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Has D.J. Smith Shown Enough To Become The Kings' Permanent Bench Boss?

Since taking over for the fired Jim Hiller on March 1, interim head coach D.J Smith has injected energy and purpose into the Los Angeles Kings' lineup. However, has he done enough to be given the permanent head coach role beyond this season?

Smith has coached the Kings for eight outings, picking up victories in half of them, and one of the four losses was in overtime. That comes out to a 4-3-1 record and nine points from a possible 16.

The Kings certainly haven't lit the world on fire with their play since the coaching change, but you can see some improvements in how they approach the game, and they're a lot more competitive and threatening.

That jolt of energy comes in the hands of Smith. But, there's a difference between a coach fixing the systemic and tactical issues on the ice and a coaching bump. And with that, Smith may need to prove a little bit more before Kings GM Ken Holland hands him a contract.

So, what else does Smith have to do to prove that he's the man for the permanent head coaching role in Los Angeles?

Why Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland Had An Underrated NHL Trade DeadlineWhy Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland Had An Underrated NHL Trade DeadlineWhile it wasn't a loud deadline, GM Ken Holland and the Los Angeles Kings made some sensible moves that make the team better for the playoff push and the future.

One accomplishment that would likely make D.J. Smith the official head coach of the Kings next season would be to make the playoffs. It's a no-brainer situation, but it would truly speak volumes if Smith were able to steer the ship around and get Los Angeles into the post-season.

That was the goal for the Kings going into this season, and despite Hiller failing to put the team in a prime position to reach the post-season, if Smith can clean up the mess, that should be enough to land him the permanent job.

D.J. Smith (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)
D.J. Smith (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)

Another thing that management will be looking for during the rest of this regular season is how some of the organizations' young key players perform or grow.

Some of those cornerstones include 23-year-olds, defenseman Brandt Clarke and center Quinton Byfield. And to a lesser extent, in terms of potential and expectations, Alex Laferriere, Alex Turcotte and Sam Helenius.

The Kings Young Talent Could Benefit From The Coaching ChangeThe Kings Young Talent Could Benefit From The Coaching ChangeThe Los Angeles Kings have parted ways with Head Coach Jim Hiller, which could pave the way for players like Brandt Clarke, and Quinton Byfield to finally flourish.

It's a good sign that Smith immediately found opportunities for AHL players such as Kenny Connors, Angus Booth and Jared Wright. It shows that the coach is willing to give the organization's youth a chance, which is crucial for the team's future.

While it's nice to dabble in the franchise's youth, the most important pieces of the Kings' future would be Clarke and Byfield. Once captain and center Anze Kopitar retires at the end of this season, and defenseman Drew Doughty will eventually be next, Byfield and Clarke are next in line. 

Another aspect that would factor into Smith sticking around for the long term is the coaching market.

Whether or not Smith checks off all the boxes for Holland and the team's brass, if there's an appealing bench boss available, it may not matter.

Former Oilers Coach Woodcroft May Be Next In Line As Kings Coach, Per InsiderFormer Oilers Coach Woodcroft May Be Next In Line As Kings Coach, Per InsiderWhile D.J. Smith is the current interim head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, there's no guarantee he'll remain past this season. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said to look out for former Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman has reported before that former Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft could be on the Kings' radar. He was a former hire by Holland with Edmonton, so that could be a possibility.

There are other proven head coaches out there, including Peter DeBoer, Peter Laviolette, John Tortorella, Bruce Boudreau, and several more. Not to mention others who could potentially be let go by different teams around the NHL.

Smith's destiny with the Kings may be out of his hands, depending on the thought process of the front office. But he can certainly help his case one game at a time, and fight to get Los Angeles to the post-season.

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Braves trim Spring Breakout roster

Atlanta Braves v. Boston Red Sox

With the Spring Breakout just three days away, the Atlanta Braves have announced the finalized version of the roster that will be a part of the exhibition. It was back on March 5th that the Braves announced the full 40 man roster so let’s take a look at those that made the cut and will be a part of the exhibition.

Pitchers

  • Blane Abeyta, RHP (2025, AA: 12 K/9, 3.53 BB/9, 2.29 ERA)
  • Garrett Baumann, RHP (2025, A+: 8.55 K/9, 2.45 BB/9, 3.40 ERA)
  • Isaac Gallegos, RHP (2025, A+/AA: 8.47 K/9, 3.35 BB/9, 3.18 ERA)
  • Hayden Harris, LHP (2025, AA/AAA: 13.67 K/9. 3.29 BB/9, 0.52 ERA)
  • Herick Hernandez, LHP (2025, A+: 11.06 K/9, 5.92 BB/9, 3.57 ERA)
  • Jhancarlos Lara, RHP (2025, AA/AAA: 13.63 K/9, 8.52 BB/9, 7.73 ERA)
  • Rolddy Muñoz, RHP (2025, AA/AAA: 8.85 K/9, 4.95 BB/9, 2.85 ERA)
  • Owen Murphy, RHP (2025, CPX/A+: 10.09 K/9, 1.78 BB/9, 1.19 ERA)
  • Luis Vargas, RHP (2025, A+/AA: 12.05 K/9, 5.40 BB/9, 3.74 ERA)

Owen Murphy and Garrett Baumann are the two starting pitchers that make the list, while the other seven are relievers. There are several notable names not included in this list including the likes of JR Ritchie, and Didier Fuentes who have both pitched extremely well with the big league team. The likes of Luke Sinnard, Briggs McKenzie, Cam Caminiti, Ethan Bagwell, Landon Beidelschies, Blake Burkhalter, Drue Hackenberg, Ian Mejia, and Raudy Reyes being the other names left off the final roster. Luis Vargas, however, making the team is especially nice, after he missed a good chunk of the season last year having a tumor removed from his head.

Catchers

  • Archer Brookman (2025, A+: .230/.289/.299)
  • Colin Burgess (2025, A: .208/.277/.292)
  • Manuel Dos Passos (2025, CPX: .222/.361/.325)

The state of catching post Drake Baldwin can be seen in this grouping. Chadwick Tromp is now a regular part of the AAA/MLB team so his inclusion was not going to happen. Archer Brookman and Colin Burgess are a pair of minor league of free agents the Braves brought into the organization recently and they are at the top of the depth chart while the young Manuel Dos Passos makes the roster. Nick Montgomery not making the club is of notable note, and no Tyler Tolve is interesting. That said, catcher is clearly an area of need in the neat future for the Braves, following the graduation of Drake Baldwin.

Infielders

  • John Gil (2025, CPX/A/AA: .252/.348/.366)
  • Jim Jarvis (2025, AA/AAA: .249/.324/.347)
  • Alex Lodise (2025, A+: .252/.294/.398)
  • Cody Miller (2025, A/A+: .327/.381/.449)
  • Jose Perdomo (2025, CPX: .223/.275/.270)
  • Tate Southisene (2025, A: .219/.242/.297)
  • Dixon Williams (2025, A: .269/.395/.462)

It’s been a while since the Braves bolstered a group of positional prospects with this many tools. It will be interesting to see where each player plays as Gil, Lodise, Miller, Perdomo, and Southisene are all natural shortstops, while Dixon is a second baseman, and Jim Jarvis is more of a utility player – so who mans third and first is definitely up for debate. Two interesting non-inclusions are Lisandro Espinoza, and David McCabe.

Outfielders

  • Owen Carey (2025, A: .258/.330/.345)
  • Patrick Clohisy (2025, A+/AA: .254/.335/.346)
  • Isaiah Drake (2025, A/A+: .272/.342/.356)
  • Conor Essenburg (DNP)
  • Eric Hartman (2025, CPX/A: .240/.341/.358)
  • Diego Tornes (2025, DSL: .279/.395/.402)

Much like the infield group, this group of outfielders have some of the highest collection of tools in recent Braves history. There is plus speed with Isaiah Drake, Eric Hartman, and Diego Tornes while Diego Tornes and Conor Essenburg possess some of, if not the most notable, power in the minors. Finally, Owen Carey and Patrick Clohisy and their well rounded games make up the rest of the outfield class. The most notable absence here is OF Luis Guanipa.

MLB: MLB Draft Combine
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Spring Training March 18 Game Thread: Braves vs Phillies

Feb 28, 2026; Sarasota, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Martin Perez (70) throws a pitch during the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Welp, folks, that’s the end of the 2026 World Baseball Classic that almost all baseball fans could not only enjoy, but also feel the electric energy from the participating teams and kick off baseball season. Congrats to Ronald Acuña Jr. and team Venezuela on a phenomenal and first WBC win.


The Atlanta Braves are back to face the Philies in North Port with Martín Pérez to take the hill against Andrew Painter (not yet updated on mlb.com, but confirmed on the Phillies’ social media).

Hoping to bounce back from yesterday’s loss against the Red Sox, we’ll be set to watch the squad with Mauricio Dubón batting leadoff with more familiar faces to close out this division matchup for Spring Training.

Game Notes

Time: 1:05 ET

TV: Braves Vision

Radio: ESPN 103.7/WIFN 1340

Build Your Winning Bracket!

SB Nation’s CBB expert Mike Rutherford and resident bracketologist Chris Dobbertean will answer all your questions this week and help guide you to bracket glory! Drop in SB Nation’s March Madness Feed all week long and we’ll have both on hand! (All times ET)

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Blues vs Flames Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight’s NHL Game

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The Calgary Flames host the St. Louis Blues at the Scotiabank Saddledome tonight, with both teams well outside the playoff picture and already looking ahead to the 2026–27 season.

Rookie Matvei Gridin has provided a spark for Calgary, and he headlines my top Blues vs. Flames predictions and NHL picks for Wednesday, March 18. 

Blues vs Flames prediction

Blues vs Flames best bet: Matvei Gridin Over 0.5 points (+120)

Calgary Flames rookie Matvei Gridin is finding his NHL footing and has marked the scoresheet in four of his past six games.

The Russian cracked the CHL All-Rookie Team last year while averaging 1.41 points per game in the QMJHL, and he followed it up with 30 points across 37 AHL games this season before being promoted to the highest level.

Meanwhile, the St. Louis Blues have surrendered a healthy 3.39 goals per road game and rank 23rd in expected goals percentage at five-on-five on the highway.

Blues vs Flames same-game parlay

Calgary is a respectable 16-12-4 at home, and the Flames have covered the puck line in 16 of their last 25 home games (+7.50 Units / 17% ROI), while the Blues sport a 12-18-3 road record.

In addition to both teams trending to the Under recently, Calgary has scored the fewest goals per game (2.46), and St. Louis sits 28th (2.63).

As a result, I'm anticipating a close, low-scoring game tonight.

Blues vs Flames SGP

  • Flames +1.5
  • Under 5.5
  • Matvei Gridin Over 0.5 points

Blues vs Flames odds

  • Moneyline: Blues -125 | Flames +105
  • Puck Line: Blues -1.5 (+195) | Flames +1.5 (-240)
  • Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-115) | Under 5.5 (-105)

Blues vs Flames trend

Calgary has covered the puck line in 16 of its last 25 home games (+7.50 Units / 17% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Blues vs. Flames.

How to watch Blues vs Flames

LocationScotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB
DateWednesday, March 18, 2026
Puck drop9:30 p.m. ET
TVFDSN Mountain West, SN1

Blues vs Flames latest injuries

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Watch Alex Caruso pick up a technical for defending with his shoe in his hand

Alex Caruso made another high-effort defensive play, but he got a technical for it on Tuesday night.

Because he did it by swinging a shoe in his hand.

Good on Caruso for sticking with the play when his shoe came off, but you can't use it as a tool. That's a tech. And Tristan da Silva was automatically awarded two points on the play.

As for the game, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 40 points on the Orlando Magic 113-108 Tuesday night, and Oklahoma City picked up its 10th straight win, securing a playoff spot. Chet Holmgren had 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, while Ajay Mitchell added 16 points.

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MLB teams pressure WBC managers to be careful with pitchers. Venezuela pushed back

MIAMI — Venezuela manager Omar López went beyond the limit to help his nation win its first World Baseball Classic.

Major league clubs routinely place restrictions on how national team managers can use pitchers at the WBC. One key for López and Venezuela in the championship game was that he talked some MLB team executives into dropping their initial limitations. U.S. manager Mark DeRosa accepted such restraints.

That allowed López to pitch Chicago Cubs closer Daniel Palencia for the second straight night and third time in four days. Palencia retired three straight batters to seal a 3-2 win.

“I woke this morning, three text messages from different organizations trying not to pitch guys back to back,” López said before the game. “One of my strengths is talk, and I send my text back fighting for my guys and then set a phone call with everybody. When you talk and you get an agreement, you negotiate it, everything is going to go well.”

López relaxed a bit after the back and forth.

“I have my guys tonight to go back to back if I need to, and that’s the most important thing,” he said.

DeRosa didn’t use Mason Miller, perhaps baseball’s best reliever, because he promised the San Diego Padres he would pitch the 27-year-old righty only in a save situation. Miller had Monday off after throwing 22 pitches in the ninth inning of Sunday’s 2-1 win over the Dominican Republic, when his fastball averaged 101 mph.

After Bryce Harper’s two-run homer tied the score 2-2 in the eighth against Venezuela, DeRosa brought in Boston’s Garrett Whitlock to start the ninth. Whitlock walked Luis Arraez, and pinch-runner Javier Sanoja stole second. Sanoja came home when Eugenio Suárez doubled to the left-center gap on a full-count changeup.

“Honoring the Padres,” DeRosa said of Miller’s absence. “Had we taken the lead, he was coming in, but I wasn’t going to bring him in to a tie game.”

With the U.S. the home team and batting last, there was no chance for a save situation once the game entered the ninth inning tied.

“I wanted to honor the fact that there was a situation there where, if it was tied, we were going to use Whitlock,” DeRosa said. “We had talked to the Red Sox about that. And if we had the lead, we were going to use Mason.”

Palencia, a 26-year-old right-hander, threw 13 pitches in a perfect ninth to close out an 8-6 quarterfinal win over Japan, striking out two and ending the game by retiring Shohei Ohtani on a popup.

He threw 15 more pitches Sunday in a 1-2-3 top of the ninth that finished a 4-2 win over Italy.

Against the U.S, he needed just 11 pitches that raised his three-game total to 39. Palencia struck out Kyle Schwarber on a 98.5 mph four-seamer, induced a popup from pinch-hitter Gunnar Henderson and blew a 99.7 mph fastball by Roman Anthony for a title-winning strikeout.

Palencia’s fastball velocity averaged 98.1 mph against the U.S., down from 99.3 mph vs. Italy and 98.8 mph vs. Japan, but it was good enough.

He threw 30 fastballs over the three games, seven sliders and two splitters, totaling 26 strikes and 13 balls.

“With that fastball, it is not easy to have good control, but I train that with my coaches in Venezuela,” he said during the tournament. “I trained like a sprinter because I learned that it is about velocity, the capability of the muscle to move.”

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Flyers Trade Addition Heating Up In AHL

Back in late December, the Philadelphia Flyers acquired forward Philip Tomasino from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Egor Zamula. Zamula's time in Pittsburgh ended up being incredibly short, though, as he had his contract terminated and signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets in early January.

Since being acquired by the Flyers, Tomasino has played for their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In 28 games with the AHL club so far, he has recorded five goals, 13 assists, and 18 points. 

Yet, as the season carries on, it is clear that Tomasino has been heating up with Lehigh Valley. 

Tomasino is currently on a four-game point streak with the Phantoms, where he has one goal and three assists over that span. He also has 11 points over his last 12 games with Lehigh Valley, so there is no question that he has been making an impact offensively. 

If Tomasino can continue to produce solid offense like this for the Flyers, perhaps it could open the door for the 2019 first-round pick to get a chance on their NHL roster. Just last season, he had 11 goals and 23 points in 50 games with the Penguins after being acquired from the Nashville Predators, so he has shown that he can produce some decent secondary offense at the NHL level. 

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U.S. falls short again in WBC final as Venezuela stuns star-studded roster

MIAMI — Aaron Judge walked slowly back and forth in the United States dugout while Venezuelan players shed tears and fell to their knees to celebrate the country’s first World Baseball Classic title.

Other players from the Americans’ $320 million roster stood frozen for several minutes before receiving their silver medals. Bryce Harper, who hit a tying homer in the eighth inning, went over to shake hands with Team Venezuela players before leaving the field.

“In those moments, it’s like the Olympics or anywhere else,” Harper said. “I’m really happy for them. Obviously, I want to win no matter what. That’s what I play for, is to win a championship and a goal medal. But in that moment it’s not about me, it’s about us and our game.”

Team USA brought its most loaded roster ever to baseball’s premier international event, but the Americans lost their second straight WBC final after winning the championship in 2017.

“Obviously disappointed,” Judge said. “All of us put on this uniform to go out there and win a gold medal. We fell short of that.”

The U.S. produced just three hits and four runs over the final two games of the WBC — well short of offensive expectations for a roster of players who combined for 382 home runs and 1,111 RBIs last MLB season.

Three years after losing to Shohei Ohtani and Japan in 2023, the Americans were again disappointed, this time by an energetic Venezuelan team led by All-Stars Ronald Acuña Jr., Maikel Garcia and Luis Arraez.

Left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez mowed down the Americans’ fearsome lineup with measured ease, leaving the colorful celebration to his teammates who met him with claps as he stoically exited the mound in the fifth.

Rodríguez fanned Judge — the U.S. captain went 0 for 4 — twice among four strikeouts and held the Americans to just one hit over 4 1/3 innings.

“I’m not going to make any excuses for us,” said United States manager Mark DeRosa. “I think at the end of the day ... it’s early in spring training. Guys are getting ready for the season. Eventually I think the tournament gets moved and I think the guys are in better form pitching-wise.

“But ultimately it’s who gets hot at the right time, who gets a big swing.”

The Americans have won just one title in six iterations of the tournament. DeRosa indicated that the U.S., which has received more buy-in from marquee MLB position players over the years, is still lacking the same commitments from star pitchers.

Reigning two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal participated this year but made just one start in pool play in order to stick with his ramp-up schedule for the regular season with the Detroit Tigers.

“I think every position player wants to play in it,” DeRosa said. “I think from a pitching standpoint, everybody’s at different stages in their career. You’ve got to get buy-in from the team. You’ve got to get buy-in from the player. You’ve got to get buy-in from the agent. I think everybody in their heart ... wants to do it. It’s just, what’s the timing of where they are at in their career?”

Venezuela’s bullpen gave up only two hits, including Harper’s two-run homer over the center-field fence against Andrés Machado in the eighth.

Arraez walked against Garrett Whitlock starting the ninth and pinch-runner Javier Sanoja stole second just ahead of catcher Will Smith’s throw, then came home on Eugenio Suárez double. Suárez spread his arms wide and pointed to the sky at second base while teammates streamed from the dugout to greet Sanoja at the plate.

It signaled another brutal finish could be coming for the U.S., which lost the 2023 WBC title game when Ohtani struck out Mike Trout to win it for Japan.

The American roster was made up of players who have combined for more than 2,300 home runs and 419 saves, and nine of them have played in a World Series.

But they never quite displayed the full extent of their offensive firepower. They hit .250 over seven games with 44 runs, 10 homers and 40 RBIs.

DeRosa said he was surprised by the lack of offense “because of the names at the back of the jersey, but not surprised because of where they’re at in spring training.”

“That’s my answer,” he added. “I really don’t have a rhyme or reason to why. I just think you’re either hot or not in a seven-game blast like this.”

After the U.S. beat the Dominican Republic 2-1 in the semifinals, DeRosa said he was still waiting for his team to break loose at the plate.

That will have to wait another three years.

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Bruins must ride Swayman to bolster chance at making playoffs

Bruins must ride Swayman to bolster chance at making playoffs originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins entered Wednesday in the first wild card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference thanks to a regulation wins tiebreaker advantage over the Detroit Red Wings. Both teams have earned 82 points from 68 games.

Keeping that postseason spot could prove very difficult for the B’s from now through the April 14 regular season finale.

The Bruins have a slim one-point lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets and a five-point edge on the Ottawa Senators in the wild card race. The Blue Jackets have one game in hand on Boston, while the Senators have two.

Boston’s margin for error in this tightly contested playoff battle is extremely small. The Blue Jackets and Senators aren’t going away. Columbus has taken at least a point from 10 straight games. Ottawa is 7-1-2 in its last 10 games.

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With points at an absolute premium, the Bruins need to rely on their No. 1 goalie to carry them back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Bruins have 14 games remaining, including two back-to-backs, and Jeremy Swayman should start almost every single one of them.

Swayman has been the Bruins’ best player this season. He has bounced back nicely from a difficult 2024-25 campaign. The 27-year-old netminder has a 26-14-4 record with a .906 save percentage and a 2.77 GAA.

Those numbers don’t look elite, but if you dig deeper, it’s easy to see how impressive he has played this season.

The Bruins have given up the second-most high-danger scoring chances in the league, per Natural Stat Trick. They also rank 30th in shots allowed and 26th in scoring chances allowed. Swayman has faced 376 high-danger shots this season, which is the third-most of any goalie. He has an impressive .827 save percentage on those shots.

Swayman ranks third among all goalies with 22.8 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck. His 3.80 wins above replacement is also third-best among netminders. His 30 quality starts are the third-most and trails the league leader, Andrei Vasilevskiy, by two.

The bottom line is the Bruins are defending poorly, which has forced Swayman to thwart a ton of Grade A scoring chances by the opposition, and so far he has more than stepped up to the challenge.

If Swayman played on a team that defended at a high level, he might be the Vezina Trophy favorite right now. And honestly, he’s still making a case to be a finalist for the award despite playing on a bad defensive team.

Look at Tuesday night’s loss in Montreal, for example. The Canadiens tallied 25 high-danger chances — the most the Bruins have allowed in any game this season. Montreal’s expected goals scored was five, but Swayman allowed only three (two in regulation).

Jeremy SwaymanDavid Kirouac-Imagn Images
The Bruins need Jeremy Swayman to play spectacular down the stretch to secure a playoff berth.

There’s not much to suggest the Bruins will suddenly become a consistently good defensive team over the final 14 games, and that’s a huge reason why Swayman needs to play almost all of the remaining matchups. He set a career-high last year with 58 starts. He’s made 44 starts this season, so it’s not like he’s been overworked. And after playing only one game for Team USA during the three-week Olympic break in February, he shouldn’t be fatigued.

Another reason to play Swayman most of the remaining games is backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo cannot be trusted to give the Bruins a chance to win on a consistent basis. Korpisalo has allowed four or more goals in four of his last five starts, and he’s on pace to finish with a save percentage below .900 for the third consecutive season. He has a .888 save percentage with 27 goals allowed in his last seven games.

The Bruins have the league’s toughest remaining schedule, per Tankathon. Seven of their last 14 games are against playoff teams and eight are on the road. The Bruins play the Red Wings on Saturday and the Blue Jackets twice more in Columbus. They also play the Atlantic Division-leading Lightning twice.

The Bruins need to play their best hockey of the season over the next month to secure a playoff spot. Every point is critical.

Swayman is the sixth-highest paid goalie in the league and he’s performing at an elite level. It’s time for the Bruins to rely on him almost every game the rest of the way. If that means starting 12 (or more) of the last 14 games, so be it.

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Dodgers’ Roki Sasaki has another erratic outing as he tries to earn role in starting rotation

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Roki Sasaki had another up-and-down performance in a spring training game against the Kansas City Royals as he tries to solidify his spot in the Los Angeles Dodgers ' starting rotation.

The 24-year-old Japanese right-hander got off to a good start, giving up one hit, walking one and striking out two through two scoreless innings. But after fanning Gavin Cross to start the third, he lost command, walking three straight before manager Dave Roberts took him out of the game.

Roberts said he was encouraged by aspects of Sasaki’s outing, but there needs to be more efficiency.

“You’ve got to be able to take down innings and be able to make adjustments sooner,” Roberts said. “I know there were some things he was working through tonight, but when you’re in the middle of a game, you’ve got to find a way to adjust quicker. That’s something that’s probably part of the learning curve for him.”

Sasaki re-entered in the fourth — a quirk that’s allowed during spring training — and struck out two more while also allowing a two-run homer. He started the fifth, giving up a hard-hit double to veteran Starling Marte before leaving the game for good.

The final line: 3 1/3 innings, four hits, three earned runs, four walks and five strikeouts. Sasaki threw 71 pitches, including 38 strikes.

“There are a lot of things I need to work on, but it’s just spring training,” he said through an interpreter.

Sasaki’s positives are obvious. He has an electric fastball that touched 99 mph, a great splitter and a newly-added cutter that often was effective. But there also are moments when he can’t seem to repeat his pitching delivery, leaving him prone to bouts of wildness.

“When it’s good, it’s really good,” Roberts said. “We’re just trying to get him to be more efficient in the strike zone.”

It was Sasaki’s third Cactus League appearance and first since March 3. He has a 13.50 ERA this spring, giving up 10 runs over 6 2/3 innings.

He also pitched in a game against White Sox minor leaguers on March 10 and threw four scoreless innings.

Sasaki entered his rookie year in 2025 with a lot of fanfare, but didn’t pitch much in the majors during the regular season, finishing 1-1 with a 4.46 ERA over 36 1/3 erratic innings. He appeared in 10 games, starting eight, and missed more than four months because of a right shoulder impingement.

He returned in September and became a key piece of the bullpen during the postseason, giving up just one earned run over 10 2/3 innings and earning three saves to help the Dodgers win their second straight World Series title.

Sasaki agreed to a minor league contract with a $6.5 million signing bonus last offseason, becoming the 13th Japanese player to join the franchise.

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José Berríos Out With Stress Fracture

DUNEDIN, FL - FEBRUARY 20: José Berríos #17 of the Toronto Blue Jays poses for a photo during the Toronto Blue Jays photo day at TD Ballpark on Friday, February 20, 2026 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

First of all, cheers to the Venezuela for winning the WBC. It seemed like the odds were stacked against them, having to play for the second night in a row and now being able to lose the reliever who got them past Italy. The reaction of their players and the Venezuelan fans make the whole WBC worth the effort.

I wonder if Daniel Palencia glove has fallen to the ground. He threw it so high. Eduardo Rodriguez had such a terrific start. And they got just enough hitting.

On the US side, they got just three hits, two of them from Bryce Harper. Their offense never really got going throughout the WBC. I can’t say I’m sorry for Mark DeRosa.

John Schneider told reporters that José Berríos has a stress fracture in his elbow. He also went on to say that José has been ‘remarkably’ pain-free. He won’t be on the roster opening day and there is no time line suggested, just that he’ll rest the arm for a bit and then start back up. How long ‘a bit’ is we have no idea.

He went so many years in a row getting his 32 starts that it’s not a surprise his arm is asking for some time off.

I guess I shouldn’t have laughed at how many starting pitcher the accumulated this off-season.

The Jays have announced their starters for the next few days:

  • Today: Josh Flemming. Eric Lauer will start in a minor league game today. With the Berríos news, Lauer is likely to have a starter’s role at the start of the season.
  • Thursday: Cody Ponce.
  • Friday: Max Sherzer.
  • Saturday: Kevin Gausman.
  • Sunday: Dylan Cease.

Today’s lineups. The game is at 1:00 Eastern. I interested to see Eloy play first base. Too bad Andrés Giménez isn’t back yet (though I’d imagine his nursing a hangover today), the back of the lineup could have been Giménez, Jiménez, Jiménez.

Today’s Lineups

ORIOLESBLUE JAYS
Dylan Beavers – RFGeorge Springer – DH
Adley Rutschman – CDaulton Varsho – CF
Pete Alonso – DHAlejandro Kirk – C
Ryan Mountcastle – 1BAddison Barger – RF
Colton Cowser – LFKazuma Okamoto – 3B
Blaze Alexander – CFNathan Lukes – LF
Jeremiah Jackson – 2BDavis Schneider – 2B
Weston Wilson – 3BEloy Jimenez – 1B
Jose Barrero – SSLeo Jimenez – SS
Albert Suarez – RHPJosh Fleming – LHP

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Celtics star Jayson Tatum leaned on family during his Achilles rehab

Jayson Tatum leaned on family during one of the toughest times in his career.

The Boston Celtics' six-time All-Star’s right Achilles tendon ruptured during Game 4 of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks on May 12, 2025.

Tatum mentioned that he stayed at his mom’s house during a part of his recovery.

"She’s set a good foundation for my life and helped me become the basketball player that I am," Tatum told USA TODAY. "To have her be a part of the off-the-court things that I'm doing is important."

His injury kept him away from live-game action for nearly 300 days before he was cleared and ready to return.

His mom recently joined him in a March Madness commercial for AT&T. The commercial showed Tatum on a video call with his mother while a small child, meant to play the role of his son Deuce, dunks on a toy basketball hoop for the first time.

"It was all about sharing special moments with my family," Tatum said, "I think it went really well."

The commercial also allowed him to reflect on his first time he was able to dunk a basketball during a middle school game in St. Louis.

In his return to NBA action, Tatum recorded a double-double in his season debut as the Celtics earned a 120-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on March 6.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) dribbles against Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) during the second half at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on March 16, 2026.

His first dunk attempt upon returning wasn’t as easy. Tatum was still testing out what he could do in a live-game situation and had one of his attempts denied by the rim.

Tatum had a slow start in the first half after being introduced and welcomed back by the Boston crowd.

He went 2-for-8 from the field for five points. He also had five rebounds and five assists.

The NBA champion produced the points in the final moments of the second quarter, bringing the crowd to their feet with a putback dunk and a three-pointer on the following possession.

He had 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in front of the Boston fans at the TD Garden.

"Hey, I’m back," Tatum said about his mindset for coming back. "Let’s continue where we left off. Our goal is to win a championship."

The forward has nearly produced a double-double in the five games he’s played in since his return. He’s averaging 20 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists.

Jaylen Brown and the Celtics went 41-21 to start the season with Tatum out of the lineup. Boston has put together a 4-2 record since Tatum’s return.

"I couldn’t be more proud of this team for the way they attacked the season and how they went about it to be the second or third seed in the Eastern Conference," Tatum added.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jayson Tatum leaned on family during injury rehab, return to Celtics

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Braves will return broadcast crew for inaugural BravesVision season

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 13: Bally announcer Brandon Gaudin interviews Austin Riley #27 after the Atlanta Braves defeatec the Philadelphia Phillies to clinch the NL East at Citizens Bank Park on September 13, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images

We already had this confirmed directly to us, but hey, have a very long press release:

Basically, Brandon Gaudin and C.J. Nitkowski are coming back as the main booth lads, Jeff Francoeur will be there when he feels like it (a 30-game commitment), while Wiley Ballard and Paul Byrd will chip in from the sidelines.

Former Braves Peter Moylan, Nick Green, and Charlie Culberson will handle pre-game and post-game stuff, which I can’t comment on because I will always just switch to a different game rather than bothering to watch someone talk about the game I just watched where I already know what happens.

On a personal preference level, it’s basically impossible for me to complain because the current broadcast situation is so many leagues better than what existed in the Chip Caray era that I’m eternally grateful for not having to mute the game within the first few batters each time. Gaudin and Byrd definitely enhance my experience, and this crew seems to work well together.

And, before you fill up the comments on the same topic, no, we don’t know of any other carrier deals with BravesVision yet… so if you’re looking to get it via cable or a streaming service, you’ll still have to stay tuned until we do know.

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Canadiens Still Need To Fix Recurrent Mistake

Recently, the Montreal Canadiens’ defensive woes have been at the forefront of their press coverage. Not that it’s a new issue, it’s been there all season long, but when you’re winning, or you can pin the loss on the goaltender, it’s not as obvious.

In their two losses against the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks over the weekend, Martin St-Louis’ men committed a whopping 40 giveaways. When you turn the puck over to the opponent and find yourself having to flip to defence mode in an instant, you’re more likely to commit mistakes in your reads or your coverage, and that’s exactly how the Canadiens lost those two games.

Canadiens’ Caufield Scores 40 And Makes History
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Heartbreaking News For Canadiens’ Forward

On Tuesday night, the Canadiens cut down on turnovers. Through 40 minutes, they had only committed six, and they ended the game with 11. Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle were separated after being on the ice for the Ducks’ game-winner on Sunday, with the sophomore skating with Jayden Struble while Guhle was paired with Alexandre Carrier.

While the defensive play was better, it wasn’t perfect. The Habs’ difficulty with the man-to-man defensive coverage was particularly evident on the Boston Bruins’ second goal. Struble had his man, but Hutson and Oliver Kapanen went for the same man, Viktor Arvidsson, leaving Pavel Zacha, who had scored the Bruins’ first goal, to skate unhindered to Jakub Dobes’ net and be in perfect position to convert on Arvidsson’s pass.

Throughout the season, the Canadiens have outscored their issues. They simply scored so many goals that it didn’t matter that they allowed so much because they were able to run up the score. The problem with that is when you get to the playoffs, or even nearer to the playoffs, as we are now, teams tighten up, and they play a more defensive game. You can’t outscore fundamental defensive flaws in the playoffs.

At this stage of the season, it’s too late for a complete overhaul of the defensive system, but Martin St-Louis has to be aware that there’s a lot of work to be done there. While on paper the system works, it means that on the ice, players need to make the right reads in a split second. That’s easier said than done, and if a player like Oliver Kapanen with such a high hockey I.Q. can make a mistake, anybody can. On Tuesday, instead of sticking with his man, the Finn stopped and was drawn to the puck carrier who Hutson already had. 

Of course, it’s impossible to play a perfect game in which you make no mistakes, but if the Canadiens want to get to the playoffs and play more than the five games they had last season, they need to tidy things up as a matter of urgency. 

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AL West Preview – Astros prospects, the fun part

HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 19: The Houston Astros 2025 first round draft pick, Xavier Neyens, takes batting practice in front of Astros general manager Dana Brown before a game against the Seattle Mariners at Daikin Park on September 19, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images

This might be the easiest, low-stress, high-joy article I write this season.

It’s just so much fun to research the Houston farm system. It’s kind of hard to even come up with sections or headers for this one, so let’s just jump into it. 

Baseball America: 27th in organizational rankings, 0 Top-100 prospects (hell yeah)

Baseball Prospectus: 27th, 0 Top-101 prospect (Hell Yeah)

FanGraphs: Org rank not updated, but ended 2025 ~29th, 0 Top-100 prospects: (HELL YEAH)

MLB Pipeline: 29th, 0 Top-100 prospects: (can i get a big fat “hell yeah” in the chat?)

The Good:

The pride of Northwest Washington State, shortstop Xavier Neyens is, in most evaluators eyes, the top prospect for the Astros. Before being Houston’s 2025 1st draft pick, Neyens played for Mount Vernon High School in Mount Vernon, WA, just a 25 minute drive down the road from little ole’ me up here in Bellingham. 

He spent his senior year terrorizing the Northwest Conference, leading the Bulldogs to a 20-game win streak, a 25-3 record, and a 2025 3A state title. A bat-first player, he hit .456 with eight home runs, had an on-base percentage of .689 (buoyed by a state championship game where he was intentionally walked four times), and racked up 35 stolen bases. That’s nothing to say of his heroics as the Bulldogs’ closer, where he went 6-for-6 in save opportunities, delivered 11.5 K/9, and flashed 95 mph and 22”+ of IVB on the fastball. 

He was that guy. Neyens is a high-floor prospect with five strong tools whose power has the potential to carry him. Expect for him to break the top-100 prospect drought for Houston by the end of the season.

The Rest:

This concludes the end of the high-floor and high–ceiling section of the Houston farm system. From here on out, it’s all risk/reward calculations, baby. 

Kevin Alvarez is MLB Pipeline’s top prospect for Houston, but he only comes in at no. 5 for Baseball America, as BA heavily weighs his high-risk profile and how early he is in his development process. 

Baseball America describes the system’s 3rd-best prospect (Brice Matthews) as a likely utility player with a 30 grade on the bat. Not what you’re looking for from the number 3 spot. 

Almost none of the rest of the top 10 of this system have what can even be described as a medium floor. They range from low-floor, high-ceiling at best, to low-floor, lowish mediumish ceiling on average. 

Now, for the being fair and not purely gloating section: the Astros have been very successful at development over the last 10 years. It’s fair to think that many of these players may reach the higher end of their profile. This is not the first time that we’ve looked at their farm system and not thought there was any gas left in the tank. 

In conclusion: I wish a million risk upon the Houston Astros, and a zero reward upon them as well. I think my wish will be coming true.