PEORIA, Ariz. — Padres reliever Yuki Matsui’s will not pitch for Japan in the World Baseball Classic and the left-hander’s status for San Diego’s season opener in a month also is unclear because of a left groin strain.
Matsui was still throwing off flat ground Thursday, a week after cutting short a batting practice session because of the groin.
“Right now, I’m just continuing the throwing progression, getting intensities and distances of (playing) catch back up,” Matsui told reporters through a translator. “Once it’s good enough, then I’ll start throwing off the mound. But as to when, we don’t know yet.”
The 30-year-old Matsui, who is 7-3 with a 3.86 ERA in 125 appearances in two seasons since signing a five-year, $28 million with the Padres, also said he wasn’t sure yet about opening day. San Diego’s opener is March 26 at home against Detroit.
Defending WBC champion Japan opens against Taiwan on March 6 at the Tokyo Dome. Matsui was replaced on Japan’s roster by left-hander Yumeto Kanemaru of the Chunichi Dragons.
“I was looking forward to playing with them,” Matsui said. “I think the Tokyo games, because of the time differences, I don’t think I can watch in real time. But I believe they’re going to make it to the round in Miami. And I think that’s when I’ll be able to watch live, and cheer for them.”
Before the 5-foot-8 Matsui joined the Padres, he had a 2.40 career ERA, 236 saves and a 1.11 WHIP over 10 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball. He was the youngest pitcher in the Japanese major leagues to reach 200 saves,. He made his Japanese big league debut at age 18 in 2014 and became a five-time All-Star for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, leading the Pacific League in saves in 2019, 2022 and 2023.
Home plate umpire Bruce Froemming gestures for a strike on a Detroit Tigers batter during the second inning of play against The Los Angeles Dodgers at Holman Stadium in Vero Beach on Friday March 10, 2006.
ERIC HASERT/TCPALM/ERIC HASERT/TCPALM / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Bruce Froemming, a major league umpire for 37 consecutive years who worked the third-most games in big league history and a record 11 no-hitters, died Wednesday, his son said. He was 86.
Froemming fell just after midnight Tuesday and hit his head on the hardwood floor at his home in Mequon, Wisconsin, and was taken to Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee, according to Froemming’s son, Steven.
He had brain bleeding that medical personnel could not stop because Froemming was on blood thinners, leading to his death.
Froemming was a semipro baseball player and started his umpiring career in the minor leagues in 1958 at age 18. He worked his way up and joined the National League staff in 1971. He shifted to the unified major league staff in 2000 and retired in 2007 having worked 5,163 games, second at the time to Bill Klem’s 5,373. They were both surpassed by Joe West, who worked 5,460 games before retiring in 2021.
Froemming started his umpiring career at a minor league game in Waterloo, Iowa.
“I thought I was in heaven — on the ballfield, professional athletes, I was starting my professional career,” he told The Associated Press days before his retirement. “But never did you dream at the time, ever even think of going to a big league ballpark, because you had so far to go through the minor leagues to even get a chance.”
He concluded that being a good umpire required “probably being patient with yourself. ... You’re going to make mistakes early on.”
Among the most famous of the no-hitters he worked was on Sept. 2, 1972. Milt Pappas of the Chicago Cubs retired his first 26 batters and went to a 1-2 count on pinch-hitter Larry Stahl before walking him. Pappas then retired Garry Jestadt on a popup.
Froemming was behind the plate for three other no-hitters, by Ed Halicki (1975), Nolan Ryan (1981) and José Jiménez (1999). He worked five World Series.
When he retired, Froemming became a special assistant to MLB’s vice president on umpiring,
He is survived by his wife, the former Rosemarie Loch, whom he married in 1957; two sons, Steven and Kevin; sister Cathy Seizer; half-brother Johnny Froemming; and two grandchildren.
Max Scherzer’s 8-year-old daughter wanted her father back with the Blue Jays so much she wrote a letter to the team in December expressing her hope for his return to Toronto.
After the three-time All-Star agreed Wednesday to a one-year, $3 million contract, the pitcher’s wife, Erica May-Scherzer, posted a copy of the handwritten note by Brooke. May-Scherzer said her daughter wrote the letter, dated Dec. 15, and asked her parents to mail it to the team.
“Dear Blue Jays,” the note began, “I am so sorry that you didn’t win the World Series. I hope that you win next time. I hope my dad is back on the team. My whole family loves spending time in Toronto with our dad. We loved the aquarium, the (CN) Tower and of course the stadium. I am looking forward to come back next season. Love, Max Scherzer daughter”
An eight-time All-Star, Scherzer is a 41-year-old right-hander with a 221-117 record and a 3.22 ERA for Arizona (2008-09), Detroit (2010-14), Washington (2015-21), the Los Angeles Dodgers (2021), New York Mets (2022-23), Texas (2023-24) and Toronto (2025). He ranks 11th on the career list with 3,489 strikeouts — 20 behind Hall of Famer Walter Johnson.
He was went 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts and 85 innings for the Blue Jays last season, and he made three starts in the postseason, beating Seattle 8-2 in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series. He started Games 3 and 7 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
JUPITER, Fla. — The New York Mets plan to put newly acquired ace Freddy Peralta on the mound against Pittsburgh on opening day.
New York traded two prospects to Milwaukee last month for the two-time All-Star.
“When we acquired him, it was pretty clear that he was going to be pitching at the front of our rotation,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Friday before Peralta had three strikeouts in three innings against St. Louis in a spring training game. “He earned it. I’m excited. We’re all excited.”
New York opens March 26 at home.
The 29-year-old right-hander gives the new-look Mets a frontline starter after their rotation struggled in the second half of a disappointing 2025 season. They also signed free agent infielder Bo Bichette and acquired center fielder Luis Robert Jr. in a trade with the Chicago White Sox.
Peralta was 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA in 33 starts last season, when he led the National League in wins and finished fifth in Cy Young Award voting. He struck out 204 in 176 2/3 innings and earned his second All-Star selection.
Peralta is set to make $8 million this season and can become a free agent following the World Series. He is 70-42 with a 3.59 ERA and 1,153 strikeouts in 931 innings over eight major league seasons, all with Milwaukee.
A Pro Football Hall of Famer could become a Major League Baseball owner.
The Athletic reports that Drew Brees has partnered with Vuori founder Joe Kudla to explore the possibility of joining one of the groups that has submitted an initial bid for the San Diego Padres.
The deadline for the first round of bids was Wednesday, February 25. Five groups made bids before the deadline.
The Padres were put on the market in November 2025. A sale could happen by the start of the 2026 MLB season.
In 2012, the Padres sold for $800 million. The record for a baseball team was set in 2020, when the Mets sold for $2.42 billion.
Brees, who was elected earlier this month to the Hall of Fame, started his career with the then-San Diego Chargers. He played for the Chargers from 2001 through 2005. Brees vaulted to superstar status with the Saints, where he played from 2006 through 2020.
During the first inning of their matchup with the Braves, Atlanta’s Jurickson Profar hit a lazy fly ball to left center field that nearly ended in disaster.
Boston’s young stars, left fielder Roman Anthony and center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela both appeared to have a beat on the ball, but there apparently wasn’t great communication between the pair.
The moment Anthony and Rafaela collided in left center field. Talkin' Baseball/X
Anthony made the catch, allowing Ronald Acuna Jr. to score the first Atlanta run of the game from third base, but he collided on the play with Rafaela at the same exact moment — sending both players to the ground on a play that appeared to be catastrophic for a few moments.
As trainers and coaches ran out to check on the pair, Anthony remained face down on the grass while Rafaela didn’t look much better hunched over next to his teammate.
After a minute or so, Rafaela sprung to his feet.
A short time later, Anthony was up and standing as the Red Sox trainer appeared to be checking on his left arm.
Both players fell to the grass after the collision. Talkin' Baseball/X
Both players stayed in the game, and if their next at-bats were any indication, they ended up just fine.
“Lack of communication,” manager Alex Cora told reporters after the game. “We’ve got to be better. When [proper communication] doesn’t happen, things like that can happen … If he calls it, it’s the center fielder’s ball.”
Anthony and Rafaela added that it wasn’t too serious in the end.
“I just wanted to take a second, we got the wind knocked out of both of us I think a little bit there and hit him pretty hard and wanted to make sure he was good,” Anthony said. “Weird feeling at first but nothing too crazy.”
Anthony singled to center in his very next time at the plate.
A few pitches later, Rafaela hit a 400-foot home run to the same part of the yard.
Trainers checking on the pair. Talkin' Baseball/X
Scary moment as Roman Anthony and Ceddanne Rafaela collide in the outfield going after a fly ball
Both players received attention from the trainers but were able to stay in the game pic.twitter.com/CICcfsWLoi
The Red Sox are assuredly breathing a sigh of relief with so much depending on Anthony, 21, and Rafaela, 25, in 2026 and beyond.
Anthony burst onto the scene last season, hitting .292/.396/.463 across 303 plate appearances and finishing third in the American League Rookie of the Year race after widely being considered the best prospect in the sport.
In his second full big league season in 2025, Rafaela hit 16 home runs and stole 20 bags while winning the Gold Glove award in center field.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. –– Teoscar Hernández has seen Santiago Espinal at his best.
In 2022, the two were teammates with the Blue Jays. And that summer, Espinal had a breakout campaign, earning an All-Star selection as a do-everything, play-everywhere utilityman on a 92-win team that reached the playoffs.
“He’s a really good player,” Hernández said. “He understands the game. He understands every situation. And he understands everything that he has to do.”
TEMPE, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 21: Santiago Espinal #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates during the first inning of the spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium on February 21, 2026 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) Getty Images
Four years later, they were reunited with the Dodgers this spring.
Only now, Espinal is the lowest rung on the ladder, trying to resurrect his big-league career after three disappointing seasons that forced him to settle for a minor-league deal in Los Angeles this winter.
“The Dodgers told me I’d have a great opportunity here to compete,” Espinal told The California Post this week. “And as soon as I got here, they welcomed me with open arms.”
At first glance, the 31-year-old infielder may seem like a superfluous piece for the two-time defending World Series champions. Their lineup is already stacked with fellow former All-Stars. They have younger options like Hyeseong Kim and Alex Freeland capable of rounding out the roster. And Espinal’s underwhelming production since that 2022 season –– he has posted a minus-0.4 WAR in that time, per Fangraphs –– has put him at a career crossroads, facing a steep uphill climb for any sort of prominent MLB role.
However, at this point of the spring, there are already signs he could have an outside chance of making the Dodgers’ Opening Day roster.
To Teoscar Hernández, his potential value is clear.
“I see him as a Kiké Hernández type of player,” Teoscar said. “He can play and contribute in a lot of ways.”
Kiké Hernández will likely miss the first half of the season as he recovers from offseason elbow surgery, creating an opening for a super-utility player. The Dodgers’ initial plan to replace him was also scuttled before camp, when free-agent signing Andy Ibáñez was lost on waivers amid a 40-man roster crunch.
And while Kim and Freeland are competing to help fill his void at second base, the Dodgers might consider keeping only one of them on their Opening Day roster, allowing the other to return to Triple-A and get regular at-bats rather than ride the bench at the big-league level.
This is where Espinal could come in –– providing a potential last-man-on-the-bench option who would be capable of playing all over the field, taking professional at-bats when called upon, and unfazed by the likely limited playing time he would get.
“Things bode well for him,” manager Dave Roberts said Friday, offering a hint about Espinal’s chances of breaking camp with the club. “He’s really a helpful, winning player in my opinion, (who) raises the floor.”
GLENDALE, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 23: Santiago Espinal #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers rounds third base to score a run against the Seattle Mariners during the fourth inning of a spring training game at Camelback Ranch on February 23, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) Getty Images
Even after just three weeks with the team, Espinal has already found a comfort level in the Dodgers’ organization.
Every morning, he has worked out on the main practice field at Camelback Ranch alongside the team’s big-league regulars –– and, notably, not with the other minor-league hopefuls on field No. 2 at the club’s spring facility –– taking ground balls alongside Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Miguel Rojas and Freddie Freeman.
Behind the scenes, he feels he’s made promising improvements, too.
Espinal and Dodgers hitting coaches have dug through film of his old swing, trying to shift his line-drive approach back to the big part of the field as it was early in his career (when he batted .280 and amassed 4.6 WAR between 2020 and his All-Star 2022 campaign). So far in Cactus League play, it has helped him start 4 for 9 at the plate, including a hard-hit RBI single in Friday’s game against the Giants.
Espinal has also been soaking up the experience of being around such a star-laden roster, drawing inspiration from Freeman, Rojas and Betts most of all.
“Like, one thing in the cage, I never see Mookie pull the ball. It’s always right-center,” Espinal said. “That’s something that’s a very little detail, but to me it’s like, ‘Hey, let me try that, too. Let me see how my swing path can change by doing that.’”
Still, Espinal’s most important skill is his versatility with the glove.
He could spell Muncy at third base on occasion against left-handed pitching. He can factor into the mix at second and play the corner outfield spots when needed. And though regular at-bats, even as a pinch hitter, might be hard to come by, he’ll be eager for any opportunity that comes his way –– trying to show that his 2022 form is still in there as he chases down a potential Opening Day roster spot.
“I’m happy that he has a chance to show what he’s capable of,” Teoscar Hernández said. “He can be really big for this team this year.”
Jul 9, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) reacts after hitting a home run against the Athletics in the fourth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Just officially a month away from the Atlanta Braves’ opening day, the team’s offense is showing glimpses of high intensity and promise that fans are hoping will carry over into the regular season. Taking the win (15-8) against Boston, they’re ending the first full Spring Training week on a high note and ready to build on their momentum.
The headlines speak for themselves. Not missing a beat, Ronald Acuña Jr., going 2-for-3 in his plate appearance, not only showed consistent quickness as he picked back up on his base-stealing, but he also collected his first homer of the spring that resulted in a grand slam to bring in Michael Harris II, Jonah Heim and Jorge Mateo, extending the Braves’ lead by nine runs (12-3) in the bottom of the third.
A force that continued to make noise in the Braves’ offense was Mike Yastremski, also going 3-for-3 and collecting two homers and three RBI’s of his own. This piece seems to be a smart move for the Braves’ front office, as his offensive prowess could help move the needle for the team as a whole and continue to put runs on the board to extend their campaign.
On the pitching side, Chris Sale is coming off just two innings with electric movement on the mound in his first appearance this past Sunday. In today’s matchup, it seems it wasn’t as strong a performance, only staying out for 2.2 innings; he gave up three earned runs that included two homers; however, he also collected three strikeouts to end the day. Though fans would like to see Sale out longer and more power in his arsenal that he’s displayed just last weekend, it’s still early enough in Spring Training to deem these innings as warmups to allow just enough of a feel against the competition.
Was this Sale’s best start? Not even close, but is it time to panic? Not at all. The impactful lefty is taking each opportunity as it comes and making adjustments when needed. It was after a two-run homer from Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela that relief pitcher Darius Vine subbed in to take the mound.
One of the arguably most exciting additions to the team, Robert Suárez, also made his spring debut in today’s game. The former Padres’ closer reached 100 mph multiple times on the radar gun and almost struck out the side if not for giving up a single from a Red Sox outfielder (Braiden Ward) before reaching 100.1 mph on a four-seamer to end the inning and his stint on the mound (1 IP/ 1 H/ 0 ER/ 0 BB/ 1 K). Aaron Bummer came in to replace him at the top of the sixth.
Braves country, if there’s one thing to take away from this game, it’s that the offense as a whole would’ve made you beyond proud, and building excitement going into the regular season if they keep up with this momentum. Could this be a sneak peak on what we should expect in exactly one month from today?
Tomorrow, the fun continues as the Braves take on the Orioles with Spencer Strider taking the mound.
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 26: Spencer Jones #78 of the New York Yankees high-fives teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the game against the Atlanta Braves at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 26, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees’ team-wide hitting philosophy in the Aaron Boone Era has been plate discipline and power, and that was certainly on display this afternoon against the Twins. They scored five in the first for the second straight Grapefruit League game after drawing four walks in the frame, while Jasson Domínguez, J.C Escarra, Spencer Jones, Paul DeJong, and Duke Ellis all went yard in the subsequent innings. Luis Gil was wild but effective while Carlos Lagrange turned in three of the most dominant innings you are likely to see this spring as the Yankees steamrolled the Twins, 17-5.
The Yankees wasted no time generating traffic against Twins starter Marco Raya. The righty pitched to a 6.02 ERA in 30 Triple-A appearances in 2025 as he struggled with the free pass, and that was immediately apparent in the top of the first. Ben Rice drew a leadoff walk, Domínguez singled up the middle, and DeJong walked to load the bases with no outs. Escarra then won a ten-pitch battle fouling off multiple breaking balls to draw the Yankees’ third walk in four batters and plate the opening run of the contest. Max Schuemann struck out on three pitches to offer a temporary reprieve, but the command issues came right back with a six-pitch free pass to Jones to walk in the second run of the inning and keep the bases loaded. That spelled the end of the outing for Raya, who departed having thrown 32 pitches and recorded just one out.
That brought George Lombard Jr. to the plate with the bases loaded facing High-A pitcher Nick Trabacchi, and after three straight balls, the Yankees’ top prospect got the green light 3-0 and ripped a two-run single to left, his second two-run hit in as many games. Yanquiel Fernández then drew a full count, and though he struck out, Alex Jackson threw the ball into center field on a steal attempt from Lombard, allowing him to advance to third and Jones to walk home for the fifth run of the frame.
Gil’s command was noticeably dulled relative to his first spring start, but it wasn’t an issue given the way his offense was swinging the bat. He was sailing his four-seamer high and spraying his changeup to both sides of the plate, and even burned the Yankees’ final ABS challenge on a ball above the zone, reaffirming that only the catcher and not the pitcher should be the one initiating ABS challenges. The Twins got themselves on the board on a missile solo shot by Trevor Larnach off a 2-1 fastball down the middle, though Gil did retire the next two batters to limit the damage to one in the first.
After sending nine batters to the plate in the first, the lineup turned over to face Cole Sands in the second and picked things up right where they were left off. Rice lined a leadoff single to center, and Domínguez fouled off several close pitches before he got an elevated 2-2 splitter, which he lasered 111 mph just inside the right-foul pole for a two-run homer to extend their lead, 7-1.
After a soft groundout from DeJong, Escarra demolished a 1-0 fastball for the hardest-hit ball of his career at 109.6 mph, leaving the yard for the Yankees’ second dinger of the inning to make it 8-1.
Gil got himself into a spot of bother in the second, walking Brooks Lee and surrendering an Austin Martin single with one out, but extracted himself without yielding a run. He retired Buxton to open the third and that would spend the end of his outing having given up a run on two hits with a walk and a strikeout on 52 pitches. Two of the biggest issues for Gil when he returned from a four-month lat injury absence in 2025 was reduced fastball velocity and a lack of swing and miss. That persisted in this outing, Gil’s four-seamer averaging 94.7 mph while Gil recorded only four whiffs on 30 swings for just a 13-percent whiff rate.
The Twins pitchers managed to settle things down for a spell, facing the minimum in the third and fourth, but it was only delaying the inevitable. Schuemann drew a walk to leadoff the fifth, bringing the red-hot Jones to the plate. Sporting his new Ohtani-esque toe tap in place of a leg kick, Jones demolished his third home run this spring, a two-run shot off the batter’s eye in center that traveled 427 feet.
Lombard followed with a walk and advanced to third on a ground ball single from Fernández, allowing him to jog home on Domínguez single — Jasson’s third RBI of the contest. Up stepped DeJong, and the one-time Cardinals All-Star got all of a hanging 0-1 curveball for his first home run of the spring, a two run shot to left to make it 14-1.
This initiated the wholesale changes to the lineup all of the starting nine except Marco Luciano subbed out, but that didn’t mean an end to the fireworks. Speed specialist Ellis came to bat with one out in the sixth and got in on the fun, lining a solo shot to right-center off a cement mixer 1-0 sweeper from reliever Andrew Bash.
In the meantime, the Yankees’ second-ranked pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange made his second Grapefruit League appearance and looked pretty much untouchable for three innings. He surrendered just a lone single while striking out four on 41 pitches. His fastball averaged 100.1 mph and topped out at 102.1, garnering six whiffs on 14 swings for a gaudy 43-percent whiff rate. He also exhibited impressive command of the cutter, inducing a further pair of whiffs as hitters were way out in front expecting the heater.
Minnesota tallied a pair of consolation runs in the eighth on a two-run homer from former Baby Bomber Eric Wagaman off bullpen contender Brent Headrick. The Yankees subs responded with a pair of their own in the ninth, Tyler Hardman and Kenedy Corona getting things started with a hit-by-pitch and walk to put a pair on with no outs. Twins reliever Kyle Bischoff struck out a pair to get within an out of snuffing out the threat, but Kaeden Kent — son of now-Hall of Famer Jeff Kent — clubbed a two-run double to make it two touchdowns and a field goal for the Yankees. Lefty reliever Geoffrey Gilbert prolonged things unnecessarily at the very end, surrendering a pair of runs on two singles, a double, and a sac fly, but he eventually recorded the final out of this 17-5 rout.
We’ll see if the Yankees offense can keep it rolling tomorrow after noon against the Blue Jays. Paul Blackburn takes the mound as the Yankees return home to GMS, facing off against José Berríos. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 pm ET with the broadcast returning to YES.
Before making a push for the Pirates’ Opening Day roster, star prospect Konnor Griffin enjoyed his “first adventure” as a newlywed.
The 19-year-old shortstop, entering the 2026 season as the MLB’s top prospect, honeymooned in Mexico with his wife, Dendy, whom he married earlier this year.
“First adventure with my wife,” Griffin captioned a January Instagram carousel from the couple’s getaway, where they lounged by the pool and took in the scenic beach backdrop.
The couple tied the knot at the Castle Hill of Oxford in Mississippi.
Upon returning home from their honeymoon, Griffin and Dendy traveled to Florida for spring training, with all eyes fixated on when the towering 6-foot-4 prospect will make his debut in the majors.
“I fully trust what the front office and the coaches and everybody have done, how they’re going about it,” Griffin, the reigning Minor League Player of the Year, told ESPN in a recent profile.
Pirates prospect Konnor Griffin with his wife, Dendy. Dendy Griffin/Instagram
“They’ve done a great job so far allowing me to be free in the minor leagues and be able to move and continue to face challenges. But this spring, I’m really trying not to think about it too much. There’s a lot of noise. I’m just trying to treat it just like I did last spring. I knew I had no chance of just making the big league team. And so every day I was just trying to be a sponge and soak up the advice of these great players who’ve been through it. And I’m trying to do the same thing this year. I know there could be a chance I make the big leagues at some point soon, and that’s great, but I just want to feel ready.”
Griffin smashed two homers against the Red Sox in an exhibition game earlier this week.
The Pirates know they have an “uncommon” talent in Griffin, but according to 2025 NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, that descriptor doesn’t just apply to the teenage phenom’s athletic prowess.
Konnor Griffin at the plate for the Pirates on Feb. 22, 2026. AP
“Goes to church every Sunday, doesn’t cuss, doesn’t do any of that stuff, married at 19,” the 23-year-old Pirates ace told ESPN. “It’s not common, but nothing about him is common. Everything screams uncommon. And if you want to be uncommon, you want to do uncommon things, it starts with thinking uncommon — and he does that.”
The Pirates finished last in the NL Central last season at 71-91.
They open the season on the road against the Mets on March 26.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 24: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros bats against the Athletics in the top of the third inning of a major league baseball game at Sutter Health Park on September 24, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jose Altuve and Lance McCullers Jr. will each make their Grapefruit League debuts today.
The Houston Astros (1-4-1) take on the Washington Nationals (4-2-1) in Grapefruit League action.
RHP Lance McCullers Jr. is set to make his 2026 Grapefruit League debut. He made his return to the mound in 2025 after missing the entire 2023-24 seasons due to a right flexor tendon injury that required surgery. He worked around four IL stints to go 2-5 with a 6.51 ERA (40ER/55.1IP) and 9.92 SO/9IP through 16 games (13 starts).
Feb 27, 2026; Port Charlotte, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider (14) talks with catcher C.J. Stubbs (50) and first baseman Riley Triotta (87) on the mound during the second inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Charlotte Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Jays 5 Rays 6
The Jays are now 1-5 with a tie, this spring.
It wasn’t a good day for Eric Lauer. He went 1.2, allowed 3 hits, 3 earned, hit a batter, and gave up 3 earned. It is early, but if he wants a starting rotation spot, he should give up less runs than innings.
Other pitchers:
Connor Larkin: Gave up 1 hit, 1 walk before getting the last out of the second inning. He had a
Braydon Fisher: 2 hits, 1 earned on a home run, 1 strikeout in his inning.
Mason Fluharty: 4 hits, 1 earned, 1 k in his inning.
CJ Van Eyk: 3 innings, 1 hit, 2 walks 2 strikeouts. The star pitcher of the day.
Jorge Alcala: 1 inning, 1 hit, 1 earned.
Hitters, starters:
Nathan Lukes: 0 for 3, 2 strikeouts. .111 BA on the spring.
Davis Schneider: 0 for 3, strikeout. .125.
Addison Barger: for 3, strikeout. .000.
Jesus Sanchez: o for 2, walk. .143.
Eloy Jimenez: 0 for 2. .417.
Leo Jimenez: 1 for 2, 1 RBI, 1 k. .333.
CJ Stubbs: 0 for 1, k, hit by pitch. .333.
Ben Cowles: 0 for 2. .000.
Riley Tirotta: 0 for 2. .182.
Others:
Jonatan Clase: 0 for 2, k. .000.
Carlos Mendoza: walk.
Yohendrick Pinango: 0 for 1. .125.
Rafael Lantigua: 1 for 1, RBI. .556.
RJ Schreck: 0 for 1. .200.
Arjun Nimmala: 1 for 1, double, walk. .333.
Geovanny Planchart: 0 for 2. .000.
Josh Kasevich: 0 for 2. .444.
Sean Keys: 1 for 2, k. .182.
I’d like to see the batters doing better.
Tomorrow, the Jays are doing the split squad thing. Some are traveling to Tampa to play the Yankees, with Jose Berrios starting. Some are staying in Dunedin, with Dylan Cease starting. The later will be on Sportsnet. The former is on YES, and we’ll be able to watch MLB TV.
JUPITER, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 27: Mj Melendez #1 of the New York Mets celebrates in the dug out after hitting a home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fourth inning of a spring training game at Roger Dean Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets decimated the Cardinals in a victory on the road in Jupiter this afternoon, and Freddy Peralta started his Mets tenure about as good as one would have hoped.
Freddy Peralta threw 29 pitches in three perfect innings, collecting three strikeouts in his appearance.
Devin Williams made his first appearance as well, going one inning and giving up one hit. That hit was a solo home run to top Cardinals prospect JJ Wetherholt.
Justin Hagenman went three innings, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out four.
Huascar Brazobán and Brett Banks each threw a scoreless inning to finish the game.
MJ Melendez was the offensive star of the game, going 2-for-3, both hits being home runs and driving in four runs.
AJ Ewing had another great appearance, going 2-for-2 with a home run, two RBI and a walk.
Cristian Pache went 3-for-3 with a double, and he scored twice.
Juan Soto went 1-for-3, hitting a double off Quinn Matthews.
Austin Barnes went 1-for-3, hitting a two-run double.
Kevin Parada went 1-for-1, driving in two runs and walking twice.
The Mets will be back in action tomorrow afternoon at 1:10 PM EST, taking on the Washington Nationals back at Clover Park. Tobias Myers will make his second appearance of the spring, and his first start. You can actually watch that game on television, as it’s being broadcast on SNY.
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 Recap
Juan Soto and the Mets take the Cardinals by an 14-3 score. Cardinals use 11 pitchers to cover 9 innings, giving up 3 HR along the way, coupled with 9 walks. Offensively, youngsters Wetherholt (HR), Church, Davis and Saggese (all doubles) contributed extra base hits.
Pre-Game Notes
From my wanderings around the back fields, looking at schedules, etc.
Kind of a down day this morning at camp. Things will pick up later. I think this is day#3 for MiLB players, and there are lots of indoor meetings … As I write this, they are having an all-hands meeting that includes how to handle oneself on social media.
MiLB pitchers on the rehab list are Moran, Santos, King, Dutkanych, Clarke
Planning to get to sim game thrown by P. Graham along with live BP by Crossland and E. Young. Also of note, Dustin May is scheduled up for a sim game with Ivan catching. B. Holiday throws a rehab BP, so he is progressing.
Urias makes his first game appearance today at second base. JJW at DH. Saggese indeed starts in CF. Q. Mathews to start, followed by Pushard and others. Rodriguez part of the group of MLB game backups.
I try not to sweat the little details at the edge of the roster so early in camp, but I am rubbing my chin wondering who the backup 1B is really going to be, especially if Burly got hurt.
The Manager’s Corner (pre-game)
May is on a personalized plan to ramp up to Opening Day. With some guidance from Cardinals on suggestions for prepping to go pole-to-pole.
Talked a bit about Sags in OF a bit. What they look for, even if no balls are hit in his direction.
Game Observations
Rough start in the first inning for Mathews. HBP, walks and general command issues lead to an early run. The stuff appears sharp but the command a bit flighty. It is still February, so no worries. The second inning was better, although the pitch count got a little high and Bedell needed to contribute a pitch to end the inning. Sharp third inning to finish his outing.
Pushard relieves, greeted by a solo HR. Mets up 2-0. Church brings back a potential second HR in RF with those tricky wind currents out of the SE helping knock it down.
Peralta looks sharp for the Mets (shocking, I know!). Followed by Devin Williams in the 4th. Wetherholt greets him with a first pitch HR to RF. The ends the shutout AND the no-hitter. A no doubter at 422 Ft. into the breeze.
Pushard, Bruihl and Davila picked up the middle innings, with likewise middling results. Fernandez was very workmanlike.
I though Soriano was sharp, but some serious infield hijinks created an unearned run. I believe each of the five players on the infield contributed to the misadventures. Tough inning. Learning points all around.
Got to see a seventh inning rotation of batters that included Baez, Rodriguez and Chase. Got to wondering if we might see that again soon. They made some noise. There is some thump there.
Hence got in 27 pitches. Some hard-hit balls resulted in a not great line of 3 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR. It’s good to see him pitching (healthy). Velo up around 96, but the common spring phenomenon of flighty command complicated his inning.
Love finishes the ninth after Hales hits his limit.
The Manager’s corner (post-game)
He liked JJWs approach. 422’ to CF off Williams cutter. Has good power, but not at the expense everything else (contact, all fields. etc.).
Likes the flexibility Urias brings. Does little things well.
On Dustin May, a plus. Good life to the pitches. In a good spot. Needs to figure out what the progression for him is.
4pm CT on D1Baseball (and they’re trying to get $30 for it)
After a 6 game stretch of beating up on EMU, Marist, and Evansville, the Diamond Dores travel to the I Like Ike Live Like Lou Las Vegas College Classic (I have no idea what this refers to and I refuse to look it up), where yet another bullshit one time use streamer (this time something called D1 Baseball) is trying to take money ($30?!?!) from you after you already pay over $300 to ESPN to watch these damned regular season baseball games. Must be nice to live like Lou, but for the rest of us, these damned streaming sports tariffs are nickel and dime-ing (well, more $20 and $10-ing) us into the poor house.
At least FloSports pretends to do something for the rest of the month or year that you’ve purchased (though that something is basically college wrestling practices). This one? Just for this mini-tourney. I’ve had enough. You will get my $30 when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.
…anyway, though I highly suspect very few if not none of you will see any of these games, the Diamond Dores are about to face a bit of a test, as they go against UC Irvine Friday, Arizona Saturday, and Phil Knight’s own Faber College Sunday.
Knowledge is good.
While all three teams we will face are currently unranked, they are all traditionally good baseball teams. Will we continue mashing the ball against tougher competition, or will we return to the hot-and-cold play from the first series of the year? I’d like to tell you I’ll be able to see the answer, but I’ll likely just be checking in on the stat tracker and/or listening to the radio.
On the Mound
Friday @ 4:00pm on Yet Another Bullshit Single Use Streamer
Vanderbilt #39 Jr. RHP Connor “The Spice” Fennell (1-0; 3.48 ERA)
vs. UC Irvine #28 Jr. RHP Trevor “Why Don’t You Take a Seat Over There?” Hansen (2-0; 1.88 ERA)
The Lineup
*Will update when posted (unless, you know, I’m driving home).
