MLB News
Yes! First pitch is at 1:05 PM on NESN.
It’s Sonny Gray’s last start before the season starts and we officially have some cause for concern. Can he make some progress before the games count?
Team News
Ryne Nelson’s Final Spring Start Could be a Sign of Even Better 2026
“It felt good,” Nelson said after his outing Saturday. “[I’m] getting deeper into games, which is nice, and I feel like I had stamina that’s holding up throughout the game, so that’s nice to see. I feel like that’s one of the main question marks, is how you’re going to feel later into the games. But today felt good. I felt like I could keep going if that was the plan. Happy with it.”
Diamondbacks announce starting rotation after Zac Gallen
The rotation goes as follows:
Brandon Pfaadt vs. Tigers on March 31
Zac Gallen at Dodgers on Thursday
Ryne Nelson at Dodgers on Friday
Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Dodgers on March 28
Michael Soroka vs. Tigers on March 30
https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/starting-rotation-zac-gallen/3615174/
Diamondbacks Reveal Surprising Starting Rotation Order
“It’s clear that Merrill Kelly just doesn’t have enough time to build up and start the season on the active roster,” Lovullo said. “Might have been the worst-kept secret of this camp, but just wanted to make sure that I gave the right amount of time before I made that announcement. Merrill will start on the IL, and whatever his buildup is, it will continue. I don’t know what the timeline is on that.” https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/arizona-diamondbacks-news/diamondbacks-reveal-surprising-starting-rotation-order
Diamondbacks To Add Jonathan Loaisiga To Opening Day Rosterhttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/03/diamondbacks-to-add-jonathan-loaisiga-to-opening-day-roster.html
Fernandez continues to impress D-backs with performance in Spring Breakouthttps://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/jose-fernandez-impressing-d-backs-in-spring-breakout?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage
D-backs’ Brandon Pfaadt Sets Challenging Goal for 2026https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/arizona-diamondbacks-news/d-backs-brandon-pfaadt-challenging-goal-2026
Diamondbacks’ Eduardo Rodriguez hoping lessons from WBC, Johan Santana translate to season
https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/eduardo-rodriguez-johan-santana/3615269/
Other Baseball
Spring Breakout results and what to watch on the final day
https://www.mlb.com/news/spring-breakout-2026-watch-live-results?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage
Who will be the best at ABS challenges? Here’s what the players think
https://www.mlb.com/news/2026-mlb-abs-challenges-player-survey
Ace lefty Sánchez, Phillies agree to new 6-year deal through 2032
https://www.mlb.com/news/cristopher-sanchez-extension-with-phillies-through-2032
Braves Release Kyle Nelson
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/03/braves-release-kyle-nelson.html
Randy Arozarena says he apologized to Cal Raleigh over WBC spat
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48277418/randy-arozarena-says-apologized-cal-raleigh-wbc-spat
MLB 2026: Buster Olney’s takeaways from spring traininghttps://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48251150/mlb-2026-spring-training-takeaways-lessons-mcgonigle-mclain-skubal-lombard
Anything Goes
This day in history:
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/march-22
This day in baseball:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/March_22
The nearest active volcanoes are located off the continent of Australia but are still within its territory. One is located on Head Island and the other on McDonald Islands. The reason why Australia does not have any active volcanoes located on the continent is that it isn’t on a plate boundary.
Or at least it is in Chinese media. The Chinese government bans any movie with aspects of time travel. For the Chinese government, altering historical events are a dangerous element of fiction.
Chickens are mainly bred primarily as a source of food. Others may keep them as pets as well.
The Houston Astros (11-13-3) host the St. Louis Cardinals (16-9-2) in their Grapefruit League finale.
RHP Cristian Javier (0-0) will start for the Astros vs. Cardinals RHP Michael McGreevy (0-3).
MR. CRISTIAN: Today will be RHP Cristian Javier’s third start of the Spring in an official game and his fourth start overall (includes his March 3 exhibition game start vs. Venezuela).
In his last start on March 15 vs. MIA, Javier hurled 4.0 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while tallying five strikeouts.
Javier, who was limited to just eight starts in 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, is 35-22 in his career with a 3.66 ERA (219ER/538IP). In his career, Javier has held opponents to a .203 (397×1956) batting average, which is tops among all AL pitchers since 2020 (min. 525 IP).
He’s also helped author several notable moments in his career, starting a combined no-hitter in Game 4 of the 2022 World Series, as well as a combined no-hitter in June of that season at Yankee Stadium.
Javier has been stellar in the post season, going 6-2 in 17 app. with a 2.68 ERA. In 43.2 postseason innings, he has allowed just 22 hits while tallying 60 K’s
TODAY’S POTENTIAL RELIEVERS: RHP Roddery Munoz, RHP AJ Blubaugh, LHP Steven Okert, RHP Christian Roa, RHP Logan VanWey.
VS. THE CARDS: Today is the Astros sixth matchup of the Spring vs. the Cardinals. HOU is 1-4 vs. STL this Spring.
The two clubs will face off in the regular season in a three-game set the weekend of April 17-19 at Daikin Park in Houston.
UP NEXT: Following today’s game, the Astros will return to Houston. On Monday and Tuesday, they will play games vs. the Triple A Sugar Land Space Cowboys at Daikin Park ahead of the 2026 season opener vs. the Angels on Thursday, March 26.
Game Date/Time: Sunday, March 22, 11:05 a.m. CST
Location: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, FL
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2
Veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel has been informed that he will not make the Mets' Opening Day roster, manager Carlos Mendoza announced.
The right-hander is seeking out opportunities with other clubs, but he may stick around in Port St. Lucie, Fla., to continue throwing and remain in the organization.
"Now, he’s deciding whether he wants to stay, which it looks like he’s leaning that way," Mendoza said. "He likes it here, he wants to win, but he’s also going to look around for opportunities, but there’s a good chance he’s going to stay back here in Florida and continue to pitch until an opportunity presents."
"That goes to show you who he is, as a person, as a human, as a competitor. It’s a very good opportunity here, but we did inform him yesterday."
The 37-year-old Kimbrel, who ranks fourth on the all-time saves list with 440, was a non-roster invite by the Mets, but he was inconsistent on the mound this spring. In six appearances (6.0 innings), Kimbrel posted a 4.50 ERA with five strikeouts, five walks, and two hit batters.
With Kimbrel now out of the mix for an Opening Day bullpen spot, that likely leaves lefty Bryan Hudson and lefty Richard Lovelady as candidates for the final job in the 'pen.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza announced this morning that outfielder Mike Tauchman has a meniscus tear in his knee and will require surgery. That certainly takes the 35-year-old out of the equation for the Mets’ final decisions about their Opening Day roster, but assuming he stays with the organization, it is the sort of surgery that should give him an opportunity to join the Mets’ roster at some point this season.
Coming off a very solid 2025 season with the White Sox, Tauchman signed a minor league deal with the Mets in mid-February. And in Grapefruit League play, he hit .241/.371/.448 with a home run, putting himself on track to get a spot on the Mets’ roster to start the season.
With Tauchman sidelined, though, the starting gig in right field should belong to top prospect Carson Benge, who very well might’ve made the team even if Taucham hadn’t gotten hurt. After looking very good in the upper levels of the minors last year, the 23-year-old has looked fantastic in spring training games. He’s hit .368/.442/.447 in those exhibition games and will be an exciting player to watch as the season gets underway.
I’m going to be flying all day, and I’m running around doing last-minute things, so writing something useful won’t happen.
So let’s have an OpenThread.
If you want a topic to start things off, the team has a bunch of decisions to make on the last few spots. Who gets the last one or two spots in the bullpen. Doesn’t Leo Jimenez get a spot, or do they DFA him? Would he clear waivers?
Eloy Jimenez? Does he get a spot over Davis Schneider? If he does, Leo has to get a spot. Eloy started the spring on fire, but didn’t carry it through to the end. But he hits the ball hard.
How many left-handed outfielders do we carry?
With Eric Lauer in the rotation, who is the long man? Do we need a long man? Are eight one-inning pitchers enough? Yariel Rodriguez is being paid a lot and can do 2-3 innings, and when one of the injured pitchers comes back, we know he can clear waivers.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza provided an update on veteran outfielder Mike Tauchman, who exited Saturday’s game with left knee soreness, and it wasn't good news for the outfielder or New York.
Tauchman suffered a meniscus tear that requires surgery, an MRI revealed.
"Unfortunately, he’s going to be down for a while," Mendoza told reporters on Sunday.
Mendoza said that the team will have a better understanding of the timeline for Tauchman's return after he has surgery.
"He started feeling discomfort yesterday, and he got to a point where he couldn’t do it [anymore]," Mendoza said. "... Trainers kind of knew right away when he came out, because we sent him for an MRI."
The 35-year-old Tauchman was pushing for a roster spot, hitting .241 this spring with one home run, six RBI, and an .819 OPS. He seemingly grimaced in pain while running down the first-base line on Saturday, and then later could not get back to make a play on a ball over his head in the outfield.
Tauchman was likely the biggest competition for top prospect Carson Benge in terms of the starting right field job come Opening Day. Benge has looked the part this spring, but Mendoza would not make any declarative statements on Sunday about Benge's potential place on the big league roster.
As far as other right field options, Mendoza said that M.J. Melendez is not considered an Opening Day option right now, as he'll start the year in Triple-A, but the team does like their internal options.
"We feel good with the options that we’ve got here," Mendoza said. "Obviously, we’ve got a lot of guys who are playing well, but we know injuries happen. It sucks for him and obviously the team, but we feel pretty good with the guys that we’ve got here."
Mike Tauchman is experiencing some discomfort as he plays right field today pic.twitter.com/UvMCMHaLJa
— SNY (@SNYtv) March 21, 2026
It’s Sunday once more, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! Since the last time we came together, the World Baseball Classic came to a close, with Team USA shutting down the dominant D.R. lineup before being themselves shut down by the Venezuela pitching staff. Just as importantly, spring is now upon us, and that just means one thing: Opening Day is (almost) here! That’s right, this coming Wednesday, the New York Yankees will take the field against the San Francisco Giants to kickstart the 2026 season. So as we get ready for the big day, let’s check in on our favorite ballplayers, and see what they’ve been up to this week!
The biggest news of the week, of course, was the World Baseball Classic. I will admit, I wasn’t able to snag everything — Jasson Domínguez, for example, posted about the Dominican Republic’s loss on his Instagram story even though he wasn’t there, which should help give you an idea just how much this tournament means to so many of these players. So this is just a small sample, from official accounts, Yankees players, beloved former Yankees, and other NYC athletes.
Yankees Hall of Fame pitcher CC Sabathia loves chatting sports, and the World Baseball Classic was no different. As Team USA got ready to take on the Dominican Republic, he expressed his excitement for what would prove to be the best pitching matchup of the tournament, saying, “Skenes and this USA lineup vs. an All-Star DR squad in the WBC semis…can’t wait!!! ⚾️” (note: his original post has the USA and D.R. flag emojis, but they don’t copy into our system, and his non-Instagram posts can’t embed). At the end of that game, he expressed his excitement for his country’s victory, and then acknowledged the awfulness of the strike three call that ended the game.
Two days later, he was posting straight through the game once more. When Bryce Harper hit the dramatic two-run homer to tie the game, he channeled his inner Russell Crowe with, “BRYCE! Are you not entertained?!?!!?” Afterwards, he expressed his congratulations to the Venezuela squad, before ending his mini-coverage of the tournament with what he would do if he were in charge: “I’m all for canceling Spring Training for the WBC every year 😂🔥.”
The next day, he posted a photo dump on Instagram, filled with pictures from his time at the tournament.
This past Wednesday, Gerrit Cole took the mound. Yes, it’s only spring training, and yes, it was only one inning, but it’s a major step in his return from Tommy John surgery.
As spring training comes to a close, so does our daily dose of fun shenanigans from the Yankees and YES Network Instagram accounts. But that doesn’t mean we’re out of material just yet! This week, we have Carlos Lagrange, the pitcher everyone’s talking about this spring, answering questions from the YES Network — but only with wrong answers, giving us a bit of a look into the tall right-hander’s sense of humor.
Back from the WBC, Jazz Chisholm Jr. also chatted with the Network this week.
We also got to learn which music has been most commonly found on the Yankees’ iPods (hey, some of them are still old enough to use iPods), and — what I found rather interesting as a Latin teacher — where exactly a bunch of Yankees stand on a controversial linguistic question.
Good morning, folks…
After two disappointing seasons in a row, the Texas Rangers sought to reset their offensive philosophy this spring.
Jeff Wilson says that, as the team leaves Surprise, the vibes are good.
Veteran reliever Ryan Brasier opted out of his minor league contract yesterday, as he was not going to end up making the major league roster.
Kennedi Landry looks at the battle for the fifth starter spot, with the Jacob Latz v. Kumar Rocker decision coming down to the wire.
The DMN’s top 30 Rangers prospects countdown continues with write-ups on #4 prospect Josh Owens and #3 prospect A.J. Russell.
In non-Rangers news, Christopher Sanchez, the Philadelphia Phillies lefty who will be facing the Rangers on Opening Day, has agreed with the Phillies on a re-worked deal that adds a couple of years at $30 million guaranteed to his existing contract, as well as having the existing option years picked up.
David Laurila has his Sunday Notes column up at Fangraphs.
Spring training isn’t quite yet complete, but has changed scenery for the Dodgers, who are back home in Southern California to face the Angels for three games in the Freeway Series. Also this week, the real shebang gets underway with opening day and three games against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Here’s a look at the week ahead.
Beginning on Sunday, every game the rest of the way this season will be broadcast on Dodgers radio in English on AM 570 and in Spanish on KTNQ 1020 AM. For the schedule below, assume SportsNet LA for television unless noted otherwise (opening day this week on NBC, for instance).
Dodgers at Angels, 5:07 p.m.
Dodgers vs. Angels, 6:10 p.m.
Dodgers vs. Angels, 5:10 p.m.
Off day (with a press conference to announce the partnership with Uniqlo)
Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks, 5:30 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks, 7:10 p.m.
Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks, 6:10 p.m.
With the Grapefruit League all wrapped up, I wanted to discuss a pair of the Nats biggest stars this spring. Brady House and Cade Cavalli are entering key seasons in their pro career. Both are starting their first full season as a big leaguer. This spring, both of them looked ready to roll.
I want to start with House, who was the only Nats hitter to truly stand out this spring. He had a tough introduction to the big leagues last season, posting a .574 OPS in 73 games. Most people figured House would struggle with plate discipline and strikeouts, but that he would run into some homers. We saw the struggles, but we did not see that signature power.
House only hit 4 homers and 11 doubles in 261 at bats last season. This spring has been a totally different story. He has hit 3 homers and 6 doubles in just 38 at bats. House made a statement in his first game of the spring with a pair of homers, and never looked back. He has been totally locked in this spring.
Hopefully that can carry over into the regular season because that would be a big boost to the Nats offense. Consistently hammering the ball like he has this spring is what House has to do to succeed. His approach will never be great, so he has to feast on the pitches he does get in the zone. This spring, even House’s outs have been loud.
If House can consistently drive the ball with authority, the rest of his game will come together. He is a good defender at third base, which could offset some of the potential offensive holes in his game. If he can hit 25 homers and a bunch of doubles, the approach and whiff concerns become less of a problem. It is no guarantee that this happens, but the spring was a good sign.
The other big star of the spring has been Cade Cavalli. Entering Spring Training, he was the favorite to be the Opening Day starter, and he locked up that honor with his performances. Cavalli tossed 14 scoreless innings this spring with 10 strikeouts and just two walks. He generated a ton of weak contact and kept the ball on the ground.
Cavalli has become a popular breakout pick, and for good reason. His stuff is dynamic and now he is finally 100% healthy. After undergoing Tommy John Surgery in early 2023, Cavalli had a tough road back. He had some setbacks, which led to him missing two whole seasons. However, he showed some major promise when he got called up to the big leagues in the second half of last season.
Now, Cavalli seems ready to take the next step and that will start in four days at Wrigley Field. Being the Opening Day starter with just 11 career starts feels crazy, but Cavalli is by far the most talented pitcher in the rotation. I would not be surprised if he outperformed the now departed MacKenzie Gore this season. He has the big sturdy frame to hold up for the whole season.
Cavalli’s stuff might be even better than Gore’s as well. He has a 4-seam and a sinker that are both in the mid to upper 90’s. They set the table for his power curveball and his new sweeper. Cavalli also has a really nice changeup he will show off every once in a while. There is also an occasional cutter he will mix in.
Overall, it is a very impressive arsenal. I think that new sweeper will be very helpful, especially against right handed hitters. Righties were actually Cavalli’s kryptonite last year, but the sweeper gives him a new weapon against them.
Cavalli and House were picked in the first round in back to back years. It has been a long road for both, but if this spring is any indicator, they have arrived. Now, it will be time for them to prove themselves in the regular season. They are two of the Nats I will be following the closest this season. House and Cavalli are two true breakout candidates. I can’t wait to watch their 2026 seasons, and we only have to wait a few more days.
Randy Arozarena apologizes to Cal Raleigh over comments after WBC handshake snub originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Randy Arozarena has apologized to Seattle Mariners teammate Cal Raleigh after Arozarena cursed out the catcher for not returning a handshake at the World Baseball Classic.
“I understand that with Opening Day a few days away, I don’t want it to be a distraction. Cal and I have talked and I apologized for what I said after the game,” Arozarena said in a statement issued by the Mariners. “Nothing in the WBC takes away from the fact that we are brothers and teammates. He’s family, and we are both focused on helping the Mariners win the World Series.”
The incident between the two took place on March 9 when Arozarena reached down to greet Raleigh in his catcher’s squat at home plate, and Raleigh declined to offer his hand back in a game in which the Americans beat Mexico 5-3.
Arozarena, speaking to Mexican journalist Luis Gilbert in Spanish, said Raleigh “has to thank God that he has nice parents, well educated,” and added he recently hugged them during a friendly greeting at the team hotel.
He then used profane Cuban and Mexican slang to insult Raleigh before pivoting to English and saying Raleigh could shove his “good to see you” in his rear. Arozarena was born in Cuba but defected to Mexico to pursue an MLB career.
Soon after, Raleigh called Arozarena a baseball “brother,” while explaining there was no tension between the teammates.
“I love Randy, I do,” Raleigh said. “I hate that this is a thing. There’s no beef when we get back to Seattle. He’s my brother. We’re family.”
On Saturday night after their spring training game, Raleigh reiterated his feelings.
“We talked it out, and everything went great,” Raleigh said, according to MLB.com. “Randy knows that I love him, and he’s a brother, and it’s in the past and none of us are carrying this forward. We’re in a good spot.”
The Mariners open the season Thursday against the Cleveland Guardians.
Seattle is coming off a season in which it won the franchise’s first AL West title since 2001. Raleigh helped lead the way by becoming the seventh different player in major league history to hit 60 homers in a season.
Good morning and happy Sunday everybody! We’re only three sleeps away from meaningful Major League baseball and that means rosters are being finalized and difficult decisions are being made in front offices across the league, all to bring us closer to the baseball we so desperately desire. And all so we can spend Thursday night yelling at our screens. It’s soooo close. Just a little longer.
Randy Arozarena says he has apologized to his Seattle Mariners teammate Cal Raleigh after an incident at this month’s World Baseball Classic.
Arozarena was representing Mexico against Raleigh’s USA when the teams met at the WBC on 9 March. Raleigh ignored Arozarena’s offer of a handshake during an at-bat, a move that angered the outfielder. In a later interview, Arozarena said Raleigh could “fuck off” and “go to hell.” Raleigh downplayed the incident, saying “we’re good friends and we’ll continue to be good friends”.
Related: Other nations danced for joy at the World Baseball Classic. Team USA played toy soldiers
On Saturday, Arozarena issued a statement through the Mariners saying he had made amends with Raleigh.
“I understand that with Opening Day a few days away, I don’t want it to be a distraction,” Arozarena said. “Cal and I have talked and I apologized for what I said after the game. Nothing in the WBC takes away from the fact that we are brothers and teammates.”
Raleigh hit 60 home runs last season, a record for a catcher, as the Mariners won the AL West and fell just short of a World Series appearance. Mariners manager Joe Wilson said he wasn’t surprised at Arozarena’s apology.
“It’s just a special group,” Wilson told MLB.com. “They love each other, and yeah, it’s time. I think we’re all ready to get back to Seattle and get this thing started.”
The Mariners play their first game of the season on Thursday, against the Cleveland Guardians.
Tanner Bibee was throwing batting practice again yesterday, but Travis Bazzana homered twice and Jace Laviolette also homered for the Guardians:
Bo Naylor also had two hits including a homer.
What does it mean that Bibee is giving up double-digit hits every outing? I guess we will find out soon enough.
Logan Allen is headed to Columbus and Parker Messick is in the rotation. The Reds and Guardians play at 3:05PM ET. And, THIS THURSDAY BASEBALL IS REAL AGAIN GAAAAAH
