Here are three things to keep an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:<\/p>\n
1. 2026 Spring Breakout:<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s Spring Breakout got underway last night, with a slate of six games between clubs showcasing some of their top prospects. Among the prospects to impress most yesterday were Reds right-hander Chase Petty<\/a>, who struck out six over four scoreless innings, and Nationals infield prospect Gavin Fien<\/a>, who went 3-for-4 with a walk and two doubles at the plate. Spring Breakout games will continue today and throughout the weekend, with the Brewers\u2019 top-ranked farm system in baseball set to face off against the Mariners\u2019 farm at 2:10pm local time in Arizona. Top shortstop prospect Jes\u00fas Made<\/a> will be joined by Jett Williams<\/a>, Cooper Pratt<\/a>, and others on a stacked Brewers prospect roster, while the Mariners will showcase top prospects Colt Emerson<\/a> and Kade Anderson<\/a>, among others.<\/p>\n 2. Alvarez exits with minor injury:<\/p>\n Mets fans were given a scare yesterday when catcher Francisco Alvarez<\/a> departed the game due to back tightness. Fortunately, Will Sammon of The Athletic<\/a> was among those to relay assurances from manager Carlos Mendoza that Alvarez\u2019s removal was precautionary and that he would have been able to continue playing had it been a regular season game. Alvarez\u2019s status will be worth keeping an eye on for fans in Queens given that the club would likely need to turn to Luis Torrens<\/a> and Ben Rortvedt<\/a> as its tandem behind the plate if he required a trip to the injured list, but for now the level of concern seems fairly. The 24-year-old Alvarez, already heading into his fifth season, will be looking to build on a big second half last year where he slashed .276\/.360\/.561 across 41 games.<\/p>\n 3. Rose calling it a career:<\/p>\n