Betts’ Bat Smash Lights Up Boston’s Offense!
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 09: Pitcher River Ryan #77 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fifth inning of a spring training game at American Family Fields of Phoenix on March 09, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images A busy Sunday saw every position player in big league camp getting into a game, plus 12 others as the Dodgers blew out the Cubs 14-8 in Mesa and beat the Rangers 5-3 at Camelback Ranch. Hyeseong Kim, back from the World Baseball Classic, singled and stole a base in Mesa against the Cubs.
Mookie Betts hit his first home run this spring, off Cubs starter Jameson Taillon. Kyle Tucker hit a two-run shot of his own against the Rangers. Rotation competition With Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, and Roki Sasaki firmly in the Dodgers rotation , there isn’t room for all three of Justin Wrobleski, Emmet Sheehan, and River Ryan to all start games at the beginning of the season.
Sheehan and Ryan both started on Sunday, and each made strides toward a potential roster spot. Ryan continued his impressive spring . After four singles plated a run in the first inning, he allowed only a walk the rest of the way, finishing with five strikeouts in his four innings of work.
The issue this year with Ryan will be how the Dodgers will limit his innings after missing all of 2025 after Tommy John surgery. But performance-wise, he’s been the best and most consistent of the three vying for a rotation spot this spring. Sheehan entered this spring with an inside track toward a rotation spot after a dominant final two months last season, but a flu sidelined him and kept him off the mound for a while.
He hasn’t yet been able to fully stretch out, such that his 3 2/3 innings and 66 pitches on Sunday marked the first time Sheehan recorded more than seven outs this spring. A two-run home run in the third inning were the only runs Sheehan allowed on Sunday, but in his three outings and 38 batters faced this spring, he has as many walks (six) as strikeouts. Welcome aboard It was twenty-three days ago that the Dodgers claimed Jack Suwinski off waivers from the Pirates , and 13 days since he was sent outright off the 40-man roster .