The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers should be one of the more intriguing stops in the system this season. Not necessarily because they’re built to dominate the Carolina League, but because of what they represent. This is what the early stages of a rebuild actually look like.
A roster packed with teenagers, recent draftees, and projection players isn’t going to overwhelm anyone out of the gate. But if things go right, Kannapolis could be where the foundation quietly starts to take shape. It will be less about wins and losses, and more about whether the organization can build anything resembling a functional pipeline again.
The Ballers will have a fresh face guiding that process in Jayson Nix, who takes over for Chad Pinder after Pinder’s rapid ascent to Triple-A Charlotte. Nix brings a blend of big-league and recent coaching experience, having spent time on the Los Angeles Angels’ staff under Ron Washington.
For a roster this young, that experience matters. Development here isn’t just mechanical; it’s about teaching players how to handle failure, adjust, and survive a grind they’ve never experienced before.
Last year’s 64–68 finish certainly doesn’t jump off the page, but the way Kannapolis got there does. They hovered around .500 most of the season before catching fire late, winning 11 of their final 14 games and at least making things interesting down the stretch.
More importantly, the Ballers did what they were supposed to do: develop players. Names like Braden Montgomery and Caleb Bonemer moved up the ranks, and that’s the real currency at this level.
This season, three of Chicago’s top-30 prospects (per MLB Pipeline) are set to open 2026 in Kannapolis. Let’s break down that trio, along with a few other names worth keeping tabs on.
The kids are (very) young
This year’s position-player group leans heavily into projection, which is supposed to be a theme across the White Sox system under GM Chris Getz.
Arizona baseball renews rivalry with ASU for weekend series at Hi Corbett Field
With the 2026 season past the halfway point, all signs point to Arizona missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. Depending how this upcoming weekend goes, the Wildcats could surpass their loss total from a year ago with six weeks left in the regular season.
But there’s still plenty to play for, and in the case of the next opponent, play against. The UA hosts ASU for three games at Hi Corbett Field beginning Thursday night.
“I just think we need to play a good game,” coach Chip Hale said after Tuesday’s home loss to West Virginia. “But we have to play good baseball, and minimize the free 90s.”
That’s the all-encompassing term Hale uses for opposing hitters getting on and getting over without the benefit of a hit. That was a big issue against West Virginia, when UA pitchers issued 10 walks, hit two batters and also had runs score on a passed ball, wild pitch and fielding error.
The same thing happened the previous weekend in getting swept at UCF, when over three games Arizona (9-19, 2-7 Big 12) walked 14, hit two and had six wild pitches.
“ASU is another one that’s going to come in here, and if you give them free 90s it’s not going to be pretty,” Hale said.
The Sun Devils (21-8, 5-4) is averaging more than nine runs per game, and scored 10 in a nonconference win over Arizona last month. Any free 90s given to them will only enhance their potent attack, which is led by sophomore Landon Hairston, who is hitting .469 with 17 home runs and 48 RBI.
“He’s having a Barry Bonds-type year, we’re going to have to be very careful with him,” Hale said of Hairston, whose father Scott Hairston played for Hale with the Tucson Sidewinders in the mid-2000s. “Landon was born when I was managing his dad. We really wanted him. His dad said he basically wanted to be a Sun Devil his whole life, and you’ve got to respect that. When I watch him, I root for him—not when he’s playing against us—but it’s hard. It’s hard to root against him. He’s a great kid, and they have a wonderful family.”
The annual Arizona/ASU series also serves as a reunion for many Phoenix-area players who were either teammates or adversaries at the high school and club level. The UA has 17 in-state players, 14 from Maricopa County, while there are 10 Sun Devils from Arizona.
“When we cross these lines we don’t like each other and we’re going to go at it,” said center fielder Carson McEntire, who grew up playing against ASU’s Hairston, Josh Butler and Cole Carlon, among others. Both his parents graduated from ASU as well, but he said they’ll be rooting for the Wildcats.
“The house is a full Wildcat now, full go,” said McEntire, who leads Arizona with six home runs and his 19 RBI is tied for the team lead. “My dad expects us to whoop some devil butt.”
Senior reliever Garrett Hicks, who grew up in Buckeye and was surrounded by ASU fans growing up, is looking forward to avenging the loss in Phoenix last month.
“I’m excited to play them, especially after we played them up there, we didn’t like some of the stuff they did,” Hick said. “It’s ASU. They did it last year, whatever. I don’t like them, whatever. But it’s a rivalry game. Stakes are high. Right now, the whole college baseball world thinks we’re a dead man. You can’t kill a dead man when he’s already dead. At the end of the day, we’re a dangerous team and we’re gonna come out and show what we got.”
Injury update
Arizona continues to deal with injuries, the latest being a quad injury to freshman outfielder Caleb Danzeisen that has kept him out the last three games. Hale expects him to be available this weekend.
The Wildcats have lost another player for the year, as second baseman Tyler Bickers had shoulder surgery. He’s the third position player to suffer a season-ending shoulder injury along with outfielder Easton Breyfogle and infielder Gavin Triezenberg.
That’s in addition to four pitchers being out indefinitely or for the season. And freshman Jack Lafflam, who started Tuesday, had to come out after two innings because he “didn’t feeling great” according to Hale.
This isn’t the first time Hale has had an injury-plagued season like this.
“I was fired from the Diamondbacks when it happened,” he said. “We were decimated with injuries that year, 2016. We were playing catchers in the outfield, and it didn’t bode well for me.”
The injuries for Arizona began in the fall, which was when Hicks dealt with one. That led to a poor start to this season, but since going into the pitching lab he’s thrown 5.1 scoreless innings including a career-best 4.1 Sunday against UCF.
“Before that, my mechanics all year just felt wrong, felt off since coming back from being hurt in the fall,” he said. “And so it was just kind of a timing thing. We figured it out. And now it’s just kind of just going out there and rolling. And now I kind of figured everything out, spin, everything, so now everything’s starting to click, which is nice.”
Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke arrested in Arkansas
Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke faces multiple charges after being arrested in Arkansas on Wednesday, April 1.
The Cross County Sheriff’s Department booked Clarke at 1:03 p.m. local time on charges that include fleeing/exceeding the speed limit, trafficking a controlled substance, and possession of a controlled substance, according to Sheriff’s Office records.
He was also charged with improper passing.
Clarke has spent all seven seasons of his career with Memphis, but hasn’t been a factor for the team this season. The forward has played just two games, averaging 4 points and 3 rebounds.
He’s already been ruled out for the season due to a right calf strain. Clarke’s current contract with the Grizzlies goes to 2026-27.
The former first-round pick was named to the All-Rookie team in 2020. He started his college career at San Jose State before transferring to Gonzaga.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke arrested in Arkansas
Cavs at Warriors: How to watch, odds, and injury report
The Cleveland Cavaliers will have a chance to end their brief three-game Western Conference road trip with a win as they take on a hobbled Golden State Warriors team that will be on the second leg of a back-to-back.
As we know from their first meeting, just because the Warriors are down several key players — including Steph Curry — that doesn’t mean that this is a guaranteed win. The Cavs found that out the hard way in December when they lost to a Pat Spencer-led team. We’ll see if they learned their lesson from that loss.
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Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (47-29) at Golden State Warriors (36-39)
Where: Chase Center – San Francisco, CA
When: Thur. April 2 at 10 PM
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, FanDuel Sports App, NBA League Pass
Point spread: Not yet set
Cavs injury report: Jaylon Tyson – OUT (toe), Dean Wade – OUT (ankle), Riley Minix – OUT (G League), Olivier Sarr – OUT (G League), Tristan Enaruna – OUT (G League)
Warriors injury report for Wednesday’s game vs. Spurs: Steph Curry – OUT (knee), Jimmy Butler III – OUT (ACL), Al Horford – OUT (calf), De’Anthony Melton – OUT (thumb), Moses Moody – OUT (knee), Gary Payton II – OUT (knee), Kristaps Porzingis – OUT (illness management), Quinten Post – OUT (foot), Gui Santos – OUT (pelvic contusion)
Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Warriors expected starting lineup: Brandin Podziemski, Pat Spencer, Gui Santos, Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis
Previous matchup: The Cavs lost the Pat Spencer game in December
Here’s a look at both teams’ impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.
| Offensive Rating | Defensive Rating | Net Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cavs | 118.9 (6th) | 114.8 (14th) | +4 (10th) |
| Warriors | 114.7 (18th) | 115.1 (15th) | -0.4 (17th) |
NBA fines Trail Blazers $100K, suspend assistant GMs for breaking rules scouting Chinese center
NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has fined the Portland Trail Blazers $100,000 for scouting Chinese center Yang Hansen in 2023, breaking a league rule regarding players ineligible for the draft.
The league also announced Wednesday that Trail Blazers assistant general managers Sergi Oliva and Mike Schmitz are suspended for two weeks without pay for violating the rule.
“When this was brought to our attention the Portland Trail Blazers self reported to the NBA,” the team said. “The team cooperated fully with the investigation and accept the league’s determination.”
Portland drafted the 7-foot-1 Hansen with the No. 16 overall pick last year and he has averaged 2.3 points and 1.6 rebounds in 41 games this season.
The NBA Board of Governors approved the sale of the controlling interest in the Trail Blazers from Paul Allen’s estate to a group led by investor Tom Dundon on Monday.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Celtics score 53 points in 1st quarter at Miami, setting club record for opening period
MIAMI (AP) — The Boston Celtics had a first quarter like none other in their storied history.
The Celtics scored 53 points — their biggest-scoring first quarter ever — in the opening 12 minutes of their game against the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.
Boston’s barrage is tied for the second-highest-scoring first quarter in NBA regular-season history. Golden State had a 55-point opening quarter at Portland on April 9, 2023, and Miami had a 53-point opening quarter against Charlotte on Nov. 7.
It was the second-most points Boston has scored in a quarter; the Celtics had 54 in the fourth period of a game against the San Diego Clippers on Feb. 25, 1970. And it was the most points Miami ever allowed in any quarter; the Heat gave up 50 in the fourth quarter of a game at Seattle on Jan. 5, 1990.
Boston made 11 3-pointers in the opening quarter, with Sam Hauser going 5 for 5 from beyond the arc while playing all 12 minutes. Jaylen Brown had 20 points by himself in the quarter — the ninth 20-point quarter of his career, including playoffs — and Hauser finished with 17.
Boston led 53-33 at the end of the quarter, after shooting 20 for 28 from the field and 11 for 15 from 3-point range.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Dodgers vs. Guardians game III chat
The Dodgers play the final game of the first homestand of the 2026 season with their ace on the mound, Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Wednesday Game Info
- Teams: Dodgers vs. Guardians
- Stadium: Dodger Stadium
- Time: 5:20 p.m. PT
- TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out-of-market)
- Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 (Spanish)
Dodgers on Deck: Friday, April 3 at Nationals
The Dodgers’ first road game of the 2026 season comes in the nation’s capital, battling the Washington Nationals on Friday afternoon at Nationals Park. It’s the home opener for the Nats, with a daytime start to open the weekend series.
Emmet Sheehan starts the series opener on Friday, looking to rebound from his first start of the season, during which he allowed four runs in 3 1/3 innings last Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Friday game info
- Teams: Dodgers at Nationals
- Ballpark: Nationals Park, Washington D.C.
- Time: 10:05 a.m. PT
- TV: SportsNet LA
- Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)
GAME THREAD: Guardians at Dodgers, game 7 of 162
Here is the Guardians’ lineup:
Here is the Dodgers’ lineup:
Let’s go, Guardians!
Dodgers 2026 injured list tracker
This is your one-stop shop for every Dodgers stint on the injured list during the 2026 season. We’ll also include every time a player misses time on the paternity list, bereavement leave, or is on the family medical emergency list as well.
Basically any time a player misses time that requires a roster move, we’ll note it here.
During the 2025 season, 28 different Dodgers players spent time on the injured list, some of them for multiple stints. That matched the team total from 2024, while in 2023 the Dodgers saw 34 players miss time on the IL.
Every injured-list stint is a transaction and will also be chronicled on our 40-man roster page. Both are essentially living documents that will be constantly updated throughout the season as these moves happen.
Injured-list stints for pitchers are a minimum of 15 days, and for position players it’s at least 10 days.
During spring training, the Dodgers placed both Evan Phillips and Kiké Hernández on the 60-day injured list, which opened up space on the 40-man roster for other moves. On opening day, six more Dodgers were placed on the injured list, including Blake Snell and Tommy Edman.
For more information on each specific injured list stint, click on the links on the dates in the list below this table.
Note: if you are on a mobile device, these tables will show up best in landscape mode.
| Player | Pos. | Injury | Date on | Eligible to return | Comments |
| Tommy Edman | IF/OF | Right ankle surgery | Mar 25 | Apr 1 | maybe end of May |
| Blake Snell | SP | Shoulder fatigue | Mar 25 | Apr 1 | maybe end of May |
| Brock Stewart | RHP | Shoulder surgery | Mar 25 | Apr 1 | |
| Landon Knack | RHP | Intercostal strain | Mar 25 | Apr 1 | |
| Brusdar Graterol | RHP | Shoulder surgery | Mar 25 | Apr 1 | |
| Gavin Stone* | SP | Shoulder inflammation | Mar 25 | May 21 | |
| Jake Cousins* | RHP | Tommy John surgery | Mar 25 | May 21 | Expected back midseason |
| Bobby Miller* | RHP | Shoulder soreness | Mar 24 | May 24 | |
| Kiké Hernández* | IF/OF | Left elbow surgery | Feb 21 | May 24 | Expected back midseason |
| Evan Phillips* | RHP | Tommy John surgery | Feb 12 | May 24 | Expected back midseason |
April 1: Gavin Stone moved to 60-day injured list.
April 1: Jake Cousins moved to 60-day injured list.
March 25: Blake Snell placed on 15-day injured list, Tommy Edman placed on 10-day injured list, Brock Stewart placed on 15-day injured list, Brusdar Graterol placed on 15-day injured list, Gavin Stone placed on 15-day injured list, Landon Knack placed on 15-day injured list, Jake Cousins placed on 15-day injured list
March 24: Bobby Miller placed on 60-day injured list
February 21: Kiké Hernández placed on 60-day injured list
February 12: Evan Phillips placed on 60-day injured list