USA loses to Venezuela in World Baseball Classic championship game thriller  —  Bob Nightengale Jesse Yomtov Gabe LacquesUSA TODAY  —  MIAMI — They sprinted to the mound with third baseman Maikel Garcia lying on the field sobbing, and Eugenio Suarez praying to the heavens.

Here's the Braves' Spring Breakout roster (Sat., 6:35 p.m. ET)  —  NORTH PORT, Fla. — Spencer Schwellenbach flashed his potential when Spring Breakout games hit the scene in 2023, and JR Ritchie introduced himself to Braves fans during last year's event.  —  Who will be some of the next young Braves to shine?

Bryson Stott shifted his hands last season, and he's still seeing the rewards  —  Share full article  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. — In 2,017 major-league at-bats, Bryson Stott has hit one home run to left field.  —  He added another, albeit in spring training, on Feb. 26.  The catch: It was not necessarily what he planned on.

Exclusive: MLB To Implement Experimental Minor League Rule Changes for 2026  —  Several times during the last half decade, Major League Baseball has piloted rule changes in the minor leagues, some that have already been implemented at the highest level and others that remain purely experimental.

Gerrit Cole making Yankees game return in ‘next step’ after Tommy John surgery  —  TAMPA — Gerrit Cole is scheduled to make his first start in a game since Tommy John surgery on Wednesday against the Red Sox, The Post has learned.  —  It will be exactly 53 weeks since the March 11 …

Italy holds off Puerto Rico rally, reaches WBC semifinals: Highlights  —  Italy is heading to the World Baseball Classic semifinals for the first time.  And at this point, it's pure folly to doubt that the Italians are merely espresso-chugging curiosities.  —  Thanks to sterling relief pitching …

A sixth starter?  All options in play for Royals to begin season  —  MESA, Ariz. — Entering Spring Training, the Royals' rotation looked fairly set, with Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic returning from injury, Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo returning as the veteran starters and Noah Cameron returning following a standout rookie season.

Phillies' Johan Rojas suspended 80 games after failing drug test  —  Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas has officially been suspended 80 games after failing a a performance-enhancing-drug test, Major League Baseball announced Monday.  —  Rojas tested positive for Boldenone, a banned substance.

2026 Positional Power Rankings: Catcher  —  This season has the potential to be an odd one for catchers.  None of us knows exactly how the ABS challenge system will affect the way they go about their job, but all of us will be paying close attention.  We're a couple years into the one-knee …

Who bats leadoff for O's?  No answer yet, but Ward emerging as option  —  SARASOTA, Fla. — MLB managers often caution to not read too much into Spring Training lineups.  Teams aren't worried about winning games, so the construction of the batting order is more about getting players their work in …

Dodgers agree to deal with Uniqlo as official field presenting partner: Sources  —  Share full article  —  At a time when the presence of Shohei Ohtani has transformed the global branding of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team has agreed to a deal with fashion giant Uniqlo …