PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods has put himself into the lineup Tuesday night for his Jupiter Links team in the TGL final, waiting until the last day to make his first appearance in the tech-infused indoor league.
Woods has been at every match as a captain and a cheerleader while recovering from a seventh back surgery last October. He has gone more than a year since competing anywhere because of a ruptured Achilles tendon in March 2025.
Jupiter Links lost the opening match Monday night in the best-of-3 final against Los Angeles and now has to win two matches at the SoFi Center.
Wood said last week after Jupiter won to reach the finals he has been trying to play the matches.
“I’ve been trying to come back. But it just hasn’t worked out that way,” he said. “I’ve had a bad run of injuries last year. I think it’s been a year and a few days since I blew out my Achilles. And so then I’ve had two back operations. So it’s been a little rough go. But the guys here, this team, we have so much fun, I really don’t want to screw up the lineup, I just want these guys to keep playing.”
Woods will be replacing Kevin Kisner, who was on the losing end of the decisive hole in singles. Jupiter had a 5-4 lead when Los Angeles threw the hammer — meaning the hole was worth two points — for the par-5 closing hole.
Sahith Theegala had the length to easily reach the green in two and set up a two-putt birdie. Kisner, who has spent most of March in the booth for NBC's coverage of the PGA Tour, drove into the rough, laid up in the rough and hit wedge that didn't quite reach the green. His birdie chip from 20 feet to tie the hole — and win the match — narrowly missed to the left.
Woods joins Tom Kim and Max Homa for Jupiter Links. Akshay Bhatia had been filling in as an alternate, but he is in New Delhi this week on a sponsor invitation to play the Hero Indian Open.
Just when the Ottawa Senators have clawed their way back within striking distance of a playoff spot, injuries have completely ravaged their blue line.
Already down three defensemen due to injury (Jake Sanderson, Nick Jensen, and Dennis Gilbert), the Senators lost both Thomas Chabot and Lassi Thomson on Monday night, which took almost all the shine off the club's 2-1 road win over the New York Rangers.
But ironically, despite finishing the game with just four defensemen, it was one of the great defensive performances in Senators' history.
Ottawa allowed just nine shots in the game, the fewest they've allowed in a game in their 34-year history. As for the Rangers, an original six team that's been around for 100 years, they've never had fewer shots in a game than they did on Monday versus Ottawa. Never.
That says a lot about the state of the Rangers and the complete team buy-in from the Senators.
James Reimer, who was probably able to catch up on some reading and answer a few texts during the game, got his fourth win in as many starts.
Shane Pinto, the Senators' lone New Yorker in their lineup, got the Sens on the board with a power play goal. In the second, Warren Foegele got his fifth goal in nine games as a Senator and it turned out to be his third game-winning goal for his new club.
Meanwhile, for the four D that remained, Jordan Spence, Tyler Kleven, Artem Zub and Nikolas Matinpalo, it was a simply a fantastic performance.
The Senators are now just two points behind the Red Wings for the second Wild Card with a game in hand. The two clubs go head to head in Detroit on Tuesday, but with all the injuries, their best four remaining defensemen exhausted, and the idle Red Wings being home and fully rested, the Sens wish they were meeting under better circumstances.
Now let's retreat to the Senators' black and blueline, which has been clobbered at exactly the wrong time.
Since Sanderson went down, Chabot has been back to logging heavy minutes, playing nearly half the game every night. But at the end of the first, he left this game in obvious pain on Monday night after taking a cross-check to the right wrist area from Rangers forward J.T. Miller, who's as nasty with lumber as anyone in the league.
While Miller's stickwork in this case was the kind you see a few times every game, it's hard to imagine why the cross-checking penalty exists if not for ones that potentially end an opponent's season.
That's only speculation, of course, but when TV cameras caught Chabot with a splint and a sling on his right arm afterward, it's fair to say that his season is in jeopardy.
Image credit: @TSNSteveLloyd
Chabot has had injuries with that same wrist for parts of three seasons before he finally went under the knife. We're not in Josh Norris shoulder territory yet, but it's getting there.
As for Thomson's apparent lower-body injury, you have to feel for the former Sens first-rounder. He waited two and a half to years to get back to the NHL, at a time when there's finally all kinds of opportunity to play.
Now Thomson will need someone to fill in for him, as will Chabot.
“They’ll both be out for a while,” head coach Travis Green told the media after the game. “That’s about all I can say about it right now.”
Meanwhile, the Senators have done all they can in sheltering 2024 first-rounder Carter Yakemchuk. It's not their plan A, by any means, but they have no choice but to bring him up on Tuesday morning to make his NHL debut on Tuesday night in Detroit.
The other callup is anyone's guess.
In the AHL, Ottawa natives and righties Cam Crotty & Jorian Donovan are both injured, although Donovan, who hasn't played since March 7, is nearing a return. Left shots Samuel Bolduc and Ryan O' Rourke were both acquired after the NHL trade deadline so they're ineligible.
The good news is that Jake Sanderson might be back in the next week. But time is running out on the season, and as far as healthy players on NHL contracts go, that leaves only Yakemchuk, Tomas Hamara, and Djibril Toure left.
They also have Scott Harrington, who has over 200 games of NHL experience and has also been Yakemchuk's D partner for a lot of the season. However, he's on an AHL contract. If the Sens signed him to an NHL deal, it's believed he could play, but not in the playoffs if they get there.
And thanks to this overload of injuries on D, that's now a big if. If Travis Green can still steer this team into the playoffs under these miserable circumstances, he deserves the next two Jack Adams Trophies.
On a mission: Julio Rodríguez looks to build on the excellent start to his career by bringing Seattle its first World Series. | (David Durochik/Getty Images)
This time of year is always a good time. Even when expectations for the White Sox are low, the weather is much better, baseball is returning, and we can have fun predicting how the season will pan out.
We will start with catcher Kyle Teel, 24, whose MLB career got off to a fast start in 2025 (.273/.375/.411, 125 wRC+, 1.9 fWAR in 78 games). Teel provided an unexpectedly large spark last season, as his bat was quite reliable even though he plays a premium position. Unfortunately, Teel suffered a Grade 2 right hamstring strain that will keep him out for the first few weeks of the regular season. However, Teel gives White Sox fans plenty to look forward to. Before the injury, Teel contributed to Team Italy’s surprising success during the World Baseball Classic. Teel was excellent in a small sample size, finishing 4-for-6 with a homer and a double. Both of his extra-base hits came against Team USA pitchers, as he took Nolan McLean deep before doubling against Ryan Yarbrough. Teel looks poised to build on the strong start to his career, and he will barely miss out on leading the White Sox in WAR. If not for his injury, I would have picked him to lead the team.
Speaking of the team leader in WAR, that will be shortstop Colson Montgomery, 24, who also kicked off his career with a bang in 2025 (.239/.311/.529, 129 wRC+, 2.7 fWAR in 71 games). Prior to Montgomery’s promotion, he was not exactly crushing it in Triple-A Charlotte, but he turned up the volume immediately at the highest level. Despite playing in less than half a season’s worth of games, Montgomery launched 21 homers, narrowly finishing behind Lenyn Sosa (22) for the team lead.
Munetaka Murakami, 26, will also provide a lot of pop with his bat. Murakami has made a joke of NPB pitching. By season, his wRC+ marks were as follows from 2021 through 2025: 166, 225, 154, 156, and 211. He played only 56 games in 2025 due to an oblique injury. The White Sox signed Murakami to a two-year, $34 million contract over the offseason, which was a lower price than most expected him to command. The primary concerns about his game are that many are bearish on his ability to hit high velocity, avoid strikeouts, and provide decent defense. Murakami will also primarily play first base, a less premium position than third base, where he mainly played in NPB. However, he will launch plenty of homers and get on base enough to be a valuable part of the White Sox lineup.
On the pitching side, Shane Smith, 25, will lead the way in the starting rotation. Smith, a Rule 5 draft pick, posted a 3.81 ERA and a 4.10 FIP in 146 1/3 innings in 2025, resulting in 2.2 fWAR. That total was enough to lead the 2025 White Sox pitching staff, and he will repeat that feat in 2026.
As for the bullpen, Grant Taylor, 23, will take a large step forward. Taylor had an unusual line in 2025 (4.91 ERA, 1.42 FIP in 36 2/3 innings), resulting in 1.7 fWAR, which is based heavily on FIP. Taylor averaged 13.25 strikeouts per nine innings, a sky-high total. At the same time, he fell victim to some tough luck, as opposing hitters had a .420 BABIP. Although Taylor generated many whiffs, when he was not doing that, hitters often found ways to reach base. In 2026, Taylor will allow less sharp contact, have better luck on balls in play, and maintain a high strikeout rate to assert himself as one of MLB’s top relievers.
In terms of the overall team, the White Sox will improve by 10 games, which would normally be fantastic, but in this case, it only gets them to 70-92. The South Siders will get off to a decent start, taking advantage of a soft April schedule to finish the month 15-16. With nobody in the AL Central racing out of the starting blocks, some fans will fantasize about postseason possibilities. However, reality will set in, and May will open with a rough trip to San Diego, which will cause the White Sox to fall out of contention quickly.
In the second half of the season, although playoff hopes will be long gone, pitchers Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith will make positive impressions at the start of their MLB careers. In addition, Braden Montgomery will earn a September call-up and post a 110 wRC+ during his first month against MLB pitching.
Around the league, the Mariners broke their 23-season streak without winning the AL West when they won the division in 2025. This year, they will make it back-to-back division titles, and Julio Rodríguez will emerge as a dark-horse MVP contender.
In a highly competitive AL East race, the Yankees will emerge from the pack, holding off strong Red Sox and Blue Jays squads to earn the top seed.
Last year, the Tigers blew a 99.9% chance of winning the AL Central as their cold September coincided with a Cleveland hot streak. This time, the Tigers will avoid blowing a late lead and will win their first division title since 2014. The Royals will sneak in as the final Wild Card team, right behind Boston and Toronto.
In the NL, spearheaded by the offseason pickup of catcher Seby Zavala, the Dodgers will win the West again. Elsewhere in the division, the Giants will exceed expectations and make the postseason for the first time since their excellent 2021 season.
In the East, the Mets will slay some demons by winning their first division title since 2015. Meanwhile, after being baseball’s most disappointing team in 2025, the Braves will earn a Wild Card spot, and they will be joined by the rival Phillies.
Finally, the North Siders will take the Central’s only playoff spot by taking full advantage of an unremarkable division.
The Dodgers will handily defeat the Mets in the NLCS to advance to the World Series and earn an opportunity to pull off a three-peat. On the other side, the ALCS will be highly competitive, with the Mariners repeatedly trading blows with the Yankees. However, Bryan Woo will lead a pitching staff that proves to be too much for the Yankees’ lineup to overcome.
That will set up an epic battle between two teams with very different histories. On one hand, the Dodgers have won 12 of the last 13 NL West titles, with the one “loss” occurring during a 106-56 season in which San Francisco went 107-55. On top of that, the Dodgers will be looking to win their third consecutive World Series and their fourth in the last seven years. By contrast, the Mariners have won only four division titles ever, and they have never advanced to the World Series. Of course, the Dodgers will be favored, and nearly everyone will expect them to win. In a twist of fate, however, the Mariners will come out on top. Seattle’s pitching staff will continue its run of dominance, and with Rodríguez, Josh Naylor, and Cal Raleigh leading the way, the Mariners will outpace the powerhouse Dodgers to win their first World Series.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Brewers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
We’re back with another Brewers Reacts Survey, and in this week’s edition, we’re asking fans which young pitcher they’re most excited to see this season!
The Brewers have become known as a sort of pitching factory, developing young arms into solid rotation pieces. The latest wave of pitchers looking to join that group includes several top prospects, including Robert Gasser (team No. 17), Kyle Harrison (former top 100 prospect), Logan Henderson (team No. 7), and Brandon Sproat (team No. 5/MLB No. 100).
Gasser, 26, debuted for the Brewers back in 2024 with a great start, pitching to a 2.57 ERA with 16 strikeouts over 28 innings in five starts before going down with an arm injury that kept him out until late in 2025. He made a pair of starts late last year, with six runs allowed (only two earned) over 5 2/3 innings. He had a rough spring training up to his last outing on Saturday against the Padres, when he went six scoreless frames with seven strikeouts. Still, he finished with a 5.11 spring ERA over 12 1/3 innings.
Harrison, 24, debuted in 2023 with the Giants but hasn’t yet found much success in the majors, with a 4.39 ERA and 191 strikeouts over 194 2/3 innings. The former third-round pick came over to the Brewers in the Caleb Durbin trade this offseason and has flashed a new kick-change in the spring, albeit with limited box score success (7.45 ERA over 9 2/3 innings, but 15 strikeouts).
Henderson, 24, had a similar path to Gasser, debuting in 2025 with five great outings, sporting a 1.78 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 25 1/3 innings. He went back to the minors and pitched to a solid 3.59 ERA with 87 strikeouts over 77 2/3 innings before going down with an arm injury. He’s continued to deal with the injury into the spring (though he did allow just one run with four strikeouts over six innings).
Lastly, Sproat, 25, is the highest-ranked arm in this group. Acquired in the Freddy Peralta trade with the Mets, Sproat pitched to a 4.24 ERA with 113 strikeouts in 121 innings at Triple-A last year. He also had a quick cup of coffee with the big league squad, pitching to a 4.79 ERA with 17 strikeouts over 20 2/3 innings. He made three appearances this spring, allowing five runs over nine innings with 10 strikeouts.
Note: Harrison and Sproat are both in the rotation to begin the season, while Gasser and Henderson will both start the year at Triple-A Nashville.
So, who are you most looking forward to seeing this season? Weigh in below and check back for results later this week!
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JULY 28: Baltimore Orioles fans celebrate in the Splash Zone against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 28, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hey, you. Yes, you. Are you a lurker who’s been watching Camden Chat from afar, waiting for the right chance to jump in and introduce yourself, only you haven’t found your chance? Have you been here for a little while but you’re not quite sure if anyone has noticed?
Here is the one place each year where we are all on equal footing, brand new people and lurkers and the most recognizable veteran community members: The annual Camden Chat introductions.
We can all hope that the fun will find its way back into Birdland in the 2026 season. Last year’s dismal Orioles performance only accelerated the bad vibes that started to sink in for the second half of the 2024 season. The 101-game winners from three years ago might as well be an eternity now.
Have the Orioles done enough to do this? It’s a totally rebuilt rotation compared to last Opening Day, so that’s something. They’ve made multiple offseason moves aimed at improving on last year’s home run power outage. Breaking the streak of postseason futility this year would sure be nice.
If you’re brand new, make sure to go to the upper right of the page to sign up for an SB Nation account first, then come back here and join our site down below in the comments section. You can use your new account to chat on any team site that you like. If you’re going to visit an Orioles opponent, be a polite visitor.
Once you’re set up, head down to the comments to tell us a bit about yourself. Then, next time you come back, just act like you’ve been here forever. As long as you correctly remember to use the reply button to respond to a specific comment when you are talking to someone else, no one will even notice that you’re new. That’s all there is to it.
You’re nice enough to read this post, so I bet you’re already nice enough to follow the rules without my telling them to you. Just so we’re all clear, though, you can find SB Nation’s Community Guidelines here. Please be excellent to each other as much as you are able, even if you have just read the dumbest comment you have ever seen on the Internet.
Now that that’s out of the way, we would all like to know about you, not in a creepy way, but in the way that it’s fun to get to know your fellow fans.
Where are you from? Where are you now? How did you become an Orioles fan? Who’s your favorite Oriole of the present, if you have one right now? Who’s your favorite Oriole of all time? What’s the thing you’re most excited about for the 2026 Orioles season?
If you’re still feeling loquacious, and it’s OK if you’re not, here are some more: Why did you choose your screen name? What do you do when you’re not watching baseball? Do you have a favorite story that everyone else in your life is sick of hearing but you want the chance to tell it to someone new? Here’s your place.
As for me, I am Mark. I am a Maryland lifer and I probably always will be, although these days I’m closer to the Washington beltway than the Baltimore beltway. In the comments, you’ll see me show up as Eat More Esskay, which has turned into more of a retro ironic name than I ever could have imagined when I picked it a long time ago. The thing that made me start commenting on Camden Chat is that I wrote a limerick in response to Mark Teixeira signing with the Yankees.
Thanks to my parents, I have been an Orioles fan since before I was even born. They attended Game 2 of the 1983 World Series, and so did I, although I had a bit of an obstructed view seat: My mom was eight months pregnant at that time. I have loved the Orioles for as long as I can remember. Most of those years have not been very good for O’s fans, but I did meet my wife thanks to both of us being Orioles fans, so, I think that helps balance out the scales a bit.
My favorite Oriole of all time is Cal Ripken Jr. The 2131 game where The Streak became a record is the coolest thing to happen to the team in my whole life. Maybe they’ll win the World Series some day and I can have a different answer. I have decided for this year that I will not curse any player by proclaiming him to be my favorite current Oriole.
Something you may not know about me is that I met my wife thanks to Camden Chat. She was (and still is) a commenter around here and ten years ago when my friend and fellow CCer Stacey organized a meetup at an Orioles game, I ended up sitting next to my future spouse. This was an oppressively hot day and I feel like I looked even more dorky than usual, but lucky for me she likes nerds. A few days later she emailed me and asked if I wanted to go to a game with her and I said yes. She wasn’t sure that I knew it was a date until like the fourth inning. I always knew. And now here we are.
The game where we met was not a particularly good one. Ryan Flaherty pitched in a blowout loss where the offense inexplicably stunk against Mike Fiers. There have been some great Orioles moments in the time of our relationship, including the true story that they went on a ten-game winning streak immediately after we got married. On the other hand, the ten year anniversary of when we met is coming up in August and the team has not won a postseason game in that time. That’s a long drought.
So, that’s me. Who are you? If you’re a longtime Camden Chat commenter, thank you for having stuck with us through so many bad seasons until we got back to the fun times that, hopefully, will resume this year. If you’re brand new, welcome to the party. I hope that CCers old and new will have some more great Orioles moments to talk about as this season goes along.
MESA, AZ - MARCH 21: Romeo Sanabria #93 of the San Diego Padres bats during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Aryanna Frank/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Romeo Sanabria ended his 2026 Spring Training for the San Diego Padres with a bang. He hit a grand slam home run to right-center field in the bottom of the eighth inning that put the Padres ahead of the Seattle Mariners 8-3 en route to a Cactus League win in the spring finale at the Peoria Sports Complex on Monday. Kale Fountain followed Sanabria later in the inning with a two-run home run and the Padres went on to win the game, 10-3. Kyle Hart started the game for San Diego and pitched one inning, allowing one run on two hits with a walk. He was followed by German Marquez who pitched 4.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. With the spring schedule complete, Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ballidentifies various standouts who performed well in camp for San Diego throughout Spring Training. The Padres will return to San Diego and prepare for the season opening matchup against Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal on Thursday.
Padres News:
There was speculation throughout Spring Training about who would be on the mound for the Padres when they open the season against the Detroit Tigers. Nick Pivetta was largely thought to be in line to take the start, but there was talk that Michael King might be in line to pitch on Opening Day. San Diego manager Craig Stammen ended the speculation naming Pivetta as the Opening Day starter.
Pivetta will get the start on Opening Day, and the thought is Michael King will follow with Randy Vasquez after him. Stammen did not initially name Vasquez as one of his five starters and that seemed to motivate the right-hander who was one of the best Padres pitchers throughout spring. Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball believes the spring performance points to a breakout season for Vasquez.
The Padres had a new manager and an incomplete roster when Steamer and ZiPS released their projections for number of wins for San Diego. After a full Spring Training the Friar Faithful are in the position to provide a more educated projection for the number of wins for this season. Gaslamp Ball is asking respondents to predict where they think the Padres will be when the 2026 season ends. AJ Cassavell of Padres.com also provided his predictions for the upcoming season.
Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that reliever Jason Adam will start the season on the IL. He also mentioned Sung-Mun Song is playing again in an effort to make it back to the roster as soon as possible. Acee adds additional insights about the potential San Diego roster on Opening Day and which players might fill the few remaining holes on the roster.
The plan this season is to preserve Manny Machado as best as they can as the Padres navigate the season. The future Hall of Famer has been consistent year after year but getting him more time off his feet could benefit San Diego and the efforts for a third straight playoff berth.
Because, even though the Lakers fought back from down 16 points and led within the final 30 seconds against the Pistons, there were multiple moments throughout the game where it was evident they missed Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura.
Lakers’ Marcus Smart (L) and forward Rui Hachimura high-five at Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Hachimura’s perimeter shooting (43.8% on 3s for the season for the league’s seventh-best mark) and ability to quickly create shots for himself would’ve been an ideal release valve for the Lakers’ offense that struggled to score like it normally does against the Pistons defense that ranks second in the NBA.
Smart’s ability to not only match physicality, but also dish it out, was missed against an ultra-aggressive Pistons team that regularly pushed the Lakers around on the perimeter.
The Lakers still hung in despite the absences from Smart, who was dealing with a bruised right ankle and right hip tightness, and Hachimura, who was sidelined because of right calf soreness.
Timberwolves’ Julius Randle (L) drives the ball against Lakers’ Hachimura and guard Marcus Smart, March 10 in LA. AP
And Jarred Vanderbilt, the player who saw the biggest increase in his playing time, going from out of the rotation to being on the floor for 15-and-a-half minutes, played his role as well as expected. He finished with four points, four rebounds and two assists.
But nearly 30 minutes of Smart’s ball-handling and playmaking would’ve made it more challenging for the Pistons to key in on Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. And the perimeter defense would’ve been handy when it came to trying to slow down second-year Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins, who scored a career-high 30 points in his third straight start for injured All-Star guard Cade Cunningham.
“Not having Smart [on Monday] killed us,” coach JJ Redick said. “Vando did a great job. When he had his minutes, he was ready to play, but the way our team works, you need Smart for his ball handling, you need Smart for his defense, you need Rui for his shooting. Those pieces are important to complement everybody.”
L–R: Hachimura, Luka Dončić and Marcus Smart during the game against the Timberwolves in Los Angeles. NBAE via Getty Images
So much of the Lakers’ season has been focused on their stars, in good or challenging times.
Dončić’s recent hot streak.
Reaves being established as the second option in the offensive hierarchy.
LeBron James adapting to what this version of the Lakers need from him.
But Monday was a reminder of the little things everyone can provide — from Deandre Ayton’s offensive rebounding physicality on the interior to Jaxson Hayes’ low man presence on defense — and how the usual nine-man rotation of Dončić, Reaves, Smart, James, Ayton, Hachimura, Hayes, Jake LaRavia and Luke Kennard complement one another.
The Lakers have an 8–2 record when all nine rotation players have been available since the All-Star break.
“That’s important for us: That we can get healthy and we can play our rotation,” Redick said. “Post-Luke trade, I think when all nine guys have played, we’ve been a good basketball team. We need to finish the season strong, but we also need to finish the season healthy.”
But for now, the Lakers’ focus will be on finishing the six-game trip on a high note when they play the Pacers on Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Pacers, who are nine months removed from playing in the NBA Finals, have the league’s worst record (16–56) in light of All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton being sidelined for the season after tearing his Achilles last June.
And it’s no secret they benefit from tanking, giving themselves a better chance of securing a higher draft pick in the summer’s draft.
But the Pacers also ended their franchise-record 16-game losing streak on Monday with a road victory over a Magic team that’s fighting for a playoff spot.
“They play extremely hard, extremely fast, and they’re super well-coached,” James said of the Pacers. “So we got to be ready for that. It’s the last game of the road trip. I know everybody’s trying to get home, but we got business to take care of, so we’ll be ready.”
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FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 10: Connelly Early #71 of the Boston Red Sox arrives ahead of a team workout at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 10, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yesterday morning, we wondered whether Connelly Early or Johan Oviedo would nab the final spot in the Red Sox rotation. Come nightfall we learned that it would be… both of them? In a surprise move as they finalized the roster, the Sox decided that both Early and Oviedo would head to Cincinnati to help protect the rotation in the early going, especially in light of the fact Ranger Suárez has thrown only 9.1 innings between the World Baseball Classic and Grapefruit League. The Sox still haven’t explained whether they’ll go to a six-man rotation or stick someone in the bullpen as a long man, though. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
UPDATE, 10:08 AM: It’s Early in the rotation with Oviedo as a piggyback option:
Early won’t be the only young hot shot lining up on a big league diamond come Opening Day. He’s one of a number of top-100 prospects who have cracked their team’s rosters. (Brendan Samson, Kenny Van Doren, MLB.com)
Carrying an extra starter obviously means that the Sox will carry one fewer reliever. It’s Zack Kelly who draws the short end of the roster stick and will head to Worcester, along with newcomer Tommy Kahnle, who is still getting back up to big league speed. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
Unfortunately, there are also some injury issues complicating the bullpen, as the team is now monitoring Danny Coloumbe’s non-throwing wrist:
While the back of the rotation remains unsettled, the front end is as solid as can be thanks to Garrett Crochet. He’s so good that even Pedro Martinez sees some parallels between Crochet’s career and his own. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
Having already established himself as one of the best pitchers in the league, Crochet doesn’t need much veteran leadership to push himself to the next level. But that’s not necessarily the case with Marcelo Mayer, who has been held to account by the Sox coaching staff and vets like Trevor Story all spring. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
Roman Anthony hasn’t gotten the same tough love treatment that Mayer seems to be getting. But maybe that’s because prominent national writers are already predicting him to win the 2026 American League MVP. (Eno Sarris, The Athletic)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 23: Jared McCain #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder hugs Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers after a game at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 23, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was well after 10 Monday night, well after Jared McCain’s new team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, had beaten his old one, the 76ers. And still McCain, in street clothes by then, lingered in Xfinity Mobile Arena’s lower stands, visiting with friends.
A handful of people hovered about the place. Workers folded up chairs and pulled up ratty carpeting, the beginning stages of the changeover for Tuesday’s Flyers game. Some kids romped around the court, firing shots in the general direction of the rim.
“Jared,” one of them yelled up to McCain, “can we get a picture, please?”
“Yeah, I gotcha, buddy,” the second-year guard said.
A minute or two later he made good on his promise, posing with four youngsters in various Sixers jerseys – two Joel Embiids, one James Harden, one Dr. J.
It was almost as if McCain didn’t want to leave.
He played just 60 games for the Sixers, spread out over a season and a half. He performed really well for a really bad team last year, not so well for an improved one this year. In between he was injured, twice. He even did some time in the G-League this winter.
But if he struggled to find his place on the court, that was never the case off it. As had been the case elsewhere (and as is the case in OKC), the 22-year-old Californian very clearly made some strong connections, very clearly made himself at home. Which is why the crowd greeted him so warmly when he entered Monday’s game, and why, from the beginning of the night to the end, he always had time for one more photo, one more hug, one more handshake.
“I really believe in, you put good energy out and it comes right back to you,” he said. “And I really feel like I was able to do that with the Sixers and with the fans, with the organization.”
It can be said with certainty that while the Sixers have traded better players than McCain during their long, tortured history, they have seldom traded a better human being. Sixers coach Nick Nurse was saying before the game that McCain’s approach and attitude always stood out as much as his ability as a shooter and scorer – that he is, in Nurse’s words, “a tremendous person, worker and competitor.”
And, the coach added, “That’s always good to have on your team.”
That McCain is not is something that seems likely to stick in the craw of Sixers fans for years to come. He was shipped to the defending champs for four draft picks on Feb. 4, and he has fit like a glove. After averaging 6.6 points a game on .385/.378/.880 shooting splits in 37 games with Philadelphia, he has raised those numbers to 12.3 on .468/.439/.862 accuracy in 20 games with OKC. That includes his 5-for-11, 13-point effort in over 25 minutes off the bench in Monday’s 123-103 victory.
The Thunder had scouted McCain during his lone season at Duke, and thought highly of him. Coach Mark Daigneault alternately called him a “gym rat,” a “self-made player” and a “craftsman” on Monday, and said that while the newcomer has been respectful of the holdovers, he has hardly been deferential.
“He’s been who he is, and has played aggressively and confidently,” Daigneault said, adding that it says as much about the rest of the team as it does McCain – that the other players have “gone out of their way to try to make sure that we’re getting the best version of him.”
The bottom line?
“It’s felt,” the coach said, “like he’s been here longer than he has.”
Still, McCain was more or less on his own when it came to Monday’s homecoming. He had not been back in Philadelphia since the trade, which came in the middle of a road trip, and admitted he felt “a lot of anxiety” about his return.
“When I was meditating this morning, it was a lot of just acceptance of, it’s going to happen,” he said. “You’re going to have those feelings, you’re going to have those emotions” – including, he added, “that subtle feeling of you want to prove the team wrong that traded you.”
He said he tried to put that aside, but he nailed two three-pointers soon after entering the game midway through the first quarter. After the first, from the left corner, he talked some smack to veteran center Andre Drummond – “It’s all love,” McCain said with a grin – and seemed no less emotional after drilling the second, from the top of the circle.
He missed his next five attempts from the floor, but made three of his last four. McCain, who went 3-for-7 from the arc in all, was one of six players to crack double figures for the Thunder, who won their 12th straight to improve their league-best record to 57-15.
McCain said the night provided him “a little bit” of closure. Mostly, though, it had been weird. Weird to walk onto the court before the game and see veteran guard Kyle Lowry, who gave him a big hug, as well as assistant coach Rico Hines and so many others. (“It felt like I was on the Sixers again,” McCain said.) Weird to go to chapel with former teammates Justin Edwards and Adem Bona. And weird not to be able to drive by his old house, which he had loved but was too far from the Thunder’s hotel.
“It had a sauna,” he said. “It was really nice.”
Others had cleaned the place out, under the supervision of his mom. So it was that the cord had been cut, and the page turned.
But the connections remain. As the night wound down, McCain signed one of his old No. 20 Sixers road jerseys for two men, right outside the visiting locker room.
“Next year,” he said to them in parting.
Indeed, that will likely be the next time he is in town – next season. But after thinking it over for a moment, he chose to look at it another way.
“See you guys in the Finals,” he told the men.
Still spreading the positive vibes. Still true to himself. And this night of all nights, feeling it all come back to him, in waves.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 21: Ace Bailey #19 of the Utah Jazz dribbles the ball during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 21, 2026 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Several former Rutgers basketball players have made their mark on the NBA this season. Dylan Harper has looked good coming off the bench for the San Antonio Spurs, while his brother, Ron Harper Jr, has contributed solid minutes to the Celtics when he was called up from the G-League. After taking some time to adjust to the NBA in the first half of the season, Dylan’s former teammate and good friend Ace Bailey is starting to prove why he was drafted so high.
Over the past few games, Bailey has scored 95 points for the Utah Jazz. He recorded 33 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists in the team’s 128-96 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. He followed that up with a 25-point game in a losing effort to the Philadelphia 76ers before scoring 37 points in a losing effort to the Toronto Raptors. He is the fifth-youngest NBA player to score 25 points per game in three straight games. The four ahead of him are LeBron James, Cooper Flagg, Carmelo Anthony, and Devin Booker.
While it is stunning how well he has done in this recent set of games, this reflects an overall trend that shows him starting to adjust to the league overall. In the 10 games the Jazz have played since the start of March, Bailey has scored at least 20 points in five of them and has had 15 or more points in all but three. His average of 21.2 points this month is his highest monthly average since joining the league. His overall shooting percentage has gone up drastically as well, as he is hitting 46.6 percent of his shots from the floor and 43.8 percent of his shots from three.
Bailey will look to continue his streak of dominance as the Jazz are set to play a very vulnerable Washington Wizards team next on their schedule.
In addition to Bailey, Dylan Harper has had a few solid outings in his last few games, recording 24 points against the Indiana Pacers and 21 points against the Miami Heat. He is still being used largely in a reserve role, recording just over 20 minutes per game in most of his appearances, while Bailey, on the other hand, has been playing around 30 minutes on average. This is largely due to the teams that each of them is on, rather than their overall skill.
The hope is that Bailey will finish the season strong and give the Jazz faithful a reason to be excited for the future while both Harper brothers continue to contribute meaningful minutes on a playoff contender.
WST president Barry Hearn says ‘sentiment’ played a part
500 seats to be added to the theatre in £45m refit
Barry Hearn concedes he has let his heart rule his head for the first time in his career after striking a remarkable new long-term deal to keep snooker’s world championship at the Crucible Theatre – before hinting that his son Eddie was among those who were against the decision.
The tournament has been played at the 980-seat venue in Sheffield since 1977, and it will remain there until at least 2045 with an option to extend to 2050 after World Snooker Tour and Sheffield city council agreed a contract to ensure snooker’s most prestigious event will stay at its spiritual home.
Mar 21, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Former Texas Rangers player Ivan Pudge Rodriguez looks on during the second half of the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the LA Clippers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Good morning.
Dave Sessions writes that while the Texas Rangers were beating the Kansas City Royals in a dress rehearsal at The Shed last night, Rule 5 reliever Carter Baumler found out he made the squad while on the mound.
Evan Grant writes that Kumar Rocker was the victor of camp’s most publicized battle as he earned the final spot in the rotation.
Grant writes that despite overtures to make Langford the everyday center fielder, the Rangers have opted for Evan Carter to man to role with Langford still playing there on days where Carter sits against lefties.
Grant notes that the rotation could be further bolstered as the season progresses as Cody Bradford and Jordan Montgomery continue to work their way back.
SARASOTA, FLORIDA - MARCH 11: Kyle Bradish #38 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a spring training game at Ed Smith Stadium on March 11, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Congratulations to all of Birdland. Opening Day is just two days away. We made it to the start of 2026.
As our Tyler Young outlined yesterday, the Orioles’ time in Sarasota gave us plenty of clarity about some things. And yet, there are plenty of aspects of this Orioles roster that we want to see put to the test in the games that actually matter.
The Orioles are one of the most changed teams in the American League as they look to bounce back from the profound disappointment of the 2025 season. In comes new manager Craig Albernaz, new star 1B Pete Alonso and other big veteran additions in Taylor Ward, Shane Baz, Chris Bassitt and Ryan Helsley.
The first month of the 2026 season will give us the first glimpses as to whether this team is ready to return to contention or if this roster’s holes will again prove insurmountable. And yet, the beginning of a new season is supposed to offer hope and a chance to learn about the newest iteration of the O’s. With that in mind, here are four things to look forward to in the upcoming first month of Baltimore baseball.
1. A hot start from the Orioles
The Orioles want a chance to prove that the disastrous start to the 2025 season was a complete anomaly. The schedule makers gave them the opportunity to do just that with a favorable opening slate of games across March and April.
The first series of the season sees the Orioles welcome the Twins to Camden Yards, as the two biggest sellers at the 2025 trade deadline square off in Baltimore. Minnesota is entering the early stages of a rebuild, and FanGraphs projects the Twins to finish fourth in the AL Central with a 23.8% chance of making the playoffs. In terms of easy opening series, only a few teams present less of a threat than the Twins.
Things don’t get all that much tougher across the rest of the Orioles’ first 1o series of the year. FanGraphs gives the O’s a 52.1% chance to make the postseason. Of their first ten opponents, only the Red Sox (60%) head into the new season with better odds to play October baseball. Next highest is the Pirates at 47.3%, though the schedule lines up such that the Orioles shouldn’t have to face reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes.
Most of the Orioles’ early opponents fall in the category of “fighting to get above .500,” as the O’s will welcome the Rangers, Giants, Astros and Diamondbacks to Baltimore while traveling to face the Guardians and Royals. The Orioles also get an early trip to the South Side of Chicago to take on a White Sox team most assume to be the worst in the AL.
A winning record in April won’t guarantee a winning season, but a slow start can doom a team—as we saw last season. In the Orioles’ two most recent playoff seasons, they combined to go 38-19 (.667). Last year, the O’s opened the season 12-18 on their way to a losing record. This year, Baltimore should get back to winning ways early thanks to a favorable schedule.
2. The new look rotation in action
The Orioles may not have added an ace in the offseason, but there’s little doubt that this rotation is significantly better than what they had last season. After all, Zach Eflin was the Opening Day starter last year; this year, he’s the O’s No. 5 starter.
This Orioles rotation has been hailed as the best ever assembled under Mike Elias. However, this group still has something to prove. Trevor Rogers will look to prove that he can sustain his excellent 2025 performance over a whole season. Kyle Bradish will want to show that he’s fully back to his 2023 form after returning from Tommy John surgery with a strong, six-start cameo last year. Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt will look to prove they were the right depth additions to round out the rotation.
This group should be day and night compared to the Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano days of yesteryear. The favorable early schedule should give this rotation the stage to show how far this pitching staff has come in the span of a year.
3. How Alby manages the 1B, DH and C at-bats
The signing of Alonso and the long-term financial commitment to Samuel Basallo created a potential logjam at 1B and C. Albernaz now has the pleasure of trying to figure out how Alonso, Basallo, Ryan Mountcastle and Adley Rutschman can all help the Orioles play winning baseball in 2026.
Part of this headache was “solved” as a side effect of the Jordan Westburg injury. With Westburg out until at least May, Coby Mayo spent all of spring training earning the Opening Day start at 3B—and in turn taking him out of the equation at 1B. That still leaves four players vying for playing time at three spots.
Common sense says that Alonso will get the Opening Day start at first, with Rutschman behind the plate and Basallo at DH, leaving RMC as a bench bat and late inning defensive replacement. Then, against LHPs, Alonso will slide to DH, Mountcastle will step in at 1B and Basallo will assume a traditional backup catcher role in the dugout.
However, if managing a team were as simple as following common sense, you wouldn’t need 10+ years of major league coaching experience to land in the first-base dugout at Camden Yards. Will Alby prioritize getting RMC’s better glove in the lineup against more than just lefties? Will the lack of a third catcher influence how often Basallo and Rutschman start together? These are the questions Alby will look to answer over his first 10 series as Orioles manager.
4. Alby’s return to Cleveland
At every opportunity this offseason, the Orioles’ new manager has spoken glowingly about friend and former boss, Stephen Vogt. Albernaz will get the chance to square off against the reigning two-time AL Manager of the Year and his former employer, the Guardians, when the O’s visit Cleveland in mid-April.
While the matchup will certainly be emotional for the Orioles new skipper, it also gives him and his new team a chance to prove they can win the type of games that playoff teams win. On paper, the O’s are more talented than the reigning AL Central champions. However, Vogt has made his name as a manager through exceeding expectations and minimizing his team’s perceived shortcomings. Albernaz has a similar task with the Orioles; beating his friend and mentor would be a strong early sign that he’s up for the challenge.
Mar 15, 2026; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott (5) singles against the Atlanta Braves in the second inning during spring training at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Bryson Stott had himself a productive spring this year. The Phillies second baseman hit .366 with a 1.072 OPS across 16 Grapefruit League appearances. Spring training stats are not a surefire precursor to a successful season, but in this particular case, Stott’s success continues a trend of improved hitting dating back to last season.
Stott hit .294 with an .855 OPS in 60 games after the All-Star break in 2025, and that’s including a brutal month of July where he hit just .194 in 20 games. If you look from August through the end of the season, Stott was hitting .310 with an .880 OPS.
There are more reasons to believe the improvement is real in addition to those traditional back of the baseball card numbers too. Stott’s weighted on-base average (wOBA) improved on both fastballs and breaking balls from August on, and in the case of fastballs it was a significant increase.
Stott’s expected batting average on both pitch types also hit their season highs in August and September, offering dramatic increases from the early season months.
What this means is that Stott began impacting the ball more and at a higher rate of occurrence, leading to more well hit balls and base hits in general. He credits lowering his hands and understanding his limitations to the opposite field as major reasons for his success as he described to the Athletic’s Charlotte Varnes.
That ability to impact the ball has carried over so far into 2026, as Stott’s average exit velocity in spring training was 92.5 MPH, which if it happened over the course of a full season, would be the first time he had an average exit velocity that started with a 9. Stott has routinely been among the bottom of the league when it comes to hitting the ball hard with a career average exit velocity of 87.7.
Now of course, this is spring training and we’re only talking about 16 games and 48 plate appearances. It’s hardly reasonable to conclude anything for certain from such a small sample size. Even with Stott’s second half improvements last season, he still only had average exit velocities under 90 in his two months of greatest improvement. But Stott doesn’t need to be someone who rips the ball all the time either, as his skill set leads to being more of a contact hitter who sprays the ball over the field rather than swinging for the fences. That said however, he still needs to be better at impacting the ball, something he’s been able to accomplish since the end of last season.
Time will tell whether Stott is truly a new hitter or not. Once again, this spring isn’t a confirmation, but rather a continuation of a trend that started in August. It will be interesting to see if Stott’s improvements hold up as the league will no doubt adjust back at him as the regular season gets under way.
So, do you buy in to Bryson Stott’s improvement? Has he finally found the secret to unlocking more of his offensive potential? Or will all of this prove to be a mirage once pitchers find a new weakness to exploit?
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 12: Lucas Giolito #54 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after being taken out of the game during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on September 12, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I had a mild heart attack after searching for Lucas Giolito news. Not going to repeat it, but the robots believe a signing has occurred already. There’s no reason to feed the algorithms any further. If content farms are going to wish something into existence, then let me tell you about Shohei Ohtani opting out of his contract to join the Braves on a league minimum deal. There, let some Dodger fan do a double take.
The Braves have lost a fourth starting pitching option before Opening Day. This may bring Martin Perez back into the picture. It also might have the Braves scrambling for more bodies. So let’s take a brief look at what Lucas Giolito brings to the table.
Last year he avoided the HR/FB monster in Boston to a 3.41/4.17/4.39 (80/99/110) line. He got 2.15 strikeouts per walk. He has a 93 MPH fastball at 33 years old. Projections have him in the 0.7-1.5 WAR range. He throws fastballs around 48 percent of the time, and breaking stuff around 30 percent. There may be more there, but those are some top-line numbers.
You know who he sounds like? An older, luckier Bryce Elder. Bryce was devoured by the HR/FB monster in Atlanta to a 5.30/4.55/4.04 (125/112/98) line. He got more strikeouts at a 2.56 strikeouts per each walk. He has a 93 MPH fastball at 27 years old. Projections have him in the 0.8-1.7 WAR range. The pitch selection is slightly fewer changeups etc. but you get the idea. MLB Trade Rumors has Giolito getting 2 years at 32 million. He’s not getting that from the Braves, even in the state they’re in. It would probably be closer to 5-10 million per year.
So should the Braves be interested in an older, perhaps luckier Bryce Elder? Can they afford not to, though? Pitchers are dropping like flies here. The Braves have a somewhat light schedule (as far as competition, not volume) in March and April. Maybe they bump along the best they can, pick up a marginal-type starter and see what’s available for trade in June. Or they can sign Giolito, warts and all, and still see what’s out there in June.
There aren’t good choices when you lose four starting pitcher options (and maybe a fifth with Lopez) before the season starts. They may have to hold their nose at some point and bring in someone. Only question now is which one.
