Sacramento Kings guard Markelle Fultz bringing the ball up court.
A former No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft is now on his third NBA franchise in three years.
Markelle Fultz, who had been picked first overall in the 2017 draft by the 76ers, signed a 10-day contract with the Raptors, hoping for a shot to help the team down the stretch run of the season.
Sacramento Kings guard Markelle Fultz bringing the ball up court. AP
The Raptors currently sit in fifth in the Eastern Conference and seem to be looking to bolster their depth at the point guard position, with Immanuel Quickley dealing with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
Fultz has not played in an NBA game since last season, when he suited up for 21 games with the Kings, for whom he averaged 2.9 points per game, along with one rebound and 1.3 assists.
The University of Washington product has spent some time this season playing for the Raptors’ G League affiliate, Raptors 905.
He’s averaged 9.4 points, 6.2 assists and 2.2 turnovers in five appearances with the G League team.
Fultz could be available for the Raptors in the postseason since he was not on an NBA roster after March 1.
Fultz never panned out into the player he was expected to be coming out of college.
The 76ers traded the No. 3 pick and another first-round selection in 2017 to move up to the top spot in the draft to take Fultz.
Markelle Fultz of the Raptors 905 dribbles the ball during the game against the Delaware Blue Coats on March 8, 2026 NBAE via Getty Images
Injuries have followed Fultz since he was picked, and he ended up playing in fewer than 20 games in both of his first two seasons in the NBA.
He developed into a strong defensive player and ended up playing five seasons in Orlando, with his best being the 2022-23 campaign when he shot 51.4 percent from the field and averaged 14 points.
Feb 17, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) delivers a pitch during a Spring Training workout at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images
The Dodgers close out their exhibition schedule with one more Freeway Series game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Shohei Ohtani starts the final game of spring training, his second game on the mound this spring. He struck out four in 4 1/3 scoreless innings last Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants at Camelback Ranch, allowing one hit, two walks, and a hit batter.
Tuesday game info
Teams: Dodgers vs. Angels
Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
Time: 5:10 p.m.
TV: SportsNet LA, Fan Duel Sports Network West (Angels), MLB Network (out of market)
The Boston Bruins have signed their top prospect James Hagens to an AHL amateur tryout agreement and he will report to the Providence Bruins, the team announced Monday night.
“We’re very excited to have James join the Bruins organization and take this next step,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said in a press release.
“James is an important part of our future, and this is a great opportunity for him to get immediate experience at the professional level in Providence and continue his development, while keeping all options open.”
Hagens will practice with Providence on Tuesday, per the team. The P-Bruins have the best record in the AHL’s Eastern Conference and their next three games are Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
Hagens cannot join the Bruins and play in the NHL until he signs his entry-level contract.
While some fans might be disappointed that Hagens is not immediately joining the NHL roster, getting some reps in Providence against AHL competition is a good next step in his development after Boston College’s season ended this past weekend. If Hagens thrives in Providence, maybe the Bruins will bring him to the NHL at some point this season.
This scenario is also not new for the B’s. Charlie McAvoy signed an AHL amateur tryout agreement and reported to Providence in late March of 2017 after his Boston University season ended. McAvoy eventually signed his ELC and played in all six playoff games for the B’s that spring.
Hagens is coming off a fantastic sophomore season at BC in which he tallied a career-high 47 points (23 goals, 24 assists) in 34 games.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 15: Hunter Brown #58, Josh Hader #71 and Jeremy Peña #3 of the Houston Astros pose for a photo after the team photo before the MLB All-Star Game at Truist Park on July 15, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One final look at who will be on the Opening Day Roster on March 26.
As the Houston Astros prepare for their final two exhibition games of spring with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, we take on final look at projecting the Opening Day Roster.
Starting Pitching:
Hunter Brown
Mike Burrows
Cristian Javier
Tatsuya Imai
Lance McCullers Jr.
The Astros announced they would begin the season with a 5-man rotation. They have also previously stated their intention to keep SP Tatsuya Imai on his traditional NPB schedule of pitching every sixth day in his first season in MLB. The Astros have 2 off days before they begin a stretch of 13 games in a row on April 10.
Imai in the 4 spot allows the team to keep his scheduled starts outside of a normal MLB rotation schedule before they need to add a sixth starter.
The team announced earlier today that SP Spencer Arrighetti had been optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land, indicating he will be the 6th starter. Having Arrighetti pitch in Sugar Land the first few weeks of the season allows the team to continue building his stamina, getting him closer to being able to throw 90-100 pitches and getting him on schedule for when they intend to have him pitch once that 13 straight game stretch April 10 starts.
The Bullpen:
Bryan Abreu – CL
Bryan King
A.J. Blubaugh
Steven Okert
Enyel De Los Santos
Ryan Weiss
Christian Roa
Roddery Munoz
I have Munoz making the roster over Kai-Wei Teng because Munoz was a Rule V pick and they have to keep him on the active roster all year or offer him back to the team they selected him from (Reds) and Teng still has options.
This gives the Astros a chance to continue to look at Munoz before ultimately making a decision on him that can cause them to lose him entirely. Munoz struggled his last two appearances after a strong run, and I think the Astros want more time to look at him, so I think he will get some run as a low leverage reliever.
Christian Roa has been tremendous in spring and has earned a look in the pen to start the season, when the Astros are going to have a full 8-man pen and while Josh Hader and Bennett Sousa are on the IL. In 9.2 IP, Roa allowed one run (a solo HR) on a total of 5 hits and struck out 13 without walking a batter (he did hit 2 batters). Every team loves pen guys who don’t hand out free passes.
Teng loses out partly because he has options and partly because of the wildness he displayed in spring (6 walks in 10.2 IP). Demoting Teng lets the Astros continue to fine tune a pitcher that has the kind of stuff they like. I wouldn’t expect Teng would be down long.
If for some reason Enyel De Los Santos is deemed not to be ready for Opening Day, Teng would take that spot. De Los Santos has guaranteed money, so he will be in the pen if he’s up to speed.
Starting Lineup:
Jeremy Pena – SS
Yordan Alvarez – LF
Jose Altuve – 2B
Carlos Correa – 3B
Isaac Paredes – DH
Christian Walker – 1B
Yainer Diaz – C
Cam Smith – RF
Jake Meyers – CF
Jeremy Pena continues to make progress and if there is not risk of re-injury to his finger, I think it’s plausible he’s starting the season on the Opening Day roster. If he starts on IL, he will have to miss the first 10 games, and if the Astros think he will only need a day or two, I don’t think he gets IL’ed.
Games that Pena cannot play, Carlos Correa will play SS and Isaac Paredes will move to 3B, with Yordan Alvarez likely in the DH spot and one of the younger OFs in left.
The team will look to find ways to get Paredes in the lineup as much as they can, as they really like his offensive profile. Walker needs to be productive or he could find himself losing playing time, as it’s clear team prefers Paredes bat to Walker’s.
They won’t just bench Walker (unless disaster strikes) but they will ensure Paredes plays.
I can see Cam Smith leapfrogging Yainer Diaz in the lineup as well if Cam starts hot and Yainer struggles.
Bench Roles:
Backup catcher: Christian Vazquez.
The Astros didn’t sign Vazquez to stash him in the minors. I also don’t believe Vazquez would have signed if he expected to be in the minors.
Astros made it clear they have heavy reservation about Cesar Salazar being able to hit enough at the MLB level. They wanted the experience and leadership of Vazquez.
Backup SS/IF – Nick Allen.
The Astros got Allen because of his tremendous glove. Allen can play top level defensive shortstop and second base. He would be a long term play in case of significant injury. He will also see time as a late inning defensive replacement.
Backup OF: Joey Loperfido.
This presumes that Yordan Alvarez is going to see more time in LF than the Astros are letting on, and I believe it is reasonable to expect Alvarez to at least play LF twice a week on average. That number could rise depending on how the team figures out getting Paredes ABs, which is a priority for them.
Loperfido had a tremendous spring and can play all three OF spots well defensively. He’s also a left-handed bat, which the team sorely needs to help balance the lineup.
Final Bench Spot: Brice Matthews.
Matthews has shown he can play more than just 2B. Like Cam Smith a year ago, his tremendous speed and athleticism has seen him take to the OF with relative ease.
While he has had minimal time in LF, it does seem the Astros are fine with playing him there (they did play Altuve there last year after all).
Matthews has performed well offensively at Triple-A Sugar Land (.260 AG, .371 OBP, .830 OPS 17 HR 41 SB in 419 AB at AAA in 2025) and while his bat may not be fully ready for MLB just yet, his speed on the bases and extra base potential as well as his positional flexibility will earn him a look early in the season.
Zach Cole’s propensity for striking out really burned his chances of starting the season with the big league club. He hits the ball very hard, generates terrific exit velos, but the swing-and-miss is highly concerning and he can clearly do with more ABs at Triple-A (Cole only has 51 career AB at AAA). Cole will be back once he gets his swing right.
Matthews can act as the RH side of a platoon with Loperfido in the early part of the season, which should see the Astros face at least 4 LH starters early. His basestealing ability can also make him a late inning weapon on the basepaths.
I am interested to see if Matthews can get any run in CF is Meyers is poor at the plate. Meyers hit .152 with a .389 OPS in spring, while Matthews hit .250 with a .400 OBP and .817 OPS as well as 8 SB. Matthews has far more upside than Meyers offensively, much more power, and his speed translates on the bases much better.
I think it is likely that the Astros continue to work on finding a taker for Meyers so they can make Matthews the new CF before the trade deadline. Matthews has the chance to be a dynamic player with league leading SB totals. Cole getting his swing right at AAA would also encourage the Astros to find a taker for Meyers.
While Meyers is a terrific defensive player, his offensive limitations are significant and he is highly likely to regress closer to his norms this season at the plate.
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 12: A general view of the Globe Life Field roof during a game between the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals at Globe Life Field on April 12, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Bailey Orr/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With cacti and canyons behind them for another spring, the Texas Rangers begin their annual tune-up back in Arlington with a two-day exhibition slate against their Surprise roommates from KC.
LHP MacKenzie Gore will take the mound in home whites for the first time for Texas opposite RHP Michael Wacha for the Royals.
Today’s Lineups
ROYALS
RANGERS
Maikel Garcia – 3B
Brandon Nimmo – RF
Bobby Witt – SS
Wyatt Langford – CF
Lane Thomas – CF
Corey Seager – SS
Salvador Perez – C
Jake Burger – 1B
Vinnie Pasquantino – 1B
Josh Smith – 2B
Starling Marte – RF
Josh Jung – 3B
Jonathan India – 2B
Joc Pederson – DH
Isaac Collins – LF
Evan Carter – LF
Carter Jensen – DH
Danny Jansen – C
Michael Wacha – RHP
MacKenzie Gore – LHP
You can catch the telecast locally on CW33 or nationally out of market on MLB Network, listen to the radio broadcast via 105.3 The Fan, or you can follow along on Gameday. First pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 7:05 pm CT.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 11: Luis Castillo #58 of the Seattle Mariners throws a pitch during a Spring Training game against the Colorado Rockies at Peoria Stadium on March 11, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners lost the final game of spring training to their complex-mates the Padres today, 10-3, but that is not important. Here’s what’s important:
Luis Castillo strong in final appearance of spring
Castillo went five innings and gave up just one run on four hits with five strikeouts. He got the Padres hitters to put the ball on the ground a bunch for easy outs, got whiffs on his four-seamer, and threw 51 of his 76 pitches for strikes. It was a comfortingly familiar performance from Castillo that it’s not hard to imagine him repeating at T-Mobile Park in about a week.
Cal and Julio team up for an early run
As much fun as the WBC was, seeing Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez combine to knock in a run in the first inning reminded us all of how much we didn’t get to see that this spring. Brendan Donovan, who is allergic to not getting on base, was hit by a pitch to start the game, then moved to third on a Raleigh double (114 off the bat!). Julio followed that up with a hard-hit (106 mph) single of his own to knock in Donovan. Unfortunately, Cal was left standing on third as the next three hitters all made outs, which is an issue I very much hope gets left in Peoria – too many times this spring it’s felt like the Mariners failed to add on when they had good opportunities to do so. One final note on Donovan: he ends spring as the Mariners hits leader, with 19. Cole Young, who didn’t play this game, ends up the leader for home runs, with six, and the RBI leader, with 18, just as we all predicted.
Randy Arozarena continues to heat up
The Mariners got their second run of the game off actual-starter Germán Márquez, who thought he could sneak an elevated fastball past Randy Arozarena. That was just his second homer of the spring, with his first coming five days ago in the game against the Brewers. Arozarena has been historically somewhat of a streaky player, so hopefully he’s headed back to Seattle on one of his heaters.
Leo Rivas: likely Opening Day shortstop
Leo Rivas made another start at shortstop today and it feels like that’s what the Mariners will be rolling out on Opening Day. There’s been no official update on J.P. Crawford’s status but he still wasn’t playing catch yesterday, per Daniel Kramer, so it feels like Rivas is being primed for an Opening Day start. It would be the first Opening Day start of Rivas’s career and his first time being on an Opening Day roster, so make sure to pack an extra tissue or two if you’re headed to the game.
Brash continues to search for command
It’s not Matt Brash’s fault there were two errors committed behind him in the infield that led to a run scoring, but there were some yellow flags in his performance beyond that. Brash, whose start to spring was slowed by a dental issue, still doesn’t quite seem like he’s got his command dialed in; the sinker and slider were both all over the place today, and he got lucky with some pitches that wound up way too much on the plate, including an inning-ending run-saving double play on a slider that came off the bat of Ethan Salas at 105 mph. The box score will tell you that Brash threw just nine of his 18 pitches for strikes; I will tell you that just because a Padres hitter swung doesn’t necessarily mean the pitch was a strike. Anyway, color me lightly concerned over Brash’s readiness for the regular season. I feel like that color is yellow.
Vargas sharp again
At the opposite end of the command spectrum we have Carlos Vargas, which is a weird sentence to type considering his history of wandering command. But Vargas again set down his assigned hitters 1-2-3, although he did have to battle with the lone major leaguer of the crew, fighting Ramón Laureano for eight pitches before getting him to go after an elevated sinker for a strikeout. I am still baffled as to why Vargas insists on throwing just the sinker-slider combo and essentially abandoning his cutter, a pitch I always thought was a good weapon for weak contact, but maybe the Mariners are having him edit his arsenal to try to tame the command issues. It doesn’t feel like the leash on Vargas is particularly long considering all the good depth they have squirreled away in Tacoma, but for now it seems pretty clear he’s been given a spot in the bullpen – and having José Ferrer around to slide Vargas into lower-leverage spots is definitely improvement.
But wait, Kate, if Castillo only gave up one run and Brash only gave up one run and Vargas went 1-2-3, how did the Padres win 10-3?
I feel very badly for Casey Hintz for getting saddled with the eighth inning in this one. Hintz was a 2025 draftee out of Arizona in the 16th round and from what I hear, the team likes him and thinks he’ll be a quick mover. Unfortunately being a polished collegiate who is also a recent draftee sometimes means you get thrown into situations like these, playing one of your early professional games in front of the biggest crowd you’ve ever been in front of with a shaky infield behind you and sometimes an outing just goes sideways, which is what happened to Hintz. He’ll bounce back. (The other fistful of runs was given up by Reese Lumpkin, who I am sorry to say I don’t know anything about other than he was signed as an UDFA this past July.)
A final thank you
If you’ve been reading these spring training recaps and participating in game threads, thank you so much. Spring training is always a tough one to talk about seriously with the radio-only delayed games and the parade of NRIs and the ridiculous desert conditions coloring performances, but this year was particularly rough with the wave of regulars out for the WBC and the general lack of position battles and the kind of spicy spring storylines that generate conversation. So if this is your first or your thirtieth spring training game of the year, thanks for being along for the ride.
SURPRISE, AZ - FEBRUARY 19: Michael Wacha #52 of the Kansas City Royals poses for a photo during the Kansas City Royals photo day at Surprise Stadium on Thursday, February 19, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Caitlin O'Hara/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Cactus League play has wrapped up, so the Royals begin their seemingly-annual exhibition trip to Dallas to play the Rangers at Globe Life in advance of Opening Day. It’s not spring training, it’s not the regular season, it’s…baseball purgatory I guess. I’ve heard you don’t want to be flying around Atlanta right now anyway. Huge lines.
For this exhibition game, the Royals will start Michael Wacha. We all know this guy and what he’s done.
The Rangers will start Mackenzie Gore, who is still somehow just 27 years old. I feel like he’s been talked about forever. He is on his third MLB team in his fifth season, and it’s the first with the Rangers, who gave up a ton of prospects to get him. Gore’s a good pitcher but has generally been worse than Michael Wacha the past few years. He’s just younger.
The game starts at 7:05pm US Central time. You can watch the game on MLB Network, though possibly only out-of-market. I’m a little confused as to what’s listed on MLB Gameday, which says “MLBN, MLBN (out of network)”. If you happen to live in the Rangers viewing area, you can watch on CW33. You can listen on 96.5 the Fan or the Royals Radio Network.
Cincinnati has hired Utah State’s Jerrod Calhoun as its next men’s basketball head coach, multiple sources confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Monday, March 23.
The move comes one day after Calhoun’s Aggies team lost to No. 1 seed Arizona 78-66 in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Utah State finished the season 29-7, winning the Mountain West regular-season and tournament titles.
Over his two seasons with the Aggies, Calhoun’s teams went 55-15 and made the NCAA tournament twice.
Calhoun is an Ohio native who graduated from Cincinnati in 2004. He served as a student assistant under Bob Huggins from 2003-04 and later coached under Huggins as an assistant at West Virginia from 2007-12.
The 44-year-old Calhoun was previously the head coach at Youngstown State, where he went 118-106 from 2017-24, and Fairmont State, a Division II school in West Virginia where he went 124-38 from 2012-17, which included a national runner-up finish in 2017. One of Calhoun’s assistants for three seasons at Fairmont State was current Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla.
With Calhoun’s departure, Utah State continues its recent standing as a way station for top mid-major coaches in the sport. Calhoun is the fourth coach in the past six years who has left the Aggies for another job, three of which were in power conferences, joining Craig Smith (Utah), Ryan Odom (VCU) and Danny Sprinkle (Washington). Despite that turnover, Utah State has made the NCAA tournament in six of the past seven years in which it was held. During that stretch, it went 201-71 and won at least 25 games six times.
The Aggies will be heading to the reformed Pac-12 after this season. Given the recent track record of their coaches, they’ll instantly become one of the more attractive job openings in the sport.
At Cincinnati, Calhoun will inherit a program that has two national championships to its name and that was a national powerhouse under Huggins during the 1990s and 2000s, but has gone seven years without an NCAA tournament appearance, the program’s longest such drought in more than 30 years.
He’ll replace Wes Miller, who was fired earlier this month after going 100-74 in five seasons. Since joining the Big 12 ahead of the 2024-25 season, the Bearcats are 37-31 overall and 16-22 in conference play.
At five years old, crayons in hand, a young boy from Hermosillo, Mexico drew his dream on a piece of paper. It involved bright lights, a hardwood floor, and his name stitched across an NBA jersey.
On Monday, that child’s imagination took its boldest step toward reality as Karim Lopez, a 6-foot-9 forward with a wingspan built for tomorrow’s league, officially declared for the 2026 NBA Draft.
Karim Lopez looks to make history at the NBA draft. Getty Images
And not just any draft story. This one could be historic for Lopez.
Lopez, ranked No. 11 on ESPN’s big board, isn’t simply another international prospect climbing the ladder. He’s on the verge of becoming the first Mexican-born player ever selected in the first round — a seismic shift for a country that has long watched the NBA from a distance, waiting for a star it could fully claim.
“It’s been my dream… since I can remember,” Lopez said. “I was probably like five years old, making drawings of myself playing in the NBA.”
Now, the drawings are starting to look like scouting reports.
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After two seasons with the New Zealand Breakers in Australia’s NBL, Lopez has forged himself in a league that doesn’t care about hype. He averaged 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds on 49% shooting this season, setting a single-season scoring record (358 points) for NBL Next Stars while flashing the kind of versatility NBA teams chase like gold in June.
Lopez has the size, the touch around the rim, and the toughness required to play an 82-game NBA schedule. He still needs to work on his jumper and his footwork, but with the right development, he has a high ceiling.
Lopez left Mexico at 14, sharpened his game in Spain with Joventut Badalona, then endured the grind of a grown-man league in Australia. He came back from a summer back injury and dropped 32 points in January like a warning shot.
“I want to show NBA teams who I am,” he said. “There’s things people haven’t seen yet.”
Karim Lopez could be the first Mexican-born player to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft. Getty Images
That’s the intrigue. That’s the gamble. That’s the NBA draft in a nutshell.
Because if Lopez hits — truly hits — this won’t just be about one player. It will echo through gyms across Mexico, where kids are still drawing their futures, wondering if the league has room for them too.
BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 29: A general view as Charlie Morton #50 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fourth inning in game one of a split doubleheader at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 29, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Orioles fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Last week, I asked you to think about how many games the Orioles will win this season. The majority of people who responded see the team ending up in a win range that will get them back into the postseason after missing out last year. For this week, the question is more specific. How far do you think that the Orioles will get?
Much to the ongoing disappointment of Orioles fans, the team has not won a postseason game in more than a decade now. Neither the 101-61 AL East champions from 2023 or the 91-71 wild card team from 2024 proved to have enough juice to snap this streak. Then last year’s ongoing failure happened and they didn’t even get a third bite at the apple. Sheesh.
The team already has some challenges to contend with before the 2026 season has even begun with early spring injuries to Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg. It’s still unclear when or even if Westburg will be able to play this year. There are also things that look to be going much better for the Orioles, with a starting rotation that’s heavily revamped compared to the mess of last season. If you believe in some bounce-backs and some strong years from younger players, it’s not hard to picture better things.
Vote in the survey above and let us know what you feel in the comments below. Results will be posted later in the week.
Feb 14, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) pitches during spring training at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
As the St. Louis Cardinals make their way toward Busch Stadium for Opening Day Thursday, they make a stop in Springfield for a game against the minor league Cardinals at Hammons Field starting at 6:05pm. According to the Cardinals, it will be Dustin May pitching for the big league Cardinals while Brycen Mautz will start for the baby birds.
Mar 22, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) goes in for a layup against Toronto Raptors forward Jonathan Mogbo (2) during the third quarter at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images | Anna Carrington-Imagn Images
The Phoenix Suns are in the thick of the playoff race. They are teetering on that “play-in” line, with each win pulling them a bit closer to the top-6, but each loss tugging them back in the other direction. Unfortunately, of late, the losses are tugging them closer to the play-in.
If they took care of business in some very winnable games, we could be in an entirely different situation where we are breathing down the neck of the Rockets, Nuggets, and Timberwolves, all of whom are tied for the 4-6 seeds and a full four games ahead of Phoenix as things stand.
This is the reality of where we stand:
It feels like they’ve been stuck at the 7 seed forever, which, in typical NBA fashion, would be good for a tie for the 5th seed in the East with the Raptors. That’s the difference between conferences, as instead of fighting for home court advantage in the first round, they are now fighting for their playoff lives.
But as the saying goes, “if if was a fifth, we’d all be drunk.”
The Nuggets, Rockets, and Wolves are all 4.0 games ahead of Phoenix. The Suns play the Nuggets tomorrow, so there will be an opportunity to gain a full game and cut it down to three, but again, time is ticking.
The Lakers, whom the Suns thought securing the tiebreaker over (at the time) would be important, have distanced themselves from Phoenix quite a bit and are now completely out of reach at 46-25. They are currently on a 9-game win streak.
The Clippers, meanwhile, are hanging around. Phoenix looks to be a lock for the 7th seed, barring an unexpected streak in either direction.
Now, we have two questions.
Who do we want to face in the first round if they move into the top 6?
If we remain in the play-in, who do we want as the first-round matchup?
The answer to number one, to me, is the Los Angeles Lakers by a landslide compared to the alternatives. Yes, they still have Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, and they are clicking right now. That defense can be exposed, and I like that matchup compared to getting a team like OKC or San Antonio in round one. The inevitable free-throw disparity would worry me, but overall, I’d take that as a 3-6 matchup if by some miracle the Suns can get hot one last time and pass one of those three teams.
The answer to the second question is all about avoiding the “other” LA team. The Clippers have a version of Kawhi Leonard that should scare people. Miss me with them in the play-in. He’s the type of star that can carry a team to a win in an environment like that, where the Blazers don’t have anyone at that level despite their strong play of late.
Oct 24, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) guards Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) in the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Order of Play-In preference:
Portland Trail Blazers
Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Clippers
Steph is still Steph, despite the injury and uncertainty in his status. I would also prefer to avoid him in a single-game elimination environment.
All signs are pointing towards a Suns-Clippers 7 vs. 8 matchup, especially with the Clippers’ light upcoming schedule, but you can’t count the Blazers out as they sit just a half-game back of Los Angeles right now. It’s going to be a wild few weeks to close things out.
Who do you want the Suns to face in the play-in? Let us know in the comments.
MESA, Ariz. — Carlos Lagrange received the news Thursday that he was being reassigned to Yankees minor league camp, but there was still a reward to come for a standout camp.
The club’s top pitching prospect boarded the cross-country charter with the team from Tampa on Sunday for a chance to make one more start against the Cubs on Monday afternoon. It was a small taste of big league life, giving the 22-year-old right-hander a glimpse of what is to come if and when he gets the call to the majors later this season.
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“It leaves you wanting more,” Lagrange said through an interpreter. “It gives you hunger to keep on working harder to get to it.”
That reward, though, also came with some reality that was still the case even as he dominated lineups in the Grapefruit League earlier this spring: He is not yet a finished product. Facing the toughest lineup he has seen all spring — essentially the Opening Day Cubs lineup — Lagrange came back to earth for a day. His strike throwing was not as sharp as it was earlier in camp and it led to him getting tagged for eight runs on nine hits across 2 ²/₃ innings, raising his spring ERA from 0.66 to 4.96.
New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Lagrange #84, throwing a warmup pitch before the start of the 2nd inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“It was tough, but it was pretty good, because I threw versus big league hitters,” Lagrange said. “There’s a big difference between big league hitters and minor league hitters. … It jumps out that they know how to look for a pitch and be ready to attack in different counts. Falling [behind] doesn’t help when you’re facing those guys.”
Of course, the results this time of year still do not matter, and the rough ending should not tarnish what was otherwise a terrific spring for Lagrange, showing the Yankees he may be closer to the big leagues than they thought entering camp, despite never having pitched above Double-A.
That will change later this week, as Lagrange is set to open the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, another test for him as he races toward the big leagues.
“I think it’s all been valuable [this spring],” manager Aaron Boone said. “But more than anything, he’s kept his head down as far as continuing to get better. That’s the biggest thing, just seeing what he did last year, feel like he’s grown over the winter and into spring training here. Real excited about where he’s at.”
After giving up a run in the first inning on a bloop single, Lagrange responded by striking out the side in the second — on a changeup to Dansby Swanson and on sliders to Matt Shaw and Dylan Carlson, generating some silly-looking swings. It reinforced that Lagrange has more than just a triple-digit fastball, as the secondary stuff is what may allow him to remain a starter long term.
“The off-speed’s what makes him special,” Boone said. “His fastball’s great. It’s 100, 102. But his secondaries are what make him potentially so good. What’s been exciting is just his consistency in this six weeks that we’ve seen of the strike throwing. So if he continues that, he’ll be impacting us before long.”
The Cubs came back around to punish Lagrange in the third, with Michael Busch (on a hanging slider) and Alex Bregman (on a 100 mph fastball above the zone) crushing back-to-back home runs.
But Monday’s experience can serve as an additional lesson for Lagrange to put in his back pocket as he heads for Triple-A. What he showed this spring caught the attention of everyone with the Yankees, from the front office to coaches to even established veterans like Gerrit Cole and Max Fried, who both said they had never seen anything like Lagrange’s consistent triple-digit velocity — Cole even calling it “silly.”
Now, as Lagrange heads out of sight, it is up to him to make sure he is not out of mind.
“I wanted to feel that I could compete, face guys and challenge guys and throw pitches in the strike zone and be aggressive attacking the zone,” Lagrange said of his spring overall. “I think I was able to do that. You get confidence from doing that and competing with those guys on the field. Really good experience for me.”
Isaac Newton knew long ago that momentum isn’t always upward. | Getty Images
The big, magic word for the White Sox this year is supposed to be “momentum.”
Momentum works both ways, folks.
To demonstrate without using video of a Russian dissident making the poor decision to stand by a an upper-story window, let us select this afternoon’s Cactus League finale.
The Sacramento or wherever they’re playing this year A’s tried as hard as they could to hand the game to the White Sox early. Starting pitcher Luis Morales walked the bases loaded in the first and then hung a sinker that Lenyn Sosa hammered for a three-run double. Reliever JJ Goss then gave up four runs in the fourth on a slew of hits, the key being a two-run double by Chase Meidroth.
Voila! White Sox up, 7-0! What could possibly go wrong, especially given the A’s pulled all their starters after two innings so they’d have plenty of time to pack for the flight home, inserting minor-leaguers?
Plenty, it turned out.
Anthony Kay, who had been having a good spring, didn’t exactly coast through the first three innings. But still, he had given up no runs until the small matters of a sac fly and then a grand slam by the mighty Drew Swift made it 7-5 after four. On one of those spring leave-the-game-but-come-back things, Kay then walked the first two batters in the fifth, both of whom scored when Morris Austin came in and couldn’t get much of anyone out. Morris then added two more runs on his own tab.
Make it 9-7, A’s, after five.
Sosa, who presumably would like to get some regular playing time when the games count, knocked in another run with a double in the sixth to make it 9-8. Grant Taylor, who has had a rough spring, gave up a run in the bottom of the eighth that turned out to be crucial, because a Darren Baker RBI single in the ninth could then only cut the A’s lead to 10-9.
If this game set momentum into the season for the White Sox, then look forward to lots of pure slop. Sox pitchers walked seven and hit three batters while giving up 12 hits. The batters were handed their own seven walks and went 6-for-14 with runners in scoring position, but still left 12 on base.
Ah, well, the good news is that as awful as this game was, it doesn’t matter, just gives the White Sox a 15-16-1 spring record no one will remember even a few weeks from now. The bad news is, games that matter begin in Milwaukee Thursday afternoon, and nothing is pointing the momentum arrow upward.
Oh, yeah … normally we’d include some videos from the game. Turns out nobody shot any. Good decision.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 17: Spencer Arrighetti #41 of the Houston Astros throws a bullpen session during spring training workouts at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 17, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros announced today that they have optioned SP Spencer Arrighetti to Triple-A Sugar Land.
This move would seem to indicate that Arrighetti will be the sixth starter for the team when they move to the expanded rotation in mid-April.
Having Arrighetti pitch in the starting rotation for the Space Cowboys will allow the Astros to keep him stretched out so that he is ready to go 90-100 pitches when he is recalled and they go to the 6-man rotation. They can also make sure he stays on schedule for when they intend to pitch him in the rotation.
Both of those would be much harder to do with him in the Astros bullpen.
The Astros begin a stretch of 13 straight games on April 10.
