Category: Sports News

The Astros will host Team Venezuela for an exhibition this evening at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches ahead of this year’s World Baseball Classic.

RHP Cristian Javier is set to make his Spring debut while Team Venezuela will start SEA RHP Eduard Bazardo, who’s been scoreless through two appearances (1.1 IP) this Spring. 

Isaac Paredes will make his spring debut at first base.

Tonight will mark the Spring debut for RHP Cristian Javier. In his return from Tommy John surgery in 2025, Javier made eight starts, going 2-4 with a 4.62 ERA (19ER/37IP), 34 strikeouts and a .230 opponent average. In his career, Javier has held opponents to a .203 (397×1956) batting average. Among AL pitchers to toss 525.0-plus innings between the 202025 seasons, Javier ranks first in the AL in that category. He’s also helped author several notable moments in his career, starting a combined no-hitter in Game 4 of the 2022 World Series, as well as a combined no-hitter in June of that season at Yankee Stadium.

TODAY’S POTENTIAL RELIEVERS: RHP Sam Carlson, LHP Bryan King, RHP Michael Knorr, RHP Jayden Murray, RHP Ryan Weiss, LHP Tom Cosgrove and RHP Christian Roa.

ABOUT TEAM VENEZUELA: For the second straight World Baseball Classic, Team Venezuela will be managed by Astros bench coach Omar López. Team Venezuela advanced to the quarterfinals in the 2023 WBC prior to being eliminated by the United States in the quarterfinals. The Astros and Team Venezuela also met during Spring Training in 2023, with the Astros hanging on for a 9-8 win at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Notable players on Team Venezuela include: LHP Eduardo Rodríguez, LHP Ranger Suárez, C Salvador Pérez, C William Contreras, IF Luis Arráez, IF Eugenio Suárez, IF Willson Contreras, IF Gleyber Torres, OF Jackson Chourio and OF Ronald Acuña Jr.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Tuesday, March 3, 5:05 p.m. CST

Location: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, FL.

TV: Space City Home Network

Streaming: SCHN+,

Radio: KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2

The Mets decisively won their exhibition match against Nicaragua 6-3, with 26 different players entering the game for the Mets over the nine innings.

• Jonah Tong went 2.2 innings, allowing just one run on five hits and tallying three strikeouts in the process.
• Brett Banks got a single out, a strikeout to end the third inning.
• Craig Kimbrel gave up a run in one inning, giving up three hits and getting a strikeout to boot.
• Brooks Raley gave up a run on a walk one hit in one inning, getting two strikeouts.
• Luis García, Luke Weaver, Devin Williams, and Jefry Yan each had a scoreless inning, with Yan getting the save as well.
• Marcus Semien went 1-for-2 with a walk and scoring twice.
• Bo Bichette went 1-for-1 with a walk and an RBI.
• Francisco Alvarez went 1-for-3, driving in a run on a single.
• Vidal Bruján went 1-for-2, hitting a two-run single that put the Mets up for good.
• Chris Suero hit a solo home run in the eighth inning, his first of the spring.

The Mets play again tomorrow in another exhibition match, this time against Team Israel. David Peterson will be making his first start of the spring. The game is at 1:10 PM ET, but will once again go unbroadcast, leaving box score watching as the only option.

Puerto Rico has long been one of the most exciting teams to watch in the World Baseball Classic. This year, even though it's missing some of its biggest star power, it should still be a force.

The runner-up in 2017 after losing 8-0 to the United States in the final, Team Rubio went home early in 2023 in a dramatic 5-4 quarterfinal loss to Mexico. The lasting image from the last Classic, however, is closer Edwin Díaz being carried off the field after tearing his ACL while celebrating after striking out the side against the Dominican Republic to send Puerto Rico to the knockout rounds.

Díaz, who signed a three-year, $69 million deal with the back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers this past offseason, will be back on the mound for Puerto Rico this year. But the team is missing some notable faces, most notably former captain Francisco Lindor. Several members of Team Rubio's longtime core, including Lindor, will miss the Classic due to insurance constraints that have restricted several big-name players across multiple countries from competing this year. Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny offered to pay the insurance for Carlos Correa, but the Houston Astros infielder ultimately declined.

That opened the door for Nolan Arenado, who played for Team USA in 2017 and '23, to switch teams. He played a major role in USA's run to the finals in the most recent WBC, batting .385 and going 10-for-26 with four extra-base hits and five RBIs. Arenado is of Cuban and Puerto Rican heritage on his mother's side.

With Puerto Rico set to play in its first exhibition game against the Boston Red Sox at 6:00 p.m. ET Tuesday, here's everything you need to know about Team Rubio, including the full roster, schedule and how to watch.

Puerto Rico full World Baseball Classic roster

Pitchers

• Raymond Burgos, LHP, free agent
• Fernando Cruz, RHP, New York Yankees
• José De León, RHP, free agent
• Edwin Díaz, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Jose Espada, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
• Rico Garcia, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
• Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals
• Jorge López, RHP, free agent
• Jovani Morán, LHP, Boston Red Sox
• Luis Quiñones, RHP, Minnesota Twins
• Angel Reyes, RHP
• Eduardo Rivera, LHP, Boston Red Sox
• Gabriel Rodriguez, LHP, New York Mets
• Elmer Rodríguez, RHP, New York Yankees
• Yacksel Ríos, RHP, Chicago Cubs
• Ricardo Velez, RHP, Texas Rangers

Catchers

• Martín Maldonado, retired
• Christian Vázquez, free agent

Infielders

• Nolan Arenado, Arizona Diamondbacks
• Edwin Arroyo, Cincinnati Reds
• Darnell Hernaiz, Athletics
• Emmanuel Rivera, free agent
• Luis Vázquez, Baltimore Orioles

Outfielders

• Willi Castro, Colorado Rockies
• Carlos Cortes, Athletics
• Matthew Lugo, Los Angeles Angels
• MJ Melendez, New York Mets
• Heliot Ramos, San Francisco Giants
• Eddie Rosario, free agent
• Bryan Torres, St. Louis Cardinals

How to watch Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic: Full schedule

Here is the full World Baseball Classic pool play schedule for Puerto Rico:

Friday, March 6

6:00 p.m. ET: Puerto Rico at Colombia; Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, PR; Fox Sports 1

Saturday, March 7

6:00 p.m. ET: Panama at Puerto Rico; Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, PR; Fox Sports 1

Monday, March 9

7:00 p.m. ET: Cuba at Puerto Rico; Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, PR; Fox Sports 1

Tuesday, March 10

7:00 p.m. ET: Canada at Puerto Rico; Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, PR; Tubi

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Puerto Rico full World Baseball Classic roster, schedule, how to watch

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Spring training is all about two things: staying healthy and staying optimistic. There’s nothing that we can do from the outside about ensuring that the Yankees avoid the injured list, but we can allow ourselves to be hopeful with a clean slate for the new year of baseball.

Tracking prospects goes hand-in-hand with optimism—at least if the entire enterprise hasn’t jaded you too much—so our Reacts survey this week zeroes in on a trio of young Yankees starters who have caught eyes early in camp: hard-throwing Carlos Lagrange, ascendant 2025 arm Elmer Rodríguez, and 2024 first-round draft pick Ben Hess. Across their six combined starts, the trio has thrown 16.2 innings of 2.16 ERA ball, striking out a little over a batter per inning (17 total) and walking five. But which has wowed you the most?

As a secondary question, we’re just doing a quick pulse check on how you’re feeling about the Yankees deciding to retire No. 52 in honor of 2025 Hall of Famer CC Sabathia. Are you in favor?

Vote in the survey below and let us know.

The United States came up just short in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, losing the championship game against Japan with Shohei Ohtani famously striking out Mike Trout to secure his country's third title.

The Americans were hoping to repeat, having won the tournament for the first time in 2017. Team USA's 2023 squad was loaded on offense but short on starting pitching, which the 2026 roster hopes to correct with the inclusions of Cy Young winners Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal.

The Americans went 3-1 in the group stage held at Chase Field in Phoenix, losing to Mexico. Team USA faced a tough path in the knockout stage, beating Venezuela in the quarterfinals and Cuba in the semifinals to set up the showdown with Japan.

Trea Turner led Team USA with a .391 average (9-for-23) with five home runs and 11 RBIs in six games.

Here's a look back at the 2023 team:

2023 WBC USA roster

Pitchers

• Jason Adam — Tampa Bay Rays (RHP)
• Daniel Bard — Colorado Rockies (RHP)
• David Bednar — Pittsburgh Pirates (RHP)
• Kyle Freeland — Colorado Rockies (LHP)
• Kendall Graveman — Chicago White Sox (RHP)
• Merrill Kelly — Arizona Diamondbacks (RHP)
• Aaron Loup — Los Angeles Angels (LHP)
• Lance Lynn — Chicago White Sox (RHP)
• Nick Martinez — San Diego Padres (RHP)
• Miles Mikolas — St. Louis Cardinals (RHP)
• Adam Ottavino — New York Mets (RHP)
• Ryan Pressly — Houston Astros (RHP)
• Brooks Raley — New York Mets (LHP)
• Brady Singer — Kansas City Royals (RHP)
• Adam Wainwright — St. Louis Cardinals (RHP)
• Devin Williams — Milwaukee Brewers (RHP)

Catchers

• Kyle Higashioka – New York Yankees
• J.T. Realmuto – Philadelphia Phillies
• Will Smith – Los Angeles Dodgers

Infielders

• Pete Alonso – New York Mets
• Tim Anderson – Chicago White Sox
• Nolan Arenado – St. Louis Cardinals
• Paul Goldschmidt – St. Louis Cardinals
• Jeff McNeil – New York Mets
• Trea Turner – Philadelphia Phillies
• Bobby Witt Jr. – Kansas City Royals

Outfielders

• Mookie Betts – Los Angeles Dodgers
• Cedric Mullins – Baltimore Orioles
• Kyle Schwarber – Philadelphia Phillies
• Mike Trout – Los Angeles Angels
• Kyle Tucker – Houston Astros

The Yankees faced an unconventional opponent at George M. Steinbrenner Field today: the Panamanian national team. With the World Baseball Classic on the horizon, the majority of the tournament’s participants played against MLB teams in exhibition contests today. This was one of the more lopsided results: the Yankees had little trouble scoring against Panama’s pitching staff as they cruised to an 11-1 victory in eight innings. Max Fried also threw three scoreless frames in his first Grapefruit League start; friend-turned-foe José Caballero went 0-for-2 with a walk.

The Yankees wasted no time grabbing the initiative this afternoon. A Trent Grisham walk and Jasson Domínguez single set the table with two outs for Ryan McMahon, who lined a single to center to plate both runners and give the Bombers an early 2-0 advantage against Panama starter Jorge Garcia.

Meanwhile, Fried evidently had his groundball stuff working today, as he forced inning-ending double plays in each of the first two innings. The latter twin killing against Christian Bethancourt came with two runners on base as Panama attempted to respond to the Yankees’ scoring outburst. In the third, Fried battled current Yankee teammate José Caballero with two outs; Caballero fouled off several consecutive 3-2 offerings before working a walk on Fried’ ninth pitch. He then went straight back to the dugout when Fried struck out Allen Córdoba to retire the side.

Garcia was relieved by Miguel Cienfuegos, a journeyman reliever in the Padres organization who was actually born in Quebec. Cienfuegos did an excellent job in relief of Garcia, facing the minimum in scoreless two innings of work.

Tim Hill took over for Fried in the fourth inning. Mission accomplished for No. 54, whose fastball topped out at 97 mph this afternoon. He issued three walks, but his ability to keep Panama on the ground prevented any of those free passes from haunting him. The rest of the overall line was three scoreless innings with one hit and one strikeout.

The scrappy Panamanian lineup kept getting runners aboard, but couldn’t find a way to get them in. In the fourth they got two more men on-base against Hill, but Bethancourt flew out on a first-pitch sinker.

Cienfuegos may have had the key to neutralizing the Yankees’ lineup today, but that boon did not extend to the rest of Panama’s pitchers. In the fourth, Erian Rodriguez took over and immediately surrendered a pair of singles to Giancarlo Stanton and McMahon, the former cracking it off the bat at 114.3 mph:

After a walk loaded the bases, J.C. Escarra plated Stanton on a sac fly, then a Max Schuemann 4-6 fielder’s choice ushered in McMahon.

Rodriguez’s troubles continued when he issued two walks to reload the bags for Ben Rice. That forced manager Jose Mayorga to make a change for Kentucky native Mason Vinyard (he’s not actually on Team Panama, he’s in the Yankees’ organization and was made available to Panama if they didn’t want to push their pitching staff). The new hurler was no more capable of throwing strikes; Rice worked a walk to score Schuemann and extend the lead to 5-0 before Domínguez finally rolled over to first.

By this point the Yanks had found plenty of different ways to score, but they had yet to leave the yard until the fifth, when J.C. Escarra pulled his hands in on an Alberto Baldonado fastball and pulled it to right for a line drive homer. Escarra’s first homer of the spring made it 7-0 Bombers.

By the sixth inning, all of the Yankees’ substitutions were in the game, but that didn’t stop the scoring. They loaded the bases again and Jorbit Vivas made good on the rally with a sac fly. Then catcher Ali Sánchez poked an RBI single to left for good measure, growing the margin to 9-0.

Team Panama finally got themselves off the board in the top of the eighth inning thanks to the speed of Orioles prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. Bradfield got aboard on an infield single against Osvaldo Bido, then promptly stole second and third in quick succession. Then Rubén Tejada—yes, that Rubén Tejada—brought him in on a groundball to first. That speed from Bradfield is what Panama is looking to exploit in the tournament; and frankly, few if any of the lineups they’ll face in Pool A will be as threatening as the Yankee lineup they battled today (even without Aaron Judge).

Then again, that only really extends to the starters—the reserves had their way with these pitchers, too. The defense wasn’t helping matters either. Panama got into their third bases-loaded jam of the game in the eighth thanks to an error on a fielder’s choice. That set up Vivas again, and he stroked a single the other way to score two runs and … end the ballgame.

So this is where I found out the game was being played by World Baseball Classic rules, with a 10-run mercy rule after seven. There was of course no TV or radio broadcast to clue me into this fact. Once the score got to 11-1, the game was marked final on MLB.com. So technically, Vivas got himself a walk-off single in the eighth.

By the way, over in Team USA’s exhibition against the Giants that began a couple hours later, the captain Judge kept himself busy with an RBI single in the first. He walked and singled again before departing as scheduled.

The Yankees will return to traditional Grapefruit League play tomorrow when they head to Fort Myers and take on the Red Sox in the first rivalry game of the spring. Luis Gil will oppose Boston ace Garrett Crochet, with coverage on ESPN and first pitch at 1:05 PM.

Box Score

LINDOR ON THE MEND

Francisco Lindor’s rehab continues to progress on schedule, as the Mets shortstop played catch on Monday and is hoping to take batting practice on Wednesday, according to Jon Heyman. Lindor underwent surgery on February 11 to repair a stress reaction in his left hamate bone, and had stitches removed last Wednesday.

Hamate injuries, which have impacted a number of players around the league this Spring Training, typically necessitate around a four-to-eight-week recovery period. The Mets estimated a six-week timetable post-surgery for Lindor, which would bring us to March 25 — the day before Opening Day at Citi Field against the Pirates.

Lindor has been a model of availability and reliability over the past several seasons in New York. Since 2022, Lindor has missed just fifteen games, the bulk of those stemming from a back injury which he still managed to play through during the 2024 postseason. The only players with more games played in that span are Matt Olson and Pete Alonso, a pair of first basemen. If there’s anyone who can manage to work his way back into the lineup just in time for Opening Day, whether as a shortstop or designated hitter, it’s Lindor.

MCLEAN TO FACE TEAM ITALY

After dealing with vertigo-like symptoms last week, Nolan McLean is ready to go compete with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. According to USA manager Mark DeRosa, the 24-year-old right-hander is currently lined up to start against Team Italy on March 10 in what will be Team USA’s fourth and final game of pool play.

The team’s other probable starters? Two-time All-Star Logan Webb against Brazil on March 6, two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal against Great Britain on March 7, and reigning Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes against Mexico on March 9. Team USA will hope to have secured a spot in the quarterfinal round by the time McLean is handed the ball, though if a team like Mexico is able to pull off an upset, it’s possible McLean’s start could become a high-profile, high-pressure elimination game. McLean is slated to throw in a Minor League Spring Training game in Port St. Lucie on Wednesday, and plans to join the national team in Arizona later this week.

McLean is one of 17 Mets who will be playing in the 20-team international tournament, along with fellow major leaguers Huascar Brazobán (Dominican Republic), Alex Carrillo (Mexico), Clay Holmes (United States), Nick Morabito (Italy), Juan Soto (Dominican Republic), Mark Vientos (Nicaragua), and Jared Young (Canada). Former Mets, from Edwin Díaz (Puerto Rico) to Rubén Tejada (Panama), will also be participating in the tournament. Pool play will last from March 5-March 11, followed by the single-elimination Semifinal and Quarterfinal rounds. The Championship game will take place on March 17 at 8 PM ET at loanDepot Park in Miami.