The Yankees announced that infielder George Lombard Jr., who has had flashes of excellence this spring, has been reassigned to minor league camp.
The 20-year-old Lombard was never expected to make the team out of spring training, so this is very much an anticipated move.
Ranked as the top overall prospect in the Yankees’ system, Lombard has never played higher than Double-A ball, meaning his Major League debut is still likely a bit down the road.
But that didn’t stop the former first-round pick from showing flashes of what he can do whenever that time comes around. While he hit just .185 in 27 at-bats, Lombard’s biggest moment came when he blasted a leadoff home run against Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet.
Lombard also held his own defensively, playing short stop, second, and third base.
The Yankees do have a bit of question mark at shortstop, with Anthony Volpe recovering from offseason surgery and not expected to return until after Opening Day, but for now, Lombard will continue to get at-bats and play every day in the minors.
He allowed three runs on six hits while walking one and striking out four in 2.2 innings -- needing 56 pitches to get that far.
Spring training results should always be taken with a grain of salt, but the most notable thing for Manaea was that his velocity continued to be down.
Manaea topped out at 90.4 mph with his fastball, but it sat mostly around 88 mph, which is similar to where it was during his first Grapefruit League start.
It was an injury-riddled season for Manaea in 2025, with him missing significant time due to an oblique injury and then pitching through a loose body in his left elbow -- an ailment he did not require surgery for during the offseason.
Last season, Manaea's fastball averaged 91.7 mph.
Manaea's two-seamer averaged 92.4 mph in 2024, while his four-seamer that season averaged 92.2 mph.
So, is there concern regarding where his velocity is at with Opening Day in two weeks?
"It is what it is," Manaea said after his performance on Thursday. "I feel healthy, I feel good. To me, I'm not concerned about anything."
New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea (59) pitches against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium / Rhona Wise - Imagn Images
Manaea added that he doesn't have "any explanation" for the velo dip, but noted that he thinks "adrenaline will definitely play a role" once the regular season starts.
Asked where he wanted his velocity to be, Manaea said he'd like it to be around 92-93 mph.
Speaking after the game, Carlos Mendoza weighed in on the velocity issue.
"I'm not concerned, as long as he keeps telling us that he's healthy," Mendoza explained. "That's what he keeps telling us: 'I feel great.' Look, it might take a while for the velo to come back. That's why he's tinkering with the cutter, the changeup is good, the sweeper.
"He went through a lot last year. And now, it's refining the mechanics, the arm slot. There's a lot going on, but I thought overall he got better the second and third inning. But again, it's gonna come down to him feeling good. It might take a few weeks, it might take a month. Who knows? But again, he's feeling good."
Manaea tossed just 60.2 innings last season while posting a 5.64 ERA and 1.22 WHIP.
He threw a career-high 181.2 innings for the Mets in 2024, during a season when he dropped his arm angle midway through and was largely dominant over the last three months.
As things currently stand, the Mets appear poised to enter the season with a six-man rotation that includes Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, Kodai Senga, and Manaea.
New York's starting pitching depth includes Christian Scott and Jonah Tong, while Tobias Myers -- who has starting experience -- has been staying stretched out.
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 10: Jorge Polanco #11 of the New York Mets runs onto the field prior to the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets at Clover Park on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Phebe Grosser/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Mets dropped their road game in Jupiter to the Cardinals this afternoon, as Sean Manaea gave up three runs in two-and-two-thirds innings of work. With a lineup featuring many projected Opening Day starters, the Mets only had five hits on the day.
The highlight of the game was undoubtedly Jorge Polanco’s solo home run, as it gave the Mets their only run of the afternoon. He went 1-for-3 on the day.
Perhaps more importantly, Luis Robert Jr. made his Mets spring training debut, played center field, and went 1-for-3 at the plate.
Jacob Reimer hit a single in his lone plate appearance after getting into the game.
Tyrone Taylor went 1-for-2 with a double to continue his strong spring.
A pitcher named Aaron Rozek finished the third for Manaea and gave up a hit before getting an out in his brief appearance.
Craig Kimbrel and Luke Weaver each threw a scoreless inning in relief, and Tobias Myers finished the game for the Mets with two scoreless innings, two strikeouts, no walks, and just one hit allowed while facing the minimum over those two frames.
The Mets are in split-squad mode tomorrow, as they’ll send a team to face the Nationals in West Palm Beach at 6:05 PM EDT while fielding a team at home to host the Marlins for a game at 6:10 PM EDT. The former will not be televised, but the latter will be on WPIX.
PEORIA, AZ - MARCH 07: Brendan Donovan #33 of the Seattle Mariners bats during the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Seattle Mariners at Peoria Sports Complex on Saturday, March 7, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Zach Gardner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
With the news yesterday that Bryce Miller’s timeline will be delayed by at least a week, today’s Emerson Hancock start against the Cubs takes on a bit more significance. Hancock has looked sharp this spring, showcasing an improved sweeper and holding his velocity well; today he’ll be tasked to do so as a starter instead of piggybacking off Kade Anderson, who will get tomorrow’s start against the Dodgers (which will be televised on SNLA). Hancock is slated to throw around four innings/50 pitches, similar to the other starters.
Lineups:
Also scheduled to pitch for Seattle: Alex Hoppe, Troy Taylor, Josh Simpson, Casey Legumina.
Don’t get your hopes up of seeing an old friend at third base: that is Jefferson Rojas, who spent most of 2025 at High-A South Bend. Trade acquisition Edward Cabrera gets the start on the mound for the North Siders, who today named former Mariner and Seattle-area native Matt Boyd as their Opening Day starter.
Injury updates:
Yesterday Bryce Miller reported tightness while throwing his bullpen session and his bullpen was immediately cut short. Dan Wilson says that from what he understands with imaging on Miller, things actually look better, and gave his young pitcher credit for having the maturity to say something and also seek advice from teammates who have undergone a similar injury, all of whom told him not to push it.
Today’s game information:
Game time: 1:05 PT
TV: No
Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports (delayed to 7 PM PT); live on Gameday, Seattle Sports app
Of six teams in the last 16, only two – Arsenal and Liverpool – look more likely than not to get to the quarter-finals. But does it matter?
The coefficient is safe. The coefficient is yours. You’re going home with the coefficient. But perhaps not, on this evidence, with the microwave, the washing machine or the Jet Ski.
England’s soccer shame. Premier League in EURO MELTDOWN. Robot-ball crisis: how Arteta’s Arsenal destroyed all that is good and true, including the ploughman’s lunch and probably Woolworths. This kind of stuff has begun to do the rounds after this week’s Champions League last-16 matches.
HOUSTON (AP) — Manager Mark DeRosa says his premature comment about the United States having already punched its ticket to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals before facing Italy was just an “overly confident statement” and reiterated Thursday he knew nothing was guaranteed at that point.
DeRosa had made that remark on MLB Network’s “Hot Stove” before the 8-6 loss to Italy on Tuesday that caused the U.S. to lose control of its WBC fate. The U.S. still advanced to a Friday quarterfinal matchup with Canada thanks to Italy’s 9-1 win over Mexico on Wednesday.
“It’s just an overly confident statement on ‘Hot Stove,’ period, the end,” DeRosa said. “And it’s my fault. I felt good about where we were after Mexico.”
DeRosa also talked about the fresh start the star-studded U.S. team has now that its loss to Italy didn’t prove fatal to its title hopes.
“New lease on life for the boys, certainly,” he said. “I put ourselves in a tough spot. Tip our hat to Vinnie Pasquantino and Italy, truly. Went into that game a little overly confident and got a huge wake-up call.”
DeRosa’s comment prior to the Italy game garnered plenty of scrutiny after that loss, particularly since he had kept usual starters Bryce Harper, Cal Raleigh, Alex Bregman, Brice Turang and Byron Buxton out of his starting lineup. The U.S. needed to beat Italy to guarantee a spot in the quarterfinals. Losing left it subject to a series of tiebreakers, pending the result of Wednesday's Italy-Mexico game.
He explained those decisions Thursday. DeRosa said he wanted to give starts to Ernie Clement and Paul Goldschmidt because they could end up playing major roles off the bench at some point. He also said he was limited in which pitchers he could use because of “guardrails” set by MLB teams, who typically restrict how much their players throw at the WBC due to injury concerns.
“When I looked at the lineup, I felt confident going in – bottom line,” DeRosa said. “I mean, I also look at it from a player’s perspective. Like, Bryce Harper was struggling a little bit. I know it’s three games, but from the dugout – I played with him for a long time – so it’s like, ‘OK, maybe we get him off his feet a day. We get Goldy in there. We allow (Harper) to work with Sean Casey, Matt Holliday, maybe something clicks. And we get him right back in there and going.'”
DeRosa also had mentioned before Tuesday’s games that some of the U.S. players were “dragging.” The team buses had left later than usual after a Monday night victory over Mexico as players stayed in the locker room celebrating the win.
“Listen, us hanging out in a clubhouse is everything I ever dreamed of creating,” DeRosa said. “You’ve got to buy into this thing super quick and try and create a team. For those players to invite the coaches in and for us to spend time together and enjoy a huge win that we hadn’t had in 20 years was something that, I looked around the room and it was super special to me.
“We did not lose sight of the fact that we had to go out and play well against Italy. They played a hell of a game. They smacked us in the mouth early. They got up big. We went into that game prepared to win it. I think there’s a couple false narratives out there. But, no, I was well aware that we had to win that game based on all the scenarios that could take place.”
The U.S. is making some changes to its pitching staff heading out of pool play and into the quarterfinals.
Lefty Tim Hill and right-handers Will Vest and Tyler Rogers are stepping in for two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, Michael Wacha and Ryan Yarbrough. DeRosa said left-hander Matthew Boyd also has left the U.S. team to return to the Chicago Cubs’ spring-training camp.
“And I completely understand that,” DeRosa said. “There’s a lot of pressure from the parent clubs to get these guys ramped up for the start of the season.
"If he’s going to be the opening day starter for the Cubs, we had to guarantee him innings — the game’s got to dictate now. Pool play is a different animal. Trying to weave our way through it from a pitching standpoint, all bets are off now.”
Nov 13, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) looks for a shot against Indiana Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith (23) during the first half of the game at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images
Who: Phoenix Suns (38-27) vs. Indiana Pacers (15-50)
Watch: Arizona’s Family 3TV, Arizona’s Family Sports
Listen: KMVP 98.7
The Suns torched the Milwaukee Bucks with 24 threes on Monday to begin their six-game road trip. The Indiana Pacers are the second game on this road trip and the last team below .500. This is a game the Suns should win, and cannot afford to lose if they want to catch the spiraling Denver Nuggets or the up-and-down Minnesota Timberwolves in the standings.
Right now, the Suns are oozing with storylines: Devin Booker is starting to turn up his play, Jalen Green is continuing to acclimate himself to the lineup with jaw dropping plays and egregious turnovers, the rookies Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming are pushing for regular rotation minutes, Haywood Highsmith is playing well, and most importantly, the Suns have taken advantage of one of the weaker portions of their schedule.
Probable Starters
Injury Report
Suns
Dillon Brooks — OUT (Broken Left Hand)
Mark Williams — OUT (Left Foot Stress Reaction)
Grayson Allen — QUESTIONABLE (Right Knee Injury Management)
Jordan Goodwin — QUESTIONABLE (Left Calf Injury Management)
The Indiana Pacers are the worst offensive team in the NBA with a 108.6 defensive rating. The Pacers are in full tank mode after making the NBA Finals last season, so if the Suns bring their intense pressure and aggressive defense, this game should be a comfortable win for the Suns.
The Suns will likely play almost everyone on the roster, including Ryan Dunn, whose minutes continue to be reduced, and Jamaree Bouyea and Amir Coffey. Offensively, the Suns need to attack the paint because the Pacers are second-to-last in the NBA in points allowed in the paint.
Expect to see Booker and Green on the attack and scoring at the rim or generating wide-open threes from their paint touches. The duo of Green and Booker has found a little bit of a rhythm in the last two games, and this Pacers matchup is another opportunity to build Green’s confidence and continuity with the rest of the team.
Key to a Suns Win
The Pacers will present some challenges for the Suns with their size and length. Rebounding the basketball on the offensive end continues to be a strength for the Suns, and defensive rebounding continues to be a struggle for the Suns. Ighodaro, Maluach (who grabbed zero rebounds against the Bucks), Fleming, and the rest of the Suns need to limit Indiana to one shot and then get out and run. If the Suns can rebound and push the ball, it makes life much easier on the offensive end and will allow the Suns’ young athletes to shine.
Prediction
The Suns race to a 126-112 victory over the Pacers.
PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 7: A general view Salt River Fields at Talking Stick during Pool D, Game 1 between Italy and Mexico in the first round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Thursday, March 7, 2013 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Barry Gossage/WBCI/MLB via Getty Images) | MLB via Getty Images
Roster moves
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves and have 40 players in camp.
Reassigned to Minor League camp:
RHP Isaiah Campbell
RHP Shawn Dubin
RHP Thomas Hatch
RHP Bryce Jarvis
C Matt O’Neill
OF Oscar Mercado
OF Kristian Robinson
No major surprises here. The best known name is probably Jarvis, who has appeared 67 times for the D-backs over the past three seasons. However, he was designated for assignment in December, and subsequently taken off the 40-man roster.
After Taylor Clarke, pitchers likely to appear include LHP Brandyn Garcia, RHP Drey Jameson, RHP Juan Morillo, RHP Shawn Dubin and RHP John Curtiss. All except Dubin, who was on the reassigned list above, are still potentially contending for a spot in the bullpen. Garcia is the most likely: he and Morillo have each tossed four scoreless innings this spring. But Brandyn has the advantage of being a southpaw, something in perilously short supply for the Diamondbacks. I’ll get an updated Opening Day roster prediction written up, and likely posted tomorrow night.
No broadcast again today, but things improve over the weekend, with three consecutive Dbacks.TV games.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 6: Jack Leiter #22 of the Texas Rangers stands on the pitcher's mound during a Spring Training game against the Seattle Mariners at Surprise Stadium on March 6, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today the Texas Rangers have yet another hated American League West opponent in for a Cactus League contest with the Athletics of Northern California arriving to Surprise.
RHP Jack Leiter is next to take the mound for Texas while the Ranger bats will face RHP J.T. Ginn of the Athletics.
Today’s Lineups
ATHLETICS
RANGERS
Jeff McNeil – DH
Brandon Nimmo – RF
Zack Gelof – 2B
Wyatt Langford – LF
Max Muncy – 3B
Corey Seager – SS
Austin Wynns – C
Jake Burger – 1B
Colby Thomas – LF
Joc Pederson – DH
Leo De Vries – SS
Evan Carter – CF
Tommy White – 1B
Josh Smith – 2B
Cade Marlowe – RF
Ezequiel Duran – 3B
Henry Bolte – CF
Willie MacIver – C
J.T. Ginn – RHP
Jack Leiter – RHP
The A’s have a radio feed but you can also follow along on Gameday. First pitch from Surprise Stadium is scheduled for 3:05 pm CT.
A second-half header from Ollie Watkins gave Villa a one-goal lead going into next week’s second leg
So where is the game? Well, Villa will look to get Rogers on the ball, coming inside off the left. He won’t keep the width in attack, which’ll be supplied by Lucas Digne; rather, he’ll wander about in the inside-left half-space looking to get shots off. Otherwise, Buendia will slip balls down the sides of the centre-backs for Ollie Watkins, while Amadou Onana and Douglas Luiz look to bottle up the middle of the pitch in front of the defence.
Tangentially, the kit Keown wore when he started at Villa is an absolute jazzer.
TAMPA, FL - MARCH 3: Jasson Domínquez #24 of the New York Yankees high-fives teammates in the dugout during the game against Team Panama at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 3, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In 2019, a 16-year-old Jasson Domínguez became a multi-millionaire, coming to terms on a $5.2 million signing bonus with America’s most iconic franchise. In the just under seven years since, he’s encountered a lot, from losing a year of development due to COVID-19 to his minor-league breakout and rapid MLB debut to Tommy John surgery to losing opportunities in his true rookie year of 2025 due to the emergence of Trent Grisham.
Entering 2026, the now-23-year-old Domínguez is likely ticketed for Triple-A to continue developing, but he’s still got a chance to prove he belongs on the major-league roster. After a rare home run from the right side on Tuesday against the Phillies, the Martian flipped back to his strong side and replayed a highlight from the first at-bat of his MLB career in September 2023, blasting a long home run off Justin Verlander to get the Yankees started in an eventual 4-3 win over the Tigers in an untelevised game in Lakeland.
Nestled away in front of zero cameras in Lakeland, the Yankees got a quick start off of their longtime foe Verlander, facing the Bombers in a Detroit uniform for the first time in 3,561 days. After the 43-year-old froze Ben Rice to start the game, he coughed up back-to-back home runs to Domínguez and Escarra. The Martian’s blast was especially notable, going 431 feet to deep right-center field.
Justin Verlander struck out Ben Rice on a buckling curveball to open his second outing of the spring before Jasson Dominguez and J.C. Escarra hit back-to-back homers, both off 93 mph fastballs. pic.twitter.com/8jksA2a21g
Will Warren sat down the Tigers 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the first, allowing the home run parade to continue off of Verlander in the second. Non-roster invite Seth Brown gave us a preview of what we’ll see in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, showing off his great pop with his first home run of the spring to make it 3-0 Yanks.
Three strikeouts thru two innings for Justin Verlander, but also three home runs, including this 424-ft drive by Seth Brown. pic.twitter.com/2JkHDFM6aG
Warren struck out a pair in the home half, blowing a 1-2 fastball past Spencer Torkelson at the top of the zone and dialing it up to 95 to get Zach McKinstry swinging to end the second. He continued rolling in the third, only being threatened by a long fly out by Javier Báez before inducing a pair of groundouts, retiring the first nine in order.
Verlander appeared like he was beginning to settle down after allowing three early home runs, but he got into another jam in the fourth. Spencer Jones tapped a ball through the right side and hustled out a double with one out before both Brown and Max Schuemann drew walks to load the bases and chase the future Hall of Famer. Brant Hurter came on in an unenviable situation, but struck out both George Lombard Jr. and Yanquiel Fernández to get out of trouble.
The Tigers’ lineup flipped over in the fourth, but they still had no answer for Warren, who had now tossed four perfect innings on just 41 pitches. Hurter stayed on for Detroit in the fifth and did the same to the top of the Yankees’ order, striking out Rice in a 1-2-3 frame.
After retiring his 13th consecutive batter to start the game, Warren finally faltered and gave up a single to Dillon Dingler and a home run to McKinstry to cut the Yankees’ lead to 3-2. Veteran Kenley Jansen, whom I just learned today is a Tiger, pitched the sixth for Detroit and worked around a two-out error to put up another zero, striking out DeJong and Jones in the process.
Still working extremely efficiently, Warren closed out a rare spring training quality start, tossing six solid innings on just 64 pitches. He only had two strikeouts and once again surrendered his only damage against lefties, but he was able to manage contact effectively, which will be valuable for a guy without overwhelming velocity.
Cade Winquest got the ball in the seventh in relief of Warren, looking to string together some good outings with less than two weeks left before the Yankees have to make a Rule 5 decision. It didn’t start well, as he plunked Hunter Dobbins on 0-2 to lead off the inning. He wasn’t fazed, though, inducing a pair of groundballs from Torkelson and Dingler to get the three outs he needed to end the inning while sitting 96 on his fastball.
After loading the bases and forcing Verlander out of the game in the fourth, the Tigers retired 14 of the next 15 Yankees, with the only baserunner being the sixth-inning error. Angel Chivilli pitched the eighth for the Yankees and got into trouble, allowing a double to Brett Callahan and an infield single to Max Anderson, neither hit harder than 88 mph, to put runners on the corners with one out.
He jumped ahead of Jude Warwick 1-2 with a changeup he chased in the dirt, but he doubled up on the pitch, and the Tigers’ prospect reached down and skied it to right field for a game-tying sacrifice fly. Chivilli jumped ahead of Bennett Lee and struck him out with a changeup, but the game was now tied at three.
Miguel Palma broke a 15-batter streak by Tigers pitching in the ninth with a leadoff walk against Johan Simon. 2025 draft pick Kaeden Kent upped the pressure by battling back from 0-2 to line a single to right field. Nick Torres chased a slider in the dirt for the first out, but the ball got away and allowed the go-ahead run to get to third with one out. Coby Morales struck out, Jace Avina got plunked to load the bases, and the Tigers made a pitching change.
Logan Berrier, who predominantly pitched for Low-A Lakeland in 2025, faced Josh Moylan, who plays first base for High-A Hudson Valley, with the bases loaded and two outs in a tie game in the ninth inning. Moylan jumped ahead 3-0, fell back into a full count, and drew a go-ahead seven-pitch walk. Braden Shewmake also jumped ahead 3-1 right after, but hit a hard groundball right to the second baseman to end the inning.
Nursing a 4-3 lead, Bradley Hanner was tasked with closing this one out. He struck out Corey Julks, induced a soft lineout from Samuel Gil, and ended the game with an Andrew Jenkins groundout.
The Yankees will stay on the road and travel to CoolToday Park in North Port, Florida, to take on the Atlanta Braves on Friday at 1:05 pm. Ryan Weathers will look to bounce back in his third spring start against Didier Fuentes. The game will be televised on MLB Network and the Gotham Sports App.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Tatsuya Imai #45 of the Houston Astros pitches during spring training workouts at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 20, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Law Firm of Brown, Burrows and Imai!
We are so Back!
The Houston Astros enter the season unlike any other in quite sometime. Astros fans don’t need a reminder of missing the Postseason in 2025. Also with a looming work stoppage and the CBA agreement set to expire Dec of this year. The time is NOW. What is one of the most effective ways to win in baseball. Pitching. The Astros have quietly put together a Top 3 rotation with a solid back end and a ton reinforcements to catapult themselves into the discussion when it comes to taking back the AL West Crown.
The Law Firm of Brown, Burrows and Imai
These three pitchers have been outstanding this Spring, chronicled very eloquently by Apollo Media on X! The Graphic is top notch much like the pitchers crushing it in Spring Training.
Hunter Brown: 8.2IP / 2H / 1ER / 14K
Tatsuya Imai: 6IP / 2H / 0ER / 7K
Mike Burrows: 8.2IP / 3H / 0ER / 10K
HOT START to the Spring for 3 big arms in the Astros rotation 🔥💪
Hunter Brown has looked sharp, and appears to already be in mid season form. His place in the AL power pitcher Rankings seems to only grow with time. He is looking to have an even better season, and there’s no reason to think he can’t top 2025. He has more and more reinforcements than ever. Not to mention a top 3 that sees 2 new names on it that are new additions to the 2026 Roster. If you have been following social media much a new X account has been launched called Pitcher List. Take a look at Hunter Brown’s Card from his last start:
Will update if he comes back out, but Hunter Brown (HOU) struck out nine over four innings against the Nationals! pic.twitter.com/TP8854Jf9j
— Pitcher List Stats (@PitcherListPLV) March 8, 2026
Now you would have to follow them for a full explanation of their scoring system, but an A has always been a top grade. Hunter Brown is very confident in who he is, what he can accomplish as well the command of the pitches he throws. His arsenal includes a nasty slider, Curveball, change up and Four seam Fastball. His usage of these pitches and how he is able to dial up the speed make him a clear Top 3 pitcher in the American League.
Tatsuya Imai: The Swing and Miss Samurai.
There was a TON of talk about Iami being one of the most sought after free agents in MLB, well that was until the Houston Astros signed him. Just search his name and look at all the doubters once he put on the dreaded orange and blue. The copium was and still is palpable. Tatsuya has a ton of ?’s, not because his talent is in doubt, and there are a few things to factor in here. A new country, the game is different, the baseball is not the same, the way catchers call games, the pressure and of course the dreaded word “EXPECTATION”.
All in all he has handled it quite well. His most recent start he went out and touched 98.4 on the radar gun as well induced swings and misses. In his most recent pitchers list card you can see his results:
Tatsuya Imai (HOU) threw three innings against Miami without allowing a single baserunner pic.twitter.com/LJN5dQO7IR
I mean we could look at score cards all day, but what does Imai think of the job he did this last time out? He has been going through a trial and error approach. He says the mound is a different height than what he is used to. He also has adjusted where he stands on the pitching rubber as well. He got into a grove and pitched very well. On his previous outing he produced an 86% whiff rate with his reverse slider. It ‘s what we in baseball call a unicorn pitch, that most hitters are going to struggle with especially right handers.
Imai was also asked about his confidence going into the season and how he’s pitched. “I don’t associate how well I did on the mound with confidence level. It comes more from wether or not I would pitch the way I want to, the way I come set, and what I would like to do.” Imai’s interpreter said after his most recent outing.
I have contended that Tatsuya Imai will be the Astros #3 starter behind Mike Burrows. Some of that is due to his newness to MLB, and in the end in a postseason scenario he very well could be a #2 starter.
Mike Burrows: A Problem for Opponents
When you hear the phrase “Man, he pulled the string on them.” You are probably watching or listening to one of Mike Burrows Spring Training outings for the Houston Astros, or you could be thinking back to 2025 when he faced the Astros while in a Pirates uniform and carved up the starting lineup that day.
Going back to see where he came from, Burrows was selected by Pittsburgh in the 11th round of the 2018 draft, Burrows’ path to the big leagues took a detour after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023. He briefly reached the majors in 2024 with a single appearance, then logged a larger role last season with 23 outings (19 starts). Because of what the Astros saw, and how he has performed this spring, I would say Mike Burrows comes as advertised and even better according to most estimations.
Mike Burrows has a real shot at being a top of the rotation guy if he's opening Spring Training like this! pic.twitter.com/N0zbbpEAY3
I am not the only one saying that Mike Burrows is the real deal. This just furthers my case for him to be the number 2.
Who pitches where, and why it doesn’t matter….Right NOW!
Avid baseball fans are aware that a number 1 guy or number 3 guy isn’t all that important outside of who the Ace is of each club. Where the rubber meets the road is when you get into the post season. For the Astros making it to the Post season is their Top priority after clinching the A.L. West. During the season the Astros early on will go with a 6 man rotation. To add to the arsenal, they will also have pitchers coming off surgery recovery who could actually contribute, not to mention a stack of arms in AAA Sugar Land.
Time will tell who pitches when, one thing we do know is this the Astros Top 3 are going to be GREAT granted they stay healthy, perform up to expectations and go out and dominate opposing lineups. I have not talked once about the other starting pitchers for a reason, they are the middle or back end rotation guys in my book. I do look forward to tackling Spencer Arrighetti, Ryan Weiss (who I think has a real shot at making the rotation), Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers, Jr. (who’s not looked bad this spring), and Aj Blubaugh. We will save that for my next installment.
Please check out my two podcast, Back to the Bullpen on the Locked on MLB Youtube Channel where Mike Stanton and I tackle the league, as well Locked on Astros as Eric and I go into our 7th season together on the most listened to Astros podcast on the planet!
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 22: Mike Burrows #50 of the Houston Astros warms up before a spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 22, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros (7-8-3) host the Washington Nationals (10-4-3) in Grapefruit League action.
RHP Mike Burrows will make the start for the Astros, opposed by RHP Jake Irvin for the Nationals.
TONIGHT’S STARTER: RHP Mike Burrows, making his fourth start of the Spring, has been fantastic thus far, tossing 8.2 scoreless with 10 strikeouts, a 0.81 WHIP and a .103 opponent batting average through his three Grapefruit League starts.
The Astros acquired Burrows this offseason in a three-team, six-player trade from Pittsburgh. As part of the deal, the Astros traded OF Jacob Melton and minor leaguer RHP Anderson Brito to the Rays, while the Rays traded IF Brandon Lowe, OF Jake Mangum and LHP Mason Montgomery to the Pirates.
Burrows pitched most of the season with the Pirates, making 23 appearances (19 starts) and going 2-4 with a 3.94 ERA (42ER/96IP). He struck out 97 hitters in 96.0 IP.
As Selection Sunday inches closer, men’s college basketball will have at least one less postseason tournament this year.
The College Basketball Invitational, more commonly known as the CBI, will not be held this year, with tournament organizers citing “circumstances beyond our control” in a post on social media.
The post ended on a hopeful note, though, saying “We’ll see you next year!”
The CBI was founded in 2007 and first held in 2008, with the tournament made up of teams that failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament or the NIT.
The event’s early fields were regularly dotted with power-conference teams, with Oregon State, Oregon and Pitt among its earliest champions, as well as VCU, which won the tournament in 2010, one year before the Rams made a Cinderella run to the Final Four.
In recent years, though, it has been made up entirely of teams from mid- and low-majors, some of which finished the regular season with losing records. The CBI hasn’t had a participant from one of the sport’s five major conferences since DePaul in 2019.
When Indiana turned down an invitation to the CBI in 2014, then-athletic director Fred Glass told the Indianapolis Star, a part of the USA TODAY Network, “We're Indiana. We don't play in the CBI."
The CBI historically required an entry fee for teams, but in 2023, it began providing NIL funding for participants.
Still, it and other secondary and tertiary postseason tournaments have increased obstacles in recent years, particularly as many programs that miss the NCAA tournament look to get as early of a start as possible on building next season’s roster through the transfer portal.
Over the past several years, the NIT has had a growing number of teams declining invitations. The College Insider Tournament (CIT), hasn’t been held in five of the past six seasons, though the first of those absences was due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first inning was a slog, with Manaea needing 28 pitches (16 strikes, 12 balls) to get through it. Along the way, he struggled with his command while allowing two runs (including a two-run homer to Nelson Velazquez and a triple to Nolan Gorman).
Manaea gave up three hits (all singles) and another run in the second inning.
After allowing two more hits in the third inning and seeing his pitch count rise to 56, Manaea was lifted.
His final line: three runs allowed on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts in 2.2 innings.
Manaea's fastball topped out at 90.4 mph on Thursday but sat mostly in the 88 mph range. Before his injury-riddled 2025 campaign, Manaea's two-seamer averaged 92.4 in 2024 while his four-seamer that season averaged 92.2 mph.
- Luis Robert Jr., whose ramp-up has been deliberate as the Mets aim to prevent the lower-body injuries that have hampered him in recent seasons, made his Grapefruit League debut as he started in center field and played five innings.
After tapping back to the pitcher his first time up, Robert lined a single to left field in the fourth inning. He finished 1-for-3.
- Jorge Polanco started at first base and tomahawked a solo homer to right field in the first inning. Polanco has a 1.300 OPS this spring.
-Brett Baty got another start in right field and looked smooth, including a play in the third inning where he tracked a fly ball to the wall before snagging it.
At the plate, Baty went 0-for-2 with a walk.
- Outfielder Mike Tauchman, who is competing for a spot on the roster, went 0-for-3. Tauchman is in a battle with Carson Benge for the starting right field job, but could also possibly nab a spot on the bench -- especially if the Mets don't carry a backup shortstop.
- Craig Kimbrel wasn't sharp in his inning of work, walking the first batter he faced and plunking two batters. But he escaped unscathed after inducing a 4-6-3 double play and a soft liner.
Kimbrel's fastball sat around 93 mph.
- Luke Weaver issued a leadoff walk but was otherwise impressive while throwing a scoreless frame. He allowed no hits, struck out one, and rolled a 5-4-3 double play.
- Tobias Myers tossed three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, walking one, and striking out two. Myers is expected to be in the Opening Day bullpen.
