PHOENIX - OCTOBER 11: A general view of the exterior of Chase Field prior to Game One of the National League Championship Series between the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on October 11, 2007 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
RANGERS
DIAMONDBACKS
Joc Pederson – DH
Lars Nootbaar – LF
Corey Seager – SS
Ketel Marte – 2B
Josh Jung – 3B
Gabriel Moreno – C
Brandon Nimmo – RF
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Ezequiel Duran – CF
Corbin Carroll – RF
Wyatt Langford – LF
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Jake Burger – 1B
Tim Tawa – 1B
Nicky Lopez – 2B
Pavin Smith – DH
Elias Diaz – C
Ryan Waldschmidt – CF
Kumar Rocker – RHP
Brandon Pfaadt – RHP
Roster moves
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ active roster is at 28 and the 40-man roster is at 39.
Recalled from Triple-A Reno: INF Jose Fernandez
Designated for assignment: OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
The end of the Gurriel era in Arizona. Lourdes came over from Toronto along with Gabriel Moreno, in the Daulton Varsho trade, and made an immediate impression, batting .261 with 24 home-runs in 2023, for a value of 2.9 bWAR. He was a free-agent at the end of the season, but re-signed to Arizona on a three-year contract with a value of $42 million. There was also a team option for 2027, which will presumably now become the (rather expensive) $5 million buyout. This deal will not go down as one of Mike Hazen’s finest, Gurriel’s production plummeting after signing: 1.9 to 0.6 to -0.7 bWAR. All told, $47 million for 1.8 bWAR is a poor investment.
We’ll see what today brings, yesterday having brought us the latest in “Season over” reactions from a number of fans. I lose count of how many times that has happened before this year. I don’t think, personally, I’ll start losing hope until we are more than three games behind San Diego, at which point the final series would become irrelevant. But that could potentially happen as soon as tomorrow, and the team can ill-afford to drop a home series, with only 12 games to go after today. Time for Eduardo Rodriguez to step up and do Eduardo Rodriguez things, which he has been doing all year long.
The Diamondbacks have gone 22-7 in his appearances. With three outings still remaining, it’s the most team W’s for a starter since Zack Greinke’s 23 in 2017. If ERod can play his part in two more and reach 24, that’ll be the most since 2011, when the D-backs were 25-8 in Ian Kennedy starts. Unsurprisingly, the franchise record belongs to the Big Unit: in 2002, Arizona went 29-6 with him on the mound. Now, obviously, Rodriguez himself doesn’t have 22 wins. It’s a still impressive 15-5. But over the nine no-decisions, with the Diamondbacks going 7-2, he has a 2.51 ERA. So he has kept the team close enough for the offense to get it done after he left the game. It has truly been an ace-level season.
LeahAZFan will bring you the guest recap post-game, so stick around for that!
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 16: Noah Cameron #65 of the Kansas City Royals throws a pitch in the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 16, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Kansas City Royals will finish their series in Boston at some point today, in a rubber match contest. The Royals won the Friday night contest 3-2, but dropped the late afternoon game on Saturday 5-1.
The Royals are currently 66-83 and are on the brink of finally being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs this season.
Lefty Noah Cameron starts today for the Royals. Here is the Royals starting lineup behind him.
The Red Sox are 81-68 on the season, and very close to securing a playoff berth as the second wild card team, which means like last season, they’d head to the Bronx to take on the Yankees in a best of 3 in the Wild Card round.
It’s rather remarkable that they are in this position considering their horrific start, before they fired almost every coach in the dugout and then didn’t lose for like a month.
Anyways, Payton Tolle, another left hander starts for the Red Sox today. Former Royal, Nate Eaton bats ninth and plays center today for Boston.
After this game, which was pushed back due to rain and is currently in a delay from the pushed back start, is over, the Royals travel to Houston for a three-game series. Whenever this game is started, you can watch it on Royals.TV. Until then, watch the NFL!
NEWARK, NJ -- On Sunday, the New York Islanders' prospects battled the New Jersey Devils' prospects.
After a scoreless first period, Daniil Prokhorov, whom the Islanders selected in the second round (No. 42) of the 2025 NHL Draft, lit the lamp to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead at 5:56 of the second.
Off the rush, Luca Romano, whom the Islanders selected in the third round (No. 74) of the 2025 NHL Draft, fed Prokhorov in the low slot before he beat Jakub Malek under the glove for the opening tally at 5:56 of the second:
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 04: Alejandro Osuna #19 of the Texas Rangers bats against the San Francisco Giants at Globe Life Field on August 04, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers have recalled outfielder Alejandro Osuna from AAA Round Rock, the team announced today. To take his place on the active roster, the Rangers have optioned infielder Cam Cauley to AAA Round Rock.
The move to bring up Osuna — who was just a two hour flight away from Phoenix, in Sacramento — was not unexpected. Joc Pederson left yesterday’s game after being hit in the hand with a pitch, and Osuna was lifted from Round Rock’s game soon thereafter, and likely booked on the first available Southwest Airlines flight from SMF to PHX. Osuna gives the Rangers a lefthanded bat to DH and come off the bench while Pederson is sidelined.
Cauley, meanwhile, will likely be on the team flight back to D/FW tonight rather than heading to Round Rock. Pederson is, per the beats, going to see a hand specialist, and there would seem to be a pretty good chance he lands on the 10 day injured list, in which case Cauley could be back up, although Kyle Higashioka, who has been on a rehab assignment with Round Rock, would also be an option.
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 13: Gabriel Hughes #43 of the Colorado Rockies gestures after throwing a pitch against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning at Comerica Park on September 13, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies really needed a win, in part to break a nine-game road losing streak and a six-game overall losing streak; in part to get them back on track to stay under 100 losses; and in part of salve their wounded spirits.
Unfortunately, today was not their day to get that win as the Rockies lost to the Detroit Tigers 8-1.
An early Adael Amador homer was easily the game’s highlight while the pitching continues to struggle.
With this loss, the Rockies have lost seven consecutive games in addition to their last 10 on the road. Their second-half record is 16-35.
“Sometimes, it’s just a bad stretch,” said manager Warren Schaeffer after the game.
The offense started strong — and quickly sputtered
Adael Amador got things off to a quick start when he hit a home run (4) in the second at-bat of the game.
“He’s making an impact every game,” Schaeffer said. “He’s starting to show up this year at the big-league level, which is fantastic.”
The lead would be short-lived, however, when Gabriel Hughes — after getting two quick outs — allowed a two-run homer to Riley Greene in the Tigers half of the first.
Already, the Rockies found themselves with a one-run deficit.
The Rockies got two quick outs before third baseman Vimael Machín hit a single. All was for naught, however, since he was quickly thrown out at first by Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler to end the inning.
In the second inning, the Tigers continued to make progress.
The Rockies lost the opportunity to erase a Max Clark stolen base because the coaching staff waited too long to issue a challenge. With just one out recorded, Josh Peck hit an RBI single to score Clark and leave runners at the corners. Kevin McGonigle then hit a two-RBI triple, and the score was 5-1 with one out and Hughes at 55 pitches.
Fifteen pitches and five batters later, the Rockies tallied the third out with the score still at 5-1.
Both the Rockies and Tigers failed to get a hit in the third inning with Zach Agnos entering the game for Hughes.
In the fourth inning, TJ Rumfield walked again, extending his on-base streak to 19 games. Given that Mickey Moniak and Troy Johnston struck out in his wake, it did not matter, and the score remained 5-1.
Agnos kicked off the fourth inning by issuing back-to-back-to-back walks. Hao-Yu Lee hit a sacrifice fly to expand the Tigers lead, 6-1. Greene added his own RBI single, and the score was 7-1.
Again, the Rockies were retired in order in the fifth.
Nick Frasso entered the game to pitch the bottom of the fifth. After striking out the first batter he faced, Spencer Torkelson hit a home run, making the score 8-1.
The Rockies could not manage annother hit until the seventh inning when Rumfield knocked a single. Following that, Moniak notched his third K of the day, and Jackson Jobe’s day was over — his first time as a professional to get an out in the seventh inning.
Jobe’s final line was 6.1 IP with one run (earned) on three hits. He walked one and struck out eight.
Brant Hurter entered the game in relief and promptly gave up a single to Machín, but the Rockies were unable to capitalize, and the score remained 8-1.
After a disastrous Saturday, Jaden Hill entered the game to pitch the eighth. After getting the first two batters quickly, he issued a walk. He got the third out without allowing a run.
With two outs, Moniak hit a double.
The final line for the Rockies offense was one run on five hits. They walked once and struck out 11 times.
Gabriel Hughes had a (really) short day
The quest for his first MLB win continues.
Gabriel Hughes continues to struggle in finding a put-away pitch. He was already at 29 pitches at the end of the first inning after putting away the first two batters he faced relatively easily. (To provide a contrast, though two innings, Tigers starter Jackson Jobe threw 25 pitches.)
To be fair, not all of Hughes’ struggles stemmed from the ability to get outs. The Rockies failure to issue a timely challenge to the Max Clark steal kept Hughes with just one out longer than might have been necessary. Still, Hughes was unable to get outs.
By the end of the second inning, Hughes was at 70 pitches, the second-most by any player in MLB this season.
He was not helped, either, by an offense that could not figure out Jackson Jobe and too often had short at-bats.
He relied most heavily on his four-seamer (37%) followed by his changeup (21%), then his sinker (16%) followed by his curveball (14%).
The final line: 2.0 IP allowing five runs (earned) on five hits. He walked two and struck out two.
Currently, Hughes has a 6.37 ERA.
“I just think Gabe didn’t have his best stuff today,” Schaeffer said, noting especially Hughes’ lack of control of his breaking pitches.
The bullpen slogged through another long game
Schaeffer went to his already exhausted bullpen in the third inning.
Agnos had a brisk seven-pitch third inning that saw him retiring the batters in order. However, his luck did not extend into the fourth. His final line was 2.o IP with two runs (earned) on one hit. He walked three and struck out one on 36 pitches.
The fifth inning went to Frasso who struck out two and allowed one home run. He threw 17 pitches.
Jimmy Herget took the sixth for a quick three-up, three-down inning and was back for a longer seventh inning. His final line was 2.0 IP with one hit, one walk, and one strike out on 30 pitches. He did not allow a run.
As for Hill, he went 1.0 IP with issuing no hits, but one strike out and one walk on 24 pitches.
In total, Rockies pitching allowed eight runs on eight hits. They also issued seven walks and seven strikeouts on 177 pitches.
Up next
Tomorrow, the Rockies will — mercifully — return to Coors Field for the final home stand of 2026.
They will welcome the postseason-contending San Diego Padres with Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之) schedule to face a pitcher to be named later.
Texas Rangers pitcher Cal Quantrill (44) throws against Detroit Tigers during the third inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, May 2, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Sep 7, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics starting pitcher Jacob Lopez (57) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Let’s…. not talk about last night. Today is a new day! And thanks to their walk off win on Friday night the A’s have a golden chance at another series win. Over a division rival. Who is fighting to stay alive in the playoff hunt. Perfect time for another W, my friends.
Taking the ball for the home team will be Jacob Lopez. The southpaw has turned his season fully around and has been one of the better pitchers in the American League since rejoining the A’s rotation. Can he keep that up today in Sacramento against a hungry Mariners lineup that is on desperation and panic mode?
Here’s the Athletics’ lineup for the series finale:
The Mariners meanwhile have right-hander Bryce Miller taking the ball for them in the finale. Miller has been so-so overall but has been struggling of late. That’s perfect news for the A’s, who are ready for the chance at the young righty.
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 13: Jackson Jobe #21 of the Detroit Tigers pitches against the Colorado Rockies during the second inning at Comerica Park on September 13, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On Sunday afternoon the Tigers went for the home sweep of the Colorado Rockies in the finale of a three-game weekend series. They accomplished said feat in convincing fashion, on the back of some nice power hitting and excellent starting pitching, winning 8-1 to broom the visitors out of town. Come back anytime, Rockies.
Getting the start for the Tigers was Jackson Jobe, who looked sharper in his previous outing, a five-inning, two-run start in Cleveland. He struck out a then-season-high seven batters, against a Guardians lineup that doesn’t strike out a whole lot.
Gabriel Hughes started for Colorado, and it’s been a rough go of it so far for him in his rookie year. But here’s a weird one: his ERA at that kooky altitude is 3.81, but is almost 8 away from Colorado. Maybe he really likes something in Denver? I think they sell a product in that state that people enjoy.
Both teams traded home runs in the first inning: Adael Amador hit a solo shot for Colorado, but Riley Greene countered with a two-run tater after Colt Keith had hit a ground-rule double to put the Tigers up 2-1:
With two out in the top of the second, Dillon Dingler back-picked Vimael Machín for the final out of the inning. It took a review, but the call was (eventually) out.
In the bottom of the inning Max Clark, who had three hits in Saturday’s game, singled and stole second; Zach McKinstry walked, and Clark scored on John Peck’s single. Both McKinstry and Peck then came around to score on Kevin McGonigle’s triple off the very top of the right-centrefield wall, just below the yellow line (which was confirmed on review); when the dust settled the Tigers were up 5-1.
Colt Keith walked with two out to put runners on the corners, but Greene grounded out and the inning was over.
That was going to be it for Hughes, with Zach Agnos taking over and retiring the Tigers in short order in the third. Jobe, on the other hand, was looking good: aside from the early home run, and a hit-by-pitch in the second, he was hitting 99 mph with his fastball, throwing plenty of strikes, and his breaking stuff was sharp.
In the bottom of the fourth, Agnos walked the first three batters of the inning; Hao-Yu Lee hit a shallow fly ball to right field and McKinstry aggressively scored on the play to make it 6-1. Greene followed with a single to plate McGonigle to make it 7-1, his third RBI of the game.
Spencer Torkelson made it 8-1 in the fifth with a solo home run to left-centre:
That fastball couldn’t be more middle-middle if you’d walked right up to the plate and placed it in the catcher’s mitt yourself. But hey, you gotta punish mistakes like that, right?
Jobe, on the other hand, didn’t make too many mistakes in his 6 1/3-inning outing: in the seventh he gave up a leadoff single but then struck out Mickey Moniak for his eighth whiff of the day, a career high. Jobe’s final line was 6 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 8 K, and he threw 56 of his 87 pitches for strikes. Brant Hurter took over and got a flyout to right, but a blooper to centre put two runners on. A soft line drive to shortstop took care of the third out, though.
Hurter carried on into the eighth and got the first out, giving way to Yilber Díaz who got a pair of groundnuts to finish the frame. Since it wasn’t a particularly close game he finished it up, surrendering a double with two out in the ninth which was of no consequence, and punching out two with some good sliders. Hooray!
Colt Keith has some interesting batting splits, based on where he is (or isn’t) in the field. As a third baseman (182 plate appearances), his OPS is a robust .824; as a DH (156 PA), it’s .677; as a first baseman (50 PA) it’s .602.
Justin Verlander’s been working hard to make at least one more start before his season-ending retirement. You have to admire that: he could very easily just coast along until the end of the season, but he certainly hasn’t.
Congratulations to Keider Montero and his family who just had a baby girl. He made it back to Venezuela just in time.
On this day in 1848, a railroad worker in Vermont named Phineas Gage was involved in an accident in which a 1 1/4” (32 mm) steel rod went completely through his head, destroying a part of his brain. Gage somehow survived the accident, but the brain injury altered his personality in several ways, allowing doctors to study him in great detail. (If you’ve ever taken an introductory psychology course, you’ve definitely studied Gage’s case.)
SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 14: Kyle Lewis #1 of the Seattle Mariners robs Ramon Laureano #22 of the Oakland Athletics of a home run during the first inning in the second game of a doubleheader at T-Mobile Park on September 14, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The beauty of baseball is that there’s always another game tomorrow. Lose in a blowout or a heartbreaking walk-off? You can flush it away with another game tomorrow. But the opposite is also true. Win in historic fashion? Well, there’s another game tomorrow. And so after winning 19-1 last night on the back of Michael Arroyo’s first hit and first home run, Weston Wilson’s first five-hit game, and about a thousand other good things, the Mariners have to play again today. How to follow it up in a way that doesn’t feel disappointing will be the challenge.
Lineups
Uh, yeah, Michael Arroyo and Weston Wilson get starts again today. Duh.
Bryce Miller takes the mound in Sacramento for the second time this year. Back in May, he gave up two runs over five innings. Kate profiled Miller earlier today, including some great quotes from the sneaky smart Texan.
The lineups from this iteration of the A’s will never look normal to me, even if it has Butler, Gelof, and Muncy as mainstays.
Game Info
First pitch: 1:05 PDT TV: Mariners TV Radio: Old Reliable
Today in baseball history
September 13, 1983: Rickey Henderson steals three bases in Oakland’s win over Texas. Those take him to 101 for the year, making him the first player to steal 100 bases in three consecutive seasons.
PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 24: Khaman Maluach #10 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the game against the Denver Nuggets on March 24, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
If you’re a Suns fan who isn’t living under a rock, you’ve probably heard that newly re-signed center Mark Williams will be out until at least the All-Star Break with a torn labrum, if not longer. This leaves Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach as the only centers left on the team, and Ighodaro is more of a PF/C size-wise.
Williams had been the presumptive starter for the team, and Oso the back-up, with Maluach getting spot minutes here and there. This was despite Maluach’s dominant summer league performances where he resembled nothing so much as Will Ferrell in Elf. There was significant debate as to where Maluach would find playing time, but Williams’ injury just opened things up.
The presumptive starter on opening day is Ighodaro, but I believe that would be a mistake. Ighodaro has absolutely no shooting range, no three-point shot to speak of; he’s undersized and doesn’t rebound. His strengths are based around his mobility, high basketball IQ, and willingness to play the team game. The problem is that his weaknesses exacerbate the problems with the (presumptive) rest of the starting unit of Green, Booker, Brooks, and Bridges.
As many others have written about these four, they’re not great three-point shooters, undersized, not good rebounders, and lack the size to protect the rim. Ighodaro takes all of those issues and either makes them worse or does nothing to address them. Maluach, on the other hand, seems like a better fit.
First and foremost, he looked like a legitimate three-point threat in summer league (8 of 20 for 40%), and given his work ethic, age, and rapid development so far, I suspect that won’t be a mirage. Adding a legit 40%, three-point shooting center to the starting lineup will help create space for the supposed offensive goal of getting more penetration drives for shots at the rim. Playing Oso allows the opposing center to camp in the paint, mooting the entire point of trading for guys who are supposedly better at getting shots at the rim.
It’s hard to overstate the value of centers who provide space: back in the day when Steve Nash and Channing Frye were on the team, they were always neck-and-neck for who would lead the team in box plus/minus and net plus-minus per 48. Which is a fancy way of saying that statistically, Channing Frye was as important to the team’s winning as Nash was, and all he really brought to the table was being a switchable 4/5 that could hit threes and provide spacing.
Conversely, Oso seems like a better fit with the second unit of Gillespie, Goodwin, Kennard, and Fleming. All four of them are somewhere between good at three-point shooting (Fleming), to God-tier (Kennard, Gillespie). Fleming is long, tall, and heavy enough to play a little small-ball center, meaning that this unit doesn’t suffer some of the size issues as the starters. Oso’s lack of shooting range doesn’t matter nearly as much, but his ability to facilitate offensive flow will work well with a bunch of players who aren’t stars who can create their own shot but can absolutely hit open threes at a deadly rate.
Maluach doesn’t have to close out games either: he’s very young and still going to be pretty raw. That’s a problem for a competitive team going into crunch time in the fourth quarter. I suspect as the season wears on, and some of the issues with the Suns rotation become more apparent (I wrote about issues with how Green and Bridges fit here), we could see Gillespie, Kennard, Goodwin, and Fleming getting minutes late in the fourth quarter when the team needs stops on defense and spacing for Booker to operate on offense.
Oso makes more sense in these sorts of situations where they need a more polished, reliable, high basketball IQ player to close out games if there are better three-point shooters on the floor with him. It wouldn’t be the first time the Suns have started games with one center and finished with another: Jarron Collins and Robin Lopez usually got the starting nod over Channing Frye from 2009-2011, but it was almost always Frye on the court to finish the game.
Of course, the Suns are going to experiment with lineups a little in pre-season, and we will see how the dynamics of the starting unit will play out in the first month of the season. But if things aren’t gelling (and I’m skeptical that they will), Jordan Ott might be wise to shake things up and see if Maluach is indeed a better fit with the rest of the starting unit.
Yankees RHP Clarke Schmidt (Tommy John surgery recovery) is close to his 2026 season debut.
"Probably this week, potentially in Minnesota, but we'll see over the next couple days," New York manager Aaron Boone said Sunday morning, ahead of the Yankees' three-game series at the Twins -- starting Monday at 7:40 p.m.
Schmidt has been on a rehab assignment since Aug. 29 with the Yankees' Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre affiliates.
"I think he could be huge," Boone said of Schmidt. "I think he's throwing the ball really well. His stuff's really good right now -- I feel like it has been for the last month. So, I think he definitely could be an interesting guy for us down there and, hopefully, that's the case."
New York plans to use Schmidt in the bullpen, and he embraces the opportunity.
"I think it will shake itself out as far as what the role is and, obviously, I'm a reliever," Schmidt said. "So, I think that how they use me in leverage or whatever the case may be -- I think it's going to shake itself out.
"I don't think I need to be throwing a bunch of innings -- three, four ups, stuff like that. And I probably don't see myself going back-to-back, but I want to work myself into leverage and pitch in big scenarios and try to pitch as much as I can and help guys in big situations."
PHOENIX, AZ - SEPTEMBER 12: Elias Diaz #35 of the Texas Rangers bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Saturday, September 12, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Julia Jacome/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for September 13, 2026 against the Arizona Diamondbacks: starting pitchers are Cal Quantrill for the Rangers and Eduardo Rodriguez for the D-Backs.
It is the final game of the road trip, and an opportunity for the Rangers to finish the road trip with a series win in Arizona and a .500 record on the trip overall. No Joc Pederson or Nicky Lopez in the lineup after they were lifted from the game yesterday, though there’s a lefty on the mound so you wouldn’t figure on them starting anyway.
The lineup:
Foscue — 2B
Seager — SS
Jung — 3B
Burger — 1B
Nimmo — RF
Langford — LF
Duran — CF
Diaz — C
Jansen — DH
3:10 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are +110 underdogs.
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 29 : Fans outside Brooklyn Basketball Training Center during an introductory Press Conference for the 2026 Brooklyn Nets Draftees on June 29, 2026 in Brooklyn, New York. 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 David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Albert Ghim writes for No Ceilings, one of the more sophisticated NBA sites, and last week, he got a rare chance to check up on veteran players working out on the West Coast, particularly those charges of personal trainer Zach Gonzalez. Among those who he’s been focusing on in Gonzalez workouts and the runs at the NBPL’s new training facility in Playa Vista, an L.A. suburb. has been Egor Demin. To say Ghim is enthusiastic about the Nets second year guard would be an understatement. He just raves about him!
Ghim described how the 20-year-old has been working out in L.A.
“He is absolutely locked in, laser-focused, a man on a mission,” Ghim began. “He is so hard and ferocious on himself. I asked him what is your day-to-day look like right now. He’s working out with Zach in the morning, he playing the pro-runs at the new NBPA facility, getting in a lift. He’s doing extra workouts at night when possible.
“He’s going so hard. He is truly a man on a mission. This is a guy who knows where he needs to grow, spending a ton of time on his ball-handling, a ton of time on physicality, his jumpers, different types of jumpers — jumpers off movement, jumpers off the dribble. jumpers from the mid-range, from the outside, playing through physicality, embracing physicality. Initiating physicality is a big one to watch as well.
Ghim also spoke about how Demin has bulked up.
“For Brooklyn Nets fans who are watching this right now, I want you to know that Yegor’s body is absolutely destroyed. It is beaten. He is so hard on himself. He does not care if he’s hurt or if he’s slightly hurt or not feeling well, he is looking himself in that gym and to watch him work.”
“He said, ‘look we get it. We’re not idiots. We hear what people are saying on TV, saying we don’t want to win, we don’t care. We care,” Ghim quoted Demin.
Ghim also relayed what may have been the most interesting point of his 12 and a half minute commentary, how veterans are respecting Demin in the pro runs.
“Initially, early on, some of the veterans didn’t want him to play. They were like ‘he’s too young. we want to keep the younger guys off, keep it to veterans.‘ Then, he got in and he absolutely started torching guys. Guys like Norman Powell and Kyrie Irving have had a lot of praise for Egor. And in one of the games, he was playing with Norman Powell and he went off for like 30 plus and they won. And as he walked off the floor and they were all saying, ‘this kid is going to be an absolute problem’ and they are very, very impressed with him…
“He looks like a guy who absolutely wants to turn the narrative of the Brooklyn Nets. He’s already spent time in Texas with Julius Randle, working out with him, building that rapport, that relationship and he is a man on a mission that wants to bring Brooklyn back to winning basketball.” Ghim added. “He wants to be a leader. He wants to be a leader by example.
Finally, Ghim offered a little intel on the relationship between Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. who’s only a month younger than Demin.
“He’s telling me about Mikel and he’s saying, ‘Mikel is a freak.’ And the stuff Mikel cares about — his intel, his knowledge, his IQ of the game is extremely, extremely high. He feels like the fit between him and Mikel is going to be like a glove.
“It’s going to be a perfect pairing between the two and he’s talking about how Mikel has so much ability, on and off ball, which makes their pairing so interesting as Egor continues to grow as a ball-handler, as a creator himself. If I was a Brooklyn Nets fan, I’d be absolutely through the moon with the young core they’re building over there … Egor looks like a man on a mission and he’s coming for blood.”
Ghim’s No Ceilings colleague, Corey Tulaba, added that there’s other aspects of what’s going on with Brooklyn that need to be understood like the addition of Julius Randle who, despite Michael Porter Jr.‘s jump last year, is something the Nets — and Demin — didn’t have last year: an established NBA star.
“This is an all-NBA player who can make an impact on winning and has done that at multiple stops,” Tulaba argued. “So now, you’ve got a chance to go other there not just with a bunch of guys who are maybe learning how to play together or guys who are playing for themselves. You’re going to play with veterans who know what to do. They’re really building something cool in Brooklyn and it feels organic.”
To that point, Ghim noted that Demin shouted out other members of the Flatbush5, specifically Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf moving forward.
The two writers agreed that there’s not much likelihood that things in Brooklyn will take a big leap this year but as Ghim concluded, continuity should be a big help as they move along their NBA careers.
“The team feels they are building out a team of guys that can do stuff,” he noted. “Bring different layers, different styles as a team and them being so young as they are and building together and them really believing in themselves and the group that they have, obviously it won’t be this year, but in the next couple of years this may be a real team to watch in the East.”
But, wait, there was more!!
David Thorpe of True Hoop this week did a list of Ten guys who might make a big difference and he raved about the possibility that the Nets eighth youngest player, barely 22-year-old Noah Clowney, could have a breakout season. (We’ve written about Clowney several times this summer, most recently in these pages just a week ago but Thorpe’s analysis is new.)
The take has one fun fact we were unaware of which we highlighted as well as a possibility we hadn’t thought much about. Thorpe starts off by noting that he thought Clowney may have made a mistake declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft where the Nets took him with the 21st pick, making him the fourth youngest player in the NBA. He was also their first return on the Kevin Durant trade with Phoenix. But as he also notes, that’s what over the dam:
I thought it odd that Clowney left a terrific program at Alabama, fresh off a Final Four appearance, after one season. He was probably too young to succeed in the NBA, and could have made a ton in NIL money!
So last season he entered this tier of players from whom I had no idea what to expect. And out of those players … he impressed me more than anyone when I got to see him play in games. Only three players 21 or younger averaged at least 12 points and took at least 3.4 or more free throws per game: Clowney, Cooper Flagg, and Stephon Castle And he did that in only 27 minutes per game.
He is not a good shooter. But at 33 percent from 3, where he’s been for his two seasons, he’s not bad and there’s every reason to think he is due for a big improvement. He has a lot of game cutting, driving, slashing, and drawing fouls off those attacks. If his shot improves, I doubt it’ll be too long before he gets a chance to start ahead of Julius Randle. His defense will have to keep improving, but to me Clowney has the look of a starting level power forward who might even play some small ball five.
For the record, Clowney averaged 12.3 points on 40/33/80 shooting to go along with 4.3 boards, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks. As every Nets fan knows, there have been games or series of games where he’s gotten us all excited, like the final week of the 2023-24 season when he had games of seven and four blocks and the 14 games last season where had four or more 3-pointers go in, including games of seven and six in a 10-day, five-game stretch.
He does that consistently and his restricted free agency will be interesting come July. The Nets can match any offer he might get (and there were rumblings last season that the San Antonio Spurs might have interest.) Still, it was good to see the Thorpe analysis. He did not include rookies or second year players, it should be noted.
That’s your weekly dose of optimism. Now you can read what Channing Frye has to say about the Nets being “straight garbage.” We won’t. We’ve been inundated with the negative. We trying for balance.
Hair style updates
Combing the Internet this week, we found video of both Mikel Brown Jr. and Grant Nelson in barber chairs. No, nothing escapes the ND Dragnet…
We found the first on HoopChina…
And the second onFargo, N.D. barber Landon Lopez’s Instagram account…
Grant Nelson returns home to North Dakota and his local barber asks where you been? https://t.co/6dX4zslWMu
You won’t see Pooch’s byline on ND for a while. He and his new wife, Gabrielle Galluzzi, are on a honeymoon in the Caribbean! Anthony and Gabrielle were married Saturday afternoon at St. Francis de Chantal R.C. Church in Wantagh, N.Y.
Boston, MA - May 9: A Boston Red Sox fan in a poncho looks out at Fenway Park as the night's scheduled game is postponed due to rain. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
David Sandlin returns to the majors for a start this Sunday | Getty Images
Another Sunday, another critical rubber match in what I think we can safely say is the most rear-end-clenching division race we’ve had in nearly 15 years. Perhaps 20, depending on how you feel about Robin Ventura’s debut 2012 that produced a bizarre 85 wins and a missed playoff berth after leading the division most of the year.
That ending doesn’t make me feel great about saying this, but of all the all-too-rare fun and competitive Sox teams since 2005, that 2012 squad is where I see shades of 2026. We didn’t know quite how bland as a manager Ventura was at that point, and while that team’s young, breakout talent was concentrating on the pitching side, it was a mix of up-and-coming youth who appeared to be cornerstones for years to come, aided by highly unexpected bounceback efforts from veterans like Jake Peavy and Andrew Benintendi. It’s not a perfect analog, but if they are similar at all, I also think the talent of this team ultimately wins out in a way that 2012 group couldn’t.
Here’s Will Venable’s lineup this afternoon as they try to get that magic number closer and closer to single digits:
After seemingly more months at sea than an aircraft carrier halfway around the world, the White Sox starting pitching staff FINALLY has relief, as David Sandlin gets the call from Charlotte for his first appearance in the bigs since early August. He’s been dominant against Triple-A pitching his last two starts, allowing just a single run over 12 2/3 innings along with 20 strikeouts.
Here’s the lineup he’ll get a look at, courtesy of Oli Marmol’s crooked-capped Cardinals:
McGreevey is a former first rounder of the Cards who has firmly established himself in their rotation this summer, making 28 starts to the tune of a 3.92 ERA, exactly league average for a starter. With just 106 punchouts in 154 innings, though, he could be the type of pitcher the offense needs to jolt itself awake for the home stretch.
First pitch will be broadcast on CHSN and 1:15 pm C.T., and Len Kasper and Darrin Jackson will be there with their usual radio broadcast on WMVP AM 1000. See you in the comments!
