Category: MLB

Whether the Giants turn out to be an exciting team remains to be seen, but they are an interesting one, for sure. And that’s something to be said for what has been baseball’s blandest organization.

The most beloved player in recent franchise history is running their front office. He hired a total unknown to try to do something never done before as their manager.

It’s been about four months since Buster Posey introduced Tony Vitello at Oracle Park and four weeks or so since pitchers and catchers reported to Scottsdale, Arizona, for Vitello’s first spring training as a major-league manager.

The fiery former University of Tennessee coach still has lots of questions left to answer as he blazes the trail from college ranks straight to The Show.

But we’ve seen enough to assess some winners and losers so far:

Winner: Tony Vitello

It would be hard to say Vitello hasn’t second-guessed his choice to put ambition and a change of scenery ahead of loyalty and familiarity in Knoxville. More on that in a second.

But he’s here. He’s doing it. And it doesn’t look any different from the other 29 dugouts across Arizona and Florida. The milestone won’t become official until March 25, Opening Night against the Yankees, when Vitello’s career win-loss record at any level of professional baseball reflects anything other than zeroes.

The games don’t count for now, but his team is off to a rollicking start nevertheless. Heading into Thursday, they owned the best record of any team in the Cactus or Grapefruit leagues — 15-3 — with a plus-47 run differential that also leads every team in spring training.

Loser: Tony Vitello’s public perception

Vitello, himself, didn’t start off on such a strong note.

The rookie manager immediately raised questions about his commitment to and readiness for the job when he questioned the circumstances around his hiring in one of his first sessions with reporters.

In what he called a “tangent,” Vitello began by telling the scrum “new format today” and turning questions around on them about the timeline of events. The Giants’ interest in Vitello was reported by The Athletic four days prior to his hiring becoming official. Vitello said “it might’ve changed the course of history.”

Vitello had continuously referenced his former program, the Volunteers. After it was clear it was becoming an issue, Vitello said, “It’s probably time … to divide the line in the sand.”

Winner: Logan Webb

The Giants ace is one of their seven players in the World Baseball Classic but the only one with Team USA. Not all by himself, though: Dave Groeschner, the Giants’ longtime trainer, is also with Team USA.

Webb will make his second and final start Friday in the quarterfinals against Canada at loanDepot Park in Miami. He recovered from allowing a leadoff homer to Manny Ramirez’s son in the Americans’ opening game of the tournament, tossing four strong innings in a 15-5 win over Brazil.

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It’s also been a good tournament for new second baseman Luis Arraez, who has showed off an unexpected power stroke with two homers for Venezuela, which also advanced to the quarterfinals.

The experience wasn’t so nice to Tristan Beck, who got shelled on the way to Great Britain’s elimination, or Reiver Sanmartin, a left-handed hopeful for the bullpen who suffered a bad hip flexor strain in one of Colombia’s exhibitions. Harrison Bader (Israel) is also back in camp, while Jung Hoo Lee (Korea), Heliot Ramos (Puerto Rico) and Jose Butto (Venezuela) play on.

Loser: Pitching depth

Webb and Robbie Ray are about the only sure things in the Giants’ starting rotation.

The good news is offseason stopgaps Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser have looked more than capable of holding down two spots in the back end. Youngsters Landen Roupp and Trevor McDonald have also looked promising. Beyond them, the early showings from other young arms have left little to be desired.

Winner: The starting lineup

Adding Arraez’s contact ability atop a middle-of-the-order made up by Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman and Willy Adames gives the Giants their most potent lineup in years. While Bader was signed primarily as a salve to their defensive woes in the outfield, his proven veteran presence also lengthens the lineup.

Although Devers missed two weeks with a hamstring strain, the group has lived up to the billing so far this spring. Adames, a notorious slow starter, is the only slugger whose numbers don’t pop off the page.

Loser: Bench composition

The Giants look poised to carry two backup infielders who both hit right-handed and play every position in Casey Schmitt and Christian Koss. Their two best options off the bench in the outfield have looked like Luis Matos and Jerar Encarnacion — both out of options and tearing the cover off the ball this spring, but also bat from the right side. Same goes for Rule 5 pick Daniel Susac, the front-runner to back up Patrick Bailey.

It’s a little right-handed heavy. (There’s a similar problem in the bullpen, where the Giants just signed Joey Lucchesi, whom they non-tendered after last season, to add some competition to a group of lefties either injured or underwhelming.)

It also looks different in a world where Bryce Eldridge makes the Opening Day roster, which looks like more of a possibility now than when camp began. The 6-foot-7 left-handed slugger is still probably striking out more than the Giants would like, but the 21-year-old is making consistent enough contact — and when he does, it’s been among the loudest of anyone in the Cactus League.

After dropping below .500 in yesterday’s game, the Brewers are looking to get back to even tonight against the Guardians. This is their second meeting this spring, with the first a 9-6 loss on February 21.

DL Hall gets the start this evening for the Brewers. It’s his fourth appearance this spring, but only his first start for the Brewers. So far this spring, he has pitched six innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and four walks with four strikeouts. His last appearance came against the Brewers as he pitched with Great Britain in their exhibition. Hall allowed a run, a hit, two walks, and two strikeouts in three innings.

Three other Brewers are scheduled to pitch tonight. Easton McGee is making his fourth appearance of the spring. He’s pitched 4 1/3 innings this spring and not allowed a run, along with two hits, one walk, and five strikeouts. Jacob Waguespack has also not allowed a run this spring in 5 1/3 innings. He’s also allowed one hit and one walk and struck out four. Drew Rom is over from minor league camp after being reassigned on March 8. He’s allowed a run in 3 1/3 innings, with two hits, four walks, and six strikeouts. Peter Strzelecki is also over from minor league camp and has allowed two runs in four innings, with two hits and four strikeouts.

With the Brewers on the road, many of the bench players and minor league players are getting starts tonight. Garrett Mitchell is leading off with Brandon Lockridge batting second as the designated hitter. Christian Yelich is batting third with Gary Sánchez catching and batting fourth. Jett Williams is playing third and batting fifth, with Mike Boeve at first and batting sixth. Cooper Pratt, Jacob Hurtubise, and Eddys Leonard round out the lineup.

In recent injury news out of camp, Quinn Priester is expected to begin the season on the IL with a return TBD as he deals with a nerve issue “in the T.O.S. [thoracic outlet syndrome] family,” per manager Pat Murphy. He isn’t expected to require surgery. Additionally, outfielder Akil Baddoo’s quad injury is worse than expected, and he’s expected to miss 3-4 weeks.

Tonight’s pitch is set for 8:05 p.m. CT. The game will have an audio broadcast available on MLB.com.

Kansas City Royals at San Diego Padres, March 12, 2026, 6:10 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Peoria Sports Complex – Peoria, AZ

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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JUPITER, Fla.— Sean Manaea’s fastball isn’t exactly hopping.

The left-hander had a second straight Grapefruit League start Thursday in which his velocity was notably down, and he slogged through his outing against the Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

Manaea averaged 88.8 mph with his four-seam fastball. Last season, he averaged 91.7 mph with that pitch.

On this day he allowed three earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts and one walk over 2 ²/₃ innings in the Mets’ 3-1 loss.

Manaea said he is not concerned.

“I feel healthy, I feel good,” Manaea said.

Manaea said he may just need additional reps to regain his velocity. Manager Carlos Mendoza also downplayed the significance of the dip in velocity.

“I know it’s going to be a topic here, but I am not concerned as long as he keeps telling us he’s healthy,” Mendoza said. “And that is what he keeps telling us, that he feels great.”

Mendoza added that it might take “a while” for Manaea’s velocity to resurface, underscoring his addition of a cutter to his arsenal. Manaea missed the first half of last season while rehabbing an oblique strain and pitched to a 5.64 ERA in 15 appearances for the club.

“He went through a lot last year and now finding the mechanics, the arm slot, there’s a lot going on,” Mendoza said. “But I thought overall he got better in the second and third inning. It’s going to come down to him feeling good, and it might take a few weeks, it might take a month, who knows?”

Clay Holmes will forgo the remainder of the World Baseball Classic to prepare for the Mets’ season.

The right-hander was headed back to spring training Thursday, according to Mendoza, after conversations with Team USA officials determined he was unlikely to receive the innings buildup needed for his first start this season.

Team USA has advanced to the WBC quarterfinals against Canada on Friday.

Holmes pitched three scoreless innings for Team USA against Great Britain last week.

“It was hard for Team USA to guarantee him [innings], especially where they are at, where every game is pretty much an elimination game,” Mendoza said. “It’s hard, especially as a piggyback, to guarantee the number of pitches we are asking him to get.”

Holmes will piggyback Kodai Senga on Friday, according to Mendoza.

The Texas Rangers are signing lefthanded reliever Jalen Beeks to a one year deal, per Evan Grant.

Beeks, 32, first debuted in 2018 with the Boston Red Sox, and was traded to Tampa mid-season for Nathan Eovaldi. He was with the Rays until the 2023 offseason, when he was claimed on waivers by the Colorado Rockies, who dealt him to Pittsburgh at the 2024 trade deadline. He signed with Houston 363 days ago, was released 12 days later, and then signed with Arizona, where he spent the 2025 season.

Beeks is a ground ball pitcher who doesn’t strike out a lot of guys and isn’t great at avoiding walks. He has been durable the past two seasons, however, appearing in 132 games, and he had a decent season for Arizona in 2025, putting up a 3.77 ERA and a 3.88 xERA.

Beeks will make five free agent relievers signed to major league deals by the Rangers this offseason, with the other four being Tyler Alexander, Alexis Diaz, Jakob Junis, and Chris Martin. The Rangers also acquired Rule 5 pick Carter Baumler.

With Alexander, Beeks, and holdover Robert Garcia, the Rangers have three lefties who would appear to be slated for the Opening Day bullpen. Jacob Latz is also a bullpen candidate, but he appears more likely to be in the Opening Day rotation, as he appears to currently have the edge over Kumar Rocker for the final spot.

Diaz has struggled mightily to throw strikes this spring. Throwing strikes has never been his strong point, but his control issues have been particularly bad the past couple of seasons. The Rangers felt there were some things they could do with him to improve in that regard, but it hasn’t appeared to have taken yet. He has an option remaining, so it is possible that he could be sent down to start the season.

The Rangers will have to open up a 40 man roster spot to add Beeks. Waiver claims Dairon Blanco and Michel Otanez would seem to be the most likely candidates to be dropped. However, Texas will also need to open up a roster spot for Andrew McCutchen (or Mark Canha, though McCutchen would seem to be the heavy favorite for that bench spot), so neither player would seem to be safe.

In addition, Evan’s article mentions that Gavin Collyer, Payton Gray and Josh Sborz are in contention for a bullpen spot. None of them are currently on the 40 man roster, so if any of them were to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster, a 40 man move would have to be made there, as well.

As of now, Alexander, Beeks, Garcia, Martin, Junis, and Winn would appear to have six of the eight bullpen spots. One would think that Baumler has shown enough to start the season on with the club, though it remains to be seen whether he will be able to pitch well enough to maintain his hold on a job.

That would, barring injury, leave one bullpen spot open for Diaz, Collyer, Gray, Sborz, Luis Curvelo, or someone else.

The Cincinnati Reds will play under the lights on Thursday when they travel across the Land of the Endless Strip Mall to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Not resting on their World Series laurels, the Dodgers are 12-6 in Cactus League play so far this spring, proving that they are equally adept at winning games that don’t matter as they are at winning games that do.

The Reds will send left-hander Nick Lodolo to the mound for the start as he looks to stretch out to four full innings for the first time this spring. Cincinnati is also sending out a lineup chock full of regulars for the evening, one that includes Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart hitting back to back in the 3/4 holes.

Sal, for the record, will slide back over and play 1B on the night. Spencer Steer is also in the lineup showing his versatility as he’ll play in RF (while Noelvi Marte gets a night at DH).

First pitch is set for 9:05 PM ET, and you’ll be able to watch it through MLB.tv thanks to SportsNet LA carrying Dodgers coverage.

Here’s the travel roster for the night, one that features top prospect Tyson Lewis available off the bench as well as Tejay Antone down in the bullpen.

JUPITER, Fla. — One of the two pieces to the Mets’ projected Opening Day lineup who had been absent from the Grapefruit League emerged Thursday.

Luis Robert Jr. got into his first major league exhibition game and played five innings in center field for the Mets in their 3-1 loss to the Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Robert finished 1-for-3.

That leaves Francisco Lindor, who is rehabbing from hamate bone surgery in his left hand, as the Mets’ only projected Opening Day starter who still hasn’t played in the Grapefruit League. The shortstop has been playing defense in minor league games as he awaits clearance to begin taking at-bats.

Robert, with his history of leg injuries that have impacted his last two seasons in particular, was slow-played this spring in an attempt to keep him healthy for the long haul.

“They explained to me that they wanted me to strengthen parts of my lower body that they thought were a little bit weaker,” Robert said through an interpreter. “And then eventually I would progress to the point where I would be able to play games.”

With Opening Day set for March 26 at Citi Field, the shackles appear to have been removed: Manager Carlos Mendoza said there was a possibility Robert would play again Friday night, giving him starts in back-to-back games.

Robert, 28, arrived in a January trade that sent Luisangel Acuña and Truman Pauley to the White Sox.

“He’s right where he needs to be,” Mendoza said. “He’s a healthy player. He was a healthy player when we got here. We just wanted to make sure that we needed to improve in certain areas, but as far as things we’re going to be looking for, he’s playing, so now it’s just getting the back-to-back … and trying to get him up to seven, eight innings, hopefully a full game depending how the game goes.”

The best of Robert was on display in 2023, when he posted a .264/.315/.542 slash line with 38 homers and 80 RBIs for the White Sox over 145 games to finish 12th in the American League MVP voting.

But injuries have limited Robert to 100 games in 2024 and 110 games last year. Robert struggled offensively both seasons.

“If we can keep this guy healthy, it’s excellent,” Mendoza said. “We saw it in 2023, he was, when healthy, one of the best players in the league. The tools are unbelievable. The guy can go get it in the outfield, he’s got speed, can steal bases, can hit it as far as anybody in the game as well, so there is a lot to like. We have just got to keep him on the field.”

The Mets will have Juan Soto in left field and top prospect Carson Benge is a candidate to start in right. Other outfield options in camp include Brett Baty, Tyrone Taylor, MJ Melendez and Mike Tauchman.

Taylor has extensive experience in center field and could back up Robert there, although Benge can also play the position. Tauchman’s and Melendez’s center field experience is limited.

Robert should benefit from the fact he won’t be asked to carry this lineup, with a supporting cast that includes Soto, Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco.

“It feels good to be in a lineup like this,” Robert said. “Just to have a lineup with so many stars is real exciting.”

What kind of player can Robert be if he’s healthy for a full season?

“I think the year that I did play almost a full season, those numbers that I was able to put up, I think I can put up that type of year again, or even better,” Robert said.

MESA, Arizona — It’s getting hot in the Valley of the Sun — over 90 degrees Thursday, when the average high is about 77 — and Edward Cabrera is heating up, too, getting ready for his spot in the Cubs rotation.

Cabrera threw 60 pitches (43 strikes) in throwing until there were two out in the fourth. He struck out three. He left with the lead and the Cubs hung on to defeat the Mariners 7-4.

One of Cabrera’s strikeouts was notable. In the first inning, former Cubs prospect Brennen Davis was at bat with one out and a runner on first. Cabrera ran a 3-2 count on Davis and then threw a pitch that was called ball four. Carson Kelly challenged, and the call was overturned, resulting in a called strikeout. Here’s the at-bat in question:

Davis had a pretty good at-bat, as you can see, fouling off a bunch of Cabrera’s offerings. But you can also see that pitch 10, the one that was overturned, was definitely in the zone. This was a good use of the ABS challenge in the first inning. Not that you’d necessarily do that in a regular-season game, but it was definitely good practice for Kelly to challenge that pitch.

The Mariners scored a run in the third off Cabrera on a single, stolen base, fly to right and infield out. The Cubs took the lead in the bottom of the inning. BJ Murray led off with a double and went to third on a single by Michael Busch. One out later, Ian Happ doubled in both runners. Sorry — no video available.

As noted, Cabrera was lifted in the fourth. Here’s his pitch breakdown [VIDEO].

The Cubs extended their lead to 3-1 in the fifth. Jefferson Rojas singled with one out and took third on another single by Busch. Nico Hoerner hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Rojas, but Busch was tagged out trying to take second.

The Cubs broke the game open in the seventh, all with minor leaguers and NRI’s. The most important hit was a home run by Chas McCormick, who still has a chance to make the Opening Day roster.

Of Cubs relievers who will be on that roster, Phil Maton threw a scoreless inning, but he did walk a pair. Otherwise the collection of relievers was guys who won’t be there Opening Day (Corbin Martin, Jack Neely, Tyler Beede and Vince Reilly).

Attendance watch: 14,717 paid to see this afternoon affair. That makes the season total for 12 dates 147,731, or 12,311 per date.

The Cubs will head to Glendale to take on the White Sox Friday afternoon. Ben Brown will start for the Cubs and Davis Martin goes for the Sox. Game time is again 3:05 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via the White Sox channel CHSN. There’s also a radio broadcast with the Sox announcers on WMVP/ESPN 1000.

Record 8-12. Change on 2025: -1.5. 5-inning record: 4-14-2.

Another day, another spring-worst margin of defeat. After losing by ten runs yesterday, the D-backs went one better (or worse?) this afternoon at Salt River Fields. It was an ugly afternoon for the Arizona pitchers, who handed out a dozen free passes to Colorado hitters, thanks to nine walks and three hit batters. The worst culprit was Brandyn Garcia, who threw 26 pitches to five batters in the sixth, without recording an out: one hit, two walks and two plunkings, part of an eight-run inning. But it had started well. Taylor Clarke and Juan Morillo tossed three hitless innings. John Curtiss also pitched well, with 1.2 scoreless frames. Drey Jameson? Less so: three runs in his 1.2 frames, on two hits and three walks.

The Diamondbacks actually led after the first inning here, before the Rockies got those pesky thirteen unanswered runs. Jordan Lawlar singled, then Tim Tawa got his second home-run of spring, to give Arizona a 2-0 lead before they had a hitter retired. It was all very much downhill from there, however. The D-backs got only four hits and three walks the rest of the way. LuJames Groover accounted for half of the hits with his double and single; Tawa added a walk to his home-run. At least all thirteen runs were earned, I guess? Arizona’s collective ERA in the Cactus League is now 6.22.

We hope for better tomorrow up in Surprise against the Royals. That will see Merrill Kelly return to the mound, as he restarts his build-up: fingers cross that goes well.

PHOENIX –– At this point of spring the last two years, the Dodgers were already breaking camp, departing Arizona early for season-opening overseas trips.

This year, the team still has two weeks to go –– which has made its stay at Camelback Ranch feel long, tedious and bereft of much remaining intrigue.

“With that comes just being bored and tired,” manager Dave Roberts quipped last week.

“We’re not entirely sure what to do with ourselves,” third baseman Max Muncy added. “But we know how to make sure that we’re ready.”

Thus, now is a good time to take stock of how camp has gone for the club and evaluate which players have –– and haven’t –– impressed as the calendar moves closer to Opening Day.

Stock up

Tyler Glasnow: In a camp that has featured few standout starting pitchers (because of injuries and WBC absences), Glasnow has been an exception. He came into the spring saying his mechanics felt as good as they had in four years and has backed it up with three strong outings, striking out 13 batters while walking only two in his nine Cactus League innings. “He looks as good as I’ve seen him,” Roberts said. “I just think that things are slowing down for him now, I really do.”

Andy Pages: Last year was shaping up to be a breakout year for Pages, who hit 27 home runs in the regular season. But then he went ice cold in the playoffs and was benched in the World Series. Now, the third-year slugger is using that October setback as motivation, showing improved plate discipline this spring while batting .385 with five extra-base hits in 10 games. “How he finished last year, I think it’s a sour taste in his mouth,” Roberts said. “He just wants to make sure that doesn’t happen again. And to his credit, he looks fantastic.”

Freddie Freeman: Coming off a fully healthy offseason in which he finally recovered from an ankle injury that had plagued him since the end of 2024, Freeman hoped his swing would feel better from the outset this year. So far, that’s appeared to be the case. Freeman is batting .471 with three doubles and eight RBIs in just seven games. More importantly, he has already found his trademark opposite-field swing consistently –– raising hopes for a resurgent 2026.

Others: Santiago Espinal (who has likely assured himself of an Opening Day roster spot), Teoscar Hernández (who is hitting .440 while getting a bunch of spring at-bats), Tanner Scott (who has five strikeouts and no runs allowed in four innings) and James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard (two outfield prospects the Dodgers acquired in a trade for Dustin May at last year’s deadline who have had impressive springs).

Stock down

Ryan Ward: After winning MVP honors in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League last year, and being put on the 40-man roster at the start of the offseason, it appeared Ward was positioned to battle for an Opening Day spot. Instead, his clearest route to playing time was dashed with the signing of Kyle Tucker. And this spring, he has struggled mightily, hitting just .156 before being optioned to minor-league camp last week.

Edgardo Henriquez: Given all the injuries in the Dodgers bullpen, Henriquez seemed to have a clear path to an Opening Day role this spring. But command issues have continued to plague him, with four walks and two hit batters leading to seven runs allowed in four Cactus League innings. He is still battling for a spot but has struggled to capitalize on his opportunity to this point.

Alex Freeland: Tommy Edman’s ankle injury put Freeland in a battle for a potential Opening Day second base role at the start of camp. But his swing remains a work in progress, hitting just .148 this spring. Now, he appears likely to head back to Triple-A to begin the season.

Wait and see

Roki Sasaki: He’s been the most interesting player in camp but for a lot of the wrong reasons. His two Cactus League outings were disconcerting, as he struggled to command his fastball. He looked much better in a recent B-game against White Sox minor leaguers but mostly because they unsurprisingly failed to touch his splitter. He remains in line to be in the Opening Day rotation yet still has much to prove against MLB competition in his return to a starting role.

Blake Treinen: After two sharp outings to begin the spring, Treinen’s last two appearances renewed concerns from his career-worst season last year. In one of them, he gave up four runs on three hits and two walks while recording just one out. In the other, he gave up two more hits while failing to record a strikeout. He remains confident a bounce-back season is on the horizon in 2026, but there still seems to be much to iron out to get there.

Mookie Betts: After spending the offseason trying to rewire his swing, Betts is 5 for 14 and has expressed renewed confidence in his mechanics at the plate. However, he hasn’t played much in the Cactus League because of an intentionally slower ramp-up process in camp and has just one extra-base hit. Coming off a career-worst 2025, questions remain about whether he can bounce all the way back to his old MVP-level form. It will take more time to get clear answers.

Dodgers pitcher makes progress

Snell’s path back: The biggest development from Dodgers camp Thursday came before their game against the Reds. For the first time this spring, Blake Snell threw a bullpen session, marking a key step in his return from offseason shoulder problems. Afterward, Snell said he and the team were still nailing down his return timeline, but he held out hope he could be back before the end of April.

Baby Betts: Mookie Betts left Dodgers camp Wednesday to return to Los Angeles to be with his wife, who is expected to give birth to the couple’s third child. Manager Dave Roberts expected Betts back with the team this weekend.

Caught my eye: Andy Pages has had a big spring with the bat. But on Thursday night, he flashed his premium throwing arm in center field, too, throwing out a runner at third base. Pages’ cannon was a weapon last year, when he had 10 outfield assists.

Up next: The Dodgers have another night game Friday, when they face the Mariners at Peoria Sports Complex.

LAKELAND, Fla. — Though Jasson Domínguez knew before he even went to bed Wednesday night that he’d be going up against Justin Verlander on Thursday at Joker Marchant Stadium, Will Warren was blissfully unaware until after he arrived to the ballpark and saw the future Hall of Famer getting ready for his Grapefruit League start.

“I didn’t realize he was pitching today until I went to warm up,’’ Warren said. “He was doing his own thing and I just said, ‘I’m gonna move over. He’s done it a lot longer than I have.’ ”

Warren looked good in his outing, lasting six full innings as he tries to follow up on a season in which he made 33 starts — only Giants ace Logan Webb made more.

The move to the third base side of the rubber is paying dividends, with Warren saying it “opened up a lot.”

“My pitches seem sharper,’’ the right-hander said. “I’m not falling behind as much, and that gives me confidence I can get anyone out.”

Max Fried is slated to start the March 25 season opener in San Francisco, and Aaron Boone said after Thursday’s 4-3 win over the Tigers that he “had an idea” of how the rest of the rotation would look to start the season, but declined to elaborate.

But he’s been impressed with Warren’s swing-and-miss stuff and efficiency. Warren’s next step is to avoid the occasional disastrous outing that plagued him a year ago.

“To me, he looks another year along in his development,’’ Boone said.

Boone has few questions about the top relievers in the bullpen, but with less than two weeks remaining until the start of the regular season, he and his staff are still looking for answers about the final two spots.

A pair of candidates, Cade Winquest and Angel Chivilli, were acquired in the offseason and pitched Thursday.

Winquest, a Rule 5 acquisition from St. Louis, tossed a scoreless inning, and Chivilli, picked up in a trade with Colorado, allowed a run in his lone inning of work. 

“He’s had some good and some struggles,’’ Boone said of Chivilli. 

Chivilli’s changeup and slider have stood out, but as Boone has noted about several bullpen arms this spring, “It’s about commanding the strike zone. He’s got weapons to get you out. He’s had ups and downs.” 

George Lombard Jr., Brendan Beck and Ben Hess were reassigned to minor league camp Thursday. Lombard continued to display his defensive versatility by starting at second base against the Tigers.

The Yankees remain confident Lombard’s bat will come around, especially as the 20-year-old fills out.

For the spring, Lombard is 5-for-27 with three extra-base hits, six walks and a dozen strikeouts.

And as was the case with Spencer Jones, who also is no longer with the major league team, Lombard will continue to get playing time with the big league roster.

Left-hander Caleb Ferguson was signed by the Cincinnati Reds this offseason to a 1-year contract that will pay him $4.5 million, the first move of several to help backfill a bullpen that had seen quite the exodus.

Taylor Rogers was jettisoned at the trade deadline last year due to poor performance, while each of Brent Suter, Reiver Sanmartin, and Joe La Sorsa headed elsewhere after the season. Southpaw relief for the bullpen was a primary need for Nick Krall and Co. heading into the winter, and signing Ferguson – the owner of a career 3.66 ERA and 10.0 K/9 across 7 seasons – was the first big domino to fall.

The problem now, though, is that it looks like Ferguson won’t be around on Opening Day to help the Reds at all. As MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon relayed today, Ferguson is dealing with an oblique injury, one that will sideline him for at least a couple of weeks and effectively rule him out for the first active Reds roster of the year.

That leaves Sam Moll and Brock Burke as lefty relievers who are almost assured to make the Opening Day roster. Just how creative the Reds get beyond those two is where it gets a little interesting.

With Hunter Greene now out for months following elbow surgery, there will be two starting rotation spots up for grabs over the coming weeks, too. Each of Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder appear to have the inside track for those, but Brandon Williamson – a fellow lefty – is very much still in the mix. Whether or not the Reds would choose to carry all three of those talented arms in order to a) make sure there’s another lefty on-staff and b) to potentially piggy-back those guys to save innings for later in the year remains to be seen, but it would certainly be one way of making sure the most talented arms in the organization are all at the highest level.

More likely, of course, is that the Reds will simply use that open bullpen spot on one of their arms who is already set as a reliever and keep one of that trio of starters stretched out at AAA Louisville. That means the likes of Zach Maxwell, Luis Mey, and the inconsistent Connor Phillips each got a boost to their Opening Day roster chances with this news. It would also, I would assume, put the recently acquired Kyle Nicolas in-line to be on the roster for Game 1, too.

Giants' Hayden Birdsong sidelined by elbow soreness amid bullpen competition originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SCOTTSDALE — With less than two weeks until Opening Day, the Giants are still trying to figure out which pitchers will emerge as their best relievers. One potential option is headed for tests on his elbow, potentially knocking him out of that race. 

Right-hander Hayden Birdsong felt soreness in his right elbow during an outing on Tuesday and will get checked by team doctors, manager Tony Vitello confirmed after Thursday’s spring training game. The news first was reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Birdsong has had an up-and-down spring but showed promise on Tuesday, striking out one in a scoreless inning and hitting 99 mph. Vitello said he caught up with the young pitcher before Thursday’s game.

“(He’d) like to know what’s going on, so they’re looking into that,” Vitello said. “Obviously on a personal level you want what’s best for each one of these guys … he’s one that everyone has gotten close to because of his likability, coachability and his talent, but as of right now it’s out of my hands. I’m not a (medical) expert.”

The Giants likely will be extremely cautious with Birdsong no matter what tests say. He is still viewed as a big part of their future, and the hope is that he can figure out his command issues and turn back into a good option for the rotation. There also has been some thought this spring that Birdsong could excel in short sprints and help a bullpen that is the clear weak spot on the roster; he did that early last season and looked comfortable. 

A few of the pitchers vying for bullpen spots pitched on Thursday, and another young right-hander was a standout. Keaton Winn hit 99 mph and showed off a nasty splitter. In five appearances this spring, Winn has struck out six and allowed just one run.

“It’s not been once, it’s not been twice, it’s been three times and maybe even a little more of he’s gone out there and thrown the ball well,” Vitello said. “The stuff has upticked, and then he’s throwing it in there with conviction. It’s a pretty good overall combination.”

Cutting Down

There are often multiple rounds of cuts by this point of the spring, but the new coaching staff wanted to get an extended look at unfamiliar young players, and the fact that so many veterans left for the WBC made it easy to find playing time. That’s about to change, though, and on Thursday the Giants reassigned four players to minor league camp: Right-handers Trent Harris and Will Bednar, outfielder Bo Davidson, and catcher Diego Cartaya. 

Harris and Bednar should return to Triple-A Sacramento, and both could be options for the big league bullpen this season. Davidson is the organization’s top outfield prospect and will start the season in Double-A; he made a dozen spring appearances and was 3-for-14 at the plate.

Cartaya’s next step is more of a mystery. The 24-year-old was once one of the best prospects in the minors and has played for the Triple-A affiliates of both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins. But the Giants could have Jesus Rodriguez, Eric Haase and Logan Porter as Triple-A catching depth, and it’s clear the staff feels Cartaya needs a lot more development. He had just five spring at-bats before getting reassigned. 

Almost Back

Erik Miller will make his spring debut Friday after missing time with lower back tightness. Miller should have enough time to get built up by the March 25 opener, which is crucial for the Giants. 

Miller is not only their top left-handed reliever, but also a candidate to pitch in the seventh or eighth regardless of matchups. He had a 1.50 ERA in 36 appearances last season before feeling elbow discomfort. He didn’t need surgery, but Friday’s appearance will still be his first against big league hitters since a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 2. 

The Giants should also soon get Gregory Santos back in a Cactus League game. The hard-throwing right-hander was making a strong push for a roster spot before going on bereavement leave, and Vitello said the missed time won’t impact his standing in the bullpen competition. 

Familiar Face

LaMonte Wade Jr. got a nice ovation before the game when his name was announced and again when he came up for the first time. The former Giants first baseman went 1-for-3 against his old team, continuing what has been a solid first spring for the Chicago White Sox.

Wade has a .828 OPS with one homer after signing a minor league deal with Chicago late in the offseason. He is viewed within their camp as a potential option for their bench. 

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Led by a dominant 3 shutout innings from recently named Opening Day starter Cade Cavalli, the Nats beat the Cardinals 3-1 yesterday to improve to 10-4 on the spring, 2nd second in all of baseball. Cavalli has had as good of a Spring Training as you could hope for, as he has now thrown 9 shutout innings over 3 starts, with just 1 hit allowed. His newly added sweeper is looking sharp as well, generating lots of weak contact from right-handed hitters so far.

Jake Irvin takes the mound tonight for the Nats, and he has looked impressive as well this month, throwing 5 scoreless innings and striking out 6 batters. The lineup behind him looks rather standard, with James Wood and Daylen Lile being the only starters sitting, and Robert Hassell III and Christian Franklin taking their places. One notable defensive positioning is Nasim Nunez getting the start at third base, an opportunity to hone his skills at another position on the dirt.

The Astros will counter with a lineup filled with starters, with Jose Altuve and Isaac Paredes being the most notable names missing from the starting 9. On the bump for the Astros is right-handed pitcher Mike Burrows, who was acquired from the Pirates in the winter and has thrown 8.2 scoreless innings to start his spring.

With the addition of Zack Littell, room in the Nationals’ rotation is tightening, and guys like Jake Irvin are on the chopping block, making every start critical for him to show he’s made real improvements from last season. I will be watching how he uses his pitch mix today and if he can maintain strong velocity throughout the outing. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

Game Info:

Stadium: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches

Time: 6:05 PM EST

TV: MLB.TV

Radio: N/A

We’ve got ourselves a rare night game in spring training, folks! This time, the Braves are on the road in Bradenton to take on the Pirates. As you are smart to expect from a road game during spring training, the Braves have sent a group mostly consisting of organizational depth for this one.

There are two big exceptions, though. Of course, Grant Holmes will be on the mound to take on the Pirates (who are putting out a lineup that includes former Braves DH Marcell Ozuna) and Michael Harris II will be starting in center and batting leadoff. Holmes will be looking to outduel Pirates starter Bubba Chandler in this one — Chandler is currently ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 2 pitching prospect, so this’ll certainly be an interesting matchup to keep an eye on this evening.

Here are the rest of the lineups, starting with the Braves:

Here’s the lineup for the Pirates:

This evening’s game will be televised on Gray TV, so check your local listings in order to find the channel in your area. Meanwhile, the radio feed will be on 103.7 FM in the Atlanta area as well. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. ET, so we don’t have much longer to wait.