BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 23: Shane Baz #34 of the Baltimore Orioles reacts during the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 23, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Shane Baz starts have been a kiss of death for the Orioles this year. It’s not Baz’s fault. He has pitched fine this season, sometimes fantastic. But the Orioles do not win very often when he is on the mound.
Baz has one pitching win since June 12. He has made 14 starts since then, and has a 3.76 ERA/2.77 FIP. Those are good numbers! Baz is 1-9, and the Orioles are 2-12 in those games anyway. It defies logic.
They just don’t score runs for the guy. The 3.02 runs score per game for Baz this year is the worst in all of Major League Baseball. That’s not to say this lineup has been a model of consistency, particularly so far in September, for any member of the rotation. But you would expect them to figure it out at least occassionally for a pitcher that has been rather solid all season long.
Blaze Alexander was placed back on the IL with low back discomfort he suffered in last night’s loss. He is replaced on the roster by Jeremiah Jackson, who goes right into the lineup at second base. Jackson Holliday will swing over to shortstop to give Gunnar Henderson a day off after he left the game with a knee injury. Craig Albernaz described Henderson as “pretty banged up.”
The Orioles need to win at least 12 of the remaining 16 games on their schedule if they want to make the playoffs. That is a tall task that they are probably incapable of achieving. But I’m going to watch them try all the same.
On this day 113 years ago, Ping Bodie’s solo homer snapped a White Sox scoreless streak lasting nearly three full games. | (Photo by Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images)
1913 With a solo homer leading off the top of the second inning, Ping Bodie snapped a 26 ⅓-inning scoring drought for the White Sox. The streak began during a 1-0 win over the St. Louis Browns on September 5 and lasted through 4-0 and 1-0 whitewashes to the Browns the next two days and a goose egg in this game in Philadelphia. Ironically, the White Sox would win this game in shutout fashion against the 85-45 Athletics, 2-0. Reb Russell went the distance to win his 20th game, sidestepping six hits and six walks with help from Ray Schalk nabbing all three attempted steals in the game.
1917 It’s the only time the White Sox have ever won a forfeited game. In a game at Comiskey Park, Cleveland protested a close interference call that went against Jack Graney in the top of the 10th inning of a 3-3 game.
When they took the field in the last of the inning, Cleveland players threw their gloves in the air, some rolled around in the dirt, and all in all, the argument lasted 10 minutes, White Sox pitcher Dave Danforth stuck out to lead off the Chicago half of the 10th, whereupon Cleveland catcher Steve O’Neill deliberately threw the ball into center field.
At that point, umpire Clarence “Brick” Owens had enough and declared the game won by the Sox, 9-0.
1921 At Comiskey Park, the White Sox and Tigers set an AL record for most runs (35) and hits (42) in Chicago’s 20-15 win. The South Siders piled up 22 hits in the game, led by first baseman Earl Sheely going 5-for-5 with five runs, five RBIs and falling a double short of a cycle. (Sheely’s was the only homer for the 35-run game.) Johnny Mostil chipped in with four RBIs.
The 20 runs remain tied for the fifth-most ever scored by the White Sox in a game.
Dickie Kerr “earned” the win with four innings of nine-run (seven earned) relief. White Sox reliever Shovel Hodge was most responsible for restoring order, earning a save with two frames of scoreless, two-hit ball.
Perhaps most amazing is the fact that the 35 runs were all scored in the first seven innings of the game; the full eighth inning and top of the ninth all were scoreless.
And coincidentally, Brick Owens was the home plate umpire in this game, too.
1930 Acquired from the minor-league Atlanta Crackers on August 19, future Hall-of-Famer Luke Appling made it to Comiskey Park in time to see the last out of a 10-1 White Sox win over the Red Sox.
The next day, Appling made his major-league debut and notched his first of 2,749 hits for the White Sox, a single to center in a 6-1 loss; the shortstop went 1-for-4 in the game.
1931 At the Crosstown exhibition game between the White Sox and Cubs at Comiskey Park an infamous fan sat along the White Sox side of the field, in the front row. The fan was Al Capone, the head of the largest crime syndicate in Chicago (known as the “Chicago Outfit”). Capone took in the game with his son and a number of bodyguards who were seated directly behind them. They were part of a crowd of almost 35,000. The game was to benefit an unemployment relief fund established by Illinois governor Louis L. Emmerson, as the Great Depression strengthened its grip on the country.
Less than a month later, Capone went to trial on income tax evasion charges, was found guilty, and sent to prison.
1958 One of the greatest debuts in White Sox history keyed a 4-1 win over the Red Sox: Johnny Callison went 3-for-3 with two doubles and a walk in his debut, becoming the first player ever for the club to get on base four times in his debut. Callison doubled but was stranded in the fourth, but his RBI double in the sixth tied the game, 1-1.
Callison stood alone in the record book until 2023, when Zach Remillard matched his sparkling debut.
1970 With two outs in the sixth inning of a doubleheader nightcap, left fielder Alex Johnson of the California Angels clubbed a solo homer to the center field bleachers at Comiskey Park. Such a clout was significantly more rare than a rooftop blast: 16 White Sox and opponent homers had cleared the Comiskey Park roof, while Johnson’s was just the third home run to reach the bleachers — and first such blast in 32 seasons.
The homer was Johnson’s 14th on the year, and did not prevent the 77-66 Angels from an embarrassing day at the ballpark: Getting swept by the atrocious White Sox, 11-4 and 3-1.
1983 The White Sox Express roared on, crushing former Sox great Tommy John and the Angels, 11-0. What was significant in this one was back-to-back-to-back home runs for the first time in team history, courtesy of Carlton Fisk, Tom Paciorek,and Greg Luzinski in the first inning.
Not to be outdone, pitcher Britt Burns threw a one-hitter. Outfielder Mike Brown’s two-out single in the seventh inning was Burns’ only mistake. The southpawstruck out nine in the game.
And on this very day in suburban Homewood, future White Sox play-by-play broadcaster Jason Benetti was born.
2003 With one move, White Sox manager Jerry Manuel perhaps cost his team a postseason playoff berth and eventually led himself to be fired.
In a game the Sox were leading Minnesota, 8-2, in the ninth inning, Manuelbrought in relief pitcher José Paniagua to get some work in. The Sox had a one-game lead over the Twins, and this was the second of a four-game series at U.S. Cellular Field.
Paniagua allowed four runs, giving Minnesota momentum even though they’d lose this game, 8-6. The Twins promptly won the final two games, swept the Sox the following week in Minnesota, and won the second of three consecutive divisional titles.
Paniagua, as he was leaving the field, made an obscene gesture at the home plate umpire and was released by GM Ken Williams the next day. Manuel’sdismissal would come a few weeks later.
There has always been debate over the impact of this incident in the divisional race, but Twins players have been quoted as saying it was a difference-maker.
2017 White Sox slugger José Abreu became only the sixth player in franchise history to hit for the cycle, in a 13-1 rout of the Giants. José had a home run, double, single and triple, going 4-for-5 with three runs and three RBIs.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 09: Michael Lorenzen #55 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches against the Athletics in the bottom of the second inning at Sutter Health Park on September 09, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jays 0 A’s 2
We had a bullpen day, and the pen did the job. If you only allowed 2, you really ought to win. But there is a truism in baseball, if you don’t score you won’t win.
We used six pitchers:
Braydon Fisher opened. He pitched a clean inning with a strikeout. 18 pitches.
Michael Lorenzen wasn’t as good. He went 2.2, gave up 4 hits, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts but 2 earned with a home run. Had we been able to score a bit, it would have been ok.
Paul Sewald (who we seem to have turned into a useful pitcher) pitched a clean inning.
Joe Mantiply pitched a clean 1.1.
Tyler Rogers allowed 1 walk in his inning.
Louis Varland got 2 strikeouts in the ninth.
The offense, wasn’t pretty. Just 6 hits, 5 singled and a double and 3 walks.
We did have chances. We had baserunners every inning except for the seventh and eighth.
And we had two on with one out in the fifth but Vlad hit into a double play. In the eighth Vlad and Springer hit flies to the warning track.
The Guardians don’t play until tonight, so for the moment we are 1.5 games back. 15 games left and either 1 or 2 games back is better than we thought we’d be a couple of months back. We are still not in the ‘have to run the table’ time but we are going to have to win a bunch.
Next up are the Orioles, back at Rogers Centre, then the Tigers. Six games at home. We might have a clearer view of our chances after that.
No Jay of the Day today. High mark is 0.06 WPA from Lukes (for a pinch hit singled) and Sewald.
Other Award: Vlad (-0.17), Valenzuela (-0.11) and Lorenzen (-0.09).
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 03: Jake Bennett #64 of the Boston Red Sox pitches in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 03, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TV: NESN
First Pitch: 6:45 p.m. ET
The Red Sox are within striking distance of dropping their magic number and securing a playoff spot over the next week or so. They can take another step if they can take the series from the Angels. Jake Bennett heads to the hill to get the rotation back on track after a fabulous weekend in Baltimore.
Here’s who the Red Sox will send to the plate behind him Wednesday evening at Fenway Park.
Sep 3, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Logan Henderson (43) delivers the ball during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It has been quite a series. After two late comeback victories in a row, the Milwaukee Brewers are looking for a sweep tonight of their rivals, the Chicago Cubs. Last night’s victory assured the Brewers of the season series and thus any tiebreaker, though their now-nine-game lead with only 16 games remaining means that tiebreaker should not matter. Still, Milwaukee is battling with the Dodgers and Braves for the top two seeds in the National League, so there’s still plenty to keep playing for.
On the bump for the Brewers tonight will be the guy who has developed into the Robin to Jacob Misiorowski’s Batman, Logan Henderson. Henderson has been nothing short of fantastic: he’s allowed fewer than three runs in 13 of his 15 starts this season, and more than three in zero of them. Henderson has also been a reliable source of innings lately: he’s completed seven innings in three of his last four outings after never having done it in any of his first 16 career starts. Overall, Henderson has pitched to a 2.48 ERA and an eye-popping 0.792 WHIP. He’s striking out 10 batters per nine innings while walking just 1.5 per nine; if he had enough innings to qualify, Henderson would lead major-league starters in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 6.64.
On the other side will be one of Chicago’s trade dealine pickups, Kevin Gausman. Gausman has pitched to nearly identical ERAs before and after the trade: when traded, he had a 4.38 ERA with Toronto, and he’s got a 4.37 ERA in six starts with the Cubs. Regardless of which you look at, FIP suggests he’s had bad luck—Gausman had a 3.50 FIP with Toronto and it’s at 3.83 with the Cubs. Gausman was fantastic against the Brewers last week, though: on Thursday, he went seven innings, allowed only one run on five hits and a walk, and struck out nine, his highest total since April 1st.
After his big night last night, Jackson Chourio is back atop the Brewers’ lineup. Joining him in the outfield tonight are Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick, while Andrew Vaughn, Brice Turang, Cooper Pratt, and Joey Ortiz make up the infield. William Conteras is catching, and Christian Yelich bats fifth as the designated hitter.
First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network. How about a sweep?
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 9: Colt Keith #33 of the Detroit Tigers hugs Hao-Yu Lee #50, with catcher Victor Caratini #37 of the Minnesota Twins (R) after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning at Comerica Park on September 9, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Keider Montero had another somewhat shaky outing, but otherwise the Tigers played their best game in recent weeks. Colt Keith set the tone with an early homer, and the Tigers walked, stole bases, and pitched really well ouf of the bullpen to take down the Twins and win their first series since mid-August by a 7-2 score on Wednesday afternoon.
After an hour plus rain delay, Keider Montero entered this game looking to get the taste out of last Friday’s loss to the Guardians out of his mouth. Montero was cruising along with a lead before losing his command and getting clipped for a four-run outburst that eventually led to a walkoff loss.
Luke Keaschall was up first for the Twins, and continues to lean in over the plate, trying to get hit. Montero obliged, hitting him in the arm with a 3-2 sinker. Keachall’s toes were right on the edge of the chalk and it’s debatable whether the pitch even got into the airspace of the batter’s box, but umpires rarely put the onus back on the hitter there.
Brooks Lee flew out deep to center field on a nice play from Max Clark. Keaschall couldn’t advance, and then Montero picked him off with his second throw over to first. Kody Clemens flew out to end the top of the first.
RHP Zebby Matthews took the mound for the Twins, and he got Kevin McGonigle to fly out to open the bottom half. Hao-Yu Lee drew a walk, and in a 2-2 count, Colt Keith got a changeup that hung up in the zone. He did not miss, lining it just over the right field wall into the foliage. 2-0 Tigers.
Riley Greene flew out, and Dillon Dingler grounded out to end the inning.
Montero got a ground out from Bell and a fly out from Kaelen Culpepper to start the second inning, before walking Trevor Larnach. Montero punched out Royce Lewis whiffing over a knuckle curve. The Tigers went down pretty easily in the bottom half.
Victor Caratini grounded out to John Peck at shortstop to open the third inning. Walker Jenkins challenged a Montero curveball for a first pitch strike, and he was correct that it was actually ball one. Montero eventually walked him, but Keaschall flew out to Brett Callahan in left, as did Brooks Lee to send it to the bottom half of the inning.
The Tigers quickly got something going as Peck drew a leadoff walk. McGonigle slashed a double to left to move Peck to third, and then Matthews, starting to feel the strain, walked Hao-Yu Lee as well. That loaded the bases with no outs, and brought Colt Keith to the dish after homering in his last at-bat.
Matthews worked ahead 1-2 in the count as Derek Shelton got his bullpen active. Keith ripped a one-hopper just foul down the right field line, and then couldn’t check his swing on a backfoot slider, striking out. Riley Greene got ahead 3-1 and Matthews couldn’t tempt him into chasing the high heat, walking in a run. 3-0 Tigers.
That was it for Matthews. Shelton went to RHP Travis Adams instead, with Dillon Dingler at the dish. The Tigers catcher lifted a sacrifice fly to Larnach, scoring McGonigle from third. Brett Callahan was up next, and he sliced a 1-1 fastball down the left field line. It bounced fair and hopped into the seats for a two-run automatic double. 5-0 Tigers. Max Clark flew out, but the Tigers had cashed in their opportunities.
Montero then gave up a solo shot to Kody Clemens on his first pitch to start the fourth. Clemens 26th homer went to the opposite field and made it a 5-1 game. Montero promptly fell behind to Bell and a sinker on the outer edge got launched out to left field as well. This is not how you take advantage of a lead. Montero was still struggling to throw strikes early in counts and now it was biting him. 5-2 Tigers.
Montero got Culpepper to fly out to left, but the misses were still a bit much as he struggled to find his groove. A curve and a fourseamer were fouled off by Larnach to get Montero ahead 0-2, but he missed with three straight, and none of them were terribly competitive. Tyler Holton was warming in the pen at this point. Finally a good knuckle curve got the whiff for the second out. Lewis lined out to Lee at second on Montero’s 74th pitch, and we were on to the bottom of the fourth.
Malgeri grounded out to start things off, and then Adams whiffed Peck. Meanwhile, AJ Hinch was in the dugout with his hands on Montero’s shoulders conveying a message. Montero is about to become a father for the first time, so possibly it was just new father advice, but mid-game that’s probably unlikely. After the game, Hinch said he was basically leaning on Montero not to get down on himself for an iffy performance and concentrate on the more important things as he and his wife await the arrival of their first born.
McGonigle was up next, and he took a really close 2-2 pitch away out of the zone to work the count full. Another changeup was fouled off, and Adams despaired of getting him out and fired a fastball head high and walked him instead. Hao-Yu Lee fell behind 1-2, but he too stayed patient and forced Adams to throw strikes. He failed to do so, walking Lee as well. So Keith was up with two on and two outs. A cutter jammed him first pitch, and Keith popped out to end the inning.
Tyler Holton did indeed take over in the fifth, and he whiffed Caratini with a good changeup for the first out. Jenkins was tied into knots by a sweeper that was actually up in the zone, but the rookie whiffed on it, and Keaschall grounded out to Lee at second.
A good Adams cutter got Riley Greene to fly out to Larnach, beginning the bottom half. Dingler’s second half pain continued with a strikeout. Callahan fouled off a bunch of slider and changeups, but eventually whiffed on a slider as well. On to the sixth.
After a lengthy battle, Holton got Brooks Lee to pop out to Colt Keith next to the visitor’s dugout to begin the inning. Clemens made another bid for a homer but it fell short of the right field fence and Malgeri was there. Bell put up a battle, but a good changeup got a little pop up to Peck at shortstop. Still 5-2 Tigers heading to the bottom of the sixth.
Lefty Taylor Rogers took over for the Twins, and Max Clark continues to thrive against lefties, lining a sweeper to right for a single. Malgeri was unable to move Clark while Rogers kept a close eye on his leads, striking out. Then Rogers picked off Clark as he was primed to go first move, and they cut him down at second. Peck grounded out to Culpepper to end the inning.
Tyler Kinley has been quite effective for the Tigers since they claimed him from the Braves. He popped up Culpepper to Dingler to start the seventh. Larnach singled to right for the Twins third hit of the game. Of course, two of them were homers. Royce Lewis fell behind as Kinley fed him nothing but sliders away. He eventually switched to a curveball and whiffed him for the second out. Caratini fell behind 0-2, but took a pair of sliders down before Kinley had to adjust and feed him one at the bottom of the zone. The Twins catcher ripped a single to right, and Larnach took third on the play.
Hinch had seen enough, and with the rookie left-handed hitter Jenkins coming to the plate, he called on Drew Sommers to snuff this threat out. The big fella got ahead 1-2, and then dusted the rookie with a perfect fourseamer at the top of the zone. Nice job there. Still a 5-2 game with six outs for the Tigers to get.
Kody Funderburk took over for the Twins in the bottom half, and he struck out McGonigle and Lee to start the frame. Spencer Torkelson entered to hit for Keith. He fought Funderburk to a full count and Caratini decided to confer with his pitcher. They elected to go with a changeup and got weak contact, but the blooper dropped into right field for a single. Funderburk missed up repeatedly and issued the Tigers seventh free pass of the day to Riley Greene. So two on, two outs for Dingler, but Derek Shelton wasn’t going to let him see a lefty. RHP Tommy Nance got the call to try and get the Twins out of this.
He did not get the Twins out of this. Dingler lined a single to left center field to score Torkelson, moving Greene to second. 6-2 Tigers.
Callahan took a 1-1 sinker away that was called a ball, but a Caratini challenge showed it just slightly skimming the outer edge of the zone. That put Nance in charge, and he whiffed the outfielder to send us to the eighth.
Sommers got Keaschall to ground out to Peck to start the inning. The throw was low, but Torkelson picked it nicely to retire the speedy and highly irritating outfielder. A really nasty changeup whiffed Brooks Lee, and if Sommers has that pitch he’s really in business against right-handers as well. He closed the frame in style, blowing away Kody Clemens with a 94 mph fourseamer.
Tommy Nance walked Clark to start the bottom of the eighth, and quickly paid for it as Clark stole second base. Ben Malgeri grounded out, moving Clark to third, and Peck banged a single through the right side to score Clark. That made it 7-2, and Peck promptly stole second as well.
McGonigle struck out again, this time of a mistake pitch as Nance dropped a slider just at the top of the zone. Ha0-Yu Lee grounded out sharply to the other Lee at third base, and we were on to the ninth. 7-2 Tigers.
Kyle Finnegan came on to close it out, and he quickly gave up a single to Josh Bell. A ground ball off Culpepper’s bat went to Peck for a double play to clear the bases, and it was up to Larnach. He flew out to left, and that’s a series win.
This was the Tigers first series victory since taking out the Guardians back on August 13. Everything has gone badly since then, but not today. The Tigers will have an off day on Thursday, and then welcome in the Colorado Rockies for three starting Friday.
HOUSTON, TX - JULY 01: Houston Astros left fielder Joey Loperfido (10) rounds second base in the bottom of the sixth inning during the MLB game between the Minnesota Twins and Houston Astros on July 1, 2026 at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Houston Astros have recently made several waiver claims of players other teams have been willing to cast off, choosing to give these players a chance with the club over their own minor league players who have performed well at Triple-A.
Should the Astros be giving their own minor leaguers a chance with team in September over players available on waivers?
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Astros fans and fans across the country.
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SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 09: Henry Bolte #33 of the Athletics trots around the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the bottom of the third inning at Sutter Health Park on September 09, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Athletics prevailed in the rubber match, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 in what was one of the pitching staff’s best performances of the season. The bullpen combined to shut out the Blue Jays, while center fielder Henry Bolte continued to provide the fireworks at the plate.
Opener Strategy Works for Both Teams
The two openers, A’s left-hander Brady Basso and Blue Jays right-hander Brayden Fisher, each set the tone with a scoreless first inning. Right-hander Michael Lorenzen replaced Fisher in the bottom of the second. With two outs, the hosts got their first two baserunners before catcher Brian Serven struck out to end the Athletics’ first scoring opportunity of the game.
Bolte Blast
The A’s took the lead in the bottom of the third inning. With one out, Bolte hit his second home run in as many games. The rookie’s 10th home run of the season, a solo shot to left field off Lorenzen, put the Green and Gold ahead 1-0 after three frames.
Basso remained in the game for the fourth inning. He allowed two hits, the first of which was incorrectly ruled a hit after first baseman Tommy White misplayed a grounder hit directly to him. The southpaw escaped the jam, stranding two runners and preserving his team’s 1-0 lead. Basso tossed four scoreless innings on a season-high 68 pitches, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out four.
A’s Increase Their Lead
In the bottom of the fourth, White and Max Muncy hit back-to-back singles against Lorenzen, setting the A’s up with a chance to extend their lead. White scored the A’s second run on a wild pitch.
In the fifth inning, right-hander Scott Blewett replaced Basso, who gave the A’s a much longer start than everyone expected. The hosts’ defensive woes continued as left fielder Carlos Cortes’ misplay turned Brett Bateman’s base hit into a double.
Blewett escaped the threat by getting Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to ground into a double play with runners on the corners and one out. The next inning, Blewett induced another groundball double play, completing two scoreless innings of relief.
Right-hander Luis Medina followed with a scoreless seventh, keeping the A’s 2-0 lead entering the seventh-inning stretch. The Green and Gold had a chance to extend their lead in the bottom of that inning, but Toronto reliever Tyler Rogers stranded a runner at second.
Athletics left-hander Hogan Harris bounced back from Friday night’s blown save with a scoreless eighth inning against the top of the Blue Jays’ lineup.
Still holding a 2-0 lead, the Athletics turned to hard-throwing right-hander Elvis Alvarado for the save opportunity. Pitching for the first time this series, the 27-year-old allowed just one single, securing his sixth save of the season and the Athletics’ second straight series victory over a team with playoff aspirations.
The A’s have a well-deserved day off Thursday before continuing their homestand with a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners this weekend. Friday night’s pitching matchup will feature a rematch from one of the four games these teams played in Seattle earlier this month. Left-hander Jeffrey Springs will start for the Athletics, while right-hander George Kirby will take the mound for the Mariners.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 08: Juan Soto #22 of the New York Mets high fives Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets after hitting a three run home run against the Miami Marlins during the second inning at loanDepot park on September 08, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mets lineup
Francisco Lindor – SS Juan Soto – LF Bo Bichette – 3B Carson Benge – RF Jared Young – DH Marcus Semien – 2B A.J. Ewing – CF Brett Baty – 1B Luis Torrens – C
SP: Robert Stock – RHP
Marlins lineup
Kyle Stowers – DH Heriberto Hernandez – LF Griffin Conine – 1B Otto Lopez – SS Jakob Marsee – CF Javier Sanoja – 2B Owen Caissie – RF Graham Pauley – 3B Joe Mack – C
SP: Janson Junk – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 6:40 PM ET TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
AVOIDING BEING SWEPT: The Cubs have not been swept in a series at Milwaukee since June 28-30, 2021. This is their 12th series there since then. They avoided being swept with third-game wins in five series, including their first series a year ago. They are 26-34 in games at Milwaukee in the last week of August or later, including 7-14 since 2018. The Cubs are 7-2 this season in third games of series after losing the first two. They are 4-0 on the road, with wins at Atlanta and Pittsburgh in May, Colorado in June and Seattle in August. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
THAT THIRD GAME: At 11-12 in third games of series on the road, the Cubs already have lost more such games than they did all of last season, when they finished 15-11. They are 24-22 in all third games, home and road.. They ended last year 27-23. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
WEDNESDAY, THE GOOD DAY: The Cubs are 14-9 on Wednesday, their best record of any day of the week, ahead of 13-10 on Tuesday and 13-11 on Saturday. They ae 8-4 on the road on Wednesday, also their best, ahead of 7-5 on both Tuesday and Friday. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
ITEM FOUR: Jon Lester, Hector Rondón and Aroldis Chapman combine on a seven-hit shutout and Kris Bryant’s two-run homer in the fifth provide all the runs the Cubs would need in a 2-0 win over the Astros. It happened 10 years ago today, Friday, Sept. 9, 2016.
Here’s the third and last pitching rematch from last week’s series at Wrigley Field.
Kevin Gausman was absolutely nails in the game last Thursday, allowing just five hits and one run, with nine strikeouts. Gausman usually isn’t a strikeout pitcher, either. Do that again, Kevin. For whatever it’s worth, the Cubs are 5-1 in Gausman starts.
Logan Henderson was also very good last week, giving the Cubs just three hits. Fortunately for the Cubs, one of those hits was a two-run homer by Pete Crow-Armstrong. Do that again, PCA.
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 04: Cristopher Sánchez #61 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts in the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves during a game at Citizens Bank Park on September 04, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are the lineups for today’s matchup against Houston. Let’s discuss!
FREDERICK, MARYLAND - APRIL19, 2026: Vance Honeycutt #7 of the Frederick Keys bats during a South Atlantic League game against the Hudson Valley Renegades at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium on April 19, 2026 in Frederick, Maryland. The Renegades beat the Keys, 7-6 in 10 innings. (Photo by Rodger Wood/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Vance Honeycutt might be in the running for the best career of any position player to ever play baseball for North Carolina, but he hasn’t had an easy time of it since being drafted in the first round by the Baltimore Orioles in 2024. Through a season and a half in High-A ball, it looked like the concerns around his swing-and-miss and strikeout rate were going to end up overpowering all the tools he brought to the table, as he was striking out on over 40% of his plate appearances and thus not really giving himself a chance to put up any numbers. It looked like he might have turned a corner in spring ball, when he hit home runs in four straight at-bats and appeared to have reworked his swing into something more repeatable. But when he went back to the High-A Frederick Keys, it was unfortunately more of the same: 43% of his plate appearances ending in strikeouts and a dismal slash line of .182/.285/.359. He’d slipped from 5th to out of MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 prospects for the Orioles and was looking at a steep climb uphill if his big-league dreams were to be realized, because the list of players who have recorded that many strikeouts as a minor leaguer and become successful in The Show is basically empty.
Those stats and that situation don’t scream “guy ready for promotion,” but who knows what the Orioles organization was seeing under the hood. Maybe they were tinkering more with his swing. Maybe they thought he just needed a change of scenery. Or maybe they were just letting him sink or swim, giving him the opportunity to prove he’s still worth putting resources into developing. Whatever it was, they decided to promote him to their AA affiliate, the Chesapeake Baysox, on August 17th.
And whatever it was, it’s paying dividends. Honeycutt looks like a completely different player against AA pitching — through four-ish weeks, 16 games, and 65 plate appearances, he’s slashing .339/.431/.661 with 3 home runs, 11 RBI, and 10 stolen bases, and an OPS over 1.000, compiling a high-but-manageable 21.5% K rate (and is 2-5 with two home runs and a stolen base in his 17th game as I’m writing this, basically in my backyard no less). I don’t know if new coaching and a new environment has unlocked something for him, if AA pitchers are just giving him more opportunities to swing at something in the zone, or if the independent coach who recently posted about working with him during the month of August has something to do with it, but it’s a near-unprecedented turnaround for a minor league prospect and has Honeycutt looking like a bona fide prospect again.
Obviously, Honeycutt’s Double-A numbers come from a much smaller sample size than the problematic High-A ones. But he never even approached having a month like this in High-A, and we’re starting to get to a point where the sample size is big enough that it can’t be ignored entirely. Maybe this pace ends up being unsustainable for the former Tar Heel, but I think seeing him fall all the way back down would be even more surprising than the turnaround has been. As it is, he’s putting himself in a great position to maybe be looking at Triple-A at some point next year, if after a likely lockout, and resuming the trajectory that he put himself on as he wrote his legend at Boshamer Stadium.
Plenty of other recent Tar Heels are doing pretty well in the minors — including Kane Kepley, who’s the Chicago Cubs’ fifth-ranked prospect in his second year as a pro — and we’ll likely have a roundup of all of them once the minor league season is over in a few days. But this potentially career-saving stretch from Honeycutt was certainly worth covering on its own.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 20: Will Brennan #7 of the San Francisco Giants gets ready in the batters box against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 20, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Four games for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates on Tuesday, and half of them were playoff games. Let’s dive into the action!
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
Just a little bit of news, as catcher Jesús Rodríguez (No. 16 CPL) and outfielder Victor Bericoto (No. 35 CPL) are scheduled to begin rehab assignments with AAA Sacramento.
AAA Sacramento (77-59)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Las Vegas Aviators (A’s) 11-1 Box score
This was about as dominant of a baseball game as you’ll see, and it certainly didn’t feel as close as the not-close-at-all score would suggest.
It was a stunning offensive performance which, well … tends to happen in Las Vegas, though that doesn’t negate the impressiveness of the day for Sacramento’s offense, which featured 18 hits, half of which went for extra bases.
There were a trio of offensive stars, but none bigger than right fielder Will Brennan. The lefty was tasked with hitting cleanup, and he played the role perfectly.
All in all, a 3-5 day with a trio of home runs and a strikeout, which brought Brennan’s OPS all the way up to .820 … a single-game raise of 31 points, which is pretty darned impressive this late in the season! It also raised his wRC+ to 111.
While Brennan was the biggest star, it’s understandable if you’re not as excited seeing him succeed as you are with some of the other players on Sacramento’s roster, given that Brennan is a 28-year old with MLB experience who was designated for assignment earlier in the year and will almost certainly be playing for a different organization next year.
So, if prospects are what you’re looking for, then allow me to introduce you to a pair who joined Brennan on the podium of offensive stars on Tuesday: center fielder Scott Bandura and left fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL). The 2026 season has been an unequivocal success for the pair of outfielders from the 2023 draft class, the former a 7th-round pick and the latter an undrafted free agent. And they’re making sure to end the year on a high note, following brief dips in performance as the season neared an end.
For Bandura, it was a game where he did a little bit of everything, as he hit 3-5 with a solo home run, a double, a sacrifice fly, and a stolen base. My word!
As for Davidson, he went a sensational 4-5 with both a triple and a double, with 1 strikeout. As we’ve grown accustomed to, the contact for Davidson (who is 93rd percentile in both average exit velocity and 50th percentile exit velocity), was loud: a 107.3-mph single, a 102.7-mph single, a 95.9-mph double, and a 101.3-mph triple.
It seems unlikely that Bandura (who has a .901 OPS and a 136 wRC+) or Davidson (who has a .912 OPS and a 135 wRC+) will debut this year, as we’re running out of time and the Giants are wanting to take a long look at Jonah Cox, Turner Hill, and Drew Gilbert, to make no mention of Grant McCray or Victor Bericoto (No. 35 CPL), the latter of which is starting a rehab assignment. But I certainly expect both players to be rostered as Rule 5 protections, and to show up to Spring Training (if it occurs) with a chance to win an Opening Day job.
Also nice days for designated hitter Eddys Leonard, who hit 2-4 with a walk and a strikeout; shortstop Aeverson Arteaga, who went 3-5 with 2 strikeouts; and catcher Fernando Gonzalez, who hit 1-3 with a triple, 2 walks, and a strikeout. It was a particularly impressive performance from Gonzalez, given that he’s been called up from Low-A San Jose for emergency duty (he’ll likely head back to San Jose now that Zach Morgan has been optioned to AAA).
Unfortunately, all those hits couldn’t find the bat of third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL), whose recent scuffling continued. Harber was the only player in the lineup who failed to record a hit, as he went 0-5 with a walk. Over his last 11 games, the righty has hit just 4-46 with 1 double, 6 walks, and 17 strikeouts, which came after a red-hot start to his AAA tenure. Hopefully he can find a little rhythm and end the year on a high note, because he’s dipped down to a .739 OPS and a 97 wRC+.
So, I mentioned earlier that the game was in Las Vegas, where baseballs tend to fly. It’s easy to use that as a reason to pump the brakes on any strong performances … but what happens when those performances are on the mound?
You can decide that the offensive environment is, indeed, ludicrous, and then be extra impressed by the pitching, or you can decide that the offensive environment is more tepid than we thought, and then be extra impressed by the hitting. Or heck, do both!
That’s a long-winded way of saying that LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL) put on an absolute show in a bandbox. Just a week after an 8-inning start, the southpaw went 7 innings in this one, and didn’t allow a single run. 7 scoreless innings! In the Pacific Coast League! In Las Vegas!
The 2023 comp-round pick wasn’t overpowering, as he only struck out 3 batters on the day, but he limited the Aviators to just 5 hits, all of which were singles, and only walked 1 batter. He needed just 91 pitches to get through the day, and threw 63 of them for strikes.
Whitman, who turns 25 next week, had a bit of a rude introduction when promoted to AAA earlier this year, which resulted in spending some time operating out of the bullpen. But lately he’s really started to figure things out, which perhaps is the natural progression of adjusting to a new level, or perhaps is a chip on his shoulder after watching LHPs Matt Wilkinson and César Perdomo, and RHP Yunior Marte (No. 25 CPL) get promoted to the Majors ahead of him.
Either way, Whitman is on one hell of a 5-start run: 31 innings, 28 hits, 4 walks, 6 earned runs, and 24 strikeouts. Suddenly, his ERA in AAA is all the way down to 3.84, which is a delightful number in the PCL (his FIP is lagging behind, at 4.79). And while he’s not striking out a ton of batters (63 in 73 innings), he’s doing a magnificent job at limiting walks (21).
Unfortunately, the shutout was lost by RHP Ryan Walker, who made his Sacramento return after being optioned. Walker gave up 2 hits, including a solo home run, while striking out 2 batters in 2 innings.
AA Richmond (73-58)
Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Chesapeake Baysox (Orioles) 11-3 Box score
The Squirrels are really ending the season with a thud, as they’ve been piling up both losses and uninteresting performances. This game was, sadly, an exception to neither rule.
How bad was this game? Well, the best performance belonged to catcher Onil Perez … who didn’t catch at all, but instead tossed a perfect 9th inning in his role as reliever, a gig he’s now reprised thrice in the last handful of games.
That was easily the best pitching performance, as 4 of the 5 arms who came before Perez gave up runs, and the 5th (RHP Tyler Vogel) allowed 3 baserunners in 1.2 innings. Most notable, unfortunately, was how much RHP Miguel Mendez struggled, as the 24-year got knocked out in the 2nd inning after allowing 6 hits, 2 walks, and 5 runs, while recording just 5 outs (3 by way of strikeout, though). Mendez, who was part of the Robbie Ray trade, had pitched well in his 1st 3 outings for Richmond, so this game was hopefully an outlier. But it sure was an ugly outlier!
The offense mustered just 3 hits on the day, all of them singles. Only 1 player reached base multiple times, as third baseman Sabin Ceballos (No. 43 CPL) hit 1-3 with a walk and a strikeout. I think we can move on now.
High-A Eugene (0-1)
Eugene Emeralds lost to the Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays) 8-7 Box score
Into the playoffs we go, but Eugene immediately finds themselves in a hole after losing the 1st game in the best-of-5 championship series. The good news is, after tonight, the games return to Oregon for the rest of the series.
As was the case with Richmond, this loss was largely due to a rough start by an exciting talent acquired at the deadline, LHP Henry Lalane. The 6’7 22-year old, who came over in the Heliot Ramos trade, couldn’t find the strike zone in this one, as he threw just 51 of 91 pitches for strikes, while walking 6 batters in just 4.2 innings. Lalane only allowed 3 hits in the game but, paired with those 6 walks, that put 4 runs on the board for the Canadians.
Lalane is going to be a fascinating Rule 5 decision for the Giants. He’s certainly not a player they want to risk losing, but they have to feel like the risk is fairly minimal, given that he only made it to High-A recently, and has really struggled there: in 8 official starts at the level (5 with the Giants and 3 with the Yankees, and not including this playoff outing), Lalane posted a 3.86 ERA and a 4.78 FIP and, if you include the playoffs, had just 35 strikeouts to 18 walks in 42 innings. I suspect, given those numbers and the team’s roster crunch, that Lalane will go unprotected, but you could understand if the Giants have hesitations.
Unfortunately, Lalane set the tone, as the rest of the pitchers struggled as well.
The offense was quite a bit better, and once again led by just-signed catcher Charlie Muniz. The Giants signed Muniz — college baseball’s all-time leader in home runs — out of the Pioneer League a week ago, and he put up donuts in his 1st 3 games, before ending the year with his 1st hit: fittingly, a home run.
He was back at it again in this one, hitting 2-4 with a home run and a double, while striking out twice. Muniz, who is 24, was presumably signed to fill out the catching depth when the organization had a strong need for backstops, but I’m guessing the Giants are excited to have him in the system, and look forward to seeing what he can do next year, especially since they didn’t use any of their draft picks on catchers this year.
Muniz had the best game, but second baseman Kaedon Kent had the most hits, as the lefty, who just turned 23, went a nearly-perfect 4-5 with 2 runs batted in, though he did strike out once and was caught stealing. Kent, who was drafted in the 3rd round last year out of Texas A&M, spent the entire year in High-A, where he also spent his debut action a season ago. Across 86 games between the Giants and Yankees, he posted a .790 OPS and a 107 wRC+ in the regular season, with just a 16.0% strikeout rate. He’ll certainly head to AA next year, to play second next to Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL), who struggled in this game, hitting 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and a sacrifice bunt.
Right fielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL) and third baseman Isaiah Barkett both had strong games, with the former (taken in the 7th round last year) going 1-3 with a double, 2 walks, and a strikeout, while the latter (taken in the 10th round a year ago) hit 2-3 with a double, a walk, and a stolen base. Maldonado was sensational following a late-season promotion to Eugene, as he posted a 1.023 OPS and a 154 wRC+ in 22 games with the Emeralds. Barkett quietly had a strong season as well, with an .886 OPS and a 125 wRC+ with Low-A San Jose, then a 10-game stint in Eugene where he had a .786 OPS and a 114 wRC+. Barkett posted sub-10% strikeout rates at both levels, and showed some fantastic defensive versatility.
Low-A San Jose (1-0)
San Jose Giants beat the Stockton Ports (A’s) 10-5 Box score
A great start to the playoffs for the Baby Giants, who won the lone road game in their best-of-3 series, and now will get 2 chances to finish off the Ports at home, and earn a shot in the championship series. Then again, it shouldn’t be surprising that San Jose started the playoffs on the right foot, as they ended the year having won 20 of their final 22 games.
Sometimes things in baseball can’t be explained. Or perhaps that red-hot streak by San Jose is what explains things. When you’re hot, you’re hot, and it’s contagious.
All of that is to say that center fielder Andy Polanco, an 11th-round pick in 2024, wrapped up his 2nd pro season with 2 career home runs: 1 last year in the ACL, where he played 47 games, and 1 this year in Low-A, where he appeared in 98 contests.
And so, naturally, the 21-year old homered in his 1st at-bat of this playoff game. And then he homered in his 2nd at-bat, as well.
And another one. Second two-run home run in as many innings, this one off the bat of Andy Polanco, and the Giants lead 4-0! pic.twitter.com/upDUlnJrn6
It was a star showing all around for Polanco, as he ended the day 3-4 with a stolen base and an outfield assist. Hard to do much more than that! Polanco only posted a .728 OPS and an 83 wRC+ this year, but he played incredible defense, and stole 38 bags. There’s a lot to like there, but the power-to-strikeout ratio (1 home run in 393 plate appearances with a 30.5% strikeout rate) is deeply concerning. We’ll see what improvements he can make next year.
Andy Polanco again! Two at-bats, two home runs, as Polanco doubles his regular season home run total.
Designated hitter Drew Smith, a 15th-round pick in July who only got into 3 official games (but hit a home run), had a delightful introduction to the playoffs, as he went 2-5 with a 2-run home run and 2 strikeouts. Smith had 16 home runs for Oregon this year and a .280 isolated slugging percentage, so the Giants are certainly hoping to see a lot of that next year!
Drew Smith sneaks one down the right field line for the Giants FOURTH home run of the game. Giants lead 7-0 in the fifth. pic.twitter.com/uaXdLGbP14
Meola has to feel a little disappointed that he spent the entire year in San Jose, after also playing 16 games there last season following being drafted in the 4th round. He really struggled early on, but turned his season around in the second half, which was enough to push him past league average (.821 OPS, 103 wRC+). The glove plays, even if the bat is lagging, so it’ll be fun seeing him in Eugene next year, turning two with shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL). Speaking of González, he had a solid game, hitting 2-4 with a walk and a stolen base. Between injuries and beginning the year in the Arizona Complex League, González had just a 31-game sample in San Jose (plus these playoff games). And I still think that was easily enough to get him to Eugene to open 2027.
While the 4 home runs from the hitters stole the show, it was a fabulous pitching performance from RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 13 CPL). Cayama showed both the control and the electricity that make him such an exciting prospect, as he struck out 5 batters in as many innings, with just 1 walk. Cayama, who also allowed 4 hits and a hit batter, got tagged for just 1 run, which came on a solo home run.
It was great seeing Cayama have such a nice outing, because he ended the regular season with an absolute clunker of a performance. It was an odd season for the Venezuelan, who turns 20 next month, as he posted a 4.87 ERA and a 4.27 FIP, while missing a chunk of the season with an injury. But he also had 73 strikeouts in just 57.1 innings, with only 17 walks. That counts as a very nice year in my book.
RHP Eric Nachtsheim, the team’s 6th-round pick in July, made his 2nd pro appearance. He got roughed up in his pro debut, and the only official outing of the year, since postseason stats aren’t counted. But he sure responded with his playoff performance, as he retired all 5 batters he faced, with 3 strikeouts. Nachtsheim, a 22-year old out of McNeese State, threw 16 of 23 pitches for strikes.
Home run tracker
16 — Lorenzo Meola — [Low-A] 13 — Scott Bandura — [10 in AAA; 3 in AA] 10 — Will Brennan x3 — [AAA] 3 — Andy Polanco x2 — [Low-A] 2 — Charlie Muniz — [High-A] 2 — Drew Smith — [Low-A]
Wednesday schedule
Sacramento: 7:05 p.m. PT at Las Vegas (SP: TBD) Richmond: 4:05 p.m. PT vs. Chesapeake (SP: Charlie McDaniel) Eugene: 7:05 p.m. PT at Vancouver (SP: Jordan Gottesman) San Jose: Off day
Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be viewed on MLB TV
Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced that second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. will be placed on the 10-day IL with a sprained right thumb.
"We just got an update that he does have a sprained right thumb that’s going to require an IL stint," Boone said Wednesday. "So, no baseball activities for the next 7-10 days, and then see where we’re at."
Chisholm was removed from Tuesday’s win over the Colorado Rockies in the top of the ninth inning after sliding head-first into second base in the previous inning when he tried to stretch a ball off the wall in right field into a double, hitting the bag hard with his thumb.
Boone did not announce any corresponding roster move, but did say that the Yankees would be comfortable with Anthony Volpe playing second base. Volpe has never played second base in the majors, but has played 19 games at second with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season since he was demoted from the major league roster.
"I know he's been a complete pro and completely got after it down there in everything they've thrown at him," Boone said of Volpe, "whether it's moving and playing some second base, obviously introducing some third base to him, making sure his swing is dialed in, and he's obviously swung the bat incredibly well. That's not an easy thing to do when you've been the guy in the big leagues and you gotta go back."
The 28-year-old Chisholm is hitting .232 this season with 19 home runs, 55 RBI, and 40 stolen bases.
Losing Chisholm is obviously a blow to a Yankees lineup that hasn't been at full strength for quite some time. Aaron Judge finally returned from a lengthy IL stint on Tuesday and is still ramping back up to being able to play every day, and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton remains on the IL after suffering a setback while rehabbing a calf injury.
After five seasons at Purdue, the first of which he redshirted, Kaufman-Renn was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the No. 59 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. In five NBA Summer League games, he averaged 6.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-9 forward never signed a contract with the team.
Unlike many college basketball players petitioning for an extra season of eligibility under the NCAA’s newly adopted five-for-five model, Kaufman-Renn was not part of the 2022 recruiting class. He was a top-50 recruit in the 2021 class, a group that also included the likes of Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero, both of whom are preparing to enter their fifth seasons with NBA franchises.
According to the ruling Wednesday from Clark County (Indiana) Circuit Court No. 6 Judge Kyle P. Williams, the NCAA cannot deny Kaufman-Renn eligibility based on his five years in college and four years playing for the Boilermakers, or his professional status. Additionally, the NCAA must allow member schools to recruit and enroll Kaufman-Renn while permitting him to participate with the basketball team.
If Kaufman-Renn continues his college career, it won’t be with the program he called home the past five years. In a post on Instagram, Kaufman-Renn said he will not return to Purdue.
“Four truly unforgettable years,” he wrote. “Grateful for my teammates, Coaches, Coach (Matt) Painter, the Paint Crew, and Boiler Nation. My chapter in black and gold has come to an end, but Purdue will always be part of me.”
Kaufman-Renn told reporters on Tuesday, Sept. 8 that “six or seven” teams had expressed interest in the Sellersburg, Indiana native playing for them for the upcoming 2026-27 season. He said multiple programs told him he could earn "significantly more" than what he would have as a late-second round NBA draft pick.
Whoever ends up with Kaufman-Renn will be getting a potential difference-maker at an extraordinarily late stage in the transfer portal process.
Kaufman-Renn started every game as a sophomore for a Purdue team that made the national championship game in 2024, where it lost to UConn. As a junior in 2024-25, he averaged 20.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, and was named an honorable mention All-American. Last season, he averaged 14.2 points and a career-high 8.3 rebounds per game as the Boilermakers advanced to the Elite Eight for a third-consecutive season.
