May 14, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Nick Castellanos (21) walks back to the dugout after striking out in the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
San Diego Padres (25-18) at Seattle Mariners (22-23), May 15, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST
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PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 14: Chase Dollander #32 of the Colorado Rockies leaves the game with medical staff in the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 14, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On Friday afternoon, Colorado Rockies right-handed pitcher Chase Dollander spoke with the media about a right elbow injury that led to him being removed from yesterday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates and being placed on the 15-day injured list today.
Dollander described his injury as “just a very minor UCL sprain. That’s just what the MRI showed. I have a little information around the ligament, nothing to be too concerned about. Just thanking God that it wasn’t more than that. Obviously, it’s probably the best case scenario. Trying to look at the positive side.”
This comes as good news for both Rockies fans and for Dollander, who looked despondent in the locker room after yesterday’s game.
“If anything happens in that area, your mind automatically goes to the worst case scenario,” Dollander explained. “But you know, as I started to sit with it and talk to some people, I kind of knew going into the MRI this morning that it probably wasn’t what I thought it was. So again, thank God that it wasn’t. This could be a very different conversation.”
Dollander mentioned that he had experienced some discomfort following his last start against the Philadelphia Phillies.
“I started to feel it right after the Philly start, but as I threw it kind of went away,” he said.
“And then for whatever reason [on Thursday] it just never went away. So I’m glad the trainer saw it and came out and got me because, me, I would have stayed out there and possibly could have blown myself out.”
Dollander told the media he spoke with his agent, his off-season pitching coach, and some of his other friends. They helped assuage his concerns.
“They all said typically it’s just one pitch, one moment, and you feel a nervy kind of sensation in your fingers,” described Dollander. “I never felt that.”
He further discussed the advice he got that helped him calm down.
“It’s the worst-case scenario, you know, but that’s where my head was at with it,” Dollander said. “I never want to say it (Tommy John), but they were just trying to calm my nerves and stuff. So it helped a lot.”
“He reached out to me and made sure I was okay,” Dollander said. “He just told me ‘Don’t overthink it. Just wait for the results and go from there. He’s very good with advice like that.”
Dollander was placed on the 15-day injured list this afternoon, though he doesn’t know when he’ll return to action.
“We’re still waiting for some answers and some things like that,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll have a timetable here soon, but the main thing is just not to rush, to make sure it doesn’t turn into something it doesn’t need to be.”
The 24-year-old former ninth overall pick also took a moment to reflect on his season so far.
“The past couple of outings haven’t really gone the way I intended them to go,” he said. “But I’m just constantly learning, constantly on the attack, and making sure that I am where I need to be. I feel like so far it’s been good, but there’s definitely room for improvements there.”
May 9, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Athletics pitcher Aaron Civale (45) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images | James A. Pittman-Imagn Images
Tonight, the Athletics look to get back to winning ways as they kick-off a three-game series against their regional rival, the San Francisco Giants, in West Sacramento. While this rivalry matchup does not feel the same in the wake of the A’s departing Oakland to eventually relocate to Las Vegas, Sutter Health Park should be packed with fans this weekend given the strong fanbase both of these teams have collected across Northern California.
Yesterday, the A’s bullpen blew its American League leading 10th save of the season. The St. Louis Cardinals scored two runs off A’s reliever Jack Perkins in the ninth to turn a one-run deficit into a one-run lead and leave town with the series victory. It is imperative that the A’s move on and turn their attention toward the Giants, who at 18-26 are off to a rough start. Having lost the final two games of a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Giants are also hungry for wins as they look to build momentum.
Right-hander Aaron Civale will take the mound for the home squad in this evening’s series-opener. The 30-year-old has far exceeded fans’ expectations, doing exactly what the A’s envisioned when they signed him in free-agency this past offseason. He enters his ninth start with a 4-1 record, a 2.59 ERA and 33 strikeouts across 41 2/3 innings. Civale earned the win in his last start against the Baltimore Orioles, recording six strikeouts over five scoreless innings. The team would love for him to continue his strong run of form tonight against a Giants’ offense that has scored the fewest runs in the league.
It is good to see center fielder Henry Bolte in the lineup for the third straight day, and the second straight against a right-handed pitcher. Lawrence Butler gets the start in right field over fellow left-handed hitter Carlos Cortes, a somewhat puzzling decision given that Cortes has contributed more offensively lately, though Butler is the stronger defender. The A’s gave Butler a contract extension before the 2025 season began following his stellar performance over the final few months of the previous season. Both Butler and the team would benefit if he can go on another one of those hot streaks.
Veteran right-hander Tyler Mahle starts for San Francisco. The 31-year-old has struggled through his first eight starts with the Giants, going 1-4 with a 5.18 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP. In his last start against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Mahle received a no-decision after allowing four runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings. In two previous starts against the A’s, Mahle went 0-2 with a 1.50 ERA. The “Green and Gold” aim to have more success against Mahle tonight after his strong performances in their previous meetings.
The Giants have several well-regarded hitters in their lineup, so it seems unlikely that they will keep struggling offensively much longer. Civale needs to be careful when pitching to former A’s player third baseman Matt Chapman and first baseman Rafael Devers.
Additionally, catcher Daniel Susac will be in the spotlight. The A’s declined to protect their 2022 first-round pick ahead of the Rule 5 Draft this past offseason. The Minnesota Twins selected Susac and then traded him to the Giants for minor-league catcher Miguel Caraballo and cash. Susac got off to a strong start before getting injured and is now back in the lineup against his former organization.
A win would put the A’s two games over the .500 mark and assure that the team will remain in first place at least for one more day. Not to mention, it would further perpetuate the Giants’ miserable start to the season. Let’s go A’s!
A general view of the Coors Field Stadium for the Major League Baseball National League West division Colorado Rockies team under construction circa June 1994 at Coors Field stadium in Denver, Colorado, United States. (Photo by Nathan Bilow/Allsport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
DIAMONDBACKS
ROCKIES
Ketel Marte – 2B
Edouard Julien – 1B
Corbin Carroll – RF
Mickey Moniak – LF
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Hunter Goodman – C
Nolan Arenado – 3B
TJ Rumfield – DH
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Troy Johnston – RF
Lourdes Gurriel – LF
Jake McCarthy – CF
Gabriel Moreno – C
Willi Castro – 2B
Jose Fernandez – DH
Ezequiel Tovar – SS
Ryan Waldschmidt – CF
Kyle Karros – 3B
Merrill Kelly – RHP
Kyle Freeland – LHP
Into Coors Field for the first time this year go the Diamondbacks. Always an… interesting experience, shall we say. No lead should ever be considered safe, and it tends to be where bullpens go to die. But the D-backs’ relief corps has, by and large, been performing quite well so far in May. And that’s putting it mildly. I was shocked – SHOCKED! – to discover that the Diamondbacks actually have the lowest bullpen ERA for the month so far. They have allowed only seven earned runs so far in May – and three of those came in Paul Sewald’s outing in Texas on Wednesday night.
It’s worth noting the D-backs also have the fewest number of relief innings pitched for the month. This is mostly due to starters who have been pitching much deeper into games, since Torey Lovullo has his “come to Jesus” meeting with the rotation in Chicago. As a result, the D-backs have needed only about 2.2 innings per game out of the bullpen. Compare that to the Tigers, who have taxed their bullpen for a whopping 63.1 innings – twice as much as the Diamondbacks, using them for an average of more than five innings per game. That has helped the overwork issue Jack previously noted: things are much more under control there now.
We will see whether that remains the case after three days at altitude. As usual, Colorado is a tougher proposition in their home park: 8-11 vs. 9-16 on the road. Though we are only a quarter of the way through the season, that 171-point gap in win percentage is a lot more than it was in 2025, when the difference was only half as much, at 86 points. It’ll be interesting to see what reaction Nolan Arenado gets. While he played there with the Cardinals, of course, this will be his first return to Coors since being dealt to a divisional rival in the NL West. Maybe his departure cursed Colorado. Since then they have been the worst team in the majors and it isn’t close, with 27 fewer wins than anybody else.
Jun 5, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals center fielder Maikel Garcia (11) steals second against St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (0) during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The last time we gathered here for one of my recaps, the Royals had just won the second of two straight against the Detroit Tigers. It was the third straight weekend the Royals had won the first games of a weekend series, and the first two weekends had ended in a sweep. Things were looking very, very bright.
Now we come together, and the Royals have lost four in a row. They’ve gone from second place in the AL Central and holding a Wild Card Spot to the bottom of the AL Central and 2.5 games back of a Wild Card spot. The vibes are bad. Battlefield Earth bad. Game of Thrones finale bad.
Madame Web bad.
I’m not here to tell you that the vibes aren’t or shouldn’t be bad. What I am here to tell you is that, somehow, the Royals are fewer than 3 wins from a playoff spot in the middle – or maybe the end! – of their second set of awful vibes in the first third of the season. It’s less that the Royals need to immediately trade every moderately valuable player and more that we all need to just take a dang break. Maybe you don’t want to take a break from baseball. Good news! It’s Rivalry Weekend in baseball, which means every game except the national ones is available for free on MLB.TV this weekend. If you absolutely must watch some baseball but you find the Royals are ruining your mood, go watch any other team. They’ll be here when you’re ready to come back. Maybe they’ll even be playing better again.
Some of us, of course, get paid to watch this team. And, yeah, sometimes that seems like a cheat code. But weeks like this week show why it’s not just easy money. I’m not asking for any sympathy for y’all, just saying, if you’ve ever thought about how dumb it is that I get paid even the small amount I get paid to watch baseball, remember I’ve got to watch the truly awful baseball, too.
OK. On to the game.
Michael Wacha will take the mound. He was also the pitcher the last time the Royals won, so that feels like a good omen. And, frankly, he’s been fantastic this year. He’s the seventh-most valuable pitcher in the AL by bWAR. (fWAR doesn’t like him as well because he’s not getting strikeouts. Still, he, Seth Lugo, and Kris Bubic are all top-25 in AL fWAR.) Nothing is guaranteed in baseball, but having 2026 Michael Wacha on the mound feels like a good thing.
The Cardinals will counter with, thankfully, a right-hander in Dustin May. May was a top—20-in-MLB prospect when he debuted in 2019, but he has never gotten anywhere near that hype. He has been hurt a lot and, beginning last year, he hasn’t been remotely effective. That has continued into this season. He faced the Royals twice last year, once with the Dodgers and once with the Red Sox. He gave up a total of 7 runs in 7.2 innings. He lost the one with the Red Sox, though Noah Cameron had a poor game against the Dodgers, and the Royals lost that one 5-4. If the Royals lose tonight, it seems unlikely to be because Dustin May finally started getting them out.
Lineups
The Royals are putting the usual vRHP lineup. I don’t have anything to say about it I haven’t said before. And, honestly, as much as Sal shouldn’t be in the cleanup spot, the Royals have won plenty of games with him in that spot this year when their pitchers have otherwise done their jobs. So I guess it doesn’t matter enough to have a cow about.
Apr 10, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dustin May (3) pitches in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images
The St. Louis Cardinals return home after a successful west coast road trip to kick off the I-70 series versus the Kansas City Royals. Dustin May gets the start for St. Louis while former Cardinal Michael Wacha will take the mound for Kansas City. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15p in Busch Stadium and the broadcast will be available through Cardinals.tv.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 04: Christian Koss #50 of the San Francisco Giants reacts with catcher Daniel Susac #6 after pitching in the top of the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Oracle Park on April 04, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Like all scrappy bench players, Christian Koss touched hearts and minds. Everybody loves an underdog and here is a guy who looks overmatched against big league pitching yet hanging in there anyway. It was just this past December when our own Steven Kennedy lavished 1,481 words on Christian Koss’s utility role in 2025, ending his player review with the question, “was [that] the best utility season in Giants history?” Like most baseball stories, though, it has encountered the inelegant prose of reality.
To make room for a third catcher, the Giants have optioned the 28-year old Koss back to Triple-A Sacramento ahead of this evening’s game between the Giants and the Athletics in… Sacramento. The River Cats are in Texas playing the Rangers’ Triple-A team that Round Rock Express. Unclear if he needs to travel to Texas to play three games or wait for them to return to Sacramento for a 6-game homestand against the same time. He had just 15 plate appearances across 9 games for and was 1-for-14. He also pitched two innings and allowed three runs. He was, effectively, a garbage time player, a near-180 degree turn from last year, when the front office seemed really excited to get him onto the Opening Day roster any way they could.
He’s out and in is the new flavor of the month, the Rule 5 pick Daniel Susac. He was 11-for-23 in 11 games before hitting the IL with a right ulnar neuritis injury. Not a good thing for a catcher to have with his throwing arm, and not a bat the Giants really could afford to lose. The Giants were just 4-7 with him and have gone 9-13 since, so, it’s not like he’s the straw that stirs the drink. On the other hand, the Giants are attempting to rebuild their catcher position in the aggregate through adding average-ish gloves with average-ish bats in hopes that enough average can overcome the offensive gravity well that Patrick Bailey’s bat had created in the lineup, the thing that compelled the Giants to finally trade him.
But Susac shoving Bailey aside is notable. The Giants drafted him as a Rule 5 and just a few months later he’s taking over as the #1 catcher on the depth chart. A little offense at the catcher position goes a long way with these Giants.
Still, it must be noted that the Giants are now carrying three catchers: Daniel Susac, Eric Haase, and Jesus Rodriguez. In theory, Rodriguez is Koss 2.0, while Susac and Haase are… hmm, not exactly Patrick Bailey. Maybe some sort of Hector Sanchez/Eli Whiteside situation, only… these are a lot of average-at-best right-handed bats to have on a roster. The bench is now Eldridge, Rodriguez, Haase, and Gilbert.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 09: Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies pitches in the first inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on May 09, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies (17-27) are back at Coors Field after a difficult Pennsylvania swing, opening a six-game homestand with a weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks (20-22). Colorado went 2-4 through Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and yesterday’s 7-2 loss to the Pirates came with a larger concern than the score: Chase Dollander left in the second inning and has now been placed on the 15-day injured list with an elbow strain. The bad news resulted in a series of roster moves, and Sterlin Thompson (No. 13 PuRP) is reportedly headed to Denver.
Colorado also enters this homestand trying to stop a May slide that has left them 3-9 on the month.
The third-place Diamondbacks are coming off a painful 6-5 walk-off loss to Texas on Wednesday, and the overall offensive production has been underwhelming. Still, they still have Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, and former Rockie Nolan Arenado — who has a 118 wRC+ with six home runs on the year.
The Rockies are 8-11 with a .767 OPS at Coors Field and will turn to veteran lefty Kyle Freeland as they look to return to the win column.
Freeland enters at 1-4 with a 6.00 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP, and his recent stretch since returning from the injured list has been uneven — 16 earned runs in 14 1/3 innings across three starts. Freeland is still getting hitters to chase, and he has done a good job limiting walks. The problem is that the contact has been too loud when opponents square him up, especially against the fastball.
Marte has hit Freeland hard, going 17-for-48 with three home runs and a 1.124 OPS against him.
Merrill Kelly takes the mound for Arizona, and his 2026 numbers have not been great. The veteran righty enters with a 7.62 ERA and a 1.92 WHIP through five starts, with hard contact and walks both showing up as problems. His four-seamer, changeup, and cutter have all been hit hard. But Kelly has been very good against Colorado over his career. In 17 starts against the Rockies, he is 9-3 with a 3.25 ERA, 102 strikeouts, and a 1.130 WHIP.
Ezequiel Tovar has had a brutal start to the season, but he has handled Kelly: .438 with two home runs in 16 at-bats.
A good night won’t fix all that. But a steady Freeland start, a few real swings against Kelly, and a win over a division opponent would be a great way to start the homestand.
ODAY’S GAME: The Houston Astros (17-28) will continue their seven-game homestand today as they look to win the opener of a three game series against the rival Texas Rangers (21-22).
Astros starter RHP Spencer Arrighetti (4-1, 1.88 ERA), who tossed his fifth straight quality start his last time out, will oppose RHP Jack Leiter (1-3, 4.85 ERA) and the Rangers in this series opener.
ABOUT ARRIGHETTI: RHP Spencer Arrighetti owns a sparkling 1.88 ERA in five starts on the season. In his last start he gave up only one earned run, but took his first loss of the 2026 season against the Cincinnati Reds.
ABOUT LEITER: Jack Leiter has an 11-16 career record with a 4.81 ERA in 230.0 career innings. He holds a 1-1 record against the Astros with a 4.26 ERA in 19.0 innings. Leiter is the son of famous lefty Al Leiter and the nephew of former big leaguer hurler Mark Leiter.
VS. TEXAS: The Astros and Rangers are playing their first series of 2026. Today’s game marks the beginning of the annual Silver Boot Series with the Silver Boot going to the team with the most victories. Tonight’s contest will be the 300th game between these two teams as the Astros aim to make it an even 150-150 with a victory in tonight’s game. The Astros retained the Silver Boot last season by winning seven games in 13 tries.
THE SILVER BOOT SERIES: The Astros and Rangers have played each other 292 times in their franchise histories, splitting those matchups evenly with 146 wins apiece…recently, the Astros have had the upper hand, winning or splitting nine straight season series, going 93-51 against the Rangers since the start of the 2017 season.
TODAY’S AVAILABILITIES: The Astros clubhouse will be open to approved media at Daikin Park from 3:10-4 p.m. CT…Astros Manager Joe Espada will be made available in the Astros dugout at approx. 4 p.m.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Friday, May 15, 1:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
The starting pitching rotation for the Yankees is expecting a big boost from the impending return of Gerrit Cole, but manager Aaron Boone is refusing to rush him.
In a brief pregame news conference ahead of Friday's Subway Series opener at Citi Field against the Mets, Boone emphasized that "the likelihood is two more [minor league starts] for [Cole], and then [the Yankees] will be in a position to roll."
Cole is slated to take the mound tomorrow night at 6:05 pm EST for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders against the Syracuse Mets.
When asked for specifics on how they are managing Cole's workload as he gears up for a return - at this point likely to come before the end of May - Boone noted that his star righty is under a pitch count limit in the mid 80s.
The injuries are piling up for the Yankees at the moment. Max Fried was just added to the 15-day IL due to a left elbow bone bruise. Meanwhile, DH Giancarlo Stanton, corner outfielder Jasson Dominguez, and emerging shortstop Jose Caballero are all on the 10-day IL.
With the Bronx Bombers rolling into Queens for the weekend, having lost six of their last eight games, Boone is refusing to bow to the pressure and rush Cole back into the fold in the hopes of regaining control of the AL East.
"We don't want to take [Cole] off track for a short-term need," Boone remarked.
At the time of writing, the Yankees are currently two games behind the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays in the divisional standings.
A Facebook page for Edwin O. Diaz Laboy that appears to belong to the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher includes about a dozen video of cockfights. Some of the birds fought until they stopped moving and were removed from the pit of the arena.
A federal ban prohibits cockfighting in all 50 states and in U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico. USA TODAY Sports reviewed publicly available photos and videos of Diaz, roosters and cockfights posted to the Facebook account on May 15. Other posts to the account were locked to the public. Public access to the photos and reels appears to have since been restricted.
Along with photos and videos of Diaz pitching, smiling with family and friends and promoting community activities, posted to the account are more than 150 photos of roosters, cockfighting clubs or breeding facilities. One photo shows roosters packed into cardboard boxes, their heads poking out of cutout holes above small feeding dishes taped to the boxes.
The account also includes 26 reels featuring roosters, some fighting in organized matches. Others are shown on what appears to be a breeding facility where Diaz is featured holding roosters while promoting upcoming cockfights in multiple videos.
In one video, young-looking roosters are scurrying about what looks like a pen. A caption accompanying the video reads, "Upcoming champions in development."
Photos and videos of Diaz posted to the account date back to 2010. The first photo of a rooster was posted on Nov. 30, 2016, while the account's first promotion of Club Gallistico de Puerto Rico, a cockfighting club, was posted on July 31, 2018. Diaz has been featured in multiple videos and photos posted to social media promoting the cockfighting ring.
Diaz's full name is Edwin Orlando Diaz Laboy. He is currently on the injured reserve after undergoing surgery on April 22 to remove loose bodies in his right elbow, the Dodgers announced April 20.
Representatives of both MLB and the Dodgers declined comment when reached by USA TODAY Sports for a story that linked Dias to cockfighting in Puerto Rico through photos, videos and promotional material found on social media.
Multiple animal welfare organizations have called upon MLB to investigate Diaz's involvement in cockfighting since the story's publication.
Diaz, a three-time MLB All-Star, is pictured wearing a Dodgers uniform on Facebook in promotional material for cockfights.
He did not respond to interview requests USA TODAY Sports submitted to a publicist for the Dodgers and to THE TEAM, which represents Diaz.
The Facebook page also includes a photo of Diaz standing between Puerto Rican jockeys Jose Ortiz and Irad Ortiz Jr., also linked to cockfighting through photos, video and promotional materials on social media.
Jose Ortiz won the Kentucky Derby May 2 on Golden Tempo and Irad Ortiz finished second on Renegade. The brothers are two of thoroughbred racing's top jockeys, both scheduled to ride in the Preakness Stakes on May 16.
Jul 7, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; The Silver Boot trophy is on display on the concourse for the Lone Star series with the Texas Rangers playinng against the Houston Astros at Global Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 05: Rhys Hoskins #8 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates with teammates after hitting a three-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the fourth inning at Kauffman Stadium on May 05, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last offseason, when the Pistons and Jalen Duren discussed a contract extension, he thought they underestimated his value, and the result was that the sides did not agree to a new deal. Then Duren went out this season and showed them what he was worth: 19.5 points a game on 65% shooting, plus 10.5 rebounds while playing elite defense (he was on some Defensive Player of the Year ballots). He is almost certainly going to be an All-NBA player. That led to the expectation Durent had earned a max contract extension this summer, a five-year deal worth at least $239 million, and up to $287 million with that All-NBA nod.
Then the playoffs started.
Duren has struggled this postseason, averaging 10.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game when the team needs him most, while his lack of outside shooting has helped clog up the Pistons' offense at times. Things got so bad that coach J.B. Bickerstaff played Paul Reed over Duren during the fourth quarter and overtime of a critical Game 5.
Which begs the question, is Duren still worth a max contract? Here is what one front office executive told Brian Windhorst of ESPN:
"He's not a max player, but they're probably going to have to give him the max," an East executive said of Duren. "Because now [cap space] teams like Chicago or Brooklyn might see him as someone they could get with a max offer sheet and Detroit will have to match.
"With the new apron rules, it might come back to bite [the Pistons], and it's just another example of how the CBA crushes team building."
The Pistons need to re-sign both Duren and Ausar Thompson this offseason, two key defenders and part of the culture built in Detroit, but also two non-shooters who have led to spacing problems in the playoffs as Orlando and then Cleveland have thrown multiple defenders at Cade Cunningham and dared anyone else to beat them. If both get huge deals (Thompson will likely get a contract similar to the $25 million a season that Dyson Daniels agreed to in Atlanta), the Pistons lose flexibility to add another shot creator and/or more shooting the team needs.
Can the Pistons get Duren to take the 25% max ($239 million over five years) and not more? If the Pistons try to get him to take less than that, could a team with cap space in need of a center — Chicago and the Los Angeles Lakers both check those boxes — swoop in and try to poach him (Detroit has the right to match any offer).
As the executive quoted by Windhorst suggests, one of the consequences of the tax aprons in the CBA is that teams CANNOT miss on max contracts, or they quickly become anchors. Duren has earned the right for the Pistons to back the Brinks truck up to his home, he deserves the massive contract coming. How massive, and can he continue to play at this level, are the questions. And there are no easy answers.
Detroit Tigers right fielder Wenceel Pérez (46) misses the ball that resulted a Boston Red Sox left fielder Masataka Yoshida (7) double during the seventh inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Monday, May 4, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers (19-25) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (19-24)
Time/Place: 6:45 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site: Bluebird Banter Media: Apple TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Ty Madden (0-0, 2.45 ERA) vs. RHP Trey Yesavage (1-1, 0.68 ERA)
