Diamondbacks-Angels canceled, Jordan Montgomery’s debut pushed to weekend

TEMPE — The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Cactus League game against the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Friday was canceled due to “forecasted weather” after a rainy morning.

Spring training games are not rescheduled.

The Diamondbacks will embark on a busy weekend with a group of players and manager Torey Lovullo heading to Las Vegas for two exhibition games against the Athletics.

Bench coach Jeff Banister will manage the other half of the split-squad in the Valley, as Arizona visits the Cincinnati Reds in Goodyear on Saturday and hosts the Texas Rangers at Salt River Fields on Sunday.

What about Jordan Montgomery’s debut?

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The Diamondbacks had to readjust their pitching plans after Zac Gallen was set to start Friday’s game with Jordan Montgomery ready to pitch one inning in his spring debut. Montgomery was held back at the start of spring training with a finger injury.

Gallen will start in Goodyear on Saturday, and he will be followed by Montgomery, A.J. Puk, Justin Martinez and Shelby Miller, per manager Torey Lovullo.

Eduardo Rodriguez, Kevin Ginkel and Joe Mantiply will throw in a simulated game back at Salt River Fields.

Tommy Henry will start Saturday’s game in Las Vegas with Blake Walston probable for Sunday. Arizona will lean on primarily minor league arms against the Athletics while the regulars stick around.

Diamondbacks injury notes

– Outfielder Corbin Carroll (back tightness) was back in the lineup and set to lead off on Friday.

– Outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (hamstring tightness) was kept out of Friday’s lineup in anticipation of a wet playing surface. Lovullo said the plan is for Gurriel to play on Sunday.

– Reliever Kendall Graveman (back) is scheduled to throw a bullpen this weekend. Lovullo said he is still expected to be ready for Opening Day.

“He’s gotta go out there and stay healthy, recover, possible, back-to-back, that type of stuff,” Lovullo said. “So those are all the common things that are really important, and we feel like there’s enough time.”

– Non-roster invitee and left-handed reliever Jose Castillo will throw a bullpen on Tuesday.

Diamondbacks make roster move

The D-backs optioned 22-year-old right-hander Joe Elbis to Double-A Amarillo, bringing the major league camp roster to 60 players. More cuts are expected to come after this busy weekend.

Arizona selected Elbis over the offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.

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Cardinals re-sign long snapper Aaron Brewer, safety Joey Blount

The Arizona Cardinals re-signed special teams ace Joey Blount and long snapper Aaron Brewer, the team announced on Friday.

Brewer received a one-year contract while Blount’s is a two-year deal.

Brewer is the longest-tenured Cardinals, having originally joined the franchise in 2016. He’s appeared in 132 games for the Cardinals during that span.

Much like Blount, Brewer has been an integral part of special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers’ operations.

Blount has spent the past two seasons as one of Arizona’s top special teamers while serving as an added depth piece on defense.

Across 26 games with the Cardinals, Blount has an interception, a pass defensed and two forced fumbles. However, he finished last campaign on injured reserve with a rib injury.

Blount got his NFL start with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent out of Virginia.

The re-signings mark the latest returns for Arizona, falling in line behind contract extensions for pass rusher Zaven Collins, center Hjalte Froholdt, running back James Conner and safety Budda Baker.

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Wide-open ladies title chase up at Eagle Ridge

While there are clear-cut favorites on the men’s side of the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Championship, the race for the title in the P750,000 women’s event seems as wide open as it can be with recent winner Samantha Bruce to fulfill international playing commitments next week. The towering Bruce broke through as a pro last week

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NHL DFS Lineup Picks & Advice: Thursday (3/6)

The NHL playoff race is heating up, and there’s no shortage of ways to get in on the action with tonight’s nine-game schedule. I’m heading the DFS route. Below you’ll find the nine-man lineup I’m rolling with. This roster is playable in DraftKings’ classic $50,000 salary format, but I’ve also listed each player’s price for FanDuel’s $55,000 salary equivalent.

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Thursday’s NHL DFS Picks & Advice

The lineup below is based on DraftKings, but FanDuel prices are also listed.

C1: Barrett Hayton (C – UTA) | DraftKings: $4,400/FanDuel: $6,200

The Hockey Club takes on a Red Wings squad that’s just 2-4-1 in its last seven games, allowing four goals per game during the stretch. They’re also dead last in penalty-killing this year (69.93%), so look for Barrett Hayton (15 goals, 18 assists) and his Hockey Ckub to find success tonight.

Hayton occupies a spot on the top power-play unit (23.12%, 12th) and has two points (one goal, one assist) in his last two games. Give me the second-line centerman against this struggling Wings defense.

C2: Casey Mittelstadt (C – COL) | DraftKings: $4,000/FanDuel: $5,600

I’ll ride with Casey Mittelstadt as my second centerman tonight. He scored the game-winning goal in Tuesday’s 4-1 win over the Penguins, giving him two goals in his last three games. He’s up to 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) on the year.

I expect Mittelstadt’s offensive production to continue since Valeri Nichushkin (12 goals, seven assists) is back on his wing. The Avs welcome a Sharks defense ranked dead last in both GAA (3.41) and high-danger shots against (270). Mittelstadt and this Colorado offense should run up the scoreboard tonight at home.

W1: Sam Reinhart (C – FLA) | DraftKings: $7,500/FanDuel: $7,400

I’ll splurge on Florida’s Sam Reinhart, as the Cats host a Blue Jackets team that loves playing in high-scoring games. Reinhart, who’s seventh in goals scored (31) and 50th in assists (33), should turn in a big night tonight.

Columbus is just 24th in team SV% (.889), which is music to my ears against this goal-scoring machine.

W2: Brandon Hagel (LW – TB) | DraftKings: $6,500/FanDuel: $7,800

Let’s slide across Florida to the Gulf side, where the Bolts welcome in a Sabres team that has dropped four straight games, allowing 19 goals during the four-game stretch. They’re now 28th in GAA (3.12) and 30th in SV% (.881) while sitting 19th on the penalty kill (76.92%).

Give me Brandon Hagel, who’s ninth in goals (30) and 13th in points (68) this season. He’s developing into a star in the NHL and is primed for points tonight.

W3: Oliver Bjorkstrand (RW – TBL) | DraftKings: $3,900/FanDuel: $5,200

I’m going to take a flier on the newest member of the Lightning, Oliver Bjorkstrand (formerly of the Seattle Kraken). At this price and against a floundering Sabres team, it’s worth a shot on the winger.

Bjorkstrand has a modest 16 goals and 21 assists this season, but I think those numbers could skyrocket now that he’s in a much better offensive system.

D1: Mike Matheson (D – MTL) | DraftKings: $5,700/FanDuel: $5,300

The Habs head to Edmonton tonight to take on an Oilers side allowing 4.1 goals per game during their current 3-7-1 stretch of play. I like this matchup for Mike Matheson, who has three points (one goal, two assists) in his last two games.

Matheson is up to 28 points (five goals, 23 assists) on the year. Matheson’s also 22nd in the NHL in blocked shots (119), which bodes well for us against this high-volume Oilers offense. Matheson should make contributions on both ends of the ice.

D2: Mikhail Sergachev (D – UTA) | DraftKings: $4,900/FanDuel: $5,500

Considering the matchup against Detroit, I love this price on Utah’s Mikhail Sergachev (11 goals, 28 assists). As I mentioned above, the Wings are dead last on the penalty kill this season, which is great news for us since Sergachev runs point on the Hockey Club’s top power-play unit.

What I also like about Sergachev is that he’s a shot-blocking machine, ranking 34th in the NHL in blocked shots (108). He makes a solid value option at defense tonight.

G: Jake Oettinger (G – DAL) | DraftKings: $8,400/FanDuel: $7,900

Dallas’ Jake Oettinger is one of the more expensive goaltenders on the board tonight, but I think it’s worth playing him against this lowly Calgary offense. He should pick up a win, and I like the shutout potential that comes with the 26-year-old netminder.

Oettinger easily remains a top-10 goalie this year, where he’s second in wins (29-13-2), seventh in GAA (2.44) and 10th in SV% (.911). He’s tasked with stopping a Flames offense that’s ranked dead last in scoring (2.6 gals per game) and 31st in shooting percentage (8.93%).

UTIL: Mikael Granlund (C – DAL) | DraftKings: $4,700/FanDuel: $6,000

Let’s also play Jake Oettinger’s teammate, Mikael Granlund. Since coming over from San Jose, the second-line winger has picked up seven points (seven assists) in 10 games.

Granlund has also slotted in on Dallas’ second power-play unit, which draws a matchup against a Calgary penalty kill that’s just 27th in the NHL (74.46%). At this price, I like the upside with Granlund.

The post NHL DFS Lineup Picks & Advice: Thursday (3/6) appeared first on FantasyPros.

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Cardinals bottom-7 in adjusted games lost to injury for 2024, according to FTN’s Schatz

The Arizona Cardinals were significantly impacted by injuries during the 2024 season, with key starters like linebacker BJ Ojulari, offensive lineman Jonah Williams, defensive tackle Bilal Nichols and defensive tackle Justin Jones missing a combined 52 games.

The total injuries to Arizona as a team was enough for Aaron Schatz, chief analytics officer at For the Numbers (FTN), a fantasy sports website, to rank the Cardinals as the seventh-worst team in terms of adjusted games lost (AGL).

AGL is calculated by taking a look at more than just games missed by injured players.

It accounts for both absent players and those playing at less than 100%, and it specifically measures injuries to expected starters and important situational players rather than little-used backups. As such, AGL estimates the impact of injuries on teams and provides a comparable total that often succinctly explains why teams improved or declined from one year to the next. (AGL was created by Bill Barnwell.)

In the AGL rankings, a score of one indicates the fewest injuries, while 32 signifies the most.

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The Cardinals’ offensive AGL of 31.8 ranked 14th in the league, while their defensive AGL of 72.9 ranked 29th.

With a total AGL of 104.7, Arizona ranked 26th overall.

Only six NFL teams had a worse overall AGL ranking than the Cardinals in 2024: San Francisco, Las Vegas, Carolina, New Orleans, Miami and Cleveland. None of these teams made the playoffs.

By comparison, Arizona’s AGL ranking for the 2023 season was 100.1, placing them 28th. The most notable injury that season was quarterback Kyler Murray missing the first half of the year due to an ACL tear he suffered in the 2022 season.

Cardinals aim to improve injury luck with training staff, facilities

In the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) 2024 report card, Arizona’s training staff received a B grade, ranking 20th in the league. The strength coaches earned a C+, placing them 26th.

However, the most recent report card showed a drop: the training staff received a C+ (31st in the league), and the strength coaches were graded with a C (also 31st).

The Cardinals are determined to change the narrative surrounding their injury struggles.

It starts with a new $100 million training facility in Tempe set to be completed before the 2027 season.

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No stopping Tigresses in roaring to fourth straight; Lady Tams notch first win streak

Safe to say that, save for a short span in the third frame on Wednesday, University of Santo Tomas has shrugged off the woeful form that made the Golden Tigresses start the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament with a limp. The Tigresses roared to a fourth straight win following a 25-11, 25-23, 23-25, 25-12

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Who is rising and falling in the D-backs’ MLB Pipeline prospect rankings?

Two 2022 draft picks by the Arizona Diamondbacks are going in opposite directions on the updated MLB Pipeline rankings of top prospects.

Druw Jones, who at the end of 2024 was viewed as the second-best player in the D-backs’ farm system, has fallen to No. 7.

Meanwhile, infielder Demetrio Crisantes has jumped from the No. 13 prospect all the way to second, behind top prospect Jordan Lawlar, who after another string of injuries will have the microscope on him in 2025.

Top 15 Diamondbacks prospects, according to MLB Pipeline

1. INF Jordan Lawlar
2. INF Demetrio Crisantes
3. OF Slade Caldwell
4. RHP Yilber Diaz
5. C Adrian Del Castillo
6. OF Ryan Waldschmidt
7. OF Druw Jones
8. INF Tommy Troy
9. INF Jansel Luis
10. INF Gino Groover
11. LHP Yu-Min Lin
12. INF JD Dix
13. RHP Cristian Mena
14. INF Cristofer Torin
15. INF Yassel Soler

Crisantes rises to D-backs’ No. 2 prospect in MLB Pipeline rankings

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A seventh-round selection out of Nogales High School in 2022, Crisantes split last season in the Arizona Complex League and Single-A Visalia.

The 20-year-old flashed his offensive toolkit by slashing .333/.429/.478 at the latter stop, hitting 40 RBIs with 16 doubles in 63 games there. A 57-game on-base streak did a bit to boost his statistics by the end of the season.

Crisantes is now listed as the No. 9 second-base prospect in baseball.

From his MLB Pipeline scouting report:

Batting from the right side with only a slight leg lift in his load, Crisantes keeps a simple and relaxed operation in the box that helps his bat-to-ball skills. He boosts the hit tool further with good swing decisions and a solid understanding of situational need. Crisantes will crush mistakes that come over the plate with his average power, but he can push balls to the opposite field when required too.

He is the only Diamondback prospect in an MLB top-10 by position other than Lawlar, who is the second-rated shortstop behind the Tampa Bay Rays’ Carson Williams.

Buzz keeps building for ADC, Diaz

Two D-backs who made their major-league debuts last season are rising up the list.

Catcher Adrian Del Castillo was the 14th-ranked prospect just a few months back, according to MLB Pipeline, but he’s now No. 5 after making his MLB debut in 2024.

Though he showed plenty of room for growth behind the plate, he hit .313 with four homers and five doubles in 80 at-bats (25 games) with the Diamondbacks and otherwise was scorching Triple-A Reno with a 1.002 OPS.

From his MLB Pipeline scouting report:

Long considered a hit-over-glove backstop, Del Castillo has improved some with his framing over time, taking to the one-knee-down approach, but he was still notably below average with the skill in The Show. He struggled even more so with slow transfers on stolen-base attempts, and MLB runners went 27-for-29 against him once they realized they could run. Improving the defense is a major point in Del Castillo’s profile, but the bat is looking like it could play in any role.

Pitcher Yilber Diaz also got MLB run earlier than expected thanks to a bevy of midseason injuries to Arizona’s starting pitchers. The 24-year-old pitched 28.1 innings for the D-backs and posted a 3.81 ERA with 19 strikeouts and 12 walks.

Diaz, who jumped from sixth to fourth on the MLB Pipeline list of Arizona’s best prospects, made four starts and played in seven games total.

Expectations have fallen off for Jones

The start to Jones’ pro career hasn’t been as smooth sailing as most experts anticipated when he was picked second overall in 2022.

While the center fielder’s defense has met expectations, his offensive development has been a slow roll.

Spending all of 2024 with Visalia, Jones hit .275 with 65 RBIs, 15 doubles, eight triples and six home runs in 109 games. He struck out 132 times.

Per MLB Pipeline:

It’s been a process getting Jones going offensively. He didn’t chase as much in his second bite at the California League apple, but he also didn’t swing much either — only Juan Soto (36.9 percent) had a lower swing rate in the Majors than Jones’ at Single-A (38.0). When he did decide to hack, it was too often on the ground and to the opposite field, dulling the above-average raw power he exhibited as an amateur. D-backs coaches are working with Jones on improving the directionality of his swing while not sacrificing contact after he still whiffed on his share of sliders.

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