The Houston Rockets are riding the struggle bus, and Vernon Maxwell has pinpointed that the problem is Kevin Durant’s alleged burner account.
The Rockets legend, who won back-to-back NBA titles with Houston in 1994 and 1995, said on the “All The Smoke Podcast” with Matt Barnes that Durant’s alleged burner account, where he purportedly was talking about his teammates behind their backs, has killed the team’s chemistry.
“Like I said last year, all we need was KD,” said Maxwell, who once thought Durant was the missing piece to the championship puzzle. “We got KD, a guy to roll the ball out to get you a bucket.
“But now everybody [is] standing around watching KD.”
Kevin Durant acknowledged previously that he uses burner accounts. NBAE via Getty Images
The alleged Durant drama stems from X account @gethigher77, which claimed the future Hall of Famer was calling out his teammates, with accompanying screenshots.
“They said some s–t about some secret page KD did and talked about some of the players on the team, and it’s f–king split the goddamn guys up and guys don’t like to high five each other no more,” Maxwell said.
Whether the team’s chemistry is off is unknown, as no Rocket teammates have publicly called Durant out for the alleged burner account.
But Maxwell claims its evident.
Durant, 37, has a history of using burner accounts, which he acknowledged in 2023.
“No motherf–kers want to bump chest no more with each other,” Maxwell continued. “Everybody just split up the whole f–king team. So, I don’t know man. It’s a lot of s–t going on out there in Houston.”
Vernon Maxwell talks about Kevin Durant hurting the chemistry in Houston. All The Smoke Podcast
The Rockets enter Wednesday’s clash with the Lakers at 41-26 and in fourth place in the Western Conference, though they are just 8-7 in their last 15 games and 4-5 in their last nine.
Houston did lose center Steven Adams for the season, though, hurting their frontcourt depth dramatically, and guard Fred VanVleet is sidelined with an ACL tear.
MILWAUKEE, WI - SEPTEMBER 28: Brady Singer #51 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches during the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Sunday, September 28, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Kylie Bridenhagen/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds are in the middle of making their final roster decisions in the run-up to Opening Day, so it’s little surprise they’ve packed this portion of their spring schedule with as many games as possible.
That includes Tuesday, which will see Cincinnati send Chase Burns & Co. on the road to Tempe to take on the Los Angeles Angels while also playing host to the Colorado Rockies at home in Goodyear. Brady Singer will start for that Goodyear club as many of the team’s veterans got to stay at home for the day, while Burns will be backed by the likes of Will Benson, Noelvi Marte, Sal Stewart, and both JJ Bleday and Rece Hinds – the latter two being locked in a battle for one of the final spots on the roster.
Nate Lowe, who has also continued to impress while looking to fight his way onto the Opening Day roster, is in the lineup with the crew playing at Goodyear.
The good news is that you’ll be able to watch some of this. The bad news is that only the game against the Rockies in Goodyear is televised (via Reds.TV), while the Burns game in Tempe is radio only.
Singer will fire the first pitch in Goodyear at 4:05 PM ET, while Benson will lead off against the Angels with a first pitch set for 4:10 PM ET.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 10: Quentin Grimes #5 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots a three-pointer during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 10, 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 Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s probably logical to assume that at least entering the 2025-26 season, Quentin Grimes was just playing out his contract and his days as a Sixer were numbered. After all, Grimes and the Sixers were at odds all summer and the two sides seemingly never got close on a long-term deal. In the end, Grimes ended his time as a restricted free agent by accepting a one-year qualifying offer to return to Philadelphia, something that did not happen until training camp had already opened for the current season.
The optics of the situation didn’t exactly lead anyone to believe that Grimes and the Sixers were going to continue their partnership beyond the summer of 2026. After all, when you negotiate for a while and reach an impasse and a restricted free agent finally decides to accept a qualifying offer, said free agent is probably just looking for the stalemate to end and become an unrestricted free agent the following offseason. However, in selecting VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia spent the third overall pick on a guard last offseason and the thought entering the season was that Jared McCain would work his way back into the rotation.
Given Tyrese Maxey was locked up on a max contract, it seemed obvious that Grimes would be the odd-man out in the backcourt and eventually move on in the summer of 2026 when the market for him would seemingly be bigger as an unrestricted free agent. Well, it should come as no surprise to anyone that things did not go according to plan in Philly’s backcourt, because when does anything go according to planned for this franchise?
McCain spent the first 3-4 months getting back up to game speed and even got sent down to the G League in January. In February, McCain was traded to Oklahoma City and now in March, Maxey is dealing with a finger injury and is sidelined for an extended period of time. That leaves Grimes playing a lot of minutes in a Sixers uniform for the second season in a row.
Last season, Philly simply needed bodies as the Sixers dealt with a ton of injuries and prying Grimes out of a toxic environment in Dallas seemed to be a dice roll worth taking. Of course, Edgecombe was still in college at this time one year ago. When Grimes seemed to hit it off as a Sixer, debates ensued about the credibility of his production and how much it could be trusted to carry over given how barren the rotation got down the stretch. Someone had to put the ball in the hoop, and it happened to be Grimes more than almost anyone else wearing a Sixers uniform.
It was this very production from Grimes that likely led to such a rift between the player and the organization in contract talks last summer. Now, here we are again, and Grimes is gobbling up minutes for the Sixers and putting up some decent offensive numbers. It remains to be seen if the Sixers can even get out of the play-in tournament, but we should get a look at what Grimes can do for the franchise in postseason games of some kind next month which should only help the front office evaluate his worth moving forward.
An interesting wrinkle in all of this is that a lot of Grimes’ recent offensive production has been inside the arc. He’s showcasing more of an ability to drive to the basket and finish around the rim as his shooting numbers are down significantly in the month of March. That’s certainly some newer information for everyone to consider as Grimes could be in the process of proving he can be more than a spot-up shooter when necessary.
With McCain no longer with the organization, might the Sixers be more motivated to strike a deal with Grimes? Having said that, Grimes turns 26 in the beginning of May. He knows now’s his time to get the big payday and the gap between Grimes and the Sixers in last year’s negotiations certainly indicates that too. It’s also worth noting the team has his Bird rights, making it so he could theoretically get his most lucrative deal in Philly, barring a sign-and-trade. Grimes certainly looks like a player that can be a solid sixth man and, in this day and age of the NBA, you better expect your sixth man to start a lot of games too.
Grimes has shown he can do both having started 25 of the 28 games he appeared in with the Sixers last season, but only making 16 starts so far this season. Ultimately, my two cents says we’re no closer to figuring out how long Grimes remains a Sixer than we were last summer. There’s a good chance the extended playing time Grimes is getting only empowers him further to dig in on his contract demands from the 2025 offseason. But maybe Grimes plays a key role for the Sixers in the postseason this year and the two sides realize they’re better off with each other moving forward.
It’s like that relationship that ebbs and flows and comes and goes. Sometimes the guy and the girl are both into each other, other times they hate each other and through it all, they’re never really sure if they’re dating or just screwing around and seeing what happens. Well, something’s going to happen in a little over three months with Grimes and the Sixers. We’ll see if one side says thanks for the memories or if they decide that some more time together is what they want.
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Wednesday was a productive day for the elder statesman and the young kid in the Phillies’ starting pitching rotation.
Zack Wheeler took another step in his comeback from surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome as he threw the equivalent of two innings against hitters.
“I felt good, my arm felt good,” Wheeler said after the workout. “We’re going in the right direction.”
It’s not clear whether Wheeler will throw to hitters in a controlled setting one more time or pitch in a minor-league game next week, but he’s getting closer to ramping up the intensity of his buildup.
The Phillies have been careful not to speak of a timetable for when Wheeler will be ready to pitch in regular-season action. Pitchers generally need a month of exhibition game action to build their pitch count before the season. If Wheeler is indeed close to pitching in a minor-league game, he could be ready in a month or maybe a little more – provided there are no setbacks. One thing is certain: The Phillies will not rush him.
While the 35-year-old Wheeler was clearing another hurdle in Clearwater, 22-year-old rookie Andrew Painter was in North Port firing four shutout innings against an Atlanta Braves lineup that included regulars Austin Riley, Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris III.
“Against a regular lineup, he commanded the baseball better than he has all spring,” manager Rob Thomson said. “The split was really good. The slider was really good. The velocity (average 96.2 mph) was really good. He looked poised and ready to go. So, I’m happy with it.”
Painter allowed just a hit and a walk and struck out three in what was his final Grapefruit League start. He drove up his pitch count with some extra work in the bullpen after coming out of the game.
Painter pitched well in four starts in the Grapefruit League. He allowed seven hits and three runs in 11 2/3 innings. He walked two, struck out eight, held opposing hitters to a .171 batting average and had a 0.77 WHIP. His next start will come during the first homestand of the season. He will pitch a simulated game at Citizens Bank Park in the days leading up to that start.
After his path to Philadelphia was slowed by an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery, it’s almost showtime for Painter.
“I’m just trying to stay in the present and look forward to each and every start,” said Painter, who will turn 23 on April 10. “I think it’ll hit me when the time comes, and the next start is a big-league start. I think that’s kind of when the realization will hit.
“I think I’m in a good spot.”
The Phillies lost the game to Atlanta, 3-2. Dylan Moore, a strong candidate to win the final spot on the bench, had two hits, a walk and two RBIs. Moore left the game after fouling a ball off his foot in the late innings, but Thomson said it was precautionary.
Thomson intends to use his bullpen for Thursday’s game against Tampa Bay. Presumed opening day starter Cristopher Sanchez will start Friday. Saturday’s starter is TBD. Aaron Nola will pitch Sunday and Jesus Luzardo will close out the spring Monday.
Edward Cabrera will start for the Cubs. Other Cubs pitchers scheduled today: Ben Brown, Gavin Hollowell and Corbin Martin.
Merrill Kelly will start for the Diamondbacks. Other D-backs pitchers scheduled today: Joe Ross, Taylor Clarke, Juan Morillo, Paul Sewald and Jonathan Loaisiga.
There will be a TV broadcast today via the D-backs channel AZ Video. No radio today.
Please visit our SB Nation Diamondbacks site AZ Snakepit. If you do go there to interact with D-backs fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
As we have done in the past, we’ll have a first pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time. For today, that will be 3:05 p.m. CT and 4:40 p.m. CT.
These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked ”Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher photos and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MARCH 30: Matt Quatraro #33 of the Kansas City Royals brings out the starting lineup against the Minnesota Twins on Opening Day at Kauffman Stadium on March 30, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In nine days, the Royals will begin the regular season against the Braves in Atlanta. We have a fairly good idea which players will be in Matt Quatraro’s starting lineup, barring injury. Familiar names like Salvador Perez, Bobby Witt Jr., and Vinnie Pasquantino will lead an offense that looks to improve on last year’s performance. But how exactly will they lineup?
Who should lead off for this team? Isaac Collins has battled injuries, Jonathan India is coming off a down year, and some feel Bobby Witt Jr.’s bat is too valuable to hit in the top spot. How would assemble the middle of this lineup? How do you fill out the bottom?
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 14: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics handles the ball during the game against the Washington Wizards on March 14, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Will Boston be ready to compete?
This may sound like a dumb question, but there’s some merit to it. Will Boston be ready to compete against a Golden State team missing some of its biggest names?
Stephen Curry and Celtics champion Al Horford were both out in Golden State’s win against the Wizards on Monday.
Golden State started De’Anthony Melton, Brandin Podziemski, Will Richard, Draymond Green and Gui Santos. No disrespect to that group — they’re all solid role players, but they don’t have the talent to beat Boston if the Celtics take the game seriously.
In recent years, there have been games where opponents were missing two or three starters, yet the Celtics still struggled more than expected. At the end of the day, rotation players are still very good, and they’re competing for more playing time and potentially their next contract.
It’s imperative that Boston doesn’t look at the Warriors’ lineup and assume it will be a walk in the park. If they do, they could find themselves in trouble late in the game.
Will Jayson Tatum continue to play more than 30 minutes?
Since returning to the lineup, Jayson Tatum played exactly 27 minutes in each of his first three games against Dallas, Cleveland and San Antonio.
Against Washington, he checked out at the 27-minute mark, but head coach Joe Mazzulla reinserted Tatum and the starters as the Wizards made a run. That marked the first time this season Tatum surpassed 30 minutes.
On Monday, Tatum played 32 minutes in a win against Phoenix in a game that was close late. The question now is whether he will log 30-plus minutes for a third straight game.
The opponent could factor into that decision. If Boston builds a comfortable lead, it may make sense to limit his playing time. However, with playoff seeding still at stake, a close game could push the coaching staff to extend him and evaluate how his body responds.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Tatum is held under 30 minutes, but the team appears to be doing a deliberate job gradually ramping him up to ensure he’s in game shape for the playoffs.
Can Boston continue to protect home court?
After completing their road trip, this game marks Boston’s third straight home game before traveling to Memphis on Friday. The Celtics will then return to TD Garden for three more games against stiffer competition in Minnesota, Oklahoma City, and Atlanta.
Home-court advantage matters. If Boston hopes to catch Detroit in the standings, it must continue to win at home. The Celtics are currently 23-10 at TD Garden and have challenging matchups ahead against Oklahoma City and Minnesota.
While those games won’t be easy, playing at home provides an edge. The Warriors, however, present a potential trap game if Boston looks past them — and Memphis — with two Western Conference contenders looming.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 27, 2026: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a pitch during the first inning of a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Dodgers’ penultimate spring game in Arizona is their final night game of this portion of their exhibition schedule, hosting the San Diego Padres Friday night at Camelback Ranch.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto makes his final spring start this season, and his first since returning from the World Baseball Classic. This will be the final tuneup for the right-hander before he starts his second consecutive opening day for the Dodgers, on March 26 at Dodger Stadium.
The Pittsburgh Penguins captain will return to the lineup on Wednesday night against Carolina after missing nearly a month with a lower-body injury sustained while competing for Canada at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
“Excited to get back in it,” Crosby told reporters after the team's morning skate.
Crosby hasn't played since his right leg buckled during a collision with Czechia's Radko Gudas during Canada's quarterfinal win at the Olympics. The Penguins placed the 38-year-old on injured reserve after the Olympic break ended.
Pittsburgh, one of the league's biggest surprises this season, went 5-3-3 during Crosby's 11-game absence and is in second place in the Metropolitan Division with less than a month to go. The Penguins are eyeing a return to the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
“It’s never easy watching, but I think you gain even more appreciation when you’re up top, and you just see on a nightly basis, the way we compete, the way we work," Crosby said.
Crosby has 27 goals and 32 assists in 56 games this season, putting him on pace to extend his NHL record for most consecutive years averaging at least a point a game.
His return comes four weeks to the day since he was injured. He had been skating with the team recently and his comeback comes during a busy stretch in which Pittsburgh faces a series of quality opponents, including the division-leading Hurricanes.
Penguins coach Dan Muse credited Crosby's leadership even when he's out of the lineup as one of the reasons Pittsburgh has been able to hang in there.
Crosby's return comes a game after teammate Evgeni Malkin scored two goals in a romp over Colorado after serving a five-game suspension for slashing Buffalo's Rasmus Dahlin.
“To see him come in like that after missing five games was huge,” Crosby said of Malkin. "He set the bar high.”
PHOENIX — For several minutes on Monday, Miguel Rojas said his world “rumbled.”
For several minutes that afternoon, the baseball world thought he had tested positive for steroids.
In reality, of course. Rojas hadn’t.
Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas against Team Mexico during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
But that day, a reporter from The Athletic incorrectly posted on social media that the Dodgers infielder had been suspended 80 games because of a banned substance — before quickly deleting the post and explaining his mistake.
Turned out, it was Johan Rojas of the Philadelphia Phillies who had been popped for PEDs, receiving an 80-game ban for testing positive for Boldenone.
“I’ve deleted a post incorrectly identifying who was suspended today,” the reporter later clarified. “It was Johan Rojas of the Philadelphia Phillies who was suspended.”
Two days later, Miguel Rojas was still voicing frustration over the situation, telling reporters in the Dodgers’ Camelback Ranch clubhouse that he had yet to receive an apology over the incorrect report.
“I’m not frustrated because of the report,” he said. “We’re all humans and we make mistakes.”
Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas against the San Diego Padres during a spring training game at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
However, he quickly added, “I was expecting a little bit more of an apology. Not just to me, but the organization. Because it wasn’t just my name. It was pretty clear that he said, ‘Miguel Rojas from the Los Angeles Dodgers.’
“That’s the only thing that I’m kind of bothered by.”
An apology eventually came later on Wednesday, with the reporter, Evan Drellich, tweeting: “To Miguel Rojas and the Dodgers, I sincerely and publicly apologize. I’ve reached out to Miguel, the Dodgers and Miguel’s agent to say the same. Once again, I’m sorry.”
But by then, viral videos were already circulating of Rojas first discussing the situation in an interview with Chris Rose on Tuesday night, when he described the lack of an apology as “bulls–t.”
“For six minutes, (it) kind of rumbled my whole world, and got so many people around me and around us, the team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, worried because of one guy making a mistake,” he said then. “I’m totally OK with making mistakes. But at the end of the day, I was expecting an apology.”
However, Rojas also said he wanted to move on from the story, trying not “to make it a big deal” or “make it about myself.”
“I just feel like whenever the tweet was deleted and the clarification was trying to be made, I think we all deserve a little bit of an apology there,” he said. “Because it wasn’t just my name. It was the organization that I represent too. And that’s really important to me.”
Five years on and little progress made, says judge
Litigants have until October to choose 28 lead claimants
The judge overseeing the pretrial phase of the two landmark litigation cases about brain injuries in rugby has issued another rebuke to the legal teams on both sides over their lack of progress.
Senior Master Jeremy Cook started the latest round of case management hearings by reminding both the defendants and the claimants that “it won’t have escaped anybody’s notice that some of these claims are now over five years old, and we haven’t made much progress”. Since the cases involve claims of degenerative brain diseases, Cook said, time is at a premium.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 17: Eugenio Suárez #7 of Team Venezuela reacts after hitting an RBI double against Team United States during the ninth inning at loanDepot park on March 17, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Diamondbacks News
Eduardo Rodriguez Leads Venezuela over Team USA Eduardo Rodriguez turned in just the sort of performance Arizona was hoping to see out of him regularly when they signed him after the 2023 season.
Evaluating Rodriguez’s Night In anything other than a championship game like last night, Rodriguez probably goes another inning or two at least. The veteran lefty put together a commanding performance in one of the biggest games of his life.
NL West Outlook: Second Place or Better Likely Necessary for October Baseball The NL West is already stacked against the Diamondbacks, what with the Dodgers being in the same division. But preseason projections make it look like Arizona will need to finish no worse than a strong second in order to punch their ticket to the playoffs in 2026.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Gerrit Cole returned to a mound to pitch in a game after a 377-day absence and threw a scoreless first inning Wednesday for the New York Yankees in an exhibition game against the Boston Red Sox.
Cole threw 10 pitches, seven for strikes, including six four-seam fastballs that averaged 97.1 mph, ranging from 98.7 mph 96.1 mph. He threw two sliders and a pair of knuckle-curves.
His first pitch, a 96.6 mph fastball to Braiden Ward, was bunted to the right side for a single as Cole slid toward the base trying to field it. Ward stole second, held as Kristian Campbell flied out and was caught stealing third by catcher Austin Wells.
Jason Delay lined a 1-2 fastball into left for a single, and Nathan Hickey grounded out on a first-pitch knuckle-curve.
Pitching with a slight beard — the Yankees relaxed their facial hair policy last year — Cole showed his altered windup, in which he puts his hands over his head.
A 35-year-old right-hander, Cole had Tommy John surgery on March 11 last year with Los Angeles Dodgers team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
Cole is signed to a $324 million, nine-year contract through 2028. He has a 153-80 career record and 3.18 ERA over 317 starts with Pittsburgh (2013-17), Houston (2018-19) and the Yankees (starting in 2020).
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 06: Harry Ford #1 of Team Great Britain celebrates in the dugout with props after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning during a World Baseball Classic game against Team Mexico at Daikin Park on March 06, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It felt like it was trending this way for a little while, but Harry Ford was officially optioned to Triple-A this afternoon. Paul Toboni acquired Ford in a trade that sent Jose A. Ferrer this offseason. At first, I thought Ford would have a good chance of cracking the Opening Day roster. However, as camp progressed, it was clear the new regime wanted to give Keibert Ruiz another chance.
The Nationals have made the following roster moves:
Optioned to Triple-A Rochester: -C Harry Ford -1B/DH Abimelec Ortiz
Reassigned to Minor League camp: -C Riley Adams
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) March 18, 2026
That is an understandable decision, especially considering the service time ramifications for Ford. However, I cannot say I am fired up about a Keibert Ruiz and Drew Millas catching tandem. The Nats had the worst catching situation in baseball last season, yet they still did not give Ford a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Yes, we will see plenty of Harry Ford this season, but I am still bummed out that he did not make the Opening Day roster. I really hope Ruiz’s contract doesn’t give him a longer leash than he deserves. While Ruiz showed promise in 2022 and 2023, the last two seasons have been disastrous for the Venezuelan catcher. As a bat first catcher, he has posted a .619 and .595 OPS the last two seasons.
Harry Ford should be given the benefit of the doubt in the Nats catching competition, not Keibert Ruiz https://t.co/kFAEVi6a3S
His contract which runs through the 2030 season and a solid spring have given Ruiz another shot behind the plate. However, his leash is going to be shorter this time. With Ford in the fold, he has real competition for the first time in DC. Hopefully, he can rise to the challenge, but I have my doubts. Ruiz has serious flaws on both sides of the ball which have persisted for years.
Ford is far from a perfect player himself, but he would provide new blood. He also represents a big investment from Paul Toboni. Ford had solid WBC and an up and down spring, but he showed why the Nats got him. He walked a lot this spring, which is a big part of his game. Ford also showed off some power for Great Britain at the WBC.
I do not think sending Ford down is an irrational decision by any means, it is just a bit of a bummer. Fans were excited to see him, and now they are going to have to wait a little longer. Ford already has a strong track record in AAA with a .283 average and .868 OPS at the level last year.
However, the new regime clearly thinks he needs more seasoning. I would not be surprised if a big reason for the demotion is to work on his defense. While Ford has steadily improved on that side of the ball, there is still more work to be done.
Another reason for this demotion could be service time related. If teams keep a player in the minors long enough, they can gain an extra year of team control. That deadline usually comes sometime in mid to late April, so it would not be a surprise to see Ford called up around then.
I cannot say I am excited about this decision, but it is understandable. Keibert Ruiz has looked better this spring, but he still has a lot to prove before he can regain faith from the fanbase. Hopefully we see Harry Ford sooner rather than later.
LAKELAND, FL - MARCH 16: The scoreboard displays a Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge sponsored by T-Mobile during the spring training game between the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium on March 16, 2026 in Lakeland, Florida. The Tigers defeated the Phillies 13-6. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
While it feels like the baseball gods have laid low every Detroit Tigers pitcher under the age of 22, that’s not strictly true. One of the best stories at the A-ball levels last summer was the emergence of right-hander Kelvis Salcedo. While there is certainly relief risk present in his frame and delivery, Salcedo arguably boasts the nastiest set of pitches in the whole farm system already, so we’ll kick off our 45 FV tier with a pitcher who will have a lot of eyes on him in 2026 as he looks to build on a breakout campaign.
The Tigers signed 20-year-old Kelvis Salcedo back in January 2023, as he was turning 17. He hails from Santa Barbara del Zulia, Venezuela in the northwestern corner of the country. Salcedo wasn’t a big bonus prospect in a class where catcher Enrique Jimenez and outfielder Anibal Salas were the big names at the time, but he’s already outpaced them in terms of future major league projections.
The young right-hander stands 6’0” but while his official weight is 180 pounds, he’s clearly bulked up since that weigh-in and has filled out in his chest and legs significantly. He looks like he’s probably touching 215 pounds or more. That additional muscle now powers a fastball that can clip 99 mph at max effort. It’s a fairly high effort delivery, but as he continues to develop things may come more easily for him. There really isn’t any physical projection left, and the program for him is more about building more functional strength rather than filling out any further.
Salcedo will sometimes utilize a rock step with the bases empty, but either way it’s a simple motion and he’s basically pitching out of the stretch most of the time already. Like most with a higher arm slot, he has to pull his head hard to the first base side to create space for his arm path to get to that high three-quarters position, and as a result he will spin off to the first base side at times. Still, while he’ll occasionally sail a fastball or have his cutter and slider back up on him somewhat, he’s already an effective strike thrower who pounded the zone very well for his age and didn’t walk too many batters. He hides the ball well and that delivery makes it hard to pick up his release point until a hitter has seen him a few times.
A delivery with a good deal of visible upper body effort to throw hard is something scouts tend to key on as a poor sign for a future starting pitching role, and Salcedo isn’t the long-limbed, lanky 6’3”-6’5” with big extension that teams favor these days in a starting role. As a result, Salcedo gets high relief risk marks. Of course, you can tell that to Max Scherzer and many other high effort starters around the league. It’s just up to the player to put the work in to get in the best shape possible by the time they reach the major leagues. Salcedo may well be able to keep repeating his delivery with better efficiency as he builds up reps into his early 20’s. So, right now it’s just a note of caution as to his future role, and we’ll see how well he holds up to full seasons of pro ball the next two years.
The right-hander worked with fourseam fastball, cutter, and splitter last season, though he will mix in a slider and sinker as well, per Statcast. He can really spin the baseball to go with the raw velocity, and has a pretty intriguing fourseam fastball shape. In Lakeland last summer, Salcedo’s average fastball was already 95.4 mph and he topped out at 98.5 mph. The deception in his delivery helps balance out his below average extension, but it’s still not a huge, whiff generating fourseamer. The movement is more deceptive than explosive. It looks like a fourseamer in terms of spin alignment on the ball, but instead it has some late cut and drop that routinely had hitters breaking bats and beating it into the ground last summer. Hitters don’t swing and miss at it much, but they really struggled to barrel it up.
Salcedo backs the heater with a nasty 88-89 mph cutter that averaged 2711 rpms of spin last year. It plays off the fastball well with sharp late break to his gloveside and average depth. He drew a whopping 50 percent whiff rate on the cutter last year. His slider moves like the cutter but with a little more depth in the mid-80’s, and Salcedo tended to turn to it once he already had a hitter down and was trying to get them to chase down. It too produced a huge whiff rate, but it’s inconclusive whether these are even two distinct pitches as they blur together often. He might do better adding a spike curveball from that arm slot for a change of pace and something with more downward action.
His best pitch is a pretty spectacular changeup that looks like a splitter although the grip hasn’t been confirmed. It’s a mid-80’s offspeed pitch and Salcedo really kills the spin on it to go with the velocity separation, getting serious late drop and armside run on it. This is already a consistent plus pitch and drew a 60 percent whiff rate in Lakeland. When he’s really commanding it well it’s better than plus and you won’t see a nastier changeup anywhere in the minor leagues.
Salcedo had a really good Dominican Summer League season in 2024, and arrived stateside last year to pitch in the Complex League. He dominated there, and then moved over to the Single-A side to pitch for the Lakeland Flying Tigers in August and early September. He was already boasting an ERA under 2.00 in Complex League action, with really good strikeout to walk ratios, but things clicked into another gear in full season ball as he finished the year with a flourish. Salcedo only spent about a third of his season there, but he put up a 1.54 ERA with a downright crazy 39 percent strikeout rate against a walk rate of just 7.3 percent. He threw strikes, he didn’t give up hard contact, and the cutter and changeup generated tons of whiffs. If he was a young college draft pick this would be outstanding, but when you also consider that Salcedo only turned 20 in January of 2026, that’s particularly eye-popping.
Salcedo made 10 starts and had 18 appearances in 2025, throwing a combined 68 2/3 innings between Complex League ball and the Florida State League. He finished with a 1.83 ERA and a 2.88 FIP and a combined 33.5 percent K-rate. So, we have a very young pitcher here doing all the things we were hoping to see from recent top picks like Owen Hall, Paul Wilson, Zach Swanson, Ethan Schiefelbein, among others.
Like any young starter, Salcedo has to refine his game and prove he can hold up to a starter’s workload over the next few seasons. His frame and delivery raise some red flags for relief risk, but even as a reliever he’s got a good chance at a long career in high leverage work. On the other hand, the stuff is already overpowering from an A-ball standpoint and he had no real issues throwing a lot of strikes. As long as he’s handling the workload, the Tigers will rightfully continue to develop him as a starter. There’s a chance that Salcedo turns out to be a really good one. If they decide to convert him to relief at some point, Salcedo already has closer caliber stuff when he airs out the fastball. He could prove a really great weapon for the Tigers’ bullpen.
