Detroit, MI

Riley Greene won’t play in 2026 WBC after turning down Puerto Rico

Published

2 months ago

February 3, 2026

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Riley Greene won’t play in 2026 WBC after turning down Puerto Rico

Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene won’t participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

The 25-year-old declined an invitation from Team Puerto Rico, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. He wanted to compete for Team USA – as he did as a teenager at the 2018 Pan-American Championships – but he didn’t receive an invitation.

He also turned down Team Puerto Rico for the 2023 WBC.

Greene is eligible to play for Puerto Rico through his mother, Lisa Greene.

“I know it would be a transition for him, being able to share the same clubhouse with a lot of Latino guys,” Carlos Beltrán, a Hall of Fame outfielder and Team Puerto Rico’s general manager, said Dec. 9 regarding his recruitment pitch. “We can be loud, but at the end of the day, it’s going to be fun.”

The WBC starts March 5 and ends March 17.

Therefore, Greene will spend all of spring training with the Tigers in Lakeland, Florida, preparing for Opening Day on March 26 against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego.

The first full-squad workout is Feb. 15 at the Tigers’ complex.

Greene – the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 draft – has the potential to develop into a superstar player in the 2026 season after back-to-back All-Star appearances in 2024-25. He became one of 11 MLB players to hit at least 36 home runs in 2025, though he also set a franchise record with 201 strikeouts in 157 games.

Cleaning up his 30.7% strikeout rate is the best path to superstardom, but Team Puerto Rico wanted him for his proven power production.

Instead, they’ll have to find it elsewhere.

“It would be incredible,” Beltrán said. “He is a run producer. He’s very talented. I love the way he plays. He plays hard, and he has a lot of passion. I would be very excited to come out with him – because he’s a power bat.”

For the 2026 WBC, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer won’t play for Team Puerto Rico, but Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado will participate. Springer and Arenado were born in the United States, but they’re eligible for both Team USA and Team Puerto Rico through family ties – just like Greene.

Arenado represented Team USA in 2017 and 2023, but Team USA didn’t invite him in 2026.

That’s why he switched to Team Puerto Rico.

“I’ve already had some pretty harsh DMs coming at me by some people,” Arenado said Jan. 27 on the “Foul Territory” show. “I had a couple of people say I’m a traitor. I’m like, ‘Listen, I didn’t get asked to play for USA.’ It’s baseball. It’s not a big deal. I’m excited to play for Puerto Rico, and if we end up playing USA, I think that’d be pretty cool.”

[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]

Team Puerto Rico – managed by MLB legend Yadier Molina, a former teammate of Arenado with the St. Louis Cardinals – will compete in Pool A at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, alongside Cuba, Canada, Panama and Colombia. The top two teams from each of the four pools will advance to the single-elimination bracket.

The 2026 WBC championship is March 17 at loanDepot Park in Miami.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon during the season and Tuesday afternoon during the offseason on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Detroit, MI

Former Piston shows Detroit what they’re missing as he dominates next to LeBron

Published

3 hours ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

Former Piston shows Detroit what they’re missing as he dominates next to LeBron

The Pistons have made recent moves to add more shooting, but still don’t have anyone quite as lethal as former Detroit guard Luke Kennard. On Saturday night, Kennard had a brilliant start to his postseason with 27 uber-efficient points for the Lakers in a win against the Rockets. His level of 3-point accuracy is something the Pistons have desperately been seeking all season long to bolster their offense.

Luke Kennard’s shooting makes him a dangerous playoff performer

Kennard was originally drafted to Detroit with the 17th pick of the 2017 Draft. The Pistons have plenty of draft regrets from that general era of team history, but picking Kennard has never been one of them. Despite any other weaknesses he may have, his strength as a shooter has always been enough to offset them.

In terms of pure 3-point percentage, Kennard is one of the best shooters in NBA history. He averages 44% behind the arc for his career, and shot a blistering 48% this season – the best mark in the league. Given his incredible track record, it’s not exactly a shocker to see him shoot 5-of-5 from three en route to 27 points in Game 1.

Not only is Kennard obviously an excellent standstill shooter, but he’s also a master of getting himself open with his movement. On Saturday night, he was able to play off LeBron James perfectly for a few easy looks. After that, he caught enough of a rhythm to create 3-point looks for himself, even in transition.

A player like Kennard is easily capable of turning an entire playoff game when he gets hot. In a close series, that one game where Kennard hits several threes can be all the difference his team needs to advance. If the Lakers do manage to win this series, even without Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves, Kennard’s shooting will be a major reason why.

The Pistons could use someone like Kennard

Kennard would be a perfect marginal addition for the Pistons that only makes them better without taking anything away from the team. To be fair, the Pistons do have two shooters who have been hot recently in Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter. But having more than one respected shooter on the court at a time is often necessary to maintain a solid offense in today’s NBA.

Given the Pistons’ current lack of shooting, any additional shooters are welcome. And Kennard is understandably one of the most feared shooters in the league, capable of bending defenses just by the threat of him taking a three. Rolling him out on the Pistons would surely open up more lanes for Detroit’s stars to attack the paint and score easier points.

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Detroit, MI

Troopers arrest Detroit woman after drive-by shooting on I-94

Published

15 hours ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Troopers arrest Detroit woman after drive-by shooting on I-94

A Detroit woman was arrested in the aftermath of a hit-and-run collision and shooting on Interstate 94, Michigan State Police reported.

Emergency dispatchers were called shortly after midnight Saturday about the altercation. Troopers reported the caller said while they were driving eastbound on I-94, near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, a black Jeep sideswiped them and sped off.

The caller then decided to follow the Jeep.

In response, police said, the driver of the Jeep fired several gunshots in the caller’s direction.

None of the gunshots struck the vehicle.

Troopers were able to use license plate reader camera technology to locate the Jeep while it was on the Lodge Freeway, made a traffic stop. The driver and two passengers were taken into custody without incident.

The passengers were released shortly afterwards; troopers believe that the 19-year-old driver was the shooter. She has been lodged pending further review by the prosecutor’s office.

In addition, a firearm was recovered from the vehicle.

The above video originally aired on Aug. 19, 2025.

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Detroit, MI

Orlando Magic vs Detroit Pistons odds for NBA playoffs Game 1 Sunday

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Orlando Magic vs Detroit Pistons odds for NBA playoffs Game 1 Sunday

Who is favored in the NBA playoffs odds for Game 1 between the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic?

Here’s what you need to know about NBA playoff betting odds for the NBA game between the No. 8 seed Magic and No. 1 seed Pistons, which is being played on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

What is the point spread for the Pistons vs Magic game?

What is the moneyline for the Magic vs Pistons game?

What is the over/under (point total) for betting on the first-round NBA playoff matchup?

Watch Magic at Pistons on Peacock

Magic vs Pistons odds: What is point spread?

According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Detroit Pistons are an 8.5-point favorite over the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of their NBA Playoffs series.

Pistons vs Magic odds: What is moneyline?

BetMGM Sportsbook lists Detroit as -375 on the moneyline for the first-round NBA playoff game. It has Orlando at +290.

Magic vs Pistons odds: What is over/under?

The point total for the opening game of the NBA playoffs series between the Pistons and Magic is listed at 218.5 points, per BetMGM Sportsbook.

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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