Feb 18, 2026; Peoria, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Walker Buehler (10) during spring training photo day. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The Frair Faithful have spoken and are willing to let bygones be bygones.
The overwhelming majority of respondents to this week’s Padres Reacts Survey on Gaslamp Ball stated they are rooting for Walker Buehler, the former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher, to make the roster and rotation in San Diego.
Manny Machado said recently when the Padres added Nick Castellanos to the roster that the team was getting a $20 million player for the league minimum. The same could be said for Buehler although he will make a bit more than the league minimum if he makes the San Diego roster.
Buehler signed a one-year free agent deal with the Boston Red Sox prior to the 2025 season that paid him $21.05 million for the season. He did not make it through 162 games with Boston and was released on Aug. 29. He was then signed for the league minimum by the Philadelphia Phillies on Aug. 31 and finished the season in Philly.
The right-hander agreed to a minor league deal with San Diego that did not guarantee him a roster spot. However, if Buehler can secure a rotation role and break camp with the Padres, he would make $1.5 million in 2026 and could receive $2.5 million in performance bonuses. Those contract numbers are not bad for a two-time World Series champion and a two-time All-Star.
If Buehler can return to that kind of pitcher, he should have no problem breaking into the San Diego rotation and quickly receiving adoration from the Friar Faithful.
Walker Buehler tossed three innings today in Peoria against the KBO’s NC Dinos.
After the outing, Buehler said it was “all in all, a good day” and that he thinks “the velocity was a little bit above kind of where we thought it would be.” pic.twitter.com/FORwCsZjLo
Feb 25, 2026; North Port, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter Marcell Ozuna (24) prepares to take batting practice before the start of the game against the Atlanta Braves during spring training at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
The 2026 MLB season is right around the corner for the Pittsburgh Pirates, with opening day being March 26 against the New York Mets. There are a lot of things to be excited about going into the season as a Pirates fan, so here are my top three things that I am excited to see going into the new season. Konnor Griffin and Paul Skenes are two very obvious answers, and I am certainly excited to see both hit the field this season, but they will not be answers for this, let’s get started.
Seeing the new veteran free agents play
Pittsburgh has never been the most aggressive team throughout the years in free agency. They are a team that is notorious for not wanting to spend money and go out and get the big names in the market. Now it’s not like these guys are huge names that they got but, they have players who I think will help out struggling offense and that’s why I am excited.
In December, the Bucs traded for Brandon Lowe out of Tampa Bay. Last season, he hit 31 home runs and had 83 RBIs for the Rays. Pirates also acquired Ryan O’hearn who is a former All-Star, solid fielder and has the power. Their last big move was signing Marcell Ozuna to a one-year deal.
Those three guys will immediately be put into the starting lineup and could make a serious impact because of their power. Ozuna is coming off a down year for his standards, hitting for just 21 home runs, but we saw him hit 39 and 40 home runs the two seasons before that. The offense was one of the biggest flaws for this team last season, and I think adding three veteran bats who are all capable of hitting 30 or more home runs was really important and makes me really excited to watch this offense.
The starting pitching rotation
One thing everyone in Pittsburgh can agree on going into this season is that the starting pitching is going to be a bright spot for this team. Now yes, there is Paul Skenes, but this is a very deep pitching rotation outside of the reigning NL CY Young champion. In my opinion, Pittsburgh is going into the season with a top 10 starting pitching rotation and that is something to be excited about.
The rotation also consists of Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft, and Jose Urquidy. Jared Jones will also be a huge piece of the rotation when he comes back from his injury. This is such a young pitching group with a lot of potential, and having those guys mixed in with Skenes will be scary for opposing offenses this season.
Seeing a full crowd at PNC Park
The first two points play into this third one, because if the offense produces and the pitching does their thing, the Pirates will win games. The more games they win, the busier PNC Park will be. There is nothing better than a packed PNC Park. I mean, it is the prettiest stadium in the entire league after all.
The Pirates have some of the most loyal and passionate fans in the league, and if they get off to a great start and win games, PNC park will finally be packed again and there will be some crazy atmosphere. There hasn’t been a Buctober since 2015, and that was really the last time the atmosphere was truly wild. I think the Bucs this year have the team that can change that and get fans’ excitement levels back up.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - FEBRUARY 26: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers holds his hips during the game against the Miami Heat at Xfinity Mobile Arena on February 26, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, it turns out this was a highly-anticipated injury report for both teams.
Ahead of their showdown with the Boston Celtics on NBC Sunday, the Sixers have officially ruled out Joel Embiid for their next three games with a right oblique strain.
This happened to Embiid earlier in the week against the Miami Heat, when he got Kel’el Ware to bite on a pump fake, causing him to jump and hit Embiid in the ribs with his knee inadvertently. He didn’t really miss much of that game due to it, but he was favoring his midsection the entire rest of the contest.
After a quick 4-of-7 start the game, Embiid was clearly hampered by this. He shot 4-of-13 the rest of the night with two ugly turnovers. Here’s a clip of the play where it happened.
Joel Embiid has gone to the locker room with discomfort in his ribs from this inadvertent knee from Kel'el Ware pic.twitter.com/LMsaDiiM0r
Embiid was not a participant at the Sixers’ most recent practice. A team spokesperson told reporters that he had been feeling an increase of soreness in the area since that Heat game and still had some consulting with the team’s medical staff to do.
Joel Embiid did not participate in practice today. He’s reporting increased soreness in his right side. Meeting with medical staff and his status will be updated with the injury report later today.
Upon the release of the official report, the team announced that Embiid underwent an MRI that revealed the strain, ruling him out for the two games following Boston as well.
An MRI today revealed that Joel Embiid suffered a strained right oblique, per Sixers.
Embiid will miss the team’s next three games and be reevaluated following the upcoming back-to-back.
This once again puts the Sixers in a precarious spot as they desperately try to cling on to the sixth seed in the East. They went 1-4 in their most recent five-game stretch without Embiid, three of those losses being decisive blowouts at that. It’s also a bummer because we will again be robbed of the rematch between Embiid and Victor Wembanyama when the Spurs come to Philly early next week.
So the Sixers will be shorthanded, but at least they won’t be the first team to take on the Boston Celtics at full strength this season. Despite the rumblings and weird advertisements tied in with NBC, Jayson Tatum will not be making his season debut Sunday night.
Tatum of course hasn’t played since last May, when he tore his Achilles tendon in his right leg during Game 4 of the second round of the playoffs against the New York Knicks. It’s truly remarkable that he’s so close to returning this was even considered a possibility by some. At least the Sixers caught this break, and they won’t see Tatum unless these teams see each other in the playoffs.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 23: Linesperson CJ Murray #68 drops the puck for a face-off between the Colorado Avalanche and the Chicago Blackhawks in the second period at the United Center on November 23, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
With two of five games in a seven day stretch now behind them, it’s safe to assume that the Colorado Avalanche were looking forward to the weekend.
This afternoon, the visiting Chicago Blackhawks will make their only regular season appearance in Denver, as the Avs face their third consecutive Central Division opponent in four days.
Colorado Avalanche (38-10-9)
The Opponent: Chicago Blackhawks (22-27-9)
Time: 4:00 P.M. MST/6:00 P.M. EST
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Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche currently sport a .500 record for the month of February, going 2-2 in that time frame. This would sound a lot more alarming if it weren’t for the extended Olympic pause that led to playing only four games through the month. A victory today would keep them from posting their second consecutive sub-500 month of hockey, and would certainly provide a lift after losing 5-2 to the visiting Minnesota Wild this past Thursday. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 31 of 34 shots in a contest that featured an impressive goalie duel between him and Filip Gustavsson—who stopped 45 of 47 shots in his own right—only to be overshadowed by questionable judgement (see Brent Burns launching the puck into the crowd during an Avalanche penalty kill that was already down not one, but two skaters) and officiating (poke checks are penalties now?).
Coach Jared Bednar lamented his team’s inability to widen the gap on both Minnesota and the idle Dallas Stars. “It’s the standings at the end of the year is what matters, right? So, that [game] was a missed opportunity; that’s what that was. Nine points if we win, two games in hand, that’s a long road to try and catch you, and now it’s tight. Five [points] with two [games] in hand, and there’s lots of hockey to be played. We’ve just got to take care of our business.”
The loss allowed Minnesota—playing in a first game of a back to back pair of their own—to leapfrog over Dallas to second place in the Central Division, closing to within five points of the Avs. However, just like the Avs, Minnesota failed to seize the moment in their second half of back to back games, as they lost to the Utah Mammoth by a score of 5-2 at Delta Center on Friday evening. The loss prevented them from closing to within three points of the Avalanche, who can now restore their seven point cushion with a win this afternoon.
Hockey giveth, and hockey taketh away.
Nathan MacKinnon returned to the lineup against Minnesota for the first time since returning from the Olympics, and while he did not add to his NHL goal scoring total—he remains at a League best 40 goals—he did reach the 95 point plateau (Edmonton’s Connor McDavid leads all skaters with 100 points). Martin Nečas, who scored his 24th and 25th goals of the season on Thursday evening, trails Brock Nelson (30) for third place in team scoring, and is three goals shy of tying his career high (28). While the loss to Minnesota may look lopsided by box score alone, Blackwood’s play to keep his team close for the majority of the contest ought to merit a return to the crease today.
The Avs still remain the undisputed leader across the Central Division, Western Conference, and League standings. Coming into this afternoon’s game, they have a game in hand on Dallas (who will be in action at American Airlines Center tonight against the Nashville Predators), and three games in hand on Minnesota.
Today’s game is the second in the three game series with Chicago. The Avs won the previous matchup on November 23, a 1-0 decision.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Gabe Landeskog – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Artturi Lehkonen – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Victor Olofsson Joel Kiviranta* – Parker Kelly – Gavin Brindley
Defense: Devon Toews – Cale Makar Josh Manson – Brent Burns Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski
Between the Pipes: Mackenzie Blackwood Scott Wedgewood
Kiviranta, who was injured during the second period after taking a hit from Minnesota’s Zach Bogosian, is uncertain for today’s game at the time of this writing.
Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago had a great start to 2026, winning five of their first six games in January. However, they followed up that effort by losing nine of their next twelve games prior to the Olympic break. Currently occupying seventh place in the Central Division standings with 53 points, they remain two points ahead of last place St. Louis (51). They kicked off a five game road trip prior to the Olympics, with their most recent effort being a 4-2 loss to the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday evening.
Like Colorado, Chicago also had representation in Italy at the Olympics, but to a significantly smaller scale. Center Teuvo Teravainen won the bronze medal alongside Kiviranta as a member of Finland’s roster. The notable absence is center Connor Bedard, who was not invited to participate as a member of Canada’s Olympic roster. Bedard, who scored his twenty-fourth goal of the season against Nashville on Thursday night, currently leads all Chicago skaters in assists (30) and points (54), and ranks second to left wing Tyler Bertuzzi in goals (26).
While Bedard’s solid sophomore campaign led many to believe that he was on the short list to be selected to the Olympics by Hockey Canada, he was ultimately left off the roster once the final selections were announced. Bedard missed twelve games with an upper body injury sustained in a literal last second face-off sequence against St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn back in December, leading many to speculate if the injury was a key factor in leaving Bedard off the Canadian Olympic roster.
Goaltender Spencer Knight is three wins away from tying his career high (19) in his first full season with Chicago. He will likely start today against Colorado. Despite leading all Chicago goaltenders in wins (Arvid Soderblom has five wins on the season and Drew Commesso has one), Chicago has given up more than two goals in fourteen of ninteen games played in since the start of the New Year. That has contributed to the third worst goal differential (-33) in the NHL; only St. Louis (-52) and Vancouver (-62) rank lower.
Today’s match-up against Colorado marks their only regular season visit to Denver, and marks the first game of a back to back weekend. They will finish the weekend in—where else?—Salt Lake City against the Mammoth on Sunday afternoon. The season series against Colorado will conclude on home ice at United Center on March 20.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Ryan Greene – Connor Bedard – Andre Burakovsky Oliver Moore – Frank Nazar – Tyler Bertuzzi Ryan Donato – Jason Dickinson – Ilya Mikheyev Teuvo Teravainen – Nick Foligno – Landon Slaggert
Defense: Alex Vlasic – Louis Crevier Connor Murphy – Sam Rinzel Matt Grzelcyk – Artyom Levshunov
ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (AP) — Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt of Germany clinched their seventh men's doubles World Cup luge overall season title Saturday, while Selina Egle and Lara Kipp of Austria claimed the women's doubles crown for the second straight season.
Wendl and Arlt were third in the men's doubles race at St. Moritz, good enough to lock up the season title with one race left. Thomas Steu and Wolfgang Kindl of Austria won the race, with Italy’s Ivan Nagler and Fabian Malleier second.
Egle and Kipp didn't even finish in the medals; they were fifth in the women's race and still clinched their points title. Olympic champions Andrea Voetter and Marion Oberhofer of Italy won the race, with Elisa-Marie Storch and Pauline Patz of Germany second, followed by Anda Upite and Madara Pavlova of Latvia third.
In the women's singles race, Olympic champion Julia Taubitz of Germany won on Saturday and moved closer to the overall points title.
Merle Fraebel of Germany was second and Verena Hofer of Italy was third. Taubitz now has a 19-point lead over Fraebel headed into next week’s finale at Altenberg, Germany, meaning a first- or second-place finish will clinch the title regardless of what anyone else does in the race.
Austria’s Hannah Prock was only 30 points back of Taubitz entering the race — but couldn’t slide on Saturday following an emergency appendectomy. Taubitz, Fraebel and Austria’s Lisa Schulte are the only women left with a mathematical chance at the title.
Summer Britcher of the U.S. was seventh in the women’s race, and is fourth in the world rankings. Britcher is the only USA Luge athlete competing in the World Cup this weekend.
CHICAGO (AP) — Jonathan Bamba scored in the first half, and the Chicago Fire scored twice in stoppage time to secure a 3-0 win over CF Montréal in their home opener on Saturday.
Chicago (1-1) controlled the match throughout, taking a 1-0 lead into halftime after Bamba finished from the center of the box in the 27th minute. The Fire generated steady pressure and limited Montréal’s chances despite playing the final 34 minutes a man down following a red card to Jonathan Dean in the 56th minute.
The Fire secured the match in stoppage time as Hugo Cuypers converted a penalty in the 90th minute to make it 2-0, and Robin Lod added a third moments later with a finish from close range.
Chicago dominated the attacking numbers, finishing with an 18-4 advantage in shots and an 11-2 edge in on-target shots while producing 4.0 expected goals. Montréal (0-2) managed just 0.1 expected goals and rarely threatened.
Goalkeeper Chris Brady made two saves for the shutout, while Thomas Gillier kept the visitors within reach for much of the afternoon with seven saves.
The win extended Chicago’s unbeaten streak against Canadian opponents to six matches dating to 2024 and marked the Fire’s first victory of the season after opening with a road loss at Houston.
HARRISON, N.J. (AP) — Julian Hall scored to lead the New York Red Bulls in a 1-0 victory over the New England Revolution on Saturday as the 17-year-old became the youngest player in MLS history to score in each of his club's first two games of the season. Hall headed the goal in the 53rd minute for his MLS-leading third goal of the year. He received a headed assist from 16-year-old Adri Mehmeti. The initial cross came from a 17-year-old Matthew Dos Santos.
It's the second game at the helm of the Red Bulls (2-0-0, 6 points) for former US Men's National Team captain Michael Bradley.
The Red Bulls dominated possession 66 to 34 percent, and 12 shots to five for the Revolution (0-0-2, 0 points).
USMNT-capped goalkeepers Ethan Horvath and Matt Turner had two and three saves for Red Bulls and the Revolution, respectively.
Up next
Revolution: Initial home opener scheduled for March 7 with the Houston Dynamo was postponed because their field was not ready. Their new home opener and next scheduled game is March 15, against FC Cincinnati.
PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 24: The sneakers worn by Ron Harper Jr. #13 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Phoenix Suns on February 24, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Tre Donaldson scored 15 points, Miami took control with a huge first-half run, and the Hurricanes defeated Boston College 76-54 on Saturday.
Miami trailed 13-6 early in the first half but the Hurricanes outscored the Eagles 30-6 over the final 15 minutes to lead 36-19 at halftime. BC missed 12 of 13 shots in one stretch.
A 13-2 run near the midway point of the second half helped the Hurricanes push their lead to 55-31. Later in the half, reserve guard Noam Dovrat drilled 4 of 5 3-pointers and Miami's lead reached 27 points.
Ernest Udeh Jr. had 11 points and 12 rebounds and Tru Washington scored 14 points for Miami (23-6, 12-4). Dovrat scored a season-high 12 points. He has made 5 of his last 7 3-point tries.
Boden Kapke scored 18 points and Fred Payne and Jayden Hastings each scored 11 for Boston College (10-19, 3-13).
Miami's win squares the overall series 31-31.
Miami remains in third place in the ACC with two regular-season games remaining. The top four teams earn byes into the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament, which takes place March 10-14 in Charlotte, N.C.
Up next
Miami: The Hurricanes visit SMU on Wednesday and host No. 24 Louisville on Saturday.
Boston College: at No. 11 Virginia on Tuesday and home against Notre Dame on Saturday.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Day Day Thomas matched a career-best with seven 3-pointers and scored a season-high 26 points, Moustapha Thiam added a double-double and Cincinnati routed Oklahoma State 91-68 on Saturday.
Thomas was 7 of 11 from deep and made 5 of 6 free throws. Thomas also reached the 1,000-point mark for his career on the first of two free-throw attempts with 5:42 remaining before halftime. His 3-pointer with 8:22 left gave the Bearcats a 32-point lead midway through the second half.
Thiam scored 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds. Jizzle James and Baba Miller added 11 points apiece for Cincinnati (16-13, 8-8 Big 12).
The Bearcats have won five of their last six games.
Vyctorius Miller scored 15 points to lead Oklahoma State (17-12, 5-11), which has lost six of their last seven. Kanye Clary and Jaylen Curry each added 11 points and Andrija Vukovic scored 10.
The Bearcats never trailed and had a double-digit lead on James’ 3-pointer with 11:41 left in the first half.
Up next
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys are on the road against UCF on Tuesday.
Cincinnati: The Bearcats host No. 19 BYU on Tuesday.
Feb 28, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer (4) celebrates with first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) after scoring a run in the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during spring training at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
A split squad day that had a loss:
Jays 1 Yankees 5
Jose Berrios had a great day. 4 innings, no hits, 2 walks 2 strikeouts. Couldn’t ask for better against most of the Yankee regulars.
Other pitchers:
Ryan Jennings: Two outs, one hit, two earned, three walks.
Kelena Sauer: Got the last out of the fifth.
Nate Garkow: One inning, two hits, two earned a walk and a home run.
Fernando Perez: Two innings, one hit, a home run, one earned, one strikeout.
Hitters, starters:
Leo Jimenez: 0 for 2, walk. .273 BA on the spring.
Addison Barger: 1 for 3. .083.
Davis Schneider: 0 for 2, walk, strikeout. .100.
Eloy Jimenez: 1 for 3. .400.
Tyler Heineman: 1 for 2. .500.
Myles Straw: 0 for 2. .200.
Sean Keys: 0 for 2, strikeout. .154.
Arjun Nimmala: 0 for 2. .250. He also had an throwing error at short.
Charles McAdoo: 2 for 2, double. .455.
Others:
Cutter Coffey: 0 for 1, k. .000.
Maddox Latta: 0 for 1, k. .00.
Carlos Mendoza: Walk. .600.
Eddie Micheletti Jr.: 0 for 1, k. .333.
Aaron Parker: 0 for 2, k. .250.
Jonatan Clase: 0 for 2. ..000.
Jackson Hornung: 0 for 1. .000.
Cade Doughty: 0 for 1, k. .000.
Nick Goodwin: 0 for 1. .500.
And a win.
In Dunedin, the Jays beat the Phillies. 7 to 5.
Dylan Cease had his first start of the spring. 1.2 innings, 1 hit a home run, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts. A very nice outing.
Jesse Hahn: 1.1 innings, 3 hits, 1 earned, 1 walk and 2 strikeouts.
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Nick Martinelli scored 22 points, including the game-winner with 1.8 seconds left, for Northwestern in a 63-62 win over Oregon on Saturday afternoon.
Northwestern called a timeout with eight seconds left, down 62-61. Martinelli caught the ball and was well defended. He pivoted to the left, hooked the shot around the defender and watched the ball swirl around the rim before finally sinking.
Takai Simpkins's half-court heave for the Ducks hit the top of the backboard to end it.
Martinelli added 11 rebounds and seven assists, a career high, for the Wildcats (13-16, 5-13 Big Ten). Jayden Reid scored 11 points.
Nate Bittle scored 19 for Oregon (11-18, 4-14). Kwame Evans Jr. added 15 and Simpkins finished with 11. The Ducks led 36-29 at halftime, built on a 15-3 run to close out the first half.
Oregon continued to dominate, taking an early lead after the break from a jumper and 3-pointer from Bittle. Northwestern took the lead back off a 15-6 run with 10:56 to play.
Brett Baty made his spring debut on Saturday, but at a position Mets fans are not accustomed to seeing the young infielder.
With second and third base filled with the additions of Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette, Baty started at first base. It's the first time Baty has played the position in his professional career and he wasn't half bad. He made the plays he was supposed to and there weren't any misplays or errors on his part in the team's 3-2 loss to the Nationals.
"It was a fun challenge out there," Baty said about playing first. "No mistakes, but it didn’t look pretty either. We’ll get better over there for sure."
"I thought overall, it was a good day," Carlos Mendoza said of Baty's performance. "It was just good to see him out there in game action."
Over his four-year big league career, Baty has seen time at second and third, but this is a new challenge for him. The 26-year-old said he spent this offseason practicing multiple positions, but Baty admits no amount of practice can replace game action, and he was pleased with how he did Saturday.
"There’s just some things you never see in practice until you get out there and do it in a game," Baty said. "I was talking to [bench coach Kai Correa] and Mendy about some of the plays out there. I felt like I wanted to go get the ball, because that’s how I’ve always been. At third base, go get the ball, second base same thing. Some of them I wanted to go get, but I had to remember that Marcus was right behind me, so I had to get my butt to first base."
Baty says former teammate Pete Alonso was great at knowing exactly where the second baseman was and when to go for a ball. And while Baty fights the urge to think like a third baseman, Saturday was a good first step for him, but he knows the comfort comes with time.
"The difficult part is trying to master the plays that you can’t replicate in practice. The challenge is the game reps and trying to get those game reps," he said. "I’m excited for it."
Baty enjoyed his best season as a major leaguer last year. Not only did he stabilize the third base spot, but Baty also showed promise at the plate, hitting a career-best .254 with 18 home runs. Now that he doesn't have a position to call his own, the Mets are trying to find ways to get the talented youngster into games.
Even if it means playing some outfield.
The Mets have a hole in right field with Juan Soto and Luis Robert Jr. projecting to start at left and center, respectively. While there's competition between youngster Carson Benge and veterans Tyrone Taylor, Mike Tauchman and MJ Melendez, the Mets want Baty to get reps in the outfield so they and he are comfortable playing out there if they need it.
Baty said he did some outfield reps in the backfields on Friday and will do so again on Sunday. He believes the plan is to get him in the outfield in a spring training game next week, and Baty is excited to try it.
"I feel like a football receiver out there. I think it’s fun to run around out there, catch flyballs, show off the arm and stuff like that," Baty said with smile. "I think you can showcase athleticism out there, and I like it out there, I think it’s very fun."
Mendoza said that the plan is to give Baty as much time at first and in right field this spring as he can, but he's confident the youngster can handle it.
“He’s very athletic. I have no doubt in my mind that he’s able to do it there," Mendoza said. "He was able to play second base for us last year and that wasn’t an easy transition. Early on, what we’ll do is keep [the reps] on the right side of the field, whether it’s first base, right field, maybe second base."
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 7: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors smile during the game on February 7, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors host the Los Angeles Lakers for their final game in the month of February. The primetime matchup is scheduled for 5:30 PM PT in San Francisco and will be broadcast on ABC.
The Warriors enter tonight’s matchup back to three games above .500 after Wednesday’s 133–112 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. It was a complete team effort from Golden State, with eight of their nine available players scoring in double figures, led by rookie Will Richard’s 21 points. That energy showed up defensively as well, as Golden State forced 16 turnovers that turned into 33 points. After the game, Brandin Podziemski — who finished second on the team with 19 points — praised the group’s collective approach.
Brandin Podziemski said his approach doesn’t change when he starts at the point for Golden State. As for the depth of double-figure scorers, “It seems like it’s been a them when we’ve won.”
The test gets tougher tonight for Golden State as they take on a Lakers team that sits 3.5 games ahead of them in the standings. The season series is split at one game each, with Los Angeles taking the most recent matchup earlier this month, 105–99.
De’Anthony Melton is expected to return after resting the second night of a back-to-back, but the Warriors will still be shorthanded. Stephen Curry has been ruled out for his 10th consecutive game, and Kristaps Porzingis — who missed the past two games due to illness — has now officially been ruled out as well.
Kristaps Porzingis will miss his fourth straight game with what the Warriors are listing as an illness @NBCSWarriors
No Steph Curry or Kristaps Porzingis against the Lakers. Draymond Green remains probable
Without their primary scoring options, the Warriors have leaned on ball movement, pace, and perimeter shooting to generate offense. Against Memphis, Golden State shot 41.3 percent from three and recorded 37 assists. Expect that approach to continue tonight against a Lakers team loaded with offensive firepower — including the NBA’s leading scorer Luka Dončić — but one that ranks 24th in the league in defensive rating (116.8).
Kerr again affirmed ball movement and pace are crucial for the short-handed Warriors to win: “That’s the formula for sure. And we’ve got to continue to plug away. I’m really enjoying coaching these guys. They’ve been great. Just the energy, the enthusiasm supporting each other.”
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Bobby Durkin, Cade Tyson and Langston Reynolds combined to score 65 points to lead Minnesota past UCLA 78-73 on Saturday.
Durkin scored 23 points exclusively on his 7 of 11 behind the arc, before hitting a pair of free throws with 12 seconds left. Tyson and Reynolds each scored 21. Tyson was 8 of 12 from the field and 3 of 5 behind the arc. Reynolds was 8 of 14 shooting to go with six assists.
The Golden Gophers (14-15, 7-11 Big Ten) have won three of their last four, with their lone loss coming to No. 3 Michigan on Feb 24.
Tyler Bilodeau poured in 32 points for the Bruins (19-10, 11-7), two shy of his career high set earlier this season. He was 13-of-21 shooting and 4 of 7 behind the arc with eight rebounds.
Eric Dailey Jr. added 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting with six rebounds. Skyy Clark had 17 and five assists. Donovan Dent tied his career high, set a week prior in an overtime win over Illinois, with 15 assists.
Up next
UCLA will host No. 12 Nebraska on Tuesday.
Minnesota will face Indiana on the road on Wednesday. ___
