With Jaren Jackson Jr. traded at the deadline and the tanking full speed ahead as Memphis starts its rebuild comes this news.
Veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had surgery to fix "misalignment of his right pinky finger" and will be out for the remainder of the season, the team announced.
Caldwell-Pope is one of the few consistent players with the Grizzlies this season, playing in 51 games and averaging 8.4 points per game, although he struggled from 3-point range (31.6%).
Memphis will have just nine active players healthy when it takes on the Utah Jazz Friday night, its first game back after the All-Star break. That was to be the game where Jaren Jackson Jr. returned to Memphis, although he is now out for the season for the tanking Jazz after undergoing knee surgery.
Caldwell-Pope is one of the few consistent players with the Grizzlies this season, playing in 51 games and averaging 8.4 points per game, although he struggled from 3-point range (31.6%).
NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks to the media during a press conference before 2026 NBA All Star Saturday Night at Intuit Dome.
The NBA is ready to do something about tanking.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday that commissioner Adam Silver told NBA general managers that the league plans to implement “anti-tanking rule changes for next season.”
The possible changes discussed this week and in January, per Charania, include:
NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks to media after the 75th NBA All Star Game at Intuit Dome. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
– First-round picks can be protected only in the top four or top-14-plus
– Lottery odds freeze at the trade deadline or a later date
– No longer allowing a team to pick top four in consecutive years and/or after consecutive bottom-three finishes
– Teams can’t pick top four the year after making conference finals
– Lottery odds allocated based on two-year records
– Lottery extended to include all play-in teams
– Flatten odds for all lottery teams
The reported crackdown comes as nearly a third of the league appears to be jockeying for draft position before a loaded 2026 class.
Talk of how to deal with tanking has taken over the NBA in recent weeks, and especially intensified after Silver fined the Jazz ($500,000) and Pacers ($100,000) for violating the NBA’s player participation policy last week.
“Overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition and we will respond accordingly to any further actions that compromise the integrity of our games,” Silver said in a statement after doling out the punishments. “Additionally, we are working with our Competition Committee and Board of Governors to implement further measures to root out this type of conduct.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks to the media during a press conference before 2026 NBA All Star Saturday Night at Intuit Dome. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Silver appeared ready to tweak the current draft system, which incentivizes losing to land a higher draft pick, and, in turn, bring in young, star-level players, during a press conference over All-Star Weekend.
“We’ve got to look at some fresh thinking here,” Silver said. “What we’re doing, what we’re seeing right now is not working. There’s no question about it.”
Luka Doncic, driving to the basket against Philadelphia's Kelly Oubre Jr., is expected to play Friday when the Lakers resume play after the All-Star break against the Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers had just completed practice Thursday with a full and healthy squad when Luka Doncic strolled over to speak with the media.
Doncic had played only five minutes Sunday for Team World in the All-Star Game because of a lingering left hamstring strain. He missed the previous four Lakers games.
With the Lakers' season scheduled to restart against the Clippers on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena, Doncic was asked if he would be playing.
“Probably,” he said. “We’ll see. I got to talk to people.”
Since Doncic practiced, he was asked how he was doing and how his hamstring felt.
“I’m good,” he said. “Feeling good.”
It was pointed out to Doncic that he did play in the All-Star Game, even if it was limited.
“Five minutes. I was on minutes restriction,” Doncic joked.
Lakers coach JJ Redick was the first to speak to the media after practice, his time away from the game leaving him fresh and ready to go.
He was asked whether Austin Reaves, who had been on a restriction of about 25 minutes after returning from a 19-game absence because of a calf strain, would still be on a minutes restriction and whether Doncic would be available against the Clippers.
“Austin won’t have a minutes restriction,” Redick said, “and as of 35 to 45 seconds ago, we’ll have everybody available tomorrow.”
Injuries have been common for the Lakers this season.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves sits on the scorer's table before entering a game this month. His minutes restriction since returning from a calf injury has been lifted. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
It started at the beginning of the season, when LeBron James missed 14 games because of sciatica. Recently he dealt with arthritis in his left foot that kept him out of a game.
Center Deandre Ayton missed the last two games because of right knee soreness.
"As a coach, you have zero control in that. As a player, you know what you do to prepare, and what you do to recover can give you some level of control, but ultimately, the basketball gods in the game are going to dictate health,” Redick said. “It's funny, we were talking before the season about building continuity with those three guys, and we've had them available together for 10 games. So it's just the situation we're in.
“Not the only team that has had a bunch of health issues throughout the season and had to manage that. But I think … my messaging this morning to the players was this is going to be a sprint, these last 28 games. It's another segment of the season where, starting tomorrow, we won't have more than a day between games until the end of March. So, we've got an opportunity to, I think, play our best basketball after the All-Star break. We've got a number of indicators on both sides of the ball that we're doing some things that are trending in the right direction. And I think it's coming at a good time, as we're getting fully healthy.”
Doncic, James and Reaves have combined to average 80.2 points per game, led by Doncic’s NBA-best 32.8 points. Reaves is averaging 25.4 points and James 22.
Reaves said it is “very important” that the three get reps together.
“You have those games from last year, but obviously you still have a learning curve of how to play alongside one another and that's with everybody else on the team as well,” Reaves said. “Continuing to build that continuity and confidence in every single position. We're locked in with the five guys on the court. So, very excited.
“I think you can tell throughout the season, even with the unfortunate injuries and stuff, we've done a good job of maintaining it. We're fifth in the West, on pace for a good record and just getting healthy is going to continue to help that. So it'll be fun to see what that looks like and get to work."
The Lakers (33-21) play four games next week, all against opponents with winning records that are jockeying for position in the playoff race: Sunday vs. Boston, Tuesday vs, Orlando, Thursday at Phoenix and Feb. 28 at Golden State.
So, Thursday’s practice was a good start for the Lakers to get back in gear.
“We only got one practice in so we’re not going to get a lot out of one practice,” Doncic said. “But we definitely like to get up and down a little bit after one week off. So, it was good.”
Ryan McMahon worked on improving his swing for the Yankees during the offseason.
TAMPA — No matter what Ryan McMahon did with the bat, he would still make his impact felt on a daily basis with the way he locks down third base defensively.
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But the Yankees still believe there is more they can get out of McMahon offensively, a mission that began shortly after their playoff exit last fall, when he was actually one of their best hitters.
Following a season in which his whiff rate was a career-high 35.2 percent, McMahon sat down with the Yankees’ hitting group for more than an hour and talked through areas they wanted him to focus on over the offseason, his first in the organization after a deadline trade from the Rockies.
The main goal was to shorten his stance, getting his feet closer together in the batter’s box, and getting his hips working better through his swing.
Ryan McMahon reacts after recording an out during the Yankees’ Oct. 4 playoff game against the Blue Jays. Charles Wenzelberg
“Just things I’ve done in the past and things I kind of got away from,” McMahon said Thursday at Steinbrenner Field. “They pointed them out and we worked on them. … Trying to find a way to give myself basically the best chance every single time and be really consistent with it.”
In his stance last year, McMahon averaged 42.7 inches between his feet, according to Baseball Savant, which was the fourth-highest distance among major leaguers.
Almost all of the other hitters in the top 10 used open stances compared to McMahon, who averaged zero degrees for a straightaway stance.
Hitting coach James Rowson said he would be guessing when asked if the wide stance contributed directly to McMahon’s high swing-and-miss rates.
He just knows that what he is seeing so far this spring has been encouraging.
“He’s in a stronger position to drive the baseball more consistently,” Rowson said. “Obviously throughout a major league season, you’re going to have some fluctuation depending on how you feel. Sometimes that can vary, your width. But right now, with him being a little bit more narrow, he’s ending up in a good spot to drive the ball from. I like what I see.”
McMahon is something of an anomaly in the box.
He has a strong eye, as his 11.9 percent walk rate (89th percentile) last year would suggest, but he still struck out 32.3 percent (second percentile) of the time.
The 31-year-old generally swings at the right pitches, but too often fails to make contact with them.
Ryan McMahon hits a home run during the Yankees’ Sept. 26 game against the Orioles. Jason Szenes for the NY Post
His contact rate on pitches he swung at in the strike zone was 77.8 percent, per Statcast, which ranked fourth lowest among qualified hitters.
“When I’m going bad, I’m just missing good pitches to hit,” McMahon said. “When I’m going good, I don’t miss it. Just find a way to be in that spot where I don’t miss it.”
Because when McMahon does connect with the ball, he does so with as much impact as some of the game’s best — and that is not inflated by the Coors Field effect, his former home with the Rockies.
Ryan McMahon reacts after striking out during the Yankees Aug. 21 game against the Red Sox. Charles Wenzelberg
His 93.3 mph average exit velocity ranked 14th among qualified hitters, right behind Fernando Tatis Jr.
That has not always translated into offensive production, though, as his OPS-plus (adjusted for ballpark environments) has been below league average every year of his career.
“My career has been a lot of ups and downs,” said McMahon, an All-Star in 2024. “It’s just trying to find that middle line so I can stay there and be better more consistently.”
The Yankees may also platoon McMahon more often, having Amed Rosario play third base against lefties, which would allow him to mainly focus on crushing righties.
That said, it will be difficult to take McMahon’s glove out of the lineup, as his arrival last summer made a significant impact on the Yankees’ overall infield defense, with his presence alone looming large given Max Fried and Carlos Rodón’s propensity for generating ground balls to third base.
“That’s what I want it to look like,” said manager Aaron Boone, a former third baseman himself. “He was born to pick up a ground ball. Then that big arm, has that quarterback movement about him, side to side. He’s really good.”
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 01: Chase Burns #26 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches during Game Two of the National League Wild Card Series between the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, October 1, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The battle for the final spot in the starting rotation of the Cincinnati Reds is already underway. With pitchers and catchers having congregated in Goodyear, Arizona over a week ago to begin their annual spring revival, the likes of Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder, Brandon Williamson, and Julian Aguiar all showed up healthy – finally – and ready to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster.
As Mark Sheldon of Reds.com relayed from camp, the competition is already chugging along in earnest, with the likes of Dane Myers and Terry Francona already impressed with what they’ve seen from the group in camp.
Of note in Sheldon’s latest notes is that it will be Burns on the bump for the Reds when they open Cactus League play on Saturday afternoon against their complex rivals from Cleveland.
That’s not an indication that Burns is necessarily ahead of the other trio on the pecking order, per se, even though that would appear to be the case on paper for the time being. Burns, of course, finished last year healthy (despite a mid-season forearm shutdown), and his arsenal when clicking is perhaps as good as any pitcher on the planet right now. Still, there’s a ton to be said from Lowder, Williamson, and even Aguiar before all is said and done, as each of that trio has impressed at lower stops and made their mark at the big league level when healthy too.
Saturday’s Cactus League opener is slated for a 3:05 PM ET start time and will stream for free via MLB.tv.
PALM SPRINGS, CA - OCTOBER 3: Austin Reaves #15, Jake Laravia #12, Deandre Ayton #5, and Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers look on from the bench during the Preseason game against the Phoenix Suns on October 3, 2025 at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Even if it is well past the midway point of the season, the second-half push that comes after the All-Star break is very real. With the playoffs quickly approaching, the sense of urgency builds and crescendos throughout the postseason.
For the Lakers, a rocky January dropped them into a crowded pack in the middle of the standings. Only three games separate the No. 3 seed Denver Nuggets and the No. 7 seed Phoenix Suns with the Lakers positioned right in the middle at the No. 5 seed.
With no only home court advantage at stake, but a fight to remain out of the play-in, the Lakers could not have gotten healthy at a better time. With their full roster available to them, LA is going to have everything needed to make a push.
The question is, who are the most important players in their final 28 games of the regular season and ensuing postseason run?
Austin Reaves
Luka Dončić and LeBron James can be the de facto answers to this question, but that’s also a given. If their superstars don’t show up, they’re in trouble.
But Reaves is still a pretty big x-factor. For one, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen the version of Austin Reaves who was consistently putting up 25 points per night. While he did have a 35-point game off the bench recently and was limited by a minutes restriction prior to the All-Star break, the last time he had back-to-back 25-point games was in early December in Toronto and Boston.
With his minutes restriction lifted, the Lakers need the best Reaves to show up again. But he, too, also has some demons to slay from last year’s playoffs as well. His rather woeful showing against the Wolves in the playoffs — where he was hampered by a toe injury — played a notable role in the team’s quick exit.
If Reaves is back to his best, the Lakers have an elite offense and can cause problems for any team. Without him at his best, they become very beatable very quick.
Deandre Ayton
It’s been a roller coaster season for Ayton, who flew out of the gates and looked like a steal and potential long-term solution at center for the Lakers.
In his first 23 games, he averaged 15.3 points, 9 rebounds and shot 71% from the field as the Lakers jumped out to an 18-7 record.
But things have changed quite a bit since then.
A drop in production has led to a drop in minutes and, often, Ayton watching from the bench in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. In those first 23 games, he averaged 29.4 minutes per game and, more specifically, 7.2 minutes per fourth quarter.
In the 23 games since, everything has gotten worse. He’s averaging only 11.2 points and 8 rebounds, now on 63% shooting. His overall minutes have dropped to 27.2 per game and he’s only playing 5.2 minutes in fourth quarters on average.
The best version of the Lakers also includes an engaged, involved and active Ayton. They had that early in the year but lost it somewhere along the way in that aforementioned rocky January.
Everyone saw what happened last year when the Lakers lacked a reliable center in the playoffs. Will things keep trending in that direction for the remainder of the second half of the season or will Ayton find his early-season form once more?
The return of Reaves to the starting lineup, a pick-and-roll partner he had great chemistry with, should help things. But it’s also on Ayton to step up and get back to that level, too, or risk really damaging his standing not just with the Lakers, but within the NBA.
Ayton spoke in the offseason about the importance of this season in regard to how he’s viewed around the league. Not since his run to the Finals has there been a more important stretch in Ayton’s career.
Jake LaRavia
Realistically, I think you could make an argument for any of Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura and LaRavia as the most important.
Smart seems like the frontrunner, for now, to remain in the starting lineup with everyone healthy while Rui will have the Sixth Man role locked down in the meantime. That leaves LaRavia, who has fluctuated between looking like a nailed-on fifth starter and unplayable at times this season.
Unfortunately, it’s been more of the latter as the season has progressed. The most notable struggles this season have been from range where he’s shooting 32.6%, a career-worst mark.
The Lakers also showcased a remarkably thin bench last season. LaRavia was brought in as part of an upgrade and a long-term play over Dorian Finney-Smith. He’s shown flashes of potential, but the Lakers need consistency and production.
For a bench that has ranked at the bottom of the league in scoring, LaRavia could be a big spark in the big games alongside Rui. But he is going to have to start producing offensively.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 03: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs posts up on Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half of the Emirates NBA Cup game at Footprint Center on December 03, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Spurs 104-93. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Devin Booker and the Suns seek their third win over the Spurs this season.
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay reliever Edwin Uceta, who withdrew from the World Baseball Classic because of what was described as a cranky right shoulder, didn’t feel great when he tested it playing catching Thursday.
“He was fine, and as he got deeper, (throwing at) more distance, didn’t feel great,” manager Kevin Cash said Thursday, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times. “We’ll probably let a doctor look at him and see where it’s at.”
The hard-throwing Uceta made 70 relief appearances for the Rays last season, when he was 10-3 with a 3.70 ERA. The 28-year-old right-hander was eligible for salary arbitration for the first time this offseason, and won his case to get paid $1,525,000, up from $815,000 last season, rather than the Rays’ $1.2 million proposal.
He had planned to pitch for the Dominican Republic in the WBC but withdrew from that after he started to feel discomfort before reporting to spring training with the Rays.
Uceta first arrived in Tampa Bay as a free agent before the 2024 season. He previously made big league appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2021), Arizona (2022) and New York Mets (2023).
Opening starter
All-Star right-hander Drew Rasmussen was announced as the Rays opening-day starter at St. Louis on March 26.
Rasmussen was 10-5 with a 2.76 in 31 starts last season, when he was an All-Star for the first time. He got a full season in his comeback from an internal brace procedure. That was his third major elbow procedure after twice before having Tommy John surgery.
The season opener in St. Louis also comes where Rasmussen made his return Aug. 7, 2024, nearly 15 months after the latest surgery. He threw two scoreless innings to end that game.
Oct 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy (49) speaks in a press conference before game four against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers have reworked manager Pat Murphy’s contract, locking up the reigning two-time NL Manager of the Year through 2028 with a club option for 2029, multiple sources have confirmed.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy, the back-to-back NL Manager of the Year, has signed a new three-year contract with a club option for 2029, source tells @TheAthletic.
Murphy, who was entering his final season of a three-year deal signed after the departure of Craig Counsell in the 2023-24 offseason, will stick around for three, possibly four more years. If the option is picked up at the end of the deal, it would take Murphy through his age-70 season.
After Counsell ditched the Crew for a massive contract with the Cubs, Murphy picked up right where he left off, leading Milwaukee to another NL Central title with a 93-69 record in 2024.
The Cubs then bolstered their roster last offseason, adding Kyle Tucker, while the Brewers lost closer Devin Williams, leading many experts to select the Cubs to take Milwaukee’s crown. Instead, Murphy led the team to a franchise-best 97-65 record, winning the NL Central and beating the Cubs in the NLDS to make it to the NLCS for the first time since 2018.
The move doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as most two-time reigning Managers of the Year won’t coach on a lame-duck contract (unless they’re planning on retiring, which was certainly a consideration for the 67-year-old Murphy). That said, Murphy will continue to lead the Brewers for the next few years.
UPDATE: The financials on Murphy’s contract have now been reported, and it’s a massive pay bump from his previous deal. Jeff Passan reports Murphy gets $8.95 million in new money in his contract, which makes him one of the highest-paid managers in the league.
The three-year deal starts in 2026, taking over what his original contract was for this year, giving Murphy an additional two guaranteed years and a club option for 2029.
Tottenham’s Tudor age begins with a north London derby, Guardiola ponders Haaland’s role and Wirtz has a chance to flummox Forest
Aston Villa, third in the Premier League, chasing Champions League qualification and the Europa League title, will be expected to beat Leeds on home soil. But Unai Emery’s side have struggled of late in games where the pressure is on and the onus is upon them to be the aggressor. After exiting the FA Cup to Newcastle, Marco Bizot’s moment of madness all but ending their hopes of reaching the fifth round, it is back to league duty. They eked out an ugly win over Brighton, just the kind of result they would be happy with this weekend, but recently they also lost at home to 10-man Brentford and to Everton. Before that they drew at lowly Crystal Palace, though Oliver Glasner’s side have been a bogey team for Villa. This week Bizot apologised for his rush of blood. Which Villa will turn up against Leeds? Ben Fisher
Only a couple of weeks since last time we checked in, but there have been some quite significant and dramatic changes to things, both in terms of new signings, and in losses due to injuries. So, let’s review what the Opening Day roster might look like, now the dust has settled, and with spring training games scheduled to kick off tomorrow. As ever, new names since last time are shown in bold.
Starting rotation
Merrill Kelly ($20m)
Zac Gallen ($22m)
Ryne Nelson ($3m)
Eduardo Rodriguez ($21m)
Brandon Pfaadt ($3.4m)
The unexpected return of Gallen to Arizona certainly poses a bit of a roster problem. While, obviously, we’re likely going to need more than five starters over the course of the year, there are now six on the roster. Unless the team goes with a six-man rotation to open the year, which seems unlikely, someone is going to be left out. I’d say it’s probably going to be between Pfaadt and winter signing Michael Soroka. It is possible Pfaadt, who still has minor-league options, could be sent to Reno to remain a starter and wait for the eventual need at the major-league level. But considering the long-term contract he signed less than a year ago, what kind of message would that demotion send?
On the other hand, Soroka is being paid as a starting pitcher: $7.5 million is an awful lot of money for a long reliever. It’s also a role which will make it harder to transition back to being a starter. So this could go other way. It’s marginally possible Ryne Nelson ends up being the one on the outside, though given how effective he was after moving into the rotation last year, that would be a strange decision, even if he is the lowest-paid member of the 2026 rotation. And don’t forget, Corbin Burnes should be back at some point, perhaps triggering a still more difficult conundrum for Mike Hazen and Torey Lovullo. Though let’s cross that bridge when we get to it!
Bullpen
Ryan Thompson ($3.95m)
Kevin Ginkel ($2.725m)
Taylor Clarke ($1.55m)
Kade Stroud
Paul Sewald ($1.5m)
Michael Soroka ($7.5m)
Brandyn Garcia
Drey Jameson
One in, one out. An unwelcome surprise was the news that Andrew Saalfrank is going to miss the entire 2026 season after undergoing shoulder surgery, and he has duly been taken off the 40-man roster and placed on the 60-day IL. In exchange, the team signed Sewald to a one-year deal, the fanbase reacting with a response somewhere between “Why?” and “Meh.” I doubt he will be seeing save situations initially. The question would be, who will be getting those out of the gate? I’d say it could be Thompson, Ginkel or Stroud, and is something to be decided over the course of spring training. Torey is certainly not committing at this point.
The other change is spurred by the loss of Saalfrank. Simply replacing him with Sewald would have given the team an entirely right-handed bullpen, which isn’t something Torey Lovullo appears to favor. Right now, Garcia and Philip Abner are the only healthy left-handed relief options on the 40-man roster, so options for the role are limited. It might be an area where there’s a chance for a left-handed non-roster invitee to break through, but as we previously discussed, the options there lean more towards starting pitching than the reliever. It’s possible this is an area with more work to be done before Opening Day.
Starting line-up
Catcher: Gabriel Moreno ($2.55m)
First base: Carlos Santana ($2m)
Second base: Ketel Marte ($15m)
Shortstop: Geraldo Perdomo ($6.25m)
Third-base: Nolan Arenado ($5m)
Left field: Ryan Waldschmidt
Center field: Jordan Lawlar
Right field: Alek Thomas ($1.96m)
Designated hitter: Pavin Smith ($2.25m)
The broken hamate suffered by Corbin Carroll has put a major spoke in the wheel of the intended Opening Day line-up, though if all goes well, Carroll should be back not too long into the regular season. There’s even a chance he might be back for Opening Day, but that may be optimistic. With just two “true” outfielders healthy on the 40-man roster (Thomas and Jorge Barrosa), the door is wide open for top prospect Waldschmidt to stake a claim to a position on the MLB roster. His spring training performances will determine that. But it looks like Lawlar will be used in CF: given his entire professional experience in the outfield is three (3) games, that’s going to be interesting.
Of note on the infield: Tyler Locklear is going to be out of action quite some way into the regular season – to the point he could be a 60-day IL candidate if the team needs another 40-man roster spot. Torey Lovullo said on Sunday Locklear won’t be back until at least the second half of May. When he does, he’ll have to prove himself better than Santana to justify anything like an everyday spot in the line-up. Though as we are about to see, the Arizona bench is not exactly a Maginot Line of strength.
Bench
James McCann ($2.75m)
Tim Tawa
Jorge Barrosa
Ildemaro Vargas
The team is still looking to add a utility player, and with the news that Del Castillo is likely going to miss Opening Day with a calf strain, the depth on the 40-man roster has become thinner still. Of the sixteen position players there, four are now potentially off the table, Del Castillo joining Carroll, Gurriel and Locklear. This leaves the D-backs with a scant dozen healthy bodies – fewer than the bare thirteen needed to form your typical Opening Day roster. We could end up adding Jose Fernandez, since there isn’t anyone else left on the 40-man roster – but would still need to bring in Waldschmidt, as discussed above, simply to complete the roster.
On that basis, let’s also dip into the non-roster invitees to fill that final spot at the back of the bench. There are some prospects who have a shot, including Tommy Troy and LuJames Groover. But there’s nobody who is more familiar with Arizona than Vargas: he first joined the Diamondbacks back in May 2015 (when Troy and Groover were both thirteen!). We saw his positional flexibility last year when, in just 38 games here, Ildemaro played at every infield spot, and also started three games at DH. The last time he appeared on Opening Day here was 2020. There would almost be something historic about him doing so in 2026.
Payroll
Estimated 2026 Payroll: $195M
Estimated Final 2025 Payroll: $188M
Well, so much for the team cutting payroll. According to the Fangraphs figure, the team is several million dollars above where they finished last season. Admittedly, that final figure was after they shed payroll at the trade deadline, getting rid of Kelly, Eugenio Suarez, Josh Naylor and Jordan Montgomery. But it certainly does not seem like any incoming utility player is going to be a free-agent – and, certainly, not an expensive one. Per Gambo’s Tweet linked above, that player will be “most likely coming via trade and using minor-league depth.” Payroll will likely be a consideration, but since he’s likely to be a bench option, I doubt he’ll be that expensive.
But comparing like to like, the current figure is about ten million more than on Opening Day last year. Even more surprising, the team is within striking distance of the first luxury tax band, which is certainly unprecedented. For that purposes, the payroll is considerably higher than the raw ”actual” figure, because it uses the average annual value of each player’s contract, so excludes deferments. Right now, reports suggest Arizona there is only about $7.5 million short of moving into the first luxury tax bracket, where they would be subject to a 20% surcharge on all overages. I doubt we want to go there, so there likely will be no significant salary added at the trade deadline by the Diamondbacks.
NORTH PORT, FL - FEBRUARY 23: A general interior view of CoolToday Park during the Spring Training game between the Detroit Tigers and the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park on February 23, 2020 in North Port, Florida. The Tigers defeated the Braves 5-1. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
We’re not too far away from seeing actual spring training games! Excited yet?
As the 2026 Winter Olympics come to a close, the Vancouver Canucks are starting to get ready for the remainder of the 2025-26 regular season. Vancouver has already held some practices, with the club returning to action on February 25, 2026, at Rogers Arena. There are also some important dates coming up that Canucks fans will want to keep an eye on.
The first key date is February 22, 2026. As of 11:59 ET or 8:59 PT, the trade Olympic freeze will be lifted. With plenty of rumours surrounding Vancouver, fans may not need to wait long before Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin start to make some moves.
Next up is March 6, 2026, which is the trade deadline. The Canucks are expected to be very busy heading into the 2026 trade deadline as they continue to rebuild the organization. The official deadline is at noon PT, which will be followed by media availability from members of the organization.
Lastly, Vancouver plays their final game of the regular season on April 16, 2026, in Edmonton. Once again, the Canucks will not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and will miss the post-season for the fifth time in the last six years. After April 16, all eyes will be on the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, which will take place during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Jan 31, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland (8) and forward Elias Pettersson (40) and defenseman Tom Willander (5) and defenseman Marcus Pettersson (29) celebrate Willander’s goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Vancouver has 29 games left on the schedule, with 14 set to take place at Rogers Arena. Some playoff-bound teams that the Canucks will host down the stretch include the Dallas Stars, the Carolina Hurricanes,
the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Vegas Golden Knights. Vancouver is projected to finish 32nd in the NHL this season and will have the best odds at first overall for the 2026 NHL Draft.
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“He will be in the MVP conversation this year,” Roberts said this week. “But again, I think, speaking for Mookie, his main goal is to help us win a championship. So, I think whatever falls out from there, I think that will happen. I just want him to focus on just being healthy, helping us win, and then whatever happens outside of that, will happen.”
Coming off a season that got off on the wrong foot with a stomach virus that caused him to lose 20 pounds and then saw him set career lows for batting average (.258), on-base percentage (.326) and OPS (.732), Betts is eager to move forward. And with a more typical spring training timeline this year — unlike the previous two years when season-opening games in South Korea and Japan sped up preparations — Betts can ease into his seventh season with the Dodgers.
“I haven’t had a regular spring maybe since I’ve been a Dodger,” said Betts, who also won't be participating in the World Baseball Classic as he did in 2023. “I just know that, being 33 now, I don’t have to hurry up and get here, and be ready to play from day one. So, I can just kind of embrace that. Not everybody’s blessed to have that, so being that I am one of the ones that’s blessed with that, I’ll see what I can make of it.”
One thing that's not in question for Betts heading into the season: his shortstop play. Despite the nearly unprecedented shift from the outfield to the infield, Betts played 148 games at short last season and was a Gold Glove Award finalist. The work he put in to learn a new position raised questions about whether that was a root cause of his hitting struggles, a point he granted some credence to late last season.
Betts did pick up the pace late in the season, batting .317 and nearly doubling his home run total from 11 to 20 over his final 47 games. But he slumped in the NLCS and World Series, batting a combined .136 and was eventually dropped from second to third in the batting order for Game 5 against the Toronto Blue Jays, then fourth for Games 6 and 7.
Roberts said this week that he intends to slot Betts third in the batting order this season, with Shohei Ohtani still in the leadoff spot. (He added that Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and newcomer Kyle Tucker are all in play for the second and fourth spots in the order.)
“I like [Betts] in the number three in the sense that there’s an on-base component, there’s a ‘get hits’ component, there’s a drive-in-runs component, and you’re more of a Swiss Army knife in the lineup," Roberts said. "So, I’m not beholden to it, but I like him in the three-hole right now.”
And as a result, Roberts feels bullish about Betts this season.
“I think he had a great offseason,” Roberts said. “He’s in a good headspace. The body’s good, and I think for me, it’s just getting back to being who he is. I just think that last year was an outlier offensive season, and I’m not too concerned about Mookie at all.”
Yoshinobu Yamamoto to start Cactus League opener
Roberts announced Thursday that World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start the Dodgers' first spring training game Saturday against the Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium. He did not share how many pitches or innings Yamamoto expects to throw, but he did state that it will likely be Yamamoto’s only Cactus League start before departing to play for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic.
Roberts also revealed what players may start Saturday’s Cactus League opener.
“I would expect Will Smith to be in there,” Roberts said. “I expect [Teoscar Hernández] in there, and probably Andy [Pages]. I think that’s safe, and then we’ll go from there.”
Roberts plans to hold other veteran players until next week.
“Guys like Mookie and Muncy, I’m going to start those guys a little bit later than this weekend and see where we go,” Roberts said. “Once they get going, then we’ll stagger and give them the ample time in-between. I’ve got to appreciate that it’s a longer spring. So, if they’re going to be here for six weeks, then I don’t want to kind of come in too hot, I want to pace them out a little bit.”
Freeman said Thursday that he will not play in the Dodgers’ first three spring training games.
“I feel good, I’m ready to go, but we are going to slow-play it a little bit,” Freeman said. “I won’t play until I think Tuesday, so the fourth game, and then I’ll get going.”
