HOUSTON — So, what did you do during your spring break in high school?
Joseph Contreras, the 17-year-old son of former All-Star pitcher Jose Contreras, just spent Friday night dazzling the baseball world for Team Brazil against USA, pitching so well that he can brag about it to his buddies at Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell, Georgia.
Contreras, stepping on the same mound where his father won the 2005 World Series championship with the Chicago White Sox in Houston, faced the greatest hitters in the world and excelled.
He came into the game in the second inning, and retired Byron Buxton on a fly ball to right field, and then ran into trouble by giving up a double off the left-field wall to Brice Turang, and then issued back-to-back walks to Bobby Witt Jr and Bryce Harper to load the bases.
Next up, Aaron Judge, who just clobbered a home run in the first inning.
Gulp.
Contreras threw a 97-mph fastball past Judge for strike one. He missed with a 80-mph changeup. And came back with a 94.4-mph sinker that Judge hit to third baseman Leonardo Reginatto, who started an inning-ending double play.
Contreras danced to the dugout, his teammates all stood to congratulate him, and the professional scouts in the stands scribbled frantically.
Expect everything.
17-year-old high school senior Joseph Contreras gets Aaron Judge to hit into a bases-loaded double play to end the ending 😮 pic.twitter.com/R0qH0kODQr
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2026
If this kid was projected to be a second-round draft pick before the WBC, his stock just soared.
He may be committed to Vanderbilt, but after this night, well, they better come up with a whole lot more NIL money to make sure they get him.
“Can you imagine how much his stock will rise if he pitches well?’’ said FOX announcer A.J. Pierznyski, who introduced himself to Contreras, telling him that he used to catch his father.
The youngster struggled a bit in his second inning by giving up a single to Kyle Schwarber, who eventually scored on Contreras' second wild pitch of the frame, and issued a walk to Cal Raleigh, knocking him out of the game. But the impression was made.
The kid just had a memory he’ll cherish forever.
And, oh, how his high school teammates can’t wait to hear all about that magical evening deep in the heart of Texas.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 27: Tommy Troy #98 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws to first base after fielding a ground ball during the seventh inning of the spring training game against the Seattle Mariners at Peoria Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We finish off the infielders in this batch, which includes a pair of prospects listed in the recent MLB Pipeline update, the man with the coolest nickname in the system, and a veteran who has played more seasons for the D-backs than Tony Womack or Geraldo Perdomo.
Ivan Melendez (85)
We start with the nickname guy, though I can never remember: is is ‘Hispanic Titanic’ or ‘Titanic Hispanic’? Either would seem to work. Melendez reached Triple-A this year, being promoted to Reno at the start of August. His OBP and SLG there were just a couple of points different from the figures in Double-A Amarillo. Though as we should all be aware by now, both locations are very hitter-friendly. The team seems to have given up on him as a possible third-baseman: all his playing time in 2025 was at first or as a designated hitter. Mind you, as a RHB the team could use him to platoon at either position with Pavin Smith long-term.
Cristofer Torin (97)
Coincidentally, as I started on this para, Torin doubled in the game against the Cubs. The middle-infielder was ranked #15 on MLB Pipeline’s list. They like his defense but say “the ball doesn’t come off the bat loud enough”, and conclude “Torin’s lack of impact will be his biggest separator between being a regular on the dirt and a contact-heavy middle-infield option off the bench.” He got a cup of coffee at Amarillo in September, hitting in all eight games he played there. But he went homerless over his first 64 games at High-A Hillsboro, so you can see why Pipeline are skeptical. However, he is still aged only twenty, so early days yet.
Tommy Troy (98)
Also on the Pipeline list, but considerably higher at #4, is our first-round pick (#12 overall) in the 2023 draft – pictured top. He is coming off a strong 2025 campaign, with a slash of .289/.382/.451, including 15 homers, between AA and AAA. That saw him play largely at second-base, having seen more time at shortstop previously. However, last year he also got experience in center field for the first time, and didn’t embarrass himself, with one error over 168 innings there. Though if Jordan Lawlar ends up sticking there, Troy could end up being even more blocked there, than he is by Ketel Marte at second-base. But if he hits, the team will find somewhere for him to play.
Ildemaro Vargas (6)
It will be eleven years ago in May that Vargas first joined the D-backs organization, after being released by the Cardinals – with whom he spent close to seven years before that. This winter was the fourth time Ildemaro has signed as a free-agent with Arizona. That’s in addition to being bought by the team from the Twins in August 2020, and from the Pirates in June 2021. Vargas appeared 38 times for Arizona last year, and would probably have had more, save for fracturing his own foot with a foul ball in June. I would certainly not bet against him making 2026 the seventh season in which he appears for the Diamondbacks.
TAMPA — Oswaldo Cabrera has not watched the replay, and if he has any control over it, he never will.
That night in Seattle last May — when an awkward slide into home plate left him lying on the ground writhing in pain with a broken left ankle and ligament damage around it — remains “horrible” in Cabrera’s mind.
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But nearly 10 months later, hours before the first time he returned to the field for a game in his Grapefruit League debut Friday night, the Yankees utilityman wanted to remember that night for a different reason — for the teammates and coaches who visited him in the hospital later that night and the outpouring of support from fans and people back in his native Venezuela, lifting the spirits of the man who is usually the one doing that for others.
“That was one of the most beautiful things that happened that night,” Cabrera said Friday afternoon before playing four innings at shortstop and drawing a walk and scoring in his only at-bat. “They did a really nice job showing me the love, the support that I really needed in that moment. I’m so glad for having that.”
Aaron Judge, who visited the Seattle hospital along with Anthony Volpe and Aaron Boone, remembers Cabrera having a smile on his face despite the physical and mental pain he was in.
Oswaldo Cabrera throwing a ball during practice at Steinbrenner Field. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“He knew it was a rough road ahead of him, but if anybody was going to attack it head on, it’s going to be that guy,” Judge said before he left camp for the WBC.
“He’s, on what you might think is the worst day, still the best person,” added Boone.
Even for the effervescent Cabrera, though, the gruesome injury tested his psyche. There were obvious physical challenges he had to overcome in the months since — following surgery that inserted a plate and seven screws to stabilize his ankle — but that was not the hardest part of the rehab process.
“Staying positive, staying mentally strong,” he said. “Having that mentality of, ‘Keep going, that this is nothing hard, we can come back from this and this is not a big deal.’ I think that [was] a big challenge I had this offseason.”
Though Cabrera was fielding ground balls by the end of last season, he entered camp still trying to knock off some rust. The Yankees felt he had stalled out a bit and wanted to see the last bit of burst in how he was moving.
Oswaldo Cabrera #95, at bat during live batting at Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees Spring Training home in Tampa, Florida. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Over the last few weeks, though, he showed the improvement they needed to see, leading to the final box that needed to be checked off before he could play in Friday’s game: sliding.
Cabrera had been thinking about this since the night he got hurt. He had slid hundreds, if not thousands, of times before in his career without issue until that ninth inning in Seattle, when he ran home on Judge’s sacrifice fly but had to make a late pivot to avoid the throw up the line and his ankle gave out on him.
“I’m going to try to pick him up and he’s like, ‘No, no, no, no, no,’ ” Judge said. “Then I saw what was going on.”
And so began the long road that led Cabrera to a back field earlier this week, when he finally had to get over the hump and slide again.
“For me, it was just go over there, try to lose my fear — because obviously it’s a fear from the last time, but trying to not put anything on my mind to make me feel like I’m afraid to do that,” he said.
Once he did, Cabrera was cleared for takeoff, generating a wave of emotions. He described his anticipation for Friday’s exhibition like it was his MLB debut or his first World Series appearance.
“Feels like a kid living his dream,” he said with an ear-to-ear smile after the game. “Feels so good, feels amazing to be back in the field.”
It still remains to be seen whether Cabrera will be ready to start the season on time, but in his mind, there is little doubt.
“Absolutely it is [possible],” Cabrera said. “I didn’t talk about this with anybody in the organization, the coaching staff or the manager, but I’m working in a way to make the Opening Day [roster].”
Like Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, the Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars just bring the best out of one another.
On a night that began with blockbuster news, the Colorado Avalanche followed it up with an unforgettable comeback.
Hours after pulling off a stunning last-second trade to bring back Nazem Kadri just before the deadline, Colorado erased a four-goal deficit to defeat the Dallas Stars 5–4 in a shootout Friday night at American Airlines Center.
Dallas came out flying, scoring four times in the opening 22 minutes to seize full control early. But the Avalanche gradually clawed their way back, chipping away at the deficit before forcing extra time in dramatic fashion.
VALERI NICHUSHKIN TIES IT WITH 15 SECONDS LEFT IN THE THIRD!!!
With Colorado’s net empty and the extra attacker on the ice, Valeri Nichushkin buried the equalizer with just 13.2 seconds remaining in regulation, tying the game 4–4 and stunning the home crowd. The goal was Nichushkin’s 13th of the season and only his second since recording a hat trick on New Year’s Eve.
From there, the Avalanche completed the comeback in the shootout to secure the victory.
Martin Nečas led the charge offensively with a dominant four-point performance, while Nathan MacKinnon added a goal and two assists. The win pushes Colorado seven points ahead of Dallas atop the NHL standings, with the Avalanche also holding a game in hand.
Mackenzie Blackwood gave up four goals on 11 shots and was replaced by Scott Wedgewood, who shut out the Stars the rest of the way with 10 saves.
Dallas saw goals from Wyatt Johnston, Jamie Benn, Miro Heiskanen, and Justin Hrycokowian. Jake Oettinger made 25 saves.
First Period
The Avalanche earned an early power play when Oskar Back was called for holding Zakhar Bardakov. Dallas nearly flipped the momentum with a dangerous shorthanded rush, but Colorado managed to break it up before it developed into a real scoring chance.
For the third straight game, Colorado’s power play delivered. Nathan MacKinnon threaded a perfect cross-ice pass to Cale Makar, who ripped a laser top shelf past Jake Oettinger to give the Avalanche a 1–0 lead.
CALE MAKAR!!!
1-0
Third straight game with a power play goal for the Avs. Getting hot when it matters. Top shelf cheese#goavsgo@TheHockeyNews
Nearly six minutes into the period, the Avalanche found themselves shorthanded when Jack Drury was called for holding Dallas forward Nathan Bastian. The Stars took advantage of the opportunity as Miro Heiskanen fired a shot from the point that deflected off Devon Toews and past Mackenzie Blackwood, tying the game at 1–1.
Just over three minutes later, Dallas struck again. Wyatt Johnston took a pass from Heiskanen behind the net, circled into the slot, stickhandled through traffic, and snapped a wrist shot past Blackwood’s glove side to give the Stars a 2–1 lead.
The mistakes continued to pile up for Colorado soon after. A miscommunication between Blackwood and Toews proved costly when Blackwood left his crease to play the puck, lost his stick, and was caught out of position. Mavrik Bourque quickly found Hryckowian in the slot, who buried the puck into a wide-open net to extend Dallas’ lead to 3–1.
Hryckowian was sent to the penalty box moments later for high-sticking Makar, but the Avalanche were unable to capitalize despite generating several quality chances. Devon Toews nearly cut the deficit with a booming one-timer, but Oettinger came up with a strong stop to keep the Stars ahead.
Dallas took another penalty late in the period when Bourque delivered a late hit on Nic Roy, who was acquired in a trade on Thursday, along the boards with just 13.7 seconds remaining. The play was ruled interference, giving Colorado one more power-play opportunity before the intermission.
The Avalanche made it count.
With 1.9 seconds to go in the period, MacKinnon hammered a one-timer from the top of the left circle off a slick feed from Martin Necas, beating Oettinger cleanly to pull Colorado back within one. The goal marked Colorado’s second power-play tally of the period, as the Avalanche finished the frame 2-for-3 with the man advantage.
After 20 minutes, the Avalanche trailed 3–2 despite holding a slight 11–9 edge in shots on goal.
Second Period
It took less than two minutes for Dallas to score in the following period. After Josh Manson was checked into the boards by Hryckowian and lost the puck behind the net, Hryckowian found Jamie Benn in the slot and Benn toe-dragged and slid the puck by Blackwood to make it a 4-2 game. After giving up four goals on 11 shots, Blackwood was replaced in net by former Star Scott Wedgewood.
Wedgewood was met immediately with fire, and he responded with fire as he went post to post making highlight-reel saves.
But the Avs would get one back when Gabe Landeskog shook off a pair of Stars defenders to get the puck to Nathan MacKinnon, who found Nečas. He snapped a top shelf shot past Oettinger, who thought Nečas was going far side blocker but was completely fooled, making it a 4–3 game.
Stars forward Roope Hintz suffered what appeared to be a lower-body injury late in the period after getting tied up with MacKinnon and the latter chucked him down to the ice. No penalty was called on the play, but Colorado would get penalized late in the period when Manson was called for cross-checking.
Third Period
Colorado spent the first portion of the third killing off Manson's penalty, but the PK unit got the job done.
Just over five minutes into the period, the Stars were awarded another man advantage when Brett Kulak high-sticked Matt Duchene while battling for a puck behind the net.
With the Avs’ net empty, Nichushkin delivered in the clutch. Stationed in the right circle, Nichushkin snapped a wrist shot past Oettinger to even the score and send the game to overtime.
It continued a trend for the Avalanche winger, as six of his 13 goals this season have now come in the third period.
Shootout
Overtime couldn’t produce a winner, sending the contest to a shootout, where Valeri Nichushkin showed that his late third-period heroics were no accident. He scored in the shootout, joined by Martin Nečas, helping the Avalanche edge closer to victory. The shootout extended into the second round, but Jonas Wedgewood stood tall, stopping attempts from Jason Robertson and Matt Duchene to clinch the win.
The Avalanche (42–10–9) earned a key Central Division win and will return to Ball Arena on Sunday to take on the Minnesota Wild (36–16–10) led by star forward Kirill Kaprizov. Puck drop is scheduled for 12 p.m. local time.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 05: Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) skates with the puck during the first period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres on March 5, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The NHL has ruled, Evgeni Malkin will be out for the next five games on suspension due to his slash against Rasmus Dahlin.
Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin has been suspended for five games for slashing Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin. https://t.co/CJFhMVuZ9k
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) March 7, 2026
From the league:
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin has been suspended for five games, without pay, for slashing Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin during NHL Game No. 977 in Pittsburgh on Thursday, March 5, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.
The incident occurred at 0:35 of the second period. Malkin was assessed a minor penalty for cross-checking, a major penalty for slashing and a game misconduct.
Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Malkin will forfeit $158,854.15. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Malkin will be eligible to return on the March 16th game against Colorado. He will miss games against four teams in currently in a playoff position (Boston, Carolina, Vegas and Utah) as well as tomorrow’s game against Philadelphia.
In response, the Penguins have recalled forward Ville Koivunen from the AHL on an emergency basis. The Pens also acquired forward Elmer Soderblom at the NHL trading deadline. The team will miss the impact of Malkin, their second-leading scorer this season with 47 points in 46 games, especially while their leading scorer Sidney Crosby continues to rehab an injury suffered at the Olympics. Crosby practiced today and the team has been hopeful he is moving in the direction of a return, though he still figures to be a ways away from the initial four week timeline on an injury suffered just over two weeks ago.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Sydney Shaw hit five 3-pointers and finished with 19 points, Gia Cooke scored 16, and second-seeded West Virginia beat No. 10 seed Arizona State 67-54 on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament.
No. 15 West Virginia (25-6) plays Saturday in the semifinals against the winner between No. 20 Baylor, the No. 3 seed, and sixth-seeded Colorado. The Mountaineers have won 25 games in each of coach Mark Kellogg's first three seasons.
Shaw tied the program record for 3-pointers in a Big 12 Tournament game. Jordan Harrison added 10 points, five assists and three steals for West Virginia.
Marley Washenitz led Arizona State (24-10) with 14 points and Heloisa Carrera scored 10. Gabby Elliott left the game due to an apparent knee injury with 5:33 left in the third quarter but returned to start the fourth and finished with nine points — all in the first half.
Washenitz hit a 3-pointer that capped an 8-0 run to open the fourth quarter and made it 52-50 game with 8:05 left. Shaw answered 30 seconds later with a 3 before Cooke added a putback and — after a steal by Wheeler — another 3 before Shaw hit her final 3-pointer to give West Virginia a 13-point lead with 2:37 to go.
The Sun Devils went scoreless for more than six minutes in the fourth quarter before Carrera hit two free throws that made it 63-52 with 1:48 left.
Up next
West Virginia: Plays in the semifinals Saturday.
Arizona State: Awaits a likely at-large NCAA Tournament berth.
The Atlanta Braves took on the Twins in an evening spring training game today with a lineup full of players fighting for final roster spots while some of their stars battle it out in the WBC. Reynaldo López was on the mound looking to continue his success and hopefully stretch out a little bit.
Reynaldo López has looked solid so far this spring. Over 5.0 innings and two appearances, he had yet to give up a run in the spring. He had never gone over 3.0 innings though, so it was a question mark of when he was able to add some more length to his starts since he is coming off a major injury.
Well, it was mostly good news this evening on the Reynaldo López front. He was able to stretch it out for 4.0 innings in his outing this evening. He did finally give up his first run, raising his spring ERA to 1.00. He did struggle a bit outside of runs giving up four hits, and two walks, but struck out three. Another good sign is that all four of his hits given up were singles. It should also be noted that his first walk was when Josh Bell won an ABS challenge.
Reynaldo López himself did claim that he struggled to command his fastball. However, if this was a rough outing in his eyes, he likely was just trying to prove to himself that he can be better. We will take this type of outing gladly.
Reynaldo López threw four innings and 62 pitches tonight against the Twins, gave up one run, walked a pair and gave up four hits. Called it a "tough outing" in which he said he struggled to command the fastball.
Martín Pérez came in to get some work as well and looked solid by his standards for his first 2.0 innings. It makes sense that he would give it his all since there is a real chance that he may win a spot in the rotation with the Braves possibly running a 6-man rotation to start the year. He did appear to struggle in his third inning of work though, loading the bases. He was close to giving up a run, but was aided by an outfield assist on a play at home. All-in-all in his third inning of work he gave up a single, a double to old friend Orlando Arcia, a HBP, and a walk but came out it without surrendering a run. The odds of him getting out of that inning with no runs in the future is slim. His full outing was 3.0 innings surrendering zero runs on two hits, one HBP, and one walk. His first two innings were great, but his third was not.
Hayden Harris has only pitched 3.0 innings thus far this spring but got the ball tonight for the eighth inning. He did not start strong, giving up a double to the first hitter he faced. However, he seemed to calm down at least a little bit by following that up with a strikeout and a grounder to SS. He then gave up a walk though, putting runners on the corners with two outs. He was able to finish the job with a strikeout on a 91.7 MPH fastball. In case anyone is wondering, his average fastball last season was 91.9 MPH, so we are not seeing a velocity drop.
The Braves’ offense got the job done, but it was led by a lineup that only had few guys that will likely make the roster. Kyle Farmer got the start at 3B and continued his hot spring getting another hit. He is an interesting player to watch because he has been a below replacement level player the last two seasons, but has easily been one of the better players this spring with the bat. José Azocar has also made a strong case this spring as well and continued tonight by picking up a single and double to raise his spring OPS to .921.
Another player this spring that we should keep an eye on is Jonah Heim since he likely will be the backup catcher while Sean Murphy recovers. Heim has struggled this spring, but did have two hits tonight raising his average to .188 and OPS to .472.
The Braves’ offense was able to muster up four runs from their “starting” lineup before the subs came in, and that was enough to win.
The Braves will be back at North Port, Fl. tomorrow and will face the Baltimore at 1:05 ET. The Braves have not announced yet who will be on the mound, but expect to see more regulars in the lineup.
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin is set to miss some very important games.
Malkin has been suspended for five games by the NHL's Department of Player Safety for slashing Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin in the head on Thursday.
The slash came after Malkin took a couple of cross-checks from Dahlin.
This suspension comes at a brutal time for the Penguins, who are in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race and are also without captain Sidney Crosby. Crosby returned to practice on Friday, but he won't play this weekend.
Malkin has been having an outstanding season, compiling 13 goals and 47 points in 46 games.
United States' Aaron Judge (99) celebrates with Kyle Schwarber (12) after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a World Baseball Classic game against Brazil, Friday, March 6, 2026, in Houston.
Aaron Judge has officially made his mark on the world stage.
In his first career World Baseball Classic at-bat, Judge blasted a two-run homer into the left-center stands in the first inning of Team USA’s opening pool play game against Brazil on Friday.
Judge’s home run was met with a loud roar from the fans at Daikin Park in Houston.
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2026
The blast gave the U.S. a 2-0 lead early on, as Brazil’s starting pitcher Bo Takahashi struggled in the first inning.
Brazil did answer back with a leadoff home run by outfielder Lucas Ramirez off USA starter Logan Webb.
This year is Judge’s first appearance in the WBC, having skipped out on 2023’s tournament and being a rookie in MLB back in 2017.
Despite it being his first go-around, Judge was named captain of the U.S. team upon agreeing to participate in this year’s tournament in April 2025.
United States’ Aaron Judge runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a World Baseball Classic game against Brazil, Friday, March 6, 2026, in Houston. AP
During an appearance on “The Show with Joel Sherman & Jon Heyman” in February, USA manager Mark DeRosa detailed how he failed to bring Judge on in 2013, and what the process was like bringing the three-time American League MVP on for this time around.
DeRosa said he got wind that Judge wanted to play for Team USA from legendary Yankees southpaw Andy Pettitte, and decided to go from there.
“I just said, ‘Hey Aaron, I’m not going to bug you throughout the year. … I talked to Andy Pettitte, I’d love for you to be obviously the captain of Team USA and kind of start with you and filter everything around you as the pillar of this thing,’” DeRosa said was his pitch to Judge.
United States’ Aaron Judge (99) celebrates with Kyle Schwarber (12) after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a World Baseball Classic game against Brazil, Friday, March 6, 2026, in Houston. AP
“He called me back within 48 hours and was like, ‘I’m in, I want to do it.’ … I started it in April, I just started slow-playing and trying to make pitches,” he added. “I was building a Dream Team at night in my apartment on paper. Trying to make lineups out and pitching staffs.
“I was just slowly cold-calling people and seeing where their heads were at.”
Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge made his World Baseball Classic debut on Friday for Team USA and punctuated the occasion with a two-run blast.
After Bobby Witt Jr. led off with a single and Bryce Harper struck out, Judge came up against Brazil starter Bo Takahashi.
Judge got ahead in the count, 3-0, when Takahashi hung a 80 mph sweeper over the heart of the plate. The two-time reigning AL MVP got the green light and deposited the pitch 405 feet into the crowd in Houston.
Despite their best efforts, the Senators were quiet on NHL Trade Deadline Day, but shortly after the deadline passed, the Sens did announce an interesting minor-league deal.
The Senators swapped forwards with the Washington Capitals, acquiring Graeme Clarke, a player with strong local ties. Clarke grew up in Ottawa and spent three seasons in the OHL with the Ottawa 67’s before turning pro.
In return, the Senators are sending the Capitals Wyatt Bongiovanni, Belleville's leading goal scorer last season.
Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the third round (80th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft, Clarke appeared in three NHL games with the Devils, and his AHL career has taken him to Hershey, Binghamton, Utica, and Iowa.
He was part of those outstanding 67s teams whose Memorial Cup potential was derailed by the COVID shutdown, and represented Canada at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scoring three points in five games en route to a gold medal.
Clarke's younger brother, Brandt, is a defenseman with the LA Kings, and it was Brandt's emergence last season that made Jordan Spence expendable in LA. Clarke's sister, MacKenzie, plays defense for the St. Lawrence University women’s team.
According to his new team, he may make his Belleville debut on Saturday night, when the Sens host the Comets at CAA Arena.
Clippers center Yanic Konan Niederhauser writhes on the floor after he was injured during a win against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday at Intuit Dome. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)
The 7-foot Swiss center was injured Wednesday night in a 130-107 win against the Indiana Pacers. Niederhauser was diagnosed with a Lisfranc injury in his right foot and will require surgery, the team said. The injury involves damage to the ligaments or bones in the middle of the foot.
Niederhauser averaged 4.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 41 games. After being selected 30th in last year's NBA draft, he began the season in the G League, but after the Clippers traded Ivica Zubac last month, he was earning more minutes.
In his last five games, Niederhauser was shooting 52% from the field and averaging 8.2 points and 6.2 rebounds while playing 18 minutes a game.
The 3rd annual MLB Spring Breakout showcases the top prospects in baseball, including the San Diego Padres top players in their minor league system. Ninety-one of the top 100 prospects have been named to be included in the rosters for the 16 games that will be played between March 19-22.
This will be the last year that the present format will be in place. Beginning next season, and including 2028, the format will change to a single-elimination style tournament with two teams crowned champions. The Cactus League will have a champion from their 15 teams and the Grapefruit League will have a champion from their 15 teams. The new format doesn’t begin this year in order to not compete with the WBC.
The top 100 prospects in MLB include No. 4 Leo DeVries, traded by the Padres to the Athletics in exchange for Mason Miller and JP Sears. The A’s also received ranked prospects Braden Nett, Henry Baez and Eduarniel Nuñez, all of whom are currently on the A’s roster for the game.
MLB No. 1 prospect, SS Konnor Griffin, and No. 2 prospect, SS Kevin McGonigle, will play against each other when the Pittsburgh Pirates (Griffin) match up with the Detroit Tigers (McGonigle) on March 20 at 4:35 p.m. PT on MLB Network.
The No. 3 MLB prospect, SS/2B Jesus Made, will play for the Milwaukee Brewers against the No. 4 prospect, SS Leo DeVries for the A’s on March 22 at 1:05 p.m. PT on MLB Network. Eight of the 16 games will be broadcast live on MLBN while the other games are carried on their respective team networks or on MLB.TV.
San Diego Padres
The Friars play their breakout game on March 21 versus the Chicago Cubs in Mesa, Ariz. at 6:05 p.m. PT on Padres.TV and broadcast on 97.3 FM The Fan, their flagship radio station. MLB.com released its new top 30 prospects for the Padres this past week. Lefty starting pitcher Kruz Schoolcraft is now ranked as the top prospect in the system. Although he has only pitched 1.2 innings of professional baseball, Schoolcraft has huge upside and is being ranked solely on that assessment.
Catcher Ethan Salas, the No. 2 Padres prospect, is still admired for his defensive attributes but is no longer considered a balanced player with his offense not showing well in his limited time above low-A ball. After missing most of the past season, Salas will have to prove himself as a hitter to regain his position as a top prospect in MLB.
The rosters for the teams are including the full top 30 prospects for each team and additional players added per the organization’s desire to have the largest pool of players to choose from. On March 18, the rosters will be trimmed to 23-27 players per team and that will be the final roster for the games.
The Padres have all 30 of their top prospects as well as players recently brought over from the Dominican Summer League to begin their training on US soil and be assigned to a US team. International players to note include SS/2B Jhoan De La Cruz, who helped lead his DSL team to the championship last season. Taiwanese righty Lan-Hong Su and RHP Jeferson Villabona were added from the international ranks. SS Dylan Grego, who was drafted in 2025 and both of the newly drafted catchers, Ty Harvey and Truitt Madonna, are on the original list.
The Cubs top rated prospect, MLB No. 55 catcher Moises Ballesteros, headlines their roster and RHP Jaxon Wiggins, the No. 58 MLB prospect, will likely start the game for the Cubs. The Padres have multiple pitchers who could start but Schoolcraft is the only one ranked on MLB Pipeline and he sits at No. 88.
There will be an updated Padres roster and a game preview after the final rosters are announced.
RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico (AP) — Chandler Blanchet did more than make his first cut of the year on the PGA Tour. His 5-under 67 on Friday gave him a four-shot lead in the Puerto Rico Open with a pair of teenager and John Daly's son around for the weekend.
Blanchet made birdies on all the par 5s at Grand Reserve and matched the tournament record for largest lead through 36 holes.
Gordon Sargent, one shot off the lead when the day began, shot 70 to fall four back.
Blanchet was at 13-under 131.
“The first part of the season, it’s been difficult, for sure,” Blanchet said. “It’s no fun practicing on Saturday and Sunday and not playing and waiting five days. So will be very happy to play some golf on a Saturday and Sunday this weekend.”
Blades Brown, the 18-year-old who turned pro before graduating high school in January, gets another crack at becoming the youngest PGA Tour winner in 95 years. Brown shot 67 and was tied for third, hoping to build off the experience of playing in the final group with Scottie Scheffler at The American Express last month.
Brown was at 8-under 136 along with Ricky Castillo (68), Jesper Svensson of Sweden (69) and Jeremy Paul of Germany (67).
“Yeah, we're halfway there,” Brown said. “A lot can happen in two days, so I’m excited for the weekend.”
Daly played bogey-free and was six shots out of the lead in a tie for seventh. The Arkansas alum is making his PGA Tour debut.
His father, the two-time major champion, played the Puerto Rico Open six times, making the cut four times with his best finish at tie for 10th in 2015, when his son was 11.
“It’s awesome. This place has always been one of my favorites to come watch my dad play back in the day, so it’s pretty cool to make it to the weekend,” Daly said.
Brown wasn't the only teenager to make the weekend. Miles Russell, the 17-year-old who already has committed to play at Florida State, make his first cut in his fifth PGA Tour start by making birdie from the bunker on his final hole at the par-5 ninth.
The winner gets a spot in The Players Championship next week and the PGA Championship, but not the Masters because it is held opposite the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
John Daly authored one of the more amazing wins when he was the ninth alternate for the 1991 PGA Championship, got in when Nick Price withdrew, and then overwhelmed Crooked Stick with his power to win.
Could another surprise be in the works with his son?
“Honestly, go out there and try to go a low as I can,” Daly said. “I got nothing to lose, so just go out there and have fun and just keep doing what I’m doing.”
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 1: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a warm up toss prior to a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Camelback Ranch on March 1, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers play their first night game of the spring as they host the Kansas City Royals at Camelback Ranch. Ryder Ryan makes his second start against right-hander Mitch Spence.
