Craig Kimbrel kicked off his bid for a Mets bullpen spot on Saturday, and he did so with a new weapon in his arsenal.
Kimbrel had to battle, but worked his way through an inning in a loss to the Nationals.
The veteran found himself in immediate trouble, as Bo Bichette was beat down the line for a double, then a groundout and sacrifice fly resulted in Washington’s second run of the game.
He lost his command a bit from there, issuing back-to-back two-out walks, but was able to settle down and generated another fly out to escape without further damage.
Overall, Kimbrel liked how things went.
“It was good,” he said. “Frustrated by the two walks, but other than that I felt pretty good -- it was good to get back out there and compete and get back on the track to where I want to be.”
Though it’s still early, Carlos Mendoza felt there were some good signs from the 37-year-old.
“Some 92-93, life on the fastball, shape on the breaking ball,” the skipper said. “On the backfields in live BP, the velo was sitting around 88-89, but today, facing the other team, we saw some 92-93 and the breaking ball was there.”
Kimbrel also broke out a cutter for the first time, a new weapon he’s been developing over the last few weeks.
“It’s a pitch I’m trying to mix in,” he said. “Just trying to get guys off my fastball and open up some off-speed opportunities. It’s coming along, how much I’m going to use it -- how well I can command and control it will have a lot to do with that.”
The Dodgers shored up the bullpen over the winter, signing three-time all-star Edwin Díaz to a three-year, $69-million contract. With the closer role firmly defined for the first time since Kenley Jansen was on the team in 2021, how the rest of the bullpen falls into place remains a work in progress during spring training.
“Obviously, adding Díaz to the back end is huge for us and getting Alex Vesia [back] is going to be good, and also Blake [Treinen]," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Blake wasn’t right last year, clearly. He’s throwing the baseball really well. Having guys that you trust is everything for the pen. ... You’ve got to count on those veteran guys for sure.”
Now included in that veteran group is left-hander Tanner Scott, who joined the Dodgers before last season on a four-year, $72-million deal. Scott struggled to find his footing, primarily as a closer, before a left elbow injury placed him on injured list in mid-July, causing him to miss a month of action. He returned the final week of August, and never looked quite right. Scott posted a 4.74 ERA across 61 appearances and 57.0 IP in his first year with the Dodgers.
On Saturday against the Chicago Cubs in a split-squad game at Camelback Ranch, Scott made his Cactus League debut and pitched a scoreless inning, recording a strikeout and giving up one hit on 17 pitches. With the ninth inning spoken for, Roberts believes this will allow for Scott to bounce back this season.
“I think being able to use Tanner in any inning of leverage, is going to be good for him,” Roberts said. “And it’s going to be good for us.”
Díaz, for his part, has settled in, making his second and final appearance of the spring on Saturday before he joins Team Puerto Rico for the World Baseball Classic. He worked around two walks to pitch a scoreless inning, striking out one. Vesia, who missed the World Series due to the death of his newborn daughter, has pitched two scoreless innings while Treinen pitched a perfect inning on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox in his first Cactus League outing.
The 37-year-old Treinen, who's been on all three of the Dodgers' recent World Series teams and was a stalwart in the 2024 postseason, struggled last season, going 1-5 with a 9.64 ERA in September.
“You never know what the body throttles back,” Treinen said earlier in camp. “I had a UCL injury, so I don’t know if that’s part of the problem, but something was different. I mean, velocity was there, movements were there, execution wasn’t, and when pitches were in the zone, it was a harder-hit rate. So, that tells me something was different, how to handle hitters. So, just trying to go back and cleaning things up to where the ball does more of what it has done most of my career.”
On the flip side, right-hander Brusdar Graterol — who has not pitched since the 2024 World Series — remains in a holding pattern during spring training as he works his way back from right labrum surgery. And right-hander Evan Phillips is not expected back for several months after Tommy John surgery ended his season last June. But for the most part, the relievers who are healthy have shown glimpses of what it could look like this season.
“I don’t think that there’s one way to manage a pen,” Roberts said. “But when you have a guy like Edwin Díaz as your closer, I do think it frees up other guys. ... I think that’s freeing for me and allows for getting the matchups we need in the prior innings.”
Blake Snell not expected to pitch in Cactus League
After Roberts ruled out Snell for opening day on Friday, the manager provided some more context on Saturday.
Roberts says he expects the 33-year-old left-hander to continue to progress, but he doesn’t expect Snell to pitch in the Cactus League. Roberts feels good about Snell’s headspace during his recovery.
“I think he’s working through it in the sense of, last year he was on a new team,” Roberts said of Snell, who was limited to 11 starts and 61.1 innings last season. “He pushed through things to start the season healthy, which is understandable. And you learn from it, he was never right all year. I think that this year, he’s going to make sure that he is ready to go. So, I do think that he feels comfort in knowing that we need him, we count on him, we believe in him and then there’s an individual part, where I do think that he wants to get another Cy Young.
"And what that means is, you’ve got to be healthy, you have to make starts, and so, that’s something that personally he’s striving for. But at the end of the day, he’s got to be healthy and we’re going to do whatever we can to make that happen.”
Following the Yankees' 5-1 win over the Blue Jays on Saturday in spring training action, manager Aaron Boone spoke on a number of topics...
Giancarlo Stanton's spring debut set
Every spring, the status and health of Stanton are a question, and 2026's camp is no different.
Last season, Stanton experienced tennis elbow in both arms and played through it. He's experiencing the same ailment this year, hence why the Yankees are slow-rolling his time in camp. However, Boone revealed after Saturday's game that the tentative plan is for the slugger to see his first spring training action on Tuesday against Team Panama.
Stanton told NJ.com on Wednesday that he has "good days and bad days" with his elbow pain and that he can't open a bottle or a bag of chips. Despite that, Stanton is determined to get through the season and this will be his first step.
Although Stanton missed the beginning of the 2025 season, he still hit 24 home runs and posted a .273/.350/.594 slash line once he made his debut on June 16.
Cody Bellinger dealing with back discomfort
Missing from the Yankees lineup for the second consecutive game was Bellinger, and the reason is physical.
Boone told the media, including MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, after Saturday's game, that the former NL MVP is dealing with back discomfort. The Yankees skipper said Bellinger's back is a little "unaligned," but the team expects him to return for Tuesday's game.
“He’ll probably, I’m guessing, [miss] a couple of days,” Boone said. “He’s quite a bit better today. So we don’t think it’s anything. The trainers aren’t too concerned about it. This is something that crops up on him every now and then, usually sometime in the spring or earlier in the year. We dealt with it a little bit in-season early last year.”
So far this spring, Bellinger has played in three games, going 4-for-9 with an RBI.
Feb 13, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) throws a bullpen session during spring training practices at George M. Steinbrenner Field / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Gerrit Cole update
Cole continues on the road to recovery after Tommy John surgery a year ago and the reports from Yankees camp is better than even the organization could have imagined.
The former AL Cy Young winner threw a 26-pitch live batting practice on Friday and came out of it good.
"He was live, threw all his pitches in this one," Boone said on the YES broadcast during Saturday's game. "He's been great. Stuff has been excellent, command has already been there and I feel like he's sharp already. I shouldn't be surprised because it's Gerrit, but he's in a really good spot here."
Yankees GM Brian Cashman was in Tampa before the game and spoke to the media and he was asked about Cole's progress.
“Not surprisingly, he’s done everything he can in a very methodical way,” Cashman said. “It’s all playing out as you would hope. There’s twists and turns to rehab. You have good days, you have bad days. But it feels like he’s had nothing but good days, which is fantastic.”
The Yankees said early in camp that they hope to have Cole appear in Grapefruit League games this spring. The organization is targeting a late May or June return to the team for Cole, but so far so good for the ace of the rotation.
Feb 18, 2026; Peoria, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Walker Buehler (10) during spring training photo day. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The Frair Faithful have spoken and are willing to let bygones be bygones.
The overwhelming majority of respondents to this week’s Padres Reacts Survey on Gaslamp Ball stated they are rooting for Walker Buehler, the former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher, to make the roster and rotation in San Diego.
Manny Machado said recently when the Padres added Nick Castellanos to the roster that the team was getting a $20 million player for the league minimum. The same could be said for Buehler although he will make a bit more than the league minimum if he makes the San Diego roster.
Buehler signed a one-year free agent deal with the Boston Red Sox prior to the 2025 season that paid him $21.05 million for the season. He did not make it through 162 games with Boston and was released on Aug. 29. He was then signed for the league minimum by the Philadelphia Phillies on Aug. 31 and finished the season in Philly.
The right-hander agreed to a minor league deal with San Diego that did not guarantee him a roster spot. However, if Buehler can secure a rotation role and break camp with the Padres, he would make $1.5 million in 2026 and could receive $2.5 million in performance bonuses. Those contract numbers are not bad for a two-time World Series champion and a two-time All-Star.
If Buehler can return to that kind of pitcher, he should have no problem breaking into the San Diego rotation and quickly receiving adoration from the Friar Faithful.
Walker Buehler tossed three innings today in Peoria against the KBO’s NC Dinos.
After the outing, Buehler said it was “all in all, a good day” and that he thinks “the velocity was a little bit above kind of where we thought it would be.” pic.twitter.com/FORwCsZjLo
Feb 25, 2026; North Port, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter Marcell Ozuna (24) prepares to take batting practice before the start of the game against the Atlanta Braves during spring training at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
The 2026 MLB season is right around the corner for the Pittsburgh Pirates, with opening day being March 26 against the New York Mets. There are a lot of things to be excited about going into the season as a Pirates fan, so here are my top three things that I am excited to see going into the new season. Konnor Griffin and Paul Skenes are two very obvious answers, and I am certainly excited to see both hit the field this season, but they will not be answers for this, let’s get started.
Seeing the new veteran free agents play
Pittsburgh has never been the most aggressive team throughout the years in free agency. They are a team that is notorious for not wanting to spend money and go out and get the big names in the market. Now it’s not like these guys are huge names that they got but, they have players who I think will help out struggling offense and that’s why I am excited.
In December, the Bucs traded for Brandon Lowe out of Tampa Bay. Last season, he hit 31 home runs and had 83 RBIs for the Rays. Pirates also acquired Ryan O’hearn who is a former All-Star, solid fielder and has the power. Their last big move was signing Marcell Ozuna to a one-year deal.
Those three guys will immediately be put into the starting lineup and could make a serious impact because of their power. Ozuna is coming off a down year for his standards, hitting for just 21 home runs, but we saw him hit 39 and 40 home runs the two seasons before that. The offense was one of the biggest flaws for this team last season, and I think adding three veteran bats who are all capable of hitting 30 or more home runs was really important and makes me really excited to watch this offense.
The starting pitching rotation
One thing everyone in Pittsburgh can agree on going into this season is that the starting pitching is going to be a bright spot for this team. Now yes, there is Paul Skenes, but this is a very deep pitching rotation outside of the reigning NL CY Young champion. In my opinion, Pittsburgh is going into the season with a top 10 starting pitching rotation and that is something to be excited about.
The rotation also consists of Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft, and Jose Urquidy. Jared Jones will also be a huge piece of the rotation when he comes back from his injury. This is such a young pitching group with a lot of potential, and having those guys mixed in with Skenes will be scary for opposing offenses this season.
Seeing a full crowd at PNC Park
The first two points play into this third one, because if the offense produces and the pitching does their thing, the Pirates will win games. The more games they win, the busier PNC Park will be. There is nothing better than a packed PNC Park. I mean, it is the prettiest stadium in the entire league after all.
The Pirates have some of the most loyal and passionate fans in the league, and if they get off to a great start and win games, PNC park will finally be packed again and there will be some crazy atmosphere. There hasn’t been a Buctober since 2015, and that was really the last time the atmosphere was truly wild. I think the Bucs this year have the team that can change that and get fans’ excitement levels back up.
Feb 28, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer (4) celebrates with first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) after scoring a run in the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during spring training at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
A split squad day that had a loss:
Jays 1 Yankees 5
Jose Berrios had a great day. 4 innings, no hits, 2 walks 2 strikeouts. Couldn’t ask for better against most of the Yankee regulars.
Other pitchers:
Ryan Jennings: Two outs, one hit, two earned, three walks.
Kelena Sauer: Got the last out of the fifth.
Nate Garkow: One inning, two hits, two earned a walk and a home run.
Fernando Perez: Two innings, one hit, a home run, one earned, one strikeout.
Hitters, starters:
Leo Jimenez: 0 for 2, walk. .273 BA on the spring.
Addison Barger: 1 for 3. .083.
Davis Schneider: 0 for 2, walk, strikeout. .100.
Eloy Jimenez: 1 for 3. .400.
Tyler Heineman: 1 for 2. .500.
Myles Straw: 0 for 2. .200.
Sean Keys: 0 for 2, strikeout. .154.
Arjun Nimmala: 0 for 2. .250. He also had an throwing error at short.
Charles McAdoo: 2 for 2, double. .455.
Others:
Cutter Coffey: 0 for 1, k. .000.
Maddox Latta: 0 for 1, k. .00.
Carlos Mendoza: Walk. .600.
Eddie Micheletti Jr.: 0 for 1, k. .333.
Aaron Parker: 0 for 2, k. .250.
Jonatan Clase: 0 for 2. ..000.
Jackson Hornung: 0 for 1. .000.
Cade Doughty: 0 for 1, k. .000.
Nick Goodwin: 0 for 1. .500.
And a win.
In Dunedin, the Jays beat the Phillies. 7 to 5.
Dylan Cease had his first start of the spring. 1.2 innings, 1 hit a home run, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts. A very nice outing.
Jesse Hahn: 1.1 innings, 3 hits, 1 earned, 1 walk and 2 strikeouts.
Brett Baty made his spring debut on Saturday, but at a position Mets fans are not accustomed to seeing the young infielder.
With second and third base filled with the additions of Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette, Baty started at first base. It's the first time Baty has played the position in his professional career and he wasn't half bad. He made the plays he was supposed to and there weren't any misplays or errors on his part in the team's 3-2 loss to the Nationals.
"It was a fun challenge out there," Baty said about playing first. "No mistakes, but it didn’t look pretty either. We’ll get better over there for sure."
"I thought overall, it was a good day," Carlos Mendoza said of Baty's performance. "It was just good to see him out there in game action."
Over his four-year big league career, Baty has seen time at second and third, but this is a new challenge for him. The 26-year-old said he spent this offseason practicing multiple positions, but Baty admits no amount of practice can replace game action, and he was pleased with how he did Saturday.
"There’s just some things you never see in practice until you get out there and do it in a game," Baty said. "I was talking to [bench coach Kai Correa] and Mendy about some of the plays out there. I felt like I wanted to go get the ball, because that’s how I’ve always been. At third base, go get the ball, second base same thing. Some of them I wanted to go get, but I had to remember that Marcus was right behind me, so I had to get my butt to first base."
Baty says former teammate Pete Alonso was great at knowing exactly where the second baseman was and when to go for a ball. And while Baty fights the urge to think like a third baseman, Saturday was a good first step for him, but he knows the comfort comes with time.
"The difficult part is trying to master the plays that you can’t replicate in practice. The challenge is the game reps and trying to get those game reps," he said. "I’m excited for it."
Baty enjoyed his best season as a major leaguer last year. Not only did he stabilize the third base spot, but Baty also showed promise at the plate, hitting a career-best .254 with 18 home runs. Now that he doesn't have a position to call his own, the Mets are trying to find ways to get the talented youngster into games.
Even if it means playing some outfield.
The Mets have a hole in right field with Juan Soto and Luis Robert Jr. projecting to start at left and center, respectively. While there's competition between youngster Carson Benge and veterans Tyrone Taylor, Mike Tauchman and MJ Melendez, the Mets want Baty to get reps in the outfield so they and he are comfortable playing out there if they need it.
Baty said he did some outfield reps in the backfields on Friday and will do so again on Sunday. He believes the plan is to get him in the outfield in a spring training game next week, and Baty is excited to try it.
"I feel like a football receiver out there. I think it’s fun to run around out there, catch flyballs, show off the arm and stuff like that," Baty said with smile. "I think you can showcase athleticism out there, and I like it out there, I think it’s very fun."
Mendoza said that the plan is to give Baty as much time at first and in right field this spring as he can, but he's confident the youngster can handle it.
“He’s very athletic. I have no doubt in my mind that he’s able to do it there," Mendoza said. "He was able to play second base for us last year and that wasn’t an easy transition. Early on, what we’ll do is keep [the reps] on the right side of the field, whether it’s first base, right field, maybe second base."
Dustin May in live BP | Pic courtesy of ORSTLcardsfan
Recap disclaimer – this may be more a random observations list than a specific blow-by-blow of the game. Spring training results are unimportant, right? It’s the process, after all.
Game Summary
With the weather starting out hot and humid, and turning soggy, the St. Louis Cardinals bang out 10 runs on 18 hits, Prieto, Crooks, Walker, Wetherholt and Winn collecting 2 hits each. Prieto leads the fireworks with a 2-run HR. Final score 10-2.
Pre-Game Notes
From my wanderings around the back fields and looking at the daily schedule:
The venue remains unchanged. Roger Dean Stadium. Cardinals are visitors today.
McGreevy to start, followed by Svanson, Graceffo, Rajcic, Stanek, Naughton.
MiLB guys expected to see action are: Gurevitch, Jesus Baez, McGee, Weingartner, Cho on the player side; Saladin, Watson, Burns, Picone on the pitching side.
Talked about the approach for filling in for Nootbaar in LF.
It was brought up that eight games in, no one guy has played more than twice.
Discussed Torres a bit … getting more comfortable being in the group. His versatility is “real”. Takes a professional AB.
There is no certainty with Nootbaar – not a solid timeline yet that might guide a decision.
Prioritizing someone who can take a good AB and defend the baseball. Won’t hurt if he hits RH.
Burleson is the first baseman.
Talked about Dobbins
Still progressing, will be under controlled “sim” conditions to allow him to not do things like cover first quite yet.
Talked about the group of guys being prepped for starting
Still plenty of innings left to get all the guys work
May will start in Bradenton on Thursday
Talked about getting offense
Looking for corner guys to provide thump, preferably. If not, the D better be solid.
Sees pitching as the strength of the team.
Acknowledged that the guys in competition have VERY different profiles
Thinks Winn is “spot on” with his approach to improving offensively
Planning an execution game today between the two MLB groups
Noot picks the teams
Game Observations
McGreevy mostly workmanlike. Appeared to be trying to work a cutter in to the LH hitters. Saladin came in to get one batter in the 2nd when McG’s pitch count got a bit hit (38). McG came back out for the 3rd, but Watson finished, getting the last batter to ground out.
The Cardinals put up a six-spot against Perez in the second, featuring a 2-run oppo HR by Prieto. Walker and Crooks with RBI singles. Crooks has been stinging the ball. Wetherholt with a 2-run bloop out of the four-hole. Cards up 6-1 after 3.
Storm clouds gathering. Literally.
In 4th Winn got on for the third time (2 hits, 1 BB) and Wetherholt drives him in with a solid single. Cards up 7-1 after 4.
Anyone notice the ABS dashboard on Statcast? Our HP umpire is 0-5 (I believe) today on challenges, halfway through the game. All borderline pitches.
Stanek carries the 4th with 2k. Svanson gives up a solo HR in a showery 5th. Graceffo followed in the sixth with a steady, light rain falling. He got a K with 98 at the bottom of the zone and another on a curveball. I’ve seen him twice nice and he seems sharper.
McGee singles in Mendoze to put Cardinals up 8-2. Packy Naughton gets a scoreless inning in, 1 K. Rajcic gets the 8th (and 9th) and comes through cleanly, except for a couple of wet balls making the backstop on the fly.
Umpire streak on ABS ends in the bottom of the ninth of a 10-2 rain-soaked game. Call upheld. That is karma right there. Who challenges there?
Feb 28, 2026; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets pitcher Tobias Myers (32) pitches in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
The Mets fell behind early in today’s game against the Nationals at Clover Park, and despite late attempts to comeback, they ultimately fell to the Nationals 3-2.
Tobias Myers started for the Mets after looking solid in his first spring training appearance earlier this week. He looked strong once again today, as he tossed three innings of one-run ball while striking out four and walking one. His only blemish came in his final inning of work, as he surrendered two one-out hits (a single and double, respectively) and then allowed one of the runs to score on an RBI groundout. Still, it was overall another promising appearance, as Myers continues to look like he will be a solid piece for the Mets’ pitching staff this year.
After Myers departed, Craig Kimbrel and Adbert Alzolay—both of whom are attempting to make the major league bullpen—surrendered runs to make it 3-0 Nationals. Kimbrel pitched the fourth inning and gave up a double to Brady House, who would go on to score on a sacrifice fly, and the veteran closer also walked two in his inning of work. Alzolay, on the other hand, also gave up a double to House to lead off the sixth, and he followed that with a wild pitch to move him to third. A groundball fielder’s choice force out at home gave him a chance to get out of the frame unscathed, but a stolen base and a single from Warming Bernabel instead gave Washington their third run of the afternoon.
Luis García, Nick Burdi, Austin Warren, and Joey Gerber also pitched in the game, and they all tossed scoreless innings.
Some notable tidbits from the starting position players in today’s game: Brett Baty started at first base and had no noticeable blemishes there, and Michael Tauchman continued his solid spring by hitting a double. Still, the majority of the bats were held quiet by the Nationals pitching staff in the first six innings of the game.
The Amazins finally broke through for their first run in the seventh, when Mark Vientos followed a Jared Young walk with an RBI double against Paxton Schultz. They followed that with another run in the eighth against former Met Dicky Lovelady, as Ji Hwan Bae and Antonio Jimenez led off the frame with singles and Nick Morabito subsequently drove in a run with a one-out double. In both cases, however, the bats failed to add on additional runs.
The Mets went on to load the bases in the ninth on two walks and an error by second baseman Cayden Wallace, and they had the chance to win the game with two outs. But Jacob Reimer instead flew out on the first pitch he saw, and the game concluded.
The Mets will be at home once again tomorrow afternoon. They face off against the Astros at 1:10 PM on SNY, with Clay Holmes taking the mound.
The Mets were defeated by the Washington Nationals 3-2 on Saturday afternoon at Clover Park.
New York is now 4-3 in Grapefruit League play.
Here are some takeaways...
- Brett Baty was able to make his spring training debut after being slowed by a hamstring issue early in camp. He looked smooth in what was his first appearance at first base, and went hitless over his two at-bats, but did make good contact on a 108.7 mph lineout to right in the bottom of the second.
- Francisco Alvarez was also in the lineup for the first time this spring, after the Mets opted to play things safe with him early on. The young backstop caught four innings and went hitless as well, but he did win an ABS challenge to overturn strike three to ball four in the second.
- Saturday was Mike Tauchman's turn to make his mark in the Mets' crowded right field competition. The veteran lined a double down the right field line in his first AB, then made a nice sliding grab in the right-center gap to rob Nasim Nuñez of extra bases in the fifth.
- Ronny Mauricio showed good instincts at shortstop, cleanly fielding a grounder while playing in with a man on third and nobody out, then throwing home to gun down a runner trying to score. Mauricio worked deep counts in each of his two at-bats, but struck out each time.
- Tobias Myers was strong in his second outing, his first start, of the spring. The righty struck out three as he retired six of the first seven batters he faced, only issuing a two-out walk in the second. He did fall into some trouble after back-to-back hits put two in scoring position in the third, but was able to escape with one run in on a groundout.
His final line: one run, two hits, one walk, four strikeouts and 46 pitches (34 strikes) over 3.0 innings of work.
- Craig Kimbrel made his first appearance in his attempt to carve out a role in the Mets' bullpen. Bo Bichette was beat for a double down the line on the second pitch Kimbrel threw, then a groundout and flyout to bring home the Nats' second run of the game. The veteran walked the next two, but escaped without further damage.
- Luis Garcia put together his second consecutive 1-2-3 inning to start the spring.
- Hitless on the spring, Mark Vientos was finally able to break through in his third at-bat of the day, going the other way for an RBI double off the right field fence. Vientos is among the contingent of Mets who will be leaving the team on Sunday to start preparing for the World Baseball Classic.
- Among those players is outfield prospect Nick Morabito, who has been enjoying a very strong camp so far. Morabito fought off a tough 0-2 pitch, then went the other way against former Mets southpaw Dicky Lovelady, lining an opposite-field double to help cut the deficit in the bottom of the eighth.
- The Mets threatened in the ninth, but stranded the winning run on second on Jacob Reimer's flyout.
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 18: Paul Blackburn #58 of the New York Yankees works out during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 18, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There was sort of a “last day of school” feeling to today’s spring training game against the Blue Jays. The Jays sent the B-team, with split squad action facing the Yankees and Phillies, while a number of Yanks are set to leave the team and join their World Baseball Classic sides as that tournament kicks off late next week. That, plus good outings from our starters made for a brisk Grapefruit League showdown, with the Yankees winning 5-1.
Paul Blackburn is auditioning for one of the swingy bullpen roles, and his stock certainly improved today. It wasn’t exactly the Opening Day lineup for the Blue Jays, but it took Blackburn just 40 pitches to work through four scoreless innings. He leaned heavily on his sinker for five groundouts, although I think Statcast was a little clunky today and pitch movement data is hard to interpret. Still, it’s only spring but today was quite a good showing for a guy that really needs to impress after 2025.
We flew through the first half of the game, with Blackburn’s strong start bettered by José Berríos spinning four no-hit innings. It wouldn’t be until Ryan Jennings took over in the fifth that the Yankees finally broke through:
Like many on the field today, it’s likely José Caballero’s last appearance before traveling to join Panama for the World Baseball Classic, but a solid RBI double was a good way for the presumptive Opening Day starter was a good way to wrap up this phase of camp. Cabby would come around to score on a throwing error a couple batters later, making the score 2-0.
Fernando Cruz nearly gave it all back in the sixth though, allowing a double and pair of walks to load the bases. I’m sure this outing wasn’t quite what the brain trust of the WBC was hoping for, as Cruz will suit up for Puerto Rico starting this week. At least he got a double play to work his way out of danger.
After getting out of trouble, the Yankees continued to club the pitching depth of the Blue Jay system:
Austin Wells will suit up for the Dominican Republic after today, but perhaps more important is getting his offensive game more in line with his 2024 self than 2025. Lots of Yankees have gotten their A-swings off in Grapefruit League play this spring, but few lengthen the lineup as much as Wells can, so good stuff to see.
Speaking of A-swings, someone named Kenedy Corona did this in the seventh:
The Yankees were 2-for-3 on ABS challenges by my count, with the only loss being a frankly obvious ball that Cruz requested a review on. I tend to think that Cruz was simply testing the system out for himself before the games count for real, but if it was an honest challenge, maybe we don’t let him request reviews in the regular season.
The Blue Jays managed a run in the ninth on a play neither I nor play-by-play man Justin Shackil quite understood. Nicholas Torres, playing right field for New York, seemed to lose the ball in the Florida sun and missed a catch he should have made, and good hustle from Jays’ baserunner Carlos Mendoza — no, the other one — meant his club was not going to be shut out.
The Yankees hit the road tomorrow, a quick jaunt to Clearwater to take on the Phillies. Will Warren, who’s shown some flashes of a step forward so far this spring, will get the ball with a 1:05pm Eastern first pitch.
Feb 20, 2026; North Port FL, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider (99) poses for a photo during media day at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Spencer Strider’s spring training debut in 2026 was certainly an intriguing one, as Strider was clearly looking to accomplish his own set of goals in this one that may not have aligned with what the public speculation may be concerning his own profile as a pitcher at the moment.
As I mentioned in the game thread, all eyes were on starting pitcher Spencer Strider as he made his spring training debut in this one. Strider went three-up and three-down in the first inning before running into a little bit of trouble in the second inning when he gave up his only run of the day on a sacrifice fly from Coby Mayo. That cam after Adley Rutschman smacked a 93-mph heater from Strider that was high and in the zone for a double, so there’s that.
Strider also picked up a pair of strikeouts along the way and aside from giving up two hits and a run, that was his only blemish on the day. Strider spoke with the media while the game was still going on and he seemed like he was fine with how things went on the day. It was also interesting to see that he did hear all of the speculation about the radar guns being turned off for his live BP sessions and the sarcasm he displayed near the end of this clip from Braves beat writer Mark Bowman of MLB.com suggests that he’s likely not too worried about it.
Strider on today’s start. He obviously wasn’t happy with the insinuation the radar gun was purposely turned off for one of his recent live BP sessions pic.twitter.com/GsKj5pAlNj
Following Strider’s two innings of work, Martin Pérez got the ball and pitched two innings where he only had to deal with one baserunner over the pair of innings that he tossed. Unfortunately, that one baserunner made it all the way around on a round-tripper after Adley Rutschman capped off a solid day at the plate with a solo homer.
That was as good as it got at the plate for the Orioles, though, as Braves pitchers proceeded to clamp down on Baltimore from that point forward. José Suarez added two more clean innings to his spring resume as he attepts to figure out a way to make the starting rotation for Opening Day. Javy Guerra continued to gear up for the World Baseball Classic as he tossed a scoreless inning and his performance was part of the Braves sitting down 11 Orioles batters in a row. Any day where you keep another team’s squad quiet like that over the course of a spring training game is a nice day.
Meanwhile at the plate, Chadwick Tromp certainly had a productive day swinging the bat, which Team Netherlands will surely be happy to see as he gets ready for the WBC, himself. He picked up an RBI single against Orioles starter Kyle Bradish and then later on in the game, Tromp took part in one of those moments that you tend to only see during spring training.
It all took place in the eighth inning, which is when John Gil won a seven-pitch battle against Chayce McDermott by hitting a dinger that put the Braves in the lead. Gil has reportedly been turning some heads so far this spring during camp and this was his first real flourish during a game, so that was encouraging to see. There wasn’t even time to really celebrate Gil’s dinger before Cal Conley took McDermott’s very next pitch and sent it deep for another home run. Conley likely wasn’t even done getting and giving high-fives of his own before Tromp proceeded to take the first pitch he saw from McDermott and crush it for a home run. Yep, that was back-to-back-to-back homers on three straight pitches. Welcome to spring training, folks.
Kyle Farmer contributed two hits of his own as Brett Wisely and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. each added hits of their own and Alex Lodise delivered an RBI double in the top of the ninth as the Braves proceeded to rack up a dozen hits in this one.
All in all, there was more to like instead of dislike in this one. Spencer Strider’s velocity was certainly the topic of the day and while it might be understandable to worry about the fact that he’s throwing 93 at this point, it’s also still February. On top of that, he seemed more focused on location and command rather than emptying the tank while trying to light up the radar gun. If he’s still throwing like this near the end of camp then that could be cause for concern but for now, it’s simply something to keep an eye on going forward. Again, the sarcasm was telling about whether or not this is something to really worry about.
Aside from that, it was nice to see the Braves look productive for the most part during another spring training game. If you’re the type who cares about the race for the Grapefruit League pennant, the Braves are doing alright at 5-2 at the moment. There will surely be some more peaks and valleys as spring progresses but for now, the Braves look like they’re making some steady progress towards Opening Day as the calendar changes from February to March.
The Yankees got plenty of offense from Austin Wells and the pitching staff did its thing, as New York beat the Blue Jays 5-1 on Saturday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
It was the final day before participants of the 2026 World Baseball Classic left their teams, so many of the Yankees who will take part in the tournament were in the lineup and took the mound on Saturday.
Here are the takeaways...
- It was a pitching duel early on in this one. Paul Blackburn got the start for the Yankees and he was very good. The veteran right-hander pitched four scoreless innings, scattering four hits while striking out two batters.
Blackburn is fighting for a spot on the roster. He could earn a spot in the rotation while the Yankees await the returns of Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon, or he could be in the bullpen as the long man in the same fashion the team used him a year ago. It's still early to know where the Yanks are leaning, but Saturday's performance helped Blackburn's case.
- On the offensive side, the Yankees put out their A-lineup, but were no-hit through four innings by Blue Jays starter Jose Berrios. The right-hander allowed just two walks in his four innings of work while striking out two batters.
However, the scoreless tie was broken in the fifth. Wells (Team DR) led off with a walk before Jose Caballero (Team Panama) doubled down the line, scoring the catcher from first. Spencer Jones then grounded into a force out at second base, but a throwing error by the Blue Jays shortstop allowed Jones to reach safely and for Caballero -- who was on third thanks to a Ryan McMahon groundout -- to score.
Wells would add onto the Yankees' lead with a two-run shot in the sixth, his first of spring. The backstop finished the day going 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs. Kenedy Corona launched a solo shot in the seventh to give the Yanks a 5-0 lead, it's the second homer of the young outfielder's spring.
- The Yankees used their big guns out of the bullpen. David Bednar (Team USA) pitched a 1-2-3 inning, but Fernando Cruz (Team PR) didn't have as clean of an inning. The hard-throwing righty allowed three of the first four batters to reach, but got a double play to get out of the inning without giving up a run.
Tim Hill pitched a clean inning with a strikeout, while Jake Bird, who is fighting for a bullpen spot, struck out two in a clean inning of work.
- Aaron Judge (Team USA) went 0-for-3 while Paul Goldschmidt (Team USA) finished 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored. Jazz Chisholm Jr. (Team Great Britain) also went 0-for-3.
Jones, after homering three times in four games this spring, did not go yard on Saturday. He finished 0-for-2 with an RBI.
- Amed Rosario was originally going to be in the lineup, but was scratched so he could head over to the Dominican Republic team.
Game MVP: Austin Wells
The Yankees backstop drove in two runs and his great running allowed New York to push across the first run of the game.
Feb 23, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter (22) looks on prior to a spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images
Today the Texas Rangers will take on the team that ruined baseball (affectionate), the Los Angeles Dodgers, in a Cactus League baseball game in Arizona.
RHP Jack Leiter will make the start for Texas opposite LHP Jackson Ferris for Los Angeles.
Today’s Lineups
DODGERS
RANGERS
Alex Call – LF
Evan Carter – CF
Kyle Tucker – DH
Wyatt Langford – LF
Santiago Espinal – 3B
Joc Pederson – 1B
Dalton Rushing – C
Danny Jansen – C
Andy Pages – CF
Sam Haggerty – RF
Alex Freeland – SS
Ezequiel Duran – 2B
Nick Senzel – 2B
Mark Canha – DH
Ryan Ward – 1B
Tyler Wade – SS
Zach Ehrhard – RF
Jonah Bride – 3B
Jackson Ferris – LHP
Jack Leiter – RHP
You can listen to the game via 105.3 The Fan or follow along on Gameday. First pitch from Surprise Stadium is scheduled for 2:05 pm CT.
TEMPE, AZ - FEBRUARY 25: A general view during a game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Tempe Diablo is certainly one of the most picturesque of the Cactus League parks, with a wonderful backdrop of the Twin Buttes. Or is that Twin Butte? Google is indecisive on the matter. But it’s certainly iconic, and rather better than the 101 freeway which runs behind the fence at Salt River Fields. The D-backs have won two in a row, and three of the last four, to pull their spring record back even at 4-4. Pitching-wise, last night’s one run conceded was a huge improvement, considering they had averaged eight runs per game allowed to that point. Hopefully this will continue today, as we see one of our top pitching prospects on the mound:
If you are wondering why we haven’t seen Brandon Pfaadt make an appearance in the Cactus League to date, he had “a little bit of a side ache” which started over the winter, and the team are being cautious. Torey Lovullo said that “stopped his offseason progression. It was all offseason… Everything was good, but I think we just put him on pause for about a week just to let him rest. He’s going to be available and built up just fine, so he’s going to throw one, maybe two innings depending on how that first inning goes, but everything’s right exactly where we want it to be with Brandon.” Mind you, I remember there being “minimal” concern about Merrill Kelly too…
No TV for this one, but you can tune in on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM or online, with Chris Garagiola & Brandon Webb bringing you the game.
