Nearly a month after the blockbuster trade that ended his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers, All-Star point guard Darius Garland will reportedly make his debut for the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

NBA insider Chris Haynes reported Saturday the 26-year-old Garland, who hasn’t suited up since Jan. 14 while continuing to work his way back from injuries to the big toes on both of his feet, planned to return to the floor for the Clippers’ Monday night meeting with the Golden State Warriors. The Clippers followed with some not-all-that-cryptic social media posts Sunday …

… before the NBA helpfully removed all doubt on Monday:

The Clippers enter the contest at 28-31, in ninth place in the Western Conference, 2.5 games behind the eighth-place Warriors. A win would both slice a game off that deficit and give the Clips a 2-1 edge in their season series with Golden State, putting them in position to take the head-to-head tiebreaker with a win in the regular-season finale on April 12.

While Garland will “likely be on a minutes restriction indefinitely as he returns to competition,” according to Law Murray of The Athletic, head coach Tyronn Lue and Co. will hope his introduction will provide a jolt to a Clippers offense that, with the notable exception of Kawhi Leonard’s individual brilliance, has often been moribund since shipping out star point guard James Harden and starting center Ivica Zubac.

The Clippers have treaded water over the past month, going 5-5 since the Harden/Garland trade, but have done so largely on the strength of their defense. During the 5-5 stretch, L.A. ranks 21st in points scored per possession, 29th in made 3-pointers per game, dead last in 3-point attempts, 25th in team 3-point accuracy and 28th in assists per game.

Garland averaged 18 points, 6.9 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 30.5 minutes per game across 26 appearances in Cleveland this season, shooting 52.1% on 2-pointers, 36% on 3-point attempts and 86.1% from the free-throw line. While battling the toe injuries, Garland often seemed to lack the explosiveness, balance and shot-making prowess that made him a two-time All-Star in Cleveland, and a key cog in a Cavaliers attack that set offensive efficiency records last season. If his wheels are healthy, though, he could give Lue a potent weapon to wield as he tries to propel the Clips through the play-in tournament and into the postseason proper.

“He’s different from James and we can play different with a faster pace,” Lue told reporters last month. “We can play him off the ball more. It’s going to be exciting. I’ve known DG for a while and having a young point guard under my tutelage, I think it’s the first time I have had one since Kyrie [Irving].”

While it might take some time for player and coach to iron out the kinks and establish a working rhythm, Garland seems eager to seize the opportunity in front of him in L.A. In the short term, Garland gets to pair with an elite two-way wing in Leonard, who has produced at an All-NBA level this season, and see if the Clips can’t make some unexpected noise come springtime. And looking forward, Garland, who’s under contract through the 2027-28 season, has a chance to be a foundational figure for the next phase of the Clippers franchise, whatever that might look like.

“I’m good with the change,” Garland recently told Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “When it first happened, I was kind of skeptical. But I couldn’t turn down this opportunity to play with another Hall of Famer [Leonard] and having a ball in my hands damn near 99% of the time. […] I’m in another good situation over here in L.A., trying to do something, trying to rebuild this whole brand of the Clippers, and try to make it one of the biggest teams in L.A.”

That’s a tall task: Achieving it will require both the kind of regular-season success Garland experienced in Cleveland last season, and the brand of postseason success that neither he nor the Clips have achieved. Whether they’ll get there remains to be seen; after what must have felt like a very long month, though, the process will finally get started Monday night.

“Whatever T-Lue wants me to be, whatever position he wants me to be in, I’m going to do that,” Garland told reporters after the trade. “I’m here to win games.”

When Jimmy Butler went down for the season, the Golden State Warriors were in eighth place in the Western Conference, 2.5 games out of a top-six spot and five games clear of 11th place, smack in the middle of the play-in tournament mix.

When Stephen Curry went out with the lingering knee injury that has cost him the last month, the Warriors were … in eighth place in the West, three games out of a top-six spot and 7.5 games clear of 11th, smack in the middle of the play-in tournament mix.

And as they enter March, with a Monday tilt against a Los Angeles Clippers team that has kind of given up the ghost but is still chasing Golden State in the standings, the Warriors sit — you guessed it — in eighth place in the West, five games out of a top-six spot and 7.5 games clear of 11th. Smack in the middle of the play-in tournament mix.

Stuck in the middle, really. And overall just … stuck.

With five games separating them from the sixth-place Lakers and 7.5 games separating them from the 11th-place Grizzlies, the Warriors are overwhelmingly likely to land in the play-in tournament for the third straight season. Most public-facing projection models see them finishing with the No. 7 or 8 seed, with just a snowball’s chance of climbing up into the top six — about 1% on Inpredictable, 7% on ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, 8% on Basketball Reference, 14% on Dunks and Threes — and virtually no shot of falling out of the top 10.

The Warriors own the head-to-head tiebreaker over Phoenix, having won three of the four meetings between the two teams. But the Suns remain three games ahead of Golden State in the Western standings, holding on to the No. 7 seed — the most favorable position in the play-in tournament, since it affords you both the chance to advance to the postseason proper with just one win and the right to host any play-in games in which you appear.

Golden State enters Monday’s action 2.5 games ahead of the ninth-place Clippers. The two teams have split their first two regular-season meetings, so Monday’s winner will get a leg up in the season series, with the final matchup coming in the regular-season finale April 12. The Dubs are also three games ahead of the 10th-place Trail Blazers, though Portland holds the head-to-head tiebreaker, taking the season series 3-1.

The degree to which the Warriors now appear landlocked — extremely unlikely to climb in the standings, but even more unlikely to meaningfully drop — makes them feel like a team in limbo, unmoored, kind of treading water and hoping to stay afloat long enough for things to start mattering again. The question is whether that point will come this season.

It is not exactly revelatory to say that a team missing its two best players will struggle, and that’s precisely what’s happened in Golden State. The Warriors have gone 6-10 since Butler tore his ACL, and they’re 4-6 since Curry’s knee flared up — a persistent ailment that’s expected to cost him at least another handful of games.

Nature abhors a vacuum, and in the absence of the only two star-level offensive players on the roster, several Warriors have done their level best to fill the gap. Moses Moody has taken advantage of increased opportunities to shoot and create, launching more than eight triples a night and averaging 15.9 points per game on 49/41/80 shooting splits since the start of February. Forward Gui Santos, long a favorite of head coach Steve Kerr for the way he reads the game, has stuffed the stat sheet in a more significant role, averaging 15.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 70% inside the arc and 41.3% beyond it — a strong extended stretch that helped earn him a three-year, $15 million contract extension.

There have been moments: a road win in Phoenix keyed by Pat Spencer drilling a half-dozen triples; Brandin Podziemski’s fourth-quarter surge against Denver; a “Strength in Numbers”-era-evoking win in Memphis, with nine Warriors scoring at least nine points. On the heels of dispiriting losses like Saturday’s 28-point blowout at the hands of the Lakers, though, it becomes difficult to believe those moments, and whatever growth the Moodys and Santoses of the world have shown while treading water, will amount to all that much.

For the season, Golden State has been outscored by 3.6 points per 100 possessions with neither Curry nor Butler on the court, according to PBP Stats, with an offense that produces fewer points-per-100 than the Tyrese Haliburton-less Pacers have managed over the course of the full season. Since the start of February, the Warriors rank 21st in offensive efficiency and 19th on the defensive end, getting outscored by nearly five points-per-100 possessions. The only teams with worse net ratings in that span are tankers — Brooklyn, Chicago, Sacramento, Washington, Dallas and Indiana — and the Suns, themselves operating without leading scorers Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks.

The optimistic take: Getting a healthy Curry back will offer at least some level of cure for what’s ailed an offense currently built around Spencer and Podziemski pick-and-rolls, De’Anthony Melton drives, Al Horford post-ups, and a metric ton of 3-point attempts. (Nearly 52% of Golden State’s shots have come from long distance in the past month — the highest share of any team in the league in that span.) Combine a healthy Steph with a healthy Kristaps Porziņģis, who came to the Bay at the trade deadline in the move that sent Jonathan Kuminga to Atlanta, and maybe the Warriors have enough juice to put a scare into a higher-seeded squad in Round 1.

It’s unclear just how much optimism is sensible to harbor, though. The 30-year-old Porziņģis has appeared in just one of the Warriors’ nine games since the trade, as he continues to deal with a debilitating illness that has affected him on and off for more than a year; at this point, it seems more reasonable to expect little to nothing from him the rest of the way than it is to bank on his availability. And while Curry, not far removed from being named to his 12th All-Star team, remains an incandescent offensive talent, his presence alone has not been a panacea for these Warriors; in the 629 minutes Steph has played without Butler this season, Golden State has been outscored by 18 points.

This is the profile of an also-ran; without Butler, and without the theoretical hoped-for version of Porziņģis, the Warriors just don’t have enough top-end talent to mount a credible threat to contend for a championship. With Steph, though, they can at least sell themselves on the idea of playing “meaningful basketball” come springtime — at getting into elimination games, games with real stakes, a chance to advance to the big dance and see if No. 30 can once again give you a puncher’s chance against the best teams out West.

To get to those games, though, the Warriors have to keep treading water, keep staying alive, keep just surviving somehow. It’s admittedly a more meager goal than the four-time champions had hoped to be striving for; even so, a win against the Clippers would go a long way toward achieving it.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is reportedly expected to return Monday against the Boston Celtics, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Antetokounmpo has been out with a calf strain.

Antetokounmpo has battled the calf strain for most of this season. He first suffered the injury in early December and missed eight games before returning on Dec. 27 against the Bulls. In his first game back, he showcased his explosiveness with a windmill dunk in the final seconds of the game.

The 31-year-old’s return comes at an interesting time. At 26-33, the Bucks are currently 11th in the East standings, just outside of the play-in tournament. While the Bucks held on to Antetokounmpo at the trade deadline, there is no guarantee he will remain with the team after this offseason.

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With Antetokounmpo having played only 30 games this season, he is no longer eligible for NBA awards such as MVP or All-NBA honors. The NBA requires players to appear in at least 65 games to qualify.

Antetokounmpo appears to still want to compete despite trade speculation, award ineligibility and no guarantees of making the playoffs or play-in tournament. In the Nuggets game in which he re-injured himself, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said he tried to take his superstar out of the game, but Antetokounmpo was adamant about staying in.

Rivers told reporters in January there were no plans to shut down Antetokounmpo, despite there being no clear timetable for his return. He also said he has noticed similar injuries to players around the league and is still trying to determine the best way to keep Antetokounmpo on the court.

Despite the Bucks not wanting to rush him back and risk re-injury, Antetokounmpo was seen practicing in early February. He also told reporters before the trade deadline that he wanted to be in Milwaukee.

Antetokounmpo will provide a significant boost to the Bucks, who have lost their last two games. He is averaging 28 points, 10 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. The Bucks are 11–17 without him this season.

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You can’t win a baseball game without scoring runs, and since it’s such a pivotal part of winning, it’s time to take a look at all 30 teams and who might have the best offensive production this season. With the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers leading their respective leagues last season, will another team be able to outslug them this year?

On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman draft all 30 teams based on who they think will score the most runs this season, from most to least. While the Dodgers and Yankees may be taken early, there are a few picks (looking at you, Sacramento Athletics and Atlanta Braves) that may surprise you. Could the new additions to the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox push them higher in the draft?

Later, Jake and Jordan discuss the St. Louis Cardinals giving a two-year extension to manager Oliver Marmol and the possible reasoning behind GM Chaim Bloom’s decision to make this move now. Then, the guys talk about the pandemonium surrounding Shohei Ohtani during his return to Japan as he goes out and about with his World Baseball Classic club.

1:56 – The Opener: 2026 offense draft

22:25 – Teams 1–10 recap

44:56 – Teams 11–20 recap

56:53 – Teams 21–30 recap

57:56 – Around The League: Cardinals extend Marmol

1:04:26 – Shohei Ohtani makes noise in Japan

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out all episodes of Baseball Bar-B-Cast and the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

Every week, we will update fantasy baseball managers with all the MLB news they may have missed as we make our way through spring training and get closer to Opening Day.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2026 MLB season]

Andrew Painter has brief, quiet outing in 2026 spring training debut

It seems like forever that fantasy baseball managers have been waiting for Andrew Painter to make noise in the majors. After all, three years ago, the then-19-year-old made his spring training debut, only to find himself undergoing Tommy John surgery, ending any hopes of an expedited career in MLB.

But Painter, MLB’s 28th-ranked prospect and long considered one of the Phillies’ best prospects overall, is healthy now and ready to make his mark in Philadelphia’s rotation this season.

Painter made his 2026 spring training debut against the Yankees on March 1. He pitched two scoreless innings and collected one strikeout, to Jasson Domínguez (another former highly-touted prospect who’s already gotten a lot of MLB action).

Painter will likely be eased along, but it seems like a given that he’ll get a chance to stick in the Phillies’ rotation to start the season. He’s currently carrying a 205 ADP in Yahoo leagues; that won’t last.

Stanton makes startling injury claim

In what ended up being one of the more bizarre-sounding news stories of the past few days, Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton claimed that the pain in his elbows is so bad that he “can’t open bottles, can’t open a bag of chips.”

As someone who has opened a lot of bags of chips in his day, that is a wild statement. Injuries, of course, are no strangers to Stanton — the last time he played more than 140 games was in 2018.

Highlights of Stanton running have been making the rounds on social media; that’s a low bar. But nonetheless, Stanton has remained one of the most feared, powerful hitters in baseball, despite his litany of injury woes. Last season was even a resurgence for him, posting a .944 OPS in 77 games (after returning from, yes, an injury) while hitting 24 home runs. Stanton currently has an ADP of 193, but this elbow news will probably lower that even further. At that point in drafts, you could do worse than taking a chance on someone who has 40+ homer upside.

Baseball’s No. 1 prospect makes his presence felt

The Pittsburgh Pirates are not a good team, but that doesn’t mean they don’t offer reasons for excitement. Oneil Cruz is an exciting hitter with a yet-untapped ceiling, Paul Skenes is already one of the five best starting pitchers in baseball and Bubba Chandler could reach that position at some point.

And there’s a chance another one of Pittsburgh’s prospects could take the field in the majors this season — and he might be the best of the bunch.

Konnor Griffin — who will turn a mere 20 years old when the season reaches its one-month mark — has already made waves across social media with his first spring training homers:

Not only did he launch that blast against Boston’s prized free-agent pickup, Ranger Suárez, but Griffin would go on and hit a second home run later in the game. Then, he hit a third spring training homer on March 1. At 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, Griffin is the Pirates’ top prospect — and the top prospect in baseball overall.

But again, Griffin is just 19 years old at the time of this writing. He’s only played in A-A+-AA (in which he made mincemeat of opposing pitching to the tune of a .333/.415/.527 slash line with a .941 OPS) in the minors. The chances of him making the big league roster before the summer — much less right out of spring training — are not high. And we know Pittsburgh isn’t exactly the place where prospects get rushed, no matter how good they are.

Griffin has a Yahoo ADP of 195.6 — apt for someone who is just a hopeful bench stash right now; Yahoo managers aren’t too hyped yet. But if he continues the highlight reel and fan pressure continues to build, the Pirates’ hand may be forced at some point in May or June. He’s a must-watch player during spring training.

Lindor on track for Opening Day; Carroll aiming for the same

Mets SS Francisco Lindor was one of a group of high-profile players who announced a need for surgery after injury to the hamate bone; for him, the surgery was performed on his left hand.

No one wants to hear about a star player needing surgery right before spring training, but thankfully, Lindor recently had his stitches removed and is reportedly still on track to start for the Mets on Opening Day.

Lindor is currently just on the cusp of being a second-round pick in Yahoo Fantasy leagues. If he falls to the third round, he’s a snap-selection, especially when you consider he’s gone nearly 30-30 (he stole 29 bases in 2024) for three straight seasons.

Diamondbacks OF Corbin Carroll (who currently holds a Yahoo ADP of 16.6) had surgery on Feb. 11 on his right hamate bone, and as he continues his rehab, he has stated that he’s “pushing” to be ready for Opening Day against the Dodgers on March 26.

At just 25 years old, we likely still haven’t seen Carroll’s best season; he has a .258/.341/.491 slash line with an .832 OPS in his career. His ADP could shoot up if his timeline does the same during spring training.

Hope for a resurgent Mike Trout season?

Once considered the clear best player in baseball, it’s been a rough couple of seasons for Mike Trout on the injury front. Trout last played more than 130 games in 2019 (134). He played just 29 and 82 games in 2024 and 2023, respectively. He did play 130 games in 2025, but the results were pretty subpar, by his standards: .232/.359/.439 with a .797 OPS, 26 home runs and just two stolen bases.

But maybe there’s a chance things turn around this season. On Saturday, Trout flew down the line in an attempt to beat out an infield single versus the D-backs. He was recorded as reaching a sprint speed of 29.9 feet per second — his highest sprint speed since a meniscus tear in 2024. Trout himself revealed that his goal for this season is 30 feet per second.

Now, this is not to say that Trout will suddenly return to his glory days of stealing 30+ bases, but a return to elite speed would certainly help in that regard. At the very least, a healthy Trout will undoubtedly steal more than the measly two bags he’s averaged the last six seasons.

For context, Trea Turner had the highest sprint speed in the league in 2025 at 30.3 feet per second, per Statcast. Trout was down at 223 with 27.9 feet per second.

Trout is coming off the board as OF58 in Yahoo leagues, a far cry from his previous elite years. Two years removed from his meniscus tear and with an eye on redemption, Trout could end up being a draft-day steal.

Yankee youth shining early in spring training

The Yankees aren’t exactly the Pirates in terms of exciting prospects, but they do have some young players who have been turning heads so far in exhibition play.

George Lombard Jr., baseball’s 32nd-ranked prospect, has been making defensive highlight after defensive highlight so far in spring training, and the Yankees expect his bat to catch up with his glove. Defense can get players onto the field sooner than later; Lombard’s ascension is one to watch.

Carlos Lagrange is another of New York’s top prospects, a potentially front-line starter with triple-digit stuff. His arm is already making waves on social media. In Double-A last season, Lagrange put together a 7-6 record with a 3.22 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 78.1 innings pitched. At 22 years old, Lagrange has the chance to not only begin the season in Triple-A, but could see himself in the big-league club sooner rather than later, whether as a starter or in the bullpen.

Finally, we have Ryan Weathers, the Yankees’ offseason trade acquisition from the Marlins. At just 26 years old, Weathers hasn’t even reached his prime yet; once upon a time, Weathers was a Padres first-round pick. He flamed out with San Diego, but delivered moments of promise with the Marlins. The Yankees traded for that promise, and it may have already shown itself in spring training:

Weathers ended his exhibition outing with the following line: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 5 K, 0 BB. Not bad for a debut. He currently holds a Yahoo ADP of 207.6; expect that to rise in the coming weeks, barring injury or a blow-up outing, as Weathers is projected to be the Yankees’ third or fourth starter to open the season.