Morning Briefing: MLB Regular Season Begins Today in Tokyo
Good morning, Mets fans!
The MLB regular season has arrived. The Cubs and Dodgers begin their two-game series in Tokyo this morning at 6:10 EST, with former Samurai Japan teammates Shota Imanaga and Yoshinobu Yamamoto facing off in the series opener. Rōki Sasaki will make his big league debut on Wednesday against Cubs southpaw Justin Steele.
Latest Mets News
In the battle for the last starting rotation spot, Griffin Canning struck out nine and walked one in 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball in the Mets’ 2-0 loss against the Rays in Port St. Lucie, while Paul Blackburn allowed two runs and struck out six in four innings in the team’s 6-5 win over the Marlins. Alexander Canario boosted his case to crack the big league roster by homering and drawing three walks against Miami.
Jesse Winker departed Monday’s game against Tampa Bay after one at-bat due to a calf cramp. Both Winker and Carlos Mendoza said he felt fine after the game. The Mets get a day off today before facing the Astros in West Palm Beach on Wednesday.
The Mets don’t see a need to ramp up Ronny Mauricio with the Grapefruit League schedule winding down, Manny Gómez of NJ Advance Media reported Monday. Mauricio still hasn’t seen game action since tearing his ACL last winter.
Latest MLB News
Max Scherzer said Monday that he’s been battling a thumb issue since 2023. The 40-year-old said that it hurts for him to grip the ball right now and he emphasized that it can impact his arm health if he tries to pitch through it. Scherzer inked a one-year contract with the Blue Jays in February.
Twins third baseman Royce Lewis has a moderate left hamstring strain and will miss Opening Day. The team does not have a timetable for his return. The former first-overall pick has missed significant time in each of his first three big league seasons, playing in a combined 152 games.
Paul Goldschmidt left the Yankees’ game on Monday early because of a sore back. Goldschmidt told reporters he’s been dealing with it for a few days, but isn’t concerned about missing Opening Day.
The Tigers and FanDuel Sports announced Monday that Kirk Gibson will not be part of Detroit’s broadcast team in 2025. Gibson will remain in the organization as a special assistant and will be focusing on his health.
The Braves have signed former Mets catcher James McCann to a minor league deal. McCann appeared in 65 games for the Orioles in 2024, batting .234/.279/.388 with eight homers in 233 plate appearances.
In other Braves news, they traded lefty Angel Perdomo to the Angels for cash or a player to be named later. Perdomo missed all of 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Apple dropped the trailer for the 2024 World Series documentary called “Fight for Glory”. The film premieres on March 28 on AppleTV.
Latest on MMO
Mike Mayer joined Brandon London of the New York Post to discuss the battle in the Mets’ starting rotation and whether there’s pressure on the lineup to perform.
Editor-in-chief of @Metsmerized, @mikemayer22, breaks down the Amazins’ backend rotation competition and whether there’s extra pressure on the Mets’ lineup with @BrandonLondonTV pic.twitter.com/Zf4CVKdTHM
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) March 17, 2025
Nick Kalantzopolous breaks down Tylor Megill‘s outing on Sunday.
Brandyn Pokrass recaps how the Mets’ prospects performed in the Spring Breakout game.
Tyler Antonelle recaps the Mets’ split-squad action on Monday.
On This Date in Mets History
2000: The Mets send the recently re-acquired Jesse Orosco to the Cardinals for utilityman Joe McEwing. The Orioles had sent Orosco to New York in December for Chuck McElroy. McEwing batted .275/.333/.398 with nine homers in 575 plate appearances for St. Louis in 1999, playing every position except pitcher and catcher.
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