Fix pitcher resolution table: roster cache, two-candidate fallback, debug rebuild

RC1: fetch_mlb_current_roster_map() now uses gameType="R,S" so spring training
roster data is returned pre-opening-day. Empty results (network error or truly
empty API response) no longer permanently cache {} — the guard now returns {}
without setting _ROSTER_MAP_CACHE, so the next call retries.

RC2: Debug page pitcher resolution expander now always rebuilds from the live
props feed (upcoming_props_debug) rather than only when session state is empty.
Previously, visiting Props page first would populate merged_starters with
Stats-API-only data, making `if not merged_starters` False and skipping odds
API pitchers entirely.

RC3: build_oddsapi_starter_fallback_map() adds elif branch for the two-candidate
both-blank scenario: when exactly 2 K-props pitcher candidates exist, team
inference fails for both, and neither away nor home pitcher has been set,
assign alphabetically as a deterministic last-resort heuristic.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

data/mlb_starters.py

@@ -348,6 +348,13 @@ def build_oddsapi_starter_fallback_map(
             elif not home_pitcher and away_pitcher:
                 home_pitcher = unresolved_candidates[0]
                 assigned_from_odds += 1
+        elif len(unresolved_candidates) == 2 and not away_pitcher and not home_pitcher:
+            # Last resort: 2 candidates, both sides blank, team inference failed for both.
+            # Assign alphabetically — arbitrary but deterministic.
+            sorted_candidates = sorted(unresolved_candidates)
+            away_pitcher = sorted_candidates[0]
+            home_pitcher = sorted_candidates[1]
+            assigned_from_odds += 2
 
         odds_source = "unresolved"
         if assigned_from_odds >= 2 or (blank_sides >= 2 and away_pitcher and home_pitcher):
@@ -486,15 +493,15 @@ def fetch_mlb_current_roster_map(season: int = 2026) -> dict[str, str]:
         return _ROSTER_MAP_CACHE
 
     url = "https://statsapi.mlb.com/api/v1/sports/1/players"
-    params: dict[str, Any] = {"season": season, "gameType": "R"}
+    params: dict[str, Any] = {"season": season, "gameType": "R,S"}
     try:
         r = requests.get(url, params=params, timeout=15)
         r.raise_for_status()
         data = r.json()
     except Exception as exc:
         _log.warning("[mlb_roster] fetch failed: %s", exc)
-        _ROSTER_MAP_CACHE = {}
-        return _ROSTER_MAP_CACHE
+        # Don't cache on network error — allow retry on next call
+        return {}
 
     people = data.get("people", []) if isinstance(data, dict) else []
     roster: dict[str, str] = {}
@@ -509,6 +516,9 @@ def fetch_mlb_current_roster_map(season: int = 2026) -> dict[str, str]:
             roster[norm_name] = canon_team
 
     _log.warning("[mlb_roster] loaded %d players for season %d", len(roster), season)
+    if not roster:
+        # Empty result — don't permanently cache; allow retry on next call
+        return {}
     _ROSTER_MAP_CACHE = roster
     return _ROSTER_MAP_CACHE
 

visualization/debug_page.py

@@ -1476,8 +1476,10 @@ def render_debug(
                 starter_bundle = props_prepared_bundle.get("starter_bundle") or {}
                 merged_starters = starter_bundle.get("merged_starters") or {}
 
-                # If session state is empty, build directly from the live props feed
-                if not merged_starters and upcoming_props_debug is not None:
+                # Always rebuild from the live props feed when available so odds API
+                # pitchers are shown even if session state was populated by a prior
+                # Props page visit (which only contains Stats API starters).
+                if upcoming_props_debug is not None:
                     _props_feed = upcoming_props_debug.get("merged_props_feed", pd.DataFrame())
                     if isinstance(_props_feed, pd.DataFrame) and not _props_feed.empty:
                         try: