Category: MLB

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — The Los Angeles Dodgers kept raving about Roki Sasaki all spring, believing he was becoming the star pitcher they envisioned all along when they won the sweepstakes for his services a year ago.

Well, Sasaki did nothing to inspire the same euphoria, let alone confidence Wednesday, as he struggled in his spring training debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Sasaki was hit hard, hit often and struggled with his control. He gave up three hits, including two doubles, and three runs to the first five Diamondbacks batters he faced. He threw only 17 of his 36 pitches for strikes, walking two batters with three strikeouts. He was scheduled to pitch two innings, but lasted just four outs.

“I thought he was overthrowing,’’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after their 10-7 victory, keeping them undefeated (5-0) this spring. “I haven’t seen that all spring.’’

Earlier today, the Colorado Rockies soundly defeated the Chicago Cubs in a 14-7 routing.

(Taco’s, anyone?)

For more details, click here.

Let’s start with some postgame comments from manager Warren Schaeffer:

Here are T. J. Rumfield’s thoughts on the day along with some video footage of those two homers:

Antonio Senzatela discussed his outing:

And, finally, here’s Mickey Moniak:

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If Carson Benge has more performances like he did Wednesday, then the Mets will have an easy decision come the end of spring training.

The 23-year-old, who is fighting for the starting right field job, went 3-for-3 against the St. Louis Cardinals in Grapefruit League action, recording all three hits with two strikes in the count against major league pitchers.

He singled in the first inning against Richard Fitts, had another in the third off Matt Svanson, and then finished his day with a 10-pitch at-bat against Chris Roycroft, resulting in the third baseknock. After the game, the top prospect discussed what he liked from his ABs and said he simply tries "to take it one at-bat at a time."

"I got to two strikes on all of them pretty quick, so being able to battle for my team and just find a way on base. Feel like that's pretty huge," Benge said.

He then showed how much he cares about working a good hitter's count and not giving up at the plate.

"A lot [of pride]. I hate striking out. That's one thing about me," Benge said. "Being able to fight for every pitch, scrap for it, is really good."

Manager Carlos Mendoza was also impressed with Benge's ability to fight through an at-bat and "find a way" to get on base.

"His ability to stay on the fight," Mendoza said. "Especially when he gets behind in counts. We saw it today, his ability to foul off pitches. And then just using the whole field and putting the ball in play. His bat-to-ball skills, we saw it today. He just finds a way. It was just good to see.

"He probably missed some good fastballs to hit. Even though he got behind in counts, he was able to stay on the fight, like I said, and put the ball in play."

Benge knows he still has a lot to learn, but isn't rushing or forcing results and is using his resources to help him get through the spring. 

"Soak up every bit of information I can from all the veteran guys around here," Benge said. "Just take it day-by-day, be myself, nothing else."

He added, "I feel like I'm getting adjusted day-by-day. Kind of seeing how everyone's playing, like what it takes, seeing how good they are. Feel like I'm getting comfortable, really, day-by-day."

The potential Opening Day right fielder made it clear he'll do "anything not to strike out," and that type of mentality may be what helps him make it to Citi Field on March 26.

"I just try to and go in there and fight every AB, not trying to give something away by taking a dumb swing or anything like that," Benge said.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. –– There were no trumpets. It was not the ninth inning. 

But a year removed from the Dodgers’ maddening search for a trustworthy closer, the appearance of Edwin Díaz still came as a welcome sight.

For the first time since signing a three-year, $69 million deal to become the Dodgers’ new closer over the offseason, Díaz made his spring debut in the team’s Cactus League contest against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields on Wednesday afternoon.

Even in his first spring outing, the right-hander was touching nearly 97 mph with his fastball and collecting a strikeout with a swing-and-miss slider. And though he allowed a one-out single and another deep fly ball that Hyeseong Kim had to track down on the run in center, he pitched a scoreless fourth inning in the 10-7 victory.

“Felt really good,” Díaz said afterward. “I was trying to throw strikes … and I think I did a pretty good job.”

Last year, the ninth inning was a nonstop headache for the Dodgers. Tanner Scott flopped as the team’s primary closing option, blowing an MLB-most 10 saves after arriving on his own lucrative free-agent deal. Most of the alternative options fared no better, especially after Evan Phillips went down with Tommy John surgery and Blake Treinen began battling elbow problems.

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Only at the end of the regular season did the Dodgers find some stability, when Roki Sasaki returned from a shoulder injury to anchor the bullpen through much of the playoffs.

On Wednesday, however, Sasaki was the Dodgers’ starting pitcher, beginning his long-planned return to the team’s rotation. Scott, meanwhile, was back at Camelback Ranch, continuing to rectify last year’s struggles in a live batting practice session.

Now, it is Díaz who has been fully entrusted with ninth-inning duties –– representing the Dodgers’ most established closing option since Kenley Jansen departed five years ago. 

In some ways, that role makes Díaz an even more critical addition than $240 million outfielder Kyle Tucker was this winter. The Dodgers are banking on the 31-year-old, three-time All-Star to remain arguably the best closer in the league.

Not that the pressure is getting to the nine-year big-league veteran.

Instead, Díaz’s primary focus is on preparing to pitch in next month’s World Baseball Classic with Team Puerto Rico.

After Wednesday’s outing, he talked at length about his excitement for the tournament, which will allow him to play on Puerto Rican soil (where group stage games will be held) for his first time as a professional. 

“I think that’s the most important thing for me, pitching in front of my family and friends,” he said. “People from Puerto Rico, they don’t have the chance to travel and see us play in the big leagues. So the chance to play in front of my family and friends will be something I’m looking forward to.”

He also joked that, in order to dye his hair white to match his Puerto Rican teammates, he had to seek out some hairstyling help.

“If I did it myself,” he laughed, “I’d maybe go bald.”

Díaz said he will make one more Cactus League appearance with the Dodgers before departing for the WBC. He will then try to get through the tournament healthy, after blowing out his knee while celebrating a win in the 2023 edition.

Once he returns to the Dodgers, the next challenge will begin: trying to shore up the biggest weakness from last year’s team and deliver on the reliever-record $23 million his new contract will pay per season.

But for now, Díaz was simply happy to be back in game action, and making his unofficial debut with a club desperate to see him succeed.

“I think I threw the ball really good,” he said. “(I’m feeling) ready to go.”

Ryan returns: Beyond Díaz and Sasaki, there was another notable pitching outing in Wednesday’s game. For the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery as a rookie in 2024, right-hander River Ryan returned to the mound, tossing a scoreless inning in his continued pursuit of an Opening Day rotation spot.

“It was definitely nerve-racking,” Ryan said. Yet, he flashed his potential by hitting 98 mph with his fastball, and showing off what he feels is an improved six-pitch mix, describing his stuff as “just as good, if not better, than before I got hurt.” 

“Just got to get feel back with them all,” Ryan added, after retiring two of his three batters and having a walk negated when the baserunner was caught stealing. “But I’m really happy with how the day went.”

Klein gets dinged: Right-handed reliever and World Series hero Will Klein had a less successful day on the mound, giving up a home run to Pavin Smith on a first-pitch fastball he left up in the zone.

Kim patrols center: Wednesday was Hyeseong Kim’s first time playing center field this spring, and he impressed with not only his running catch in the fourth inning to bail out Diaz but also a sliding grab coming in on a ball during the first inning to help limit the damage for Sasaki. While Kim will primarily play the infield this year, his outfield versatility could help him earn more at-bats.

Up next: Tyler Glasnow will make his first start of the spring Thursday, when the Dodgers return to Camelback Ranch to face the White Sox. At 5-0, they will try to remain the last unbeaten team in Cactus League play.

Get out your pens to mark your calendars, because there’s now an event at Yankee Stadium during this coming season that you won’t want to miss. Just a short while ago, the Yankees announced that this coming September 26th, they’ll be holding a ceremony to formally retire CC Sabathia’s No. 52 and give him a plaque in Monument Park.

Sabathia pitched for the Yankees from 2009-19, helping them to the 2009 World Series title and a number of other playoff appearances. He was a three-time All-Star in pinstripes and he finished top five in Cy Young voting three times while a member of the team. Last summer, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot, and will forever don a Yankee logo on his plaque in Cooperstowjn.

During his 11 seasons with the Yankees, Sabathia was a stellar pitcher for the team, evidenced by what I’ve already cited and also ranking in the top ten in the franchise lists for wins, strikeouts, and more. However, he also became a revered clubhouse leader. When he first got there, he joined in a veteran heavy era, where the clubhouse was led by the likes of then captain Derek Jeter. While never officially named one, by all accounts he served somewhat of that role as the Yankees transitioned to an era led by now captain Aaron Judge. He also always had his teammates’ backs.

If the Yankees had historically been more selective in the numbers they’d retired in the past, you could argue that Sabathia would fall short of that cutoff. However, they haven’t, and CC is more than deserving, especially in light of his recent Hall induction. In addition to being an absolute gamer on the mound, literally going until he physically couldn’t, he’s an extremely likeably human. I personally cannot wait to see him get another day in the sun later this year.

Congratulations, CC!

Despite giving up 12 runs on 11 hits — including three home runs — Milwaukee managed to escape with a thrilling walk-off win over the San Francisco Giants. Brice Turang’s two-homer day powered the Brewers to a second straight victory.

After Carlos Rodriguez retired the Giants in order to start the game, Turang crushed his first home run deep into left field. The solo shot put the Brewers on the board in the bottom of the first.

Turang’s home run gave Milwaukee a lead they would relinquish half an inning later, when Luis Matos — who gave the Brewers plenty of trouble in the 2025 regular season — sent a Rodriguez cutter into the left field stands to tie the game at one run apiece.

Garrett Mitchell worked a walk in his first at-bat of the spring after going down in the count 0-2. The red-hot Brandon Lockridge doubled to right field to put runners on second and third, but Jackson Chourio grounded out to shortstop to end the second inning. Rodriguez wouldn’t come back out for the top of the third, with manager Pat Murphy going to Peter Strzelecki. Strzelecki hit the first batter he faced, Christian Koss, before retiring the next two hitters. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t get out of the inning unscathed. Strzelecki’s second pitch to Bryce Eldridge was a 91-mph fastball up in the zone, which Eldridge sent 391 feet for the Giants’ second home run of the game.

San Francisco would tack on five more runs off of prospect Garrett Stallings in the top of the fourth. After a Harrison Bader home run and a Jung Hoo Lee triple, the score was 8-1, and the game looked out of reach for the home team — but only briefly. The bottom of the fourth saw Giants pitcher Carson Whisenhunt (in for starter Adrian Houser) absolutely melt down, walking the first three batters he faced. Joey Ortiz then ripped a bases-loaded single into left field, scoring Andrew Vaughn from third and Luis Rengifo from second. Whisenhunt then walked Brandon Lockridge, and Giants manager Tony Vitello had seen enough. Right-hander Tristan Beck entered the game to face Chourio with the bases loaded.

Chourio worked an 11-pitch walk to keep the bases loaded for Turang. Beck’s first pitch was a slider low and away, and Turang was ready — crushing a 425-foot grand slam to center field. All of a sudden, the game was tied at eight.

Turang’s first home run today left the bat at 106.5 mph, and the grand slam had an exit velocity of 108.2 mph. Neither home run was pulled. For a player who appeared to be tapping into more power over the second half of last season, that’s an incredibly encouraging sign.

In the top of the fifth, Brewers No. 1 prospect Jesús Made entered the game defensively for Turang and wasted no time making his presence felt. In his first at-bat, Made smoked a triple to right field. He scored one pitch later courtesy of a William Contreras home run, putting the Brewers ahead 9-8. Meanwhile, prospects Tyson Hardin, Brett Wichrowski, Brian Fitzpatrick, and Manuel Rodriguez blanked the Giants over the next four innings.

By the top of the ninth, the score was 10-8 Milwaukee (thanks to an RBI single from Made). Edwin Jimenez, in the game for Rodriguez, was unable to get the save. Jimenez gave up hits to Grant McCray and Daniel Susac to start the inning. Jerar Encarnacion then hit a ground ball to prospect Brock Wilken at third base, but Wilken was unable to handle it, allowing McCray to score. Jimenez couldn’t bounce back after the error, allowing the Giants to tack on three more runs wrapped around a pitching change (to Stiven Cruz) before the inning finally, mercifully, ended with the score now 12-10.

After coming back from a seven-run deficit, it briefly looked like the Brewers were going to give this one away. That is, until Matthew Wood started off the bottom of the ninth with a double. Eddys Leonard then hit a bloop that dropped in for a single and the first run of the inning. Twenty-year-old Josh Adamczewski singled as well, putting runners on first and second for Luis Lara, who grounded into a force-out for the first out. The next batter, Freddy Zamora, lined a single into left field to tie the game at 12 and put the winning run at third. Outfielder Greg Jones lifted a fly ball to center that was deep enough to score Lara from third for the winning run, giving Milwaukee an exciting 13-12 spring victory.

Aside from Turang’s performance (2-for-3, two homers, five RBIs), Brewers fans have a lot to be excited about after this game. Made, who started last season in Low-A, looked the part today. Made went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored. Adamczewski, one of the biggest breakouts in the farm system last year, came up clutch with a single in the ninth. Ortiz is now hitting .273 this spring after his two-run (bases loaded!) single. Luis Lara scored two runs. Jackson Chourio worked an 11-pitch walk. The future is bright in Milwaukee.

The Brewers are back at it again tomorrow as they take on the Texas Rangers. First pitch is slated for 2:05 p.m. CT.

TAMPA — CC Sabathia will enter Yankees immortality later this season.

The Hall of Fame left-hander will have his No. 52 retired by the Yankees and a plaque unveiled for him in Monument Park on Sept. 26, the team announced Wednesday night.

Sabathia, who was enshrined in Cooperstown last summer, will become the 24th Yankees player or manager to have his number retired and the first since Paul O’Neill in 2022.

“From the first number that hung in my locker to 52 forever hanging in Monument Park — this HOF journey has come full circle,” Sabathia wrote in a social-media post. “To have my number retired by the New York Yankees this year is one of the greatest honors of my life. The LegaCCy continues.”

A key part of the 2009 World Series championship Yankees, Sabathia spent 11 of his 19 years in the big leagues playing in The Bronx, pitching to a 3.81 ERA across 307 games.

He recorded his 3,000th career strikeout as a Yankee and was also the ALCS MVP in 2009.

A strong presence in the Yankees clubhouse, Sabathia was revered by his teammates and pitched with a bulldog mentality. He retired after the 2019 season, having thrown his last pitch in the ALCS when he walked off the mound with a dislocated shoulder.

“When I think of him, I think of ‘teammate,’ ” said Aaron Boone, who played with Sabathia in Cleveland before managing him in New York. “He brought people together. He connected with a lot of different people from a lot of different walks of life, while having the presence of being a superstar. He made you feel welcome. And then between the lines, just a really great competitor. I loved playing with him because he was so intense.

“Just an awesome competitor and the best of the best in teammates.”

Observations from Mets spring training on Wednesday:

Back in Action

Francisco Alvarez played his first game of the spring, going 0-for-2 as the DH. He is scheduled to catch in a simulated game on a backfield in Port St. Lucie on Thursday and make his spring debut behind the plate for the Mets on Saturday.

If At 1st You Don’t Succeed …

Mark Vientos went too far to his right on a grounder by Nolan Gorman in the first, but Grae Kessinger was there to make the play to end the inning.

Vientos also made a nice scoop on a long throw from Vidal Bruján in the fourth. 

Caught by Eye

Juan Soto sat next to Eli Manning on Tuesday night at a TGL golf event and said it was his first time meeting the retired Giants quarterback. “He’s definitely a humble man,” Soto said. “It was cool to talk to a legend like that.”

The conversation, Soto said, focused mainly on golf — although they chatted about New York, as well.

Thursday’s Schedule

Nolan McLean will make the start for the Mets, who face the Astros in West Palm Beach, Fla., at 1:05 p.m.

MESA, Arizona — Things were going on swimmingly at Sloan Park for the first four innings, with good Rockies pitching holding the Cubs down and Cade Horton throwing well after Jameson Taillon got lit up early on.

Then both teams scored six runs in the fifth inning, a frame that took nearly an hour to complete. The final football-like score of Rockies 14, Cubs 7 featured 26 hits, 12 walks, a couple of pickoffs and generally looked like the minor-league game it was after the fourth inning.

About Taillon, he served up a home run to Mickey Moniak on the game’s first pitch. After that a couple more hits led to a second run in the first, and then T.J. Rumfield homered off Taillon leading off the second. Don’t know whether Taillon was still working on mechanics, as he said after his first start, or whether this was something else. Here’s what we do know:

So there’s that.

Horton made his first spring outing and it was a good one. He issued a two-out walk in the fourth after retiring the first five hitters he faced. Overall he struck out a pair and threw 17 strikes in his 26-pitch outing. Here’s the final out Horton recorded, a strikeout of Zac Veen on a nasty curveball. He was also sitting at 96 on his fastball:

Most of the damage the Rockies did in their six-run fifth was charged to Caleb Thielbar, though in fairness, with one out and a couple of runners on, Thielbar induced a ground ball that had Michael Busch been playing first base, might have turned into an inning-ending double play with only one run scoring. But it wasn’t, a run scored and the next hitter, Ezequiel Tovar, smashed a three-run homer.

The Cubs scored six in the bottom of the fifth after most of the regulars, who started en masse in this one, had departed. Of those, only Alex Bregman, Ian Happ and Miguel Amaya had hits at all. Happ’s single in the fifth drove in two runs [VIDEO].

The Cubs made it 9-7 in the sixth on an RBI single by minor leaguer Devin Ortiz. Phil Maton and Hunter Harvey both had scoreless innings, and both executed pickoff plays, which was good to see.

Luke Little, unfortunately, again got himself in trouble with walks and then served up a two-run homer to Kyle McCann and wound up charged with five runs in the eighth. I suspect Little’s headed to Triple-A Iowa again. I’d love to see him succeed but he just doesn’t throw enough strikes. Jack Neely threw an uneventful ninth.

Matt Shaw made an error in right field after a single by old friend Nicky Lopez, and I wish I could show that to you but… there’s only a limited amount of video available from these non-televised games.

You have all probably already heard this news, but I wanted to mention it here:

Which now explains why Austin hadn’t played at all this spring. And this is likely why the Cubs signed Michael Conforto. I think of Conforto, Chas McCormick (who was the DH in today’s game and went 1-for-3) and Dylan Carlson, two of those three will make the team — and Moisés Ballesteros likely becomes the backup first baseman. When Ballesteros is ready for game action I suspect we will see him playing a lot of first base.

Attendance watch: A small crowd of 8,919 attended this game, likely the smallest crowd of the spring. That makes the season total for four dates 44,822, or 11,206 per date.

The Cubs head to Tempe to face the Angels Thursday afternoon. Matthew Boyd will start for the Cubs and José Soriano goes for the Angels. Game time Thursday is 2:10 p.m. CT. Once again, no radio or TV for Thursday’s game.

The Yankees announced that they will honor CC Sabathia this season by retiring his uniform number (No. 52) and giving him a Monument Park plaque. 

The ceremony will take place Sept. 26 when the team takes on the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. 

Sabathia will be the 24th Yankees player or manager to have his number retired and the first since Paul O’Neill (No. 21) on Aug. 21, 2022. 

After signing with the Yankees as a free agent prior to the 2009 season, the southpaw helped lead the team to a World Series championship, going 19-8 with a 3.37 ERA in 34 starts. That postseason, the Yankees went 4-1 in his five starts, and he earned the ALCS MVP Award, going 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in the Yankees’ six-game series win over the Angels.

Over his first four seasons with the Yankees (2009-12), Sabathia went 74-29 with a 3.22 ERA and nine complete games in 129 starts, logging 905.0 innings pitched and making three AL All-Star teams. 

In his 11 total seasons in pinstripes, Sabathia posted a 134-88 record with a 3.81 ERA and 1,700K in 307 games. In franchise history, he ranks fourth in strikeouts, seventh in starts, 10th in wins and 11th in innings pitched. 

Sabathia was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025, his first year on the ballot.

9.26.26@CC_Sabathia's No. 52 enters Monument Park. #legaCCypic.twitter.com/z9b9ln9WeN

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) February 25, 2026

Record: 2-4. Change on 2025: 0. 5-inning record: 1-5

And it was going so well, too… The D-backs jumped on the Dodgers’ Roki Sasaki in the bottom of the first. Nolan Arenado doubled in Geraldo Perdomo, and Ildemaro Vargas then doubled in a pair for a quick 3-0 lead. But it was more or less downhill from there. While Arizona actually outhit Los Angeles by a margin of 13-7, errors and walked doomed them: half of the ten runs conceded by the D-backs today were unearned, and their pitchers also issued nine walks. But there were positives, with three Diamondbacks going deep this afternoon for the first time: Pavin Smith (below), Tim Tawa and Jose Fernandez all homered.

It was Zac Gallen who started, though he only went one inning, being a little behind the other pitchers. That may factor into the decision as to who might replace Merrill Kelly as our Opening Day starter. He allowed a lead-off hit, but struck out two and went over 95 mph, including on the last of his 23 pitches. Drey Jameson took over in the second and was touched up for a pair of runs (one unearned), on two hits and a walk, but was also throwing hard, reaching 98 mph. That was the last pitcher the casual fan would probably recognize, and the results thereafter were… mixed, shall we say.

The Dodgers added a four-spot in the fifth, helped out by a pair of bases-loaded walks and an error by Ildemaro Vargas leading to two more unearned runs. They repeated the damage – four runs, two unearned – in the seventh, with a Jose Fernandez error a key play there. Gerardo Carillo and Hayden Durke were the only two of the ten pitchers used by Arizona to throw a full, clean frame, each striking out one in their inning of work. Despite the three errors, there were some good plays by the D-backs, notably a diving catch in left-field (below) by Ryan Waldschmidt. There were four ABS challenges today, only one being successful.

Tawa was the offensive star of the day, adding another hit and a walk to his home-run, while Druw Jones also picked up two hits, and Jordan Lawlar drew a pair of walks. Tomorrow, the D-backs hit the road again, heading off to Surprise to take on the Kansas City Royals. It’ll be our first chance to get a look at left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, with Ryan Thompson and Kade Stroud potentially also taking the mound.

The Cincinnati Reds ran their win streak to, well, a win streak on Wednesday with a 3-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox. It was their first true road game of the season as they shipped over to Camelback Ranch, and the squad got both excellent pitching and a pair of big dingers to win the day.

The Good

Nick Lodolo looked incredibly sharp in his first outing of Cactus League play, fanning 4 and scattering a pair of hits in 2.0 scoreless frames. Luis Mey rebounded from a rough initial outing of the spring to strike out the side for a hold in his perfect frame of relief, while lefty Brock Burke put up a scoreless frame of his own.

The offense, meanwhile, was powered quite literally by Sal Stewart and JJ Bleday. Sal swatted his first dinger of the spring to begin the scoring, a towering 440 foot blast to CF in the Top of the 2nd that gave Cincinnati a 1-0 lead. The following inning, Bleday knocked the snot out of an inside breaking ball, leaving a dent some 464 feet away down the LF line – a two-run shot that scored Hector Rodriguez and gave the Reds all the runs they would need on the day.

Nate Lowe singled and walked in his quest to make the Opening Day roster, while Leo Balcazar picked up yet another hit and now boasts a 1.334 OPS in this incredibly small spring sample size.

The Bad

Middle infield depth is already a bit of a question mark on this club, as the team’s regular 2B (Matt McLain) is currently the only other player projected on the roster who can cover SS when Elly De La Cruz needs a break. And on days when that happens, one of Sal Stewart or Spencer Steer would have to cover 2B, in theory, and neither of them has any real big league experience at the position in recent memory (or at all).

So, it’s a bit of a bummer to see both Edwin Arroyo and Michael Chavis have errors charged to them in this one since, in theory, both are glove-first backup options up the middle on the depth chart.

The Ugly

Lyon Richardson got bonked for a homer and a pair of hits in his one IP, failing to strike anyone out in the process. He’s now yielded 5 H and 3 ER with a walk and zero Ks in his pai of appearances so far this spring after having been DFA’d earlier in the winter (and clearing waivers).

There’s still a ton to like in his right arm, but it’s pretty clear he’s not right at the moment.

What’s Next

Chase Burns will make his second start of spring camp on Thursday afternoon back at Goodyear Ballpark when the Reds play host to Nick Pivetta and the San Diego Padres. Once again, there will be no televised coverage of the game, though audio will be provided by 1360 WSAI.

First pitch is slated for 3:05 PM ET.

If you planned on killing some time this afternoon by watching some Mariners Cactus League baseball – or more enticingly, Bryan Woo’s first outing of 2026 – you were out of luck. For the first time this spring, we were confined to the narration of Rick Rizzs, Gary Hill Jr., and Charlie Furbush, with some scant video across socials filling in some gaps. Even the humble AM radio wasn’t an option to follow along live, with the broadcast shunted to later this evening on 710. Remember when that was the norm for spring training games?

The game itself was a standard February baseball affair. Seattle slogged through ten pitchers and endless mid-inning pitching changes, while the Royals were a bit more economical at seven. The floodgates opened as the NRIs and nameless jerseys took over the game, with a dozen of the game’s sixteen runs scoring after the fifth inning. Still, as with any spring contest, there were a handful of nuggets – and ~grainy footage! – beyond the statlines that are worth touching on.

Bryan Woo

Woo tossed 28 pitches through 1.1 innings, including being pulled in the first with two outs after a nine-pitch battle with Salvador Pérez that followed back-to-back doubles from Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino to open the scoring. Spring training: where the rules are made up and the runs don’t matter! Famously fastball-forward, Woo didn’t deviate, with eleven four-seamers and seven sinkers leading the charge at their normal velocities. His sweeper was his primary offspeed offering, and he only threw a single changeup – though it got Kyle Isbel fishing in the other batter’s box for a strikeout in the second inning. Velo in line, a couple strikeouts, and no walks? We take that every time.

Postgame, Woo touched on his process and approach to his first time out: “Spring training can be a little bit of a trap, come in trying to feel things out, try new things. I think everyone has their traps. Some guys are too hard on themselves, or focused on different things. That’s the trap in spring training. For me, I try to take things like, work on what you worked on during the week. Having the head space to differentiate between those two things is important.” He also offered insight on his sweeper as he gets more comfortable with adding the pitch to his repertoire and figuring out when and where to deploy it. The double from Witt was off of one, but hey, spring brings the freedom to tinker and fail.

Rob Refsnyder

Refsnyder started in the two-hole and manned right field in his second game of the spring, and both of his plate appearances came against left-handed pitchers with predictable success. He notched a one-out single off of Royals starter Noah Cameron in the first inning, and got the Mariners on the board in the third with a ringing double into the left-center gap against indy ball veteran Chase Jessee. It’s two at-bats – one against someone whose outing was his first ever in affiliated ball – but Refsnyder producing in the exact role he was signed for was a more than welcome sight.

Andrés Muñoz and Eduard Bazardo

A pair of the Mariners’ key relievers got their second outing under their belts with no damage. Muñoz took the third, coaxing a pop-up from Luca Tresh and a groundout from Maikel García before rearing back for triple digits to blow away Witt. Bazardo followed suit in the fourth, a one-out knock from Salvy the lone blemish as he worked a scoreless frame of his own, picking up a signature called strikeout with a sinker on the outer edge against Lane Thomas. After some hard-hit balls plagued Muñoz’s spring debut, weak contact and 100 on the radar gun in a breezy outing was a perfect balm.

Brennen Davis

The former top-30 prospect has made a big impression early in camp, and checked in with a monster game off the bench. Taking over right field for Refsnyder, Davis opened the top of the sixth with a solo shot to left against José Cuas, and laced doubles in his next two plate appearances, including a 111.4 MPH shot to lead off the ninth inning. Injuries have long plagued Davis’s career – he got into just 105 combined games the past two seasons – but has shown big power when on the field. He won’t break camp with the M’s unless multiple catastrophes occur, but he’s a name worth keeping on eye on when the Rainiers kick off their season.

Connor Joe

Connor Joe is this year’s Michael Chavis, Colin Moran, or any other early-to-mid-30s corner infielder the M’s have brought aboard as a non-roster invitee you can think of. We’ll probably see him frequently this spring – especially when the World Baseball Classic gets underway – but once the regular season gets underway, he’ll be chilling in Tacoma for at least a little while as the Cactus League becomes a distant memory. That being said, he did tie the game in the ninth with a two-run bomb, so I’d be remiss not to include him here.

The Mariners will get another crack at getting back to .500 against the Guardians in Peoria tomorrow. Lefty Joey Cantillo will get the start for Cleveland; perhaps we’ll see Refsnyder in back-to-back games for the first time. It’s Bryce Miller’s turn to make his 2026 debut, but don’t fret about missing it – tomorrow’s tilt is back on TV and streaming.

Pete Alonso is doing his best to turn comedian John Oliver’s son into an Orioles fan. 

Earlier this week, Oliver appeared on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and explained how his 8-year-old son got into baseball last year and followed Oliver into Mets fandom.

The host of HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” then described how he watched his son learn what Mets fandom is all about as the team broke his heart and then his favorite player, Pete Alonso, left in the offseason to sign with the Orioles. 

Hey, @iamjohnoliver — the fam is always welcome in Birdland pic.twitter.com/qjs6JUBanr

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) February 25, 2026

Now Alonso is putting the pressure on Oliver and trying to convince the comedian’s son to become an Orioles fan by inviting them down to Charm City for a game. The new Orioles star, who signed a five-year, $155 million contract, appealed to Oliver and his family in a video that was posted to the team’s X account. 

“I saw what your son had to say about being upset of me signing with the Orioles, but, hey, he could always become an O’s fan,” Alonso said. “[I] would love to extend an invitation to you and your family to come down to Camden [Yards] for a game this year and you guys can get out on the field for batting practice. Hopefully, you guys come down and have some fun. Hope to see you soon. Go O’s.”

Oliver said his son had previously asked if he was allowed to change his baseball allegiance earlier in the 2025 season. The comedian said he was not.

John Oliver on his son's Mets fandom and how the Mets are actually very British. pic.twitter.com/Fi1X9Poagk

— The Mets Newsletter (@metsnewsletter) February 24, 2026

“Watching [my son] fall in love with this guy — he has a signed ball [from Alonso] — and having to go into his room and say, ‘Pete Alonso’s going to Baltimore,’ and he said, ‘Are you sure I can’t be an Orioles fan?’” Oliver said. “‘We’ve had this discussion.’”

Oliver has not responded to Alonso’s invite. The comedian, his son and the rest of the Mets faithful will not get a chance to see Alonso back in Queens until September, when the O’s make the trip to Citi Field for a three-game series.

Well, after a stretch of play that had us checking the calendar to make sure it was actually still February, the White Sox took their second loss. The Cincinnati Reds’ pitching staff effectively cooled off a South Side offense that entered the day with a flashy +20 run differential.

Unlike some of the high-scoring games the Good Guys have played recently, this one actually felt like an MLB contest. Unfortunately, though, it was one where the Sox pitching staff surrendered too many homers, and their bats went silent when it mattered, as they were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

Davis Martin made his Cactus League debut and was decent in his two innings of work. He flew through the first inning on three ground outs before Sal Stewart smoked a leadoff homer in the second. Jordan Hicks took the mound for the third inning, and although he touched 100 mph on the gun, he ultimately unraveled after hanging a fat 88 mph splitter to JJ Bleday that landed over the wall in right field for a two-run homer. Jordan, just a heads-up here for future reference, the splitter actually has to split.

The real story of the afternoon, though, was Jonathan Cannon. The righthander tossed three clean innings, going nine up and nine down. Not a single blemish on the record card. If Cannon can pitch like this on the regular, the front office is going to have some very difficult (and welcome) decisions to make in a few weeks. Jordan Leasure also looked solid for a frame, surviving a 379-foot fly ball to the wall that Tristan Peters tracked down nicely.

The Sox offense ran into a buzzsaw early in Reds’ starter Nick Lodolo, who struck out the side in the first. The Good Guys had a chance in the second with back-to-back singles from Luisangel Acuña and Andrew Benintendi, but Jarred Kelenic and Korey Lee couldn’t drive them in. Munetaka Murakami tried to get things rolling once Terry Francona took Lodolo out of the game by smacking a single with two outs in the third. Unfortunately, Reds’ pitcher Brock Burke promptly picked him off to end the inning.

There was a bit of a scare early in the game for Acuña. After a single in the fourth, he swiped second but suffered some type of injury to his face. He had to leave the game to get stitches for a cut above his eye. It sounds like he’ll be fine, but it’s a tough way to earn a stolen base.

The offensive highlight of the day belonged to Colson Montgomery, who finally got all of one, obliterating a 94 mph fastball from Lyon Richardson in the fourth. Montgomery’s first homer of the spring had an exit velocity of 104.6 mph and went 421 feet to right center. Baseball is back!

The South Siders threatened late but couldn’t find the big knock. In the eighth, a walk to Oliver Dunn and yet another base hit by William Bergolla Jr. put two on with one out, but Caden Connor and Mario Camilletti went down quietly to end the threat.

The ninth got interesting when Sam Antonacci led off with a single and caught a massive break. He would’ve been gunned down trying to stretch the base hit into a double, but an interference call on first baseman Michael Toglia gifted him the bag. After moving to third on a Dru Baker K in the dirt, Antonacci scored on a Dustin Harris double to center. Unfortunately, that was the end of the line, as Kelenic and Josh Breaux both went down swinging and left the tying run stranded.

The White Sox head “away” tomorrow, although they aren’t going far. They face the Los Angeles Dodgers right back at Camelback Ranch, this time as the road team. First pitch is at 2:05 p.m. CST, and if you’re looking for a reason to tune in, Sean Newcomb gets the start against Tyler Glasnow. Hopefully, the boys’ bats will awaken from today’s desert slumber, but it’s the Dodgers, so maybe keep your expectations in check for a Thursday afternoon in February.