DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) — The NASCAR team co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan continued its strong 2026 start in the Cup Series, locking up the top two starting spots Saturday at Darlington Raceway.
The 23XI Racing driver captured his 13th pole position despite smacking the wall with his No. 45 Toyota as he struggled with a new package that makes driving harder with higher horsepower and lower downforce.
“I tried to take it easy and just overdid the throttle,” Reddick said. “I kind of knew I was in trouble about a third of the way through, so I just had to hit the wall at that point.
“Just really proud of everyone at 23XI. It was a huge focal point with the adjustments to the engine and downforce to stay as strong as we have been the last couple of years. I knew it would be a huge challenge in qualifying today, and it was. I damn near wrecked.”
Teammate Bubba Wallace qualified second at 168.434 mph in his No. 23 Toyota for 23XI, marking the second front row sweep for the team founded by Jordan and NASCAR star Denny Hamlin. Reddick and Wallace are also ranked 1-2 in the points standings through five races.
“That’s Reddick for you,” Wallace said. “He pushes it to the limit. That was a hell of a lap. Just proud of the efforts of the team. Continue to ride the momentum from Race 1 to now and Darlington’s super tough. This package is a handful.”
Chase Elliott qualified third after his No. 9 Chevrolet failed inspection twice before the session, resulting in the loss of pit selection and the ejection of car chief Matt Barndt.
Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top five in qualifying.
Chris Buescher qualified sixth, but his No. 17 Ford also failed inspection twice. The team lost its pit selection and car chief Josh Sisco for the race.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza spoke after the team's 5-3 loss to the Astros on Saturday afternoon and touched on a number of topics...
Position players still in the mix for Opening Day
The Mets made a few decisions regarding the Opening Day roster in recent days. They laid out their five-man starting rotation to start the season, which doesn't include Sean Manaea. Instead, the southpaw will begin the regular season in the bullpen as a piggyback to the starters.
New York also optioned right-hander Austin Warren to Triple-A -- along with Kevin Herget and Robert Stock. Warren was in the mix for a bullpen spot.
But how about the position players?
The big story heading into camp was who would start in right field. Prospect Carson Benge seemingly had the inside track and has backed it up with a big spring, but veterans like MJ Melendez and Mike Tauchman were competing for a spot. Melendez was optioned earlier this week, and Tauchman exited Saturday's game with knee soreness. He'll undergo an MRI.
Although Mendoza didn't have an update on Tauchman, the Mets skipper was asked whether Benge's spot is all-but-assured with this latest development.
"Can’t say," Mendoza said. "We don’t know. Just gotta wait."
On a follow-up, Mendoza was asked which of the position players are still in contention for a roster spot, and the third-year manager was honest about the situation.
"From the guys who are at camp, here. You got Jared Young, you got [Vidal] Brujan. There’s a lot of versatility here," Mendoza answered. "Carson’s pretty much in the mix as well. We’re looking at three, four guys for two spots."
Young hasn't produced at the plate this spring, hitting 3-for-30 (.150), but he offers that versatility Mendoza mentioned. He's played first base as well as left and right field in his six-year career.
Brujan has been better offensively this spring. He's batting .273 with seven walks, four stolen bases in 14 games. But Brujan offers more versatility than Young, having major league experience at six different positions, including all three outfield spots.
Jorge Polanco's throwing error
Polanco is one of two new Mets who are learning a new position and the veteran infielder's inexperience at first base showed on one play during Saturday's game.
In the eighth inning, Polanco ranged far to his right to get to the ball, but made a poor underhand throw to the bag, resulting in a throwing error.
Mendoza was asked about the play and what Polanco can learn from the moment.
"A very good learning opportunity," he said. "Not an easy play when he has to go that far. He’s diving for that ball, and not an easy angle for that 3-1 feed. Glad that it kinda happened, so he can learn from it. If he’s going to go underhand, continue to move your field or treat it like an infielder, which he’s done his whole career. You have that short throw, but it’s a moving target from that angle. It’s a tricky play. Because of who he is, he went long ways for that ball. You’re looking at a position where not too many first basemans are able to get to that ball. Learn from it and glad that happened today."
Mike Tauchman is set to undergo an MRI for a knee issue.
PORT ST. LUCIE — Mike Tauchman’s bid to secure a spot on the Mets’ Opening Day roster may have hit a snag.
The veteran outfielder departed Saturday’s 7-5 exhibition loss to the Astros with left knee discomfort and was to receive an MRI exam, according to manager Carlos Mendoza.
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Mendoza added that it was unclear if Tauchman’s injury was related to his collision with the right field fence early in the game.
Tauchman appeared uncomfortable after the play, and in the following inning, stopped in pain as he left the dugout.
“He felt something and just came back in and went inside with the trainer, so I am not sure how it happened,” Mendoza said.
Tauchman’s status is among the final decisions the team is facing in finalizing the 26-man roster for Opening Day.
Tauchman, Carson Benge, Vidal Brujan and Jared Young are essentially the four position players that appear in the mix for two roster spots. The Mets also have one bullpen spot open.
“We don’t know what we’re dealing with, but anytime you send somebody for an MRI there is a bit of a concern,” Mendoza said. “But we have just got to see what happens.”
Mike Tauchman is set to undergo an MRI for a knee issue. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
The Mets have Tyrone Taylor as a backup outfield option, and Tauchman has battled for a job — potentially as the starter if Benge isn’t added to the roster.
BUFFALO, NY — Michigan State is headed back to the Sweet 16.
Coen Carr had 21 points and 10 rebounds as the No. 3 Spartans beat No. 6 Louisville 77-69 in the second round of the East region to book a trip into the second weekend for the 17th time under coach Tom Izzo.
Michigan State will next face the winner of Sunday’s matchup between No. 2 Connecticut and No. 7 UCLA.
Point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. had 12 points and 16 assists for Michigan State. Forward Jaxon Kohler had 10 points and 6 rebounds. Guard Trey Fort (12 points) also scored in double figures.
Louisville was led by Ryan Conwell’s 21 points on 7 of 15 shooting. Adrian Wooley added 17 points and 4 rebounds.
After an early feeling-out period, the Spartans took a 19-12 lead with 11:55 to go in the first half after Kohler nailed a 3-pointer and a short jumper. At this point, 10 of Louisville’s 14 attempts from the field were from deep, with two makes.
While not able to get their own transition game working, some good ball movement in the halfcourt set helped the Spartans hang on for a 36-31 halftime lead. MSU had 12 assists on 13 made field goals and was shooting 46.4% from the field, though the offense was hampered by nine turnovers.
Louisville made just 12 of its 36 attempts in the first half, including 4 of 18 from deep, but was able to capitalize with nine points off MSU turnovers.
Louisville close within 50-47 eight minutes into the second half thanks to a corner 3 by 7-foot center Aly Khalifa. The Spartans responded with a 3 of their own by Fort, who went 3 of 5 from behind the arc, to lead 53-47 with 10 minutes left. The Spartans went into this final stretch having led for nearly 28 of the game’s 30 minutes.
The Cardinals and Spartans would continue to trade defensive stands for about the next two minutes, with a 3 by Wooley leaving MSU in front 55-50 with 8:20 left.
But in a crucial sequence, MSU would take its first double-digit lead since going ahead 22-12 in the first half after Louisville big man Vangelis Zougris was called for flagrant foul while trying to block a Kohler layup attempt.
Kohler would make both free throws and then hit a 3 from the wing on the ensuing possession, putting the Spartans up 63-50 with 6:41 to play. This came amid a cold spell for the Cardinals, who scored only 3 points in a five-minute span.
MSU then slowed down its offensive pace while Louisville trimmed the lead to single digits at 68-59 on another Khalifa make from beyond the arc. But the Cardinals were unable to get over the hump thanks in part to the Spartans’ success at the free-throw line.
MSU made four in a row from the line to keep Louisville at bay and delivered a punctuation mark on an alley-oop from Fears to Cooper with 1:54 left to lead 72-59.
In addition to 17 Sweet 16 appearances, the Izzo-led Spartans have made eight Final Four trips and reached two national championship games, winning it all in 2000.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Steven Stamkos had two goals and an assist to lead the Nashville Predators to a 4-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.
Stamkos opened the scoring 40 seconds in and added a power-play goal in the first two minutes of the second period as Nashville raced to an early three-goal lead. Tyson Jost and Ryan O’Reilly also scored for the Predators, who won their third straight and for the fourth time in six games. Justus Annunen made 39 saves and improved to 8-9-2.
With his second goal of the game, the 36-year-old Stamkos broke a tie with Brendan Shanahan and moved into sole possession of seventh place in the NHL with 238 career power-play goals. Phil Esposito is sixth overall with 246 man-advantage goals. Stamkos has 33 goals and 55 points this season.
Shea Theodore scored for Vegas, which lost its third in a row and for the sixth time in eight games. Akira Schmid stopped 16 shots.
Vegas carried the play throughout, outshooting Nashville 40-20. But, the Predators made the most of their shots with leads of 3-0 and 4-1 in the second period. The Golden Knights had a 20-4 edge in shots in the first period and a 10-5 advantage in the scoreless third.
Stamkos scored in the opening minute after Ryan O’Reilly won a faceoff and delivered a perfect feed in the slot.
Stamkos scored his 33 of the season on the power play at 1:24 of the second, with assists going to Filip Forsberg and Erik Haula. Tyson Jost made it 3-0 with the Predators' third short-handed goal of the season at 11:56. O'Reilly has the team's other short-handed scores this season.
Theodore got Vegas on the board at 13:10 of the second with a power-play goal before O’Reilly restored a three-goal lead for Nashville with a power-play score at 14:53, on a deflection of a shot by Stamkos.
TORUN, Poland (AP) — Armand Duplantis won another pole vault world title after he was pushed all the way by Greece's Emmanouil Karalis on Saturday.
Duplantis won his fourth consecutive world indoor championships with a tournament record vault of 6.25 meters, a 10 centimeter improvement on his winning height a year ago in Nanjing.
The pair left behind the field at 6.05.
Duplantis cleared his first attempts at 6.10, 6.15 and then 6.25, when he wobbled the bar.
Karalis passed at 6.10 and 6.15, and missed his attempts at 6.25, finshing runner-up for a second straight year.
Duplantis put away his pole, foregoing attempts at 6.32 to break his world record of 6.31 that he set last week at the Swedish meeting named after him, the Mondo Classic.
Karalis was runner-up at 6.05 and Australia's Kurtis Marschall third with a personal-best 6.00, marking the first time in history that three vaulters surpassed six meters in the same indoor contest.
Simon Ehammer of Switzerland reclaimed the heptathlon title with a world record score of 6,670, adding 25 points to the previous high set in 2012 by Ashton Eaton of the U.S. Ehammer was the world indoor champion in 2024 and runner-up last year.
Also, Zaynab Dosso of Italy won the women's 60-meter final — Olympic 100 champion Julien Alfred was third — Christopher Morales Williams of Canada and Lurdes Gloria Manuel of the Czech Republic won the men's and women's 400, and Josh Kerr of Britain the men's 3,000 six months after tearing his calf in the world outdoor 1,500 final in Tokyo.
When the Senators and Leafs met in last spring's Stanley Cup playoffs, it seemed like we were witnessing the start of something good. Since their famous post-season tilts of the early 2000s, the two clubs have rarely been good at the same time, so the 2025 playoff Battle of Ontario was a welcome sight.
But as the two clubs meet in Ottawa Saturday night for the first time this season, it looks like the best version of the Battle will be on hold again for the foreseeable future.
The Leafs will almost certainly miss the playoffs this spring for the first time in seven years, and it looks like their Stanley Cup window has closed, if it was ever really open at all.
But to make matters worse (for them), they're also limping to the finish line with the entire hockey world questioning the team's character and culture.
Earlier this month, when Leafs captain Auston Matthews had his season ended by a knee-on-knee hit from Anaheim's Radko Gudas, the group was nationally chastised for their lack of pushback.
But now Toronto has another knee injury to a top player.
Matthew Knies, who's second in Leafs scoring with 57 points, told The Hockey News' David Alter that he's playing with a knee injury, but trying to push through and finish the season with it.
“It's obviously not comfortable playing through it, but I feel like everyone's playing through something at this time of year, so that's not really an excuse," Knies said. "If it's not going to get worse, and there's no problem with me playing, then I'm going to play.”
So to recap, since last year's playoffs, Toronto has gone from first to worst in the Atlantic. They've lost Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews, traded away Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann at the deadline, Knies is rocking a bum knee, and Morgan Rielly is a late scratch with a lower-body injury.
And even if they closed the year now with a perfect 12-0 run, they'd still finish 13 points worse than last year.
Whether the team will be checked out tonight or not remains to be seen, but their fan base seems to be. Usually, despite the Senators' premium pricing for these matchups, Toronto's fans would fill Canadian Tire Centre. But two hours before game time, there were still plenty of empty seats.
Tkachuk has endured some recent criticism for not being at his usual intensity level, but he managed to completely flip the switch against the Islanders, brawling off the opening faceoff, scoring the winning goal in the final seconds, and generally playing like an angry spring bear just out of hibernation.
It will be interesting to see, after dealing with post-Olympic fatigue, if he'll be able to floor it like that for the rest of the season or not.
As for the playoffs, the Senators are still very much in the mix.
With 14 games to play, they're five points behind Montreal (A3), Boston (WC1), and Detroit (WC2). Philadelphia and Washington are right on Ottawa's tail, just one point back. So the Senators will need an elite finish and a couple of teams ahead of them to falter.
Ottawa TV remotes will get a good workout on Saturday as the Canadiens host the Islanders, while the Red Wings and Bruins go head-to-head in Detroit.
Saturday night is about kicking their provincial rivals while they're down, getting the two points they need, while hoping those other two games are both settled in regulation time.
Sens head coach Travis Green says Linus Ullmark will start in goal, and despite some line tinkering on Thursday, he's going back to the combos he's begun games with for most of this month.
Senators projected lineup
Drake Batherson -- Tim Stutzle -- Claude Giroux
Brady Tkachuk -- Dylan Cozens -- Ridly Greig
Nick Cousins -- Shane Pinto -- Michael Amadio
Warren Foegele -- Lars Eller -- Fabian Zetterlund
Thomas Chabot -- Artem Zub
Tyler Kleven -- Jordan Spence
Dennis Gilbert -- Nikolas Matinpalo
Linus Ullmark James Reimer
Scratched: Stephen Halliday, Kurtis MacDermid
Injured: Jake Sanderson (upper body), Nick Jensen (lower body)
Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was originally published at The Hockey News. For more Senators news, analysis, and features, visit the Ottawa Senators site at The Hockey News.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 16: Emmet Sheehan #80 of the Los Angeles Dodgers participates in a fielding drill prior to a Spring Training game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Camelback Ranch on March 16, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers on Saturday tied the Athletics 5-5 in nine innings at Camelback Ranch to close out the Arizona portion of their spring training. What a way to make a living.
Emmet Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski are both ticketed for the Dodgers roster, and given that Sheehan started Saturday, he’ll be the one in the rotation at first, possibly in line to start next weekend against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Sheehan said as much after his outing on Saturday:
Emmet Sheehan on his role: "I'll do whatever they want me to do. But right now, I'm a starter."
He said he's not sure exactly when he'll slot in for his first start of the regular season.
It hasn’t been smooth sailing at all this spring for Sheehan, who was sidelined a bit with the flu, and was forced to play catch up. His first three games were a mess, needing 149 pitches to get through his 7 1/3 innings, with as many walks (six) as strikeouts in his 38 batters faced.
Saturday provided more stability for Sheehan, who threw 80 pitches in 4 2/3 innings for his longest outing to date, with five strikeouts and a pair of walks. But even that came with some troubles in the second inning.
Colby Thomas doubled and stole third base. Henry Bolte stole second base because Sheehan’s pickoff throw to first took too long. He would have stolen third with an incredible jump had Leo DeVries not made contact and tripled him home. Rick Monday on the SportsNet LA telecast multiple times in the inning described Sheehan as falling asleep on the mound. Sheehan then wild-pitched De Vries home, capping a largely forgettable three-run frame.
De Vries singled again in the fifth inning, and Sheehan threw twice to first base, then stepped off the mound for a third time, triggering a disengagement violation. De Vries after getting balked to second base later scored. In his two years in the majors, Sheehan has only allowed four steals in eight attempts in 133 2/3 innings, so him getting caught flat-footed on Saturday was surprising.
That was only the second hit this month for Freeland, who has five hits in 43 at-bats this spring, with a team-leading 11 walks while hitting .116/.286/.233.
Worth the wait?
Most of Jack Suwinski’s work in Dodgers camp this spring, after getting claimed off waivers on February 21, has come on the backfields and in the team facilities at Camelback Ranch. After getting sent outright to the minors and off the 40-man roster, Suwinski finally got into a game last Sunday and played a total of three Cactus League games over the last seven days. Suwinski homered in all three games, including a solo shot to dead center field.
Suwinski is tied for the Dodgers’ team lead with three home runs. He batted 11 times.
Only in spring
We’ve seen the re-entry rule exercised a few times this spring, when a starting pitcher is removed in a struggling inning to avoid running up stressful pitches, then allowed to resume pitching the following inning. That happened on Saturday, when A’s starter Jacob Lopez was taken out with the bases loaded and two outs in the first inning. He pitched a scoreless second, then allowed a run and loaded the bases again in the third, this time removed for good with one out.
Both relievers — CD Pelham in the first inning, Justin Steiner in the third inning — escaped those unenviable jams unscathed, giving Lopez an otherwise impossible six bequeathed runners in one game, and none of them scored.
Up next
No more games in Arizona for the Dodgers, at least not until June 1-4 when they are back in Phoenix to play the Diamondbacks. Just three spring training games remain, with the Freeway Series against the Angels beginning in Anaheim on Sunday night (6:07 p.m.; SportsNet LA, MLB Network). Tyler Glasnow starts the opener, with George Klassen going for the Angels.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Wizards point guard Trae Young is dealing with a pair of injuries and is out indefinitely, the team announced before Saturday's game against the Thunder.
Young re-injured his right quadriceps, sustaining a contusion during the third quarter of Washington's game against Golden State on Monday, the team said in a statement that also said he had lower back irritation.
“Yeah, he obviously got the contusion the other night, but he’s also been dealing with a little bit of back pain, so we obviously did a little bit of imaging,” coach Brian Keefe said before the game. “The back has been irritated. Don’t have a timeline on any of that stuff yet, but obviously, he’s out tonight.”
The team said both injuries are being treated conservatively and will not require surgery at this point.
Young, acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 9, has appeared in five games with the Wizards, averaging 15.2 points and 6.2 assists.
PHILADELPHIA, PA — You just never know when a dentist on standby will come in handy.
That moment came Friday night inside Xfinity Mobile Arena for UCLA men’s basketball guard Skyy Clark, who had his front tooth knocked out after he dove to the floor in an attempt to get a loose ball against Central Florida’s Themus Fulks.
"I didn't know (what would happen). The trainer, Alexa (Blatt), told us she was going to find a dentist. I thought I was going to be toothless for the night and get it fixed today," Clark told USA TODAY Sports outside of the Bruins' locker room on Saturday, March 21.
The 6-foot-3 guard received some immediate attention from UCLA’s medical staff at the bench after the incident. He checked back in toward the end of the game and hit a free throw with 2.3 seconds left to seal the victory for the Bruins.
The dentist who saved the day was Dr. Jeff Goldfine, who is the dentist for the Philadelphia 76ers in Philadelphia. Clark said he found out he was getting a new tooth 15 minutes after Blatt said she was going to find a dentist in the area.
"Went there (to the dentist's office), took me in around 11:30. I left around 12:45, 1 in the morning," Clark said.
UCLA shared a smile of Clark's new smile on social media on Saturday.
Clark described the procedure Goldfine performed as similar to one used for a root canal. He said Goldfine made the "whole process painless," telling a larger group of reporters at media availability that anesthesia was used.
"He had to take out the nerve, clean all the tooth, and take out the root," Clark said. "Then he had to nub it down and make a little fake tooth. (Then) cemented it on for temporarily."
When asked whether he's in any pain just over 12 hours after the procedure, Clark told USA TODAY Sports there is a "little soreness" in his mouth.
"Nothing crazy," Clark said.
The replacement tooth is only temporary, Clark emphasized. He'll need another procedure in a few weeks, once the Bruins' season is over, but there won't be any holdback in how he plays in Sunday's second-round matchup against No. 2-seed UConn. He'll wear a mouthguard for protection tomorrow, though.
The Bruins and the Huskies are set for an 8:45 p.m. ET tipoff on Sunday night in Philadelphia. A win would advance UCLA to the Sweet 16 of the Men’s NCAA Tournament.
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LAKELAND, FL - MARCH 16: Kevin McGonigle #85 of the Detroit Tigers fields during the spring training game against 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
The Detroit Tigers closed out their 2026 Grapefruit League schedule with a strong performance from Framber Valdez, Drew Anderson, and Tyler Holton in a 3-1 victory over the Yankees on Saturday. Now the club, including prospects like Kevin McGonigle, Max Anderson, Trei Cruz, and John Peck, heads out to Scottdale, Arizona for two exhibition games against the Rockies before the regular season begins in San Diego’s Petco Park on Thursday the 26th.
Spring training camp has gone very well indeed for the Tigers overall. Apart from the occasional breakout from a young player, the only major events in spring camp are injuries, and while the Tigers have temporarily lost Troy Melton, otherwise their pitching staff has come through the spring in excellent condition. Justin Verlander is healthy and throwing hard. Tyler Holton has a little extra gas this spring and has been precise with his command. New addition Drew Anderson has looked really good. Enmanuel de Jesus has been a minor revelation. Will Vest, Kenley Jansen, and Kyle Finnegan all look heahty and ready to go. And while Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty have struggled some, Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez look ready to dominate. Pitcher health is far and away the most important consideration every season.
However, plenty of other things have gone well too, and none are more important than the excellent camp put together by top prospect and shortstop in waiting, Kevin McGonigle. We expected that the precocious batsmith would prove one of the Tigers best hitters already, and that has played out to perfection. More important were the defensive questions he had yet to answer. McGonigle has been sharp at both shortstop and third base, looking like he’ll grade out average at worst at both positions. His reactions, footwork, decision making, and arm strength have all looked significantly upgraded after working with Alan Trammell in the Arizona Fall League and putting in an offseason of intense focus on the finer points of his defensive game.
His 1-for-2 performance on Saturday isn’t calculated in yet, but otherwise, in 50 plate appearances, basically seven big league game’s worth of action, McGonigle has posted a 143 wRC+ with two home runs, two doubles, and a triple. His strikeout rate is an excellent 16 percent, with a whopping 22 percent walk rate leading him to a stellar.420 on-base percentage. This despite some bad luck on balls in play, as his BABIP mark this spring is just .250. In short, he is living on base, not striking out much, and hitting for plenty of power already. No surprise here.
Those numbers don’t even include McGonigle going 3-for-3 with a walk against Team Dominican Republic’s staff of major league arms. The 460 foot missile off of a 98 mph Luis Severino fastball that started the game was an early sign than McGonigle is exactly who we think he is. McGonigle is already in the mix as Tigers best pure hitter, and only Riley Greene can really be projected as a more valuable hitter as the 21-year-old McGonigle begins his major league career.
In short, he’s ready for his major league debut. Now the questions are to the Tigers’ decision makers.
There’s just no good argument the Tigers can make in terms of his ability and readiness. AJ Hinch, Scott Harris, and Jeff Greenberg all know what they’ve got here. The only component left is service time, and that’s not a very compelling argument. After spending big on Framber Valdez, bringing Justin Verlander back, and with all signs pointing to Tarik Skubal’s exit in free agency, the time to try and win is now. The Tigers decision makers are going to look a bit silly should they stick McGonigle in Toledo for a few weeks only to see the club struggle out to a weak record because the offense isn’t that productive in March/April.
There are generally 187 days in the major league regular season calendar, with 172 days of major league service time required to accrue a full year. The Tigers could certainly decide it’s worthwhile to stash him for 15 days, call him up on April 11th, and basically have him under team control for seven years instead of six. Those years are likely to be very valuable as McGonigle won’t even turn 22 until August. That theoretical seventh year of control would keep him a Tiger until he’s 28 years old.
No question there’s a lot of potential long-term value gained by doing that, and missing the first four series isn’t going to doom the Tigers. However, on top of putting McGonigle right into the lineup and making it signficantly better right out of the gate, there is the prospect promotion incentive to consider.
If the Tigers promote McGonigle for Opening Day and he spends the whole year on the roster, the Tigers are eligible for a bonus pick in the 2027 draft should McGonigle will the AL Rookie of the Year award. He’ll certainly be the heavy betting favorite to do so, and that’s a valuable pick, coming between the regular first and second rounds, the same level where the Tigers drafted McGonigle 37th overall out of high school back in the 2023 draft. The Tigers will get a comp pick when Tarik Skubal declines his qualifying offer next offseason as well, and those two picks could set them up in a big way for the 2027 draft as they look to keep the pipeline of talent flowing.
Frankly the only reason to wait to promote him, is if the Tigers don’t think McGonigle will sign a long-term extension in the next year. That extra year of service time they could game doesn’t mean anything if the Tigers turn around and offer him a 10-year, $200M deal next offseason. Right now though, that’s a trickier proposition. The Tigers are only about $2.5M in luxury tax payroll from hitting the threshold right now with an estimated luxury tax payroll of $241,509,275 against the first threshold of $244 million.
They can’t give out a big signing bonus or up McGonigle’s major league minimum salary much this year without going over the threshold, and they would prefer not to do that as there’s a 20 percent tax on every dollar over the threshold. That’s not a major penalty, but the Tigers may also need to trade for a plsyer or two at the deadline, adding more payroll.
This isn’t a huge problem either, of course. A 20 percent tax on say, $10M over the theshold is only $2 million dollars. Unless they somehow ended up $40M over the theshold, at which point their draft pick positions start to be moved back as an additional penalty, it’s just a minor consideration to be factored in.
The Tigers will keep all that in mind, but this really all comes down to whether McGonigle will sign the big extension, perhaps next offseason. If they’re confident he’ll be interested and isn’t in Scott Boras mode already and dead set on reaching free agency as quickly as possible, then locking him up long-term should be a priority, and so his service time clock doesn’t matter, except in respect to the PPI pick they could gain from a Rookie of the Year winning campaign.
There are plenty of different elements to the story, but I think the conclusion is undeniable. Kevin McGonigle should be announced on the Opening Day roster following their final exhibition game, and the Tigers should be ready to pursue a long-term deal with him as soon as it’s practicable.
Mar 15, 2026; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets second baseman Marcus Semien (10) celebrates a sacrifice fly that scored a run in the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
In the home game of the split squad games, the Astros beat the Mets 7-5.
Jonah Tong had a rough second inning today in Port St. Lucie. Zach Cole led off with a triple and then scored on a balk by Tong. That was the hardest contact of the inning for Tong, but two pops fell in for singles, and both scored when Nick Allen drove them in. All of a sudden it was 3-0.
Tong settled in after that, allowing just two more hits in his two and a third additional innings of work. His final line was: 4.1 innings pitched, 6 hits, three earned runs, five strikeouts, and no walks.
AJ Solgado replaced Mike Tauchman in right field in the fifth (possibly due to injury?), and led off with a triple. He scored on a Francisco Alvarez single to put the Mets on the board.
In the sixth, Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco singled, and Brett Baty walked, loading the bases for Marcus Semien. Semien doubled to left field, clearing the bases and putting the Mets up 4-3. Salgado singled in Semien to add the fifth run of the afternoon.
Ofreidy Gómez, Daniel Duarte, and Joe Jacques all pitched scoreless outings.
Ryan Lambert entered in the eighth and things did not go very well. A hit batsman, a walk, and a three-run home run by Christian Walker put the Astros back up 6-5. After another walk and a wild pitch, Lambert was out, relieved by Aaron Rozek. Unfortunately, James Nelson singled in the inherited runner, aided by a throwing error by Jorge Polanco, and the Mets were down 7-5.
In the away game of the split squad games, the Mets lost to the Nationals 3-1.
Joander Suarez started for the Mets and looked really great, tossing four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk, while striking out three.
Will Watson followed Suarez, allowing just two hits and no walks with one strikeout over three innings.
Neither team got on the board until the eighth, when Mark Vientos hit a solo home run to put the Mets up 1-0.
Sam Brown and Kervin Pichardo hit back to back doubles off of Matt Turner to tie the game 1-1 in the bottom of the eighth.
The game ended when Dakota Hawkins surrendered a two-run home run to Joey Wiemer in the ninth to put the game away, with the Nationals winning 3-1.
The Mets play their final game of the spring tomorrow at 1:10pm tomorrow against the Marlins.
The Nashville Predators score three goals on special teams, two on the power play and one short-handed, in a critical Wild Card race win over the Vegas Golden Knights, 4-1, on Saturday at Bridgestone Arena.
The win temporarily puts the Predators in the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference for the first time this season. It's also the first time the Predators have won three in a row since Jan. 16. make
They will need the Seattle Kraken to lose in regulation and the Los Angeles Kings to lose in regulation in order to hold onto the spot by the end of the day.
Los Angeles (72 PTS) hosts Buffalo (LAK leads 1-0 at end of first period)
Seattle (71 PTS) travels to Columbus (4 p.m. CST puck-drop)
"It honestly feels great to win this game," Ryan O'Reilly said. "It's a good team over there. It's a very disappointing start...We gotta find a way to get something in the first (period). If it wasn't for big juice (Annuen) there, it could have gone out of hand, quick."
Special Teams Carry Scoring
The Predators' power play has ebbed and flowed this season. After slumping in early March, the unit has finally found some consistency and even turned into a weapon.
Nashville scored twice on the power play against the Golden Knights, with Steven Stamkos putting a one-timer feed from Filip Forsberg and O'Reilly then tipping in a shot/pass from Stamkos.
The conversion was Stamkos' 238th career power play goal, passing Brendan Shanahan for seventh all-time. He'd finish with three points on the day.
On the other end, the Predators' penalty kill found a way to find the back of the net as Tyson Jost capped off a 3-on-1 opportunity in the second period to put Nashville up 3-0.
According to Jost, it was a well-scouted play that created the opportunity and allowed the Predators to score. It was Jost's first career short-handed goal and his third point in five games.
"We kind of pre-scouted that (Mitch) Marner was gonna kind of try and go over to the flank (bounce the puck off the boards). He (Brady Skjei) made a great read and a great pass by him. I heard Halsey (Erik Haula) barking. I didn't know it was a 3-on-1, but I kind of heard him behind me there."
The Predators' first goal of the night wasn't scored on the power play, but was a unique scoring chance.
Less than a minute into the game, Stamkos scored right off the face-off to put the Predators up 1-0. It was O'Reilly's first of two points on the day.
"He (O'Reilly) said, 'How about I try to snap one back to you, and you shoot it?' and I said, 'Sure.' And it worked," Stamko said. "Those are a dime a dozen type of plays where it comes so clean and fast. I don't think anyone, including the goalie, reacted till it was in the net."
Annunen Stands Tall
Mar 21, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators goaltender Justus Annunen (29) blocks the shot of Vegas Golden Knights left wing Ivan Barbashev (49) during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Justus Annunen was put to the test in the first 20 minutes of the game, facing 20 shots to the Predators' four, and not letting in a goal.
He'd finish the night with a season high of 39 saves on 40 shots. Annunen's .975 save percentage was his best single-game performance in a start of the season.
After being thrown into the starter role on Thursday, as Juuse Saros was ruled out with a day-to-day upper body injury and was still out for Saturday's game, Annunen has been up to the challenge.
"It kind of took him (Annunen) a while to get going, and we've seen he's been exceptional," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. "Even last time against Vegas. It ended up being a little bit higher (goal total), but he was spot on. His numbers and great danger chances are off the charts for us right now."
Nashville has a quick turnaround, facing Chicago on the road on Sunday at 2 p.m. CST. Brunette said it's unknown if Annuen or Matt Murray, a call-up from Milwaukee, will start.
The Predators were disappointed with their start, but one of the motivating factors was getting the win for Annunen and making sure it wasn't wasted.
"Thank God for Big Juice," Steven Stamkos said. "We didn't waste his performance, and that was kind of the story of tonight."
Staying In The Playoff Race
Mar 21, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators and Vegas Golden Knights players push and shove each other during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
In the hours between the end of the Predators game and the end of the Kings game, Nashville is in the final Wild Card spot with 73 points.
They are very much not safe there with three other teams riding their coattails, but it's the first time this season that Nashville has finally been able to pass over the threshold.
The Predators are still proud of having gotten here. For the first two months of the season, they were the worst team in the NHL and are now on the brink of extending their season.
However, they know they need to continue winning to stay in this position.
"It's just the belief in the guys in this room, and that's all that matters," Stamkos said. "The coaching staff has a belief, the players have a belief, and it's not always gonna be pretty. We understand that at this time of the year, points are more important than how good the game looks. We put together a decent stretch over the past six or seven games and collected points.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 03: Victor Bericoto #83 of the San Francisco Giants gets ready in the batters box against the Team United States during an exhibition game at Scottsdale Stadium on March 03, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Victor Bericoto got good and bad news from the San Francisco Giants Friday. He learned he’d been reassigned to the team’s Minor League camp. But he left as the 2026 winner of the Barney Nugent Award.
Victor Bericoto won the Barney Nugent Award, given to the player who performed best in his first big league camp. He’s hitting .474 this spring and has put himself in the mix to get a real shot at some point this season.
The annual Barney Nugent Award goes to the Giants player making his spring training debut“whose performance and dedication in spring training best exemplify the San Francisco Giants’ spirit, much like Nugent did in his time with San Francisco.”
Barney Nugent was the Giants’ longtime athletic trainer, who passed away in 2014. The award named in his honor is voted on by all Giants spring personnel — players, coaches, clubhouse staff, and of course, the training staff. Bericoto played 19 games and hit 18-for-38, with three home runs and three doubles, and generally pounding the hell out of the ball.
However, the 24-year-old Venezuelan outfielder has only played 11 games at the AAA level. As unexciting as the Giants’ other outfield options might look, Bericoto probably needs at least a few months against better pitching before he’s ready to help the big league club, though his 12 homers and 15 doubles at Double-A Richmond last season (in 93 games) are highly encouraging.
Bericoto isn’t on the 40-man roster, so the team may wait to call him up, hoping that the excitable Drew Gilbert or the disappointing Luis Matos can hold the fort as an extra outfielder for a while.
Former winners of the “Nooge” (no one calls it this) include favorites like Tim Lincecum, Brandon Belt, and Matt Duffy. Last year, reliever Joel Peguero won the award, and went on to appear in 17 games, going 3-1 with a 2.42 ERA. He’s out with a hamstring tear now, but is in the mix for a late-inning relief role when he returns. Heliot Ramos and Casey Schmitt also won the Barney in recent years, while 2024 winner Ismael Munguia, now with the Toronto Blue Jays, hit .429 in the World Baseball Classic for Nicaragua.
Here are all the winners since 2007:
2007: Tim Lincecum 2008: Brian Bocock 2009: Joe Martinez 2010: Darren Ford 2011: Brandon Belt 2012: Dan Otero 2013: Brock Bond 2014: Mark Minicozzi 2015: Matt Duffy 2016: Trevor Brown 2017: Jae-Gyun Hwang 2018: Chris Shaw 2019: Joey Bart 2021: Heliot Ramos 2022: Brett Auerbach 2023: Casey Schmitt 2024: Ismael Munguia 2025: Joel Peguero
2026: Victor Bericoto
Bericoto had a fantastic spring and could very well be playing in Oracle Park by the summer. Somewhere, Barney Nugent is looking on with pride and a roll of athletic tape.
Houston breezed through its NCAA Tournament first round game on Thursday, blasting No. 15 seed Idaho, 78-47. Freshman star Kingston Flemings had 18 points in 27 minutes, shooting 8 of 12 from the field. Emanuel Sharp added 16 points and the Cougars led by 24 at halftime.
Saturday's second round opponent, Texas A&M, figures to provide a stiffer test. The 10th-seeded Aggies upset No. 7 seed Saint Mary's in the first round. Rashaun Agee did most of the damage scoring 22 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Texas A&M's defense forced 18 turnovers and held the Gaels to 38% shooting.
Here's what you need to know for Saturday's second round game with a trip the Sweet 16 to face the winner of No. 3 Illinois/No. 11 VCU next week in Houston.
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The Jazz currently have the worst defensive rating in the league but could potentially improve that by selecting Houston freshman Kingston Flemings. The All-Big 12 guard has several games when he has recorded at least three steals, notching eight against Arizona State earlier this season. He scored 42 points against No. 11 Texas Tech on Jan. 24 and had a strong performance against Baylor, recording 21 points with seven assists and two steals on March 4. With highs as high as his thus far, it will not take long for him to hear his name called on draft night.
