The Cubs have reached their first off day of the spring, a timely arrival with the absence of eight 40-man roster players at the World Baseball Classic. Roster cuts are starting to take place for the Sox. They made 10 moves Friday, followed by optioning pitcher Tanner McDougal to Triple-A Charlotte and reassigning pitcher Noah Schultz to minor-league camp on Saturday. They have 55 players remaining in camp. “Those guys were outstanding,” Sox manager Will Venable said of McDougal and Schultz on Saturday. “Both of them did a great job. We talked early in camp about using this to build a foundation for a long, healthy and productive season. They did a great job of doing that and then saw what they did on the mound. “For young guys to be out there and have that presence, a feel for the zone, a feel for their pitches, it was great to see.” Every Monday during spring training, Tribune baseball writers will provide an update on what happened — and what’s ahead — for the Cubs and White Sox. Want the latest baseball news? Subscribe to the Chicago Tribune to read it all — and sign up for our Cubs Insider and White Sox Insider newsletters. Cubs RHP Shelby Miller eying September return from Tommy John surgery Chicago Cubs' Shelby Miller on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in Mesa, Ariz. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) Shelby Miller is not ruling out a return from Tommy John surgery before the end of the season. Miller, who underwent the procedure in October, was told by surgeon Dr. Keith Meister a couple of weeks ago that he wanted to see if the right-hander could get into a big-league game by September. Miller is scheduled to get an MRI on March 17 on his arm, then start playing catch, the first step in his ramp-up process. “(Dr. Meister) wrote off on, ‘hey, we’re gonna get you back this year’ just by the way I’m rebounding on workouts and the way my arm looks and feels,” Miller told the Tribune on Sunday. “My goal is hopefully be back even a little bit sooner than that (September), depending on how I feel, but I’m really optimistic about getting back this year and contributing. “I feel like I’ve taken a pretty big step forward in the gym, and the way my elbow’s recovering and not getting sore from all the lifts and stuff I’m doing, I feel like I’m ready to go.” Miller, 35, spent the first 3 1/2 months of the 2021 season with the Cubs, appearing in three games before being released. That didn’t diminish his love for the organization or the city, and Miller was drawn to the competitive roster they’ve built, leading to a two-year contract last month with a club option for 2028. Miller posted a 1.98 ERA in 37 appearances for Arizona last season before a trade to Milwaukee, where he had a 5.59 ERA in 11 outings before his season-ending surgery. “At this point in my career, it’s all about who’s going to give you the best opportunity to get that ring on teams that offer you deals, and this seemed like the best fit for me,” Miller said. This recovery and rehab process is familiar to Miller, who had Tommy John surgery in 2017. His October surgery involved more repair of his flexor tendon than his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), but he also had an internal brace procedure to ensure his UCL would be 100% OK moving forward. Miller’s timeline benefits from building up as a reliever versus a starter who would need to get up to multiple innings before returning. “It’s more about just the way I recover,” Miller said. “How am I feeling after I start throwing, is there any soreness, how’s my stuff, how is my sweeper and fastball and my sliders and then you just go from there.” Sox LF Andrew Benintendi gets back in the swing after dealing with right side soreness Chicago White Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi waits for live batting practice at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz., on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) Andrew Benintendi batted with the bases loaded during the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners on Saturday at the Peoria Sports Complex. After taking a strike, the designated hitter ripped a two-run single back up the middle. Benintendi had two hits, both singles, in the 5-1 victory. It was the left fielder’s second game back after missing time because of right side soreness. He was scratched from the lineup on Feb. 27 and returned to Cactus League play on March 5. “It was one of those things where we were just being cautious early in camp,” Benintendi told the Tribune before Saturday’s game. “It was still February, so no real reason to push it. “I had swung a few days before (the March 5 game against the Cleveland Guardians) with no pain or anything like that at all. It felt good to get back out there.” During this portion of camp, Benintendi said he’s continuing to work on getting his timing back down. Benintendi is 5-for-13 (.385) in five games this spring. He’s had back-to-back seasons with 20 home runs. “Just trying to get back in that feel,” he said. “Work on depths, whether it’s going the other way or catching it out front — which obviously comes with seeing more pitching. “Looking forward to that.” As a whole, Benintendi likes how the team is connecting. “It’s been great so far, the energy in here has been great,” Benintendi said. “Everybody has gotten along. It’s a pretty strong group. “As everybody says, the vibes are good right now. We’re going to keep doing that.” Number of the week: 254 Dru Baker of the Chicago White Sox steals second base during the fourth inning of the spring training game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Camelback Ranch on Feb. 22, 2026, in Glendale, Ariz. (Jeremy Chen/Getty Images) The Sox entered Sunday leading all of spring training in total bases (254). Week ahead: Cubs Japan's Seiya Suzuki hits a home run during the third inning of a World Baseball Classic game between Japan and South Korea on Saturday, March 7, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) Monday: off Tuesday: at Rangers, 3:05 p.m. Wednesday: vs. Royals, 3:05 p.m. Thursday: vs. Mariners, 3:05 p.m. Friday: at White Sox, 3:05 p.m. Saturday: at Rockies, 3:10 p.m. 104.3 The Score Sunday: vs. Dodgers, 3:05 p.m. Marquee, 104.3 The Score Seiya Suzuki had been looking forward to being back at the World Baseball Classic for years. He got to experience the WBC in 2017 at 21 years old, recording 14 at-bats, and was in line to have a major role on Team Japan for the 2023 tournament until an oblique injury forced him to withdraw. Suzuki, though, seized the big stage during pool play Saturday. He slugged a two-run home run to pull Japan within a run of South Korea in the first inning, then put them ahead in his next at-bat with a solo home run. He added a bases-loaded walk in the seventh to again break the tie as Japan went on to beat Korea 8-6. Although he opted out of the WBC to focus on preparing for the season, Shota Imanaga understands what Suzuki might be feeling representing their country. “For him, it’s a great opportunity,” Imanaga said Saturday through interpreter Edwin Stanberry. “They’re expecting him to get those extra-base hits, and he’s been able to produce. He’s doing a phenomenal job.” Former big-leaguer Adam Jones sent manager Craig Counsell a video Saturday from his view in the Tokyo Dome as fans chanted Suzuki’s name right before one of his home runs. “The place goes crazy and everybody’s hugging each other — really, really cool,” Counsell said. “That’s a great experience, and that’s why you play in the WBC for moments like that.” Week ahead: White Sox Seranthony Domínguez of the Chicago White Sox pitches during the spring training game against the Colorado Rockies on Feb. 23, 2026, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (Ric Tapia/Getty Images) Monday: vs. Rockies, 3:05 p.m. Tuesday: at Athletics, 3:05 p.m. Wednesday: vs. Angels, 3:05 p.m. Thursday: at Giants, 8:05 p.m. Friday: vs. Cubs, 3:05 p.m., CHSN Saturday: vs. Dodgers, 3:05 p.m., CHSN Sunday: at Royals, 3:05 p.m. Relievers Grant Taylor and Jordan Leasure are already seeing the benefits of having Seranthony Domínguez and Jordan Hicks at camp. “I pick Jordan’s a good bit on what he likes to do and how he has had success,” Taylor said after pitching a scoreless inning on Saturday. The Sox signed Domínguez — who is currently with Team Dominican Republic for the WBC — to a two-year deal in the offseason and acquired Hicks as part of a trade with the Boston Red Sox. “It’s super exciting,” Leasure recently told the Tribune. “Picking up Hicks and Domínguez, those are two huge pieces. And you still have Grant Taylor. The arms we have are super exciting, but I think most importantly how we’re all jelling together and working together. “It’s one thing to have great players, but to have great people is another. Everyone in here is a really great person outside of this game, that makes playing together a lot easier.” The group is pushing each other. “There’s always talks about after outings on what guys did well, there’s talks about velo and whatever,” Taylor said. “Healthy competition between those guys, and it also frees you up a little bit to be able to just go out and perform because you know you have really, really good guys behind you.” What we’re reading today World Baseball Classic: Who are the 17 Cubs and White Sox competing? And what are the big games to watch? Column: Jason Benetti’s new gig as voice of ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ yet another blemish for Chicago White Sox Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell shares special moment with son Brady, an Arizona Diamondbacks prospect How the Chicago White Sox roster is shaping up with opening day less than 3 weeks away Chicago Cubs prospect Jefferson Rojas, 20, showing off his elite bat in impressive camp performance Chicago White Sox pitchers are ‘stacking days together:’ A look at their recent spring starts Quotable “That’s what Edward does pretty well. A lot of his strikes are on actually balls, makes the pitch look like a strike. It’s actually a ball, but you get a swing. That’s the ultimate in pitching, I think. And Edward has the ability to do that, and he does get that.” — Cubs manager Craig Counsell on Edward Cabrera’s stuff ...read more read less