Category: MLB

Opening Day may still be weeks away, but we’re just hours from the World Baseball Classic bringing us high-stakes, international baseball. Yesterday, Peter kicked off our preview coverage of the WBC, analyzing the five teams that make up Pool A. Today, we’ll turn our attention to Pool B, which will see Italy, Mexico, Great Britain, Brazil, and the United States square off at Daikin Park in Houston starting on Friday. As a refresher, all five teams in the group will play each other once, with the top two teams advancing to the knockout stage. The eight teams that advance will play a through a single-elimination bracket concluding with the final in Miami on March 17th.

United States

Team USA arrives at the WBC with sky-high expectations and a hunger to avenge 2023’s loss in the finals to Team Japan. They’ve got the roster to get the job done, with the American talent pool seemingly motivated to try and secure the country’s second WBC title.

There are upgrades up and down the roster, but there’s none bigger than the addition of Aaron Judge as Captain America.

Judge opted to sit out the 2023 tournament, choosing to focus on ramping up for the season after signing this nine-year, $360-million contract with the Yankees the previous offseason. Now, Team USA can pencil the best hitter on the planet into the lineup. He’ll be joined by Pete Crow-Armstrong and Byron Buxton as part of a stellar overall outfield. There are also changes to be found on the infield dirt, with Bryce Harper slotting in at first base after Pete Alonso manned the cold corner last time around, while Bobby Witt Jr. will take over shortstop from Trea Turner. Alex Bregman and Gunnar Henderson are the primary candidates to fill out the rest of the infield.

Of course, as star-studded as Team USA’s lineup is, it’s the pitching staff that’s taken a huge leap forward. Pitching was the team’s Achilles Heel last time around, with Lance Lynn, Merrill Kelly, and Adam Wainwright the club’s top starters. This year’s edition will feature none other than two reigning Cy Youngs, with both Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal expected to suit up (though Skubal will only make one start in the WBC). There’s also real depth here, even with Joe Ryan having left the team due to injury, with Logan Webb, Nolan McLean, and Matthew Boyd in the fold. Ryan was replaced with another Ryan, as Yankee lefty Ryan Yarbrough was named to the roster in Ryan’s place.

This is the most talented team in the tournament, and probably the best squad the USA has ever sent to the WBC. Anything short of a title will be a disappointment. Judge will lead the way, with the championship-or-bust mentality all too familiar to him.

Mexico

Team USA is the obvious favorite in this group, but it won’t be a surprise at all if Mexico shows out. Team Mexico made a spirited semifinal run in the 2023 WBC, and brings a solid top-to-bottom roster this year with hopes of running even deeper into the tournament.

Randy Arozarena was the star last time around, and he’ll return to anchor one of the deeper lineups in the tournament:

Mexico adds Alejandro Kirk at catcher, as well as Joey Ortiz at shortstop, while retaining Jarren Duran and Jonathan Aranda from last time out. A number of other big leaguers dot the lineup, including Pirates infielder Nick Gonzales, Nacho Alvarez Jr. of the Braves, and Alek Thomas of the Diamondbacks, as well as Rowdy Tellez, who last played for the Rangers. It’s one of the better lineups at the event, but it will be missing a bit of juice thanks to the absence of Isaac Parades, who hit .375 for the team in 2023.

The pitching staff has some high-octane stuff at the top, led by All-World closer Andrés Muñoz. Taj Bradley and Taijuan Walker are the team’s top starters, as well as José Urquidy of the Pirates. A few other arms with big-league pedigree are here, including Javier Assad of the Cubs, Brennan Bernardino of the Rockies, and Robert Garcia of the Rangers.

Italy

Team Italy managed to make it out of pool play back in 2023, but they’ll face an uphill climb to move past the likes of the USA and Mexico here. They’ll be led by a couple of former Yankee catchers on the coaching staff, as Francisco Cervelli will be the manager and Jorge Posada will tag along as a hitting instructor.

Even if Italy is more of a dark horse than a favorite to advance, there’s still plenty of interesting talent. They have a couple of former top prospects in catcher Kyle Teel of the White Sox and Jac Caglianone of the Royals. Dominic Canzone joins Caglianone in the outfield, as does the pesky Jakob Marsee of the Marlins. Vinnie Pasquantino will be tasked with bringing the pop, while he’ll be joined on the infield by former Yankee Jon Berti.

Italy attempted to build a whole bullpen out of former Yankees, as Greg Weissert and Ron Marinaccio will suit up, as well as Adam Ottavino, who will step away from apparent retirement to represent his country. Aaron Nola and Michael Lorenzen are the biggest-name starters in Italy’s employ.

Great Britain

Team Great Britain will have some recognizable names in their lineup, none more so than Jazz Chisholm Jr., who is eligible to represent Britain due to his Bahamian heritage. Chisholm and Co. will thankfully don uniforms that don’t look like they were designed by a high schooler using Microsoft Word this time.

Britain will feature some top prospects, such as catcher Harry Ford of the Nationals (who starred for them last time around), and a chunk of former top prospects, like infielder Lucius Fox and outfielder Kristian Robinson. There’s also infielder Nate Eaton, who proved useful as a utility player for the Red Sox last year.

The pitching is thin here, with Yankees prospect Brendan Beck in the mix. The right-hander is a fine prospect, but that the Yankees’ 22nd-ranked farmhand is included on the staff probably says more about the state of Britain’s roster. The de facto ace is Beck’s older brother Tristan, who has 157 big-league innings to his name with the Giants. Otherwise, the biggest name here is… Vance Worley. Yes, that Vance Worley, bespectacled former MLB journeyman whose last pitch in the majors came in 2017 and whose last professional appearance came at the last WBC, where he tossed 2.2 innings and gave up two runs. Here’s hoping he finds himself back on the field one last time!

Brazil

Making their first appearance in the WBC since 2013 is Brazil, though they carry probably the thinnest roster in this group. The first name Yankees fans will recognize is Dante Bichette Jr., the club’s top pick in 2011. It’s a family affair elsewhere on the team, with Joseph Contreras, the 17-year-old son of former Yankee Jose Contreras, on the pitching staff. Contreras is committed to play for Vanderbilt but is rated among MLB Pipeline’s top 50 2026 draft prospects. They’ll look to write some new history for Brazil’s national team, with few highlights to speak of thus far, outside of a rousing three-game win streak in qualifying play last year that punched Brazil’s ticket to the tournament.

Find more Pinstripe Alley WBC pool previews here: Pool A, Pool C, Pool D.

Today the Texas Rangers play their first night game this spring in an intriguing Cactus League affair where they will be the road squad from their home camp in Surprise, Arizona with the Kansas City Royals acting as the home team.

Furthering the intrigue will be a matchup between two high profile lefties with MacKenzie Gore set to pitch for Texas against former Rangers first-rounder Cole Ragans for Kansas City.

The Royals have a telecast, otherwise you can listen via 105.3 The Fan, the Rangers Sports Network YouTube page, or follow along on Gameday. First pitch from Surprise Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 pm CT.

Go Rangers!

The Colorado Rockies lost to the Milwaukee Brewers today, 10-8. For more details, click here.

And now to the postgame comments.

First, here’s manager Warren Schaeffer:

Starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen weighed in before heading out to play for Team Italy in the WBC:

And, finally, Tyler Freeman discussed his return to action:

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Feel free to also discuss Australia vs. Czechia starting at 10am ET below, but here is your Guardians’ lineup vs the White Sox starting at 8pm ET:

CF Martinez

SS Rocchio

LF Valera

C Hedges

RF Jones

1B Kayfus

2B Brito

DH Rodriguez

3B Genao

P Bibee

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Colombia visits Puerto Rico tonight as Pool C play continues at the World Baseball Classic. Coverage starts at 6:00 p.m. ET on FS1.

My Puerto Rico vs. Colombia predictions and World Baseball Classic best bets are calling for the Colombians to hang around in what should be a low-scoring game.

Puerto Rico vs Colombia prediction

Puerto Rico vs Colombia best bet: Colombia +3.5 (-115 at DraftKings)

The Puerto Rico lineup took a major hit with insurance issues, and MLB staples Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa and Javier Baez won’t be playing in the World Baseball Classic.

As a result, I’m happy to take the runs with the Colombians.

Colombia has a veteran-heavy lineup with former MLB talents Gio Urshela, Harold Ramirez, and Jorge Alfaro leading the way, and starter Jose Quintana has 14 years in the majors.

This is also the first game of the WBC for both teams, so the Colombian bullpen will be rested and have all its best arms available to follow Quintana.

Puerto Rico vs Colombia same-game parlay (SGP)

In addition to the lineup hits to the Puerto Rico lineup, ace Seth Lugo stands to hold the Colombians in check.

Lugo was the 2024 American League Cy Young runner-up, and he’s spun a tidy 3.51 ERA and 1.19 ERA over 609 2/3 innings across the past five MLB seasons.

Puerto Rico vs Colombia opening odds

• Moneyline: Puerto Rico -320 | Colombia +245
• Run line: Puerto Rico -2.5 (-130) | Colombia +2.5 (+105)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (-110) | Under 9.5 (-110)

How to watch Puerto Rico vs Colombia and game info

Puerto Rico vs Colombia weather

Expect a warm, sticky night in San Juan with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s°F (mid-20s°C). There’s a slight chance of passing showers and light winds, typical for evening games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Opening Day for the 2026 Major League Baseball season is about three weeks away (beginning officially with a standalone game between the Yankees and Giants on March 25), and while there are several former Tigers already in the Big Leagues, LSU’s pipeline to The Show is alive and well.

On Thursday the MLB announced preliminary rosters for the third annual Spring Breakout Games. If you’re unfamiliar, this showcase is a chance for the best prospects across the MiLB to show why they’re the next crop of stars and LSU will be all over these games.

In total, 15 former Tigers made the preliminary rosters to compete for their respective clubs, highlighted by Seattle’s Kade Anderson, Houston’s Ethan Frey, and Boston’s Anthony Eyanson. LSU and Tennessee tied for the most preliminary selections; the final rosters, consisting of 23-27 players, will be announced on March 18.

As it stands right now, here are the 15 former Tigers that made the preliminary rosters.

• Javen Coleman, LHP, Toronto Blue Jays
• Tre’ Morgan, 1B/OF, Tampa Bay Rays
• Thatcher Hurd, RHP, New York Yankees
• Luke Holman, RHP, Cincinatti Reds
• Tommy White, 3B, Athletics
• Gage Jump, LHP, Athletics
• Griffin Herring, LHP, Colorado Rockies
• Daniel Dickinson, 2B, Milwaukee Brewers
• Ethan Frey, OF, Houston Astros
• Chase Shores, RHP, Los Angeles Angels
• Kade Anderson, RHP, Seattle Mariners
• Anthony Eyanson, RHP, Boston Red Sox
• Fidel Ulloa, RHP, Colorado Rockies
• Jacob Mayers, RHP, Boston Red Sox
• Eric Reyzelman, RHP, New York Yankees

The Royals will get ready for their close up on TV tonight, under the bright lights of Surprise Stadium. The big name players are at the World Baseball Classic, so tonight it’s…..Lane Thomas! Brandon Drury! Josh Rojas! All the remaining stars on one stage!

Hey, you can see Cole Ragans and Carter Jensen, that’s not nuthin’.

The Rangers start left-hander Mackenzie Gore, who they acquired from the Nationals this offseason. They have a few starters in the lineup too – Wyatt Langford, Corey Seager. It’s probably too soon to see Andrew McCutchen in a Rangers uniform.

Watch tonight on Royals.TV!

TAMPA — If Cade Winquest has the inside track to a spot on the Opening Day roster, the Yankees reliever isn’t leaving himself much breathing room. 

The team’s first Rule 5 pick since 2011 must be on the major league roster all season or be placed on waivers and offered back to the Cardinals for half of his $100,000 selection fee if he clears waivers.

Winquest has intrigued the organization since it nearly selected him in the 2022 draft, but the hard-throwing righty hasn’t been overly impressive in limited spring work, going 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA, 1.71 WHIP and .316 BAA in 4 ²/₃ innings.

The 25-year-old worked primarily as a starter last season, posting a 3.19 ERA in eight starts at Double-A (Springfield) after recording a 4.52 ERA in 17 games at High-A (Peoria).

“I would say he’s in the mix, but also the next few weeks matter, too, for a lot of people,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I think he’s flashed things that we like about him. We like his fastball. We like the curveball … Because we don’t necessarily have that long window with him, we gotta kind of [give him a] baptism by fire a little bit. I haven’t hesitated bringing him in, in the middle of an inning or whatever. I think he’s worked really diligently at developing that routine [as a reliever] and getting used to it, and I think all in all, it’s gone pretty well.”

Winquest — a former eighth-round pick out of UT-Arlington — has been pleased with the development of the sinker he added since joining the Yankees, but he acknowledges that he is still searching for consistency with a fourth pitch (sweeper/slider).

In Tuesday’s rain-shortened 15-0 loss to the Twins at Steinbrenner Field, Winquest wasn’t hit hard in one inning of work, but he allowed two runs (one earned), two (infield) hits, one walk and one wild pitch, with one strikeout in his fourth spring training appearance.

“I’m still adjusting to the reliever role, bouncing back quicker, but I feel like my routine is starting to make that step forward and I’m getting used to it,” Winquest said. “It’s definitely more mental than anything. If you tell yourself you feel good, you’re gonna feel good. I think I have the mentality to get there. Now, I just need to adjust the routine on the body.

“Starter, reliever, whatever, it’s just a great opportunity for me. The opportunity is right there. I just gotta walk through that door and take advantage of every opportunity I have and just see what happens.”

Winquest has never pitched above Double-A, where he’s only thrown 42 ¹/₃ innings.

His career ERA in the minors (4.19) offers little excitement.

But he holds a unique advantage in the roster battle.

“It definitely gives me confidence being the first Rule 5 pick in 14 years,” Winquest said. “I know this organization wants me. They’ve been looking at me since the 2022 draft. That helps the mental side of it. They believe in me. I believe in myself. I know I have the stuff out there. Now, I just have to make the adjustment and face big league hitters. The more reps I get, the better I’ll get.” 

Shortstop Jeremy Peña suffered a fracture in the tip of his right ring finger and will be reevaluated in two weeks, the Astros announced Thursday.

Peña, who is part of the Dominican Republic’s team in this year’s World Baseball Classic, will miss the tournament and could be out for Opening Day, which is 22 days away.

He sustained the injury in the third inning of Wednesday’s exhibition contest against the Tigers in the Dominican Republic after fielding a ground ball hit by Detroit outfielder Wenceel Pérez.

The 2022 World Series MVP could be seen inspecting his finger multiple times after recording the out, and he left the game after taking one more at-bat.

The injury paves the way for Diamondbacks All-Star Geraldo Perdomo to take over at shortstop, with Yankees utilityman Amed Rosario also an option.

This appears to be the play in question. Peña looked at his finger a couple of times after that out was made. He stayed in the game for one more at bat before leaving. pic.twitter.com/66ltSgeUOY

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) March 5, 2026

Dominican Republic general manager and former MLB slugger Nelson Cruz said that an injury replacement for Peña would be announced shortly, per ESPN.

While the loss of Peña is a crusher, D.R’s star-studded squad still boasts Mets star Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Junior Caminero, Ketel Marte and Julio Rodriguez.

The Dominican Republic is set to kick off the tournament on Friday night against Nicaragua in a Pool D matchup.

Peña, 28, is coming off a banner year in Houston, which saw him make his first career All-Star team while finishing 10th in American League Most Valuable Player voting.

In 125 games, he slashed .304/.363/.477 with 17 home runs, 62 RBIs and 20 stolen bases despite missing time with a fractured rib.

In the interim, Peña’s injury actually eases a logjam in the Astros’ infield.

Third baseman/outfielder Isaac Paredes, who has been floated in trade rumors all offseason, could see regular playing time to open the season in Peña’s absence.

Carlos Correa, currently slotted in at the hot corner, could shift back to his familiar shortstop position, which temporarily opens a spot for Paredes.

It was a wild one in Goodyear Ballpark on Thursday afternoon as ESPN broadcast a ridiculous 14-13 victory by the Cincinnati Reds over the Los Angeles Dodgers that featured a combined 10 (!) homers between the two clubs.

Fortunately for the Reds, they came out victorious in this game that ultimately means nothing in the grand scheme of things, but it sure was entertaining in the process.

The Good

Cincinnati’s offense got off to a rockin’ start against LA lefty Cole Irvin. Elly De La Cruz ripped a 438 foot blast off Irvin in the Bottom of the 1st to get the Reds on the board (from the right side of the plate!), and Will Benson followed later that inning with a 2-run blast of his own (off a lefty!).

Elly’s homer came off the bat at 114.5 mph. Not bad for his less-productive side of the plate.

Cincinnati’s offense was potent throughout, with Nate Lowe (3-run tater), Matt McLain (4th tater of the spring already), and eventually Rece Hinds (a 3-run walk-off in the Bottom of the 9th) all eventually adding to the tally.

Here’s Hinds’ laser down the LF line to flip a 13-11 defecit to the final 14-13 margin.

Cincinnati also managed to walk more times (6) than they struck out on the day (5), and I’ll wager that each and every time the Reds hit as many homers as they have Ks will end up being a very, very good day for them going forward.

The Bad

The pitching today…woof!

Shoutout to Julian Aguiar, at least, who fanned 4 against nary a walk while allowing just a lone earned run (on a solo dinger) in 2.0 IP to get the late win. Hagen Danner, to his credit, also pitched a scoreless, perfect frame.

Everyone else, though got rocked through and through, and that includes projected closer Emilio Pagán. Pagán was tagged for 4 ER on 4 H in his lone frame, and that included an ugly trio of homers allowed. Meanwhile, top projected setup man Tony Santillan wasn’t much better as he allowed 3 ER on a hit and 3 walks while also yielding a homer before being pulled having recorded just a pair of outs.

The miserable spring for Connor Phillips continued too, unfortunately, as he once again had serious issues finding the zone. He was tagged for 3 ER on 2 H and 2 BB in his IP while recording nary a K, and his spring ERA now sits at 14.73.

Adding insult to injury was the way the pitching staff got knocked around. Old friends Santiago Espinal and Nick Senzel combined for 3 homers and 7 ribbies off Reds pitching on the day, though at least the arms kept Matt McLain’s brother Sean from socking one into the stands.

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

That goes to Sean’s big brother Matt, who went 3 for 3 with a homer, 3 runs scored, and a pair of ribbies to push his Cactus League OPS up to a ridiculous 2.112 so far.

Hat tip to Elly (2 for 3, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR) and Lowe (2 for 3, R, 3 RBI, HR) for equally excellent play.

What’s Next

Andrew Abbott will take the mound on Friday on the road in Scottsdale as the Reds take on the San Francisco Giants. First pitch is set for the usual 3:05 PM ET, though this one sadly won’t be televised. You will be able to listen in through 700 WLW’s feed, however.

For you night owls in the readership, today’s game is for you: The first night game of 2026.

For you aspiring broadcast consumers in the readership, however, this game is not at all for you, with no options beyond play-by-play on Gameday to follow the action. Yes, it’s unlikely you’re going to stay up until 10 p.m. chatting about agate type-reports of Game 14 of Spring Training. Still, I will persist with a game thread.

Sean Burke gets the ball for the third time, back by some of the hotter bats of spring:

I don’t profess to know much about the Guardians, but a lineup sans Kwan or Ramírez is advantage: White Sox in my eyes. Or alternately, a new White Sox Killer could be born in today’s game.

Tipoff is 7:05 p.m. I will try to pen a creative recap base on, dunno, exit velocity, very late tonight.

And in other news, the roster for the Spring Breakout Game on March 21. Undoubtedly, this roster consists of the most promising prospects in the White Sox system:

As we did a year ago, we’ll be carving out separate coverage for the prospects game, a couple of weeks from now.

In related news, beginning in 2027 this prospects showcase is going to expand into a tournament, which could be fun to follow — especially in a non-WBC year.

MESA, Arizona — It was a windy day in the Valley of the Sun Thursday, but neither Cubs home run needed any help from the wind. Dansby Swanson homered in the third and Carson Kelly added one in the fifth and the Cubs defeated the Diamondbacks 8-1.

The Cubs put two on the board in the first. Michael Busch led off with a double and Nico Hoerner tripled him in [VIDEO].

You can’t really see it in that clip, but the ball rattled around in the right-field corner, allowing Hoerner to take third. One out later, he scored on a single by Swanson.

Colin Rea gave up a couple of hits in the first but after that retired eight of the next nine D-backs hitters. One of them was on a really nice, PCA-style diving catch in center field by Kevin Alcántara and you’re just going to have to trust me on that because there’s no video available. Rea then allowed a homer to Pavin Smith leading off the fourth, the only run he allowed. Rea struck out six and threw 57 pitches (41 strikes). Here’s more on Rea’s outing [VIDEO].

The Cubs extended their lead to 4-0 in the third. With two out, Ian Happ walked.

Swanson followed with this home run, another opposite-field shot [VIDEO].

That was a good pitch to hit and Dansby got it. It’s really good to see him take pitches like this to right field.

In the fifth, Carson Kelly went deep with two out and Michael Conforto on second [VIDEO].

Conforto, incidentally, had two hits and a walk as the DH in this game. He’s looked pretty good, yes in a very small sample size. He has a real chance to make this team, in my view.

The Cubs were up 7-1 at this point. They got good relief outings from Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, Caleb Thielbar and Corbin Martin.

You’ll notice I left out Luke Little, who threw a scoreless eighth. Sure, that’s good, but once again he got himself in trouble with walks, two of them. He’s thrown 3.2 innings this spring and walked six and yes he has talent but the walks are likely to send him back to Triple-A Iowa again. Here’s hoping he can figure things out.

Of note: Brady Counsell, Craig’s son who was Arizona’s 10th-round pick out of the University of Kansas, entered the game in the seventh and was one of the two guys Little walked in the eighth.

Attendance watch: 12,824 attended this game at Sloan Park. That makes the season total 92,201 for eight dates, or 11,525 per date.

The Cubs will play their first spring night game of 2026 Friday at Peoria against the Padres. Ben Brown will start for the Cubs and Germán Márquez will go for San Diego. Game time is 8:10 p.m. CT and there will be TV coverage via Padres TV. It’s also on MLB Network (no blackouts). There will also be a radio broadcast with the Padres announcers on KWFN 97.3.

If you missed today’s Mariners spring training game, well, that might have been for the best. This one got out of hand early when the Padres put up an twelve-spot in the second and didn’t improve from there. Of all the spring training games, this one was the spring trainingiest (so far).

Luis Castillo got the start today and, well, things could have gone better. Castillo worked out of a jam in the first: after allowing Jake Cronenworth to reach on a hard-hit (104 EV) single, Jackson Merrill fought off a four-seamer up in the zone for a double, putting runners at second and third with no outs. But, Houdini-like, Castillo escaped the jam, striking out Ramón Laureano swinging on a 95.7 mph four-seamer, getting Gavin Sheets to tap into an easy groundout on a changeup (the Mariners executed their second rundown of the spring, again recording the out even as the runners advanced to second and third), and ending on a sword strikeout of Nick Castellanos on a 96.3 mph fastball. Castillo’s four-seamer had some extra heat in that first inning, registering as high as 96.7.

The velocity held for Castillo in the second, but unfortunately the run suppression did not. He gave up a lot of hard contact to the Padres, including a first-pitch ambush swing for a solo home run to Sung-Mun Song followed by back-to-back doubles to make it 2-0; then some sloppy play ensued including a walk to Cronenworth and a fielding error by Ryan Bliss, which then resulted in two more runs scored on a Laureano single, making it 4-0.

Then the game got silly. Tyler Cleveland came in to try to stop the bleeding and instead allowed in another run, although he didn’t get help from Spencer Packard in left field who dropped a sun ball. Cleveland walked in a run. Luke Raley lost a ball in the sun in right field. The Padres lead doubled to 8-0. Then 10-o. The scoreboard operator made a mistake and put up 11-0. Dan Wilson was forced to get another cannon fodder arm to try to finish the inning. Stefan Raeth threw one pitch to Jake Cronenworth that he hit over the left field wall. 12-0. Laureano doubled. The third out in the second inning was proving to be as elusive as the Mariners getting their fourth win of the spring.

Finally, finally, Gavin Sheets hit a little flare to left field, headed towards the much-abused Packard. It looked like it might drop in to create a touchdown of runs for the Padres, but Packard ran in and, against all odds, made the catch. The crowd went wild.

The Mariners got a run back off Walker Buehler in the bottom of the inning. Patrick Wisdom singled, and Rhylan Thomas tripled into the right field corner. Packard small-balled the second run home with an RBI groundout. While it is probably a better long-term strategy to focus on things that would actually help win games during the regular season, it’s a little disappointing the Mariners didn’t do what the Padres hitters were doing and just put a bunch of stuff up into the swirling wind and hope for the best.

But the Padres got all those runs right back and more off Alex Hoppe, who gave up five runs on two homers to turn the game from a laugher into laughing gas, 17-2. Hoppe baffles me. His four-seamer is a great pitch, with heavy downward plane that comes in around 98-99 and creates swing-and-miss, and he can throw it for strikes. The problem seems to be that pitch’s supporting cast. Today he couldn’t land his slider, which wound up fat and juicy on the plate for hard contact; the changeup didn’t tempt swings, and the cutter location was inconsistent. There’s something there; it’s just not there yet.

Troy Taylor had the fourth and got two quick outs on his sweeper, leading me to mentally retitle this recap “the Troy Taylor Game” before he surrendered a solo home run to Andujar, who dropped the barrel on a sweeper to make it 18-2, but he rebounded to strike out Francisco Acuna looking (thanks to a savvy ABS challenge by Mitch Garver). Troy Taylor game back on!

Then it was trading solo home runs. The Mariners got two, from Patrick Wisdom and Rob Refsnyder. The Padres got two off Casey Lawrence, who gets today’s Sun Visor award for cleaning up this stinker.

But wait. There were still several more innings to play, and another three-run home run for Blas Castaño to give up. And then another two-run home run for Nick Davila to give up.

In the eighth, Jared Sundstrom – who is nicknamed “Sunny” which is one of the better baseball nicknames, especially for the blond-haired golden-skinned Sundstrom – realized that he could also, like Captain Planet, use the power of the wind for his own ends and blasted his first home run of the spring off Tristan McKenzie, who apparently is doing mop-up work in spring training games these days. Rough. Sundstrom’s calling card is his light tower power, so it was fun to see that in action.

The Padres were able to add one more run in the ninth off Reid Van Scoter just so no Mariners pitcher would post a clean line today. But Carson Taylor got that run right back on a solo shot of his own (maybe his pal Sunny clued him in about the wind trick), keeping the deficit at a solid three touchdowns’ worth of runs. The Mariners will try again to secure that elusive fourth win of the spring tomorrow in Surprise against Texas, and surprise, Kade Anderson gets the start, so don’t let today’s stinker preclude you from tuning in to that one (although sadly it is radio only).

Other bits and bobs:

-Brendan Donovan worked a walk in the first inning. His OBP this spring is currently a nice round .500.

-With Donovan on first, Luke Raley hit a hard groundball (103 mph EV) that the shortstop couldn’t handle, bobbling it before tossing it to second, and Donovan probably should have been called safe. In penance, Raley went on to steal second. Healthy Luke Raley is fun.

-Rob Refsnyder hit a solo shot off lefty JP Sears, earning that lefty-killer moniker.

-In the eighth inning Freddy from Mariners PR bought churros from the churros man and I didn’t get one. OSHA violation! Hostile workplace!

-Brock Rodden showed off a very strong arm at third base, making a surehanded play right at the line followed by a strong toss across the diamond. Good third base defense is my love language. (You will see, if you look at the box score, Rodden was given an error on a throw later. This, in my opinion, was not a fair error assignation, and it was also not considered an error by the first baseman Carson Taylor who immediately threw his glove over his mouth and shouted something unrepeatable when he didn’t field the ball cleanly.)

-Spring training games should have mercy rules.

Process, process, process—the results of a spring training game matter most when they validate certain processes and reinforce an idea. The Dodgers scored a boatload of runs in a 14- 13 walk-off loss against the Reds; one of their expected regulars, Max Muncy, went yard, but what mattered more than anything else was the validation of Santiago Espinal’s case to make the Opening Day roster as a utility bat off the bench.

Espinal, who entered the game scorching hot this spring, having gone 8 for 14 in his first six games with a couple of extra-base hits, went yard twice, responsible for half a dozen RBI. Adding further praise to Espinal’s performance, those two home runs came against Emilio Pagán and Tony Santillan, two of the more experienced arms in the Reds bullpen.

Once upon a time, an All-Star when he played for the Blue Jays in 2022, Espinal is coming off two horrendous campaigns with the Cincinnati Reds, and perhaps a change of scenery is exactly what his career needed.

Even before the game, Dave Roberts wasn’t shy about singing the praises of Espinal’s impact on and off the field.

Equally important as his production with the bat, Espinal, who played first base in this particular affair against the Reds, earns praise for his flexibility, having experience covering second, short, third, and corner outfield. It’s worth pointing out that there is a larger need at the start of the season for this role Espinal is likely to fill, given the fact that Kiké Hernández will begin the year on the injured list. Hernández is currently recovering from elbow surgery.

On the mound, it was not a pleasant time for the veteran Cole Irvin, on the hook for six of the runs the Dodgers allowed by giving up a trio of home runs, one of them at 114.5 MPH exit velocity to the very impressive Elly De La Cruz. The Dodgers led by three in the ninth when Jordan Weems came in to close the game, but Cincinnati ambushed him for four runs, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.

Next on the docket, the Dodgers will play an evening game against the Royals on Friday, sending out youngster Jackson Ferris to make his third spring start. Ferris has yet to allow a run in 2.2 innings of work.

As the Yankees continue camp this spring, here are the latest moves as New York cuts their roster to 26 active players ahead of Opening Day...

March 5, 6:30 p.m.

The Yankees announced their second wave of cuts and it includes RHP Chase Hampton.

Hampton, the team's No. 8 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, is coming off Tommy John surgery he had in February 2025. Hampton had not appeared in a Grapefruit League game this spring as he continues his recovery from elbow surgery.

In addition, the Yankees reassigned RHP Travis MacGregor and RHP Drake Fellows to minor league camp. 

Of the two, only Fellows appeared in an actual game. He threw 27 pitches, and allowed a hit and two walks in his one inning of work this spring.

Feb. 17, 4:10 p.m.

The Yankees announced they have reassigned RHP Alexander Cornielle and catcher Abrahan Gutierrez to minor league camp. This comes a day after the Yankees outrighted OF Yanquiel Fernandez off the major league roster and onto the Triple-A roster.

Fernandez had been a non-roster invitee.