Today the Texas Rangers head on over to Goodyear, AZ, which is the spring home of the Cleveland Guardians.
RHP Nathan Eovaldi is set to make his second start of the spring for Texas opposite RHP Slade Cecconi for Cleveland.
I don’t believe there’s a broadcast for this one again so you’ll have to follow along on Gameday. First pitch from Goodyear Ballpark is scheduled for 2:05 pm CT.
Go Rangers!
Following a breakout summer across formats, South Australian all-rounder Liam Scott is pressing his case for national selection as pressure mounts on the out-of-form Cameron Green.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — James Harden is questionable for Cleveland's game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night because of a right thumb injury.
The Cavaliers guard was injured during Tuesday night's 109-94 win over the New York Knicks. Harden was examined by the Cavaliers medical staff after the game and X-rays on Wednesday showed a non-displaced fracture of the distal phalanx.
Harden will undergo treatment and evaluation. The 17-year veteran was traded by the Los Angeles Clippers to Cleveland on Feb. 4, and is averaging 18.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and eight assists in his seven games with the Cavaliers.
Cleveland (37-22) has won eight of its last nine games and is tied for third place in the Eastern Conference.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
The Dodgers look to remain undefeated this spring, as they are on the road take on the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.
Roki Sasaki makes his spring debut against right-hander Zac Gallen.
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James Harden came out of Monday night's Cavaliers win over the Knicks, scoring 20 and looking like a guy who is thriving in a simplified role in Cleveland.
He also came out of it with a fractured right thumb that leaves him questionable for Wednesday night's Cavaliers game against the Bucks, the team announced.
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) February 25, 2026
This is a non-displaced fracture on his off hand. While certainly not ideal and would impact his handles, this is also not an injury expected to keep him out for an extended time.
The Cavaliers have already said Donovan Mitchell (groin strain) and Evan Mobley (calf injury management) are out Wednesday night in Milwaukee. With the Cavaliers playing on the second night of a back-to-back and Detroit looming on Friday, this is the smart move by the Cavaliers (who are playing the injury game to avoid Adam Silver's wrath and a fine).
The Cavaliers are 6-1 since Harden started suiting up for them, and he is averaging 18.9 points and eight assists a game. The Cavaliers' offense is thriving (third-best in the league) during that stretch, and the win against the Knicks was a sign that this team needs to be taken seriously as a threat to come out of the East. There is a real optimism in Cleveland right now.
This injury should not change that.
No TV or Radio today, so discuss statcast/GameDay/hope one of our community members is on site.
here is the lineup:
CF Steven Kwan
RF Chase DeLauter
3B Jose Ramirez
C Bo Naylor
SS Gabriel Arias
LF Daniel Schneemann
2B Brayan Rocchio
DH David Fry
1B CJ Kayfus
P Slade Cecconi
It's never easy for an NHL team when one of its best players goes down. The Pittsburgh Penguins have dealt with this for much of the 2025-26 season, with Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson all missing time.
Despite that adversity, they have continued to climb the standings and bank the points needed for a legitimate playoff push.
However, it's an entirely different animal when your best player is set to miss some time. And that's exactly what the Penguins are facing.
On Wednesday, it was revealed that captain Sidney Crosby will miss the next four weeks with a lower-body injury that he sustained during the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina. While the nature of Crosby's injury wasn't specified, the timeline was, putting the Penguins in a difficult spot.
Right now, they sit eight points back of the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes with a game in hand and three games against them in March. They have a guantlet of a March schedule that includes 17 games in 31 days, and 14 of those games are against teams currently in playoff position.
They have played teams above them in the standings pretty well this season, but it won't be quite as easy without Sid. The players know this, but they are ready for the challenges that come with it.
"Anytime anybody goes out of the lineup, I think everybody's kind of got to ramp up their game a little bit," Bryan Rust said. "Guys are going to have opportunities to play in positions that, otherwise, they may not have been able to play in. Obviously, yeah, he might be a little bit harder to replace than others, but I think that just means the rest of us have to step up that much more."
Penguins Provide Bad Sidney Crosby Injury UpdateThe Penguins have provided the latest on Sidney Crosby.He added: "Once you get the official word, I think it's kind of like a moment where we all have got to think about ourselves and be like, 'Okay, let's pick it up here, there's a lot of hockey over this next little while. We've got to win as many games and get as many points as possible."
As Rust said, there are several guys who will be playing different roles without Crosby in the fold, and that's especially true down the middle. The Penguins did recall winger Avery Hayes - who had six goals and seven points in his last five AHL games, including two hat tricks, since he made his NHL debut and scored two in a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 5 - to help offset some of the scoring lost from Crosby's exit.
But Rickard Rakell will begin as the team's first-line center, which is a role he hasn't played much in a long time at the NHL level until sporadic deployments there this season. Tommy Novak will continue to center Egor Chinakhov and Evgeni Malkin, and Ben Kindel will resume his third-line center duties for now.
Penguins Recall Avery Hayes From AHLThe Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Avery Hayes from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.All that said, they are aware they will have to play a bigger role, and that includes the 18-year-old Kindel, who has six goals and seven points in his last six games and is already used to the prospect of being elevated to a bigger role within an NHL lineup.
"I think, just collectively as a group, everybody's going to have to step up a little bit and chip in just a little bit more," Kindel said. "But, I'm ready for any extra that I need to do to help the team win, and I'll always be ready for that no matter what the situation is.
"None of us are pleased to see our leader, our captain, and our best player go out like that. But, at the end of the day, there's nothing we can do about it now, and we're just going to have to step up, play as a team, and try and bank some points here down an important stretch."
Penguins' Notebook: Players Talk 'Next Man Up' Mentality, Return To PlayThe past few days at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa. have been busy for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>, even without four of their regular players.
Kindel believes this team is capable of carrying on and pushing for the playoffs without Crosby in the fold, especially since they have dealt with those other major injuries for sustained periods of time this season and still managed to keep winning hockey games.
And that resilience, he said, speaks to culture in the locker room that begins with 87 but trickles down to the rest of the group as a collective.
"There has been major pieces of our group that have been out at different times during the year, and I think we've just stuck to it no matter what that situation was," Kindel said. "And I think that's just a testament to the culture of our team and just the group that we have in here.
"On any given night, anybody can step up, and it's been great for our team this year."
'I Think He Knows He's That Face': Crosby's Inspiration To Canadian Teammates No Surprise To Penguins' PlayersPittsburgh Penguins' injured captain Sidney Crosby delivered a powerful message to his Canadian teammates during Wednesday's quarterfinal matchup versus Czechia - which comes as no surprise to his teammates in Pittsburgh.Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
The Royals take on their biggest rivals in baseball today – the Seattle Mariners. Noah Cameron makes his Cactus League debut. Does he actually have to “win” a rotation spot?
Kameron Misner is in the lineup – he’s been up five times this spring and has yet to put the ball in play with two walks and three strikeouts.
Bryan Woo goes for the Mariners. Not a lot of regulars in the Mariners lineup today.
You can listen to the game in Kansas City on 1660 AM.
After the firing of Joey and Jesse Buss, the Lakers found themselves with very few scouts left in their front office. They’ve begun to bolster that department by announcing on Wednesday that Tony Bennett would be joining the Lakers as an NBA Draft advisor.
He’ll be working with the President of Basketball Operations, Rob Pelinka, as they continue to retool their scouting department.
Bennett has 18 years of collegiate coaching experience. He was the head coach at Virginia for 15 years, from 2009 to 2024, and the coach of Washington State for three years from 2006 to 2009. Bennett is a three-time recipient of the national coach of the year award, winning in 2007, 2015, and 2018. Virginia won the national championship in 2019 under Bennett’s leadership.
Given his decade-plus time as a college coach, he is precisely the kind of person a franchise would want discussing which players have what it takes to perform at the next level, working with Pelinka to help build the culture in Los Angeles.
In a press release, Pelinka expressed his enthusiasm about Bennett joining the Lakers organization.
“We’re thrilled and honored to welcome Tony as an advisor to the Lakers basketball operations department,” Pelinka said. “As we refine and build out our NBA draft and scouting processes, we could think of no better basketball mind than Tony Bennett to have as a resource. Tony’s track record of forming culture, with high-character, high-skill and high-IQ players is revered and respected across all basketball circles. Tony will be an incredible asset to our basketball leadership, to our scouts and to our draft department as a whole. We are truly excited.”
Bennett also spoke about joining the Lakers in the press release.
“When Rob and I began talking, what stood out to me was the chance to help out such a storied organization,” Bennett said. “The Lakers carry a tradition that speaks for itself, so to be connected to it and assist Rob and the Lakers in any way I can is exciting.”
The Lakers have a 2026 first round draft pick, so Bennett’s first big task will be to find a quality player for the Lakers to select at that spot.
Now that Mark Walter is officially the majority owner, the Lakers have been making plenty of new hires.
Lon Rosen has been named the new President of Business Operations as the franchise moved on from Tim Harris, who is leaving after 35 years with the team.
The Lakers will undoubtedly add many more new faces as the franchise continues its transition into a new era.
For now, they’ve begun to address their need for improved scouting by adding Bennett to this position, and that’s a step in the right direction for the purple and gold.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
NORTH PORT, Fla. (AP) — National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes lost four strikes to challenges in his first spring training start.
Skenes struck out four and walked four over 2 1/3 innings for Pittsburgh on Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves, who were 4 for 4 against the right-hander on challenges to get called strikes overturned to balls — one of them by the slimmest of margins.
The 53-pitch outing is expected to be the only one Skenes has for Pittsburgh before he joins the U.S. for the World Baseball Classic. He allowed one hit and one run while facing 12 batters. He is going into his third season with the Pirates.
“Winning gold is the biggest thing,” said Skenes, who was then asked if U.S. success in the just-completed Winter Olympics provides more motivation. “Yeah, men’s hockey, women’s hockey, all the other golds that we won in the Olympics. We’re America, we’ve got to assert our dominance over everybody else. That’s what we do. ... It's going to be fun.”
Skenes threw 27 pitches for strikes against the Braves, along with four other pitches initially called strikes by home plate umpire Chris Segal that Braves hitters challenged through the automated ball-strike system — the so-called robot umpires.
“Today, that’s how it is. I’ve just got to adjust," Skenes said. “I think it will even out over the course of the season, but ask me in June.”
Three of those challenges came on consecutive batters in the first inning.
Matt Olson challenged an 82.3 mph curveball that was called a strike, and had a smile on his face as replay showed indeed that the 1-1 pitch was only about one-tenth of an inch off the plate. He went on to draw a walk.
“When the season gets rolling, that’s probably not the pitch that you’re going to be challenging, but you’ve got to feel it out a bit,” Olson said. “I figured, whatever. It was a backdoor sweeper that I felt kind of held up a little bit.”
Jurickson Profar then challenged a 98.3 mph fastball for a strike on the first pitch he faced, and it was overturned to a 1-0 count before he also walked. Austin Riley sought a replay when a 99 mph pitch on an 0-2 count was called a strike, but was above the zone, though on the next pitch he struck out swinging on a 98.5 mph fastball just below that.
In the Braves second, Ronald Acuña asked for a review and got a ball on a 97.6 mph fastball off the plate that had been called a strike.
While the overturned strike thrown to Riley was the fastest of the day by Skenes, his fastball was consistently in the upper-90s throughout his outing.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Yesterday, the Brewers finally picked up their first Cactus League win behind Tyler Black’s six (!!) RBIs. They’ll be looking to make it two straight in today’s matchup with the San Francisco Giants, who haven’t lost a game yet this spring.
Carlos Rodriguez, who appeared in four games last year, will be on the mound to start. The only other probable pitcher listed for today’s game is Peter Strzelecki, who pitched in 66 games for the Brewers between 2022 and 2023. He’s back on a minor league deal with a big league spring invite. Starting for the Giants is another familiar face, former Brewer Adrian Houser.
Today’s lineup consists entirely of players who project to play a role for the big league squad this season, although it’s probably not a lineup Milwaukee will ever roll out in the regular season (maybe on a getaway day?). Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras make up the top of the lineup. Hitting cleanup today is Jake Bauers, who’s recorded a hit in each of his two at-bats this spring. Andrew Vaughn is in the five-spot followed by the newly signed Luis Rengifo, who starts at third. Garrett Mitchell will hit seventh in his first Cactus League appearance. Rounding out the bottom of the order are Joey Ortiz and Brandon Lockridge, who’s already hit two home runs in seven at-bats.
Notable names in San Francisco’s lineup include Jung Hoo Lee, Harrison Bader, Bryce Eldridge, and former Brewer Eric Haase (hitting cleanup!). First pitch is slated for 2:10 p.m. CT and this one will be broadcast on 620 WTMJ and the Brewers Radio Network.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former Virginia coach Tony Bennett, a two-time national coach of the year, joined the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday as NBA draft adviser to president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka.
Bennett was Virginia's coach from 2009-24 and guided the Cavaliers to the 2019 national championship. Bennett compiled a 364-136 record at Virginia.
“As we refine and build out our NBA draft and scouting processes, we could think of no better basketball mind than Tony Bennett to have as a resource," Pelinka said in a statement.
"Tony’s track record of forming culture, with high-character, high-skill and high-IQ players is revered and respected across all basketball circles. Tony will be an incredible asset to our basketball leadership, to our scouts and to our draft department as a whole. We are truly excited.”
Bennett is Virginia's career leader in wins.
Virginia honored Bennett in a ceremony before Saturday's 86-83 win over Miami, naming the court at John Paul Jones Arena after him. With a group of his former players by his side, Bennett watched as his signature was unveiled on the court.
Bennett was the AP national coach of the year in 2007 and 2018. He led Virginia to six ACC regular-season championships. He coached at Washington State from 2006-09.
“When Rob and I began talking, what stood out to me was the chance to help out such a storied organization,” Bennett said in a statement. “The Lakers carry a tradition that speaks for itself, so to be connected to it and assist Rob and the Lakers in any way I can is exciting.”
Bennett played under his father, Dick Bennett, at Wisconsin-Green Bay before playing four years in the NBA, including three for Charlotte, from 1992-95.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
It is no secret that the Detroit Red Wings have been searching for help on the back end. Detroit was reportedly in the mix for both Quinn Hughes and Rasmus Andersson, but neither pursuit resulted in a deal.
Now, new reports suggest the Red Wings have shifted their focus to another high-profile defenseman, this time targeting MacKenzie Weegar of the Calgary Flames.
Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman has made it clear he prefers players with term remaining on their contracts rather than short-term rentals. Weegar fits that mold. The 32-year-old Ottawa native has five years remaining on his deal after this season with a $6.25 million annual cap hit.
While that contract represents a significant commitment, Detroit appears better positioned than most to absorb it. The Red Wings have just under $13 million in cap space, and with the NHL salary cap projected to rise in coming seasons, the long-term financial outlook could make Weegar’s deal more manageable over time.
Speaking on the Barn Burner podcast, TSN insider Darren Dreger confirmed Detroit is one of the few teams capable of pulling off such a move.
Darren Dreger: Re Mackenzie Weegar: The other team...is the Red Wings; that's what it's gonna take, is a team like that, who isn't interested in the rental market...and have whatever the pieces are that are going to coerce...the Flames to make that trade - Barn Burner (2/20)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) February 24, 2026
“The other team is the Red Wings, that’s what it’s gonna take, is a team like that, who isn’t interested in the rental market and have whatever the pieces are that are going to coerce the Flames to make that trade,” Dreger said.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
Weegar over the last two seasons has emerged as a widely regarded top 25 defensemen in the league. During his peak seasons, he has produced between 35 and 50 points while posting elite defensive metrics, including a plus-40 rating that ranked ninth best in the NHL during the 2021-22 season.
This season has been more difficult as Calgary endures a challenging year, Weegar’s numbers have dipped. He is projected to fall just short of the 30-point mark and carries a minus-32 rating, one of the lowest in the league. A change of scenery could benefit both player and team.
Weegar primarily plays on the right side but has experience on the left, a versatility that would add valuable depth to Detroit’s blue line. For a Red Wings team looking to take the next step, adding a proven, minutes-eating defenseman with term could be the type of bold move that accelerates their rebuild and strengthens their playoff push.
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The Los Angeles Kings had played 56 games before the NHL entered its Olympic break, leaving them with 26 games left in the regular season. 15 of the 26 games will be played at home, where the Kings have a below-average record.500 record (8-11-7) and are giving up more goals (72) than they are scoring (63) against their opponents. Meanwhile, they are just .500 away from Crypto.com Arena with a 15-8-7 record and have scored more goals (79) than their own arena.
Of course, fighting for a playoff spot with no spot guaranteed is a tough task, considering the hectic schedule, including a back-to-back tonight against the top two teams in their division, the Vegas Golden Knights and the Edmonton Oilers.
13 of the 26 games will be against teams currently in playoff position or right in the mix to make the playoffs, and their first nine games back from the break will be against teams above .500 and in the mix to make the playoffs.
Now, the other half of the 13 teams will be those currently out of the playoff hunt but still fighting to get back in the mix. That's not necessarily good news, because all those teams, like the Kings, will be fighting for urgency themselves, but at least Los Angeles can make up for any losses they suffer against teams below .500.
The Kings are currently in fifth place in the Pacific Division, four points behind the Oilers for the second seed, who are in a slump, having lost three straight and five of their last eight games. Seattle and Anaheim are both one point behind Edmonton for that second seed and can overtake the Oilers, especially with the Kraken and the Ducks playing solid before the break.
2 Kings Who Must Show Up For LA's Final StretchThe Los Angeles Kings will look for these two players to finish the season strong as LA fights to stay in the playoff race after the Olympic break. Now, the Kings have already defeated the Oilers this season, most recently on Dec. 10, when they won 4-3 in a shootout, and will play them two more times before the season ends, including tomorrow night after tonight's game against Vegas.
Just like last season, Vegas is in pole position to lock up the one seed in the division, right now holding a four-point lead over the Oilers with 68 points, but did end the first half playing poorly, losing six of their last eight games, primarily due to Jack Eichel and Noah Hanific being out, who will also miss tonights game against the Kings, something Los Angeles needs to take advantage of and win this game against a banged up Vegas team.
Now, they've already lost to the Golden Knights twice this season, but tonight will be the final game between the two. A win will split the season series 2-2 and could help Los Angeles in the tiebreaker if Vegas continues to slide.
The only concern for Los Angeles right now is health and consistency as their schedule continues to heat up. Losing Kevin Fiala for most likely the entire season is certainly a blow, but the good news is that Los Angeles acquired Artemi Panarin, who will make his debut tonight for the Kings and will instantly become a game-changer for Los Angeles, looking to make noise down the stretch.
The Kings have been a very mediocre team this season. On one hand, they look like a playoff team, and on other nights, they look like a team that doesn't belong in the playoffs. The home record is concerning, and the Kings will need to fix it starting tonight if they want a chance to play in April.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
As expected, the Golden State Warriors will be without De’Anthony Melton in Wednesday night’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. While Melton will be sitting out the second half of the Dubs back-to-back, Al Horford (who missed Tuesday’s game) will be returning to the rotation. Draymond Green is questionable. Obviously the Warriors are already missing Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porzingis, and Seth Curry as well.
The Dubs will face a Grizzlies team that is among many NBA squads engaged in an embarrassing tanking operation. Despite trading core pieces like Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the last year, Memphis is still holding out Ja Morant, Zach Edey, Santi Aldama, Cedric Coward, Brandon Clarke, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will all be out (some with legitimate injuries to be fair). Former Warriors forward Kyle Anderson is also listed as questionable.
The Warriors hopes of escaping the Play-In Tournament have largely been dashed by Butler and Curry’s injuries, however, the collective tanking throughout the league has also lessened the pressure on Golden State from behind them in the standings. Nevertheless, the Dubs do have a fairly easy schedule over the final months of the season and could make a run at the 6th or 7th seed with a particularly strong stretch.