Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees travel to San Diego to take on the Padres in a three-game series starting Friday...
5 things to watch
Lombard's return?
George Lombard Jr. has missed four straight games after injuring his right knee on a swing in the second of last Saturday's doubleheader with the Red Sox.
The Yankees maintain it's a day-to-day situation, and there's an expectation that the shortstop will return to the lineup when the series starts up on Friday, and New York could use the youngster.
Jose Caballero has valiantly started at shortstop, but he has not had a good road trip. He went 1-for-12 with seven strikeouts -- including two errors -- in the three-game series with the Angels. While Lombard wasn't hitting well when he got injured, 5-for-24 in his last seven games, he continued to put professional at-bats and get on base regularly.
And after Lombard's error streak came to an end, that elite defense began to show up again, which the Yankees can always use.
Bullpen tryouts
Since the injury to Fernando Cruz, the Yankees have had to use different pitchers to fill the bullpen.
John Schreiber, Michael Fulmer and Luis Gil are the new faces in the 'pen and vying to earn Aaron Boone's trust and make their way onto the postseason roster.
All three have been solid so far, and with Clarke Schmidt's return imminent -- and also pitching for a spot in the bullpen -- this weekend will be another testing ground for these three arms.
Jones vs. Grisham
Trent Grisham has struggled of late on both sides of the ball. So much so that Boone benched the veteran and used Spencer Jones in center field in the series finale with the Angels.
New York Yankees right fielder Spencer Jones (78) hits a two run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at Angel Stadium. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Over his last seven games, Grisham is 2-for-22 while Jones is 6-for-18 with two home runs.
Jones looked competent in center field on Wednesday and is athletic enough to handle the position, but how often will Boone have the rookie start instead of Grisham? They are both left-handers, so the starting pitcher may determine who plays.
San Diego will deploy Walker Buehler (RHP), Robbie Ray (LHP) and Michael King (RHP) this weekend. That could mean Grisham gets the start against the right-handers with Jones -- who is hitting southpaws better than Grisham -- to start the middle game. But we'll just have to wait and see how Boone handles the playing time.
Will Elmer get another shot?
Elmer Rodriguez's spot in the rotation is for Sunday's series finale and the Yankees have yet to announce who will start that game.
Rodriguez, after the best start of his big league career, had arguably his worst. Monday against the Angels, Rodriguez allowed four runs in 3.2 innings and set the Yankees back for the rest of the series with all the relievers they had to use in the opener.
Will Boone give the ball to Rodriguez one more time? Ryan Weathers could be activated for the following series, so this could be the last chance to make an impression for the rookie. Or, with the off day Monday, the Yankees could go with a bullpen game and activate Weathers for the home series against the Rockies.
AL East race
The Yankees enter play Thursday 3.5 games behind the Rays for the AL East crown. With a major four-game series with Tampa later this month, the Yankees hope to draw closer this weekend.
Of course, the Padres are in the midst of a playoff race of their own. They enter play 0.5 games out of the final wild card spot and every game is dire for them.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Cody Bellinger
Bellinger has been hot since coming off the IL. He's 12-for-29 over his last seven, including going 8-for-14 against the Angels.
Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?
Max Fried
Fried struggled in his first start off the IL, unable to get out of the fourth inning, but he'll find his way this weekend.
Which Padres player will be a thorn in the Yankees' side?
Fernando Tatis Jr.
The shortstop has turned his season around after a slow start and that continues this weekend.
The players in this ranking do not have extensive NHL experience and are all 23 and under. Therefore, players like Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Logan Mailloux, among others, won't feature in this ranking for those reasons.
The order of these rankings reflects a mix of their ceilings and potential, as well as how they've performed over the past year with their respective clubs.
Deciding between Carobonneau and Adam Jiricek was difficult, but it feels like Carobonneau has a more attainable floor than Jiricek, while having similar ceilings.
When at his best, Carbonneau plays physically, engages himself in the forecheck, and finds plenty of lanes to fire shots on goal. Listed at 6-foot-1, 203 pounds, Carbonneau isn't necessarily a true power forward like Tom Wilson, Brady Tkachuk or Matthew Knies, but he has shown a willingness to play that brand of hockey throughout his junior career.
The 19-year-old completed his final year of junior hockey with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the QMJHL last year, scoring 51 goals and 80 points in 60 games. His 51 goals were tied for the league lead, although he did play three fewer games than Maxim Masse, the Anaheim Ducks prospect he was tied with.
Carbonneau was a surprise omission from Team Canada's world junior team, but it wasn't the first time Carbonneau was snubbed. Carbonneau's only international appearance for Team Canada was at the U-17s in 2022. He was left off the world junior Team, U-18s, and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup roster in each year of eligibility.
Nonetheless, Carbonneau is set to begin his professional career. He played in three playoff games for the Springfield Thunderbirds in the AHL to end last season, but failed to record any points. Carbonneau will have the opportunity to compete for a roster spot out of training camp, as he did last year, but with the sheer number of NHL-caliber wingers on the roster, it's more likely than not that Carbonneau will begin the season in the AHL.
In the AHL, Carbonneau should immediately find a role within the top six, alongside other prospects like Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, Otto Stenberg, Juraj Pekarcik, and Zach Dean. There is a chance Carbonneau excels and, due to injuries, earns a call-up and stays in the NHL, but the more probable case is that Carbonneau spends the 2026-27 season in the AHL before becoming a full-time NHLer in the 2027-28 season.
The former 19th overall pick of the 2025 NHL draft has all the tools of a top-six player and could become a complementary top-line winger as his game continues to round out.
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The Seattle Kraken spent the summer making sure their players will have more people in their corner when the 2026-27 season begins.
Some of the changes are obvious. Others will be noticed only inside the walls of the organization.
Seattle added a former NHL general manager to its front office, brought in a veteran coach with extensive NHL and AHL experience, promoted members of its performance staff and added new specialists in nutrition, mental performance, physical therapy, analytics and player development.
Perhaps the most notable addition is Patrik Allvin, who joins Jason Botterill as the Kraken’s vice president and assistant general manager.
Allvin spent the past several seasons as Vancouver’s general manager and was a finalist for NHL GM of the Year in 2024. He and Botterill also know each other well, having worked together for a decade in Pittsburgh while helping build three Stanley Cup-winning teams.
That relationship gives Seattle another experienced voice in a front office looking to take the next step.
The Kraken made a similarly significant addition behind the bench.
Pascal Vincent replaces Jessica Campbell as an assistant coach after spending the past two seasons running the Laval Rocket. Vincent won AHL Coach of the Year in 2025 after leading Laval to a 48-19-5 record and brings seven seasons of NHL assistant-coaching experience with him.
Head coach Lane Lambert was deliberate in finding Campbell’s replacement, and Vincent’s résumé ultimately checked the boxes Seattle was looking for.
The organization is also putting more resources into what happens away from the rink.
Nate Brookreson has been promoted to director of sports performance, while Jake Jensen becomes head strength and conditioning coach. Brandon Wickett returns to Seattle as an assistant strength and conditioning coach after spending last season with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Madison Yerigan has also joined the Kraken as their full-time lead dietitian, giving players dedicated support for nutrition, recovery, hydration and meal planning throughout the season.
There is a similar emphasis on the mental side of the game.
Matt Brown takes over a newly created position as director of mental performance. Brown has spent three decades working with elite athletes, including Canadian national team athletes, and will work with Kraken players, prospects and the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
Seattle is also adding physical therapist Mike Funyak to its athletic training staff and expanding its research and development department with Dan Cassario and Sabrina Escalona.
Then there is Dolan Gilbert, who may have the most unusual job of the group.
Gilbert will work in research and development while serving as Seattle’s emergency backup goaltender, a newly mandated NHL role that requires him to practice and travel with the team.
The Kraken have made changes to their development pipeline, too.
Former defenseman Justin Schultz has joined the player development staff and will work primarily with young defensemen, drawing on a 12-year NHL career that included two Stanley Cups.
Seattle also added amateur scout Brad Ginnell, while the Coachella Valley Firebirds hired Scott Ford as an assistant coach and Mike Crocock as a skills coach.
None of these moves guarantees anything once the puck drops.
But they do reveal where the Kraken believe they can improve.
The organization is adding experience, specialization and depth to the people responsible for developing, preparing and supporting its players.
Now comes the harder part: turning all of those additions into results.
HARTFORD, CT - JUNE 10: Jack Mahoney #23 of the Hartford Yard Goats pitches during the game between the Akron RubberDucks and the Hartford Yard Goats at Dunkin' Park on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Ryan Desantis/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Since the Colorado Rockies are enjoying a much-needed day off before welcoming the St. Louis Cardinals to Coors Field on Friday, I figured it could be a good opportunity to pay some attention to the farm system with a game discussion thread, as all four Rockies affiliates are at home this week.
We will update the article with lineups throughout the day and into the evening as they become available.
Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes (65-69) vs. Tacoma Rainiers (64-70): Carson Fulmer vs. Jack Mahoney
The dreams of making a playoff run aren’t likely to come to fruition for the Albuquerque Isotopes as they are 10 games back in the PCL East division in the second-half standings. While that may be the case, the Isotopes are still in the hunt for an overall winning record for the season for the first time since joining the Rockies organization in 2015.
This week, the Isotopes have lost the first two games of the series, trailing by three runs in each. Wednesday saw the Isotopes fall 5-2 in extra innings after giving up three runs in the top of the 10th.
Jack Mahoney (0-1, 4.76 ERA) takes the mound for the Isotopes, looking to continue finding his footing in Triple-A. Mahoney (No. 15 PuRP) has given up at least two runs in each of his five starts in August and has completed five innings only twice. Walks have been his biggest issue, as he allowed 13 walks in 22.2 innings last month against 18 strikeouts.
Carson Fulmer (5-1, 5.25 ERA) takes the hill for the Tacoma Rainiers. The veteran right-hander has found more consistency as a starter since being traded to the Seattle Mariners organization in June. Unfortunately, the consistency has mostly been in giving the Rainiers innings on the mound. Walks plagued Fulmer in August as he allowed 15 free passes against 13 strikeouts in 24.1 innings of work; seven of those walks came in his last start.
Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats (62-65) vs. Reading Fightin Phils (64-63): Gage Wood vs. Jackson Cox
After securing a playoff bid in the first half, the Hartford Yard Goats have struggled a bit more in the second half of the 2026 season with a 23-36 record. The main issue for the Yard Goats has been the struggle to score runs despite solid enough pitching. This series is currently tied 1-1 after Reading won Wednesday’s game 5-3, despite Hartford out-hitting them 11-6.
Jackson Cox (2-2, 3.89 ERA) is ready to make his first appearance since July 19, as he’s been on the injured list. Cox (No. 11 PuRP) was really starting to find his rhythm in Hartford in July, having allowed just two runs on five hits over 18 innings of work before he was shut down with an injury. In his second full season post-Tommy John surgery, Cox has impressed quite a bit, even more than he already did in 2025. He’s got the strikeout capabilities, but the command still needs to be honed to cut down on walks.
Gage Wood (0-3, 4.83 ERA) is the No. 1 prospect for the Philadelphia Phillies per MLB Pipeline but has struggled a little bit since being promoted to Double-A at the end of May. The swing-and-miss has been more than apparent with 84 strikeouts against 16 walks in 59.2 Double-A innings. However, he’s also given up a lot of contact and has been stung by home runs, which is a natural hurdle as you advance through the minors. There is plenty of talent, however, and the Yard Goats will have to be on their toes.
Game 2 First Pitch: 4:30 p.m. MDT
TV: MiLB.TV / Bally Sports Live
Radio: MiLB.TV
Lineups:
High-A: Spokane Indians (56-71) vs. Everett AquaSox(65-63): Mason Peters vs. Lebarron Johnson Jr.
The Spokane Indians are just playing for pride at this point in the season, as the Northwest League championship match-up has already been decided. It’s been a tough year for Spokane on both fronts as pitching has struggled to prevent runs and the offense has struggled to score runs. The team is last in the overall standings and their -161 run differential is by far the worst in the league. In this series alone, they have scored just three runs while allowing 21.
Lebarron Johnson Jr. (1-7, 6.57 ERA) makes the start for Spokane, trying to find some sort of groove down the stretch. Johnson has dealt with injuries off and on throughout the season and has struggled immensely since July 10. Since then, he has worked more than three innings in an outing just once and has been hit hard for quite a few runs in that span. Like a lot of other pitchers, walks have been the big issue, and when the strikeout stuff isn’t working, it has led to a lot of damage in a small sample of work.
Pedro Da Costa Lemos (3-0, 2.86 ERA) will make his 12th appearance of the year and his first start since 2024. Da Costa Lemos has been excellent as a reliever in his career and has typically thrown two or three innings per outing this season. This season he has done well to pound the zone and limit walks. While he can give up a good deal of contact, he is able to mitigate damage and hasn’t been stung by the home run ball too often.
Game 3 First Pitch: 7:35 p.m. MDT
TV: MiLB.TV / Bally Sports Live
Radio: MiLB.TV
Lineups:
Fresno Grizzlies (69-59) vs. San Jose Giants (76-52): Ben Bybee vs. Izeah Muniz
Should the Fresno Grizzlies secure victory tonight, they will clinch a playoff spot for the second year in a row. The Grizzlies have enjoyed a strong overall year once again, despite some injuries and promotions of players through the system. Lately, they have enjoyed an influx of newly drafted players like Daniel Jackson and promotions of players from the ACL Rockies. This series is currently tied 1-1 after the Grizzlies won 6-2 on Wednesday.
Izeah Muniz (1-1, 4.66 ERA) will take the hill for the Grizzlies. Muniz has made just four appearances this season, spending the majority of the season on the injured list. He was recently activated on August 18 and has made two starts, though both were essentially as an opener. He has allowed two runs on three hits in three innings since returning.
Ben Bybee (3-3, 4.91 ERA) was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the eighth round in 2025, and he has worked a mixed role this season. He started the year as a bulk reliever before settling into the rotation in June. His usage has still fluctuated as he has worked as an opener for three to four innings or given the reins to work as deep into the game as he can go. In August, he mostly settled into the former, but overall has some nice qualities. He throws strikes and doesn’t give up a lot of hard contact.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Hunter Brown #58 of the Houston Astros pitches during the game between the Houston Astros and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Friday, August 28, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Mooney/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
TODAY’S GAME: The first-place Houston Astros (71-69), who hold a slim 2.0-game lead in the AL West, will host the Chicago White Sox (73-66) for the finale of their four-game series today at Daikin Park.
RHP Hunter Brown (4-3, 3.33 ERA), who shut out the White Sox in 7.0 innings on July 25 in Chicago, will get the start today opposite old rival RHP Luis Castillo (4-10, 5.31 ERA) and the White Sox.
BROTHER BROWN: RHP Hunter Brown has posted a 2.63 ERA (12ER/41IP) in his last seven starts (since July 25), pitching through the 5th inning in all seven outings. Brown, who finished third in the AL Cy Young Award voting last season, has been limited this season, missing over two months due to a lengthy stint on the Injured List (April 1-June 15) with a right shoulder strain.
SLOW AND STEADY RECOVERY: Since starting the season with a 20-31 record after 51 games, the Astros are 51-38 (.573) in their last 89 games (since May 22). That is the second-best record in the AL in that span, behind the Red Sox (53-38).
MEASURING UP: The Astros are within a streak of playing four straight teams with winning records (CWS, ARI, PHI, TB). The Astros are an American League-best 27-18 (.600) vs. teams currently at .500 or above. Some clubs that the Astros have winning records against include BOS (5-1), CHC (3-0), CWS (4-2), CLE (4-2), MIA (3-0), and TB (2-1).
VS. THE WHITE SOX: Regardless of today’s result, the Astros have won the season series against the White Sox, going 4-2 so far with one game to play. The Astros are 26-15 vs. CWS over the past six seasons (2021-26), posting winning records in each of those years. Houston is 57-48 all-time vs. CWS.
ONE OF THE BEST: Astros prospect C Jason Schiavone has six HR and 13 RBI in his last eight games after homering again last night. In his combined 110 games at Single A Asheville and Double A Corpus, he leads the Astros system in HR (31) and RBI (84) while slashing .258/.396/.548 for a .944 OPS.
HADER EARNS AUGUST HONORS: Major League Baseball announced today that Astros LHP Josh Hader has been named the American League Reliever of the Month for August. It is Hader’s ninth career Reliever of the Month Award and his third as an Astro. In the month, Hader converted all seven of his save opportunities, while going scoreless in his 13 total appearances and 14.1 innings pitched.
STREAKING: LHP Josh Hader has worked 19 consecutive scoreless appearances, spanning 20.0 innings (since July 21). This is the longest streak by an Astros hurler this season and the second-longest active streak in the Majors. Opponents are just 5×65 (.077) vs. Hader during the streak.
THE CLOSER: LHP Josh Hader has 249 career saves, needing just one more save to become the 41st player in modern MLB history to reach 250 career saves. Hader has 22 of those saves this season, in 22 save chances.
ON THE OFFENSIVE: Among AL teams, the Astros rank second in home runs (184), second in total bases (1,917), third in slugging (.408), fifth in runs scored (633), and fifth in OPS (.723).
TRIPLE THREAT: DH Yordan Alvarez, who is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award, currently owns at least a share of the lead in all three Triple Crown categories. He enters today leading the AL in batting avg. (.317) and RBI (94), while ranking tied for first in HR (37).
Rare Feat: Since Carl Yastrzemski won the AL Triple Crown in 1967, there has been just one Triple Crown winner in the Majors, Miguel Cabrera in 2012 (AL).
MATCHING HIS BEST: DH Yordan Alvarez has matched his career high by smacking 37 home runs on the season, reaching his total from 2022. His career-high in RBI is 104, set in 2021 (currently has an AL-best 94 RBI).
WALK OF FAME: DH Yordan Alvarez has been issued 29 intentional walks on the year, which is a franchise record, besting the 27 intentional walks for 1B Jeff Bagwell in 1997. Alvarez leads the Majors in intentional walks, topping second-place DH Shohei Ohtani (16) by a whopping 13 IBB. Lastly, the AL record for intentional walks in a season is in play for Alvarez, a record that’s currently held by RF Aaron Judge (36 IBB in 2025).
THE HIT MAN: 2B Jose Altuve enters today’s game needing just six hits to reach 2,500 for his career. Among active players, Altuve ranks second in hits, trailing only 1B Freddie Freeman (2,586).
BEHIND THE DISH: C Christian Vázquez has played in 999 career games as a catcher and is looking to become just the third active catcher to reach 1,000 career games behind the dish. He would join C Salvador Perez (1,427) and C J.T. Realmuto (1,382) in that exclusive group.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY:2004 – Roger Clemens passes both Nolan Ryan and Don Sutton on the all-time wins list with victory #325 in an 8-6 win over the Pirates. Clemens lasts 6.2 innings to earn the win. Jeff Bagwell, Carlos Beltrán, Craig Biggio and Jose Vizcaino each homered in the win. Clemens improves to 15-4 on the year en route to another Cy Young.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 3, 1:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
PITTSBURGH — Konnor Griffin is ready to get back to work.
The Pittsburgh Pirates rookie shortstop said he feels good and is hopeful of being activated off the 60-day injured list when Pittsburgh opens a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.
The 20-year-old Griffin hasn’t played since early July due to an issue with the knuckle on the ring finger of his left hand. Griffin wore a splint for about six weeks and has played a handful of games while on a rehab assignment.
“It’s been driving me nuts watching the games on my phone,” said Griffin, who signed a massive contract extension in April shortly after making his debut. “It’ll be fun to finally be back in there competing.”
The Pirates have fallen off the pace in the National League playoff race in Griffin’s absence. Pittsburgh is 5 1/2 games back of the final wild card spot.
Pittsburgh remains intent on having Griffin return this season. The team says the risk of re-injury is small and it’s important to get him more experience during the nascent stage of his career.
Griffin has been electric at times. He’s hitting .276 with five homers, 25 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 59 games during a season that’s been disrupted by multiple trips to the injured list.
“It’s just cool to see how my body has been able to overcome these injuries,” he said. “I feel like it’s a good sign for me. I’m pumped to be back here.”
Perhaps most importantly, Griffin is pain-free.
“I did some grip strength testing,” he said. “Those numbers were actually a lot higher than they should have been, which was a good sign for me. That gave me a lot of confidence, squeezing a bat, squeezing a glove wasn’t gonna be an issue.”
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JUNE 21, 2024: Cleveland Guardians mascot Slider performs prior to a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field on June 21, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by George Kubas/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Crawford Boxes may look inviting, but the Sox haven’t placed a ball there yet. | (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The White Sox will need to find some better offense this afternoon than they’ve shown so far in the series, and it may be a challenging assignment. That’s because after failing to feast on pitchers just back from Tommy John surgery — scoring eight runs in three games — they now have to deal with one who missed only three months of the season because of an injured shoulder, not an elbow.
And who happens to be Houston’s best.
Hunter Brown will be the fourth straight righty Astros starter, and he’s a good one, with a 3.33 ERA and 86 Ks in 81 innings. Last time out, he went 6 2/3 innings against the Mets and struck out 10 while allowing just one run. (Yes, that was the Mets, but still …)
Brown will face a White Sox lineup that still has Tristan Peters in the eighth slot, even though he’s been the team’s best hitter lately.
Meanwhile, the White Sox are starting Luis Castillo, who has had five starts since being acquired from Seattle at the trade deadline: one excellent (Cubs!!) and four bad to awful, producing a 6.45 ERA even with the one good outing. He was ostensibly acquired from the Mariners to be an innings eater, but so far the 33-year-old has been more of an innings nibbler, having made it past the fifth only once.
Castillo faces an Astros lineup featuring Triple Crown threat Yordan Alvarez, whom Sox pitchers have mostly kept in check. Alvarez is 3-for-9 in the series — with one of those hits aided by a friendly official scorer — with only one double, no homers and one RBI.
First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. Central in the indoor comfort of Daikin Park (not the radish, but a Japanese company that makes heating and cooling equipment and such). The usual broadcast suspects are on the call, which presumably means the dubious pleasure of being stuck with the John Schriffen-Gordon Beckham team again.
ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 01: Carlos Cortes #26 of the Athletics celebrates with teammates Lawrence Butler #4 and Michael Stefanic #17 after scoring a run in the eighth inning during the game between the Athletics and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tenley Wright/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Just like this entire season, the Mariners’ East Coast road trip was filled with great disappointment interspersed with moments of competence. Walking away from Boston with two straight wins against one of the better teams in the AL is an accomplishment but it’s overshadowed by the totally lifeless performance in Toronto against a much more significant opponent (to their playoff odds anyway). So without much progress made, the Mariners return home this weekend to begin the softest and most important stretch of their season.
If you want to point to a prime example of how bad the AL West has been this year, the last time the Mariners and Athletics played each other in late May, the A’s were leading the division and Seattle swapped places with them in the standings after sweeping them in Sacramento. Since that series, the A’s have been the worst team in baseball by a pretty wide margin, winning just 32% of their games with a -169 run differential. All the progress they had made towards the end of last year and earlier this year has been completely undermined and it doesn’t seem like they’re any closer to building a competitive roster
Player
Position
Bats
PA
K%
BB%
ISO
wRC+
Henry Bolte
CF
R
376
27.4%
7.2%
0.114
104
Jeff McNeil
1B
L
437
11.0%
5.9%
0.100
85
Zack Gelof
2B
R
343
25.4%
7.6%
0.197
110
Lawrence Butler
RF
L
445
25.8%
12.4%
0.140
91
Donovan Walton
SS
L
198
16.2%
10.6%
0.155
128
Tommy White
3B
R
154
16.9%
2.6%
0.074
58
Carlos Cortes
LF
L
328
16.5%
8.5%
0.140
98
Max Muncy
DH
R
251
32.3%
8.0%
0.152
75
Jonah Heim
C
S
332
18.4%
7.2%
0.182
78
The biggest reason why the Athletics have struggled so much since June is because their lineup has been absolutely gutted by injuries; Brent Rooker (knee), Shea Langeliers (knee), Nick Kurtz (thumb), Tyler Soderstrom (hip), and Jacob Wilson (shoulder) have all succumbed to season-ending injuries. Those five are the core the team was building around so to have all of them sidelined at once has been a huge blow. There have been some positives despite all the struggles. Zack Gelof has been the team’s best hitter when he’s been on the field — he’s missed a bunch of time with a handful of minor scrapes and bruises. The demise of Lawrence Butler has been greatly exaggerated as well; since June 10, he’s put up a 131 wRC+ with nine home runs.
For a while earlier this year, Jack Perkins was working in a flexible high leverage role for the Athletics, converting three saves in April. With all the injuries the A’s have faced, he was stretched out and moved to the starting rotation in June. His deep repertoire lends itself to starting anyway and that’s how he was developed through their farm system. Unfortunately, he hasn’t found much success in the more familiar role; his ERA is 6.82 since the beginning of June and his FIP is not much better at 5.81.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
J.T. Ginn
138.1
20.90%
9.80%
12.20%
45.50%
3.71
4.37
Logan Gilbert
160.1
26.0%
6.3%
12.0%
37.1%
3.42
3.65
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
5.9%
15.5%
93.5
81
101
109
0.379
Sinker
53.4%
25.3%
93.4
108
156
102
0.319
Cutter
13.6%
17.9%
90.3
78
93
119
0.428
Changeup
5.1%
30.4%
87.8
81
113
96
0.228
Slider
22.0%
10.9%
85.7
95
99
94
0.253
From a previous series preview:
J.T. Ginn has spent the last few seasons bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen for the A’s. He’s dealt with a number of injuries over the years, stunting his development, but the stuff models really love his sinker-slider combo. He gets a ton of groundballs with those two pitches and can turn to a pretty good changeup to get a whiff if he needs it. Considering the problems the A’s have had developing mid-rotation arms, and Ginn’s penchant for groundball contact, it’s surprising they haven’t given him a longer look in the rotation.
Ginn has been one of the more consistent starters for the Athletics this year. He’s had his ups-and-downs but he’s been healthy and generally reliable. Back in April when he faced the Mariners last, he allowed three runs in 5.1 innings while striking out six.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Jeffrey Springs
123
17.9%
9.1%
18.2%
33.8%
6.37
6.28
George Kirby
152.2
20.0%
5.6%
10.9%
43.3%
4.19
3.80
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
43.3%
45.1%
91.4
89
74
92
0.362
Cutter
3.2%
0.5%
87.8
92
Changeup
32.0%
3.8%
79.5
111
117
84
0.269
Slider
16.6%
42.9%
84.1
97
70
66
0.384
Sweeper
5.0%
7.6%
77.3
97
21
116
0.409
From a previous series preview:
Jeffrey Springs has managed to survive pitching in Sutter Health Park by generating a ton of weak contact. His .255 BABIP was the ninth lowest among qualified pitchers last year and it’s even lower this season. He allows a ton of contact in the air and all that elevated contact hasn’t turned into damage like you might expect. It’s mostly just weak fly balls that are easily caught. He’s also throwing a little harder this season, though his strikeout-to-walk ratio is almost an exact mirror of what he posted last year. His best pitch is still his changeup and that’s what allows him to run a slightly reverse platoon split.
After a decent start to the season, Springs has been absolutely terrible over the last three months; since the beginning of June, his ERA is over nine! The last time he faced the Mariners, he allowed five runs in five innings while striking out seven.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Gage Jump
92.2
24.3%
11.1%
9.8%
38.1%
5.15
3.91
Bryan Woo
148.1
24.6%
5.1%
10.0%
36.8%
4.25
3.43
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
47.8%
42.2%
96.2
101
103
97
0.355
Sinker
3.6%
9.8%
95.1
88
Changeup
12.1%
0.2%
87.5
94
85
103
0.302
Curveball
12.8%
4.4%
82.3
125
81
91
0.249
Slider
23.0%
22.7%
87.2
115
84
86
0.313
Sweeper
0.7%
20.7%
83.8
115
The Athletics top pitching prospect entering the season, Gage Jump made his major league debut at the end of May — against the Mariners no less — and has pitched through an up-and-down rookie campaign. He’s shown flashes of brilliance at times, but he’s also been prone to big blowups that spiral out of control. He’s got three different breaking balls that make up the bulk of his pitch mix with a four-seamer as the foundation and a sinker and changeup to round out the repertoire. His low arm angle helps his fastball play up from an already impressive 96 mph from the left side, giving the pitch excellent movement across both planes. Right now, he’s much more of a thrower than a pitcher, filling the middle of the zone with his hard stuff and spraying his secondaries around the edges of the zone. That lack of command is the one thing holding him back from truly bringing the entire package together.
The Big Picture:
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Astros
71-69
0.507
—
-42
L-W-W-L-W
Rangers
69-71
0.493
2.0
-48
L-W-W-W-L
Mariners
66-74
0.471
5.0
-65
L-L-L-W-W
Athletics
54-86
0.386
17.0
-194
L-L-L-L-W
Angels
53-87
0.379
18.0
-80
L-L-W-L-L
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Yankees
80-60
0.571
+9.5
+115
W-W-L-W-W
Red Sox
75-65
0.536
+4.5
+77
L-L-W-L-L
Guardians
70-69
0.504
—
-8
L-L-W-W-L
Rangers
69-71
0.493
1.5
-48
L-W-W-W-L
Blue Jays
69-71
0.493
1.5
-44
W-W-W-L-W
Orioles
69-71
0.493
1.5
-20
W-W-W-L-L
The Mariners couldn’t gain any ground in the AL West because both the Astros and Rangers matched their record with two wins to start the week. Houston wraps up its four-game set against the White Sox today and then plays the Diamondbacks this weekend. Meanwhile, Texas hosts the Rays for four games.
In the Wild Card race, the M’s gained a half game on the Guardians but still have four other teams to leap frog.
AMARILLO, TX - AUGUST 13: David Hagaman #31 of the Amarillo Sod Poodles pitches during the game between the Midland RockHounds and the Amarillo Sod Poodles at Hodgetown on Thursday, August 13, 2026 in Amarillo, Texas. (Photo by Elisa Chavez/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Introduction
While I agree with the general consensus that the Diamondbacks biggest weakness is a failure to develop pitching prospects, and it’s not a strength for the organization, I find most of the criticisms of the current Arizona farm system laughable, when the vast majority of critics can’t name anyone in the farm system. That usually says to me that they have no idea what they are talking about, because there are actually quite a few interesting pitching prospects in the system, some with significant upside. So I thought I’d change that, with a series of articles doing a deep dive into the teams pitching prospects. This was originally one long article but I decided to make it a little more digestible by breaking it into multiple articles. Today I’ll be discussing the lack of LHP prospects and then discussing four RHP prospects with very high upside
Where all the lefties?
Take a quick look at the handedness of the prospects below, and I’m sure you’ll ask yourself, ‘where are all the left handed pitchers?‘ To give you the shortest possible answer, you’ve already seen them. Mitch Bratt and Kohl Drake are basically the only LHP prospects of note in the upper levels of the Diamondbacks farm system. The long answer is the pickings are slim when trying to find a LHP worth talking about in the upper levels. There ARE some LHP, but only a couple really worth mentioning at the moment.
Yu-Min Lin is a 23 year old left handed starter who has struggled as a finesse pitcher in the very hitter friendly PCL, but was at one point one of the higher ranked prospects a few years ago. It’s worth mentioning that he had a horrific baseball related injury, getting struck in the face by a line drive foul ball. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has had some lingering effects from the injury, as I’d be shocked if he didn’t also have a concussion. He’s still young, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get an emergency spot start eventually with the Dbacks. In my opinion, if Lin ever makes it the majors and finds success, it’ll be with some other MLB organization, better equipped to develop him as a pitcher, which doesn’t have a AAA affiliate akin to pitching on the moon. Lin is barely a prospect at this point, if not for his age; giving him the benefit of the doubt, mostly as a result of that injury; and the fact that he’s honestly just a very bad fit for pitching in Reno. Lin relies mostly on off-speed and breaking pitches, while Reno is a place where pitches just don’t break as a result of the altitude.
Rio Britton is a guy who was drafted in 2023, pitched 68 innings with a 3.97 era and 4.10 FIP in A level Visalia in 2024, then did not pitch at all again until this year, thanks to being put on the full season injured list for 2025. In 2026 Britton has pitched in 22 games for A+ level Hillsboro, 15 of which have been starts. He’s tossed 91.1 inning with a 4.53 ERA, a 4.68 FIP, and a 4.47 xFIP. While that may not seem particularly good or noteworthy, it’s actually slightly above average, as shown by 92 ERA- and 96 FIP- (both adjusted stats where anything below 100 is above average). He looks solid enough this season that I think he’s a name worth keeping an eye on now that he’s healthy. That said, he’s essentially a non-prospect until he can prove he’s healthy and advances a little further into the system.
Lin and Britton are basically the Ur-Examples for LHP in the Dbacks system. You have guys who have been injured and struggled in the upper levels of the system like Lin, and then you have guys like Britton, who aside from being injured, just haven’t pitched enough to be really talked about.
Four Flamethrowing RHPs
For each player I’ve written about below, I’ve linked their Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference player pages, as well as a direct link to their blurbs on MLB pipeline that have a more detailed scouting report than I can offer. Scouting grades are the traditional 20-80 scale.
Background: The Diamondbacks generally haven’t drafted high school arms early in the draft, at least not very often. Livingston was the rare exception in last years draft, the Dbacks giving him $1 million to keep him off campus at Georgia. Livingston didn’t get into professional game until this season, and he’s honestly been a revelation in 2026.
Livingston’s season started out with the ACL D-backs, where he pitched in 14 innings across three games, but dominated, giving up just a pair of earned runs on eight hits, four walks, and a wild pitch, but struck out 17 batters. That adds up to a 1.29 ERA with a 3.33 FIP and a 3.97 xFIP. His 22 ERA- and 54 FIP- show just how dominant he was relative to the league. He was less impressive while he was in Visalia, but still above average based on his 77 ERA-. He was recently promoted to Hillsboro and had a promising debut with the Hops, pitching five innings and allowing a run on three hits and two walks, while striking out six batters.
I couldn’t find much video of Livingston pitching, but I did manage to find a couple videos of him back in May, which I’ve embedded below.
My Scouting Report: Livingston has the ideal height, weight and build that you look for when scouting a pitcher. He throws a four seam and two seam fastball that sit in the mid to upper 90s, but he’s touched triple digits on occasion in 2026. His slider and changeup are much more advanced than you would expect, but still need to be developed further. He doesn’t turn 20 until September 7th, so he has the advantage of youth on his side. He is one of the top pitchers to watch next season.
Background: Hagaman is a name you should honestly know already, as the team’s current top pitching prospect (according to Baseball America). Acquired by the Diamondbacks a little over a year ago in the Merrill Kelly trade (along with Mitch Bratt and Kohl Drake) I think most people considered him to be the third piece in the deal. But his potential was obvious to me, as he adds much more significant velocity and louder stuff in general, especially compared to either of the two lefties. In 2026, I think it’s fair to say he’s broken out as a pitcher.
Hagaman did a few interviews during the fall league last year that I thought were a good insight, which have been compiled in the videos below.
My Scouting Report: Hagaman is much better than advertised. All four of his pitches look above average to me. His slider is the weakest and least developed of the four pitches, but I’d still grade it as average even if i was little more pessimistic in my writeup. His high 90s fastball is the weakest of the four players mentioned, but it’s still a plus fastball. If Hagaman continues to dominate down the stretch, he could potentially land on a few top 100 prospect lists this winter.
Background: I actually don’t have too much to say about Curley’s time with the Georgia Bulldogs, as they have produced some excellent videos covering that time in his career that are embedded below.
Curley’s 2026 has been a bit of a mixed bag. In 69.2 innings in A+ Level Hillsboro, he put up a 4.52 ERA, 3.54 FIP, and a 3.35 xFIP. Those numbers translate to a slightly above average 92 ERA- and a decidedly above average 72 FIP-. His promotion to AA Amarillo, however, has gone how you’d expect. In 35.1 IP his ERA is 7.13, his FIP 6.89, and his xFIP 5.43. I don’t think you need to see his 122 ERA- and 124 FIP- to understand that those aren’t very good numbers.
My Scouting Report: Curley sits 95-96 mph and touches triple digits with his fastball. He gets above-average carry and it plays up further due to a low release height and unusual approach angle. His upper-80s slider has both depth and power. His curveball is more of a top-to-bottom offering, and he also threw a third breaking ball, a sweeper, though the three could blend together. He also has a fringe-average changeup. Curley has excellent makeup and has the personality to succeed at the highest level. As an undersized pitcher throwing that hard, he might be better off being shifted to relief, but I’d imagine the Diamondbacks will give him every chance to stick as a starter. Depending on how he pitches down the stretch in Amarillo, I could see the Dbacks starting him back in AA next season, or being even more aggressive with his promotion and having him start in Reno. Obviously if he pitches like he has so far, expect him back in Amarillo to start his next season.
Kentucky’s 2022 Mr. Baseball, Forbes was a star shortstop at Bowling Green High, but went undrafted in part because of his strong commitment to Louisville. A two-way player as a college freshman, he only decided to pitch full-time during his sophomore year. A year later, in 2025, his draft stock skyrocketed early on as he dominated for the first month of the season, but a flexor injury and less control lead to him falling in the draft to the Diamondbacks at #31. The Diamondbacks shut him down after the draft, and he’s only gotten into pro games this year. I could find limited video of Forbes pitching in the Diamondback system, but I did manage to find a couple, which I’ve embedded below to give you a better idea visually of the kind of pitcher he is.
Forbes started the year on the IL and wasn’t activated with Hillsboro until June, but he has looked solid this season as the Dbacks build up his workload. Including the two innings he pitched in the ACL in his rehab start, Forbes has pitched 29⅔IP with a 2.73 ERA with a 3.56 FIP and a 3.34 FIP. He’s struck out 35.3% of the batters he faced, while walking only 6% of batters. His 55 ERA- and 73 FIP- further hammers home his dominance.
My Scouting Report: Forbes has an explosive fastball with a lowish release point, that tops out in the low triple digits, but he generally works in the mid to high 90s. He has an above average slider with good horizontal movement that compliments his fastball extremely well. His other pitches need work, but they grade to at least average at the moment. I’ve been even more impressed with Forbes’ control this season, as it’s been better than advertised.
Conclusion
The Diamondbacks have done well in the last couple seasons to add pitching over the last few seasons with actual upside. Hagaman is the closest to actually making it to the MLB level, but I would expect the other three to move through the system fairly quickly if they stay healthy and pitch well. Next time we’ll look at four more pitchers and go over some teenage prospects that could be worth keeping an eye on.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 24: Chris Hacopian of the Washington Nationals signs autographs prior to the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Friday, July 24, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Olivia Vega/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Almost two months ago, Paul Toboni made local product Chris Hacopian his first draft pick. He took the Maryland and Texas A&M slugger 11th overall thanks to his intriguing blend of hitting ability, plate discipline and raw power. About a month into Hacopian’s professional career, he has been as advertised for better or worse.
Baseball America wrote an article where they checked in on the top 30 picks from the 2026 draft. Hacopian’s section had some very interesting details. They wrote that he had the highest 90th percentile exit velocity at 106 MPH and the lowest in zone swing and miss rate at 9.8%. That sort of power combined with elite contact skills and a good approach is a rare commodity.
Chris Hacopian's raw power (106 MPH 90th percentile EV) and hit tool (90.9% z-contact) are elite. Batted ball angles need work though. A lot of ground balls and hardly any pull side contact. Very high upside offensive profile https://t.co/QchQNd68ft
Despite those highly impressive metrics, Hacopian’s actual production at High-A has been solid but not eye popping. He is hitting .275 with a .396 OBP and a .746 OPS. Hacopian is holding his own in a tough Wilmington hitting environment. However, he is also not dominating through his first 13 games.
There is one big reason for that and it is his batted ball profile. Hacopian hits a lot of ground balls and low line drives. He also very rarely pulls the baseball, especially not in the air. 87.6% of Hacopian’s batted balls are either going up the middle or the other way. His ground ball rate is also 48.4%.
For Hacopian to turn his impressive exit velocities into actual power production, that will have to change. This is not a massive surprise though. Hacopian’s batted ball profile was always seen as the weak point of an otherwise very strong offensive profile. This offseason, I would imagine that this will be a big point of emphasis for him. The Nats new regime has also proven to be able to help hitters elevate and pull more often.
Luis Garcia Jr., Jacob Young and even Dylan Crews have all seen major drops in their ground ball rates. On the minor league side of things, Seaver King is an example of a player who is elevating the baseball a lot more. As we go into next season, I think we will see Hacopian take steps in that regard.
On the rare occasions that Hacopian does pull the ball in the air, he does a ton of damage. His first pro home run was a no doubt shot to left field. When Hacopian does turn on the ball, it is a beautiful thing to watch. He leaves little doubt when he gets all of a baseball.
If Hacopian can optimize his batted balls, there are really not a lot of holes in his game. As we have talked about, he hits the ball very hard and rarely whiffs. The 22 year old is also very disciplined, especially for a hitter that makes so much contact. In his first taste of pro ball, Hacopian is only chasing 22.7% of the time.
While Hacopian was seen by many as a floor over ceiling pick, I actually disagree in some ways. If he reaches his offensive ceiling, Hacopian can flirt with being a .300 hitter while hitting 25 homers. That is All-Star level production. However, there is quite a bit of pressure on his bat due to his limited defense and lack of athleticism.
So far, Hacopian has been about what we expected coming out of college. He puts together great at bats, makes a ton of contact and hits the ball hard. All the pieces of a great hitter are here. However, he needs some more refinement is needed to reach his ceiling.
With the 11th pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Washington Nationals select 2B Chris Hacopian from Texas A&M!
My 11th ranked prospect in the draft class, Hacopian can absolutely mash. In 2026 he had:
Hacopian is a player I cannot wait to see next season. If he makes strides with his batted ball profile, he could have the ability to move very quickly. An early 2028 or even late 2027 call up is not totally out of the picture.
Chris Hacopian is a pure hitter, and he has shown that in the minors. Just like his entire career, Hacopian’s strikeout and walk numbers are pristine. In 40 AB’s he has 8 strikeouts and 8 walks. That is a staple of his game and it is a profile I cannot wait to see in the big leagues.
In his pro career, Chris Hacopian has looked the part. His numbers do not jump off the page, but when you look into the underlying data, you see why the Nats drafted him. The Maryland kid has a rare combination of skills that will make him a joy to watch in the batters box.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 21: Assistant pitching coach Preston Claiborne of the New York Yankees watches Clarke Schmidt #36 of the New York Yankees warm up before the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on August 21, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees can use all the relief pitching help they can get these days. Due to injuries, it seems like they are always improvising to fill the unit with reliable arms, signing or claiming guys such as Justin Topa (already DFA’d), Michael Fulmer, and John Schreiber in the last week or so.
They need some stability in the mid-to-late innings. Fortunately, one of their homegrown guys is getting ready and shaping up as an option at the right time: Clarke Schmidt. At the moment, Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Max Fried, Will Warren, and Elmer Rodríguez are ahead of the 2017 first-round pick in the rotation depth chart, with Ryan Weathers potentially rejoining the staff in a few weeks, too. That’s why the organization has already said Schmidt is ticketed for the bullpen when he returns.
To be fair, that’s probably where he’s needed the most. The Yankees’ rotation is better than their bullpen, and they could certainly use an established starter with (successful) relief pitching experience to get through some of the toughest outs in the late innings.
Schmidt, who moved his rehab to Triple-A and pitched two solid innings in which he allowed one run and struck out three on Wednesday, already had a strong season as a bullpen piece back in 2022. That year, he pitched 29 games, starting just three, and posted a 3.12 ERA and a 3.60 FIP in 57.2 innings. He walked 23 and struck out 56.
While it’s true that Schmidt didn’t have a good postseason that year, allowing three runs (and two homers) in three games and 2.1 innings, he is much more mature at this point in his career. After that showing, he has logged three seasons as a starter with mixed but mostly positive results.
A role in relief would allow Schmidt to throw harder in short spurts and maybe focus on some specific pitches, such as the cutter, the knuckle curve, the slider, and the sweeper, with a few four-seamers sprinkled in.
After posting a 26.3 percent strikeout rate in 2024 and a 23.1 mark last year as a starter, Schmidt has some exciting strikeout potential as a reliever, throwing fewer innings at max effort, with the pitching know-how he has gotten over the years. God knows the Yankees need someone who can get some swings and misses in the back of the bullpen.
It’s unclear if manager Aaron Boone will use him as a traditional one-inning reliever or as a multi-inning weapon, but he can thrive in any role. For that to happen, however, he needs to get through his rehab without any setbacks.
Before the two solid frames he racked up on Wednesday for the RailRiders, he had only pitched one game in Double-A, surrendering two runs in 0.2 frames. He is still working his way back from a long layoff following elbow surgery last year, and it stands to reason that he could be rusty whenever he returns to the bigs.
Since Schmidt won’t be starting this year, or at least that’s not the plan at the moment, he is not expected to need too many additional rehab appearances before being ready for activation. In fact, depending on how he feels, there’s a tiny chance his next outing comes in the majors, even though it’s unlikely.
He’ll probably return to starting next year. For now, however, he will help a unit that has the best ERA in the league this season at 3.08, but was 11th with a 3.67 mark in August. As good as the relief corps has been as a whole, the group clearly could use support now, and Schmidt is solid bet to provide it.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 19: Dwight Murray Jr. #26 of the Brooklyn Nets handles the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on July 19, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Tom O'Connor/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
While the Long Island Nets don’t begin their 2026-27 season until November 6, the team’s roster is beginning to take shape.
As shared in a Thursday press release, Long Island has acquired guard Dwight Murray Jr. and a 2026 first-round pick in the G League Draft from the College Park Skyhawks in exchange for a 2026 first-rounder (via Cleveland) and a 2027 second-round pick.
The Long Island #Nets have acquired G Dwight Murray Jr. and a 2026 first-round pick from College Park in exchange for a 2026 first-rounder (via Cleveland) and a 2027 second-round pick.
Murray averaged 8.9 PPG and 5.0 APG over two G League seasons and played for Brooklyn at…
Standing at 6’0” and 181 pounds, Murray has appeared in 90 career G League games (51 starts) across two seasons with the Skyhawks. Throughout his career in the G League, the 26-year-old has averaged 8.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in 23.5 minutes per game. A Georgia native, he played college ball at Rider in Lawrence Township, N.J.
In the 2025 Tip-Off Tournament, Murray tallied 96 assists, tied for the ninth-most in the G League. He earned an invite to the Brooklyn Nets’ Summer League squad, appearing in two games while averaging 5.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on 33.3% shooting from the field and a 40% mark from beyond the arc throughout 15.7 minutes.
It’s also important to keep in mind that Long Island’s first-year head coach, Shawn Swords, was an assistant on Brooklyn’s Summer League staff, so there’s already some familiarity between him and Murray.
This wasn’t the only trade of the week for Long Island, as the team announced Tuesday that they acquired a first-round pick in the 2027 NBA G League Draft from the Santa Cruz Warriors and the returning player rights to guard Joey Calcaterra from the Memphis Hustle in a three-team trade. Long Island traded the returning player rights to guard Yuri Collins to Memphis.
The Long Island Nets have acquired a first round pick in the 2027 NBA G League Draft from the Santa Cruz Warriors and the returning player rights to guard Joey Calcaterra from the Memphis Hustle in a three-team trade. Long Island traded the returning player rights to guard Yuri… pic.twitter.com/SwjX0DbAXY
Calcaterra, 27, hasn’t produced at the same level Murray has throughout his G League career. Across 28 career games, Calcaterra has averaged just 3.0 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 10.8 minutes per game, shooting 37.5% from the field and 32.1% from deep.
Long Island’s roster is starting to come together. Aside from Murray and Calcaterra, Brooklyn has filled two of its three two-way spots with forwards Chaney Johnson and second-round rookie Tyler Bilodeau.
The Nets also signed 6’9” Nick Pringle out of Arkansas to an Exhibit 10 contract, putting him in line to spend time with Long Island.
In July, the organization selected 6’4” guard Tidjiane Dioumassi in the G League’s International Draft.
Then, there is Grant Nelson. The 24-year-old has agreed to a training camp deal, according to Chinese media, although NetsDaily can’t confirm that report. He spent time with both Brooklyn and Long Island last season, but his year was cut short due to patellar tendinitis.
Also, it is fair to assume that some members of the Flatbush 5 will spend some time at the Nassau Coliseum this year along with the No. 28 overall pick in this year’s draft, Joshua Jefferson. And three other members of the Nets Summer League roster have also reportedly agreed to Exhibit 10 deals: Dion Brown, a 6’4” combo guard out of St. Louis and two 6’9” bigs: Ben Humrichaus, a wing who played for Illinois last season, and Dain Dainja, a power forward/center who played for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat’s G League club.
Overall, there should be no shortage of young talent cycling through Long Island this year.
CLEVELAND, OHIO, UNITED STATES - 2016/10/07: City skyline and the Cuyahoga River. (Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images) | LightRocket via Getty Images
We have a very early game today. Living in the west, I hate these games cause they get in the way of what I’d normally be doing. But then, today I don’t feel like doing anything. I have been going to gym a fair bit lately, as I’m playing squash this winter, and I’ve reached the age where it is pretty tough on the body and I have to be in as good of cardio shape as I can get and get my strength up, because, at my age, knees and stuff tend to hurt if I’m not strong. Or I could give up on squash.
Anyway, there is a game today, an important one. The Jays are 1.5 games back of the Guardians for the final Wild Card spot (the Rangers and Orioles are tied with the Jays). Being half a game out would be better than being 2.5 games out, not that they couldn’t come back from 2.5 back. We aren’t at the ‘they have to win every game to make the playoffs’ point of the season yet. Which is good, because they won’t.
Jose Soriano has a 4.13 ERA in his five starts with the Jays. Teams are hitting .271/.345/.364 against him, which is better than they were hitting off him as an Angel. But then, small sample size and all.
Tanner Bibee has a 3.88 ERA but a 5-14 record in 28 starts. The Guardians are only scoring 3.07 runs per game in his starts. Since they are averaging 4.05 runs per game on the season, Tanner’s being hard done by.
The I-94 Rivalry wraps up tonight at Wrigley Field with the Milwaukee Brewers a short road favorite over the Chicago Cubs ahead of first pitch at 7:15 p.m. ET on Thursday, Sept. 3.
My top Brewers vs. Cubs predictions and MLB picks expect Milwaukee to take the series in another high-scoring game at The Friendly Confines tonight.
Who will win Brewers vs Cubs today: Brewers moneyline (50.7%)
For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.
The Milwaukee Brewers have a sizable pitching edge in this series finale.
Twenty-four-year-old Logan Henderson has allowed just three runs across his past three starts while posting an elite 2.82 xERA that’s right in line with his 2.73 year-long mark, ranking fifth among starters with at least 70 innings pitched.
Chicago Cubs veteran Kevin Gausman hasn’t been nearly as consistent, and he’s allowed three runs or more in three of his five starts with the club for a solid but unspectacular 3.69 xERA and 3.60 xFIP.
Both offenses are raking, and 47 runs have scored through the first three games of the series, so I’m siding with the superior starter tonight and would back the Brewers to 54.5%.
COVERS INTEL: Henderson ranks eighth in xOBP and 19th in xwOBA among pitchers with 50 innings pitched this season.
Brewers vs Cubs Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (49.8%)
Even with both starters showing excellent underlying numbers, I still expect both teams to put runs on the board.
Chicago ranks second in xwOBA over the past 30 days, and Milwaukee checks in at seventh.
Additionally, the teams have emptied their bullpens through the first three games of the series, with the Cubs relying on relievers for 12 innings and Milwaukee's pitching 14.
As a result, late-innings runs are also in the cards tonight.
Brewers vs Cubs home run prediction: Brice Turang (11.1%)
Brewers second baseman Brice Turang has hit 16 of his 17 homers against righties this season with a high-end .216 ISO, and he’s eyeing statistical correction at the dish with just a single home run across his past 26 games. With Gausman allowing a .204 ISO to left-handed hitters since joining the Cubs, the matchup checks out, too.
The weather forecast calls for a first-pitch temperature around 71 degrees and gentle 6-mph crosswinds blowing out to left field as the game progresses at Wrigley Field tonight. Overall, these are neutral conditions for hitters.
Brewers vs Cubs odds
Moneyline: Brewers 53.5% | Cubs 51.2%
Run line: Brewers -1.5 (40.8%) | Cubs +1.5 (63%)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (54.5%) | Under 8.5 (50%)
Brewers vs Cubs trend
The Milwaukee Brewers have won 13 of their last 19 games (+6.25 Units / 23% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Brewers vs. Cubs.
How to watch Brewers vs Cubs and game info
Location
Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Date
Thursday, September 3, 2026
First pitch
7:15 p.m. ET
TV
FOX
Brewers starting pitcher
Logan Henderson (9-2, 2.48 ERA)
Cubs starting pitcher
Kevin Gausman (8-11, 4.52 ERA)
Brewers vs Cubs latest injuries
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COVERS INTEL: Henderson ranks