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• Veteran MLB umpire C.B. Bucknor, 63, left Wednesday's game early after a foul tip struck his facemask while umpiring behind the plate. • The incident came one day after Bucknor's viral erroneous call on Tuesday, ruling Jake Bauers did not touch first base despite his cleat hitting the bag center. • Bucknor faced intense scrutiny in the ABS era, where plate umpires are under the biggest microscope amid increased video review.

• The New York Yankees, led by 2025 AL MVP Aaron Judge, face the Seattle Mariners and star catcher Cal Raleigh in a heavyweight American League matchup this week. • Judge and Raleigh competed for the 2025 MVP award before Judge won his third career MVP, and both players were teammates on Team USA in the World Baseball Classic that saw the U.S. lose to Venezuela in the finals. • Judge has started strong in 2026, homering in each of his last two games as the Yankees seek to establish early division dominance.

• Cincinnati Reds face the Boston Red Sox on Opening Day March 26, 2026, at Great American Ball Park, starting at 3:40 PM airtime on 103.9 WRBI. • All-Star left-handers Andrew Abbott for Reds and Garrett Crochet for Boston headline the matchup; Reds reliever Caleb Ferguson placed on 15-day IL retroactive to Sunday due to oblique strain. • This season opener marks the start of the 2026 MLB campaign in Cincinnati, drawing local excitement for the homestand.

Detroit Tigers narrowly beat Toronto Blue Jays on March 14 in Dunedin, Fla., during MLB Spring Training, aired on MLBN at 1 p.m. The close victory helps Detroit fine-tune its roster ahead of the regular season. Key performances from Tigers pitchers and hitters shone in the Grapefruit League matchup. Both teams continue preparations for Opening Day.

Detroit defeated Toronto 4-3 in MLB Spring Training on Saturday in Dunedin, Florida, with Riley Greene's two-run homer in the seventh proving decisive. Tarik Skubal pitched 3 scoreless innings for the Tigers, striking out 5. This win improves Detroit's spring record to 12-5, building momentum for Opening Day. Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 2-for-4 in the loss.

New York Yankees defeated Atlanta Braves 6-4 in spring training action on Friday at 1 p.m. ET in North Port, Florida, with Aaron Judge hitting a two-run homer. Other key games included San Diego vs. Oakland split squad and Houston vs. St. Louis in Jupiter. These exhibitions feature top prospects and tune up rosters ahead of Opening Day on March 27. Injuries reported: Yankees' Jazz Chisholm day-to-day with hamstring strain.