Kazuma Okamoto bats cleanup in Blue Jays lineup behind Dylan Cease

Kazuma Okamoto made a good first impression.

So good, that the Toronto Blue Jays third baseman was bumped to the cleanup spot in the batting order for his second career game on Saturday against the Athletics (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+, 3 p.m. ET / noon PT).

Okamoto, who signed a four-year, $60-million contract with the reigning AL champions in the off-season, went 2-for-3 with a walk in his MLB debut on Friday while also scoring the winning run.

Now, he’ll bat behind franchise first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Meanwhile, left fielder Davis Schneider is set for his season debut as he slots in the two-hole behind George Springer against Athletics left-hander Jeffrey Springs.

Right fielder Myles Straw, who entered Friday as a defensive replacement, should get his first plate appearance of the season in the No. 8 spot.

Starter Dylan Cease will make his Blue Jays debut after signing a seven-year, $210-million deal as a free agent — the largest in franchise history.

Cease, the 30-year-old right-hander, allowed just one run over 9.2 spring-training innings while striking out 12. He had a 4.55 ERA over 32 starts for the San Diego Padres last season.

Opposing him on the mound is Springs, who recorded a 4.65 ERA and 138 strikeouts over 171 innings last season.

The Blue Jays torched Springs for six runs in just two innings in a May game last season, though he rebounded with a quality start against Toronto in July.

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

Springer, Clement mic’d up at Maple Leafs game after viral seat shuffle

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

Canada’s Howden, Schmidt reach podium at final ski cross World Cup

Reece Howden won the men’s silver medal and fellow Canadian Hannah Schmidt took the women’s bronze Saturday in the penultimate ski cross races of the World Cup season.

Howden, from Chilliwack, B.C., posted a time of 57.36 seconds, just behind winner David Mobaerg of Sweden. 

Kilian Himmelsbach of Germany was third in 58.26.

Howden entered the event having already wrapped up his fourth career Crystal Globe as overall World Cup leader.

Schmidt, from Ottawa, was third in the women’s final in one minute 0.1 seconds.

Sandra Naeslund, who clinched the women’s Crystal Globe earlier Saturday by winning her quarterfinal, completed a Swedish sweep of Saturday’s finals with a time of 59.33 seconds, followed by Germany’s Daniela Maier in 59.42.

The final ski cross races of the World Cup season are Sunday in Gällivare.

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

Panthers’ Sam Bennett won’t play vs. Islanders

The Florida Panthers will be without Sam Bennett for Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders, head coach Paul Maurice told reporters.

Bennet’s absence is for an undisclosed reason but it’s not a major concern, according to Maurice.

The 29-year-old has 25 goals and 54 points in 70 games this season.

Florida recalled Jack Studnicka from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers.

Saturday’s game is a critical one for the Islanders who hold a one-point lead for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

Who will lock down starting spots for Canada at World Cup?

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

Maple Leafs sign college defenceman Hayes Hundley to entry-level contract

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to build up their blue line.

NCAA defenceman Hayes Hundley agreed to a three-year entry-level contract with the team, it announced Friday.

Hundley, 21, will join the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on a professional tryout before the deal kicks in next season.

He played 38 games with St. Thomas University this season, recording six goals and six assists. The Upper Arlington, Ohio, native spent last season with the USHL’s Fargo Force, where he posted four goals and 12 assists.

At six-foot-three and 210 pounds, the right-shooting Hundley joins fellow defenceman Vincent Borgesi and forward Brandon Buhr among the Maple Leafs’ current NCAA signing class.

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

Longtime MLBer, World Series champion Jason Heyward retires

Jason Heyward is hanging up his cleats.

The 16-year MLB veteran announced his retirement from baseball Friday on MLB Central.

“I’m glad and happy to be stepping to the other side of the game,” Heyward said.

“I look forward to being a potential mentor to any of the young players coming up, anybody that’s in the game right now. I feel like the game’s in good hands in that sense, and I look forward to being a fan and seeing what other ways I could give back.”

Heyward, 36, first entered MLB as a member of the Atlanta Braves in 2010. He spent five years with the NL East club, only topped by his seven seasons with the Chicago Cubs after a one-year pit stop with the St. Louis Cardinals. He also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros and San Diego Padres.

The one-time all-star and five-time Gold Glove winner in the outfield finishes his career with a .255 batting average to go with 186 home runs, 730 RBIs.

He was part of the 2016 Cubs team that broke through to win the World Series, appearing in 16 games during that run.

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet