Category: Sports News

Tuesday notes…

• TODAY’S ROSTER CUTS: Kevin Alcántara and Javier Assad have been optioned to Triple-A Iowa. That leaves 36 players in camp, to be cut to the 26-man active roster by Thursday. The 36 include 19 pitchers (two non-roster invitees), four catchers (one non-roster invitee), seven infielders (one non-roster invitee) and six outfielders (three non-roster invitees).
• AT LAST: Today’s game is the last Cubs game this year that will not be televised.

Here are today’s particulars.

For the third straight day, neither team’s lineup was available at posting time. I assure you that will change starting Thursday.

Edward Cabrera will start for the Cubs.

Gerrit Cole will start for the Yankees.

As noted above, there’s no TV today. There will be a radio broadcast on the Yankees radio flagship, WFAN 660 AM.

MLB.com Gameday

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

Please visit our SB Nation Yankees site Pinstripe Alley. If you do go there to interact with Yankees fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

As we have done in the past, we’ll have a first pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time. For today, that will be 2 p.m. CT and 3:35 p.m. CT.

These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, there will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher photos and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

After an eventful spring training for the Mets, who saw tons of prospects get playing time on the field and in the batter's box, it's time to answer some of your questions regarding players who will start the season in the minor leagues.

How disheartening was Jonah Tong’s spring? On a scale of “no big deal” to “should’ve kept Sproat”, where should I be? - @_Biergan

This is squarely in the no big deal category for me. I’d even lean closer to being more encouraged than disheartened.

Tong did not possess any realistic pathway to breaking camp with the big league team. The most important thing for him this spring was development, not results. He knows that he has the fastball and the Vulcan changeup to lean on, but development of the third and fourth pitch is paramount.

The focus has been on pitches that give him some glove-side movement to prevent him from being essentially an entirely north-south pitcher. Those pitches have been a cutter and attempting a harder version of his curveball, with a little more horizontal movement.

In his two spring training starts, Tong threw 34 cutters, according to Statcast -- roughly 26 percent of his pitches thrown. He did not throw the curveball as much in-game, but it’s something he’s thrown a lot on the backfields.

It should not be forgotten that Tong was called up to the major leagues before he was truly ready, due to a dire need. The positive of his up-and-down big-league stint is he learned what he had to work on. 

He will head back to Triple-A and continue to work on those two pitches as well as refining some command. The internal feeling about Tong in the organization has not dampened. He just needs innings in Triple-A. 

I never hear much about Jacob Reimer’s defense at 3rd, what are his pros and cons at the position and is it parallel to Mark Vientos orBrett Baty? - @KickinitwithKeef

Reimer told me explicitly in spring training that his big focus was improving defensively at third base.

The main pros is he has the actions and plenty of arm for the position. He continues to work on his pre-pitch setup and first step with infield coaches Tucker Frawley and David Adams.

The main con is his lateral quickness is below average, so it is important his first step is right, and he is in the proper positioning pre-pitch.

The organization believes his third base defense under the hood was better in 2025 than what it appeared surface level. However, scouts I spoke to outside of the organization believe he is more likely to fit at first base long-term, considering his third base defense at this time grades as just passable.

I believe Reimer’s bat will play at the next level. In 2026 I will be keeping a close eye on his defensive development and how much of a split the Mets deploy him between third base and first base. To compare him to Vientos and Baty defensively at third base, I’d say Reimer sits in the middle of the two.

Will Elian Peña fly through Low-A and High-A ball to Double-A this season? - @TonyHvacGod

The excitement surrounding Peña is real. The No. 7 prospect in the organization has stood out since reporting to Port St. Lucie in January. In the Spring Breakout game last week, the 18-year-old looked mature beyond his years and like the most talented player on the field. It wasn’t much of an offensive game for either side, but Peña went 1-for-2 with a walk. The hit was a single on a 1-2 pitch that he roped into right field at 102 mph off the bat.

The Mets will decide in the coming days if Peña will start with Low-A St. Lucie or the Florida Complex League, though this is the type of player who is ready for the slightly more aggressive starting point with St. Lucie, in my opinion.

It is a lofty expectation for an 18-year-old to go through three levels in his first season stateside. Despite the Mets being aggressive in promoting prospects within the farm system, I will predict he does not reach Double-A in 2026. However, I won’t completely rule out the possibility.

The more comfortable projection would be him performing well enough to reach High-A Brooklyn before the year is done.

Peña could be poised for a breakout year, and it should not shock anyone if he is on all top 100 prospect lists and competing to be the top ranked prospect in the Mets organization by the end of the season.

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At long last, we've reached the final day of spring training.

With regular-season games set to start on Wednesday, I've got one last batch of spring training MLB picks for you, including the Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago Cubs on their respective moneylines on Tuesday, March 24.

Spring Training predictions for March 24

Pick	Odds
CLE moneyline	+105
Tigers moneyline	-160
Cubs moneyline	-115

Pick #1: Guardians moneyline

Cleveland Guardians left-hander Parker Messick is a popular breakout candidate this year, and it's easy to see why. He boasted a 2.72 ERA across seven starts while limiting the walks and home runs in his first cup of coffee at the MLB level.

The uptick in long balls this spring isn't a concern, and I like him more than Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Mike Soroka in this matchup.

Obviously, spring bullpens can strike (as they did for two of my three picks yesterday), and even with Jose Ramirez and Chase DeLauter on the bench, I like these odds, which have shifted from -110 to +105 since the Cleveland lineup was announced.

Pick #2: Tigers moneyline

At -160, this is a lot of juice, but I expect the Detroit Tigers to deploy something very similar to their Opening Day lineup against Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano.

Sugano has thrown just three innings this spring and is coming off his debut MLB season where he posted a 4.64 ERA, allowed 33 home runs, and recorded a paltry 15.7% strikeout rate over 157 innings.

He doesn't miss bats, and even though Justin Verlander hasn't looked his best this spring, the old goat still has something left in the tank, as evidenced by his 3.85 ERA in 152 innings with the Giants last season. The talent disparity on the whole is worth paying the elevated price.

Pick #3: Cubs moneyline

Gerrit Cole makes his second spring start for the New York Yankees in his road back from elbow surgery. He pitched just one inning in his last outing, and I don't see them pushing him much more than that today, as his regular-season debut isn't expected to come until May or June.

The Chicago Cubs haven't seen the best from Edward Cabrera yet, but most of his 6.35 ERA came from his last outing when he allowed seven earned runs over three awful innings.

So, small sample sizes aside, with the Yankees likely going to the pen early, the Cubs are in a better position to do damage against the relievers.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

For once, Shohei Ohtani’s left-handed swing wasn’t the smoothest thing at Dodger Stadium.

On Monday night, as Kirsten Watson was delivering a live shot from the Dodgers’ dugout just ahead of the team’s exhibition matchup with the Angels, she pulled off a slick move that had social media buzzing.

The Spectrum SportsNet reporter was breaking down Santiago Espinal’s positional versatility, when suddenly, a Dodgers staffer asked for a fist bump right in the middle of one of her sentences.

Spectrum SportsNet's Kirsten Watson with the no-look fist bump pic.twitter.com/ju4xRNdKZD

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 24, 2026

Without missing a beat, Watson casually dapped up the guy without looking, and went on with her analysis as if nothing had happened.

Quickly, X users clipped the video and praised her for the clean maneuver.

“That’s a championship reporter right there,” one wrote.

“Peripheral vision off the charts,” another added.

At least one of the X videos had nearly half a million views as of Tuesday morning.

It won’t be long until Dodgers fans can get another up-close look at Watson’s work — the reigning World Series champions play the Angels again on Spectrum SportsNet later Tuesday, before they officially open their regular season against the Diamondbacks on Thursday.

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On this episode of The Dodgers Post, Jack Harris and Dylan Hernández look ahead to the start of the regular season, and debate whether the Dodgers made the right Opening Day roster decisions.

They talk about the team’s most difficult roster choice, keeping Alex Freeland with the big-league club while sending Hyeseong Kim to the minors to begin the year. They also discuss Roki Sasaki’s challenging spring, and the pros and cons of starting him in the opening day rotation.

Later, the duo breaks down their expectations for Shohei Ohtani in 2026 as he returns to a full-time two-way role. And they make predictions about the upcoming season, revealing their expected Dodgers win totals and whether the team can complete a World Series three-peat.

All that and more, as the regular season finally arrives.

At Citi Field, there are the usual heavy hitters when it comes to food choices — not to mention on-field stars — but new additions make this year’s options a well-rounded food lineup with plenty of depth.

The food is just part of what goes into the decision-making for the partners the Mets bring in each season, as there are unique stories and backgrounds all across the diamond that they hope satisfy hungry fans.

This year will see a wide array of additions, such as 1986 World Series hero Mookie Wilson bringing his take on barbecue and Bronx-born chef Zina Bunch taking her brand of Puerto Rican empanadas to the major leagues.

“I think that those stories are really great, and that’s what I mean when literally everywhere you look in the ballpark, there’s a cool story, there’s a cool food item, and there’s just something amazing,” Jason Eksterowicz, Aramark senior executive chef for Citi Field, told The Post.

“When you look around here, and you talk to all of these different partners, it literally is like a food family that we’ve built here.”

The Mets are selling 37 new offerings for the 2026 season in partnership with 27 vendors. The Amazin’s may be looking for their first World Series crown in 40 years, but Citi Field’s culinary concoctions continue to be champs — now having won USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Award for best baseball stadium food for three straight years.

Ahead of the Mets’ home opener on Thursday, March 26, against the Pittsburgh Pirates, here are some of The Post’s favorite dishes for this season after sampling items at the team’s annual tasting event. 

Eat in the Cave

The Puerto Rican soul-food kitchen brings its delectable empanadas to Citi Field, with its veggie nadas being the star of the show. Described as a savory blend of rice, cilantro, sweet pumpkin, chickpeas and potato, they pair with the aptly named Cave sauce that bolsters the flavor of the dish.

Chef Bunch told The Post that the veggie nadas are one of the best-selling items for their New Jersey-based food truck, and the inclusion of the vegan-friendly option — the Cave sauce, however, is not — was because she “wanted to touch the crowd of vegans and vegetarians, and Citi Field thought it would be a great touch.”

Eat in the Cave will also offer beef and cheese nadas, and fans looking to try them can find the empanadas in the Hudson Whiskey NY or Clover Home Plate clubs.

Pig Beach BBQ

A fan favorite at Citi Field the past few seasons, this barbecue joint is throwing a change-up with a new menu item — loaded cornbread with decadent cheddar cheese sauce, BBQ sauce and, the pièce de résistance, pulled pork. The cornbread is moist and sweet and balances out nicely with the pork.

Because this isn’t exactly your garden-variety cornbread, Pig Beach founding partner and chef Shane McBride recommends to The Post that fans use a fork to enjoy this indulgent item, which he considers a main attraction and no mere side dish.

“The pulled pork just naturally goes with it — it’s just juicy, succulent,” McBride said. “There’s a little bit of sweet and sour from the vinegar sauce, and it pairs really well with the cornbread. It’s quick and easy … This is probably the fastest dish we’ve ever done here.”

Taqueria Ramirez

Brooklyn residents have become acutely aware of this Greenpoint eatery’s fresh tacos over the past few years, and now the world’s borough will experience some of that at the Coca-Cola Food Truck in Section 302 from opening day through July 12.

The stand will offer a nopales (cactus) taco, and with the depth of flavor, even carnivores will have a hard time turning up their noses.

Chef and co-owner Giovanni Cervantes is bringing his best fastball with this one because it definitely doesn’t lack heat. There’s a crunch and je ne sais quoi quality to the flavor profile that Cervantes believes foodies will crave.

“We always like to create a little bit of contrast with a little bit of fat, a little bit of acidity that we create with the salsas, a little bit of spiciness that comes with that as well,” Cervantes, who hails from Mexico City, told The Post. “But I feel, particularly, this taco is really rich in textures you don’t expect.”

Legacy Catering by Mookie Wilson and family

During his playing days, Wilson used to cook up pork chops and yams for himself and some of his teammates. Now, the Mets legend is showing off his culinary skills for everyone.

The smoked pulled-chicken sliders — available at the Hudson Whiskey NY Club — feature a classic golden BBQ sauce, bread and butter pickles on a Martin’s slider bun. One could argue that the sandwich is as enjoyable as watching Wilson hit a groundball through a certain first baseman’s legs.

Wilson enjoys the idea that his food will help people see the many layers that baseball players have.

“I think that it kind of opened people’s eyes a little bit,” he told The Post. “There’s another side to many, many ball players.”

Willets Point Brewery

The 9-9-9 challenge — nine beers and nine hot dogs over nine innings — has taken over a subset of baseball culture over the past few years, and Citi Field is now offering fans a more formal way to do it, albeit in a scaled-down variation. Chowhounds can pig out on nine mini Nathan’s hot dogs that come with nine 4-ounce beers (either Coors Light or Heineken).

But Willets Point is also selling a backyard BBQ burger that is loaded with two 4-ounce Pat LaFrieda patties, New York cheddar, BBQ pulled pork, onion rings, whiskey BBQ sauce, shredded lettuce and pickles on a brioche bun.

This was one of The Post’s new favorite bites, so if you’re looking for an elevated burger, this should be a go-to.

The rest

If any of those items don’t catch your fancy, there are plenty of other options when you’re at the ballpark.

The Queensboro — an eatery from Jackson Heights — will have a kimchi reuben at the Taste of Queens from March 26 to July 12, while former “Man v. Food” host Adam Richman’s Burger Hall of Fame will now offer a caprese burger at its stand. Amazin’ Deli added a chopped Italian sausage sandwich that’s a new spin on a ballpark staple.

Those looking for a sweet treat have a few choices, with Long Island-based Hildebrandt Ice Cream bringing a Mets-inspired Blue & Orange Skies flavor, along with Pat LaFrieda’s Chop House adding an apple pie cheesecake that bears a striking resemblance to the ballpark’s iconic home run apple.

The Mets announced that they will be wearing a memorial patch on their jersey sleeves during the 2026 season, honoring former manager Davey Johnson. 

Here's a look (click on the tweet below to see the uncropped image):

The Mets will wear a "Davey" patch on their jerseys this year to honor the late Davey Johnson pic.twitter.com/XEN9OkdSF1

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 24, 2026

Johnson died this past September at the age of 82.

The winningest manager in Mets history (595-417), Johnson was at the helm for the Mets from 1984 to 1990, leading the 1986 team to a World Series win over the Boston Red Sox. 

He had a winning record in all six of his full seasons (including five straight 90-win seasons), with the team moving on from him after a 20-22 start to the 1990 season.

Johnson was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 2010.