WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 28: Jeremy Peña #3 of the Houston Astros warms up prior to a spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 28, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jeremy Pena will lead off tonight and play shortstop as the Houston Astros play their final exhibition game of the spring, hosting the Sugar Land Space Cowboys tonight at Daikin Park.
RHP Lance McCullers Jr., who was named the Astros fifth starter yesterday, will get the start for the Astros tonight opposite prospect RHP Miguel Ullola and the Space Cowboys.
ABOUT MCCULLERS: RHP Lance McCullers Jr. is set to make his fourth official start of the Spring season. He last pitched a week ago on March 17 at PIT, when he allowed one run on three hits and three walks in 4.0 innings.
He made his return to the mound in 2025 after missing the entire 2023 and 2024 seasons due to a right flexor tendon injury that required surgery. He worked around four IL stints in 2025 to go 2-5 with a 6.51 ERA (40ER/55.1IP) and 9.92 SO/9IP in 16 games (13 starts).
ABOUT ULLOLA: RHP Miguel Ullola (pronounced oo-YOH-lah) enters the 2026 season as one Houston’s top pitching prospects. I
In 2025, he spent his first full season in the Triple A rotation and went 7-6 with a 3.88 ERA in 28 appearances (23 starts). Among PCL starters with 100+ innings pitched, he ranked first in ERA (3.88), first in BAA (.183), first in strikeout percentage (26.6%), first in strikeout-per-nine (10.37), second in strikeouts (131) and fourth in WHIP.
PENA BACK: Jeremy Peña is scheduled for six innings and three at-bats tonight. The Astros have an optional workout tomorrow and can get Peña live at-bats there as well, Joe Espada said. (from Matt Kawahara/Houston Chronicle)
ABOUT THE SPACE COWBOYS: The Space Cowboys, who play in the Pacific Coast League, are entering their fifth year as the Astros Triple A affiliate. The Astros officially acquired the franchise (then known as the Sugar Land Skeeters) in April of 2021, and sold the franchise this offseason. After the 2021 season, the franchise rebranded and the Space Cowboys were born.
YESTERDAY’S ROSTER MOVE: Prior to yesterday’s game, the Astros optioned RHP Spencer Arrighetti to Triple A Sugar Land. Arrighetti will remain with the Astros through tonight’s game before beginning the season in Sugar Land. Arrighetti is slated to be the Astros’ sixth starter when they expand the rotation approximately April 10.
LONDON (AP) — Arsenal underlined its credentials for back-to-back Women’s Champions League titles by beating English rival Chelsea 3-1 in the first leg of the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Also, Wolfsburg took a 1-0 lead over record eight-time champion Lyonnes in a meeting of two of the competition’s most storied names.
Stina Blackstenius — with her first Champions League goal since the winner in the final against Barcelona last season — and Chloe Kelly gave Arsenal a 2-0 halftime lead at Emirates Stadium.
Lauren James curled a brilliant long-range shot into the top corner to reduce the deficit for Chelsea but Arsenal regained its two-goal cushion when Alessia Russo drove home from the edge of the area.
Chelsea finished higher in the league stage — third place, compared to Arsenal in fifth — but has work to do in next week’s return leg across London to reach the semifinals for the fourth straight season.
Lineth Beerensteyn scored the only goal for Wolfsburg with a deflected 14th-minute shot against Lyon in the 12th Champions League meeting between the teams, which makes it tied for the most-played fixture in the competition’s history.
Four of those matches have been in finals, highlighting their status.
Kadidiatou Diani hit the post late in the game for Lyon, whose most recent of its eight titles came in 2022.
Remaining quarterfinals
The other two first-leg matches in the quarterfinals are on Wednesday, when Real Madrid hosts Barcelona in a big Spanish rivalry and Manchester United makes its debut at this stage against Bayern Munich.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 22: Spencer Bivens #76 of the San Francisco Giants on the mound during the spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Scottsdale Stadium on February 22, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Opening Day is tomorrow, and the San Francisco Giants still have a handful of players they need to trim from the roster before announcing the 26-player roster. But on Tuesday, a few hours before their final exhibition game of the preseason, the Giants took a step closer to finalizing things, by optioning a quartet of right-handed pitchers to AAA Sacramento: Spencer Bivens, Trevor McDonald, Tristan Beck, and Carson Seymour. In addition to those four, outfielders Drew Gilbert and Will Brennan were also optioned.
Bivens is the most surprising name on the list, and a reminder that different coaching staffs value different players. He broke camp with the team in 2025, and spent the entirety of the season on the active roster, leading many to believe that he was a lock for this year’s bullpen. It turns out that wasn’t the case.
It would seem that his role will likely go to JT Brubaker. Last year, Bivens was more good than great (4.00 ERA, 3.70 FIP, 6.8 strikeouts per nine innings, 2.8 walks per nine innings), but amassed a lot of value due to his ability to enter in any situation and eat a lot of innings. He made 54 appearances out of the bullpen, and pitched 81 innings — a mark that ranked fourth among pitchers in the Major Leagues who didn’t make any starts.
Similarly, his Spring Training was also more good than great, and seemed to reinforce his roll as a valuable piece of bullpen depth, but not a weapon. With Tony Vitello replacing Bob Melvin, it seems the valuation of Bivens has shifted a bit, though he’ll surely still play a role this year.
As for McDonald, he had a breakout camp early on, and was certainly trending towards making the roster, especially after Hayden Birdsong went down with an injury. But after three scoreless outings to start the spring — during which time he gave up just two hits in six innings — McDonald hit a wall. In his next/final three games, he gave up 10 hits — including four home runs — and nine earned runs in just 5.2 innings, culminating in a Spring Training finale in which he was unable to complete an inning. So back to the Minors he goes, where he’ll prepare to rejoin the squad, perhaps in a relief role, or perhaps as a the next man up in the rotation.
For Seymour, his optioning was a little less surprising. The power righty showed some really nice things this spring, en route to a 2.92 ERA and a 3.74 FIP, but he never felt in very strong consideration for a bullpen job, and his fate was likely sealed during Monday’s exhibition win, in which he gave up four hits and two runs in an inning of work. But like Bivens and McDonald, we can expect to see Seymour in the Majors plenty this year.
Beck’s optioning was also not surprising. He struggled a bit last year, with a 4.75 ERA and a 6.11 FIP, and didn’t look sharp during Cactus League. He was strong in an inning of work on Monday night, though, and is valuable depth who could be called upon during the season.
Seymour and Bivens both have two option years remaining, while McDonald and Beck have only one.
As for the outfielders, there’s nothing surprising there. Gilbert seemed like a favorite to land the fourth outfielder role when Spring Training began, but he was hampered by a shoulder injury, and never found his rhythm when he returned, hitting just .265/.324/.324. Brennan impressed, but it became apparent over the last week than NRI Jared Oliva had surpassed him on the depth chart. Both players will be everyday outfielders in Sacramento, and will surely provide depth at the Major League level at some point in the season. Brennan has two option years remaining, while the ever-exuberant Gilbert still has all three.
Notably, with Gilbert, Brennan, and Grant McCray optioned, the Giants have committed to not having a left-handed player off the bench. The only outfielders left in camp (save for the starters) are righties Oliva, Luis Matos, and Jerar Encarnación. It would appear that those three are fighting for two spots, which would finalize the bench. That’s assuming that both infielders left in camp — Casey Schmitt and Christian Koss — make the roster, and that Daniel Susac beats out Eric Haase for the backup catcher role.
With these six cuts, the Giants are now down to 33 players in camp, though that number is functionally 31, as Reiver Sanmartin and Sam Hentges will be added to the Injured List soon. Five other players will need to be optioned, reassigned, placed on the IL, or waived between now and Wednesday morning.
Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey made history this offseason, hiring an incredible college baseball personality with zero big league experience as San Francisco’s new manager.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred joined KNBR’s “Murph & Markus” on Tuesday morning to give his opinion on the Tony Vitello hire.
“I think the hiring of a college coach to be a big league manager is part of a larger evolution in the relationship between college baseball and MLB,” Manfred claimed.
Vitello, on Wednesday, will become the league’s first manager without any prior professional experience, but his preparation isn’t in question.
The Giants went 19-9 in spring training, even without some key pieces due to the World Baseball Classic. It’s challenging to gauge talent from spring training for several reasons, but the culture shift since Vitello’s arrival is hard to miss.
“The college programs … many of them are high quality,” Manfred continued. “They produce players that we draft in increasing numbers every year.”
There are many ties between Vitello and players within the Giants organization, including Drew Gilbert, who played under Vitello for three seasons at the University of Tennessee.
“I don’t think that there’s anything unusual about the development of someone who’s been tremendously successful at the college level getting a major league job,” Manfred concluded.
San Francisco is set to take on the New York Yankees on Wednesday night at Oracle Park to begin the 2026 MLB season. This entire year will be full of firsts for Vitello, but those around him are confident he has what it takes to get this team out of mediocrity and back into the playoffs.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 19: Austin Reaves #15 and LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers speak during the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center on March 19, 2026 in Miami, Florida. 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 Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There are few things Austin Reaves is more willing to do than appear on a fellow Lakers’ podcast.
Reaves was a frequent guest on D’Angelo Russell’s podcast, appeared on JJ Redick’s podcast prior to him becoming head coach and, on Tuesday, completed a trifecta by joining LeBron James and Steve Nash for the latest episode of “Mind the Game.”
It was an episode full of fun tidbits and anecdotes with lots of discussion about basketball as well, which comes with any episode of “Mind the Game.”
For those who may have missed the interview or are looking for a recap, we have you covered with all the best moments.
Turning down a “dream” to join Lakers
Off the rip, the episode immediately dives into Austin turning down the opportunity to be drafted and join the Lakers on a two-way deal instead. Most of it was not new information as it’s been reported he turned down being drafted by the Pistons to go undrafted and join the Lakers.
He’s also discussed making a list of teams that were the best fit with the Lakers topping the list and the Bucks being second. When asked about it by Nash, Reaves dove a little deeper into everything.
“My agents, they set up a plan. The plan was we knew LA had a two-way open on draft night and knew it was a situation to where I could possibly step in and get a contract because I don’t know how many guys were actually under contract at that time. There were a lot of free agents, a lot of signings to be done. We knew that going in.
[Detroit] called at [pick No.] 42 and they came up to me and it’s every kid’s dream to hear their name called on draft night and I’m no different. But it came down to sticking to a plan and that’s what we did. It sucked to not hear my name called but, obviously, putting ourselves in a good position was much more important.”
The little tidbit about the Lakers having lots of free agents and, as a result, a clearer opportunity for him to make the roster was some great insight by his agency. And he wasn’t wrong. In free agency in the summer of 2021, the Lakers signed Carmelo Anthony, Kent Bazemore, Malik Monk, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington, Dwight Howard, Kendrick Nunn, Rajon Rondo and Deandre Jordan.
So, only a couple of players.
Reaves talked a little bit more about the list his agency made and why they felt it would work in Los Angeles.
“They have a bunch of analytics guys that were grading teams…I think it was Lakers, Bucks, maybe one other team that was Tier 1, like best possible fit…So, kind of dove into that and listened to that. On another level, like we talked about, there was maybe like four or five guys under contract at the time because they ended up having to sign like seven guys.
Knowing that there was going to be a possibility to snag that 13th, 14th roster spot and then on top of that, like [LeBron], IQ level, I feel like I have a pretty good IQ for the game and felt like that was one way I could get my foot in the door was to lean on that and lean on just knowing the game of basketball and that’s what he does.”
Making it on the Lakers
Reaves’ origin story with the Lakers has been well-documented. At the team’s player mini-camp, Reaves was so impressive that he earned a standard deal before training camp even began. He spoke about that mini-camp and the role both LeBron and Anthony Davis played in his ascension.
“We get in the gym and I think we got to playing 3-on-3 or something. I got a couple buckets then drove downhill. I thought I had a layup then AD came out of nowhere and I was like, ‘Oh, f—’ and last second, kind of behind-the-back pass to [LeBron]. He come down the lane and dunked. It was just, from then on out, they were like, ‘You’re good. Just be yourself.’ Him and AD, I’ll give them all the credit I can give them, from day one of being like, ‘Be you. On the court, off the court, whatever it is, be you.’”
Prior to even taking the court with him, LeBron had watched film of Austin in college and had an…interesting takeaway.
Getting a co-sign from @KingJames is the ultimate badge of honor.
Something Reaves talked about on the show that he had not previously mentioned was his upbringing. Both of his parents played basketball at Arkansas State, which is where they met. His brother, Spencer, played at a Division II school, Central Missouri.
As for Reaves? Well, he almost didn’t pursue basketball at all and wouldn’t have if his family had it’s preference. As a kid, Reaves played both basketball and baseball. But, entering the seventh grade, Reaves’ father told him he needed to pick one so that he could focus on that sport and, ultimately, get his college education paid for.
Following a summer of basketball with his older brother, Reaves made his choice, but it wasn’t the choice his father would have made.
“We had a summer basketball camp and I moved up two grades to play with my brother and we were beating teams by 30 and I was like, ‘Oh, this is much faster. Baseball is kind of slow.’ So I went back to my dad and I was like, ‘I want to play basketball’ and he was like, ‘You’re f—— stupid’ and I was like, ‘Damn.’
But he was like, ‘Obviously, you got my support.’…He thought I was a better baseball player. I was small. I didn’t grow until my junior year of high school. At the time, I understand why [he thought I should play baseball]. My best friend’s dad, which was our baseball coach, we were driving home, he was taking me home and I told him I was quitting baseball and he told me that basketball wasn’t going to work out and I was like ‘Well, we’ll see.’”
I think basketball worked out for Reaves.
Despite his parents playing basketball, it was Austin’s brother who played the biggest role in his early basketball career. Austin described his older brother as a gym rat who was driving to get shots up at 12 or 13 years old — which Reaves then quickly acknowledged was “probably illegal” — and brought his younger sibling with him.
“I remember there was nights that he would be going to the gym at seven, eight o’clock at night and he’d be like, ‘Hey, you want to go?’ And I was like, ‘Eh, not really’ and he’d be like, ‘You’re coming anyway.’ Like, I had no choice. He’d drag me out of the house. We’d go shoot for a couple hours and then he’d just beat me really bad 1-on-1…He’s probably the biggest basketball influence in my life. He instilled work ethic.”
That led to him landing at Wichita State and, eventually, Oklahoma. It was with the Sooners that Reaves realized he could make it in the NBA after legendary head coach Lon Kruger told him he could be a first round pick. Reaves, in fact, was not a first round pick, but if you ask LeBron James, there’s a clear and obvious reason why.
“You know why. You know why. You know how that s— is. Because they look at him. The judge the book by it’s cover situation. I saw the talent. That guy that I’m seeing [in college film] is not an undrafted [player]. There’s not way that guy goes undrafted. But, it’s – come on man.”
Dealing with a busted bracket?
The Sweet 16 is almost here – who’s still alive? We’re reviewing the week that was in the first week of the NCAA tournament and turning our focus to remaining teams. How bad (or good!) is your bracket? Join us in the SB Nation March Madness Feed and let’s talk about who’s most likely to make a run to glory.
Coming up in the clutch
The last notable discussion to come out of the pod was a segment on playing in clutch moments. Reaves has thrived in them throughout his career — this episode was even filmed before his heroics against the Nuggets — and has not shied away from those moments.
Perhaps the biggest play in the clutch he’s made this season was the game-winner in Minnesota, which he discussed.
“Ah, we’ll win” 🤣
Austin Reaves explains what was going through his head before the game winning shot against Minnesota. Tap into the full conversation, link in bio. pic.twitter.com/pt3dD0Rgf7
Very interestingly, that led to LeBron talking about how hard he would be on himself during clutch moments when he didn’t come through early in his career and how he came to accept the pressure of those moments.
“Early on in my career, I always hated the feeling of letting my teammates down. If I missed or whatever, if I turned the ball over, if I didn’t make the right play either shot or pass or whatever, I was like, ‘F—, I let these guys down. They trusted me to make it happen and I didn’t make it happen.’
Early on in my career, that really got to me. Then I just got to a point where it was like they’re putting you in this position because they trust you for a reason.”
The Lakers have continued to trust in Reaves throughout his career and he has rewarded them time and time again.
The trio finished the episode looking at some clips and breaking down Austin’s game before going back to an old classic between LeBron and Reaves.
Johnson’s final out of the 1969 World Series clinched the Mets’ first championship, and he then guided the Mets to their next and most recent title as manager in 1986.
The Mets will wear a patch to honor World Series champion manager Davey Johnson. Getty Images
He is the winningest skipper in franchise history (595), owns the best winning percentage (.588) and kept a steady hand from 1984-90, when his Mets clubs averaged more than 95 wins per season.
“Davey was a bold manager who led with a quiet confidence and an unwavering belief in his team,” Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen said in a statement. “He cared deeply for his players both on and off the field. Some of the greatest players in our team history credit him for their successes.
“In the 40th anniversary of the 1986 championship, this is a fitting tribute to the man who guided the team to that title.”
Johnson’s family will be around for Thursday’s season opener at Citi Field and take part in the ceremonial first pitch.
Davey Johnson died last year at 82. Robert Sabo for NY Post
His widow, Susan, will escort Johnson’s stepson, Jeremiah Allen, and grandson, Kai Casebolt, to the mound.
Darryl Strawberry and Mookie Wilson, key members of the ’86 Mets, will catch the first pitches.
The 2024-25 season was undoubtedly a tough year for Buffalo Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. In 55 games during this past season with the Sabres, he had a 24-24-5 record, an .887 save percentage, and a 3.20 goals-against average.
While Luukkonen had a season to forget for the Sabres in 2024-25, he is certainly proving his doubters wrong in a major way this campaign for Buffalo.
Luukkonen has been one of many reasons for the Sabres' major step forward this season, and the truth is in his stats. In 28 appearances this season for Buffalo so far, he has a 17-8-2 record, a 2.54 goals-against average, and a .911 save percentage. With numbers like these, there is no question that Luukkonen has been enjoying an excellent bounce-back season with the Sabres.
Luukkonen has always been staying hot as the season rolls on. In his most recent appearance on March 21 against the Los Angeles Kings, he stopped 26 out of 27 shots he faced. This was after he recorded a 29-save shutout against the Vegas Golden Knights on March 17. With this, he has been thriving with the Sabres.
It will now be interesting to see how UPL finishes off this campaign from here, but it is clear that he has had a nice season for the Sabres in 2025-26.
We’ve officially reached the stage in the NBA’s regular season where you watch a game between two non-playoff teams and think to yourself, “who are these players?”
For the Utah Jazz, who are desperately trying everything in their power to raise their lottery odds and stay away from picks 9-16, the last few weeks have been filled with players that leave the viewer asking, “where did we get him from?”
But Ace Bailey, the Jazz’s 2025 No. 5 draft pick, is a name that everyone knows, and is one of the few reasons to tune into the Jazz. In the sea of two-way players, 10-day contracts, and jerseys made the day of, Bailey sticks out, and his recent play is giving hope that he will be a key piece for a healthy, competing Jazz team next season.
How well is Ace Bailey playing in March?
This month has been Bailey’s best statistical month in the NBA by far.
In 10 games, Bailey is averaging 21.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. That’s seven points better than his second-best scoring month in three minutes less a game. He is also shooting incredibly efficient from deep, at 43.3% on 9.7 attempts per game.
His confidence is a lot higher than in previous months too, scoring on a lot more isolation opportunities and not hesitating and catch-and-shoot threes.
In his last four games is where you really see the ceiling for Bailey, averaging 28.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 blocks per game.
Against the Raptors — albeit, in a blowout loss — Bailey scored 37 points and had one of the nastiest blocks of the season, pinning RJ Barrett’s layup against the backboard. Moments on defense where he showcases his athleticism and length didn’t come as often as I would’ve liked during his rookie season, but they’re not missing entirely. He has all the skills to be a decent defender in the NBA, and hopefully with the Jazz’s length across the starting lineup in 2026-27, he can dig into that more.
How real is this?
It’s always hard to tell in situations like these if a player’s late-season stats actually mean anything. Just two years ago, Kenneth Lofton secured a near 30-point triple-double for Utah, and now he plays for the Shanghai Sharks.
However, I think back to earlier in the season when Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George were playing night in and night out, and how Bailey was slowly but surely starting to mesh with the rest of the team. Making the right passes, cutting at the most opportune times, using his length as a good weak side defender.
Combine the slow process of getting him acclimated to the NBA game in November with the pure numbers that he’s putting up in March, and I think he could be a real impact player for a playoff-level Jazz team next season
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 26, 2023: Joey Votto #19 of the Cincinnati Reds walks off the field during the second inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on September 26, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Just when you thought Joey Votto had retired to a quiet beach somewhere, content to read Verne and Hiaasen and learn four new languages, he has popped back up on the radar of the Cincinnati Reds once again.
In typical Votto fashion, he did so with brilliant, understated style. According to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon, he gifted the Reds a custom made Verdin clock that was installed outside Great American Ball Park, a ‘thank you to the club for his 22 years in the organization.’
Not only is it the absolute perfect addition from a guy like Joey, but locals obviously know that the Verdin Company has been a Cincinnati stalwart dating back to 1842. Joey himself sent a message along with the clock, which the Reds relayed to the masses on Twitter.
The man deserves a statue, a spot in the team’s Hall of Fame, a number retired, and a spot in Cooperstown as a first ballot Hall of Famer. He’s truly one of the absolute gems of the sport, and we were all lucky to have been able to follow him so closely for so long.
Sep 25, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Detroit Tigers right fielder Wenceel Perez (46) celebrates his solo home run in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images
Switch-hitting outfielder Wenceel Pérez entered camp this spring needing to make a strong case for an Opening Day outfield slot. He failed to do so, putting up ugly numbers all spring. Yet even in the final game of spring camp, he launched a pair of home runs, including one at 108.5 mph, illustrating why he still has a role on the 40-man roster and could prove more important to the Tigers chances this spring that it might appear at the moment.
While Matt Vierling returned from an injury plagued 2025 season and raked all through camp, and Parker Meadows caught fire in recent weeks, the 26-year-old Pérez floundered. For an established player that doesn’t matter, but with Pérez, Meadows, and Vierling all pretty evenly matched, it left him the odd man out to start the season. Even so, the Tigers are probably going to need him this season, and while his overall profile isn’t likely to change much at his age, there are still elements in his game that could use a little polish, and doing so would seriously increase his chances of helping the Tigers in 2026.
Pérez is a career .243/.304/.405 hitter across parts of two seasons and 808 total plate appearances. That’s essentially league average. Job number one is just to become a little more selective at the plate. Profiling as a contact and speed guy, Pérez has struck out just a bit too much, at a 22.2 percent rate for his career, and walked 7.8 percent of the time. Those numbers are basically league average, but because he’s not really built to hit 25 homers a year, he’s got to do a little better job just getting on base. The simplest way is to do a bit better job waiting for his pitch early in counts. He’s shown a tendency to slash at the first pitch he can reach, and as a result, he puts the ball in play a good amount, but doesn’t make as much hard contact as he should.
His 30.4 percent chase rate tells the tale of his discipline, while his better than average 9.9 percent whiff rate on swings speaks to his good hands and compact swing. He got a little free swinging last year, and while that led him to some modest power gains he’d like to retain, his game at the plate still needs to be balanced around contact, walks, and just slightly better swing decisions.
Even so, Pérez has a career 98 wRC+ compared to Parker Meadows’ 94 wRC+ mark. Pérez has matched him as a hitter, and has overall been more consistent as well, while Meadows erratic performance features wilder hot and cold stretches. Where Meadows has him is defensively, and that’s an area that hopefully Pérez will continue to get chances to work on in Toledo. Max Clark will presumably play CF most days, and Trei Cruz might fight for some of those reps, but Clark needs to work in RF some as well to improve his versatility. On those days it would be great if Pérez got the CF reps. He didn’t play there that much in the minor leagues, converting almost directly from second base in the minors to becoming a major league outfielder to get his bat and speed on the roster. While Pérez consistently grades out above average in right field, getting used to having to read the curve of the baseball off the bat in center field is a different beast. If he can get some more time out there in Triple-A, it would be good for him, and good for the Tigers should Meadows fall on his face at the plate.
That leads us to the final point, which is that Pérez should be running aggressively in Toledo, trying to improve his reads and jumps off of pitchers at the Triple-A level. He appeared in 100 games in 2025, but he only stole 8 bases. Pérez has certainly lost a step since his days as a skinny, slap-hitting prospect. Adding the muscle that makes him a 15-20 HR threat presumably came with a trade-off. Pérez and Colt Keith both grade out with the same Statcast sprint speed, just modestly better than average. However, Pérez naturally gets better jumps and has a good deal more base stealing experience. He averaged about 20 steals a year through most of his minor league career. If he can work on this and get back to being a little more of a stolen base threat, that would also add another boost to his game.
Pérez has proven better than Meadows so far, though the margins are slim, as a hitter. It’s Meadows edge as a plus center fielder and a little more of a stolen base threat that keeps Pérez in second fiddle position. Hopefully, rather than being disappointed for too long, the 26-year-old continues to work on the finer points of his game under manager Gabe Alvarez.
In the long run, Max Clark is coming to take over. His debut is likely to come in June or July as needed. Meadows himself needs to get it in gear this season or he might end permanently relegated to defensive specialist mode. Pérez’s better contact ability gives him an element Meadows lacks, even as Meadows defensive superiority keeps Pérez in Toledo for now. Both are reaching a point in their career where they need to clean things up and play a more consistent, bankable brand of ball to remain viable as full-time major league players.
With one option remaining after this year, Pérez doesn’t need some breakthrough, but if he can make some subtle improvements, he’s more likely to impress in whatever time he earns this year. Meadows’ defense will always give him that edge, but should he fail at the plate, Pérez could still prove an important player for the Tigers by filling the gap from Meadows to Clark by playing a mix of center field and right field. With an injury prone Kerry Carpenter on the roster, and Mesdows still a big question mark at the plate, odds are good that the Tigers will need them some Wenceel Pérez this year.
At this point, Pérez is too old for his underlying skills to improve much, but he has plenty to work with already. The trick is squeezing every last bit of production out of his tools. A league average switch-hitter, with some power, some stolen base ability, and the chops to play an average center field is a pretty polished profile if he can improve his routes, steal a few more bags, and show just a little more discipline at the plate. Those are small asks individually, but tougher as a group. Maybe his time in the organization runs out this year, and maybe not, but if he takes the demotion as a challenge and can make some subtle gains, there are going to be a lot of teams around the league interested in his services. Hopefully Pérez is up the challenge, because there’s still a path to a long career as a major league outfielder there for the taking.
Mar 19, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Jasson Dominguez (24) slides into second base at the end of the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Spring training is over! The Yankees wrapped up the exhibition portion of their season with a big win over the Cubs down in Arizona — 8-3 is your final. Let’s talk about it so we can turn our attention to the stuff that will matter in pursuit of #28.
Gerrit Cole had a power pitcher’s outing today, striking out Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch to start the game, Alex Bregman took him deep, and then sitting down Ian Happ to end the first inning. He would get two outs in the second before being replaced by Harrison Cohen (???), for a total of 26 pitches, 17 of them strikes, a crisp 65 percent strike rate.
While we don’t have video of his outing, Statcast still tracks nontelevised games. Cole was red hot in the first, sitting 96mph and getting it up to 98, before taking a little off in the second and sitting 94-95. I said in the gamethread that this phase of Cole’s rehab is built around balancing his velocity and command, and I think that’s reflected in how he approached his start today. The first inning was proof positive that his fastball can still pop, which is encouraging to see given how hard he was throwing in his first Grapefruit League game last week. The second inning was briefer — just four pitches — but the pitch plots and tick down in velocity indicates to me he was trying to locate better, and two outs off contact help show that side of his recovery seems to be going well.
The Yankees got that Bregman dinger back quickly, with Jasson Domínguez appearing eager to win back a roster spot on the big-league team. The Martian singled to lead off the second, stole a base, advanced on a groundout and came home on Ryan McMahon’s sac fly, a nice bit of Big Fundamental baseball and a hustle run that will help him get more MLB time at some point in 2026. Domínguez followed that up a couple innings later with a more traditional source of offense, as he and Randal Grichuk hit back-to-back solo shots in the fourth.
Ben Rice had given the club the lead an inning earlier, blasting his second home run of spring in a highlight that probably would have been cool to see. With just a .771 OPS Rice hasn’t had the best results in Grapefruit League play, but he’s still one of the players I’m most looking forward to watching when the games count for real.
Four-slot in the rotation Ryan Weathers also had himself a decent enough day, working five innings and allowing just a solo home run to Miguel Amaya. Weathers managed four strikeouts over that stretch, and after a bit of a rough patch in camp, he ended exhibition play on a high note and we can be reasonably optimistic that this four-man rotation to open the year will be able to hold up.
Reliable bench option Amed Rosario added on to the lead, driving in a pair of runs in the sixth on the back of two Duke Ellis stolen bases. This is the last time I’ll have to give spring training caveats for an entire year, but it does feel as though the Yankees, at the MLB level and within the org, present more threats on the bases than we’ve seen in years past. Spencer Jones also swiped a bag, his fourth of camp. Rosario himself was brought around on an RBI double off Paul DeJong’s bat.
The boys in the dugout now go their separate ways, some heading to San Francisco, some Scranton or Somerset or Tampa. The real work begins tomorrow, and we’ll have plenty of coverage ahead of Opening Day against the Giants — remember, first pitch is at 8:05pm Eastern, exclusively on Netflix.
A month ago, I wrote about Moses Moody seizing his opportunity. The timing felt right. The stats were backing the eye test that the Golden State Warriors, battered and shorthanded, had found something real in their 23-year-old wing, something they could finally trust.
He was no longer auditioning, we were witnessing the rise of a performer.
Last night in Dallas, Moody stole the ball from Cooper Flagg with 1:13 left in overtime, got out in space for what looked like a wide-open dunk to seal the win, planted his left foot, and the floor grotesquely gave out beneath a season that had finally started to mean something. Torn patellar tendon…season over.
Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody has been diagnosed with a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, sources tell ESPN. Moody's career-best season is over and a lengthy rehab will be required. pic.twitter.com/A8IqhgbXIL
The cruelty isn’t just in the injury. It’s in the return. Moody had missed the previous ten games with a right wrist sprain. He came back Monday and gave the Warriors everything he had: 23 points, three steals, playing that swarming defense Dub Nation is getting accustomed to. Moody changed the game for them; then they wheeled him off on a stretcher while Steph sat on the bench with his head in his hands.
That image isn’t leaving anytime soon.
This is what stings beyond any box score. Moody was the living argument for the Two-Timeline strategy actually working. The Warriors drafted him 14th overall in 2021 believing Golden State could compete for championships in the present while developing a player to carry the franchise into its next chapter. That bet looked shaky for stretches. Jonathan Kuminga, the other cornerstone of that draft class vision, is now in Atlanta. The timeline got complicated, as timelines tend to when rings are on the line and patience runs out.
But Moody stayed. Moody grew. In his fifth year, starting 49 of 60 games and averaging career highs across the board, he was becoming exactly what this roster needed: a reliable, versatile two-way wing who could guard the league’s best perimeter scorers and make sound decisions with the ball when there was no veteran safety net beneath him.
And this team needed him badly. Curry has been out 22 consecutive games with a persistent right knee issue. Butler tore his ACL in January. Horford is down with a calf strain. This team has been running a relay race through the injury report, handing the baton to whoever’s still standing. Moody was supposed to be one of the last men standing. That was his whole arc this season.
Steve Kerr postgame on Moses Moody:
"I just saw his leg buckle and I saw him go down in a heap in pain. We don't know what it is, but it sure looked bad and just hoping for the best. Whatever the best case scenario is, that's what we're all hoping for, but it looked bad . . . Mo… pic.twitter.com/bWYeXs4eLN
The patellar tendon recovery is long. Typically nine months to a full year before a player is back at full competitive form. Moody will miss the rest of this season and likely the opening stretch of the next. He’s in year one of a three-year, $39 million extension the Warriors gave him because they believed in who he was becoming. Nothing about last night changes who he’s becoming.
The Warriors made a bet on a timeline and Moses Moody was the proof it could work. That proof isn’t gone, rather it’s just delayed, same as everything else beautiful this franchise keeps being asked to wait for.
The Cubs’ final spring training game was a clunker, an 8-3 loss to the Yankees at Sloan Park. So this is going to be a very short game recap, as the team’s focus turns to the 2026 season opener Thursday at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs scored both of their runs on solo homers.
That was Bregman’s fourth of the spring and his second in as many days. Of course, spring stuff doesn’t usually carry over to the season, but let’s hope Bregman hits the ground running beginning Thursday.
Personally, I think Amaya is ready to have a breakout year, presuming he can stay healthy. That would be a huge bat to have, along with his good defense.
Edward Cabrera started this one, his final tuneup of the spring. It wasn’t a great outing, as he served up three home runs to Yankees hitters over 4.1 innings. Ben Rice took Cabrera deep twice. Hopefully this is just a one-off and Cabrera will also hit the proverbial ground running, whenever his first start is (I suspect it will be against the Angels in the season’s second series). Here’s more on Cabrera’s outing [VIDEO].
All the starting players in this game had a couple of at-bats and then left for the late afternoon flight to Chicago.
Attendance watch: 13,880 attended this afternoon’s final spring game of 2026 at Sloan Park. The Cubs again led the Cactus League in attendance, with the season total at 239,459, or 13,303 per date.
The Cubs open the 2026 season Thursday at Wrigley Field against the Washington Nationals. Matthew Boyd will take the mound for the Cubs, his third Opening Day start (also twice with the Tigers) and Cade Cavalli will go for the Nats. Game time is 1:20 p.m. CT, TV coverage is via Marquee Sports Network… and the temperature is forecast to be in the 70s!
The Yankees socked three home runs, including a long drive by Jasson Dominguez, and GerritCole struck out three as New York scored an 8-3 win over the Chicago Cubs in Mesa, Arizona, in the final game of spring training on the eve of Opening Day.
Here are the takeaways...
- Cole got another turn in the spring as he continued his rehab from Tommy John, with May as his target return date. And the right-hander looked good to start, getting the first two batters on 97 mph heaters at the knees, first Pete Crow-Armstrong swinging and Michael Busch looking.
With two down, Alex Bregman got a 1-0 sinker at the bottom of the zone and launched it 413 feet to center for a home run. Facing a third lefty in the inning, Cole got a familiar result, with a 97 mph 3-2 fastball on the inside corner freezing Ian Happ to strike out the side.
Cody Bellinger made a nice play in the gap to give Cole an out to start the top of the second on a ball off Nico Hoerner's bat. The Yanks' ace allowed another hard-hit ball on a hanging knuckle-curveball as left fielder Dominguez ran down a sharp liner (105.2 mph off the bat) from Dansby Swanson. That was the end of the day for Cole after two pitches found the middle of the zone and were hit well, his final line: 1.2 innings allowing just the one run on the homer with three strikeouts on 26 pitches (17 strikes).
- Dominguez, who will begin the season at Triple-A, opened the top of the second by cracking a sharply hit single to left (105.2 mph). He didn’t stay at first for long, swiping second with a head-first dive and came around to score two batters later.
In the fourth, Dominguez got a slider on the inner-half of the plate and turned on it for a 434-foot homer to right, just clobbering it 109.1 mph. He grounded into a fielder’s choice and was caught trying to steal second in the fifth. The left fielder finished 2-for-4.
- Randal Grichuk, likely the final man on the Opening Day roster, made it back-to-back homers to start the fourth, driving a 2-1 fastball deep to center field for his first home run of spring. He went 1-for-2 with a walk in his final time up in the sixth.
- Ben Rice got the green light on a 3-0 pitch in his second at-bat and smashed the center-cut 97 mph fastball 431 feet to center field off Chicago starter Edward Cabera. The ball was just tattooed, 111.4 mph off the bat, and was a no-doubter. The first baseman finished 1-for-2.
- Bellinger, after going down swinging on three pitches in his first at-bat, singled up the middle on a sharply hit ball (106.9 mph) in the third, finishing 1-for-2.
- Ryan McMahon had a sac fly to right to score the Yanks' first run in the second. He lined out on a sharply hit ball (110.1 mph) to center his second time up, finishing 0-for-2 with a strikeout swinging on a slider in the sixth.
- J.C. Escarra ripped a two-out triple with a smashed liner (112.2 mph) off the first baseman's glove in the fourth. The catcher went 1-for-4 with a strikeout swinging.
- Spencer Jones, who will also begin the season at Triple-A, worked a walk, stole second, and came around to score on minor league catcher Payton Henry’s single to right with one out in the fifth. The big outfielder went hitless in his next two times up.
- Amed Rosario added a two-RBI single to right, going with a pitch for a two-out single in the sixth. He went 1-for-3 with a hard-luck lineout in his first at-bat.
- Some other notable Yanks: Jazz Chisholm Jr. went 0-for-1 with a walk, Paul Goldschmidt went 0-for-2 with a strikeout swinging, and Jose Caballero went 0-for-2 with a strikeout swinging.
- Out of the bullpen: After Harrison Cohen got Moises Ballesteros looking to end the second, Ryan Weathers put two men on in the home half of the third with a one-out double and a two-out walk, but kept the Cubs off the board. The left-hander had a 1-2-3 fourth, but got tagged for the longest homer of the day, 446 feet by Miguel Amaya, on an over-the-plate slider in the fifth.
Weathers, facing Cubs minor leaguers, retired six straight after the home run with two strikeouts before a one-out single in the seventh. His final line: 5.0 innings, one run on four hits with a walk and four strikeouts on 80 pitches (57 strikes).
What's next
They count for real beginning tomorrow as the Yankees open the 2026 MLB season in San Francisco. Left-hander Max Fried gets the Opening Day start and will face off with Giants righty Logan Webb. First pitch is set for 8:05 p.m. ET.
