Category: Baseball

Earlier today, the Colorado Rockies absolutely pounded the San Francisco Giants.

[Clears throat: taco’s.]

For game highlights, click here.

First, here’s manager Warren Schaeffer’s thoughts on the day’s performances:

And Jordan Beck — and please appreciate an exceptional throw:

Cole Carrigg weighs in on his spring training so far:

Here’s Charlie Condon:

And finally, Kyle Karros discusses the Rockies’ new hitting approach as well as the triple he hit today:

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

PHOENIX — In the hypothetical scenario presented to him, Dave Roberts wasn’t the manager of the Dodgers. 

He was a reporter assigned to cover the team, and he had an itch to stir things up.

What would he write about?

“It’d be hard to stir things up in this camp,” Roberts said.

Didn’t Roberts want to inject some excitement into spring training by, say, suggesting that Roki Sasaki could be demoted to the minor leagues?

Roberts cracked up.

“That ain’t going to happen,” he said.

Welcome to the Most Boring Spring Training Camp in the major leagues. 

There are no controversies, no serious concerns. The lineup is basically set. There is only one starting position up for grabs, and that’s to be the left-handed-hitting half of a platoon at second base until Tommy Edman recovers from ankle surgery.

The Dodgers are built to withstand the loss of any player in the regular season, which explains why Roberts is nonchalant when speaking about how Blake Snell is still just playing catch.

The team is slow-playing Snell this spring, knowing it has a rotation that also includes three other Cy Young-caliber starters: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow. They have enough starting pitching depth in the likes of Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone, Justin Wrobleski and River Ryan to reach the postseason. The real season starts in October, and all the Dodgers care about is that Snell is healthy by then.

Mookie Betts? He’s also being slow-played so that he can recover from a grueling World Series run. He won’t appear in his first Cactus League game until Sunday or perhaps early next week, but so what? The Dodgers have the luxury of playing the long game.

There are some questions about the degree to which Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez can fight off the effects of age. But any of them returning to peak form feels more like a luxury than a necessity in the wake of the addition of 29-year-old All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker.

The other high-profile acquisition, closer Edwin Diaz, has introduced a feeling of stability to what was the team’s greatest weakness last year, the bullpen. The group looks as if it would be a strength, as Diaz’s presence in the ninth inning will allow Roberts to deploy the other relievers in favorable situations.

Speaking of Roberts, the once-polarizing manager is now a three-time World Series champion who is in the first season of a four-year extension he signed last year. Roberts is enjoying whatever the opposite of the hot seat is.

The Dodgers are stable, and they’re really good. 

About the only developing story is about Sasaki, the second-year fireballer from Japan. Regardless of what he does, Sasaki won’t elevate or sink the Dodgers. His ongoing saga is fascinating because he’s a generational talent, not because of how he will affect the team in the short term.

The Dodgers have a $400 million payroll, and that has bought them enormous margins for error. Another way to look at their situation is that a lot has to go wrong for them to not win the National League West.

“I like it in the sense that it’s peaceful, but it’s very intentional,” Roberts said. “I think if you watch our guys work through the day, it’s very thoughtful and intense and yet very fun. I think that’s sustainable.”

The Dodgers had to move up and shorten spring training in each of the last two years because of season-opening trips to Japan and South Korea. Yamamoto, Diaz, Will Smith and Hyeseong Kim will depart soon to join their respective national teams for the World Baseball Classic. Ohtani has already left.

Ohtani’s exit dramatically reduced the number of reporters in camp, as many of the Japanese journalists who were here followed the two-way player to Japan. Then again, it’s not as if any players are looking for extra space to horse around.

“Guys are focused on getting ready,” Roberts said. “Guys are smart. They don’t want distractions. We don’t need them.”

As for stirring anything up, Roberts said, “Good luck with that.”

The No. 3 Texas Longhorns are set up how head coach Jim Schlossnagle prefers — tuned up after an eight-game homestand at UFCU Disch-Falk Field to open the 2026 season before heading to Houston for the BRUCE BOLT College Classic at Daikin Park for three games starting on Friday.

Still undefeated, Schlossnagle expects the Longhorns to face some adversity this weekend, even more so than the self-imposed adversity of playing from behind in several games to start the season.

“Everybody has a plan until you get punched. So I’m sure we’ll take some punches this weekend, and I’m looking forward to seeing how guys handle the different environment,” Schlossnagle said on Thursday.

Last year, when the Longhorns traveled to Globe Life Field to open the season Shiners Children’s College Showdown, Texas bounced back from an extra-inning loss to Louisville on Friday with wins over Ole Miss and No. 17 Oklahoma State.

“You have the season opening, you have the new coach thing going, and then you’re in a big league stadium against great teams, so there were a lot of sped up heart rates last year. Two things you’re always dealing with in competitive sports are adrenaline and adversity,” Schlossnagle said.

Now the coaching staff has a greater level of familiarity with each other, there’s more talent on the team thanks to highly-ranked high school signees and talented NCAA transfer portal additions, and the Horns have built a sustainable culture within the program. They’ve also played those eight games to start the season instead of opening in a classic.

“It is nice, certainly, to have games under your belt any time because experience matters,” Schlossnagle said.

So while the Texas head coach has some concerns about his team playing on grass for the first time this season, which he expects will cause an adjustment period early in the weekend, something he’s used to seeing from the Longhorns when he coached at other programs.

“That’s going to be something that will be interesting to see how it plays out,” Schlossnagle said.

To help prepare his infielders, Schlossnagle took them up to Dell Diamond on Wednesday to work on their fielding on a natural surface.

When Texas opens the classic against No. 9 Coastal Carolina on Friday, the Horns won’t have to face ace Cameron Flukey, who is projected as a top-10 prospect in this year’s MLB Draft, has a stress fracture in his ribs that is expected to keep him out for two months. Also out is left-hander Hayden Johnson, a key bullpen piece for the Chanticleers last season who earned preseason All-Sun Belt recognition. Another preseason All-Sun Belt pitcher, right-hander Ryan Lynch, is yet to make his first appearance for Coastal this season due to injury.

Expected to start in Flukey’s place is sophomore right-hander Luke Jones (0-0, 2.35 ERA), who allowed two runs on five hits in 3.1 innings last Friday in a win over VCU.

“We’re preparing for the guy that we’re going to face right now and he’s got outstanding stuff as well. I don’t think there’s another pitcher in the country similar to Flukey. So it’s definitely going to be different, but we’re still facing a great team, and still have to go play the game,” Schlossnagle said.

Coastal Carolina is coming off an appearance in the national title series last year in Kevin Schnall’s first season after taking over for Hall of Famer Gary Gilmore, under whom Schnall served as associate head coach for nine seasons and as an assistant for two seasons prior to three years as an assistant at UCF.

Pitcher Jacob Morrison and catcher Caden Bodine, stars on the 2025 team, were both selected early in last year’s MLB Draft, but in the outfield, Dean Mihos is back for his senior season and is batting a team-leading .424, and newcomer Rex Watson, a San Diego transfer, is hitting .381. Both have on-base percentages of .500. Designated hitter Trace Mazon is the only other hitter for Coastal batting over .300 at .371.

As a team, the Chanticleers haven’t hit particularly well so far with a .260 batting average, seven home runs, and a .402 slugging percentage through eight games. On the mound, Coastal Carolina has been much better with a 3.80 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 71 innings while holding opponents to a .216 batting average.

On Saturday, Texas reprises its Big 12 rivalry with Baylor for the 376th time after not playing last season for the first time since 1919 (excluding the pandemic and World War II). Left-hander Ethan Calder (0-0, 0.00 ERA), a Lake Travis product, will take the mound for the Bears.

Picked to finish 11th in the 14-team Big 12, Baylor enters the weekend 5-3 on the season with five home wins, including a midweek 14-4 win over Texas State. In the Round Rock Classic at Dell Diamond last weekend, however, fourth-year head coach Mitch Thompson’s team lost to two ranked teams in Oregon and Southern Miss while also dropping the Saturday matchup against Purdue.

Preseason All-Big 12 selection Travis Sanders, the team’s shortstop, is leading the Bears with a .448 batting average and first baseman Tyce Armstrong is hitting .323 with four home runs, three of which were grand slams in the season opener against New Mexico State, only the second time in college baseball history a player has accomplished that feat in a single game.

The Baylor staff has been solid with a 4.02 ERA and 1.41 WHIP with opponents batting .274 against them.

In the weekend finale, the Horns face the Buckeyes and right-hander Pierce Herrenbruck (1-0, 2.70 ERA). After a weekend sweep of Saint Louis in Florida, Ohio State lost two games to Louisiana Tech in the Grind City Classic before winning two against host Memphis.

The Buckeyes are batting .242 as a team, led by center fielder Miles Vandenheuvel at .391 and designated hitter Mason Eckelman at .346. Outfielder Noah Furcht is hitting .364. Although Ohio State was not picked to finish in the top six of the Big Ten, the pitching staff has been a strength with a 3.77 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP with opponents batting .232.

First pitch for Texas is scheduled for 7 p.m. Central on Friday and Saturday, times that will likely be delayed, and at 2 p.m. Central on Sunday. All three games will stream on Astros.com and the Astros YouTube channel.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Marcus Semien is still adjusting to his new surroundings.

The Mets second baseman, acquired from Texas in exchange for Brandon Nimmo this offseason, is looking not just to help solidify a revamped infield, but also get back to the type of hitter he was in 2023.

Since then, his struggles at the plate have been well-documented, and though the Mets don’t need Semien to get back to that All-Star level, a resurgence at the plate by a 35-year-old can’t exactly be counted upon.

But if he plays defense like he’s capable of, the Mets will take it.

Losing Francisco Lindor to hand surgery for a stress fracture in his left hamate bone slowed the duo’s learning curve in the middle of the diamond, but with Lindor set to begin fielding drills as soon as Friday, their work can begin in earnest.

“It sounds like his hand is feeling pretty good,” Semien said. “I’m looking forward to seeing it because he’s one of the best in the game. He’s a person I can learn from on the defensive side as well.”

Though each of them has plenty of experience, they want to figure out the nuances of playing together before the regular season begins.

“It is [important],’’ Semien said of the duo building chemistry. “Both of us are veteran players. We’ve played a lot of baseball in our careers, but playing together and getting a feel for how it is to communicate. What balls can I get to and what balls he can get to and making sure we’re standing in the right places is something we should do as quickly as we possibly can.”

He has no doubt that with new infield instructor Kai Correa, as well as Tim Leiper, they’ll be able to get on the same page.

“We’re gonna be a good combination,’’ Semien said.

At the plate could be a different story, but Semien’s homer in a 5-0 win over the Astros on Thursday at Ballpark of the Palm Beaches was a positive sign.

“When he’s healthy, we know there’s a lot of things he can do, not only defensively, but offensively,’’ Carlos Mendoza said.

The manager added there’s been an adjustment to Semien’s posture that should help his swing path, and Semien said he and the coaching staff are “looking at whenever I was at my best and, ‘How do we get back to that?’ They’re working relentlessly to do that.”

And he’s hoping being around offensive minds like Lindor, Juan Soto and fellow newcomer Bo Bichette will help.

“Those guys are great to get feedback from,’’ Semien said. “Those conversations are gonna happen all year. This is a good place to be as a hitter.”

Vibes were high at Hohokam Stadium today. After four straight losses and an off day, the A’s came out of the gate hot, scoring six of their seven runs in the just the first two innings!

On the pitching side, Jack Perkins was a standout. His two innings to start the game were perfect. No walks. No hits. A strike out for good measure as well as a fastball that sat around 96 mph. Pretty good! It was nice seeing him bounce back after a rough go around against the White Sox. I guess he was still flushing all that Mr. Pibb out of his system.

After a solid inning from Mark Leiter Jr. in the third, A’s pitching took a little bit of a dive. While Wei-En Lin isn’t guilty of surrendering any runs, his two free bases and low velo on the heater were far from encouraging. After his day was over, three straight innings, from the fifth to the seventh, saw the Rangers chip away at their deficit. The first came courtesy of a Tyler Wade home run. The former A took future former A Joel Kuhnel deep to right field, followed by two more runs in the sixth and seventh off of Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang. The righty had a rough day at the yard. Four hits were offered up including a Marco Torres dinger to center. Thankfully, things took a turn for the better after that. The last two frames saw Nick Hernandez and Brooks Kriske collectively hold the Rangers to no hits on three strikeouts.

Offensively, nine hits were racked up by the green and gold, with the bulk of that production coming from a couple of fan favorites. Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom, and Darrell Hernaiz each turned in 2 for 3 days at the plate. Rooker’s single to left put the A’s on the board early in the first. The newly acquired Jeff McNeil would then add to the total by knocking in Soderstrom with a nice little two-bagger to follow. Speaking of Soderstrom, in the last half of the second, the lefty picked up two RBIs off of a single to center. One batter later, B-Rook connected on a slider located on the outer half of the plate, which resulted in his first home run of the spring.

Eight of those nine hits by the green and gold were off of Rangers starter Cal Quantrill. After he was yanked in the third, A’s bats went a tad quiet. The last of bit of noise by the A’s took place in the fifth, thanks to a couple of Rangers’ errors and aggressive base running by Jeff McNeil, who went first to home with some pep.

It was a productive day at the ballpark indeed. Lots of positives. A few negatives. Overall, a good showing for the squad – – a departure from the four straight less than desirable performances we all had been subjected to. Tomorrow’s game against the Kansas City Royals will provide the A’s their first chance at back to back wins in the Cactus League this year. It’ll also be the first start for Jeffrey Springs in 2026! Let’s see if the A’s can keep things chugging!

NOTES:

• Before today’s game, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the A’s have made an extension offer to Stickman Nick Kurtz. One would have to belief it’d be the largest contract in A’s history by far. What are your predictions for its total and do you realistically see the A’s locking up the first baseman this season?

• Former A’s broadcaster Glen Kuiper will be filling-in on a handful of San Francisco Giants games this season. This would mark his first return to the booth since his firing back in 2023. Damn shame it’s with the Giants :/

• A’s have circled March 8th as Jacob Lopez’s return to the hill. The lefty suffered a left elbow flexor strain at the end of the 2025 season. So far, his spring has mostly consisted of live BP’s and sides. If everything goes according to plan, his first outing will be against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Marlins 8 Blue Jays 7

When I had to leave the Blue Jays had this one well in hand, but they gave up 4 runs in the 8th and 2 more in the 9th and lost.

Pitchers:

• Kevin Gausman: 1 inning, 1 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts. A nice start to his spring.
• Tyler Rogers: 1 ining, clean, 2 strikeouts.
• Yariel Rodriguez: 1 inning, 2 hits, 1 earned, 2 walks and 1 strikeout. I’ve seen him twice this spring and he hasn’t impressed. He’s going to have to be a lot better than this to get back on the 40-man roster.
• Spencer Miles: 1 inning, 1 hit, 1 earned, 2 walks and 1 strikeout. It wasn’t a good outing, but he got to 98 mph on the fastball. He’s making a case to be on the team.
• Brendon Little: 1 inning, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts. Nice job by Little.
• Lazaro Estrada: 2 innings, 2 hits, 1 strikeout.
• Gage Stanifer: Got two outs, no hits, 3 earned, 2 walks 2 strikeouts, 1 hit batter.
• Geison Urbaez: One out, 2hits, 1 earned,
• Michael Plassmeyer: 1 innings, 3 hits, 2 earned, 1 k. Got the loss.

Hitters, Starters:

• George Springer: 0 for 2, walk. His first game of the spring. No need to panic. He’s done this before, he knows he doesn’t need to play in every spring game to get ready:
• Daulton Varsho: 2 for 2, walk, double. Hitting .625 this spring.
• Vladimir Guerrero: 1 for 3, RBI. .286. And stole a base. I wish he wouldn’t try to steal, but stole it easy.
• Addison Barger: 0 for 3, RBI, 2 strikeouts. .000.
• Alejandro Kirk: 1 for 2, double, walk, strikeout. .222.
• Kazuma Okamoto: 1 for 3, double, 2 RBI, strikeout. .333.
• Ernie Clement: 0 for 3. .500.
• Andrés Giménez: 2 for 3, home run, double. .222.
• Myles Straw: 1 for 2, walk. .250.

Others:

• Eloy Jiménez: 0 for 2, strikeout. .500.
• Rafael Lantigua: 1 for 1. .500.
• Je’Von Ward: 0 for 1, strikeout.
• Riley Tirotta: 0 for 2, strikeout. .125.
• RJ Schreck: 0 for 2, strikeout. .222.
• Brandon Valenzuela: 0 for 2. .200. Looks good behind the plate. I”ll bet that we see him in Toronto at some point this season.
• Charles McAdoo: 0 for 1. .333. He’s impressing me with his defense at third.
• Cade Doughty: 0 for 1.
• Josh Rivera: 0 for 2, strikeout.
• Josh Kasevich: 1 for 1. .571.
• Carlos Mendoza: 0 for 1.

The Jays are now 1 and 4 this spring. It doesn’t look like they going to win the Grapefruit League Crown again this year.

Tell us who has impressed you this spring, so far.

Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow is an admitted overthinker. But you wouldn't know it based on his efficient first spring training start Thursday against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch.

Glasnow pitched two-plus innings, retiring the first six batters before coming out after giving up a single to start the third inning. Using a pitch mix that included a fastball that sat at 97 mph, Glasnow struck out the side in the first inning before recording another strikeout to close out the second. Having thrown just 28 pitches, Glasnow started the third inning and threw three more pitches before coming out of the Dodgers' 7-6 win.

"Very in rhythm," manager Dave Roberts said after the game. "Very efficient, used his entire pitch mix, it was really good. Good to see him get into the third inning. Positive day."

Read more:'Things I need to work on.' Dodgers' Roki Sasaki struggles in first Cactus League start

The 32-year-old entering his third season with the Dodgers credits his coaches for keeping his mechanics on point.

"It allows me to just go out and pitch and be athletic," Glasnow said after his outing. "I'm able to just go out and play baseball as opposed to trying to tinker and fix certain stuff."

Though he was plagued by injuries in his second season with the Dodgers, Glasnow finished on a high note, giving up just four earned runs over 21-1/3 postseason innings, good for a 1.69 ERA, pitching as a starter and a reliever. It was Glasnow’s first taste of the postseason as a Dodger, since a right-elbow injury ended his 2024 campaign in August, and was highlighted by his first career save in Game 6 of the World Series.

Glasnow called the experience "great."

"When you go in with all those nerves and that pressure and that excitement, it’s just such an unbelievable feeling to go out [there]," he said last week. "Especially to be a starter and a reliever and just to be thrown into different situations. It was awesome. It was extremely memorable for me, and I’m craving to do it again. And hopefully we can do it again and get a three-peat.”

Looking to build off his impressive postseason, Glasnow enters the season with a newfound confidence.

Last year Glasnow was placed on the injured list because of right shoulder inflammation at the end of April and did not pitch again until just before the All-Star Break. The Santa Clarita native has a long history of injuries — including Tommy John surgery in 2021 — and never has clocked more than 135 innings in a season.

Read more:After 'a normal offseason,' Freddie Freeman drives in two in Cactus League debut

Over the winter he got married and made adjustments that he hopes will better his health. A successful season means staying off the IL.

“Pitching well and staying healthy,” Glasnow said when asked about goals. “Just doing all that and trying to make as many starts as I can, and just executing every start and being healthy in the postseason.”

Mookie Betts to make Cactus League debut soon

With most of the Dodgers’ regulars having made their spring debuts, there is one who has yet to get an at-bat in a Cactus League game: Mookie Betts. Roberts said his star shortstop will not play until Sunday at the earliest.

“It’s load management," Roberts said. "I wanted Mookie to start a little bit later, as far as not getting into spring training ready to go, and kind of use spring training to build up, given it’s six weeks. So, he’s building up nicely. So, he’ll be in the lineup soon.”

Hyeseong Kim departs for WBC

Infielder Hyeseong Kim played his final spring training game Thursday, Roberts confirmed, as the utility man is set to join Team South Korea for the World Baseball Classic.

Kim has been perhaps the Dodgers’ most pleasant surprise of the spring, batting .462 with a 1.154 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, five RBIs and a home run in the sixth inning Thursday, while playing deft defense at second base and in center field.

It's a key development since Tommy Edman will start the season on the IL.

“He’s had a great spring,” Roberts said of Kim. “I think his confidence is continuing to grow. His comfort level, being around the guys. I think he’s taking great at-bats. It was good to see him in center field yesterday. He made a couple of nice plays out in center field. We’re going to lose him shortly. He’s going to go to his team for the WBC, which I’m excited for him. Disappointed that we can’t watch him every day, but he’s had a great spring and looking forward to him having a great WBC and getting back.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

PHOENIX –– Hyeseong Kim is building from the ground up this spring.

Both with his swing and his Dodgers roster chances.

Last year, the 27-year-old South Korean import did not have the rookie season he wanted. His struggles, however, were hardly unexpected.

While the contact-first hitter enjoyed great success in his KBO career, he was ill-equipped to handle MLB pitching when he arrived on a three-year, $12.5 million contract last winter.

His swing was too “twisted,” in the words of Dodgers hitting coach Aaron Bates. His inability to adjust to breaking pitches made him an easy target for big-league arms to attack.

That’s why, over the last year, Dodgers hitting coaches have meticulously worked to alter his mechanics.

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First, they focused on Kim’s legs, trying to get the strong-for-his-size, 5-foot-10 infielder to use the ground to generate more power and stability. Then, they honed in on the alignment of his torso and back, making subtle adjustments aimed at keeping Kim squared up to the ball longer.

“He twisted (in his swing) before, where his body would almost get twisted behind his back,” Bates said this week. “Now, we’re basically trying to keep him more square, longer, with the way he loads and swings. Using the ground first and then going ground up.”

So far this spring, the results have been encouraging.

In four Cactus League games, Kim is batting 6 for 13, punctuating his improvements with a towering home run in Thursday’s 7-6 win over the White Sox.

“What I’ve seen so far from Hyeseong,” manager Dave Roberts said, “has been really good stuff.”

So good, it has put him in position for a more prominent role to open the 2026 season.

Last spring, Kim failed to crack the Opening Day roster, spending the first month of the season in Triple-A. Then, after a briefly auspicious debut that saw him hit .383 over his first 36 games in the majors, his play gradually regressed as his role on the big-league club diminished. 

From July on, he hit just .175 while missing time with a shoulder injury. In the playoffs, his only on-field action came as a pinch runner.

“I was not satisfied last year,” Kim said through his interpreter recently, after finishing 2025 with a .280 batting average overall, but only a .699 OPS and a 30.6% strikeout rate that was well above league average.

“I found out some of the things that I needed to work on,” Kim added. “I just want to work hard and make sure that I make the roster right off the bat after spring training.”

A month out from Opening Day this year, Kim is on track to do just that.

He entered camp in a strong spot, having spent the final few weeks of the winter in Los Angeles working with Dodgers coaches on swing changes he said he felt “about 70% comfortable” with by the end of last season.

And with Tommy Edman ruled out for the start of the season, Kim is now making a strong case for a utility role with his spring play –– pushing for playing time at second base (where he could be a left-handed-hitting platoon partner for Miguel Rojas) and in the outfield (where he could be a backup option to Andy Pages in center field).

Kim still isn’t a lock to break camp with the big-league club. He will soon leave Arizona to join Team South Korea for the World Baseball Classic, something Roberts acknowledged will complicate the team’s ability to evaluate him for the next several weeks.

Still, he has already shown the progress the Dodgers were hoping to see after last year.

“I think he’s closed some of those holes (where pitchers used to exploit him),” Roberts said. “The hitting guys worked really hard on cleaning some things up for him mechanically.”

Even before the start of Cactus League play, Kim impressed in live batting practice sessions against the Dodgers’ talented pitching staff (including an opposite-field home run off Yoshinobu Yamamoto last week).

Then, in what was his final game before leaving for the WBC, he produced his most promising moment yet with his big fly on Thursday.

After falling behind in the count 0 and 2, Kim laid off a couple pitches, stayed square and on-time against an inside sweeper, and pulled a 384-foot home run over the right field bullpen at Camelback Ranch.

“Those are good signs,” Bates said, “when he’s basically letting the ball travel and can make decisions later (on each swing).”

The Dodgers’ final decision on Kim’s role can also wait for now. The team will monitor his performance in the WBC but make no sweeping assessments on his performance in the tournament.

Instead, they will wait for him to return and then keep working on the ground-up swing changes that finally seem to be clicking.

“He’s had a great camp so far,” Roberts said. “The home run was icing on the cake.”

First things first: Munetaka Murakami is just fine. Skipper Will Venable originally had the slugger penciled in the starting lineup, but he scratched him before first pitch. That is never a sight you want to see in late February. But crisis averted. Deep breaths all around.

And while we’re here, best of luck to Mune and all the White Sox representing their countries in the World Baseball Classic. It’s going to be a blast watching them. We’ll hold down the fort.

For the Dodgers, Tyler Glasnow looked like an All-Star caliber righthander tuning up for meaningful games. He needed just two quick innings to demonstrate why he makes the big bucks. Three up, three down in the first on consecutive punchouts. Then it was on to the second, and he was equally as efficient. Edgar Quero and Curtis Mead did at least manage to put wood on the ball, but both grounders were routine.

Dave Roberts even sent Glasnow back out for the third because when you’re carving up hitters like a Thanksgiving turkey, why not? Braden Montgomery finally broke through, however, with a sharp single to left, ending Glasnow’s afternoon after 32 pitches (22 strikes, because of course).

The new offensive Sox did make that brief crack count, though. Carson Hobbs entered with one on and nobody out, and Tanner Murray, everyone’s early Cactus League folk hero, unloaded for his second bomb of the spring to knot things at 2-2. Suddenly, the dugout had a little juice.

Ryan Galanie followed with a base hit, and after Austin Hays struck out, Kyle Teel ripped a double to right. The line kept on moving with Lenyn Sosa lifting a long sacrifice fly and Quero adding an RBI single. Four runs in the frame and the Good Guys now led 4-2. Important to note, though, that before we start planning the parade, Hobbs is a 23-year-old Double-A arm. Well, at least we know these guys would be killing it if they played in Birmingham.

Sean Newcomb opened the game for the South Siders by allowing a single and a walk, and then two fly outs later, it was 1-0. In the second, Alex Call singled, Hyeseong Kim moved him over, and Miguel Rojas brought him home. Efficient and annoying. Overall, it was an afternoon of death by a thousand cuts because this is what the Dodgers do. Just little paper cuts over and over until you look down and realize you’re bleeding.

Chris Murphy took over for Newcomb in the third and watched Will Smith double, advance on a wild pitch, and score on a ground out. In the fifth, Smith went ahead and tied it himself with a solo shot because, of course, he did.

The Sox briefly reclaimed the lead in the sixth when Curtis Mead launched a two-out, nobody-on dinger to make it 5-4. A response and a punch back. I appreciate that.

And then came the Cubs assist.

Former North Sider and non-roster invitee Tyson Miller entered and immediately served up back-to-back home runs to Keston Hiura and Hyeseong Kim. Just like that, it was 6-5 Dodgers. Then, a walk, a ground out, and a single later, Los Angeles had a two-run lead. Good times. Thanks, Cubs. Miller recorded just two outs and did little to inspire confidence.

To their absolute credit, the Sox didn’t fold. This Will Venable club sure has got some fight in them, but I’m just not sure there’s quite enough talent yet.

In the eighth, Drew Romo singled, and 20-year-old prospect George Wolkow tripled off 27-year-old Kyle Hurt to trim the deficit to one. The pressure was on with just out, but Hurt buckled down, striking out Quero and Matt Hogan to escape.

Duncan Davitt entered for the Sox and quietly did his job, tossing the seventh and eighth while allowing just one hit and striking out two. It was the kind of tidy spring outing that earns a few extra looks.

In the ninth, the Sox finally drew their first walk of the afternoon to get the leadoff man aboard. Unfortunately, it lasted approximately one batter as Jacob Gonzalez rolled into a double play, and the rally was officially dead.

Eight hits. Six runs. Twelve strikeouts. Two walk. The bats are staying aggressive, but maybe it’s too aggressive. While the Sox showed some thump, they’ve got to manufacture a few more free passes and be better with RISP (only 1-for-4 again today) if they want more of these back-and-forth games to fall their way.

With the loss, Chicago drops its second straight and falls to 4-3 this spring. The Dodgers remain a perfect 6-0. The rich get richer. On to the next Spring Training marathon.

Box Score

If Tyler Black is playing for a roster spot, he’s off to a good start this spring. He collected three more hits this afternoon as the Brewers won their third straight game, 5-1 over the Rangers.

Black started his day out with a double in the first inning, though the Brewers didn’t manage anything else. In the next inning, Eddys Leonard and Luis Lara led off the inning with back-to-back singles to put runners at the corners. Lara ended up getting caught stealing second, and Leonard was left stranded at third.

On the mound, Aaron Ashby made his first spring appearance. It started a little rough, with back-to-back singles allowed with two outs in the first. Ashby left them stranded to escape the first scoreless. He allowed another single to Josh Smith to start the second, but picked Smith off as he tried to steal second. Ashby allowed a walk after that, but a double play ended the inning. Overall, Ashby allowed three hits and a walk over two innings without recording a strikeout.

The Brewers scored first in the third inning. Brandon Lockridge was hit by a pitch with one out, then Black singled to put runners at the corners for the second straight inning. Gary Sánchez drove in the first run with an RBI single to center, putting Milwaukee up 1-0. Plate patience paid off from there, with Leonard and Lara drawing back-to-back walks to bring in the second run.

In the next inning, Cooper Pratt hit a leadoff single, and Lockridge added a one-out single to put runners at the corners for the third straight inning. Black brought them both in with an RBI triple hit hard to right field, putting the Brewers up 4-0. It was Black’s third hit of the day and left him a home run short of the cycle. He would get a chance to complete the cycle in the sixth, but struck out for his only out of the day. Including that strikeout, he is now 8-for-12 this spring.

DL Hall pitched the third and fourth innings for the Brewers. He allowed a single and a walk in the third inning but did not allow either to score. In the fourth, former Brewer Danny Jansen led off the inning for the Rangers with a single. A wild pitch from Hall allowed Jansen to get to second, and Ezequiel Durán drove him in with an RBI single. Hall had a second wild pitch in the inning, but did not allow another run to score. He finished the day with one run, three hits, and one walk allowed, with one strikeout.

The Brewers’ fifth run came in the ninth inning with the reserves in the game. Dasan Brown drew a leadoff walk to start the inning. With one out, Brock Wilken pinch-hit for Sánchez. During the at-bat, Brown stole second, but Rangers’ catcher Ben Hartl had a throwing error on the play that allowed Brown reach third. Wilken finished the at-bat with a walk, and Luis Castillo followed with a single to score Brown.

On offense, the Brewers had 11 hits and five walks as a team. Lockridge reached base three times with a hit, a walk, and a hit by pitch. Leonard and Lara had a hit and a walk each. Several other Brewers also reached base at least once.

Out of the bullpen, Grant Anderson pitched a clean fifth and recorded a strikeout in his spring debut. Craig Yoho had to work around a hit and a walk in the sixth, but finished the inning scoreless with a strikeout. Jacob Waguespack followed that with a clean seventh inning, striking out one. Tate Kuehner closed out the final two innings, allowing just one hit while striking out four.

The Brewers are back home tomorrow to play the White Sox. First pitch is set for 2:10 p.m. CT, and it will be on the Brewers Radio Network.

The Phillies’ starting rotation has been the backbone of their climb to back to back National League East titles. When Zack Wheeler went down last year to an unexpected surgery, it made his 2026 season look dire. Now, we’re even closer to his returning in full.

Zack Wheeler threw off a mound Thursday, a huge step in his recovery from thoracic outlet surgery in his right side. The team thought it was the right time, so they let him go.

“The velo was good, the ball flight was good,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said following a 7-3 Grapefruit League victory over the Nationals. “He hit the glove. It was good. He felt great. We’ll check him tomorrow, find out how he’s feeling and get a plan going moving forward.”

Wheeler throwing off the mound makes one possibly think that maybe he can be ready earlier than usual, but let’s pump the brakes a bit.

But asked if Wheeler could be ready for big league games in six weeks, Thomson said, “Possibly.”

Possibly doesn’t mean likely, however. Wheeler’s timeline is fluid. They will not rush him back.

His health is too important.

“It all depends on how he feels and how he recovers,” Thomson said. “It’s new stuff, and it’s different from a lot of other injuries. You can’t pin it down to a week or a day, really.”

Still, it’s good to hear that he has taken this step. Now, the strength building can begin.

Shohei Ohtani’s hunt to help Team Japan win its second straight World Baseball Classic is officially underway.

The Dodgers superstar formally joined his Japanese teammates on the field at Vantelin Dome Nagoya on Thursday — just days after he left Los Angeles at its spring training workouts in Arizona.

While Ohtani is not expected to pitch in the tournament, which kicks off next week, he was nonetheless seen warming up his throwing arm in the outfield.

#大谷翔平 投手キャッチボールinバンテリンドーム
元 #DeNA#高城俊人 ブルペン捕手が受けました@samuraijapan_pr@WBCBaseball@Dodgers#Dodgerspic.twitter.com/zIiT4gBL42

— 横山尚杜(Naoto Yokoyama) サンスポMLB担当 (@Naoto_SANSPO) February 26, 2026

Wearing a blue and red No. 16 jersey, he was also spotted loosening up with bands and enjoying the company of some of his closest baseball pals on the diamond.

Team Japan is considered one of the favorites to win the WBC, as its lineup not only includes Ohtani, but also Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida and Cubs star Seiya Suzuki.

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It’s pitching staff, meanwhile, features Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Angels lefty Yusei Kikuchi.

#大谷翔平 投手がグラウンドに登場#坂本誠志郎 捕手（阪神）にご挨拶。93年生まれの1つ先輩です。@samuraijapan_pr@WBCBaseball@Dodgers#Dodgerspic.twitter.com/dlr3Vv4gFd

— 横山尚杜(Naoto Yokoyama) サンスポMLB担当 (@Naoto_SANSPO) February 26, 2026

Team Japan — which took down the United States to win the WBC title in 2023 — will open up play in this year’s iteration of the tournament on March 6 in Tokyo in a game against Chinese Taipei.

As for Team USA, whose roster includes Othani’s friends Clayton Kershaw and Will Smith, it kicks off its WBC schedule on March 6 against Brazil in Houston.

The Cubs lost to the Angels 5-4 in Tempe Thursday, but the big story of this one was Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd. Boyd had allowed five hits in less than two innings in his first spring start earlier this week.

Thursday afternoon in Tempe, Boyd was much better. He retired all nine Angels he faced — many of them expected to be on their Opening Day roster — and struck out three. He threw an efficient 34 pitches (23 strikes) and here’s how he struck out Mike Trout:

Boyd had seven swings-and-misses and looked really sharp. This is likely his last outing before heading to Team USA for the World Baseball Classic. Team USA is having a workout next Monday in preparation for an exhibition game against the Giants in Scottsdale next Wednesday. Then they will head to Houston to begin WBC pool play against Brazil a week from tomorrow.

The Cubs took an early lead on doubles by Jefferson Rojas and Dylan Carlson in the first inning, although Carlson got himself picked off second to end the inning.

Then the Cubs added a pair in the second. Chas McCormick doubled and went to third on a single by James Triantos. McCormick then scored on a sac fly by Pedro Ramirez. A double by Justin Dean and walk drawn by Scott Kingery loaded the bases, and the Cubs’ third run scored when Michael Busch was hit by a pitch.

Unfortunately, Jaxon Wiggins got knocked around in an inning and a third of work. He faced 10 batters and six of them had hits. The Angels scored one off Wiggins in the fourth and four in the fifth to take the lead, with five runs overall charged to Wiggins. So Wiggins’ first spring outing was… not one he’ll want to remember, except for learning purposes.

After that a lot of the Cubs regulars departed. Riley Martin took over in the sixth and there was a brief delay while Craig Counsell and the Cubs trainer had a look at Martin after a pitch, but Martin stayed in the game. He threw a scoreless sixth.

Minor league plate umpire Louie Krupa had four calls challenged in this game and all four were overturned.

And that’s pretty much it from this game. Dylan Carlson had two hits and is 4-for-8 in the early spring going with three walks. It’s really hard to tell whether Carlson or McCormick has the “lead” in the fourth outfielder race, given the very small sample size. You can be sure, though, that both will get more opportunities, especially with Pete Crow-Armstrong departing soon for the WBC.

The Cubs return to Sloan Park Friday afternoon to take on the Cleveland Guardians. Game time Friday is 2:05 p.m. CT. Edward Cabrera will make his first spring start for the Cubs, and Logan Allen will go for Cleveland. No TV or radio coverage for Friday’s game.

There were a lot of firsts in Thursday’s game against the Chicago White Sox, and all of them were good and promising.

Tyler Glasnow had his first outing of the season and is just another starter that looks like they are in mid-season form. He struck out the side first inning and had a ground out and two more K’s in the second inning.

Glasnow started the day with a two-inning/30 pitch limit. Since he finished the second inning with 29 pitches, he came out to start the top of the third where he gave up a base hit and called it a day.

Most promising was his fastball velocity. Last year, Glasnow’s fastball velocity averaged 95.7mph. In the first inning of Thursday’s game, it was sitting at a 97.1 average. Overall, for his 33 pitches, he averaged 96.7mph.

After his outing, Glasnow remarked that the uptick in velocity is something he had been working on over the offseason and has been very intentional about it. He feels like his mechanics are in a much better place and is feeling fully healthy. All that and the addition of 20 pounds on Glasnow’s long frame having him looking like he’s in a great spot to start the season.

In his first start of the season, Max Muncy grounded out to third in the first inning, followed by line drive base hit in his next at bat. He ended up going 1-3 on the day.

Muncy talked to reporters after the game and commented on why some of the older Dodgers are taking a slower approach in Spring Training. He noted that there was a conversation with several players, and it was “give your body as much rest as possible” mentality going into the season. The Dodgers have had to start back-to-back seasons with trips across the Pacific and have played more postseason games than any other team in the last two seasons. A slow start for the veterans is well deserved.

Blake Treinen also had first outing of spring where he set the White Sox down 1-2-3, with two strikeouts and a groundout using only 15 pitches.

The team finally broke their home run drought, with Will Smith hitting the first home run of Spring Training. He was followed later in the game by Keston Hiura and Hyeseong Kim who went back-to-back with solo homers of their own.

What the Dodgers did not have their first of, however, was a loss. They beat the White Sox 7-6 to remain the only undefeated team in spring. Does this mean anything? Of course not but it makes it a lot more fun.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto will have his second outing of the spring on Friday against the San Francisco Giants, before heading out to join Team Japan for the World Baseball Classis.