SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 6: Jacob deGrom #48 of the Texas Rangers participates in a throwing drill prior to a Spring Training game against the Seattle Mariners at Surprise Stadium on March 6, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Oklahoma City infielder Hyeseong Kim (6) catches a pop fly during the home opener Minor League baseball game between the Oklahoma City Comets and the El Paso Chihuahuas at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Dodgers minor league season officially started on Friday night, with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets losing to the Albuquerque Isotopes 3-1 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City.
Offense was at a premium on Friday, with the Comets’ only run coming after Hyeseong Kim led off the game with a single. An errant pickoff throw got Kim into scoring position, and Zach Ehrhard in his first Triple-A at-bat singled him home.
Kim played all nine innings at second base in the opener, and is expected to play multiple positions with Oklahoma City.
Ehrhard in the third inning also walked and stole second base. But like every other Comet on Friday, he did not score. Oklahoma City in the game managed only five singles to go with five walks.
Cole Irvin started the opener and walked five himself in his five innings. Four of those innings were scoreless, but a three-run second inning spoiled his night.
Player of the day
Paul Gervase followed Irvin on the mound and pitched two perfect innings of relief, with a pair of strikeouts.
Play of the game
Utility man Ryan Fitzgerald played third base on Friday, and turned in incredible double play to end the third inning.
Triple-A: In addition to pitcher José Rodríguez and first baseman Matt Gorski starting the season on the 60-day injured list, pitchers Yency Almonte, Nick Frasso, and Ryan Sublette, plus catcher Chuckie Robinson were all put on the 7-day injured list on Friday.
After a day off, the New York Mets will be back on the field to face the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second game of their series. The Mets are favored with a moneyline of -175 and a spread of -1.5. Starting pitchers are Mitch Keller for the Pirates and David Peterson for the Mets.
British rider went off road after misjudging corner on Friday
Bone and ligament damage to his right knee and wrist
Tom Pidcock has been withdrawn from the Volta a Catalunya because of injuries sustained in a crash during the fifth stage on Friday. The British rider went off the road after misjudging a corner, suffering what he described as a “horror” crash down a ravine.
Although the Pinarello-Q36.5 rider was able to get back on his bike and complete the stage, after medical assessments with his team and also at hospital, it was determined Pidcock could not resume the race.
SARASOTA, FL - MARCH 20: Enrique Bradfield Jr. #99 of the Baltimore Orioles bats during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium on Friday, March 20, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Norfolk Tides’ season opener was a wet and wacky one. For six innings, the Tides’ offense looked hopeless, garnering just two hits as they fell into a 4-0 hole. But the game flipped on its head in a wild, six-run bottom of the seventh — and I literally mean “wild.” Nashville pitchers issued three consecutive walks after an inning-opening error, with Enrique Bradfield Jr. taking a four-pitch free pass to force home the first run.
That opened the floodgates for the Norfolk bats. Pinch-hitter Willy Vasquez roped a double to score two more runs before Weston Wilson’s RBI single tied the game at four. The Sounds got wild again, uncorking a wild pitch that plated Vasquez with the go-ahead run. With two down, Sam Huff’s RBI knock added an insurance run, completing an inning in which the Tides sent 10 batters to the plate.
The rally came just in the nick of time, as heavy rain enveloped the Harbor Park Field and forced the cancellation of the final two innings. That goes down as a win for the Tides, unconventional as it may be.
Before the late dramatics, Norfolk starter Trey Gibson — the Orioles’ top pitching prospect — struggled in his Opening Day assignment. Gibson lasted only three innings and threw just 44 of his 79 pitches for strikes, issuing an ugly five walks. He also got himself into trouble in the second inning by failing to cover the bag on a grounder to first, putting a runner on base who later scored. It’s safe to say that Gibson still has some things he needs to work on.
Jackson Holliday has already begun his rehab assignment, so it shouldn’t be too long before he’s back with the Orioles. He looked a little rusty in this one, going 0-for-2 with two strikeouts and a walk. Bradfield, meanwhile, did a good job setting the table from the leadoff spot, reaching base twice. Catcher Creed Willems had a tough time behind the plate, failing to throw out any of the Sounds’ three basestealers and also committing an error.
TOKYO, JAPAN - MARCH 09: Travis Bazzana #64 of Team Australia celebrates hitting a RBI single in the eighth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool C game between South Korea and Australia at Tokyo Dome on March 9, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Toru Hanai/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Clippers are now 0-1, but there’s still time for us to preview their 2026 season.
The Clippers released a preliminary roster yesterday… we say preliminary because some prominent names were missing. One would assume Logan Allen and Franco Aleman are on hold until more clarity is reached with the Tanner Bibee situation. Pedro Avila, Kolby Allard, Jack Leftwich, Doug Nikhazy, Trevor Stephan, also, should be there eventually. Anyway, here’s what we have so far:
Pitchers:
Tanner Burns, RHP, Jack Carey, RHP, Will Dion, LHP, Jay Driver, RHP, Magnus Ellerts, RHP, Daniel Espino, RHP, Yorman Gomez, RHP, Matt Jahec, RHP, Jack Jasiak, RHP, Tommy Mace, RHP, Robin Maltrud, RHP, Izaak Martinez, LHP, Jake Miller, RHP, Steven Perez, LHP, and Ryan Webb, LHP.
Analysis:
This is an interesting group, if not particularly exciting aside from the notable exception of Daniel Espino. We will all follow Espino’s attempt to re-establish himself as a pitcher whose talent will be reckoned with by major league hitters sooner rather than later.
Yorman Gomez, Will Dion and Ryan Webb have fifth starter in the big leagues potential (with Gomez seemingly having a good reliever floor) and I haven’t quite given up on groundball artist Tommy Mace, yet. Steven Perez and Magnus Ellerts highlight the non-Aleman/Espino arms to monitor in the bullpen. Avila is, of course, a delight. We will see if Kahl Stephen and Josh Hartle can join this group, soon. I am also interested to see how Allard takes to being stretched out as a starter as rumored to be planned.
Catchers:
Kody Huff, RHH, Cooper Ingle LHH, and Dom Nunez, RHH.
Analysis:
This group is all about Ingle. Can he improve behind the plate and continue his excellence in contact and plate discipline while getting to more of his power? That’s what we need to watch with this group. If Bo Naylor is having a great season, Ingle could even land a whale in July if needed if he is performing well…
Infielders:
Travis Bazzana, LHH 2B, Juan Brito, SH 2B/3B/1B, Milan Tolentino, LHH SS/3B, Dayan Frias, SH 3B/SS.
Analysis:
Obviously, this is all about Bazzana and him realizing his potential, as well as Brito showing enough to get his shot (three hits including two doubles in game one). But, Tolentino and Frias should be good depth pieces.
Outfielders:
Stuart Fairchild, RHH OF, Petey Halpin, LHH CF, Nolan Jones, LHH OF, and Kahlil Watson, LHH CF.
Analysis:
I am very happy Fairchild ended up in Columbus. His presence will put pressure on Angel Martinez to stop swinging at pitches in the other batter’s box. Watson had a breakout 2025 and looked great in Spring Training and may make himself an option this season. Halpin and Jones are good depth pieces to have. One would expect Wuilfredo Antunez will join this group soon, also.
Columbus should be a fun group to follow as we enjoy seeing a strong Guardians farm system continue to develop.
Which players are catching your eye as the Triple-A season starts? Tell us in the comments below:
Mar 27, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (1) is introduced before a game against the Kansas City Royals on opening day at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
How great does it feels to win on Opening Day? Winning > Losing.
The Atlanta Braves blanked the Kansas City Royals in Atlanta last night, and in doing so, two prominent members of the organization moved up on some notable Braves and MLB leader boards.
When Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies took the field to start the game, his ninth consecutive Opening Day start at second base in his career with the Braves, he broke a tie with Glenn Hubbard for the most consecutive starts at second base in franchise history. (The last Braves player to start on Opening Day at second base? None other than “Dat Dude BP”, Brandon Phillips [AKA Mr. Jade Cargill].)
Albies wasn’t done with some notable Braves historical moments.
When he put the Braves on the board with a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning, he became eighth Brave all-time to record three or more career home runs on Opening Day.
That list is a who’s who of organizational legends: MLB and Braves Hall of Famers Eddie Mathews (7), Joe Torre (4), Andruw Jones (3) and Fred McGriff (3) as well as Braves Hall of Famers Brian McCann (3) and Dale Murphy (3). Future both-of-those-things Freddie Freeman also hit three with the Braves. (Hat-tip to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman for that information).
The two hits Albies had on the night also moved him past Torre into 23rd in hits all-time in Braves franchise history. He is nine games away from passing Torre for 27th in games played with the Braves. He’s also now tied with Johnny Logan for 20th for runs scored in franchise history.
Braves left-handed starting pitcher Chris Sale tossed six shutout innings on the way to picking up the win on Opening Day, ringing up six batters along the way. Those strikeouts brought his career total to 2,585 and moved him past Braves legend and inner circle Hall of Fame left-hander Warren Spahn to 30th place in MLB history.
Sale is 23 strikeouts away from passing another Hall of Fame left-hander, and former Brave pitcher, Tom Glavine.
One last Opening Day note, it was Austin Riley’s seventh-consecutive start at third base on Opening Day. That ties him with Chipper Jones and Bob Horner who both started seven consecutive times on Opening Day at third base for the Braves. That is the longest streak for a third-baseman while exclusively in Atlanta. A reminder, Chipper Jones’s overall Opening Day start streak included three seasons as the team’s starting left fielder.
Mathews started 15-consecutive times on Opening Day at third base with the Braves, but only the final year of his streak took place after the team moved to Atlanta.
If Riley can start the next three season at third base on Opening Day with Atlanta, he would become the first third baseman in franchise history to be the only starter at the position for every year in a decade.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 15: Tom Wilhelmsen #54 slides down the Home Run Slide into his teammates Brandon Maurer #37 and Charlie Furbush #41 of the Seattle Mariners during a visit to the MLB Fan Cave on May 15, 2013 at Broadway and 4th Street in New York City. (Photo by Thomas Levinson/MLB via Getty Images) | MLB via Getty Images
The Mariners won their first game of (hopefully) many, it’s a glorious Saturday and today our beLLoved LLinks master gets married! Ders has been writing here for 12 years, while also doing things like high school graduation, college graduation, broadcasting around the country, getting engaged and now, literally today, perhaps even at this very minute as you are reading, getting married. He is dedicated, thoughtful, warm and brilliant, and we are just so fortunate that he chooses to gift us with his time and energy day in and day out. Here’s to a lifetime of joy, a partnership that remains strong even when that joy flags and, of course, to many more links. We love ya!
Sometimes nostalgia halts progress or stifles creativity. Not so with The Late Innings Show, which features beloved former Mariners relievers Charlie Furbush and Tom Wilhelmsen. The first episode drops this weekend!
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 27: Salvador Perez #13 of the Kansas City Royals hits a single against the Atlanta Braves during the second inning of the home opener at Truist Park on March 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“We’ll go day to day with the catching, but Carter’s going to catch,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “He and Salvy are going to split — not evenly, 50-50, but game times, travel, the type of game one of them has to catch will dictate what happens the next day. And as far as hitting, [Jensen] will get DH reps as well. We think he’s a really good hitter, so we’re going to find ways to get him in the lineup.”
The Royals scored 84 fewer runs in 2025 than they did in 2024. A few of the above items already covered some ways they can close the gap.
But another? Their swing decisions.
It’s among the items hitting coach Alec Zumwalt and general manager J.J. Picollo mention most frequently. But the Royals swung at the sixth-fewest strikes in baseball — including swinging at the sixth-fewest meatballs — yet they had the ninth-highest chase rate
They had the lowest walk rate in the American League.
Doing more damage at the plate starts with using the pitches on which you can inflict the damage.
When I asked him in January about the Royals realizing along the way last year that they needed more veteran leadership, Picollo said he had put a lot of thought into that dynamic — especially when it comes to the young nucleus of Bobby Witt Jr., Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia.
“When you are getting into Year 3, 4 and 5 in the major leagues, at some point it’s your time,” he said. “Right now, Bobby, Vinnie, Maikel, it’s your time.”
“It was a strange night because we had to wait for some results and we were inside,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro recalled. “And do we stay? You know, there was a rain delay in one of the other games.”
Would you believe that the Royals have had four seasons in their history where their offense walked at least 9 percent of the time? Of course you would. The only thing unbelievable about that is that you might have expected it to be fewer than four times. For what it’s worth, the four times are 1973 (10.3%), 1975 (9.5%), 1972 (9.1%) and 1989 (9.0%). This group is one that I believe will join them.
Franchise temperature: 57 degrees. This feels like a good temperature for the Royals, who went into a period of rapid cooling after their contending rosters from the mid-2010s broke up. To the credit of J.J. Picollo and his staff, the Royals have curbed that decline and managed to settle in tepid waters. With a contention-worthy 26-man roster heading into 2026, they hope to wade a little closer to the warm sands of the shoreline ahead.
It’s a full slate of games across the majors today, with a total of 15 contests on the schedule.
My MLB player props and home run predictions will focus on Pete Crow-Armstrong, Colton Cowser, and Eugenio Suarez.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
Pete Crow-Armstrong
+320
Colton Cowser
+520
Eugenio Suarez
+420
💲Today's HR parlay
+15188
Pete Crow-Armstrong (+320)
Pete Crow-Armstrong showed glimpses of brilliance in his first full season in 2024, but 2025 was the true coming-out party. The Chicago Cubs star smacked 31 home runs while hitting .247.
For a small guy, PCA has serious power.
While he’s yet to go deep this season, Crow-Armstrong is already hitting .400, and he’ll be looking forward to today’s matchup. The Cubbies face Miles Mikolas of the Washington Nationals, and PCA is 7-for-9 against him.
Five of those hits have left the yard. He has absolutely terrorized the righty, and this is the perfect time for PCA’s first bomb of the year.
Time: 2:20 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Nationals.TV, MARQ
Colton Cowser (+520)
Colton Cowser has shown some pop in his bat over the last couple of seasons for the Baltimore Orioles. He clubbed 24 homers in ‘24 before 16 long balls last season in just 92 games.
Cowser is capable of leaving the yard at any given moment.
The O’s take on the Minnesota Twins once again today, who hand Taj Bradley the baseball. Cowser is 4-for-10 lifetime off the 25-year-old right-hander, going deep once. He hit 11 of his bombs off righties in 2025.
Bradley was also HR prone at times last season, surrendering 19 in 27 starts.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: FS1
Eugenio Suarez (+420)
Eugenio Suarez is back in a Cincinnati Reds uniform, and he’s still one of the most feared power hitters in the show. The slugger went deep 49 times last season between stints with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Seattle Mariners.
The Venezuelan’s eyes will be lighting up with who is on the mound today for the Boston Red Sox. Sonny Gray takes the ball, and Suarez is 7-for-13 lifetime off the veteran with two home runs.
He hit 36 of his bombs off right-handed hurlers last year.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NESN, Reds.TV
2026 Transparency record
HR picks: 2-for-6, +2.0 units
Today’s HR parlay
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Bet Now +15188
Colton Cowser
Eugenio Suarez
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Peter Chiarelli could be back in the saddle and managing an NHL front office. The former Edmonton Oilers general manager is reportedly on the radar for a GM role after several years out of the spotlight.
New reports are that he's leaving the St. Louis Blues as changes are made with their management group. He is now a candidate for the Nashville Predators GM job, per Darren Dreger.
"The @StLouisBlues front office is changing with Kevin Maxwell and Peter Chiarelli leaving the club to pursue other opportunities. Chiarelli is a candidate in Nashville’s interview process and Maxwell is expected to return to the New York Rangers in a management role."
Chiarelli's Time in Edmonton Was Polarizing
Chiarelli’s time in Edmonton didn’t end well. He was let go in 2019 after four rocky seasons, remembered largely for a string of questionable moves—most notably trading away Taylor Hall, who went on to win the Hart Trophy, and dealing Jordan Eberle, along with parting with high draft capital in the Griffin Reinhart deal. He traded Ryan Strome for Ryan Spooner, then acquired Brandon Manning, after Manning took out Connor McDavid and broke his collar bone.
Many fans might not even have realized that Chiarelli had been working behind the scenes with the St. Louis Blues, first as a consultant and later as Vice President of Hockey Operations. But, as GM Doug Armstrong moves on and other changes are being made, Chiarelli is exploring his options, including throwing his hat into the mix for the Nashville Predators GM job, with Barry Trotz stepping aside.
It’s a fascinating development. Chiarelli played a major part in building the Boston Bruins team that won the Stanley Cup in 2011, but his reputation took a hit in Edmonton.
Whether he gets another chance to run a team remains to be seen—but he’s clearly back in the conversation.
Pierre LeBrun reported, "My sense of the Preds' executive search is that they are not feeling rushed by any deadline, they've cast a wide net (spoken to 15 or so people) and it'll take as long as it needs to take until they make the hire(s) they feel are right. So if outgoing GM Barry Trotz needs to run the June draft, so be it. But obviously a hire could happen before then."
In other words, Chiarelli isn't a shoo in. This decision could take some time.
The Detroit Tigers have kicked off the 2026 campaign strong, having already clinched the season-opening series against the San Diego Padres with a 5-2 win on Friday night. On Saturday, they go for the sweep, which would complete the reversal of last season’s start.
So far, the visitors have outscored the home team, 13-4, behind solid performances by Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez, respectively. Rookie Kevin McGonigle added two more hits to his team-leading total of five and shares the team lead of four RBIs with Dillon Dingler.
Next up in the rotation is right-hander Jack Flaherty, who takes the mound opposite of fellow righty Randy Vásquez on Saturday. Here is a brief look at how they match up.
The Los Angeles Dodgers (2-0) are looking to take their third straight game against the Arizona Diamondbacks (0-2). The Dodgers are favored with a -220 moneyline and a -1.5 spread. Tyler Glasnow will start for the Dodgers against the Diamondbacks’ Eduardo Rodriguez.
How to Watch Arizona Diamondbacks vs Los Angeles Dodgers
The Florida Panthers are in New York for a quick weekend back-to-back set against the two teams that play on the east side of the Hudson River.
All the fun will begin Saturday when Florida lines up against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena in Elmont.
Florida arrives on Long Island with an injury-riddled roster, most recently losing forward Evan Rodrigues to a broken finger.
He joins the Panthers’ CVS receipt of an injured list, which features Sasha Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, Anton Lundell, Niko Mikkola, Uvis Balinskis, Jonah Gadjovich, and Cole Schwindt.
Youngster Mackie Samoskevich, who has missed each of the past three games after suffering a laceration on his neck, could be back in the lineup on Saturday.
As for the Islanders, they are pushing hard for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Entering play Saturday, New York holds the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with 87 points, one point ahead of both the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings.
They are also tied in points with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are third in the Metropolitan Division, and one point behind Pittsburgh for second place.
The Panthers, meanwhile, remain in a fight to retain their top-10 protected first-round pick.
Currently the Cats hold the eighth-worst record, one point behind the Seattle Kraken and two back of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Saturday’s showdown on Long Island:
Photo caption: Mar 1, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) skates with the puck defended by New York Islanders defenseman Tony DeAngelo (77) during the third period at UBS Arena. (Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - MARCH 22: Tyson Etienne #10, Channey Johnson #31, Malachi Smith #18, and E.J. Liddell #9 of the Brooklyn Nets talk during the game against the Sacramento Kings on March 22, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
We’re almost there! The Nets have just eight games remaining on their schedule in the regular season. This isn’t just the end of a season for the Nets…it’s the end of a two year “tank run” we knew wouldn’t be fun, but we had to go through. It’s the end of a jail sentence. The end of a depressing, laborious chore. Friend of the show Jordan Greene is here to help us get a few steps closer to the finish line.
In this episode of The Brooklyn with Pooch & Collin, we touch on:
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Colton Cowser
Eugenio Suarez
