MLB Baseball 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: March 17, 2026, 9:30 PM ET
MLB Spring Training Pitching Milestones
The focus in Major League Baseball shifts to high-profile pitching returns as the regular season looms, with Shohei Ohtani slated to make his first spring training mound appearance Wednesday for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Francisco Giants. This highly anticipated debut follows the news that Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is also preparing for his initial spring outing, marking a critical benchmark in his recovery from the Tommy John elbow surgery he underwent last year. However, the injury bug continues to bite; the Chicago White Sox confirmed that right-hander Mike Vasil requires season-ending Tommy John surgery after experiencing elbow soreness during a Saturday start, immediately eliminating him from contention for the upcoming campaign.
World Baseball Classic Aftermath & Roster Prep
The international baseball stage concluded with Venezuela securing a spot in the championship game after rallying past Italy to reach their first-ever World Baseball Classic final, where they will meet the United States. Venezuela initially opened the scoring in that decisive semifinal against Italy, ultimately setting the stage for their high-stakes matchup. In the wake of Japan’s quarterfinal elimination, national team manager Hirokazu Ibata announced his resignation following the team’s 8-5 loss to Venezuela in Miami. Meanwhile, as teams finalize rosters, fantasy managers are already deep into preparation, with one major outlet releasing its final 2026 points-league mock draft detailing the round-by-round selections across a ten-team head-to-head league structure.