LONDON (AP) — Manchester City wins English League Cup by beating Arsenal 2-0.
Florida vs Iowa live updates: Prediction, how to watch March Madness Round 2 game
Follow all of Sunday's NCAA Tournament second round games with USA TODAY Sports' live updates.
The defending national champions didn't need a warm-up to get going in their title defense.
Florida scored an NCAA Tournament program record 114 points in its first round demolition of 16-seed Prairie View A&M. The Gators also set team NCAA Tournament marks in assists (29), field goals made (45) and field goals percentage (.643). UF's 59-point margin was also the second-largest in NCAA Tournament history.
Iowa is coming off a 67-61 win over No. 8 Clemson in Friday's first round. The Hawkeyes' All-Big Ten guard Bennett Stirtz struggled from the field (4 of 17) but still led with 16 points as Iowa won Ben McCollom's first March Madness game in black and yellow.
The winner of today's game will advance to next week's Sweet 16 to face No. 4 Nebraska in Houston.
Here's what you need to know for today's game:
HIT REFRESH FOR UPDATES.
Florida vs Iowa live score
| TEAMS | 1H | 2H | F |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Florida | — | — | — |
What time is Florida vs Iowa?
- Time: 7:10 p.m. ET, Sunday.
What channel is Iowa vs Florida? How to watch, streaming info
- The game is airing on TBS, streaming via Fubo.
Florida vs Iowa prediction, odds
Odds provided by BetMGM, as of 1 p.m., Sunday.
∎ Andrew Abadie, Gainesville Sun: Florida 84, Iowa 73
The storyline of this matchup will be the two contrasting tempos between Iowa and Florida. The Gators play a much faster pace compared to the Hawkeyes. Look for Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland to have big games as this matchup will be a test for the duo. Even with Iowa playing at a slower tempo, Florida's front court has a clear advantage.
∎ Tyler Tachman, Des Moines Register: Florida 86, Iowa 70
While Iowa has had a solid first season under Ben McCollum, the dream of a deep March run ends here. The Gators are simply too deep and too consistent. The loss to Vandy in the SEC Tournament was a bit of a wake-up call, plus this is essentially a home game for the Gators, since it's being played in Tampa. Expect the reigning champs to come out determined to repeat and send the Hawkeyes home.
- John Leuzzi: Florida
- Jordan Mendoza: Florida
- Ehsan Kassim: Florida
- Blake Schuster: Florida
- Moneyline: Florida (-550); Iowa (+400)
- Spread: Florida (-9.5)
- Over/under total: 145.5
Olivier Rioux height: How tall is Number 32 on Florida?
Earlier this season, Florida 7-9 center Olivier Rioux became the tallest player to play in an NCAA basketball game.
He broke the mark of Manut Bol, who was 7-7 and played at Division II Bridgeport.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida vs Iowa live score updates, highlights from March Madness Round 2
Highlights: Dylan Harper shines in first career start in win versus Pacers
Coming off a nail-biting win against the Phoenix Suns, the Spurs wrapped up their mini homestand against the Indiana Pacers. The Spurs would be without Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell due to their respective injuries. As a result, Dylan Harper made his first career start. The Spurs started with their foot on the gas pedal, outscoring the Pacers 42-29 in the first quarter. After taking a 13-point lead into halftime, the Spurs led by 15 after the third. The Pacers, ironically enough, were able to keep pace with the Spurs’ scoring, but could not get a stop on defense. The Spurs ultimately won 134-119.
Dylan Harper made his first career start and dropped 24 points (9-13 FG, 5-5 FT), four rebounds, and three assists. Dyl stepped up in Castle’s place in the starting lineup and played like a starting veteran guard. He looks unguardable in transition, and always seems to make the right dribble and slasher moves. He also got to the free-throw line and made all of his free throws. Shooting 69% from the field is more than an encouraging sign for this team. The 20-year-old continues to show that he has the talent to interchange with De’Aaron Fox or Castle to command the floor.
EUROSTEP AND-ONE! Dyl pulls out the crossover dribble in transition, creates space, and then eurosteps into an and-one finish over Aaron Nesmith!
STAR TYPE OF PLAY! This time in transition, Dyl crosses over Quenton Jackson and rises up for a one-handed slam!
Keldon Johnson dropped 24 points (10-12 FG), four rebounds, and four assists. Like Harper, KJ led the team in scoring. In just 25 minutes, KJ shot 83% from the field, including 67% from three-point land. No matter what the Pacers’ defense threw at him, KJ was simply on fire. 16 of his 24 came in the first half off of bully ball and three-point splashes. Sixth Man of the Year? Spurs fans seem to think so.
Victor Wembanyama dropped 20 points, eight rebounds, six assists, five blocks, and a steal. Wemby shot 44% from the field, grabbed both offensive and defensive boards, dished out lob dimes, and shut down the Pacers in the paint. Wemby is such an anomaly that even when he misses a shot, he easily grabs his own miss and puts it back in, sometimes in one motion. With 11 games remaining, Wemby’s case for MVP and DPOY continues to heat up as the highlights keep adding up.
Smooth ball movement! Wemby cuts to the paint and receives a pinpoint dime from Harrison Barnes for the easy slam! HB finished with 12 points, four rebounds, and a dime.
Lobbed it up from Helotes! Fox lobs it up from the logo with one hand to a cutting Wemby who elevates for a monster jam!
Lob City Dimer! Wemby and Carter Bryant run the P&R, resulting in an alley-oop connection with CB as the finisher!
FRENCH VANILLA IS SERVED! Wemby dominates this sequence by stuffing Jay Huff’s shot attempt and then lobbing it up for Luke Kornet in transition for the alley-oop connection! Kornet finished with nine points, eight rebounds, four assists, and a block.
POP THE CHAMPAGNIE! Wemby finds Julian Champagnie in the corner, who then drives in and finishes past Nesmith for a poster slam!
UNSTOPPABLE. Wemby misses the floater, corrals his own miss, spins off of Pascal Siakam, and puts it back in with a slam!
UNSTOPPABLE AGAIN! Wemby posts up Nesmith and steps into the paint through contact, slamming it home for the and-one! Too big and too strong!
All in all, this was another take-care-of-business game for the silver and black. Even when they started slacking with a lead, the Spurs were able to keep a sizeable lead for the entire game. Even when several starters are out, this team is still dangerous and tough to guard. With only 11 games remaining, the Spurs will look to lock up the second seed, or barring an OKC Thunder collapse, possibly take over the first seed. This young, contending team has already made lifelong memories for Spurs fans everywhere, and the playoffs will add even more.
Finally, here are the full game highlights.
The Spurs travel to Miami to take on the Heat this Monday at 6:00 P.M. (CST) on Peacock/NBCSN/FDSN-SW.
Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz takes puck to throat during warmups in scary scene
Toronto Maple Leafs goalkeeper Anthony Stolarz was scratched from Saturday’s scheduled start against Senators in Ottawa after taking a puck to the throat during warmups.
Stolarz was taken to the hospital for precautionary imaging and later released, according to NHL.com.
Head coach Craig Berube said after the game, a 5-2 loss, that he didn’t have an update on the netminder’s condition, but Stolarz was expected to meet the team for the flight back to Toronto.
Anthony Stolarz will not start tonight for the Maple Leafs after taking a shot up high in warmups pic.twitter.com/2fsusNGRuQ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 21, 2026
Joseph Woll, who had just faced 36 shots on goal in Friday’s overtime loss to the Hurricanes, started in Stolarz’s place, surrendering five goals in the one-sided wash.
Forward William Nylander, who took the shot that pelted Stolarz, reflected on the freak accident after the game — revealing that he’d talked with the goalie, and he seemed to be doing alright.
“Obviously it’s, you know, really tough to see that happen,” Nylander said. “I mean, I always come in and shoot the puck in the glove, and this one just came off a little bit to the left, and I hit him in the neck. So, I mean, I was obviously worried for him, but, I mean, I’ve been texting with him, so he seems to be OK.”
Stolarz, 32, is 8–9–3 with an .894 save percentage across 22 games (21 starts) in second season with the Maple Leafs, following a run to the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers in 2024 as Sergei Bobrovsky’s backup.
Limited to just 34 games last season due to knee surgery, the veteran goalie inked a four-year, $15 million contract in September to stay in Toronto through the 2029–2030 campaign.
Injury problems have followed Stolarz into his new contract, already missing 33 games earlier this season to nurse an upper-body injury.
The Maple Leafs (29–29–13) sit 13 points behind the Red Wings for the Eastern Conference’s second wild card spot, and they’ll next head down to Boston for a Tuesday night matchup with the Bruins.
Silas Demary Jr. injury update: Will UConn G play vs UCLA in March Madness?
PHILADELPHIA, PA — Connecticut basketball looks to advance to the Sweet 16 for the third time in the last four years under Dan Hurley on Sunday with a win over UCLA.
But the 2-seed Huskies may have to do it without point guard Silas Demary Jr., who was listed as "questionable" for the March 22 second-round game against the 10-seed Bruins in the NCAA's initial player availability report.
The 6-foot-4 guard was held out of UConn's first-round win over 15-seed Furman at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Friday, March 20 as he continues to rehab from an ankle injury he sustained in the Big East Tournament.
Demary has had a major impact for the Huskies after transferring from Georgia, and is a big reason UConn's defense has bounced back to a top-15 defensive unit.
The loss of Demary — and his backup, Jaylin Stewart — was notable in UConn's offensive flow against Furman, as the Huskies weren't able to pull away against the Paladins. UConn finished with 22 assists on 32 made shots from the field, shooting 49% from the field.
The Huskies and the Bruins are set for an 8:45 p.m. ET tipoff from Philadelphia. Demary's official status for the game will be known at 6:45 p.m. ET when the next player availability report is released.
Here's the latest on Demary's status:
Will Silas Demary Jr. play tonight in NCAA Tournament? Status vs UCLA
Demary was once again listed as questionable by UConn in its NCAA player availability report on Saturday. The next availability report will come out at 6:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, two hours before tip-off.
If he is unable to go against UCLA on Sunday, it would be the second straight game he misses with that ankle injury. Stewart, who is also dealing with a lingering injury that precedes Demary's, was also listed as questionable on the Huskies' injury report.
Silas Demary Jr. injury update
The Huskies point guard sustained an ankle injury in the second half of UConn's Big East Tournament championship game loss to St. John's on Saturday, March 14. The injury came when St. John's forward Zuby Ejiofor blocked Demary's transition layup and then was stepped on by the Big East Player of the Year.
Demary told assembled media on Thursday, March 19, that he was continuing to rehab his ankle as much as he could and that he was good to go to play in the Huskies' opening round game vs. Furman.
"I'll be able to play tomorrow," Demary said.
Instead, he was listed "questionable" on the Huskies' injury report for the game before being downgraded to "out." Following the Huskies' 82-71 win vs. the Paladins, Hurley said Demary was "close" to playing against the Paladins.
"I don't want to make any more predictions. The information that I shared in New York (at the Big East Tournament) was the information that I was provided with," Hurley said. "It was close. He tried. He couldn't get himself to the point where he felt like he could go. He's got two more days. ... We'll see where that goes."
What is Silas Demary Jr.'s injury?
Demary is dealing with an ankle injury.
Silas Demary Jr. stats
Here's a look at Demary's season stats:
- Points: 10.9
- Rebounds: 4.5
- Assists: 6.2
- Blocks: 0.2
- Steals: 1.6
- Shooting: 46.1%
- 3-point shooting: 41.6%
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Silas Demary Jr. injury update: Will UConn guard play vs UCLA today?
Wizards forward Justin Champagnie and Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell suspended 1 game for fighting
NEW YORK (AP) — Washington forward Justin Champagnie and Oklahoma City guard Ajay Mitchell each received a one-game suspension for fighting and escalating an on-court altercation that spilled into the seating area during a game, the league announced Sunday.
Both were suspended without pay. Thunder forward Jaylin Williams was fined $50,000, while Oklahoma City guard Cason Wallace and Wizards forward Anthony Gill each received $35,000 fines for their roles in the altercation that took place late in the first half of the Thunder’s 132-111 victory on Saturday night.
Following a basket by Gill, Williams and Champagnie began shoving each other under the basket. Gill and Mitchell became involved and the quarrel quickly escalated. After a lengthy review by the officials, Champagnie, Williams, Mitchell and Wallace were all ejected.
Champagnie will sit out Sunday as the Wizards face the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mitchell's suspension takes place Monday when Oklahoma City plays at Philadelphia.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Spring Training Game Thread #28: Milwaukee Brewers (12-15) @ Chicago Cubs (12-16)
And here we are! The last day of (conventional) spring training, as the Brewers will take on the Cubs this afternoon before heading to Milwaukee to take on the Reds for a pair of exhibition games on Monday and Tuesday. Then, it’s Opening Day this Thursday, as the White Sox visit Milwaukee for the opening weekend.
Chad Patrick will make his last start of the spring this afternoon, as he’s set to enter the season in the rotation. After a solid rookie season in 2025, he’ll look to repeat that performance in year two. As was the case with Robert Gasser yesterday, Patrick enters this one with some less-than-ideal numbers in the spring, pitching to a 9.72 ERA with nine runs allowed over 8 1/3 innings, striking out nine. Six of those nine runs came in his last appearance against the mighty Dodgers, when he lasted 3 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and four walks. Peter Strzelecki is also slated to pitch behind Patrick.
Opposite Patrick will be another pitcher coming off a solid rookie season in Cade Horton. Horton sports a 5.91 ERA with 14 strikeouts over 10 2/3 innings this spring. The Brewers’ lineup against Horton features a lot of minor leaguers as the major leaguers travel to Milwaukee. That includes Dylan O’Rae, Jeferson Quero, and Mike Boeve in the top-third of the order, followed by Marco Dinges, Eric Brown Jr., and Jacob Hurtubise. Dasan Brown, Juan Baez, and Luis Castillo round out the lineup.
First pitch in this one is at 2:05 p.m. CT. It’ll be available to watch on Brewers.TV and nationally on ESPN Unlimited.
Tennessee vs Virginia live updates: Score, highlights for March Madness Round 2 game
Follow all of Sunday's NCAA Tournament second round games with USA TODAY Sports' live updates.
Tennessee ruined the fun of Miami (Ohio) by dispatching the RedHawks rather handily in the first round, 78-56.
The Vols did so with little contribution from their star freshman Nate Ament, who went scoreless in just 18 minutes, as he was rested dealing with soreness from a high ankle sprain he suffered in late February.
Ja'Kobi Gillespie picked up the slack with 29 points, including a 6 of 11 performance from behind the arc.
Virginia overcame a slow start for No. 14 seed Wright State to pick up the program's first NCAA Tournament win since they won the national championship in 2019.
Jacari White led the way for Virginia with 26 points vs. the Raiders as Ryan Odom got his first NCAA win with UVA as Cavs head coach.
Today's winner advances to play the Kentucky/Iowa State winner in next week's Sweet 16 in Chicago.
Here's what you need to know about today's second round matchup.
HIT REFRESH FOR UPDATES.
Virginia vs Tennessee live score
This section will be updated throughout the game.
| TEAMS | 1H | 2H | F |
| Tennessee | 6 | — | — |
| Virginia | 2 | — | — |
Tennessee vs Virginia March Madness live updates
Nate Ament hits first shot of game
Nate Ament drains a 3-pointer from the corner on his first shot attempt of the game. He extends Tennessee's lead to 6-2 with 18:30 to go in the first half. Vols are 2-for-2 from beyond the arc to start.
Underway in Philly, Tennessee wins tip
The Volunteers win the opening tip-off with Ja'Kobi Gillespie getting the ball, and we are underway at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The Volunteers are wearing their Tennessee Orange road uniform, while the Cavaliers are wearing their home whites.
Tennessee scores quickly with a 3-pointer from Bishop Boswell. Thijs De Ridder responds with a second-chance layup inside the paint for Virginia. It's 3-2 Vols early.
Virginia-Tennessee starting lineups
Here are the starting lineups for both Virginia and Tennessee in Sunday's second-round game of the Men's NCAA Tournament:
Virginia
- Malik Thomas (Guard)
- Sam Lewis (Guard)
- Dallin Hall (Guard)
- Thijs De Ridder (Forward)
- Johann Grunloh (Center)
Tennessee
- Ja'Kobi Gillespie (Guard)
- Bishop Boswell (Guard)
- Nate Ament (Forward)
- J.P. Estrella (Forward)
- Felix Okpara (Center)
Who is Thijs De Ridder? Meet Virginia basketball's 23-year-old freshman
Thijs De Ridder is Virginia’s 23-year-old freshman from Belgium who has professional basketball playing experience overseas in Spain.
He was named to the All-ACC first team and all-rookie teams, and entered the Men's NCAA Tournament as the Cavaliers' leading scorer at 15.5 points per game. Though De Ridder hails from Brasschaat, Belgium, he did know a little bit about March Madness before Virginia’s first-round win over Wright State. … Including the great tradition of filling out brackets.
"When I was 17 and younger, I thought it was another tournament like others. I did some brackets when I was younger, but that was just for fun," De Ridder told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday. "Every time (there was) an American guy on my team (overseas), they always talked about March Madness. Now that I'm here, it's such an organization, and it just made me really excited to play here. Hopefully, we can do some great stuff."
He finished in double figures with 10 points and six rebounds in addition to two assists in Virginia’s win vs. Wright State.
Who did Virginia beat to advance to the second round of March Madness?
The Cavaliers held off a potential upset and defeated 14-seed Wright State in the first round of the Men’s NCAA Tournament on Friday, 83-72.
Jacari White led the way for Virginia with 26 points, while Sam Lewis added 12 and Malik Thomas added 11. De Ridder also finished in double figures with 10 points and six rebounds in addition to two assists.
The Cavaliers' win marked their first in March Madness since they won it all in 2019. It ended a 0-3 stretch in their last three trips to March Madness.
What time is Tennessee vs Virginia?
- Time: 6:10 p.m. ET, Sunday.
What channel is Tennessee vs Virginia? How to watch, streaming info
- The game is airing on TNT, streaming via Fubo.
Virginia vs Tennessee prediction, odds
Odds provided by BetMGM, as of 11:30 a.m., Sunday.
∎ Wynton Jackson, Knoxville News Sentinel: Virginia 71, Tennessee 66
Ament's questionable status swings our prediction towards Virginia. The Cavaliers had one of the best defenses in the ACC, and if Tennessee's star freshman isn't at his best, it's tough to see how the Vols continue their hot shooting. They shot 53% from the floor and 45% from 3-point range against the RedHawks. Tennessee's defense always keeps games close, but it may not have enough offensive juice to make a fourth straight Sweet 16.
- John Leuzzi: Tennessee
- Jordan Mendoza: Virginia
- Ehsan Kassim: Virginia
- Blake Schuster: Tennessee
- Moneyline: Tennessee (-115); Virginia (-105)
- Spread: Tennessee (-1.5)
- Over/under total: 137.5
Nate Ament injury update: Will Vols freshman star play today vs Virginia?
All-SEC freshman Nate Ament had his first scoreless game of the season in the 78-56 win against Miami (Ohio) in the first round.
Ament is still dealing with soreness from the high ankle sprain he suffered against Missouri on Feb. 24. He still expects to play against Virginia and throughout the rest of the NCAA Tournament.
"There's no chance I'd sit out a March Madness game," he said. "It's about what can we do to get back to 100%, or as close to it as we can."
Nate Ament 2026 NBA Draft, mock draft prediction
No. 11 overall to Portland Trail Blazers
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
After a relatively slow and inefficient start to the season, Tennessee freshman Nate Ament is starting to realize some of his lofty expectations. The freshman averaged 21.6 points per game while shooting 38.9 percent on 3-pointers during a 13-game stretch before an injury against Alabama on Feb. 28. The All-SEC forward then had 27 points (4-of-6 on 3-pointers) with eight rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal against Auburn on March 12. It will only take one team to fall in love with Ament and given so much of what he brings to the table cannot be taught, that team is probably picking fairly early in the lottery.
See USA TODAY's full mock draft here
Nate Ament stats
(all stats as of March 15)
- 17.5 points per game
- 6.6 rebounds per game
- 2.5 assists per game
- 40.5% field goal percentage
- 33.1% 3-point field goal percentage
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tennessee vs Virginia live score updates, highlights March Madness Round 2
St. John's vs Kansas live updates: Prediction, how to watch March Madness Round 2 game
Follow all of Sunday's NCAA Tournament second round games with USA TODAY Sports' live updates.
Darryn Peterson NBA draft stock watch.
Zuby Ejiofor, a former Kansas player now Big East Player of the Year at St. John's.
Sunday's second round game between No. 4 Jayhawks and No. 5 Red Storm in San Diego is a spicy matchup.
The winner advances to next week's Sweet 16 against No. 1 Duke in Washington D.C.
Here's what you need to know for Sunday's game:
HIT REFRESH FOR UPDATES.
St John's vs Kansas live score
| TEAMS | 1H | 2H | F |
| St John's | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
What time is St John's vs Kansas?
- Time: 5:15 p.m. ET, Sunday.
What channel is St John's vs Kansas ? How to watch, streaming info
- The game is airing on CBS, streaming via Paramount+.
Kansas vs St. John's prediction, odds
Odds provided by BetMGM, as of 10:30 a.m. ET, Sunday.
- John Leuzzi: St. John's
- Jordan Mendoza: St. John's
- Ehsan Kassim: St. John's
- Blake Schuster: Kansas
- Moneyline: St. John's (-170); Kansas (+140)
- Spread: St. John's (-3.5)
- Over/under total: 143.5
Why did Zuby Ejiofor transfer from Kansas to St John's
Zuby Ejiofor, a 6-9 forward, started his college career at Kansas in 2022, where he played for Hall of Fame coach Bill Self. Then he transferred to St. John’s in 2023 to play for Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino.
“We didn’t want him to leave,” Self said Saturday. “We’re really happy for his success. We just don’t … We just hope it doesn’t come against us.”
What happened at Kansas and why did he choose St. John’s?
“I had a fun time at Kansas,” Ejiofor said. “I wouldn’t lie: I didn’t really want to leave. But I knew that in order for my future to keep progressing the way I wanted to go, that I had to probably look elsewhere for a bigger opportunity.”
Darryn Peterson 2026 NBA Draft mock draft prediction
Pick No. 2 overall to Washington Wizards.
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
While he is no longer perceived as the near-certain No. 1 overall pick that he once was due to relative inconsistency and injury issues, many scouts and evaluators feel that Darryn Peterson is the most talented player in this class. The Wizards would put the All-Big 12 guard in a strong position to begin his career alongside Trae Young and Anthony Davis. It is incredibly rare to find a prospect who is able to score as efficiently as Peterson while holding a usage rate as high as his has been this season.
See USA TODAY's full mock draft here
Darryn Peterson stats
(all stats as of March 15)
- 19.8 points per game
- 4.4 rebounds per game
- 1.7 assists per game
- 44.2% field goal percentage
- 38.4% three-point field goal percentage
What Rick Pitino said about Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson
“He gets to the foul line, he’s got great size, got a beautiful looking jump shot with great arc,” Pitino said Saturday about Peterson. “His size presents a problem. When he uses the pick and roll, he’ll reject it, and his size getting to the rim’s great. He’s a great scorer. He’s going to be a great NBA player because he has an NBA game, and we’ve got our work cut out for him, trying to stop him. But, they have a well-rounded team.”
Rick Pitino NCAA Tournament history: When was Rick Pitino's last Sweet 16 appearance?
Rick Pitino has been to 13 Sweet 16s. His last trip to the Sweet 16 was in 2014-15 with Louisville.
Bill Self NCAA Tournament history: How many Sweet 16 appearances
Bill Self has been to 12 Sweet 16s in his coaching career.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kansas vs St John's live score updates, highlights March Madness Round 2
Should Astros Be Worried About Cristian Javier?
Javier’s results in spring have been solid, but his peripherals don’t back it up.
Astros SP Cristian Javier just finished his final outing of the spring. His stat line was solid:
5 innings, 1 earned run, 4 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, 1 solo HR. Threw 40 of his 70 pitches for strikes.
You’d think he had just shown he is ready for the regular season. However, there are a couple of issues with that line of thought:
- He is still facing lineups with a lot of weak hitters.
- His velocity on his fastball and sinker are not only below par, but fall as the game goes on.
Now, every pitcher will face a lot of lineups that have backups and minor leaguers in them, and that is the far lesser of the two concerns.
The main issue is that Javier, now nearly two years removed from Tommy John surgery, still has not recovered his velocity. To make matters worse, his velocity falls even further as the game goes on.
While he has gotten away with low velocities in spring, when the regular season starts and you have to face quality lineups every start, those velocities will not hold up.
Much as we saw last year with Lance McCullers Jr. as he struggled with his velocity last season, MLB caliber hitters will wait you out, sit on a pitch and punish you when they get it if they have no fear of your ability to beat them with a fastball.
Javier, like McCullers, has tremendous breaking stuff. The impact of that stuff will be negated if there is no fastball to get quick outs with.
While Javier’s stat line today was strong, his velos were not, and they progressively got worse.
Here’s a breakdown of the velocity of Javier’s four-seams/sinkers by inning today (per MLB.com):
1st: 91.7, 91.8, 92.1, 92.6, 93.2, 92.9, 92.4, 92 – Avg 92.3 MPH
2nd: 90.6, 91.6, 91.3, 91.1, 91.3, 90.7, 91.2, 91.2 – Avg 91.1 MPH
3rd: 92, 90.4, 92.1, 91.6, 90.2, 88.9, 89.4, 90.6, 90.5, 91.3 – Avg 90.7 MPH
4th: 92, 91.4, 90.9, 90.7 – Avg 91.3 MPH
5th: 91, 90.1, 89.8, 89.4, 91.4, 89.9, 89.7, 90.1 – Avg 90.2 MPH
For the whole game, he averaged 91.1 MPH. He gave up an absolute rocket HR on a pitch 91.6 upper middle zone to Jordan Walker, who blasted it at 111.3 MPH and 413 FT to CF. Javier loves to live high in the zone. When you get caught at those velos high in the zone, the ball is going to fly very far.
He had a high mark of 93.2 in the 1st, and a low mark of 88.9 in the 3rd.
His final 11 four-seamers & sinkers maxed at 91.4 MPH. Those are not velocities that are going to translate to long term success at the MLB level for a righthanded pitcher.
While dealing with low and inconsistent velocity last season, Javier posted a career high 4.62 ERA in 8 starts after returning from Tommy John surgery. An offseason to continue strengthening his arm and refining his mechanics was supposed to help him regenerate his prior velocity. So far, he looks very much the same as he did last season.
The Astros entered this season expecting to count on Javier to be one of their top three starters. Mike Burrows and Tatsuya Imai will now take those places behind Hunter Brown.
What can the Astros count on Javier for? Javier has always been a bulldog on the mound. He will battle and fight with every pitch.
Over 162 games, if he can’t regain his velocity and maintain it, is the bulldog in him going to be enough?
Washington Nationals acquire Yankees infielder Jorbit Vivas for pitching prospect Sean Paul Linan
The Washington Nationals made a late trade right before the season. Paul Toboni traded 21 year old pitching prospect Sean Paul Linan to the Yankees in exchange for infielder Jorbit Vivas. This move will bolster the Nationals infield depth. Vivas will be on the 40-man roster, so the Nats will have to make a corresponding move.
This is an interesting little trade that came out of left field. Linan just joined the Nats organization in July in a deal that sent Alex Call to the Dodgers. However, Toboni must not have loved what he saw. I am a bit surprised they traded him for an infielder with no options, who has a lot of overlapping skills with Jose Tena.
I would not be surprised if this move could mark the end for Tena. Vivas is an infielder who mainly plays second and third base. He is also out of options, so he will have to be on the big league roster. Clearly, Toboni prefers Vivas over Tena or maybe even Nasim Nunez.
While Vivas struggled in his first taste of big league action in 2025, he did show some intriguing traits. He only went 9/56, but showed solid contact skills and a good approach. There is not much power in his game, but he can go deep every once in a while.
Vivas will have to hit a decent amount in the MLB because he is a fringy runner and an average defender. Honestly, I do not really know if he is a huge upgrade over Tena and I probably would have kept Linan. However, there is a reason Toboni has the job and not me.
Linan is an intriguing pitching prospect, but there are reasons to be bearish about him. He has a phenomenal changeup that is one of the best pitches in the minors. However, he is a bit of a one trick pony. His fastball is pretty ordinary and his breaking balls are fringy. Linan was able to dominate A ball with his changeup, but how far will that one weapon take him?
Clearly, Toboni was not a Linan believer given this return. After this move, I wonder if the Nats are done. I would not be surprised if they tried to see if they could get an arm for Jose Tena. The 24 year old should have at least a bit of value. Some team would probably want to give him a shot as a utility guy.
This is a bit of a weird move, but it is not a massive one by any means. Toboni must value Vivas’ contact and plate discipline a lot. Having worked for the Red Sox for many years, Toboni is likely to have seen a lot of this Yankees prospect. Vivas has a solid track record in the minors and is now likely to get some run in the big leagues with the Nats.
March Madness? More like March Blandness in as NCAA Tournament has too much chalk
Oh, great. Another snoozefest of an Men's NCAA Tournament.
Any hopes for the chaos that makes this event so raucously entertaining are officially over, buried under a pile of chalk dust. For the third consecutive year, no seed 12 or higher will make the Sweet 16. For the fourth consecutive year, only one-double digit seed will survive the first weekend.
And you can’t count Texas as a plucky underdog. Just ask Longhorns coach Sean Miller.
“I don’t think we ever want to sign up to be the Cinderella story because we are the University of Texas,” Miller said after his 11th-seeded team beat Gonzaga on Saturday, March 21. “We represent the SEC as well.”
The beauty of March Madness has always been, well, the Madness. Little schools no one’s heard of knocking off teams from the power conferences. Kids who won’t go further than the local rec center when their college careers are done knocking down shots that would be the envy of NBA players.
There was one glorious stretch from 2008 to 2014 when three or more double-digit seeds reached the Sweet 16 in all but one year. Four years ago, 15th-seeded Saint Peter’s crashed the party into the Elite Eight.
But whether it’s NIL, the great players getting even greater, or simply the cycle of things, March Madness has been more March Mildness of late.
Sure, an 11 seed made the Final Four in 2024, but it was NC State, a team from the mighty ACC. For the last time a true little guy made it to the Final Four, you have to go back to 11th-seeded Loyola of Chicago — and everyone's favorite nun — in 2018.
Things have gotten so chalky that all four No. 1 seeds made the Final Four last year for only the second time since the tournament began seeding teams in 1979. While it remains to be seen if that happens again this year, all the teams remaining are from power conferences (except Utah State, who plays No. 1 Arizona later Sunday). Where’s the fun in that?
There was, for about half a day, eagerness that this year’s tournament might be headed sideways. In the best way possible, of course.
High Point, a 12th seed making only its second appearance in the NCAA tournament, knocked off Wisconsin. VCU, an 11 seed, dug its way out of a 19-point hole to stun North Carolina in the largest comeback ever in the first round of the men’s tournament.
Siena even threatened to pull off the upset of all upsets against overall No. 1 seed Duke. But Duke hung on, and the tournament returned to its chalk-outlined form.
Boooorrrring.
That’s not to say there haven’t been good, and entertaining, games. Kentucky’s OT win over Santa Clara in the first round was a straight shot of adrenaline. Nebraska’s win over Vanderbilt in the second round was all kinds of fun.
Even Arkansas’ win over High Point in the second round was way more of a nail-biter than the score indicated.
“We competed with the SEC champs, lottery picks, guys who are the best of the best. Our university, our team showed out. We showed out,” High Point coach Flynn Clayman said. “We were expected to be good, but I don't think anybody expected to do what we did here, win 31 games, get to the Tournament, advance, push the SEC champs.
“We made history,” Clayman added. “And I just couldn't be more proud of these guys. What a ride.”
It’s just too bad it didn’t last longer.
Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Underdogs ushered out of Men's March Madness as its nearly all chalk
Yankees trading Jorbit Vivas to Nationals for pitching prospect Sean Paul Liñan
As the Yankees rounded out their 2026 spring training schedule on Sunday afternoon against the Phillies, the Bombers also pulled off a trade.
The Yankees are trading infielder Jorbit Vivas to the Washington Nationals for right-handed pitcher Sean Paul Liñan, according to multiple reports.
Vivas, 25, was out of minor league options. Since he was not going to make the Opening Day roster, the Yankees elected to trade him.
Vivas appeared in 29 games with the Yankees last season, slashing .161/.266/.250 with one home run and five RBI.
Liñan, 21, was ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Nationals’ No. 27 overall prospect. Formerly an international free agent who was signed by the Dodgers, Liñan has worked as a starter and reliever. He spent the majority of his 2025 season in High-A ball, but he also made a pair of Triple-A starts.
By trading Vivas, the Yankees have also opened a spot on their 40-man roster.
Dodgers option Hyeseong Kim, paving way for Alex Freeland
The Dodgers on Sunday optioned Hyeseong Kim to Triple-A Oklahoma City, which decides the lone position-player battle still remaining in camp. This means Alex Freeland will make the opening day roster.
Kim and the switch-hitting Freeland were vying for the lefty-batting side of a platoon at second base while Tommy Edman continues to rehab in the early part of the season after right ankle surgery in November.
Kim had 11 hits in 27 at-bats with a home run this spring, hitting .407/.448/.519 with a team-leading five stolen bases without getting caught. He had one hit, a home run, in 12 at-bats for Korea in the World Baseball Classic.
Freeland homered on Saturday but otherwise has struggled at the plate this spring, with five hits in 43 at-bats, hitting .116/.286/233 with a team-leading 11 walks. Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic reported Sunday that Freeland was informed he will be on the opening day roster.
So this obviously wasn’t a decision based solely on spring training stats, at least not of the traditional variety. The concern with Kim, who signed a three-year contract with the Dodgers last January after eight years in the Korean Baseball Organization, was how he would fare against high-velocity pitching in the major leagues.
Dave Roberts on Friday at Camelback Ranch talked about this battle for a roster spot, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register:
“It’s one of those things that you could argue both sides of either decision, as far as Alex or Hyeseong. And so I just don’t think it’s clear cut,” he said. “We still haven’t seen Hyeseong a bunch. Alex, I think he’s taken great at-bats, the numbers, the surface line certainly isn’t there, but it’s still spring training. There’s just deeper conversations that are going to be had.”
Randy Arozarena apologizes to Seattle teammate Cal Raleigh over comments after handshake snub at WBC
Randy Arozarena has apologized to Seattle Mariners teammate Cal Raleigh after Arozarena cursed out the catcher for not returning a handshake at the World Baseball Classic.
“I understand that with Opening Day a few days away, I don’t want it to be a distraction. Cal and I have talked and I apologized for what I said after the game," Arozarena said in a statement issued by the Mariners. “Nothing in the WBC takes away from the fact that we are brothers and teammates. He’s family, and we are both focused on helping the Mariners win the World Series.”
The incident between the two took place on March 9 when Arozarena reached down to greet Raleigh in his catcher’s squat at home plate, and Raleigh declined to offer his hand back in a game in which the Americans beat Mexico 5-3.
Arozarena, speaking to Mexican journalist Luis Gilbert in Spanish, said Raleigh “has to thank God that he has nice parents, well educated,” and added he recently hugged them during a friendly greeting at the team hotel.
He then used profane Cuban and Mexican slang to insult Raleigh before pivoting to English and saying Raleigh could shove his “good to see you” in his rear. Arozarena was born in Cuba but defected to Mexico to pursue an MLB career.
Soon after, Raleigh called Arozarena a baseball “brother,” while explaining there was no tension between the teammates.
“I love Randy, I do,” Raleigh said. “I hate that this is a thing. There’s no beef when we get back to Seattle. He’s my brother. We’re family.”
On Saturday night after their spring training game, Raleigh reiterated his feelings.
“We talked it out, and everything went great,” Raleigh said, according to MLB.com. “Randy knows that I love him, and he’s a brother, and it’s in the past and none of us are carrying this forward. We’re in a good spot.”
The Mariners open the season Thursday against the Cleveland Guardians.
Seattle is coming off a season in which it won the franchise’s first AL West title since 2001. Raleigh helped lead the way by becoming the seventh different player in major league history to hit 60 homers in a season.
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