Left-hander Tyler Alexander has won the final spot in the Rays’ rotation, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. He’ll actually pitch the fourth game of the season, with Zach Eflin, Aaron Civale and Zack Littell expected to line up for the first three and Ryan Pepiot apparently taking the fifth game. Topkin adds that Alexander could pitch behind an opener, but for all intents and purposes, he’s the final rotation member, beating out righties Jacob Waguespack and Chris Devenski. Waguespack and Devenski will be in the Rays’ bullpen. Also of note, Topkin reports that the Rays still haven’t decided on their backup catcher and final bench spot and could consider external options for either.
Alexander, 29, came to the Rays by way of a Nov. 10 waiver claim after the Tigers designated him for assignment. He entered camp expected to stretch out to three innings in order to serve as a long reliever — same as Devenski — but the pectoral strain suffered by young righty Taj Bradley opened up a rotation job that Alexander has now seized.
Starting is a familiar role for the left-hander, as Alexander has started 43 games in his MLB career — all coming with the Tigers. He started 32 games from 2021-22, at times functioning as an opener but also stretching out to a full starter’s workload. He’s completed six innings on seven different occasions in his career and has three starts of seven-plus innings. In all, Alexander has pitched 199 innings as a starter. He’s recorded a 4.70 ERA, 17.4% strikeout rate and 5.6% walk rate in that time, as compared to a 3.92 ERA, 21.1% strikeout rate and 4.4% walk rate in 142 1/3 frames out of the bullpen.
Alexander has pitched well this spring. He’s tossed nine innings in official games and yielded just two runs on a dozen hits and one walk with five strikeouts. Alexander worked six innings and climbed to 89 pitches in a minor league game Sunday, per Topkin — numbers that aren’t reflected in his “official” spring statistics.
The Rays’ rotation is fluid enough right now that an early assignment in the rotation shouldn’t at all be viewed as a season-long spot on the staff. Alexander has a pair of minor league options remaining, and the Rays will be getting various pitchers back from injury as the year progresses. In addition to Bradley, whose timetable is still TBD, the Rays will also welcome back right-hander Shane Baz (2022 Tommy John surgery), left-hander Jeffrey Springs (April 2023 Tommy John surgery) and Drew Rasmussen (July 2023 internal brace surgery) at various points this season.
That said, injuries elsewhere in the rotation are an inevitability. Eflin has dealt with chronic knee injuries dating back to his amateur days. Civale has never reached even 125 innings in an MLB season due to frequent IL trips. Littell only just converted back to the rotation last summer, and Pepiot opened the 2023 season on the 60-day IL with the Dodgers due to a Grade 2 oblique strain. He pitched only 64 2/3 innings between the majors and minors combined. There should be innings to go around, if Alexander proves he’s up for the challenge.
The Rays can control Alexander through the 2025 season via arbitration. A successful season making starts would bode well for his arbitration outlook in a way that a season spent primarily in a swingman/mop-up role would not. He’s earning $1.95M this year, so even if he steps up as a legitimate MLB starter, he won’t break the bank next winter.
As for the remaining bench spots, Topkin’s report on that front is plenty notable. The Rays already reassigned Francisco Mejia to minor league camp, leaving non-roster invitee Alex Jackson as the favorite to take the backup job behind Rene Pinto. That’s been the plan for much of the offseason, but Jackson also owns a woeful 48% strikeout rate in 192 MLB plate appearances and entered Monday’s Grapefruit League game hitting just .194/.235/.226 with a 32.4% strikeout rate in 34 plate appearances. To his credit, he went 2-for-2 and swatted his first spring homer, but Jackson has no MLB track record of which to speak and also hasn’t been particularly productive in Triple-A.
As for the final infield spot, Topkin lists 26-year-old Austin Shenton as a candidate. He’s yet to make his MLB debut but posted a massive .304/.423/.584 line with 29 homers and 45 doubles between Double-A and Triple-A last season. He’s had a poor showing this spring, however, hitting just .205/.225/.256 with a 32.5% strikeout rate in 40 trips to the plate (including today’s 0-for-4 with three strikeouts). The Rays are without infielders Taylor Walls and Jonathan Aranda to begin the season, as both are on the injured list.
There’s no shortage of veteran options and/or trade candidates the Rays could consider at either position. The Royals released veteran backstop Sandy Leon over the weekend, and out-of-options Giants catcher Joey Bart has been a speculative trade candidate for much of the spring. Infielders hitting the market late this spring include Eduardo Escobar, Elvis Andrus and old friend Matt Duffy.
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The New York Yankees are gaining ground in the AL East, and part of that surge comes from an unexpected source — rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler. Following New York’s 5-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre, manager Aaron Boone singled out the one thing about the young pitcher that truly stands out. Schlittler, making just his second big-league start, impressed not only with his fastball and command but also with the confidence he exuded in a high-stakes divisional matchup. Boone emphasized that mentality as a major asset for the team moving forward. The Yankees skipper praised Schlittler’s poise in pressure moments after just his second career start. The YES Network posted the moment to X (formerly Twitter), where Boone shared his admiration for the 6-foot-6 starter’s demeanor. “The one thing that strikes me about Cam is his confidence… He’s not afraid.” That confidence translated into results on the field. Schlittler held Toronto to two earned runs on seven hits over five innings, helping the Yankees snap the Blue Jays’ franchise-record 11-game home win streak. The win cut Toronto’s division lead to just three games and kept New York’s momentum building. The right-handed pitcher, a seventh-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, made his long-awaited MLB debut for the Yankees on July 9, 2025 against the Seattle Mariners. In that outing, he threw 5.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits — including a pair of solo home runs — while walking two and striking out seven. He energized the Yankee Stadium crowd by touching 100 mph with his fastball and earned a standing ovation for his performance. It’s no surprise the team is taking notice. With ace Max Fried nearing a return and the MLB trade deadline approaching, Schlittler’s performance could influence the front office’s next steps. The Yankees are balancing long-term planning with the urgency to contend, and Boone’s confidence in the 24-year-old flamethrower might reduce the need for outside reinforcements. For a team chasing championship number 28, mental toughness matters. Boone’s public praise positions Schlittler as more than just a feel-good story — he may be a key arm in a legitimate playoff push. With the Yankees rotation still searching for consistency, confidence could be the intangible they’ve been missing. As the MLB trade deadline looms, Schlittler’s emerging value could make him more than just a stopgap in the rookie ranks — he’s quickly proving himself too important to move.
Most Cleveland Browns fans do not expect to see Deshaun Watson play another snap for their beloved yet perpetually tortured franchise. He is not going anywhere until after the 2025-26 season, however. Will this controversial, declining and largely unhealthy quarterback have a chance to audition for another job at some point in this upcoming campaign? Before answering that question, the three-time Pro Bowler has to get on the practice field. And that will take a while. As expected, the Browns placed Watson on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The 29-year-old ruptured his right Achilles tendon in an Oct. 20 loss versus the Cincinnati Bengals. He then suffered a re-tear in January, causing many to wonder if he will suit up at all this season. Watson is nonetheless maintaining a presence in Cleveland’s QB room and is determined to return in 2025. Second-year defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. joins him on the PUP list, and wide receiver David Bell is landing on the Active/Non-Football Injury list. Rounding out the series of roster moves, the Browns are waiving WR Jaelen Gill. The team begins training camp practice on Wednesday, with plenty of matters to address. Although Watson will command attention as long as he is on Cleveland, fans are eager to know who the starting quarterback will be when the Brownies host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. A tight and intriguing QB competition is set to unfold, following a confounding offseason. Browns have to figure out their QB situation Cleveland acquired former first-round pick Kenny Pickett in March, signed veteran and 2023 Comeback Player of the Year Joe Flacco in April, selected Dillon Gabriel in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft and then snatched Shedeur Sanders in the fifth. Given the assets the organization spent to obtain the three younger signal-callers, the cleanest thing to do is part ways with the 40-year-old Flacco and head into the season with three quarterbacks. And yet, because of his wealth of experience, many would probably argue that the Super Bowl 47 MVP deserves to start under center until one of the others earns the job. Pickett appears to be the early favorite, but there could be plenty of twists and turns before summer’s end. The Deshaun Watson element also adds another layer to this perplexing saga. If the 2016 national champion does return to action during the 2025-26 campaign, then Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski will have a decision to make. It may not be a difficult one, however. During his first three years with the Browns, Watson has completed only 61.2 percent of his passes for 3,365 yards and 19 touchdowns. The squad is 9-10 in games that he starts. Regardless of how his recovery progresses, it seems safe to say that No. 4 and his five-year, $230 million contract will serve as a black eye on a Browns organization that is already covered in gashes.
Caitlin Clark might be the most popular figure in women's basketball right now, but she continues to draw shots left and right, both on and off the court. The Iowa product has stayed even keeled and mostly unrattled, but that doesn't mean she won't fight back. That's why, in the light of Kelsey Plum's recent comments, she decided to take matters into her own hands and clapped back at her with a simple, six-word message. Plum shared a picture of her during the WNBA's All-Star Weekend, which showed half of a Nike logo in the background. Clark was quick to spot it and just wrote "Thank u for the Nike ad." This happened just hours after Plum seemingly took a shot at Clark and her Team Clark teammates for reportedly not getting involved in their pre-game protest. “The T-shirt was determined this morning. Not to tattletale, but zero members of Team Clark were very present for that,” Plum revealed. “That really needed to be mentioned,” Sabrina Ionescu added while both laughed. WNBA All-Stars warmed up with a T-Shirt that read 'Pay us what you owe us,' ahead of their new CBA agreement, which is expected to be signed in the offseason. WNBA players get around 9 percent of the league's revenue, and they're asking for a bigger share since most of them also have to play overseas during the offseason because of the salary disparity. Plum is the vice president of the WNBPA, so it's not surprising to see her so involved in the protest and the demands. Then again, it's hard to understand the reasoning behind the tattle telling, as not only does it show that there might not be a united front ahead of these negotiations, but it also drives attention away from where it should be.
The New York Knicks are looking to make more moves to upgrade their depth as they figure to be one of the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference next season. Of course, the Knicks made their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000 last season and with the amount of injuries to top players in the East, the Conference is wide open entering next season. Because of this, the Knicks have emerged as one of the favorites to win the East thanks to their core led by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Despite this, Sports Illustrated’s Jackson Caudell and Rohan Raman recently created a three-team mock trade that would see the Knicks move on from Towns. In the trade, the Knicks would add Jrue Holiday, Robert Williams III and a 2028 first-round pick via the Portland Trail Blazers while they would send Towns and Pacome Dadiet to Portland. The Trail Blazers would also send Duop Reath to the Atlanta Hawks in this proposed mock trade. While the Knicks are looking at ways to improve their depth, moving on from Towns would be a tough decision for them to make despite his struggles, especially on the defensive side, during the playoffs last season. It would also be a tough decision to swap Towns for Williams III due to his injury history, especially with Mitchell Robinson’s injury history as well and the Knicks’ lack of true center depth. While that may be the case, adding a veteran point guard in Holiday to the second unit could be a good addition to the Knicks’ bench and Williams III would also give them more size. Despite this, it is highly unlikely that the Knicks will move on from Towns this summer and likely into next season as they see their core being able to help them compete for a championship next season.