MLB

Rangers sign SP Michael Lorenzen to one-year, $4.5 million contract

Versatility is the name of the game with Lorenzen, and that skill serves him well with any club. For the Rangers, Lorenzen should start — a role that Texas is getting him at a bargain for. Throughout the free agency period, Lorenzen either overplayed his hand or was victim of a soft market, but if he performs at a level close to 2023, he should fare better in free agency next winter.

Grade: A-

Padres 15, Dodgers 11

It’s incredibly early, but it’s fair to wonder if and when concerns will arise for the Dodgers regarding Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Los Angeles inked the Japanese phenom to a 12-year, $325 million contract this past offseason, but things have been rocky so far to say the least. The undersized 25-year-old struggled in spring training, and that carried over to yesterday, where Yamamoto was blown up to the tune of five earned runs in just one inning of work. The Dodgers are loaded and have a large margin for error, but not many clubs can withstand an investment this big failing. I don’t think there’s much of a reason to worry at this point, though.