Category: Baseball

So long, Harry, and other stories.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths.

“Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire.

Today in Baseball History:

• 1891 – American Association owners dismiss league President Allen W. Thurman and replace him with Louis Kramer of Cincinnati. The owners also denounce the National Agreement, launching a new war with the rival National League. The owners are unhappy with Thurman’s decision in the Lou Bierbauer case. In his capacity as Chairman of the National Board of Control which decides disputes under the National Agreement, he ruled that the AA’s Philadelphia Athletics no longer had reserve rights over Bierbauer, who jumped from the Athletics to the Players League in 1890, and then refused to return to his old team after the Players League folded. (2)
• 1922 – Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis resigns his federal judgeship, claiming the two jobs (judge and Commissioner) take up too much time. (2)
• 1943 – New York entrepreneur William D. Cox purchases the bankrupt Phillies from the National League. The 33-year-old new owner will be banned from baseball in November by commissioner Landis when he admits to making some “sentimental” bets on his team during the season. (1)
• 1944 – Fifteen-year-old Joe Nuxhall signs a contract with the Cincinnati Reds just one day after playing in a high school basketball game. The Reds had been scouting his 34-year-old father. (2)
• 1967 – During a special softball exhibition game, pitcher Eddie Feigner strikes out six consecutive major leaguers. The victims are Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Roberto Clemente and Maury Wills. (2)
• 1998 – Longtime baseball announcer Harry Caray* dies at the age of 84 after suffering a heart attack four days earlier while having Valentine’s Day dinner with his wife, Dutchie. The colorful “Mayor of Rush Street” started his career in 1945 with the Cardinals and also did play-by-play for the A’s, White Sox, and the Cubs during his 52 years in the broadcast booth. (2)
• 2022 – The 2021-2022 lockout claims its first cancellations, as MLB announces that no spring training games will be played before March 5th – at the earliest. (2)

Cubs birthdays:Walter Thornton, Zip Zabel, Cal Neeman, Bob Miller, Jerry Morales, Kevin Tapani, Shawn Estes, Brian Bogusevic, Isaac Paredes. Also notable: Joe Gordon (HoF)

Today in history:

• 1268 – Battle of Wesenberg: Livonian Brothers of the Sword fight the forces of Novgorod and Pskov, led by Dmitry of Pereslavl near Rakvere in modern-day Estonia; both sides claim victory.
• 1478 – Duke of Clarence George Plantagenet is convicted of treason against his older brother Edward IV of England and is privately executed in the Tower of London, allegedly by being drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine.
• 1745 – Bonnie Prince Charlie’s troops occupy Inverness, Scotland.
• 1856 – The American Party (Know-Nothings) convenes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to nominate its first Presidential candidate, former President Millard Fillmore.
• 1930 – American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovers the dwarf planet Pluto.

Common sources:

• (1) — Today in Baseball History.
• (2) — Baseball Reference.
• (3) — Society for American Baseball Research.
• (4) — Baseball Hall of Fame.
• (5) — This Day in Chicago Cubs history.
• (6) — Wikipedia.
• (7) — The British Museum
• (8) — For world history.

*pictured.

Some of these items spread from site to site without being fact-checked, and that is why we ask for verifiable sources, in order to help correct the record.

Good Morning Birdland,

There are just two days left until an actual game is played down in Florida, kicking off this year’ Grapefruit League action. The Orioles and Yankees will face off in Sarasota at 1:05 pm on Friday. That one will be broadcast on MASN and WBAL Radio. Hopefully many of us are able to at least have it on in the background of work, school, or errands.

I am genuinely excited for that day! It’s a combination of what the Orioles have done this winter and the fact that it means actual spring is very close. I’m yearning for sunshine and warmth more this year than I can ever remember. But baseball is good too!

For now all we get are social media posts and the written account of reporters on the ground. It’s better than nothing.

According to MASN’s Roch Kubatko, Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells got to face live hitters on Tuesday. There was some good and some bad, but it’s all about getting reps in right now. Wells did say that he is feeling “the best [he has] felt in a really long time.” That is a great to hear. The Orioles are going to need him, either in the bullpen or as a contributor in the rotation.

Heston Kjerstad continues to be an interesting story of camp. Seemingly past his undisclosed health issues from last summer, he has been swinging a hot stick, adding two singles off of Bradish on Tuesday. His path to an Opening Day role continues to look narrow, but you never know. The Orioles are going to need plenty of depth to survive the season, even in what might feel like a packed outfield at the moment.

Yennier Cano also got good marks for his work. We all know how impressive he can be. But it was a wild ride in 2025, and as the bullpen is currently constructed he will have a significant role to play. Fingers crossed.

The work will continue today ahead of the preseason opener on Friday. And we will all be sure to overreact to anything that comes out. That is our right as fans in mid-February.

Links

Orioles Hire Robinson Chirinos As Special Assistant | MLB Trade Rumors
The former catcher is back! He spent 2022 as a player with the Orioles, and last year served as Brandon Hyde’s bench coach in the dugout. That, of course, did not go well since Hyde was fired in May. Chirinos remained in place through the end of the season, but was not part of Craig Albernaz’s 2026 staff. Now he will move to the baseball operations and player development department.

Nothing could ruin Noda’s offseason after Orioles DFA | Roch Kubatko
Baseball is a brutal business. The Orioles DFA’d this guy on his wedding day! Other than that tidbit, this is a lovely little read. Ryan Noda seems to have the right perspective of life, and he loves a sweet treat. I’m with you, Ryan.

Chris Bassitt, MLBPA executive subcommittee member, reacts to Tony Clark’s resignation: ‘We are OK’ | The Baltimore Banner
The resignation of MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark is a big deal. MLB and the MLBPA are already in the midst of a negotiation that is likely to drag beyond 2026 and could cost all or part of the 2027 season. Clark was an important part of that conversation. It’s unclear how much this news impacts everything.

Who’s blasting all that ‘Dad Rock’ at O’s camp? | MLB.com
Of course Pete Alonso loves Nickelback and Creed. It just makes sense.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• Jordan Westburg turns 27 today. The infielder has been a standout in his first three MLB seasons, including an all-star nod in 2024. He just needs to stay healthy. To this point, he has never played more than 107 MLB games in a season and entered this spring with an oblique injury.
• Ryan Mountcastle is 29. A fan favorite, Mountcastle has been a solid contributor ever since his arrival 2020. His future is murky though, given the O’s recent signing of Pete Alonso and the continued presence of youngster Coby Mayo.
• Nick Maton is 29 years old. The utilityman played in five games for the O’s in 2024. He last played for the White Sox for part of the 2025 campaign.
• The late Walter Young (b. 1980, d. 2015) was born on this day. His lone big league season was in 2005, when he appeared in 14 games with the Orioles.
• Chad Moeller is 51 years old. The journeyman catcher had a 30-game stint with the Orioles during the 2009 season.
• The late Jeff McKnight (b. 1963, d. 2015) was born on this day. He played all over the field for the Orioles between 1990 and ‘91.

This day in O’s history

1954 – The Orioles acquire Gil Coan from the Washington Senators in exchange for Roy Sievers. Coan would be worth -1.0 bWAR across two seasons in Baltimore while Sievers would go to three all-star games and compile 14.6 bWAR during his six-season stint in D.C.

2011 – The Orioles finalize their deal with Vladimir Guerrero and place pitcher Alfredo Simon on the restricted list to make room on the roster. At the time, Simon is still in custody in the Dominican Republic following a shooting death on New Year’s Eve.

We’re back with another daily question, and today’s question is: Which opposing team do you hate the most?

Given that this is a community of Brewer fans, I’d guess roughly 95% of the fans in here will say either the Cubs or the Cardinals, with the other 5% dispersed to teams all over the league (Dodgers, anyone?).

For me, it has and always will be the Cubs. Even with the great Cardinals years in the 2000s and 2010s, I’ve hated the Cubs as long as I can remember. There’s just something about the franchise that rubs me the wrong way.

What team is it for you?

Weigh in in the comments, and join us throughout the month as we keep these conversations rolling into spring training. Have a question you’d like to ask in a future BCB Daily Question? Drop one in the comments and we may use it later this month.

In the backfields of Camelback Ranch, the Dodgers' River Ryan and Blake Snell stayed behind to field grounders and practice throws to second. After a few dropped balls by Ryan during his transition, the two-time Cy Young winner talked it over at the mound with the young pitcher.

It was a typical scene you'd see in the early days of spring training, the extra work to dial in fundamentals. But for the 27-year-old Ryan, it's part of the journey in his return from Tommy John surgery.

Ryan got a taste of the majors in July 2024, making his debut against the San Francisco Giants with 5 ⅓ innings and allowing an unearned run. He showed promise with his high-velocity fastball and swing-and-miss slider/curveball combination. But during his fourth start on Aug. 10 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he exited the game in the fifth inning with what would be diagnosed as a torn UCL — his season done after pitching 20 ⅓ innings with 18 strikeouts and a 1.33 ERA.

Read more:Former Dodgers star Walker Buehler signs with San Diego Padres

Eighteen months later, Ryan's goals are simple.

“Have a healthy season,” he said. “I definitely want to obviously pitch in the big leagues, make the team out of camp.”

But where he and Gavin Stone — another hurler returning from major surgery — fits in remains a question. Entering the season, the back-to-back World Series champions have a deep starting rotation, even accounting for a possible six-man rotation, which manager Dave Roberts hinted at during the offseason as a way to give starters extra rest over a long season.

The rotation already projects to feature Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Snell and Roki Sasaki. Snell announced last month at DodgerFest he would slowly ramp up his arm, but he still has his eyes set on being ready for opening day.

The potential last seat in the Dodgers’ starting staff remains a battleground.

In addition to Ryan and Stone, ascendant minor-league prospect Jackson Ferris and more established pitchers like Justin Wrobleski and Emmet Sheehan are options.

Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations for the Dodgers, sees Wrobleski as a starter, even after coming out of the bullpen last season.

"His ability to grow mature, learn how to kind of harness the stuff and compete in those moments will serve him well of kind of how to try to navigate a lineup two, three times, so he'll certainly be a candidate," he said.

"We've got a lot of candidates that we feel really good about, and whether the off days [at the beginning of the season] allow us to run with a five-man to start versus six-man, I think all are things that we're working through," Friedman added.

During the first week of camp, both Stone and Ryan made strong opening statements with their bullpen work and live batting practice sessions. In his 15-pitch live session on Saturday, Stone struck out Ohtani looking.

“Stoney was really encouraging,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. “In his live [BP, he had] really good fastball quality, and the arm speed in the changeup was really encouraging.”

Stone missed the entire 2025 season after being shut down the previous season. During his rookie year, he struck out 116 batters, finished with an ERA of 3.53 with an 11-5 record and threw a complete game against the Chicago White Sox before he got shoulder surgery in Oct. 2024.

As for Ryan, who added 30 pounds to his frame, Gomes said: “River looks great, physically he's a house right now. Ball’s coming out really well, and he has a deep arsenal.”

Said Ryan: “[The] biggest difference for me has been just being able to maintain velocity throughout the course of a game or throwing multiple pitches. And being able to throw harder, easier.”

Read more:For Dodgers' Hyeseong Kim, opportunity knocks at second base. 'Just trying to get better'

Ramping them up as they return from major surgery will be a tough balance, Roberts said. As spring progresses, the Dodgers will continue to dial them up with precaution, especially at the start of the season when more hands on deck are required because some pitchers are still building up their stamina.

“There’s no hard line dates for any of our players, it really isn’t,” Roberts said. “I think we have a ton of depth, a lot of able players and we’re not gonna push any position players, let alone pitchers, to be ready for whatever date.”

“Competition is a good thing,” he added.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The shortstop position has been a contentious one for New York the past few seasons. Anthony Volpe was brought up as the successor to Gleyber Torres at the position after shooting through the upper minors and becoming one of the Yankees’ most highly rated prospects of the Baby Bomber era, and while his defense brought in good value until last season his bat has been suspect in the majors since his debut. Last year’s injury-derailed campaign brought with it the first shift from the organization’s stalwart defense of Volpe’s future as their shortstop, seeing them trade for Jose Caballero at the deadline as a utility weapon but eventually having him takeover in September when Volpe clearly needed to sit and recover.

Fast forward to the start of spring training, and Volpe is still sidelined for a bit as he rehabs from his shoulder surgery meaning Caballero is penciled in as the starting shortstop on Opening Day. The 29-year-old saw a surge in his offensive production in the second half with the Yankees, hitting for a 134 wRC+ compared to the 84 mark he had in Tampa Bay, and he now has the opportunity to open the season with around a month or more of uncontested starting time. On top of that, there’s been musings of Volpe potentially starting the year in Triple-A once he is healthy to work on his issues in the batter’s box. With all of that in mind, how realistic is it that Caballero could take over the starting spot for the entire season?

Caballero’s explosion at the plate last year was a major aberration from his career trends, where he was right at league-average in 2023 with the Mariners and slightly below-average in ‘24 with the Rays. It’s possible he unlocked something once he got in the lab with the Yankee coaching staff, but even if he did it’s more likely that he regresses back towards the median in terms of production. Still, if he can manage to stay above average with dependable enough defense, that might be enough to sway the Yankee brass — after all, Volpe himself has never posted even a 90 wRC+ over a full season. It would take several dominoes to fall in order to line up, but the possibility is there. Do you see a world where Caballero takes the spotlight away from the one-time top prospect, whether that’s getting the lion’s share of starts or outright getting named the starter?

Today on the site, we have Jeff leading off with a salute to Joe Gordon and his championship days with the Yankees that eventually landed him in Cooperstown as his birthday arrives. Then, Andrés previews Max Fried’s upcoming year entering his second season in pinstripes and Sam looks back to the signing of Carlos Rodón and the ups and downs of his Yankees career thus far for our free agent signing series.

The loss of Pablo Lopez unquestionably hurts the Twins, but in baseball as in life, time moves on whether we want it to or not. I wrote out my projected roster earlier this week where I had Taj Bradley winning the final rotation slot out of Spring Training. Now, he should essentially be locked into the 4 spot while Zebby Matthews, David Festa, and Mick Abel fight for the fifth and final rotation spot. Behind them are a plethora of untested rookies, including top pitching prospect Connor Prielipp.

Even after losing Pablo, this Minnesota goes eight deep on “probably MLB ready” arms between the four locked starters and the young combo of Matthews, Festa, Abel, and Prielipp. They have four more pitchers likely ready to contribute to the Big League squad after a bit more AAA seasoning (Andrew Morris, Kendry Rojas, Marco Raya, John Klein) even more solid, if unspectacular older depth behind them (Cory Lewis, Christian MacLeod, CJ Culpepper, among others).

Obviously not every player will work out, but the point is that the Twins have multiple lines of defense to tap into in the inevitable event of additional pitcher injuries.

If they turn to the free agent market, there’s three pitchers remaining who would be an upgrade over Simeon Woods Richardson, who is probably the line for if a player is worth signing or not. They are Lucas Giolito, Zack Littell, and Max Scherzer.

I think we can cross Scherzer off the list. At 43 years old, the future Hall of Famer will likely only be interested in joining a true blue contender, which the Twins are decidedly not at the moment.

Twins fans are familiar with Giolito’s work. The former All-Star and longtime member of the White Sox had a solid bounce back in 2025 after returning from Tommy John Surgery that eliminated his 2024. His strikeouts were down significantly, but that’s not out of the norm for a player in their first season back from UCL reconstruction. All in all, he tallied 145 innings of ball with a 3.41 ERA/4.17 FIP with 121 strikeouts and 56 walks. He would likely cost the Twins somewhere in the $20M range for one season.

The other pitcher would be another familiar face: former Twin Zack Littell. Littell was in Minnesota for the first three seasons of his career, pitching 63.2 innings of relief between 2018 and 2020. He peddled along as a middling reliever for various teams over the next three seasons before the Rays moved him into their rotation midway through the 2023 season after a rash of injuries left their rotation completely depleted. Since then, Littell has emerged as a solid back end starter who excels at limiting walks and damage. He doesn’t strike out enough batters and gives up too many homers, but you don’t need to look further than Bailey Ober or Simeon Woods Richardson to see how the Twins have successfully worked with pitchers with limited stuff. Littell would be cheaper than Giolito, likely commanding closer to $10M for the 2026 season.

So, what do you think? Is it worth bringing in Giolito or Littell, or would the Twins be better off throwing the young arms at the wall and seeing who can stick?

Observations from Yankees’ spring training on Tuesday in Tampa:

New reliever turns up heat

Brent Headrick, the lefty reliever whom Yankees personnel were high on entering camp, threw an inning of live batting practice and got up to 96 mph.

Some sick time

After sitting out Monday’s workout due to flu-like symptoms, Ryan McMahon got back on the field Tuesday as a full participant, despite feeling some lingering effects.

Caught my eye

Gerrit Cole and Max Fried threw bullpen sessions side by side Tuesday, and it didn’t take much imagination to envision them throwing back-to-back days atop the Yankees rotation later this year, as long as Cole gets through the rest of his Tommy John rehab without a setback.

Wednesday’s schedule

The Yankees will hold another full-squad workout at Steinbrenner Field.

TAMPA — Cam Schlittler insisted his back issues were “insignificant,” but the fact that he got back on a bullpen mound Tuesday still seemed significant.

After the Yankees slowed him down over the past week as he dealt with mid-back/left lat inflammation, Schlittler completed a bullpen session that, with a positive recovery, should put him back on track in his buildup to start the regular season on time.

“Again, something we weren’t overly concerned about,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Just being where we are on the calendar, just wanted to make sure it didn’t turn into something bigger.

“Everything went well and accordingly, so keep moving forward.”

Schlittler had been ahead of some other pitchers in his throwing progression before the Yankees decided to keep him off the mound for a few days.

The expectation was that he should only need one or two bullpen sessions before he could resume facing hitters.

Giancarlo Stanton said he was on the practice field when he heard about the resignation of Tony Clark, the executive director of the MLB Players Association, but wanted to get more information before commenting further.

Clark resigned Tuesday after an internal investigation found an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, The Post’s Joel Sherman reported.

“Not ideal timing is all I know,” Stanton said, referring to the looming labor battle when the current CBA expires Dec. 1.

Elmer Rodriguez will start the Yankees’ Grapefruit League opener Friday against the Orioles in Sarasota, Fla.

The top pitching prospect has been built up early because he is leaving camp to pitch for Puerto Rico in the WBCat the beginning of March.

Fellow top prospect Carlos Lagrange is expected to start the Yankees’ home opener Saturday against the Tigers.

Luis Gil threw three innings of live batting practice, building his pitch count up to 42. … Ryan McMahon, who sat out Monday’s workouts due to flu-like symptoms, returned to the field Tuesday. … The Yankees made their first cuts of the spring, reassigning RHP Alexander Cornielle and C Abrahan Gutierrez to minor league camp. They now have 70 players in big league camp.

Kris Bryant’s ongoing back issues are affecting far more than just his baseball availability.

The Rockies’ third baseman, on the 60-day injured list with a degenerative back condition, described daily pain so severe that it can be “hard to grab the toothpaste in front of me.”

“Any time my feet hit the ground, I feel like I could probably fall over,” the 2016 National League MVP told reporters Tuesday at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Ariz., according to The Denver Post. “It’s unfortunate and obviously not how I want this to go. I’m here to figure things out and find out if there is a way to get better.

“It’s not easy waking up in pain every day, but now we are here. I’m just trying to determine the next step with the training staff and doctors.”

Bryant, 34, has hardly seen the field since signing a seven-year, $182 million contract with Colorado ahead of the 2022 campaign.

The four-time All-Star has endured 10 separate injured list stints with the Rockies, limiting him to 170 out of a possible 648 games over four seasons.

Bryant owns a disappointing .244/.324/.370 slash line with 17 home runs and 61 RBIs in the Mile High City.

Last season, Bryant’s lumbar degenerative disc disease kept him to just 11 games; an injury that he now says feels like “being electrocuted in my whole body.”

“I could never have expected this or seen this coming,” he added. “And now that I’m dealing with it, I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. It’s miserable.”

#Rockies Kris Bryant talked to media this morning here in Scottsdale. Here he talks about pain and next steps. pic.twitter.com/CWa8H9bR5J

— Kevin Henry (@kgh23) February 17, 2026

Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said the organization “supports” Bryant as he attempts to get healthy, but recognizes the reality that, at this stage, he “can’t play baseball.”

“We have to prepare like he’s not going to play,” Schaeffer said. “That’s just the way we have to go about it, hoping that he has a recovery and a breakthrough. But was of now, his back really, really hurts. It’s a real thing. He just can’t play baseball.”

At one point, Bryant — who began his career with the Cubs — seemed to be on the fast track to a Hall of Fame career.

He won the Rookie of the Year award in 2015 before capturing NL MVP honors the following year while leading the Cubs to the franchise’s first World Series in 108 years.

Bryant remained a potent offensive player for the next five seasons, including a brief run with the Giants after a midseason trade in 2021.

While Bryant said he’s weighing the long-term implications of living with a serious back injury, he has not allowed retirement to cross his mind — yet.

“I’m not going to dive deep into that. I don’t want to misspeak,” Bryant said. “I haven’t read the reports. My focus is just to find stuff that will help me wake up, hopefully, in a little less pain than the day before.”

New York Post | Greg Joyce: Aaron Judge’s barking elbow was a major concern for the Yankees last summer, with the ailment costing the captain some time and production in July and August. But after the season, team doctors told Judge he wouldn’t require surgery, and Judge says his elbow is now fully good to go. “It’s feeling great,” Judge said on Monday. “Haven’t had any issues so far. I think we’re ready to go. I’m throwing out there confident”.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: It wasn’t too long ago that the Yankees were known for their super bullpens. A decade ago they trotted out the trio of Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller, and Dellin Betances, and a few years later they added big signings like Zack Britton and Adam Ottavino to the mix. These days, though, the Yankees don’t spend on top dollar relief pitchers, preferring to stock the bullpen with a mix of trade acquisitions and lower-profile upside arms. Brian Cashman says it’s not team policy to avoid top relievers on the free agent makers, but the proof is in the pudding: the Yankees haven’t made a significant free agent relief signing since giving $27 million to Ottavino seven years ago.

FanGraphs | Eric Longenhagen: We’ve got another Top 100 prospect list for your perusal, this time from FanGraphs. Konnor Griffin comes in at number one, the Pirates infielder solidifying himself as the best prospect in the sport. As for the Yankees, it’s the same story we’ve heard across the board this offseason, as there’s some really exciting premium talent at the top of the farm system, but a lack of depth after that. George Lombard Jr. is unsurprisingly the top-ranked Yankee, though Longenhagen and Co. are a bit lower on him than some other prospect hounds, putting Lombard at 49. Elmer Rodríguez, Dax Kilby, and Carlos Lagrange follow Lombard in short order.

SNY | Tom Hanslin: A small but important injury update here, as Cam Schlittler threw a bullpen session yesterday. The right-hander was dealing with a back inflammation last week when he reported to camp and had been throwing off flat ground, so it’s good to see that he’s right back throwing off a mound just a few days later. “Went good. Something we weren’t overly concerned about, just being where we are in the calendar,” Aaron Boone said. “Just wanted to make sure it didn’t turn into something bigger. Everything went well, accordingly.”

PORT ST. LUCIE — Brett Baty’s right hamstring discomfort is reason enough for the Mets to limit his early spring training activity.

For now, that will mean withholding Baty from the early exhibition games and waiting before giving him reps in right field, a position he is adding this season in his shift to a utility role.

Baty’s hamstring discomfort emerged about two weeks ago, according to manager Carlos Mendoza, during offseason workouts.

“He went through the physical and he is fine,” Mendoza said Tuesday. “He’s taking ground balls, he’s doing pretty much everything, but before we put him out there in the outfield, especially, we have time.”

Baty isn’t the only player who will be restricted early. Mendoza said Luis Robert Jr., given his history of lower-body injuries, won’t play in the early exhibition games.

Francisco Alvarez, who played banged up down the stretch last season, will also be withheld from the early exhibition games. All will continue to participate in full-squad workouts.

Brandon Waddell will receive the starting pitching assignment for Saturday’s Grapefruit League opener against the Marlins at Clover Park, according to Mendoza.

The lefty Waddell served as a swingman last season, pitching to a 3.45 ERA in 11 appearances for the team.

Mendoza discounted the notion that Juan Soto is more comfortable this year in spring training than a year ago, when he first arrived to the Mets.

“I see the same guy that we saw last year,” Mendoza said. “We saw a lot of smiles and how much fun they were having in the dugout.

“He knows a lot of the faces already.”

TAMPA — A year ago at this time, Giancarlo Stanton arrived at spring training with two painful elbows that would delay his season until mid-June.

That double elbow tendinitis, he reiterated Tuesday, is “not going anywhere.” But it appears to be in a much more manageable spot at this point for the Yankees’ 36-year-old slugger, clearing the way for him to at least start camp as a full participant.

Now the challenge will be trying to stay healthy throughout the year so Stanton can make his presence felt in the middle of the Yankees’ lineup as much as possible.

“There’s always going to be maintenance,” Stanton said Tuesday after the second full-squad workout. “But [the elbows] didn’t hinder me from any work [in the offseason] and that’s the most important.”

Both Stanton and manager Aaron Boone said the designated hitter has been moving around well in the first few days of camp, with Boone saying he looks “real lean.”

Even still, Boone indicated he would likely slow-play Stanton into Grapefruit League games — possibly delaying his spring debut by a week — to be safe, as he often does with veterans.

That proactiveness will extend into the regular season, with Boone planning to give Stanton semi-regular days off, as he did last year, to give him the best chance to stay healthy over the long season.

“I think we had a good schedule there,” said Stanton, who has a history of soft-tissue injuries in his legs. “There were some times maybe I wanted to be out there, but understand the process and the way we got a good rotation of guys in the offense. So it was good.

“I think it’s a never-ending adjustment of the best way for us to be the best and for me to stay out there.”

At least in Boone’s mind, that also includes keeping the outfield in play for Stanton, who may get some games in the field this spring.

Ideally the Yankees will not have to actually play him there during the season, Boone acknowledged, but they want to have the option, and also believe there is a side benefit to it.

“I think when he is doing his outfield work throughout the year — even at times when he’s going weeks where he’s not playing — when he’s out there and moving around, I think it serves him well,” Boone said.

After being delayed by the elbow troubles, Stanton, who made 18 starts in the field last year — all of them to allow Aaron Judge to DH as he came back from a flexor strain — enjoyed his most productive regular season since 2021.

He hit .273 with 24 home runs and a .944 OPS in 77 games, offering hope for what he could still do over the course of a full season if he avoids the injured list.

That will be especially important this season given how much the Yankees need his right-handed bat in the middle of a lineup dominated by lefty bats.

For now, the goal remains simple as Stanton enters the second-to-last year of his contract, still in search of his first ring.

“The point of being a Yankee is being a champion,” he said. “There’s always going to be the sting there without that.”

PORT ST. LUCIE — Luis Robert Jr.’s various lower body injuries over the last two seasons have largely prevented him from maintaining the level he reached in his 2023 All-Star season with the White Sox.

A physical specimen, the 28-year-old outfielder has only once in his first six seasons surpassed 110 games played. All the talk of his new team, the Mets, unleashing Robert’s potential begins with keeping him on the field.

“The more games I play, the more opportunity I have to have success and, yes, for me the ultimate goal is to be able to stay out on the field,” Robert said Tuesday through an interpreter. “And once I am able to stay out on the field, I think things are going to turn out the way that I want.”

The Mets saw enough potential in him to last month trade Luisangel Acuña and Truman Pauley to the White Sox for Robert.

It was a move that caught Robert, who had already begun shipping equipment to the White Sox spring training complex in Arizona, by surprise.

Robert had a dismal first half last season, but began showing life after the All-Star break. The fun was short-lived: By late August he was on the injured list with a left hamstring strain, and he never returned to action for the White Sox.

He appeared in 110 games and produced a .223/.297/.364 slash line with 14 homers and 53 RBIs with 33 stolen bases.

“Once the offseason started the focus was to strengthen the parts of mostly the injuries I have dealt with up until now,” Robert said. “That has been the same focus, to try to strengthen everything and make sure I am ready for the season.”

Robert has gold and silver on his resume. He won a Gold Glove in 2020 and a Silver Slugger in 2023, a season in which he blasted 38 homers and posted an .857 OPS.

“The tools are there — elite power, the defensive speed,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “When he is healthy, we saw it in 2023, a lot of the things he can do.”

The Mets won’t push him too hard too fast. Mendoza said the plan is to exclude Robert from early Grapefruit League action, allowing him to build up his legs. Robert will still participate in daily workouts with the team.

It’s an approach the team is also taking with Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty to ensure their health. Alvarez is returning from thumb ligament surgery and Baty reported to camp with hamstring tightness, according to Mendoza.

“I know that’s the type of process that they have,” Robert said. “I trust in them and whatever they have because they want what’s best for me.”

The Mets have other options for center field, most notably top position player prospect Carson Benge and defensive whiz Tyrone Taylor. Benge could win the starting right field job.

Robert was asked the difference between his old surroundings and his new ones.

“It’s just the amount of people that are around,” he said. “When you come to a team like this the expectations are to win. When you have these goals and expectations there are obviously going to be more eyes on the team. I think that has been the biggest difference.”

How did he respond to the news that he had been traded?

“Once I got traded I really can’t explain the emotions that I had,” Robert said. “I was excited, nervous. Sometimes you hear a lot about New York and how big it can be and to play with as many stars as I was going to play with them. I knew I was going to be entering a different stage of my career.”

Javier Báez is taking full responsibility for failing a drug test that will force him to miss the World Baseball Classic. 

The Tigers star is suspended from the tournament after testing positive for marijuana during the 2023 WBC.

“I don’t want to point fingers at anybody because this is all my fault,” Báez said Tuesday, according to The Athletic. “I’m the one that failed the test … It’s just really frustrating that I won’t be able to be there. 

“It really hurts my family, my reputation, but it’s part of it. Other than that, I got a long season to go, and I got to prepare for that.”

Marijuana use is allowed under Major League Baseball’s drug policy, but is prohibited by the WBC’s governing body, the World Baseball Softball Confederation.  

“I understand the rules,” Báez said. “It’s not like I was taking steroids or anything to last longer or whatever. They made that decision. I’m fine with it, I mean, I’m not fine with it. I just keep my mouth shut.”

Báez failed the test during the last WBC in March 2023. 

The loss of Báez is the latest blow to Team Puerto Rico, which will host Pool A of the WBC starting March 5.

Puerto Rico, which has twice finished runner-up in the tournament, previously lost stars Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor due to insurance issues. 

“One of my dreams is to play in Puerto Rico for Team Puerto Rico with our families, our fans, our island,” Báez said. “Nothing I can do. I’m just happy for all of my teammates that got the chance to represent. I wish them good luck.”

The Tigers star will instead shift his focus to the MLB season, which kicks off in late March.

Mark DeRosa knew if Team USA could get Aaron Judge in the fold for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, other American position players would come. 

But for DeRosa’s “Dream Team” to fall into place, Judge would first have to agree to play. 

The American manager tried and failed to lure the Yankees superstar outfielder for the 2023 international event, one in which the U.S. fell in a heartbreaking championship game to Japan. In the middle of his long free agency process that saw him end up back in The Bronx and get named captain, Judge decided not to participate. 

This time, though, the recruitment worked out. And Judge became Captain America to boot. 

Back as skipper for Team USA, DeRosa opened up on “The Show with Joel Sherman & Jon Heyman” on Tuesday about his team-building process last spring. He had received some intel from legendary Yankees lefty Andy Pettitte: Judge wanted in if the manager wanted him. 

So the longtime MLB utility player started his recruiting in earnest — one hour after getting the info from Pettitte. 

“I just said, ‘Hey Aaron, I’m not going to bug you throughout the year. … I talked to Andy Pettitte, I’d love for you to be obviously the captain of Team USA and kind of start with you and filter everything around you as the pillar of this thing,’” DeRosa said was his pitch to Judge. 

“He called me back within 48 hours and was like, ‘I’m in, I want to do it.’ … I started it in April, I just started slow-playing and trying to make pitches. I was building a Dream Team at night in my apartment on paper. Trying to make lineups out and pitching staffs. I was just slowly cold-calling people and seeing where their heads were at” 

That next cold call was to Pirates ace Paul Skenes because, in DeRosa’s mind, Team USA has had trouble getting top-flight pitchers to join the tournament. He barely had to make any effort with the 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner, who pitched two years at Air Force and said he wanted to represent his country to honor the troops. 

DeRosa got his two pillars, and the talent followed suit. The U.S. now boasts a roster that includes a combined 65 MLB All-Star selections and six Cy Young Awards. 

“The time is now to do it,” Judge said Monday. “USA came up a little short [in 2023], but it’s an exciting group of guys. [DeRosa’s] got quite a squad he’s put together so far, so I’m looking forward to seeing what’s happened.”