Latest on Mets in World Baseball Classic: Juan Soto goes hitless as Dominican Republic bows out to USA

Here are the latest updates on current Mets who are playing in the World Baseball Classic...


 

March 15

USA vs. Dominican Republic

It was not Juan Soto's day at the plate as the Dominican was knocked out of the WBC with a 2-1 loss to the United States in the semis on Sunday night in Miami.

Soto finished 0-for-4 with a strikeout and grounding into a 6-3 double play with runners on first and second to end the fifth inning. He was robbed of a hit to start the fourth inning when ex-teammate Aaron Judgemade a nice diving grab in right.

Of course, the Mets' slugger did have some horrible luck on the strikeout as home plate umpire Cory Blaser called him out on a 1-2 slider from Garrett Whitlock that appeared two inches below the zone.

Soto did have a running grab in the gap in left-center to rob Will Smith of a hit to start the top of the fourth.

Huascar Brazobán continued to have a very strong spring in the WBC and Grapefruit League, as he looks primed to make the Opening Day roster. The right-hander retired all four batters he faced, including striking out the side in the sixth, first getting Smith swinging through a cutter above the zone, Roman Anthony looking at a 96 mph sinker on the corner at the knees, and Brice Turang whiffing on a changeup off the plate.

Brazobán needed just 14 pitches and got four whiffs (on six swings) and four called strikes. 

The USA sealed the win with the tying run on third base thanks to another generous called strike three from Blaser. This time, Mason Miller got Geraldo Perdomo looking at a 3-2 slider that was even lower than the one to Soto.

March 13

Dominican Republic vs. Korea

Team DR crushed Korea in the quarterfinals on Friday night, beating them by the mercy rule, 10-0, in just seven innings.

While Yankees catcher Austin Wells delivered the final blow with a walk-off three-run homer, Juan Soto's slide was the highlight of the night.

Soto hit a leadoff single in the third inning and then scored from first base on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s double, using a perfect swim move to avoid the tag at the plate. Korea challenged the safe call, but it was upheld and pushed the Dominican Republic's lead to 4-0.

He finished the game 1-for-4 and is hitting .316 with a 1.090 OPS during the tournament.

The DR will now face the United States, which beat Canada, in the WBC semifinals on Sunday in Miami.

 

USA vs. Canada

Down 5-3 in the ninth, Team Canada asked Mets outfielder Jared Young to pinch-hit. Leading off against Mason Miller, Young fought back from a 0-2 count to work it full.

Young, however, struck out looking on a pitch that may or may not have clipped the inside corner. 

Canada would ultimately lose to the USA and Young's WBC ends with him going 1-for-6 with three strikeouts.

March 11

Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela

Team DR closed pool play with a win on Wednesday, and two Mets were directly involved in the victory. 

Juan Soto got the scoring started, lifting the first of four DR homers on the night, giving them a two-run advantage just three batters into the game.

Venezuela was able to retire Soto in his next two ABs, but he reached on an infield single in the top of the seventh and then drew a two-out walk in the ninth, raising his OPS to 1.233 for the tournament. 

He's also hitting .333 with a double, two homers, and four RBI. 

Huascar Brazoban also enjoyed a strong night on the mound, striking out three batters around a leadoff walk and stolen base in the bottom of the fourth. 

Brazoban has five strikeouts over three scoreless appearances in the tournament. 

The DR will now play Korea in the quarterfinals on Friday night.  

Italy vs. Mexico

Mets prospect Nick Morabito came off the bench as a pinch-hitter late in Italy's victory over Mexico, and he grounded out in his only at-bat. 

It was just Morabito's second appearance of the tournament. 

The Italy victory is good news for Nolan McLean and Clay Holmes, though, as Team USA advanced to the knockout round, where they'll take on Canada on Friday night.  

March 10

Italy vs. USA

Mets rookie Nolan McLean was on the mound starting for Team USA on Tuesday night against Italy. It was the young right-hander's WBC debut and it started off great.

McLean needed just 11 pitches to strike out the side in the first inning. That dominance carried over into the second inning when he got the first two Italian batters to ground out. However, young White Sox catcher Kyle Teel ambushed McLean, swinging at a 96.3 mph fastball in the zone and sending it 347 feet over the Crawford Boxes in Houston's Daikin Park. 

The second inning would get worse for McLean after he hit Jac Caglianone with a pitch and went up against Sam Antonacci. The shortstop squared up McLean's fastball at the top of the plate and sent it 403 feet to give Italy a 3-0 lead.

McLean would have a better third inning. After walking Jakob Marsee to lead off the third, he got Jon Berti to fly out and Vinnie Pasquantino to strikeout looking. After a walk to Dominic Canzone, McLean ended his night getting Zach Dezenzo to ground out.

McLean pitched three innings (55 pitches/34 strikes), allowing the three runs on two hits, two walks and striking out four batters. With Team USA falling 8-6, McLean took the loss.

Israel vs. Netherlands

Young Mets pitcher Ben Simon finished off Israel's 6-2 win over the Netherlands on Tuesday afternoon.

Simon walked three but struck out three in his one inning of work. 

March 9

Mexico vs. USA

A pair of Mets each delivered scoreless innings of effective relief work in Mexico's 5-3 defeat to the Americans on Monday night in Houston.

Alex Carrillo, who made his big league debut for the Mets last season and is on the 40-man roster but assigned to minor league camp, allowed a single and a walk while striking out two in the fourth inning on 23 pitches (14 strikes).

After allowing a leadoff double to Bobby Witt Jr., the 28-year-old got Bryce Harper swinging on a down-and-in splitter. And after walking Aaron Judge, the righty got Kyle Schwarber swinging at another down-and-in splitter before inducing Alex Bregman to pop out to short.

Daniel Duarte, who signed a minor league deal with the Mets this offseason, was charged with getting Mexico through the bottom of the sixth and keeping it a three-run deficit. And the 29-year-old righty walked Witt to start the inning and saw him steal second. Duarte then got Harper swinging through a 97 mph fastball in the zone, and Schwarber to fly out to the big part of the park in center, needing just 15 pitches (eight strikes) to strand the runner.

Venezuela vs. Nicaragua

Mark Vientos went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in Nicaragua's 4-0 loss to Venezuela. In that game, Mets minor league right-hander Carlos Guzman allowed a single and a walk in 0.2 innings for the victors.

Dominican Republic vs. Israel

Juan Soto went hitless in four times up with a walk and a strikeout in a 10-1 win.

Cuba vs. Puerto Rico

MJ Melendez, serving as the DH, went hitless in two at-bats with two walks, a run scored, and a strikeout in a 4-1 win.

Colombia vs. Panama

Jose Ramos, on a minor league deal, had aRBI single in four at-bats with two strikeouts and a run scored in a 4-3 defeat.

March 7

Great Britain vs. USA

In his 2026 WBC debut for Team USA, Clay Holmes looked unstoppable in his three innings of work. The right-hander struck out six, including former Yankee teammate Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the sixth inning, and allowed just one hit while throwing 38 pitches (28 strikes).

Holmes entered in the fourth inning with Team USA down 1-0 after starter Tarik Skubal allowed a run on two hits while striking out five in his three innings of work. Team USA broke through in the bottom of the fifth inning by scoring five runs and taking the lead, which put Holmes in position for the win.

Israel vs. Venezuela

Young Mets pitcher Ben Simon took the mound to start for Israel on Saturday. However, the right-hander's night was short-lived. He allowed four runs on three hits and a walk, and recorded a single out -- a strikeout -- before he was pulled. The big blast was the two-run shot from Eugenio Suarez that gave Venezuela a 4-0 lead that they wouldn't give up. 

Nicaragua vs. Netherlands

Mark Vientos had another tough night at the plate. Starting as the team's DH on Saturday afternoon, Vientos went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts. The young Met is still looking for his first WBC hit as the Netherlands walked off Nicaragua, 4-3. 

March 6

Dominican Republic vs. Nicaragua

Juan Soto helped Team Dominican Republic in their WBC-opening game against Nicaragua.

The Mets slugger went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored.

Soto did have an error in the outfield that allowed a Nicaraguan run to score, but Team DR still rolled to a 12-3 win.

Mets reliever Huascar Brazoban helped DR by pitching 1.2 scoreless innings in relief of starter Cristopher Sanchez.

On the other side, Mark Vientos went hitless in his four at-bats, but did walk and made a nifty snag at third base to rob Fernando Tatis Jr. of a hit.

Mexico vs. Great Britain

In an earlier game, Mets reliever Alex Carrillo allowed a tying home run to Great Britain in the sixth inning.

Despite that, Carrillo struck out one in his 0.2 innings pitched.

 

Blackhawks Unable To Complete Multi-Goal Comeback, Lose To Canucks 6-3

The Chicago Blackhawks capped off trade deadline day with a match against the Vancouver Canucks. The Blackhawks certainly aren't a playoff-caliber team, but the Canucks came in with the worst record in the NHL at 18-36-7. It is almost certain that they will finish the year with the best odds of winning the lottery. 

Arvid Soderblom surprisingly started the game in goal for the Blackhawks. Spencer Knight is sick, so Caydon Edwards was signed to a PTO to be the backup. 

Before the game kicked off, Darren Pang and the Blackhawks hosted a wonderful ceremony to kick off "The Next Originals", the final chapter of their centennial celebration. 

Once the puck was dropped, it looked like two teams who made a handful of trades in an effort to build for the future. Just because the Canucks are in last place doesn't mean it isn't a team full of proud professionals. 

Ryan Donato found a loose puck dumped in by Frank Nazar and made a forehand backhand move to make it 1-0. That was just 1:08 into the game. 

Exactly one minute later, Drew O'Connor's deflection goal made it a 1-1 tie. 24 seconds later, Jake DeBrusk made it 2-1. From there, the Canucks started to clearly outskate the Blackhawks. 

Teddy Blueger made it 3-1 at 6:32, which was the third goal on Soderblom on just seven shots. With an emergency backup goalie on the bench, there wasn't even a thought about pulling him. 

Instead of going away quietly in the first period, the Blackhawks started to show some fight from there. After accepting a pass from Tyler Bertuzzi, Oliver Moore made a great play to set up Ilya Mikheyev for an open cage. The goal was scored at exactly 12:00. That 3-2 score held through the first intermission.

The second period was heavily dominated by the Blackhawks. They possessed the puck more than Vancouver, outshot them 10-6, and scored the only goal with less than one minute remaining in the middle frame. 

Frank Nazar tied the game with a deflection of Alex Vlasic's point shot. The 3-3 score went into the second intermission. After a tough start to the game, the Blackhawks really buckled down to get it tied. 

Despite having the momentum after a brilliant second period, the Canucks took it back early in the third period when Brock Boeser batted one out of mid-air past Soderblom to give the Canucks a 4-3 lead. 

With Soderblom on the bench for the extra attacker, the Canucks threw one into the empty net. They didn't settle for just one empty net goal, though. They had a second one and skated out of town with a 6-3 victory. 

This is a game that the Blackhawks fell to a lesser team because they didn't come out of the game playing well defensively. When you go down 3-1 before the first period is half over, it is going to be hard to come back once the game settles down. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Blackhawks will be back in action again on Sunday evening when they take on the Dallas Stars. This is a one-game road trip down to Texas to take on the Stars before returning home for a Monday night game against the Utah Mammoth at the United Center. 

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Canucks Win 6–3 Against The Blackhawks In First Game After The Trade Deadline

Call it the post-trade deadline bump. The Vancouver Canucks took a 6–3 win against the Chicago Blackhawks in their first game after the 2026 Trade Deadline, snapping a seven-game losing streak dating back to January 31. Drew O’Connor, Jake DeBrusk, Teddy Blueger, Brock Boeser (2), and Max Sasson all found the back of the net, while Nikita Tolopilo made 20 saves on 23 shots faced in his 10th NHL start of the season.  

Despite the moves they made resulting in major absences in their lineup, Vancouver looked noticeably lighter while playing today. Boeser, who has seen his fair share of trade deadlines, spoke on the impact the deadline passing can have on a player and their performance. 

“It’s definitely a distraction for a lot of guys when your name’s out there. I’m just happy that we’re past it, and a lot of guys are happy,” he told Sportsnet post-game. “I just want to move forward and really start playing the right way with all these young guys and the older guys.” 

With Vancouver having traded Conor Garland and David Kämpf ahead of the deadline, Aatu Räty ended up slotting back into the lineup for his first game since February 4 against the Vegas Golden Knights. Räty will likely see a lot more playing time now that Kämpf, one of the Canucks’ go-to defensive centres, has been moved. In today’s game, the forward led his team in faceoff winning percentage with 84.6% and had two hits in 10:53 minutes played. 

It looked like this game could end up being quite the shootout within the first five minutes, as the Blackhawks scored the opening goal a little over a minute into the first period. O’Connor and DeBrusk scored within 30 seconds of one-another only a minute after Chicago’s goal to give Vancouver the 2–1 lead by the three-minute mark. Blueger potted another one six and a half minutes into the period to put Vancouver up 3–1. While the Blackhawks did tie things up at three apiece, Boeser gave Vancouver the go-ahead goal at the beginning of the third period. 

Vancouver did a good job of taking themselves to the net this game, as all four of the non empty-net goals they scored came from close-range. Adding onto that, all three of the Canucks’ first-period goals came about with traffic crowding the area in front of Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Söderblom. O’Connor and Räty made their way to the net on the former’s tip-in goal, while it was Nils Höglander and DeBrusk who crowded Söderblom on the latter’s. While Blueger was all alone on his, the centre brought two Chicago players to the net with him when he put it past the goaltender. 

Part of what many fans have been looking for from the team has been an increase in minutes for their younger players now that some of their veterans have been dealt. This process started out positively in today’s game, as young forwards like Sasson and Liam Öhgren spent some time on the penalty kill, while Tom Willander and Zeev Buium each recorded over two minutes on Vancouver’s power play. 

The Canucks, for the most part, haven’t shied away from making moves better aligned with the direction they’re planning on taking now that the deadline has passed. Vancouver’s roster is noticeably younger now, with the team icing a D-core with the average age of 24 tonight. With no moves available for the rest of the season, Vancouver’s aim moving forward will be to continue growing with each game.    

“It’s definitely good to know the direction,” Boeser added. “We have so many young guys in the lineup, and we’ve talked about how everyone has to learn and stick together and focus on the details that the coaches are preaching. So that was a much better job tonight.” 

Mar 6, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Vancouver Canucks center Teddy Blueger (53) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Mar 6, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Vancouver Canucks center Teddy Blueger (53) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Stats and Facts: 

  • Today marks the second time this season Drew O’Connor and Jake DeBrusk have scored exactly 24 seconds apart in the first period, as they also did-so on November 17 against the Florida Panthers 
  • Marcus Pettersson records his first multi-point game since joining the Canucks 
  • Jake DeBrusk increases his personal point streak to three straight games 
  • With an assist today, Marco Rossi extends his personal point streak against the Blackhawks to four straight games 

Scoring Summary: 

1st Period: 

1:08 - CHI: Ryan Donato (14) from Frank Nazar

2:08 - VAN: Drew O’Connor (15) from Tom Willander and Marcus Pettersson 

2:32 - VAN: Jake DeBrusk (14) from Zeev Buium and Elias Pettersson  

6:32 - VAN: Teddy Blueger (6) from Marcus Pettersson and Max Sasson 

12:00 - CHI: Ilya Mikheyev (12) from Oliver Moore and Tyler Bertuzzi 

2nd Period: 

19:17 - CHI: Frank Nazar (8) from Alex Vlasic and Ilya Mikheyev 

3rd Period: 

2:40 - VAN: Brock Boeser (14) from Linus Karlsson and Jake DeBrusk (PPG) 

18:34 - VAN: Max Sasson (11) (ENG) 

19:44 - VAN: Brock Boeser (15) from Marco Rossi and Filip Hronek (ENG) 

Up Next: 

Vancouver will be back in action tomorrow night when they take on the Winnipeg Jets as part of Hockey Night in Canada. Since Tolopilo started tonight, it’s expected that Kevin Lankinen will play tomorrow. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:00 pm PT. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site

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OG Anunoby fills stat sheet in Knicks' 142-103 win over Nuggets

OG Anunoby scored 34 points and led the Knicks to a dominant 142-103 win over the Nuggets on Friday night in the first game of the team's West Coast trip.

Here are the takeaways...

- The Denver crowd was loud, especially to see the return of Aaron Gordon. They erupted when Gordon dunked to give Denver an early 4-2 lead, and coach Mike Brown called a timeout less than two minutes into this contest. Whatever was said didn't wake up the sluggish Knicks, as Denver scored seven straight points. New York would settle in on the offensive end, thanks to the energy from Josh Hart, who was questionable (back) before the game.

Karl-Anthony Towns picked up two fouls midway through the first and had to sit. That allowed Mitchell Robinson some early minutes, and his teammates fed him often, as the big man scored a team-high nine first quarter points. After trailing by nine, the Knicks cut the Nuggets' lead to just two at the end of one. 

Landry Shamet had six points on 2-of-3 from three, but the Knicks as a whole had trouble shooting it from long distance, going just 2-of-9 from three after one. 

- Towns returned to the floor to start the second and he took over. The big man drove to the basket and was drawing fouls even on the defensive end. And then it was Anunoby scoring seven straight points, including a step-back three with a defender all over him in the corner to give the Knicks a 53-44 lead with four-and-a-half minutes remaining in the first half. 

The Knicks would build an 11-point lead with a minute to go when Anunoby drove into the lane for a slam, but was called for an offensive foul when Jamal Murray went backward. Murray stepped on Nikola Jokic's foot as he went back and twisted his ankle and had to be helped into the locker room. The Knicks challenged the call and got the call overturned and went into halftime with a 65-52 lead.

Anunoby led the Knicks with 14 points and Robinson had 13 but picked up three fouls trying to guard Jokic. The Nuggets All-Star had a game-high 21 points at the half, but the Knicks defense was great. Denver shot 45 percent in the first half, including 2-for-19 from three. The Knicks weren't much better from three (4-18) but were 48 percent from the field. 

- The third quarter was similar to the second. Without Murray on the floor -- he did not return -- the Nuggets could not find consistent scoring outside of Jokic. And the Knicks did a good job of forcing Jokic to shoot threes, limiting how many points the former MVP can put up. On the offensive end, Anunoby's hot shooting carried over into the third as he put up 14 points in the frame while playing his patented defense. 

New York finished the third up 105-80. 

- Anunoby and the Knicks came out firing in the fourth, hitting three after three and building a 30-point lead with nine minutes to go. The Nuggets waved the white flag and emptied the bench, and the Knicks did the same.

Anunoby finished with a team-high 34 points on 11-for-17 shooting (6-of-11 from three) to go along with seven rebounds, five assists, four steals and one block. 

Jalen Brunson (9) and Mikal Bridges (9) were the only starters not to score in double digits. Brunson dished out 15 assists and came down with three rebounds. Towns scored 17 to go with his 13 rebounds while Hart was second on the team with 18 points on 8 of 12 shooting (2-for-4 from three). He also had five rebounds and two assists. 

- Jokic had a game-high 38 points on 14-of-21 shooting but was just 1-for-7 from three. He had eight rebounds and five assists. The Nuggets as a whole shot 7-of-34 from three.

Game MVP: OG Anunoby

Anunoby did it all and filled up the stat line to get the Knicks back in the win column.

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks continue their West Coast trip by heading to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers. Tip is set for 3:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

Nikola Vucevic injury update: Celtics center fractures finger in win

The Boston Celtics' newly acquired center, Nikola Vucevic, hit the locker room early and did not return after suffering an injury in Friday's game against the Dallas Mavericks.

Vucevic was ruled out with a right ring finger fracture, the team's PR staff reported on social media.

He was injured at the 4:35 mark in the first quarter of the contest after receiving a low post entry pass from Payton Pritchard.

Vucevic was being guarded by Mavericks center Moussa Cisse when Mavs teammate Khris Middleton went to help and took a swipe at Boston's big man, making contact with his hand. No foul was called.

Vucevic passed the ball back to Pritchard before fading to the corner. After Pritchard turned the ball over, Dallas went back and scored on the other end.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla called a timeout at the 4:21 mark, and seemingly discussed the no-call with an official, as the Mavericks took a 13-12 lead.

NHL-worst Canucks beat the Blackhawks 6-3 to end a 7-game skid

CHICAGO (AP) — Brock Boeser batted the puck in to break a tie at 2:40 of the third period and the NHL-worst Vancouver Canucks beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3 on Friday night to end a seven-game losing streak that started in January.

Boeser smacked the puck past Arvid Soderblom after Linus Karlsson's cross-ice feed ramped up the goalie's stick and into the air. Max Sasson and Boeser added empty-netters.

Drew O’Connor, Jake DeBrusk and Teddy Blueger had first-period goals and Nikita Tolopilo stopped 20 shots to help Vancouver win for the first time since a 2-0 home victory over Anaheim on Jan. 29. The Canucks had lost 10 of 11.

Ryan Donato, Ilya Mikheyev and Frank Nazar scored for Chicago in its fourth loss in five games since the Olympic break. Soderblom made 16 saves.

Before the game, Chicago traded forward Nick Foligno to Minnesota for future considerations. Andrew Mangiapane made his debut for the Blackhawks after being acquired from Edmonton on Wednesday.

Vancouver made a couple of big moves leading up to the trade deadline Friday, sending defenseman Tyler Myers to Dallas on Wednesday and winger Conor Garland to Columbus late Thursday. In December, the Canucks made the biggest deal of the season when they shipped captain Quinn Hughes to Minnesota.

Vancouver led 3-2 after a period. There were three goals in the first 2:32 and four in the first 6:32.

Donato opened the scoring for Chicago on a backhander at 1:08. Vancouver scored the next three — O’Connor at 2:08, DeBrusk at 2:32, both on tips, and Blueger at 6:32.

Mikheyev scored for Chicago from the slot with eight minutes left in the period, and Nazar tied it on a tip with 43 seconds to go in second.

Up next

Canucks: At Winnipeg on Saturday.

Blackhawks: At Dallas on Sunday

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Chris Drury Gives Reasoning For Holding On To Vincent Trocheck Past Trade Deadline

Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Brad Penner-Imagn Images

When New York Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury issued a letter on Jan. 16 outlining the team’s plan to “retool” the roster, the expectation was that the Blueshirts would be busy ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. 

That was partly correct. 

The Rangers made a major move before the Olympic break, trading Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Liam Greentree and a conditional third and fourth-round pick.

Panarin was expected to be traded, given that he was set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2025-26 season, and the Rangers did not intend to offer him a contract extension. 

After Panarin was traded, the attention shifted to Vincent Trocheck, who many expected to get dealt before the March 6th deadline. 

Trocheck even addressed the media earlier this week, where he openly discussed the possibility of moving to a different team and what that might look like. 

On March 5, Trocheck was held out of the Rangers’ lineup due to roster management, as a trade appeared to be imminent. 

However, the Rangers opted not to trade Trocheck despite all of the speculation and retooling direction. 

Drury ultimately wasn’t satisfied with the value Trocheck was generating on the trade market and decided it was best to hold onto him.

“Vincent Trocheck is a great player,” Drury said “He's been a great Ranger for us and a leader on and off the ice. Broadly speaking, to any player in the organization as it pertains to a retool and this trade deadline and moving forward is we're going to make deals that make sense. 

“The deals we made today and leading up to this deadline, to us made sense. Certainly weren't going to make a trade on any player just to say we made a trade. We will always continue to try and make the team better. It certainly doesn't stop today at the 3 o' clock deadline.”

The Rangers were relatively quiet in the days leading up to the trade deadline. 

The Rangers traded Sam Carrick to the Sabres in exchange for a third and sixth-round pick while also sending Brennan Othmann to the Calgary Flames for Jacob Battaglia, but no substantial move outside of the Panarin trade was made by Drury.

Rangers Trade Brennan Othmann To Flames In Exchange For Prospect Rangers Trade Brennan Othmann To Flames In Exchange For Prospect The New York Rangers have reportedly traded Brennan Othmann to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Jacob Battaglia. 

There still may be seismic shifts to the Rangers’ core on deck, but we’ll have to wait until the offseason to see where this “retool” takes the franchise. 

"There's a certain amount of teams, obviously, that are pushing towards getting in the playoffs. Teams and rosters look to get reset and do different things in the offseason,” Drury said.

“Teams will be looking at free agents and different things, and maybe moving draft picks once picks are set in stone after the lottery and after the playoffs. So, a lot of factors that go into it, and we'll certainly be ready and opportunistic when and where we can."

Mets’ Sean Manaea felt healthy in first spring start, ‘not worried’ about slight velo dip

Sean Manaea worked a ton over the offseason to rediscover his arm slot. 

The left-hander, of course, experienced a breakthrough with the Mets down the stretch in 2024 thanks to a lower slot, but he struggled mightily last season after lowering it even further. 

Manaea battled through a loose body in his elbow, as well. 

Now healthy and back closer to where he was, he’s feeling good. 

“I think it’s good,” he said. “I feel strong, I feel all of these things and I’m not worried about it -- that’s the biggest thing, just going out there and throwing and not worrying if I’m too over the top or too low, so yeah, I feel good about it.”

And Manaea certainly looked as such on Friday as he made his first start of the spring

The veteran southpaw gave up a two-out solo homer to Conor Norby in the bottom of the first, but that was it as he worked his way through three efficient innings in a loss to the Marlins.

He struck out just one batter on the night, but stretched out to 33 pitches. 

“I felt good,” Manaea said. “I mean, some pitches need a little work, but I felt healthy, for the most part was throwing strikes -- overall it was a good one to build off of, and just got to continue from there.”

Manaea dipped into his full arsenal but mainly leaned on his cutter, four-seam, and changeup. 

His fastball velo sat a couple of notches below last season's average, but nobody is sweating it after just his first time out. 

“I feel healthy, so I’m not worried,” Manaea said. 

“Not going to make too much out of the first one,” Carlos Mendoza added. “I liked the movement of all of his pitches -- he says he feels really good physically, so no concern.”

The 34-year-old staying healthy and finding his way back to that ’24 form would be a ginormous boost towards helping this rotation. 

Jayson Tatum scores 15 points in return from Achilles surgery, Celtics beat Mavericks 120-100

NBA: Dallas Mavericks at Boston Celtics

Mar 6, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) celebrates after making a three point basket against the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Winslow Townson/Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Jaylen Brown had 24 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and the Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks 120-100 on Friday night in Jayson Tatum’s first game in almost 10 months after rupturing his right Achilles tendon.

Tatum had 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting, 12 rebounds and seven assists in a rust-filled 27 minutes. He played in five- and six-minute spurts in his first game since suffering the injury in during Game 4 of Boston’s Eastern Conference semifinal loss to New York in May.

Derrick White added 20 points to help Boston win for the fourth time in five games. Dallas has lost six straight.

No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, a Maine native playing his first game in TD Garden, had 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Dallas. Klay Thompson finished with 19 points, and Naji Marshall had13 points.

Tatum missed his first six shots, including three 3-pointers. But he continued to look for his teammates and actively screening to initiate the offense.

The Celtics have 19 games remaining in the regular season, including 11 at TD Garden to try to ramp up Tatum for the playoffs.

Charge continue to climb standings with another one-sided victory

CLEVELAND, OH - MARCH 3: Keyshawn Bryant #9 of Windy City Bulls dunks the ball during the game against the Cleveland Charge on March 3, 2026 at Cleveland Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Charge continued their impressive season on Friday as they cruised to an easy 125-99 win over the shorthanded Windy City Bulls thanks to standout performances from Riley Minix and Tristan Enaruna. The victory pulls the Charge within a half game of the top spot in the conference.

G League success is defined in two ways. Are you winning? And are your players being called up? The Charge have checked both boxes, which is incredibly difficult to do because that means you need to be continually replacing the players who were just called up.

“It means that we have an incredible group, an incredible organization, and a staff that just continues to pour into these guys,” Charge head coach Eli Kell-Abrams said. “I just could not be prouder of the group we have. It’s really hard to lose the guys you lose and maintain your culture.”

One of the culture pieces they lost was Norchad Omier, who recently signed a two-way deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. This left a hole inside, which is why they targeted Olivier Sarr to fill that role. The Cleveland Cavaliers signed him to a two-way deal, and he made his debut with the Charge on Friday.

Kell-Abrams said he was proud of the way Sarr fought through adversity in his first game with the team. Sarr picked up two fouls in the first minute of the second half, which forced him to sit out the rest of the third quarter. He made up for lost time by pouring in 14 of his 18 points in the final quarter to help the Charge extend their 10-point lead at the beginning of the quarter into the 26-point blowout it became.

“He offers a level of rim protection that’s unprecedented in the G, and it’s something we’re going to rely on,” Kell-Abrams said after Sarr picked up a block and two steals to go along with his all-around good debut, albeit in just 21 minutes of play.

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Minix is another player the Charge added midway through the season, who has allowed them to keep momentum going. The Cavs signed him to a two-way deal in the middle of February. He once again made an impact with his outside shot, going 4-8 from three in his 22-point performance.

Despite how well the on-court results have been for Minix since coming to Cleveland — he came into this game averaging 19.9 points and 7.1 rebounds on .549/.461/.774 shooting splits — how he’s fit into the overall team structure is what has impressed his head coach.

“With his skill level, he could have come in and just been about his shots, been about his minutes, been about whatever he needed to do to get to the next level,” Kell-Abrams said. “But he bought into the group, and he won the guys instantly.”

Friday’s win was also carried by two guys who’ve been here all season: Enaruna and Darius Brown II.

It’s easy to talk yourself into Enaruna making an impact at the next level sooner rather than later. He’s a 6’7” wing who can attack off-the-dribble, has good lateral quickness, and most importantly has a great feel for the game.

There’s always room on an NBA court for people who have that skill. Especially one who has improved his outside shot as much as Enaruna has.

Confidence in the outside shot has been an issue with Enaruna, but that’s turning around. He shot 28.6% from three during the first 14 games of the Tip-Off Tournament, but is connecting on 47.9% of his threes since the regular season began around the start of the new year.

Enaruna attributes the improvement to having more confidence in his shot.

“Basketball is very statistics-based,” Enaruna said.

That got into his head to the point that he would worry about misses so much that it affected how he reacted when he got the ball open on the perimeter.

“I could feel my body tense up because I wanted to make it so bad,” Enaruna said. The solution was coming to a better understanding that you aren’t defined by one shot and trusting the work that you put in.

“I’ve shot thousands of threes,” Enaruna said. “I know how to make them. You just got to trust your body to do that.”

That worked on Friday, as Enaruna went 3-7 from deep en route to a 25-point, 11-rebound, and two-assist night.

Brown once again contributed 15 or more assists for the fifth time this season as he collected 18 in the victory.

“He drives it all,” Kell-Abram said of Brown. “When you have guys that are not about themselves, that are pass first in a league that is not a pass-first league, that makes us different than everybody else.”

This Charge team has indeed been different all season. They’re within striking distance of the first spot in the conference and have a deep enough team to make a run in the postseason. And that’s because this group has been built on the right things and has completely bought into each other’s success.

“It starts with the foundation,” Enaruna said. “The coaching staff putting a plan together before the season about how we’re going to do things right, no matter who we got on our squad. Whether guys are going up and down, we have this system that works, and everybody just buys in. It works for everybody.”

Sengun and Thompson help the Rockets beat the Trail Blazers 106-99

HOUSTON (AP) — Alperen Sengun scored 28 points, Amen Thompson had 26 and the Houston Rockets used a dominant fourth quarter to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 106-99 on Friday night.

Sengun shot 11 of 15 from the field while playing just 26 minutes due to foul trouble, while Thompson converted all but one of his 12 shot attempts and scored eight points in the fourth quarter.

Houston trailed 85-77 after Matisse Thybuille drained a 3-pointer a minute into the final period, but Portland missed 11 of its next 13 shots and the Rockets went on a 23-4 run that covered close to eight minutes.

Houston shot 67% in the fourth quarter, outscoring Portland 29-17.

Kevin Durant added 20 points for the Rockets (39-23), who entered the day tied for fourth in the Western Conference.

Jerami Grant led Portland with 21 points. Jrue Holiday added 20 points and 10 assists, while Donovan Clingan finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

Toumani Camara made four 3-pointers while scoring 14 points in a first quarter that ended with Portland leading 34-27.

Sengun scored 15 points in the second quarter on 6-of-8 shooting to help the Rockets take a 57-56 lead into halftime.

Blazers All-Star forward Deni Avdija missed his sixth straight game with a low back injury. Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. also sat out one night after returning from the sprained right ankle that sidelined him the previous two games.

Up next

Rockets: At the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.

Trail Blazers: Host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.

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Cam Schlittler delivers 99 mph heat in standout Yankees spring debut: ‘It’s nasty’

New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

TAMPA — The last, but perhaps most anticipated, piece of the Yankees’ projected Opening Day rotation has finally joined the fold. 

Cam Schlittler, slowed earlier in camp by mid-back/left lat inflammation, made his spring debut Friday night, throwing 2 ¹/₃ scoreless innings against the Rays at Steinbrenner Field. 

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As long as he continues to bounce back well the rest of the spring, the Yankees believe Schlittler can get built up to throw around 65-80 pitches in his regular-season debut. 

“We got a plan laid out, so I’m very confident that I’m going to be good to go that [first] weekend,” Schlittler said. 

The 25-year-old right-hander brought the heat from the jump, striking out the first batter he faced on three pitches, capped off with a 99.4 mph fastball.

That pitch averaged 98.7 mph across his 39 pitches, scattering two hits and one walk while striking out four. 

New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

But the pitch that may have jumped out the most Friday was Schlittler’s cutter, which he used to strike out a pair of batters. The pitch peaked at 96.5 mph and averaged 94.9 mph, up noticeably from the 91.9 mph it averaged last season. 

“It’s nasty, too,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Couple of his live [batting practices], just standing behind him, it’s kind of wicked. I think if he can get the consistency on that downer curveball that he has, then if you want to count the cutter as the third fastball [along with a four-seam and two-seam], the three fastballs with the curveball, then he gets pretty tough to deal with.” 

Schlittler credited Gerrit Cole with having him split the cutter into two pitches before his final start of the regular season last year, focusing on a harder cutter that he predominantly threw up in the zone. 

Cam Schlittler throwing live batting practice on a back field before a game. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

“Continue to hopefully keep the velo and location as well,” he said. 

Schlittler has the potential to elevate the Yankees’ rotation this year if he can build off his 14-game cameo last season, when he was called up in July to replace the injured Clarke Schmidt and pitched to a 2.96 ERA the rest of the way. He was even better in the playoffs, delivering an historic performance against his hometown Red Sox in the clinching Game 3 of the AL wild-card series, striking out 12 across eight shutout innings. 

Boone said that Schlittler’s confidence, combined with his competitiveness, is what impressed him the most. 

“He comes up and he’s able to make adjustments without it being stressful,” Boone said. “He was just at ease right away, in the best kind of way.”

Meet Joseph Contreras, the 17-year-old son of ex-Yankee Jose Contreras who got Aaron Judge out in WBC

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Brazil pitcher Joseph Contreras reacts after United States' Brice Turang hit a double, Image 2 shows Aaron Judge
Joseph Contreras

A high schooler got the best of Aaron Judge during Friday’s World Baseball Classic matchup between Team USA and Brazil.

Yes, a high schooler.

With the bases loaded in the top of the second inning, 17-year-old right-hander Joseph Contreras — son of former Yankee pitcher Jose Contreras — got Judge to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Brazil pitcher Joseph Contreras reacts after United States’ Brice Turang hit a double during the second inning of a World Baseball Classic game, Friday, March 6, 2026, in Houston. AP

Contreras fared better against Judge than Brazil starter Bo Takahashi, who gave up a two-run homer to the three-time American League MVP that gave the U.S. an early 2-0 lead.

Despite his brief appearance, Contreras’ outing was impressive, throwing a fastball in the high-90s while giving up one earned run in 1⅓ innings.

Brazil pitcher Joseph Contreras throws to a United States batter during the third inning of a World Baseball Classic game, Friday, March 6, 2026, in Houston. AP

Contreras is the youngest player in the entire 2026 WBC, and currently attends Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell, Georgia.

According to MLB.com, Contreras is ranked as the No. 47 draft prospect and is committed to play college baseball at Vanderbilt.

“He could fit into the top two rounds as one of the higher-ceiling arms in the high school class, though teams will have to sign him away from a Vanderbilt commitment,” Contreras’ MLB.com prospect profile says. “He still has room to pack plenty of muscle on his lanky frame, so he could add more power to his heater and his secondary offerings.”

Contreras’ father, Jose, spent 11 seasons in the big leagues (2003-13), spending time with the Yankees, White Sox, Rockies, Phillies and Pirates.

Contreras got Aaron Judge to hit into a double play. Getty Images

Across his MLB tenure, Jose posted a 4.57 ERA and 889 strikeouts through 299 appearances, along with having an All-Star appearance in 2006 with the White Sox.

Despite Jose being from Cuba, Joseph is eligible to play for Brazil in the WBC because his mother is Brazilian.

Honor Huff scores 24 to lead West Virginia over UCF 77-62 in regular-season finale

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Honor Huff scored 24 points and West Virginia finished off a season sweep of UCF with a 77-62 victory on Friday night to close out the Big 12 Conference regular season.

Huff made 4 of 14 from 3-point range and all 10 of his free throws for the Mountaineers (18-13, 9-9), who posted a 74-67 victory over UCF on Feb. 14. Brenen Lorient missed just one shot and scored 14. Reserve Chance Moore had 13 points and Jasper Floyd scored 10.

Themus Fulks and Riley Kugel both scored 16 for the Knights (20-10, 9-9), who have lost three in a row since beating then-No. 19 BYU 97-84 on Feb. 24. Jordan Burks totaled 14 points and nine rebounds.

Huff hit two of West Virginia's four 3-pointers in the first eight minutes to help the Mountaineers take an 18-10 lead. Floyd and Harlan Obioha followed with layups to cap a 9-0 run for a 12 point advantage.

UCF trailed by as many as 13, but Burks' layup with one second left made it 32-23 at halftime. UCF shot 35.5% overall, missed 5 of 6 from 3-point range and did not attempt a free throw in the first 20 minutes.

Fulks had a layup to get UCF within 44-40 with 12 minutes left, but the Knights would get no closer.

Huff was fouled beyond the arc, made all three three throws, then hit a 3-pointer before a three-point play by Moore capped a 9-1 spurt and West Virginia wasn't threatened over the final 10:22.

The rest of the Big 12 concludes play Saturday.

Up next

The conference tournament begins Tuesday at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.

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Red Wings Drop Second Consecutive Game, Lose Dylan Larkin To Injury

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Sitting in third place in the Atlantic Division, the Detroit Red Wings are determined to prove that this March, a month they've heavily struggled in during the last three campaigns, will be different this time around. 

But it's hard not to feel the listless feelings of the last three years creeping in after the way the club’s last two games have unfolded.

For the second consecutive game at Little Caesars Arena, the Red Wings dropped a contest against an opponent that had lost on the road the previous night before traveling to Detroit.

On Wednesday evening, it was the Vegas Golden Knights. And on Friday evening, it was the Florida Panthers, a team fighting for its playoff lives and which had lost its previous four games in a row, that dealt the Red Wings a disappointing loss. 

Matthew Tkachuk, Dylan Larkin's Team USA teammate with whom he won a gold medal late last month, scored his sixth career hat-trick and first since 2024 in a 3-1 win over Detroit. 

Even more concerning was that Larkin was injured midway through the third period after going down awkwardly on the ice. He slowly made his way back to the bench while hunched over, before heading immediately to the dressing room and did not return.

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Matthew Tkachuk scored the first of his three goals on the night after Michael Rasmussen turned the puck over in the corner. Carter Verhaeghe then sent a pass to a wide-open Tkachuk in front of the net, where he one-timed it past John Gibson.

The Red Wings knotted the score in the second period while enjoying a five-on-three advantage. Alex DeBrincat netted his 32nd goal of the season after he batted the puck out of the air off a rebound from the boards past goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. 

However, throughout the game, Bobrovsky looked more like the goaltender who helped lead the Panthers to consecutive Stanley Cup titles over the past two springs than the struggling netminder who entered the game with a goals-against average north of 3.00.

He turned aside everything Detroit threw at him and also caught a break when a shot from Dylan Larkin dribbled through his legs and slid just inches wide of the post. Minutes later, he made another stop on the goal line as Larkin tried to jam the puck in from the side of the net.

He also robbed Patrick Kane's deflection of a pass from DeBrincat from in tight. 

Tkachuk scored his second goal of the game early in the third period on the power-play, deflecting Sam Reinhart's shot past Gibson after a failed clearing attempt by defenseman Albert Johansson. 

With Gibson pulled for the extra attacker, Tkachuk completed the hat trick by firing the puck into the open net from his own defensive zone. 

Bobrovsky finished the game with 28 saves, while Gibson countered with 20 saves. 

The Red Wings, who acquired defenseman Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues on Friday, expect the veteran defenseman to join them in New Jersey for their next game against the Devils on Sunday. 

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