Peoria, AZ - February 23: Freddy Fermin #54 of the San Diego Padres bats during a spring training game against the Milwaukee Brewers on February 23, 2026 in Peoria, AZ. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
Walker Buehler made his first start as a member of the San Diego Padres organization against the Seattle Mariners at the Peoria Sports Complex on Thursday. That was supposed to be the lead story of the game as Buehler, JP Sears and Triston McKenzie, who are all battling for the final spot in the San Diego rotation pitched in the game. Instead, the Padres offense exploded with 27 runs and 28 hits in a 27-6 drubbing of the Mariners.
The entire lineup contributed to the end result with one of the top offensive performances coming from Freddy Fermin. The catcher recorded a single, a double and a home run. He also had six RBI and three runs scored. Sung-Mun Song hit his first home run as a Padres with a 430-foot blast. Other San Diego players to homer in the game were Jake Cronenworth, Jackson Merrill, Miguel Andijar, Tirso Ornelas, Bryce Johnson and Nick Schnell.
Buehler completed three innings in his Padres debut. He allowed two runs on two hits and recorded four strikeouts and allowed one walk. Sears also completed three innings and allowed two runs on two hits with three strikeouts, three walks and two home runs allowed. McKenzie completed 1.2 innings and allowed a run on four hits with two strikeouts three walks and one home run allowed.
With his breakout performance against the Mariners, Fermin who joined the Padres at the 2025 trade deadline, appears ready to be the primary catcher for San Diego handling all the duties and responsibilities that entails heading into the 2026 season.
Shohei Ohtani celebrates after hitting a grand slam in Japan's 2026 WBC opener Friday against Chinese Taipei at the Tokyo Dome. (Gene Wang / Capture At Media via Getty Images)
The last time Shohei Ohtani was seen wearing a World Baseball Classic uniform with "Japan" across his chest, he was striking out Mike Trout of the United States on a ninth-inning, full-count slider to give his country a victory in the championship game three years ago.
So much has happened in Ohtani's life between then and now. He has a wife and a daughter, a new interpreter, a new Major League team, two World Series championships and three more Most Valuable Player awards.
Yet unforgettable WBC memories continue. This time, he delivered from the batter's box instead of the pitcher's mound.
In the second inning of Japan's WBC opener against Chinese Taipei on Friday at the Tokyo Dome, Ohtani smacked a hanging curve a few feet over the right-field wall for a grand slam, triggering an offensive onslaught that resulted in a 13-0 victory.
"I thought it might land as an out, so above all, I really wanted to get the first run on the board," Ohtani told reporters afterward.
Ohtani led off the game with a double and singled in his second at-bat of the second inning, when Japan put up a WBC-record 10 runs. He added a run-scoring single in the third inning, giving him five runs batted in.
In 2023, Ohtani hit and pitched Japan to the WBC title, batting .435 with eight RBIs and allowing only two earned runs in 9 2/3 innings on the mound. This year, he will only bat, saving his pitching for the Dodgers, who begin their quest for a third consecutive World Series title in three weeks.
Japan's starting pitcher Friday was a decorated Dodger nevertheless. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, MVP of the 2025 World Series, threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings, walking three and striking out two while giving up no hits.
His command wasn't pinpoint — he threw 53 pitches, 33 for strikes — but it is still spring training, even though the atmosphere was electric for Japanese players competing in front of a crowd of 42,314 that included actor Timothy Chalamet and superstar Bad Bunny.
"I know there will be some tough battles ahead, but if the fans and the team can unite and everyone can help build the excitement together, it will really encourage us," Ohtani said.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 2: Keyonte George #3 of the Utah Jazz signals to the bench after making a three-point shot against the Denver Nuggets during the first half of their game at the Delta Center on March 2, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Jazz fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The Utah Jazz are at the tail-end of their stretch of tanking they’ve done to maximize their upcoming window. They’re going to be good next season, the question is how good? In this week’s Utah Jazz Reacts, I wanted to ask two things. First, we know that the Jazz will be good next year, but who will be the best player for the Jazz? That’s why I was curious to see who Jazz fans think will be the most likely All-Star on the team.
The second question I had had to do with Adam Silver’s favorite thing, tanking. There’s still a good chunk of the season left. Is there enough left for the Jazz to get into the bottom-four of the league?
The Flyers traded Nicolas Deslauriers to the Hurricanes on Friday in exchange for a conditional 2027 seventh-round pick.
Deslauriers, a 35-year-old veteran winger, was set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. He had served mostly as the Flyers’ extra forward over the last two seasons.
The Flyers signed Deslauriers in July 2022 to a four-year, $7 million contract. As one of the NHL’s toughest players, Deslauriers took pride in protecting his teammates and never shied away from dropping the gloves.
But as Deslauriers had gotten older and the Flyers turned younger, he had lost his everyday role on the fourth line. Over the last two seasons, he played a combined 55 games and only 7:50 minutes per game.
With Carolina, Deslauriers will get a chance at a playoff run. He’ll very likely be an extra forward on a deep Hurricanes team, but when called upon, he’ll know his role.
Patrick Kane’s best days are behind him, but he’s still a strong offensive player, having produced 33 points through 47 games.
My Panthers vs. Red Wings predictions expect Kane to find the scoresheet while facing one of the league’s worst teams at keeping the puck out.
Let’s break down my NHL picks for Friday, March 6.
Panthers vs Red Wings prediction
Panthers vs Red Wings best bet: Patrick Kane Over 0.5 points (-120)
Patrick Kane has consistently produced in favorable matchups — particularly in Detroit. He has picked up at least one point in nine of 14 home dates against Bottom-16 teams in goals against. That’s a solid 64% clip.
That hit rate soars to 78% when isolating home games vs. Bottom-10 goal suppression teams. Kane has points in seven of nine, tallying 11 along the way.
The Florida Panthers rank 26th in goals against and 31st in high-danger SV%. They’ve also conceded a power play marker in six of their last eight, and Kane skates on the No. 1 unit.
Panthers vs Red Wings same-game parlay
Dylan Larkin has averaged more than four shots on goal per game since returning from the Olympics. His shot totals have also seen a boost playing with Kane, whom he shares the ice with at 5-on-5 and on the power play.
Matthew Tkachuk has averaged 3.2 shots on 7.4 attempts over five games following the Olympic break. He generates a ton of his volume from the slot, and the Detroit Red Wings rank 30th in preventing shots from that area over their last 10.
Panthers vs Red Wings SGP
Patrick Kane Over 0.5 points
Dylan Larkin anytime goal
Matthew Tkachuk Over 2.5 shots on goal
Panthers vs Red Wings odds
Moneyline: Florida +125 | Detroit -145
Puck line: Florida +1.5 (-200) | Detroit -1.5 (+165)
Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-135) | Under 5.5 (+115)
Panthers vs Red Wings trend
Patrick Kane has points in six of his last eight games against Florida. Find more NHL betting trends for Panthers vs. Red Wings.
How to watch Panthers vs Red Wings
Location
Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
Date
Friday, March 6, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN-Detroit, SCRIPPS
Panthers vs Red Wings latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
As we pass through the diamond, I should note that I have been playing a little footloose and fancy free with the outfield distinctions. In point of fact, just about every outfielder outside of Yordan Alvarez is capable of playing all three spots and most of them likely will play multiple positions. So, who I choose to put where largely depends on where we might expect them to play, but also as a way to space it out so we get the same number of guys in each lab.
For our purposes here, we are looking at Jake Meyers and Zach Cole, but we should acknowledge that Joey Loperfido and Cam Smith could also see time in center. Like we did, I will include a player not on the Astros (or currently in MLB) as a frame of reference for Zach Cole. We are not necessarily predicting that he will have this player’s career, but I’m sure we would be in for it if he did.
Chase rate: This is the percentage of balls a player swings at outside of the zone. The league average normally lives around 30 percent, but we will be looking at three year intervals and we should notice trends more than where a player is in relationship to the league average.
Hard hit percentage: This is simply the percentage of balls that a player hits hard. Hard hit balls become hits and extra base hits more often than softer contact. Typically 35 percent is around the league average in this category.
BABIP: This is batting average on balls in play. Home runs are obviously excluded since they are not in play. The league average tends to hover around .300 but it will largely depend on hard hit percentages and breakdowns between groundballs, flyballs, and line drives.
Contact percentage: This is the percentage of swings that turn into contact. Typically 75 percent is around league average.
HR/FB percentage: This is the percentage of flyballs that result in home runs. Ten percent is typically around the league average.
Jake Meyers
Chase
Hardhit
BABIP
Contact
HR/FB
2023
26.6
27.9
.283
74.1
11.2
2024
30.3
37.0
.263
74.2
9.8
2025
23.7
38.9
.353
81.1
3.8
Aggregate
26.9
34.6
.300
76.5
8.3
There were a number of people (me included) who were critical of the Astros hitting coaches the last few years, but it has to be noted that not everyone got worse under those guys. Meyers made real gains in his chase rate, hard hit rate, and contact rate last season. At least some of that is likely to carry over into this season. So, in all likelihood, Meyers is a better offensive player in 2026 than he was in 2023 and 2024. However, he might not be quite as good he was last season.
That is largely because of the out of context BABIP. Even with gains in hard contact, that kind of jump is not sustainable. At best, he might live between .310 and .320 in that category and that is assuming a return to career norms in home runs per flyball. If you give him positive regression in that category then he might be roughly on par with last season overall.
However, the likelihood is a hitter that lives around .250 or .260 with decent speed numbers and okay power numbers. So, that could end up being something in the neighborhood of .250/.300/.380. Couple that with very good defensive metrics and you have an above average regular overall, but in all likelihood you will not see 2025 Meyers again.
Zach Cole
Chase
Hardhit
BABIP
Contact
HR/FB
2023
—-
—-
.366
64.3
20.4
2024
—-
—-
.336
67.2
14.9
2025
20.0
44.1
.418
64.9
31.1
Aggregate
20.0
44.1
.373
65.5
22.1
These are all minor league numbers for Cole. Cole has four of the five tools in spades. If we add plate discipline as a tool then he has five of the six tools in spades. Unfortunately, that sixth tool might be the most important one. Like Matthews and Dezenzo before him, there is just a ton of swing and miss in his game. Players have succeeded at the big league level while missing the hit tool, but they are fewer and further between. The question will be if he can make enough gains in contact to give those other tools enough room to breathe.
As we noted above, there is a player that Cole has been compared to that we can profile here. Joey Gallo is no longer playing in the big leagues, but he had some big seasons with the Rangers before washing out. In short, the lack of contact eventually caught up with him, but he might be the apex of what Cole can accomplish at the big league level. Between 2017 and 2019, Gallo hit more than 100 home runs. Cole has more speed than Gallo, so he could be even more. Just look at the numbers and see what you notice.
Chase
Hardhit
BABIP
Contact
HR/FB
2017
26.5
53.0
.250
59.0
30.1
2018
27.6
49.5
.249
61.7
27.6
2019
22.6
52.7
.368
59.7
37.3
Career
24.2
49.1
.254
60.6
25.8
The career numbers showed he tapered off a little in hard hit and pure power after those three initial seasons. Simply put, you cannot survive long with a contact rate like that. I do not have a minor league to major league decoder ring, but most players do not make more contact at the big league level initially. So, Gallo seems like a reasonably comp for Cole.
Gallo reached a career high of 4.4 FWAR in 2021, so I think most people would be pleasantly surprised if the Astros got that out of Cole. Keep in mind, he adds a speed element that Gallo did not. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have quite the power rate or hard hit rate that Gallo did. Perhaps he makes a bit more contact and ends up approximating the numbers above overall. The question will be whether Astros fans want to stomach the swing and miss in order to tap into the impressive power and speed. What do you think?
HAINAN ISLAND, China (AP) — Mi Hyang Lee played bogey-free in windy conditions on Friday and posted a 6-under 66, giving her a one-shot lead in the Blue Bay LPGA going into the weekend as the South Korean chases her first LPGA title in more than eight years.
The wind wasn't as strong as what Lee faced in the opening round, and she managed to keep a clean card while making birdies on three of the four par 5s at Jian Lake Blue Bay.
Lee was one shot ahead of Yu Liu (66), the former Duke player who is trying to join Shanshan Feng as the only Chinese player to win Blue Bay since the tournament began in 2014.
Auston Kim, the American coming off a tie for third last week in Singapore, made eagle on the par-5 eighth hole and shot 68. She was two shots behind.
“The wind was blowing more than I expected this morning, but still better than yesterday afternoon,” said Lee, who was at 11-under 133. “Pretty similar direction, as well, so it wasn't that hard for me.”
Key for Lee were the undulating greens. She focused on hitting the right section of the greens for easier putts, and chipping instead of putting when just off the green to navigate the slopes.
“That's why I make a lot of birdies and no bogeys,” she said.
The contours in the greens were perplexing, and at times frustrating, for Kim down the stretch as some of her approach shots took unexpected bounces and left her a long way from the cup or tricky putts to set up pars.
After a hot start, including the eagle on No. 8, she made her only bogey on the ninth and then had to settle for pars until a birdie on the par-5 18th. Even so, she was in the thick of contention for the second straight week with a chance at her first LPGA title.
“Heading into tomorrow and heading into the weekend my game is feeling good. I know what I can control and chasing is good,” Kim said. “It'll be fun out here.”
Former Women's PGA champion Ruoning Yin of China had the first hole-in-one of the year on the LPGA tour with an 8-iron from 153 yards on the par-3 seventh, her 16th hole of the round. She is six shots behind at the halfway point.
Blue Bay LPGA wraps up a three-tournament swing through Asia for the LPGA with the weakest field of the three. It follows a week in Singapore that had nine of the top 10 in the women’s world ranking, missing only Nelly Korda, who again skipped the Asia swing.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 4: Andre Drummond #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts against the Utah Jazz at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 4, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Jazz 106-102. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Could it really have been only five weeks ago that Joel Embiid stood before reporters in the Sixers’ locker room and offered something resembling a rallying cry?
We all remember it. How on Jan. 29, with the trade deadline looming, Embiid said the following: “I love all the guys that are in here. I think we got a shot.”
He allowed that he didn’t know what management might do in the days ahead, but reiterated his affection for his teammates, saying he was surrounded by “a good group of guys.”
“Vibes are great,” he added. “In the past we’ve been ducking the (luxury) tax, so hopefully we think about improving, because we got a chance.”
The Sixers had just beaten the Sacramento Kings, their second consecutive victory in a string that would reach five and lift them eight games over .500 for the first time all season.
Two days later, Paul George was suspended. A week later, Daryl Morey took a giant step in improving a championship-level roster, only it turns out it was in Oklahoma City. That’s where Morey shipped second-year guard Jared McCain. And where McCain has been tearing it up ever since.
Those good vibes? Gone. That shot Embiid talked about? A blank, as it turns out.
Let’s be real: These Sixers were always a house of cards, given the tenuous health of Embiid and George. The slightest breeze was likely to topple the whole thing, and they’ve been hit with gale-force winds, some of their own creation.
Nick Nurse couldn’t figure out a way to use McCain, even as the coach was wearing out Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe? Morey couldn’t figure out a way to reinforce a threadbare bench, as opposed to shipping out a promising 21-year-old guard who would be under team control for years to come?
Hey, but at least he attempted to play footsy with Kawhi Leonard at the deadline, smh. And that tax, man – surely Morey’s boss is happy to avoid that bill.
Scant consolation for the team’s followers.
Since beating Phoenix on Feb. 7 to improve to 30-22, the Sixers are 4-6. All six losses have been by 10 points or more, with two of them, including Tuesday’s 131-91 drubbing by San Antonio, by 40 or more. That brought to three the number of home games they have dropped by that margin this season, something that had never before happened to any team.
Given all that, Wednesday’s four-point victory over the tank-tastic Jazz was hardly reassuring.
Embiid is out again, this time with an oblique injury. Edgecombe suffered a back injury in the loss to the Spurs, and sat out against Utah. George isn’t due back until March 25, and Kelly Oubre Jr. missed the games against the Spurs and Jazz because of illness.
“We’ve got guys out,” Maxey said after the San Antonio debacle. “Time for guys to step up.”
At least Jabari Walker understood the assignment. Walker, a backup forward in his first year in Philly after three in Portland, scored 20 garbage-time points against the Spurs. And he said afterward he is fully cognizant of the fact that fringe guys like himself are always being evaluated, no matter when they play.
“It’s not the first thing on my mind, but it is one of the things I think about,” he said. “I think what’s first is just showing the coach what you’re playing for, and showing the team that you could have impacted tonight – just put the pressure on them, make them re-think things and think, ‘OK, maybe he could have impacted in some ways.’”
Moreover, he added, “There are 29 other teams, and it is a business, so you’d be surprised to know who’s watching, how many eyes you have on you. So just play hard every rep and be yourself.”
His focus was not to go home to bed, but rather “just kinda let the games blend together and carry this over to tomorrow” – which he then did, making his first six shots against the Jazz en route to a second-straight 20-point outing.
While that is a promising development for the Sixers, the overall outlook is far less so. With 20 games left in the regular season, they are 34-28 and in a loss-column tie with Orlando for the East’s sixth seed (i.e., the last non-play-in slot). Miami is a game back.
Of the remaining games, 12 are on the road. That might not be the worst thing, given the Sixers’ 17-12 record away from home, but eight are against teams that will be in the playoffs or are in position to get there, including the next two – Saturday against Atlanta and Monday against Cleveland. Beyond that are visits to Detroit, Denver, Charlotte, Miami, San Antonio and Houston.
Buckle up. Because the winds continue to blow. And it’s all the Sixers can do to reconstruct their house of cards.
NHL teams have until 3 p.m. ET today on Friday, March 6, to get a deal done. Contenders will be looking to add the final piece or pieces to get them over the top for a Stanley Cup title. Non-playoff teams will be looking for prospects or draft picks to help them with their rebuild or retool.
Forwards changed hands on March 5, including Nic Dowd to the Vegas Golden Knights, Nicolas Roy to the Avalanche, Michael Bunting to the Stars and David Perron returning to the Detroit Red Wings. Defensemen John Carlson (Anaheim Ducks) and Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn (Buffalo Sabres) were moved after midnight.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports that the Rangers "have indicated they are prepared to keep Vincent Trocheck if they don't get what they feel they need. Told teams, they are not trading him just for the sake of making a trade." Trocheck is signed through 2029. He was held out of the Rangers' last game.
The trade: The Buffalo Sabres acquire forward Sam Carrick from the New York Rangers for 2026 third- and sixth-round picks.
Analysis: Carrick has won 53.9 percent of his faceoffs this season, and the Sabres are last in the league at only 45 percent. He also has playoff experience with the 2024 Edmonton Oilers, playing 10 games in their run to the Stanley Cup Final, including four in the conference final. He also had 86 hits while averaging 10:25 a game. He's under contract for another year.
When is the NHL trade deadline?
The NHL trade deadline is at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, March 6. Trades usually are announced after that hour, too, because of a backup in the NHL approving the deals submitted beforehand.
Players who could be moved today
The following players were held out of the lineup on Thursday night for roster management purposes: New York Rangers forwards Vincent Trocheck and Sam Carrick, the Toronto Maple Leafs' Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann, plus Florida Panthers forward A.J. Greer.
Happy Trade Deadline day, Vancouver Canucks fans. After the deadline passes at 12:00 pm PT later today, the Canucks (18–36–7) will take on the Chicago Blackhawks (23–28–10) in what will be the first of a road back-to-back. Vancouver’s last matchup saw the team show a little spirit, attempting a comeback but ultimately falling 6–4 to the Carolina Hurricanes at home. Chicago’s last game also ended in a loss, with the Blackhawks falling to the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 3–2 in overtime.
Today’s game will be an interesting one to watch, as the moves made ahead of the deadline today could cause both teams to look different from how they appeared at the start of the day. Already, both teams have gotten moves in ahead of the deadline, with the Canucks trading Tyler Myers to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday and Conor Garland to the Columbus Blue Jackets last night, and the Blackhawks dealing Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach to the Edmonton Oilers for Andrew Mangiapane and a first-round pick. It’s currently unclear whether either team will make another move before 12:00 pm PT or not.
Vancouver is coming off what many view as the perfect tank game on Wednesday, as they managed to put up a decent comeback effort against the Hurricanes but ultimately fell short. Key players in Vancouver’s lineup — Filip Hronek, Elias Pettersson, and Marco Rossi — all recorded multi-point games, while Nils Höglander scored his first goal of the season. While the decisions made leading into the deadline could impact how the team looks come puck drop, Wednesday’s effort should be something the team looks to build on when they face the Blackhawks later today.
Players To Watch:
Marco Rossi
Rossi had what’s been considered his best game in a Canucks uniform on Wednesday, putting up a goal and an assist in Vancouver’s loss to the Hurricanes. Prior to that, the forward’s last point came on December 27 against the San Jose Sharks, though he missed the entire month of January and parts of February due to injury. If Rossi remains paired with Brock Boeser and Liam Öhgren tonight, the two wingers he played with on Wednesday, it’ll be interesting to see if they can replicate their success from the prior game.
Connor Bedard
Regardless of who he’s playing against, Connor Bedard is always a treat to watch. In his last game against the Canucks on November 5, the forward scored his first goal against his hometown team in a 5–2 win for Chicago. Since returning from the Olympic break, Bedard has put up a point-per-game pace all against Central Division teams. Chicago’s lines still have yet to be altered to fit Mangiapane in, though Bedard will likely contribute lots offensively no matter who he ends up playing with.
Oct 17, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Vancouver Canucks left wing Drew O'Connor (18) shoots against Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight (30) during the first period at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Vancouver Canucks (18–36–7):
Points:
Elias Pettersson: 13–24–37
Filip Hronek: 6–29–35
Jake DeBrusk: 13–17–30
Brock Boeser: 13–14–27
Evander Kane: 11–16–27
Goaltenders:
Thatcher Demko: 8–10–1
Kevin Lankinen: 7–20–4
Nikita Tolopilo: 3–5–2
Jiří Patera: 0–1–0
Chicago Blackhawks (23–28–10):
Points:
Connor Bedard: 25–32–57
Tyler Bertuzzi: 26–19–45
Andre Burakovsky: 10–20–30
Teuvo Teräväinen: 13–15–28
Ryan Donato: 13–12–25
Goaltenders:
Spencer Knight: 16–18–8
Arvid Söderblom: 6–9–2
Drew Commesso: 1–1–0
Game Information:
Start time: 5:30 pm PT
Venue: United Center
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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Oct 7, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) throws a runner out in the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game three of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
On May 3, 2025, Anthony Volpe’s luck took a turn for the worse. That day, he hurt his left shoulder while diving for a ball in the performance of his defensive duties. He felt a pop that turned out to be a torn labrum, re-aggravating the injury in September and managing the discomfort while playing.
Volpe received cortisone shots in June and September. After putting up a 115 wRC+ since the first day of the season until May 3rd, he finished with a highly disappointing 83 mark for the year, adding 19 homers and 18 stolen bases. Even his defense, which earned him a Gold Glove in 2023, suffered in the process. He underwent surgery to repair his torn labrum in October and is likely to miss the entire first month of the season at the very least. Can he become an offensive threat in 2026, or is his time in the Bronx coming to an end?
While saying that Volpe’s presence in the Yankees’ future plans is in jeopardy if he doesn’t perform would be premature, it’s clear that he will have a lot to prove this year when he returns, and it might not be entirely fair to expect immediate results after such a major surgery. And if he fails to bounce back, the Bombers might start seeking other alternatives; that’s the truth. The Bronx rarely waits for anyone.
The reality is that, injury or not, the former first-rounder is running out of time. He has failed to return even league-average offensive production in any of his three seasons in The Show, as his career-high wRC+ was 87 in 2024. His excellent defense used to make up for the lack of offensive consistency and on-base ability, but that also evaporated last year, presumably affected by the bum shoulder.
José Caballero prepares to enter the 2026 campaign as the shortstop, having focused his offseason training on improving his bat speed. On the other hand, Volpe started his hitting program by taking dry swings in mid-February. He is significantly behind his counterpart, but right on schedule according to the team’s estimates. Volpe will likely need a lot of at-bats to even approach his top form. The question here is how long the Yankees are willing to wait for him to regain full health or even approach a point at which he can fully trust his shoulder.
A healthy version of Volpe is a much better defender than what he showed last year, but we are not so sure if it’s a big upgrade offensively over his 2025 self. He is still young, though, and has a lot of room to grow and improve. He is, after all, just 24, younger than some of the highest-profile prospects in the game. Volpe does contribute some power and speed, but it will all come down to contact and plate discipline. There are some encouraging signs, though.
For a hitter who ranked in the 76th percentile in chase rate per Baseball Savant, he should be able to rank higher than the 36th percentile in walk rate. He is also in the 64th percentile in barrel rate. With some work, a sound gameplan, and a bit of luck, Volpe can take off if he’s fully healthy. Labrum surgery is no joke, though: ask Miguel Andújar, who needed five years to have an above-average offensive season over a significant sample after going under the knife in 2019.
That’s not to say that Volpe is necessarily doomed just because Andújar had a hard time returning to top form, but it’s a perfect example of how things can go south with labrum tears. It’s impossible to remove his current health status from any 2026 analysis. As a counterpoint to Andújar, there is Fernando Tatis Jr.: after undergoing labrum surgery in 2022, his performance diminished for one year (111 wRC+ in 2023 after three campaigns over 150) before settling in the 130 range in 2024 and 2025. Volpe clearly doesn’t have the sky-high ceiling that Tatis does, but he exists as a data point for pure injury recovery nonetheless.
The shoulder issues aren’t a death sentence for Volpe. However, combined with the urgency of playing for the Yankees, their perennial need for immediate results, and three disappointing seasons with the bat, they could definitely complicate things in 2026 and beyond.
TOKYO, JAPAN - MARCH 06: Martin Muík #49 of Team Czechia prepares to bat in the first inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool C game presented by dip between Team Australia and Team Czech Republic at Tokyo Dome on Friday, March 6, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The vagaries of scheduling made yesterday a day chock full of Czechia baseball action… but unfortunately, it went pretty terribly for them.
The early-morning (at least here on the East Coast of the United States) contest saw Czechia get absolutely clobbered by Korea. Starter Daniel Padysak didn’t even escape the first inning — two walks and a single loaded the bases, and then Bo Gyeong Moon unloaded them with a grand slam. The game got kind of closer (6-3) when Terrin Vavra (I think the only guy on Team Czechia with MLB experience) hit a three-run homer in the fifth, but Korea’s onslaught continued and the game ended with a 11-4 tally. Korea hit four homers in total, including two by Astros infielder Shay Whitcomb. Overall, it was about as unbalanced as you’d probably expect when glancing at the matchup: Czechia pitchers had a combined 6/5 K/BB ratio to go with those four homers; Korea’s pitching slate had a 12/3 K/BB ratio.
There was a very quick turnaround of only about 14 hours before Czechia had to get on the horse again, this time against Australia. This game didn’t go much better for them. Though they did take an early lead on a sac fly, White Sox infielder Curtis Mead bashed a three-run homer off starter Tomas Ondra, and that was basically the game. (Southern Thunder added a couple of more runs in the ninth, including an Alex Hall homer.) The game was heavy on balls in play, as there were only a combined ten strikeouts across the two teams.
Czechia is now in pretty unfortunate territory, since the remaining pool-mates they haven’t played include Japan.
Speaking of haven’t played, Friday’s slate is massive:
Japan-Taiwan (spoiler alert, Japan already won 13-0)
Cuba-Panama
Netherlands-Venezuela (aka, the Braves Best Buds Cup)
Mexico-Great Britain
Puerto Rico-Colombia
Nicaragua-Dominican Republic
USA-Brazil
Taiwan-Czechia (yes, a short turnaround for Taiwan this time)
Which of those matchups are you most looking forward to? It’s probably the Braves Best Buds Cup, but maybe you really want to see Team USA or the Dominican Republic smash their underdog bracketmates instead.
The remaining games start at 11 am ET and progress basically all through the day, so there’s a lot of WBC action if you’re so inclined.
SARASOTA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 13: Zach Eflin #24 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during practice at Ed Smith Stadium on February 13, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Baltimore Orioles/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For most of 2025, Zach Eflin was just not himself. The effort was undeniable. But something was badly, visibly wrong. In 14 starts, he went 6–5 with a 5.93 ERA, a 1.42 WHIP, and a K:BB ratio of 50:13 across just 71⅓ innings. He made three separate trips to the injured list before finally undergoing lumbar microdiscectomy surgery in August — a procedure that removes part of a herniated disc pressing on spinal nerves. When Eflin hit the market in free agency, the thought might have crossed your mind that he wouldn’t be back.
Well, good thing Mike Elias kept his agent’s number. On Thursday, in Eflin’s first spring training appearance of 2026, the righty offered a bracing reminder of what he can be when everything is working — and what the Orioles paid $10 million this winter to get back.
Against his former team, the Tampa Bay Rays, Eflin spun two-plus scoreless innings with three strikeouts, lighting up the radar gun and flaunting a command that looked nothing like the labored pitcher who gritted through 2025. He worked with six different pitches — sinker, sweeper, curveball, four-seamer, cutter, changeup — and got six whiffs in fourteen swings. Most excitingly, his sinker and fastball touched 94 MPH, several miles better than last season.
It’s just one spring start, I know. But the velocity, the pitch mix, the swinging strikes — it all points toward a pitcher who has been genuinely fixed, not merely managed.
Eflin agrees. His 2025 numbers were ugly in ways that the box score couldn’t fully capture, especially the four IL trips. Speaking in December, Eflin revealed that back problems had haunted him on and off for ten years in his pro career, but 2025 was when the pain turned debilitating, convincing him to finally go in for surgery to “clean it up.” Now, he reports feeling like he has a “brand-new back.”
This is good news for all of us. With Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, and Shane Baz ahead of Eflin in the rotation, the Orioles aren’t depending on an Eflin resurgence, but seeing him approach his ceiling would be a wonderful thing. That would look something like 2023, a season when Eflin was arguably the most underrated starting pitcher in the American League as a member of Tampa Bay’s staff. That year, he made 31 starts, went 16–8, posted a 3.50 ERA, struck out 186 batters over 177⅔ innings, finishing sixth in AL Cy Young voting. His 1.02 WHIP ranked second in the entire American League, behind only Gerrit Cole. The Rays went 23–8 in his starts — a team winning percentage that, per historical records, tied David Price’s 2014 season for the best in franchise history in a starting pitcher’s qualified starts.
That is a genuine ace-adjacent performance. Not a fluke, not a warm stretch — a full-season demonstration of what a healthy Eflin looks like.
Eflin will never be a strikeout-rate marvel. He’s a contact pitcher who works with heavy sinkers and lateral break, generating soft contact and keeping the ball in the park. When his stuff plays at full strength, he profiles as a legitimate number-two or number-three starter capable of eating 175–180 innings with an ERA in the mid-threes. That is, in the current pitching landscape, genuinely valuable. The Orioles, who ranked near the bottom of the AL in rotation ERA last season, need that stabilizing presence badly.
The case for Eflin bouncing back rests on a straightforward premise: the problem was structural, and the structure has been repaired. A lumbar microdiscectomy isn’t a band-aid; it removes the source of nerve compression. Eflin himself says the chronic pain is gone in a way it hadn’t been in years. The early evidence from the mound — the velocity restored, the arm angle presumably returning toward its 2023 level, the whiff-generating breaking ball — suggests the surgery worked.
Baltimore re-signed him to a prove-it deal worth $10 million with a mutual option that could extend to $30 million total. The incentive structure is perfectly aligned. Eflin has everything to prove and, finally, a back that will let him prove it.
Canucks vs Blackhawks best bet:Jake DeBrusk Over 2.5 shots (+105)
Jake DeBrusk is averaging 2.68 SOG this season for the Vancouver Canucks, and while that number dips to 2.33 in road games, there’s a serious reason to believe he’ll be busy offensively tonight.
Across two meetings with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2025-26, DeBrusk has put an absurd amount of pucks on net. We’re talking 14 shots on target. The Blackhawks are also poor defensively, allowing 29.4 SOG per game.
Canucks vs Blackhawks same-game parlay
Drew O’Connor is averaging just 1.45 SOG per contest this season, but he’s hit the Over in two of his last three contests.
O’Connor has also cashed the Over on his shots prop in one of the two meetings with Chicago this season.
Despite trading Conor Garland on Thursday, I’m eyeing them to end their seven-game losing skid tonight. Vancouver is 1-1 against the Hawks in ‘25-26, and that lone win came on the road.
In fact, the Canucks are 9-1-0 across their last 10 meetings with Chicago.
The Vancouver Canucks have hit the game total Over in eight of their last 13 games (+3.10 Units / 21% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Canucks vs. Blackhawks.
How to watch Canucks vs Blackhawks
Location
United Center, Chicago, IL
Date
Friday, March 6, 2026
Puck drop
8:30 p.m. ET
TV
Sportsnet Pacific, CHSN
Canucks vs Blackhawks latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
It’s been 298 days since Jayson Tatum last played for the Boston Celtics. That streak is likely to end Friday night at TD Garden.
The Celtics star is expected to make his 2025-26 season debut Friday against the Dallas Mavericks, as the team upgraded him from questionable to available.
Tatum has been sidelined since May 12, when he ruptured his Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks.
Tatum will return to a Celtics team that has vastly overachieved in his absence, entering Friday’s game with a 41-21 record and the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference despite parting with several key members of their 2024 championship squad.
Tatum will steal the spotlight, but there’s another great storyline Friday night: Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg, who grew up a Celtics fan in Newport, Maine, will play his first NBA game at TD Garden.
Mavericks-Celtics will tip-off at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. Coverage begins on NBC Sports Boston at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.
