for Benge to keep doing his thing.

“A lot can happen between now and Opening Day,” Mendoza said. “He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do -- I like how he’s playing defense, got into a couple of games in center, and I like the at-bats he’s taking -- there’s just a lot to like.

“He doesn’t need to do anything extra at this point, just continue to go out there and be himself and let us make that decision, which is not an easy situation to be in for a young player like that.”

Mixed feelings over McLean’s opportunity

Mendoza's experienced the WBC before. 

He knows when Mets righty Nolan McLean takes the mound for Team USA in the Finals on Tuesday night, it'll be unlike anything he's ever experienced.  

“I had the opportunity last WBC, and it’s nothing compared to a playoff atmosphere at the big-league level,” he said. “You’re representing your country, you have the world watching and have USA on playing with and against the best players -- it’ll definitely be different than what he experienced last year.”

Being around McLean, though, the skipper knows he'll be ready for the big moment.

Still, he can't help but to be a bit nervous seeing the Mets' young talent throw on such a big stage. 

"I have mixed feelings, I'm not going to lie," he said. "The fact that he’s going to have that experience is something unbelievable, we'll be praying, but it's awesome -- as far as him pitching in that environment, he’s wired and built for that, just based off of what we saw last year and being around him -- the moment is not too big.”

Next steps for Francisco Lindor

Lindor came in Monday and felt good after making his spring debut Sunday afternoon. 

The All-Star shortstop was a full participant during a full squad workout this afternoon, and if he comes back feeling okay again on Tuesday he’s expected to be back in the lineup against the Marlins. 

The team will continue to take things day-by-day from there. 

Following Wednesday’s off day, they’ll start talking about getting Lindor into back-to-back games before they break camp for the start of the regular season. 

Lindor played four innings in the field and got three at-bats on Sunday. 

Christian Scott's strong return

The Mets really like that they’ve seen from Scott in his return to the mound. 

While the right-hander will begin the year in Triple-A, Mendoza is confident that he is going to play a big part in the clubs success moving forward. 

Scott is expected to stretch out to four innings and around 60 pitches on Monday.

“Another exciting arm,” the manager said. “He was important for us in 2024 and we felt it last year. He had to work really hard and what we’ve seen so far with the velo -- this is a guy who isn’t afraid, he attacks and stats on the attack.

“I think the biggest thing is just keeping him healthy -- I like the way he’s bouncing back and how he’s feeling in between outings -- his stuff is electric man, when he’s healthy he can do some special things.”

Huascar Brazoban has been outstanding so far this spring.

The right-hander struck out five batters over three scoreless innings before leaving the Mets for the WBC. 

He continued that dominance pitching for the Dominican Republic, putting together more clean appearances, including his last in Sunday’s semifinal loss to the United States. 

Though it's just exhibition games, the Mets certainly like what they’ve seen. 

“I don’t know if we’re looking at the results, even though it’s a competitive environment facing some of the best hitters in the world on that stage, but it was good to see him throw the ball the way he did,” Carlos Mendoza said.

“The biggest thing we were looking at was just the buildup -- looking at the one-plus which he ended up doing close to 30 pitches, so the fact that they lost and we’re gonna get him back, he’s coming back in a pretty good spot.”

The team will wait and see how Brazoban feels when he reports back to camp this week, but if he finishes spring training healthy, he will officially be part of the Opening Day bullpen. 

With the 36-year-old just about locked in, that leaves one spot with a week of games to play.

As long as everyone continues to stay healthy over that stretch, Mendoza expects that the difficult decision could take them right up to hours before first pitch on Opening Day.

Among the arms who are still in the mix are veterans Craig Kimbrel and Bryan Hudson, both of whom have impressed the third-year skipper with their stuff thus far in camp. 

“We’re going to take what we feel is best and is going to give us the best chance to win,” Mendoza said. “Looks, angles, pitch shapes, I’m not sure we put too much into that now -- we’ll see how things play out the next few days.”

MIAMI - The boys were pumped up in the Team USA clubhouse Sunday evening, yelling, fist-pumping, back-slapping and absolutely exhilarated.

They had just knocked off powerful Dominican Republic in the semifinals, advancing to the championship game Tuesday night (8 p.m. ET, FOX) against the winner of the Italy-Venezuela game, and are so close to the gold medal now that they could almost touch it.

USA captain Aaron Judge stood up in front of the room, and told them how proud he was with their complete team effort. He pointed everyone out from starter Paul Skenes to closer Mason Miller and the bullpen, to shortstop Bobby Witt, to the home runs by Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony.

Go ahead and enjoy the victory, Judge told them, but once they leave the clubhouse, it was time to focus on the business at hand.

They have one more game.

Win, and everything they’ve worked hard for, beginning in Phoenix four days, 10 nights in Houston, and now in Miami, will be all worth it. It has been their dream to be standing on the championship stage in center field Tuesday, with World Baseball Classic officials adorning them with gold medals, with a sellout crowd cheering.

Jays 5 Marlins 4 (Six innings, rain-shortened)

A win is a win.

Pitchers:

• Lazaro Estrada: 2.1 innings, 3 hits, home run, 2 earned. 4.50 ERA this spring.
• Connor Seabold: 1.2 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned. 6.75. He picked Otto Lopez off first base.
• Joe Mantiply: 1.0, 1 hit, home run. 4.50.
• Jesse Hahn: 0.2, 2 hits. 6.35.

Batters, starters:

• George Springer: 2 for 2, home run, RBI. .231.
• Nathan Lukes: 2 for 2, run. .296.
• Davis Schneider: 0 for 1, walk. .103.
• Addison Barger: 0 for 2, 2 k. .267.
• Daulton Varsho: 1 for 1, double, walk. .423.
• Myles Straw: 0 for 2, RBI. .179.
• C.J. Stubbs: 1 for 3, 2 k. .300.
• Riley Tirotta: 0 for 2. .233.
• Arjun Nimmala: 0 for 2. .240.

Others:

• Jesus Sanchez: Walk. .222.
• RJ Schreck: 0 for 1, k. .167. He made a great throw from right getting a running at the plate.
• Leo Jimenez: 1 for 1. .278.
• Eloy Jimenez: 1 for 1. .297.
• Jonatan Clase: 0 for 1. .261.
• Rafael Lantigua: 0 for 1, k. .261.
• Sean Keys: 0 for 1. .207.
• Josh Kasevich: 0 for 1. .290.

I hate rain shortened spring games. I want to see the young guys late him the game. I know what Springer, Lukes, Schneider and all look like at the plate.

Tomorrow the Jays have an off-day. Wednesday they host the Orioles.

This morning, San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen made it as close to official as possible that starting pitcher Joe Musgrove will begin the regular season on the injured list. To be specific, the words he used were “most likely,” and, although not an absolute verdict, they’re not comforting to the Friar Faithful.

The Padres rotation plans will shift accordingly, probably looking something like this come Opening Day:

1. Nick Pivetta
2. Michael King
3. Randy Vásquez
4. Germán Márquez
5. Walker Buehler

But the more important question is when he’ll return. Musgrove has stated multiple times that his desire is to be healthy for October. Pitching in the postseason has always been his goal, but the Padres need him if they’re going to get there at all.

With Musgrove in the rotation, the Friars have a formidable front half of their pitching staff. Without him it gets a whole lot shakier. 

It was always apparent that he would be ramped up into the regular season but starting on the injured list isn’t a great place to be. It’s unfortunate but not unforeseen for the pitching staff, as Musgrove struggled to rehab after pitching against Great Britain in a WBC exhibition game on March 4. 

If he can continue to rehab and work on his recovery process, he could emerge mid-season as a viable starter. Until then, he’ll have to be used sparingly. 

A rocky career in San Diego

Musgrove’s tenure with the Padres has been marred by injury almost every year. Despite being highly durable from 2021-22 (and throwing the first no-hitter in San Diego history), the downturn since has been rough. He hasn’t made 20-plus starts since 2022.

If Musgrove can at least show flashes of dominance this season for San Diego, it’ll be enough. But suddenly the Padres are banking on a lot of their bargain hunting to turn out well for them. If it doesn’t, the rotation will be caught between a rock and a hard place fast, and who knows what moves General Manager A.J. Preller might make then. 

It’s possible that he orchestrates a last-minute trade for starting depth or signs a few more reclamation projects like Buehler and Griffin Canning. Whatever the case may be, Musgrove starting on the IL brings a lot of attention back to the San Diego pitching staff.

Musgrove needs to come back healthy and consistent when he does. The on-again, off-again relationship he’s had with the IL only hurts the Friars’ chances more and more. Until he can consistently pitch and recover from his starts he needs to stay on the rehab track.

But the worries from earlier this year about the starting rotation are now renewed, and faith in San Diego starters is low. If they can beat those low expectations, they’ll claw their way into contention this year. Otherwise, the Padres might be relegated to baseball purgatory: mediocrity.

The San Francisco Giants have now sent out 9 players from their 19 Spring Training invitees following today’s cuts of catcher Logan Porter, infielder Nate Furman, and lefty Nick Margevicius. They join Friday’s cuts of lefty reliever Juan Sanchez, righty Wilkin Ramos, and Thursday’s cuts of relievers Will Bednar and Trent Harris, catcher Diego Cartaya, and outfielder Bo Davidson.

If you’ve been following Brady’s researchon the topic, it’s clear why all of these players have been sent out from camp, as their performances have been okay in some instances against similar invitees, but none have stood out enough to warrant additional consideration just 9 days from Opening Night and with the return of players who were at the WBC. The 24-year old Furman highlights this point. As Alex Pavlovic notes, “he ended up getting a lot of plate appearances with Luis Arraez gone.” He wound up going 2-for-17 and hitless in his last 9 plate appearances.

I’d like to feel a little bit bad for Logan Porter because he seems like a guy who has been yo-yo’d by the organization. The Giants traded for him, released him, re-signed him after he was cut by the Mets, landed on the major league team last June for a grand total of 7 days before optioning him down to Triple-A Sacramento only to DFA him two and a half weeks later. They re-signed him when he cleared waivers and elected free agency, invited him to this year’s Spring Training, and now they’ve sent him back to Triple-A. On the other hand, he hasn’t forced the issue. He went 0-for-7 and didn’t get much of a look from Tony Vitello and his staff.

The pitching situation ought to be self-evident. A lot of roles ought to be up for grabs and not much of this group made a lot of noise. Will Bednar had another good camp velocity-wise, but it’s clear the organization wants him to improve against better competition as he didn’t face any MLB regulars and just 1 hitter on a 40-man roster in his 4 innings of work.

The 10 remaining NRIs: Outfielders Victor Bericoto and Jared Oliva; infielders Osleivis Basabe, Parks Harber, Jake Holton, and Buddy Kennedy; catcher Eric Haase; pitchers Michael Fulmer, Caleb Killian and Gregory Santos (and, if you want to throw late addition Joey Lucchesi onto the list, go right ahead).

Of this group, Fulmer and Santos would seem to be closest to getting roster spots, but even they don’t have a 100% clear path to become bullpenners. Still, all the position players are right-handed, which puts them squarely in competition with Luis Matos, Casey Schmitt, Tyler Fitzgerald, and Jerar Encarnacion. Grant McCray would seem to have the edge because of the handedness and the defense, which basically relegates all of these NRI hitters to roster filler until the exhibition season starts. Unless there really is a battle going on between Eric Haase and Daniel Susac for the role of Patrick Bailey’s backup.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani expressed regret Monday for his "shortcomings" following Japan's early exit from the World Baseball Classic.

It is unclear what those shortcomings might have been. Over four games during this year's tournament, Ohtani led Japan with a .462 batting average, three home runs and seven RBI in 13 at-bats.

Those stats are even better than the ones he posted as the MVP of the last WBC. Over seven games in 2023, Ohtani hit .435 with one home run and eight home runs in 23 at-bats to lead Japan to its third WBC championship.

Overall, however, Japan finished with a .284 batting average, down from a .299 average three years ago. Ohtani did account for his team's final out of the 2026 tournament — an infield popup to seal an 8-5 quarterfinal loss to Venezuela on Saturday — and took to Instagram two days later.

"Thank you to all the fans for your support. Your cheers pushed us forward every day," Ohtani wrote in Japanese. "We didn't achieve the results we hoped for, and I deeply regret my own shortcomings."

The two-way superstar did not pitch in this year's WBC, after famously striking out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout of the United States for the final out of the 2023 championship game and going 2-0 with one save and a 1.86 ERA in that tournament.

Ohtani had his second Tommy John surgery in September 2023 and did not pitch again until last June with the Dodgers. Manager Dave Roberts revealed in January that Ohtani had decided not to pitch in the WBC.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.