SAN DIEGO, CA – MARCH 26: Xander Bogaerts #2 of the San Diego Padres hits a RBI double in the bottom of the sixth inning during the game between the Detroit Tigers and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Thursday, March 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Detroit Tigers (1-0) at San Diego Padres (0-1), March 27, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST
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ST. LOUIS, MO – MARCH 26: Alec Burleson #41 of the St. Louis Cardinals reacts to a home run during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Thursday, March 26, 2026 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
I will admit that I’m still feeling a little euphoric after the St. Louis Cardinals Opening Day come from behind victory, but as I continue to dwell on what just happened, I believe it was more than just a great game. Yesterday proved that when they fill the stands, St. Louis Cardinals fans can bring the team an advantage that few MLB fanbases can compete with.
For the record, I’ve never applied the “best fans in baseball” moniker to the St. Louis Cardinals fanbase. That’s a subjective thing that feels like a marketing term and not a label we need to walk around bragging about, but Thursday’s Opening Day proved that when truly engaged, there are few atmospheres that can rival Busch Stadium. Oli Marmol said in his post-game press conference that the charged atmosphere of the crowd truly impacted how the team rose to the occasion. He was asked if the atmosphere felt different. Oli said “Yeah, it was packed. Yes, it felt different. That’s what you feed off of. I really do believe this group, regardless of situation, they’re going to play in a way where it’s exciting to watch them every inning and they’re not going to give in to a whole lot. I’m glad we were able to show that today.”
Earlier this week, I mentioned that the 2026 season was going to reveal a lot about who the real St. Louis Cardinals fans are. I was pleasantly surprised how packed the stands were. If you compare Opening Day this year compared to last, the energy in the seats this year was exponentially better than the start of last season. The ovation for President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom during the introductions was interesting. Do you think Cardinals Nation understands this isn’t the same old team and that big changes had to happen? Absolutely. Even when the Cardinals went down 6 runs in the top of the 6th inning, I didn’t see anyone start heading for the exits to get a jump on the drive home. Alec Burleson said after the game that the crowd’s energy was as much a part of that victory as what the team did on the field. He said “whenever we can get the crowd into it, that’s what we want to do. Kudos to the fans for showing up. Obviously it’s Opening Day, but we want to encourage them…we’re gonna continue to play this way whether we win or lose”.
I want to avoid overreacting to one game because that’s really all this is in the win-loss column, but I do think Opening Day might be a turning point when it comes to the state of the St. Louis Cardinals fans mindset. I haven’t seen Busch Stadium as charged as it was yesterday since at least the first playoff game against the Phillies in early October 2022. Over the next few weeks, we’ll learn if this was a one-off adrenaline rush or if the St. Louis Cardinals faithful will continue to fill the seats and help energize this team. Thursday was a reminder that Busch Stadium can still be a very special place to play. It’s part of what made Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt want to come play here and it could play a big role in inspiring future free agents to give St. Louis consideration. St. Louis Cardinals fans can truly be an X factor and it feels to me that they’ll keep showing up beyond Opening Day. Or, at least I hope so.
With his “runner’s knee” and the strained adductor he suffered during rehab, Stephen Curry has missed the Warriors’ last 23 games. Without him, they have gone 8-15 and slid to 10th in the West, where they would have to win two games just to make the playoffs.
The good news is that Curry is now officially listed as day-to-day by Golden State, and the next step is live 5-on-5 scrimmages, the team announced. The team also gave updates on Al Horford and Seth Curry, and NBC Sports’ Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson laid it out this way:
Warriors injury updates
Steph Curry: 5-on-5 scrimmage in the coming days, re-evaluated next week Al Horford: Some on-court work, re-evaluated in one week Seth Curry and Quinten Post: Day-to-day
The Warriors are the 10 seed, two games back of the No. 8 seed Clippers with nine games left to play. It’s not impossible that the Golden State can move up in the standings, but the odds are getting longer and longer by the day.
What matters is getting Curry back on the court and feeling like himself for the postseason. Curry continues to be the engine of the Warriors’ offense, and when he was healthy this season he looked elite, averaging 27.2 points and 4.8 assists a game, shooting 39.1% from 3-point range. With Jimmy Butler (ACL) and Moses Moody (knee) out for the remainder of the season, the Warriors need Curry’s shot creation and gravity to stand a chance in the play-in, let alone the playoffs.
ATLANTA (AP) — Texas senior Hubert Kos defended his national title in the 100-yard backstroke with a NCAA record time and the Longhorns held onto their team lead at the national swimming and diving championships on Friday.
Texas holds the top spot heading into the final day of competition with 340.5 points. Florida is second at 331 and Indiana has 254. Arizona State sits at 245 — with 120 coming on three relay wins.
California sophomore Yamato Okadome won his second individual title in consecutive nights, sweeping the breaststroke events. He took the 200 in a personal-best 1:48.61 after winning the 100 on Thursday.
Florida senior Josh Liendo also won his second individual title of the championships with a time of 18.06 in the 50 freestyle. Arizona State finished third, fifth and sixth.
Clayton Kershaw’s career with the Los Angeles Dodgers will officially last beyond his retirement.
The future Hall of Famer is joining the organization as a special assistant, according to MLB.com’s Sonja Chen. The specifics of his role with the team are reportedly up in the air, but he said he wants to continue contributing:
“I think I’ll be involved … I still want to be a part of the Dodgers, so if I can help in some small piece, I will.”
Kershaw played his final MLB game last year, winning a second straight World Series championship with the Dodgers. He did make a return to competitive baseball this spring, though, joining Team USA for the World Baseball Classic but not appearing in a game during the tournament.
It was reported by The Athletic’s Andy McCullough shortly after the Dodgers’ seven-game victory over the Toronto Blue Jays that Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman approached Kershaw about a role in their baseball operations department. Kershaw, who lives with his family in Dallas, turned it down, saying he didn’t see another full-time job in his future.
Kershaw has been a member of the Dodgers organization since the team drafted him seventh overall in the first round of the 2006 MLB Draft. He retired as an 11-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young winner and former MVP, making appearances on three World Series-winning teams. He is the club’s all-time strikeout leader with 3,052.
Clayton Kershaw’s career with the Los Angeles Dodgers will officially last beyond his retirement.
The future Hall of Famer is joining the organization as a special assistant, according to MLB.com’s Sonja Chen. The specifics of his role with the team are reportedly up in the air, but he said he wants to continue contributing:
“I think I’ll be involved … I still want to be a part of the Dodgers, so if I can help in some small piece, I will.”
Kershaw played his final MLB game last year, winning a second straight World Series championship with the Dodgers. He did make a return to competitive baseball this spring, though, joining Team USA for the World Baseball Classic but not appearing in a game during the tournament.
It was reported by The Athletic’s Andy McCullough shortly after the Dodgers’ seven-game victory over the Toronto Blue Jays that Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman approached Kershaw about a role in their baseball operations department. Kershaw, who lives with his family in Dallas, turned it down, saying he didn’t see another full-time job in his future.
Kershaw has been a member of the Dodgers organization since the team drafted him seventh overall in the first round of the 2006 MLB Draft. He retired as an 11-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young winner and former MVP, making appearances on three World Series-winning teams. He is the club’s all-time strikeout leader with 3,052.
Los Angeles, CA – March 15 : Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow (31) looks towards the stands while walking back to the dugout prior to the start of a MLB spring training game between the Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers at Angel Stadium on Sunday, March 22, 2026 in Anahiem , CA. (Photo by Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Tyler Glasnow is on the mound as the Dodgers finish off their first series of the 2026 season, starting on Saturday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.
Glasnow had a relatively normal spring, unencumbered by injuries or setbacks. He pitched into the fifth inning twice before ending his spring with five full innings and 11 strikeouts against the Angels during the Freeway Series last Sunday in his final spring tuneup.
Joe Davis will be in San Francisco on Saturday, covering the New York Yankees at San Francisco Giants for Fox, so Stephen Nelson will switch booths from radio to television to call the final game of this Dodgers series for SportsNet LA.
Los Angeles, CA – August 29: Former Los Angeles Dodger Jason Heyward receives his World Series ring prior to a baseball game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, August 29, 2025. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — Longtime major league outfielder Jason Heyward, who played in two of his 16 major league seasons with the Dodgers, announced his retirement from baseball on Friday.
“I’d like to take one last time to show LOVE to the game of BASEBALL as a player. You’ve taken me around the world. Given me something to dream of and work towards as a kid and a professional,” Heyward said in an Instagram post. “You’ve shown me the value of sacrifice, support, family, friends, competition, winning, respect, growth and many other lessons along the way.”
The five-time Gold Glove Award winner was released by the Chicago Cubs after two injury-plagued seasons in 2021-22. Heyward signed with the Dodgers that winter at the urging of Freddie Freeman, his friend and longtime teammate with the Atlanta Braves since they were both drafted out of high school by the team in 2007 — Heyward in the first round, Freeman in the second.
“I never talked about really the baseball player Jason Heyward, I always talk about the person Jason Heyward,” Freeman told Mookie Betts on the Off Base podcast in 2023. “Because if anybody comes in contact with Jason, for me it’s a life-changing moment for a lot of people. The wisdom, the care, the love that he has for each person that he comes across.”
Heyward immediately held stature in the Dodgers clubhouse, and not just by his 6’5, 240-pound frame. Less then three weeks into his first season in Los Angeles, Heyward was tabbed by manager Dave Roberts to give a speech at the Jackie Robinson statue, delivered to both the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs ahead of their April 15, 2023 game at Dodger Stadium.
Heyward signed on with the Houston Astros to finish out 2024, and he played 34 games last season for the San Diego Padres. In 16 major league seasons, Heyward hit .255/.336/.408 with a 104 wRC+, 186 home runs, and 308 doubles in 1,824 games, totaling 41.5 bWAR and 34.8 fWAR for the Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers, Astros, and Padres.
“Great teammate, very, very good team leader. He was old school, in the sense of always doing nice things for young players, buying dinners, buying stuff for them, showing them how to be a big leaguer,” Roberts said of Heyward on Friday. “Worked his tail off everyday, was bought into everything we asked of him. He’s had a great career, and I’m happy we got to be teammates for a minute. That was great.”
“I hope he stays in the game in some capacity, whether it be the front office side or the coaching side,” Roberts added. “The game needs guys like Jason.”
So far of the four teams in the Elite Eight, three are from the Big Ten, and two more have a chance tonight with Michigan (vs. Alabama) and Michigan State.
The 2026 Men’s NCAA Tournament is down to 16 teams and the injury report remains an important part of sifting through the remaining games in the bracket. Nearly one-third of the teams to qualify for the Sweet 16 are dealing with a significant player hobbled by injury, including No. 1 overall seed Duke.
ATLANTA, GA – MAY 04: Overall view of Truist Park in the seventh inning during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 4, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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