Middlesbrough defeat QPR, Norwich and West Brom win
Nicky Hayen has told his under-fire Burnley players they need to dig deep to come through “a really difficult situation” after a 2-1 defeat at home by Bristol City left them rock bottom of the Championship.
The Turf Moor crowd vented their anger – most vehemently towards the owner, Alan Pace – after Aaron Ramsey’s 56th-minute opener for the Clarets was overturned by an 82nd-minute header from Rob Dickie and a brilliant stoppage-time strike from City substitute Yu Hirakawa.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 29: Martín Pérez #33 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the second inning of a game against the Colorado Rockies at Truist Park on August 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a solid win Friday night in the battle of the aces, the Braves now face what sure seems like a disadvantageous pitching matchup Saturday, with Martin Perez facing Zack Wheeler.
Wheeler has been mostly back to his normal self coming back from injury this season, though with a slightly elevated, but still low walk rate. He has struggled a bit over the last month or so, with walks in particular. The Braves’ offense would do well to pay attention to his command and be a little patient at the plate. Wheeler still utilizes a true six-pitch arsenal with his four-seamer as a primary but a sweeper, sinker, splitter, curve, and cutter all mixed in and serving as solid pitches. He also maintains elite extension in the 97th percentile. If the Braves get lucky, Wheeler will still be struggling with command and will pair some of those walks with a homer or two.
Perez continues to muddle through the 2026 season performing admirably as a veteran innings-eater and has been rewarded with a 3.05 ERA that is more than a bit lucky. The Phillies have struggled on offense this year and have historically struggled against lefty pitching, with this year being no different. This is a good matchup for Martin with that platoon advantage, but that won’t make us any more comfortable watching him face Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 21: George Lombard Jr. #96 and Spencer Jones #78 of the New York Yankees celebrate the win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on August 21, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The New York Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I’m a personal believer in wearing the lowest possible number as a player. No infielder should have a number greater than 25, and 25 should only be worn by a first baseman. Numbers in the 30s and 40s are for pitchers, and your outfielders fill out the rest. That is the Way Baseball Numbers Should Work.
Of course, the Yankees have retired 21 numbers, every single one-digit, and 15 of those 21 are below #25 — yes, I’m finally correctly counting Whitey Ford, who I always forget when listing off the retirees by memory. Add that to the 25 other guys that are on the present roster, when you get added to the big-league club there aren’t that many options to put on your back. In 2016, Aaron Judge ran into this problem, eventually deciding to keep the #99 issued to him in spring training. That #99 will likely be the next number the Yankees retire, and I think it’s a part of what’s made him one of the faces of baseball over the past decade.
Now we have a pair of rookies filling out the middle of the Yankee order, both of them sporting unusual jersey numbers for much the same reason that Judge did. George Lombard Jr. is #96 and Spencer Jones #78, George one of three MLB players to sport those digits this year and one of them was Quad-A relief depth Yovanny Cruz for these same Yankees. Jones wears a slightly more popular number, even if I only know one of the other guys who share 78:
And despite my penchant for lower numbers (I’m #24 myself), I love what Lombard and Jones have done, even if it was by accident. It’s difficult to stand out on the current Yankee roster — ok, it’s difficult to stand out on what the ideal current Yankee roster is. Even if you’re a threeish win player, pretty good, you’re going to end up behind the big three in the rotation, Cody Bellinger, Ben Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and of course the captain himself. This goes triple when you try and stand out in the annals of Yankee history itself.
#78 and 96 allow the youngsters to carve out a bit of their own identity, just a little. It probably isn’t going to last. Ben Rice was issued #93 for his first taste of MLB in 2024, and once he carved out a permanent role for himself on the team switched to the much more sensible, and aesthetically pleasing, #22. If Jazz doesn’t return to the team this winter, #13 becomes an obvious option for George if he can stick to the roster, ditto for #12 if the club lets Trent Grisham walk. #78 is a little more of a reasonable number albeit one more for relievers than starting centerfielders, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Jones switch down as well.
*Kramer's moviefone voice* "well why don't you just tell me what number isn't retired"
With a club as numerically complicated as the Yankees, picking something a little funky and unconventional makes me like you just a little more — indeed, perhaps more than GLJ’s current performance deserves. We’ve seen how Judge has been able to take a strange jersey assignment and make it his own. I’m not asking either Spencer or George to be Aaron Judge, just to want to be as much of an individual in an org that sometimes squashes that.
Feb 26, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; New Jersey Devils goaltender Jake Allen (34) slams his stick into the boards as he is replaced by goaltender Nico Daws (50) in the third period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
A key point in the New Jersey Devils’ struggles during the 2025-26 season revolved around one thing: goaltending. To outside eyes, it might seem like the Devils have done nothing to resolve that issue, but Sunny Mehta’s trade of Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers was a true addition by subtraction situation. In Jake Allen, the Devils have a goaltender who has had two solid seasons for them, albeit in a high-end backup role. But the Devils have other goaltenders in Nico Daws and David Rittich who may be factoring into a better team goaltending outlook. Let’s dive in.
Goal: Handle a 42-Game WorkloadWithout Getting Injured
The number one issue for whether the Devils’ current goaltending situation will work out revolves around Jake Allen’s ability to play a high number of games. If Allen can play half of the NHL season without getting hurt or seeing any major performance dips, it might not even be necessary to carry three goaltenders. Since the 2018-19 season, when Jake Allen was the 28-year old starter for the St. Louis Blues, Allen has only played 42 games once: in 2022-23, when he had an .891 save percentage and a 3.55 goals against average behind a horrendous Montreal defense. Since joining the Devils in 2024, Allen has a .904 save percentage and 2.77 goals against average in 77 starts and 81 games.
The most recent season, in which Markstrom was hurt for much of October, was Allen’s most games played since that 2022-23 season. Allen had a .903 save percentage and 2.74 goals against average in 36 starts and 37 games, which is right in line with the rest of his Devils tenure. But, diving into that a bit more: Allen had a .912 save percentage when he was the primary team goaltender in the first half of the season. Due to Markstrom’s injuries, Allen played 21 games out of the team’s first 40, and he had an 11-8-1 record (with another team win when he was pulled due to cramping). Over the rest of the season, Allen played 16 out of the team’s 42 games and had an .891 save percentage with a 6-9-1 record.
Per Natural Stat Trick, Allen was very good throughout the entire season, with 15.71 goals saved above expected. 11.92 of those goals saved above expected came in the first half of the season, with the rest coming in the second half. This, of course, indicates that Allen had a much tougher per-game workload than Markstrom had. Compared to Markstrom, Allen had a higher goals against average (3.04 vs. 2.87) in the second half despite having a better save percentage (.891 vs. .883). Maybe if the Devils give Allen the kind of defense they were trying to pull Markstrom across the finish line with, he can last a season without breaking down at all.
Nico Daws
Goal: Make It Unnecessary to Carry a Third Goaltender
In Nico Daws’s career, the 25-year old German goaltender has a 24-24-1 record with an .898 save percentage and 2.96 goals against average. All things considered, that is well within regular backup range in today’s NHL, which featured a league average save percentage of .893 in the 2026-27 season. But I am interested by whether Daws can be more than just a 20 or 30-game backup if he is used in a rotation that does not either have him sitting for long stretches or playing every single game for periods of time. That has been his career experience so far, for the most part.
When Nico Daws was first called up in the 2021-22 season, he played a few games here and there in October and February, putting up a .918 save percentage in six games with a 3-1-0 record. Daws was kept up in March and April, and from that last game in February, he played 20 out of the team’s 23 games. During that stretch, he only had an .891 save percentage with an 8-11-1 record. Breaking that down by stretches before a rest game looks like this:
First nine games: .901 SV%, 4-5-0
Next five games: .872 SV%, 2-3-0
Next five games: .892 SV%, 2-3-0
Last game: .885 SV%, 0-0-1
After getting hip surgery following the season, Daws’s usage pattern did not change in the 2023-24 season. Again, he was leaned on for long stretches that saw his performance dip over time. He had a relatively normal first eight appearances with an .895 save percentage and 3-5-0 record. Then, he played seven games in a row in February. Over the first four, he had a .942 save percentage, including his legendary Metlife Stadium performance when he stopped 45 of 48 shots. Most organizations would probably remember to sit a goaltender right after that game, considering his recent hip surgery, but he pressed on for three more games where he had an .800 save percentage, including two games giving up five or more goals.
Since being relegated to third goaltender status in the Markstrom-Allen regime, Daws has had a .925 save percentage and 2.02 goals against average in nine games with a 5-2-0 record in seven starts. In this period, Daws has only had to make consecutive starts once: the team’s 4-0 loss to Boston at the end of the last season in which Daws had an .846 save percentage.
Of course, Daws will have to make occasional consecutive starts if he’s going to share the net with Jake Allen alone. But the more Daws can reduce the need for a third goaltender, the more he can establish himself as a true NHL goaltender and possibly never get sent back to the AHL throughout the rest of his career. Sheldon Keefe might really just need to purely alternate their starts.
David Rittich
Goal: Play Every Game Like It Could Be His Last
David Rittich is in a different spot of his career than Jake Allen or Nico Daws are. Allen has a long-term contract and Daws is only 25. Rittich, by comparison, is 34 years old and coming off of two seasons where he had a save percentage under .900. Of course, Rittich has had positive goals saved above expected numbers in two of the last three seasons, but he has been incredibly inconsistent. He has been so inconsistent that I am not sure how much value he brings to a three-goalie tandem if he cannot play to a level that demands regular starts. And even then, I am not sure how much appetite I have for an all-or-nothing goaltender after experiencing Jacob Markstrom for two seasons. From HockeyViz, Rittich has clearly had very strong and very weak periods since joining Los Angeles in 2023-24.
Further negative streakiness could largely end Rittich’s career at this point, so he needs to make certain that he is at the top of his game every time he steps on the ice for the New Jersey Devils this season. With a contract that is under the threshold to be buried in its entirety in the AHL, Rittich has no protection from waivers. It would cost the Devils nothing. So, if Jake Allen and Nico Daws look like they can play 84 games without him, why would they keep him in the NHL? And if they need a spot starter, and Jakub Malek outplays him in the AHL (if Rittich goes unclaimed), why would they be certain to use Rittich as the third goaltender?
Goaltending is a fun position, though, in the sense that performance usually dictates opportunity. If Rittich plays like he did in the first half of his Islanders tenure, he could make something out of this situation and extend his career further.
Roster Hopefuls
As I noted in last week’s article, the Devils’ defensive depth is stacked. And with the length of that article, I thought it would be wise to separate them a bit into returning veterans and hopeful depth. We are starting off here with Declan Chisholm.
Declan Chisholm
Goal: Prove Sunny Mehta Right
Sunny Mehta is a big fan of Declan Chisholm. It does not even sound like Mehta believes Chisholm should be the seventh defenseman on the team, saying on Spittin’ Chiclets that “at times, he’s kind of dynamic offensively.” And as JP Gambatese pointed out when he was acquired, microstat tracking indicates that Chisholm does actually do a lot of good things with moving the puck in transition. Of course, Chisholm only played 26 games last season for Washington after playing 66 for Minnesota in the previous year, so I do not think we should pencil Chisholm in above Brenden Dillon just yet. But in Chisholm we have one of Mehta’s first big proclamations: that this is a guy who has been overlooked by just about everyone else and just needs a proper shot to show how good he is.
Let’s see if he can do it.
Vladislav Kolyachonok
Goal: Force a Platoon with Dillon or Chisholm
Personally, I have just as intrigued by Vladislav Kolyachonok, who was signed in free agency, than I have been by Declan Chisholm. Both players have been about as productive as the other in the NHL so far, but Kolyachonok has two things going for me: he’s a year and a half younger and seems to have a little more luck getting the puck into the net. Kolyachonok has five goals in 87 NHL games, averaging only 13:58 per night, while Chisholm has six goals in roughly 800 more NHL minutes played. Kolyachonok largely does this through seeing-eye shots (which is a skill), but he has scored some good-looking goals as well.
What Kolyachonok does not have going for him as much is that Chisholm has played enough to actually have more sample size in his analytic profile. So while Kolyachonok looks good in his minutes so far, that could change if he were more exposed over a larger sample. Still, I would like to see it put to the test at some point, but his best hope is to play well enough in camp that he gets a handful of games on the third pairing in the regular season.
Seamus Casey
Goal: Force a Defenseman Trade
Unlike players acquired by Sunny Mehta, Seamus Casey does not have a good analytic profile in the NHL, per public models. He has weak shot impacts, but has not played very much: not many conclusions can really be drawn from this data yet, even fewer than can be said about Chisholm or Kolyachonok. Also unlike players acquired by Sunny Mehta, Seamus Casey is a true blueline goal scorer, and he already has eight points in 16 NHL games.
Unfortunately, Casey’s time outside of the NHL has not been so smooth. Over the last two seasons, Casey has only played 59 games in the AHL due to injuries, putting up 37 points in that span. Frankly, you would want to see more. But Utica has been an utter mess under the neglect of Tom Fitzgerald and Dan MacKinnon, and it’s rather difficult to judge anyone’s production there, especially for an oft-injured player like Seamus Casey.
Now with Mehta and Birch at the helms of the NHL and AHL teams, Casey actually has one thing going for him in Mehta’s excitement for Declan Chisholm. The right side of the defense is more ironclad. No matter what you think of him, Dougie Hamilton is a Sunny Mehta player, and he isn’t being traded regardless of what goes on elsewhere on the roster. Brett Pesce and Johnny Kovacevic also have full trade protection this season which weakens considerably in the offseason. But if Seamus Casey plays so dynamically that Sheldon Keefe could be convinced to give him games, we could be looking at some Chisholm-Casey third pairing games this year instead of Chisholm-Kovacevic or Dillon-Kovacevic.
Of course, Seamus Casey is waivers-exempt. If he plays any NHL games this season, he will lose his exemption next year. So with how many NHL-capable defensemen there are in the mix for the Devils this season, he is going to have to show out in training camp to get that kind of play. And if he does get that far, the only way he sticks on this roster is by playing so well that Sunny Mehta trades a left-handed defenseman to make him the extra defenseman on the roster.
Anton Silayev
Goal: Throw a Wrench Into All of This and Push for a Top-Four Role
I have no expectation that Anton Silayev will be an NHL defenseman this season. However, I believe that he is already good enough to be one. Silayev has already played 187 regular season games in the KHL along with 19 playoff games. He only turned 20 in April, though. At his age, coming off a season where he played lesser minutes because of a new coach that overprioritized veterans, it may be in his best interest to start off with the Utica Comets where he can play 21, 22, or 23 minutes per game, possibly even mixing in some power play time in there.
But I think Anton Silayev was a tenth overall pick for a reason. If he comes into camp looking like a massive mobile beast on the blueline, I do not think the Devils should stop him from playing NHL minutes. But we do have to be aware of the realities on the blueline. As it is, the only truly tradeable contracts who are not obviously valued by Mehta are Brenden Dillon and Jonas Siegenthaler. All players listed above here, other than Seamus Casey, are waivers-eligible. The Devils might be able to sneak Vladislav Kolyachonok to Utica, but they won’t have any luck trying that with Declan Chisholm. If Silayev’s play demands a roster spot, a trade will be necessary.
But Silayev should only get this chance now if he can be given top four minutes. If Jonas Siegenthaler stays above him on the depth chart, there would be no reason to have Silayev play 16, 17, or 18 minutes per night, especially as Luke Hughes possibly pushes up to 24 or 25 minutes per night. The Devils can get Dillon, Chisholm, or Kolyachonok to provide something between fine and good third-pairing play, so they do not need to ask Silayev to possibly stunt his development by playing that role.
But be aware, he’ll be here sooner than later.
Your Thoughts
What do you think of the goals I set for the players in this article? Do you agree or disagree with them? Do you have any extras? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 31: Erik Tolman #73 of the Washington Nationals celebrates after recording his first career save against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park on August 31, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Unless you have been living under a rock this year, you would know that the Nationals bullpen has struggled. The unit has an ERA over 5 and has blown a mind boggling 35 saves. However, in the last couple weeks the Nats have called up three home grown relievers who have all gotten off to impressive starts.
It is still very early days for Erik Tolman, Jared Simpson and Jack Sinclair, but so far they have impressed Nats fans. For Simpson and Sinclair, the jury is still very much out, with both only making one appearance. Tolman has plenty to prove as well but at least he has done it over multiple outings.
With the largest sample size, Tolman is the first name I want to talk about. His first five big league outings could not have gone much better. Through 6.2 innings, he has yet to allow a run and has struck out 8 batters. It also feels like he is getting better each time he takes the mound.
In his last appearance, Tolman came in with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 8th. He responded by getting a strikeout and double play to stamp out the threat. The 27 year old southpaw came back for the 9th and struck out the side. It was extremely impressive stuff from the rookie.
We have talked a lot about Tolman’s story, but his performance on the mound has been almost as impressive. His 97 MPH fastball gets on hitters in a hurry. With opponents fearing the fastball, Tolman can drop in his 85 MPH changeup which gets hitters way out in front. Against lefties, he will also feature a slider.
In the minors, command was an issue for Tolman. However, he has only walked two hitters so far in the big leagues. With a few more impressive outings, Tolman could easily lock down a spot in the 2027 bullpen. The raw stuff is impressive and the command has been better than expected for the former 14th rounder.
That is a theme for all of these guys. All three were late round picks who have command concerns. However, in the early going, all of them have been throwing strikes. Throughout his baseball life, Jared Simpson has struggled throwing strikes. It has gotten better this year, but he is still walking over 5 hitters per 9 in the minors.
However, if you just watched his debut, you would not know that he has any command issues. The lefty out of Iowa was pounding the zone with his 4 pitches. He throws a 4-seamer, a sinker, a splitter and a slider. The sinker has been a massive addition this year and has been a big part of his breakout.
Like Tolman, Simpson came into his last appearance in a tough spot. He made his MLB debut facing the top of the Braves lineup with runners on first and second with nobody out. Simpson responded by getting a double play and flyout.
Jared Simpson comes out in a tough situation on his MLB debut
Gets the double play and fly out to end the inning
Just like Tolman, Jared Simpson kept going. He got nine outs while facing just 8 batters. At first, he was pitching to contact a lot. However, as he built up confidence, the strikeouts began to come. Simpson finished his outing by striking out the last two batters he faced. I can’t wait to see the former 8th rounder pitch again.
Jack Sinclair was the latest homegrown reliever to make his debut. He was thrown into a more forgiving spot than Simpson. Sinclair came into a 5-0 deficit, so the stakes were lower. However, he still had to face Max Muncy to start his MLB career.
Sinclair ended up winning a 10 pitch battle with Muncy, finishing him off on his signature sweeper. That sweeper is a pitch that Sinclair will lean on a lot. However, with a sinker at 96 and a 4-seamer that can touch 99, he has enough heat to keep guys honest.
After a breakout 2024 season in AA, Sinclair really struggled in Rochester last year. This season, his ERA was around 4, but he got a lot of strikeouts. His FIP of 3.65 was also encouraging. With the Max Kranick experiment failing, the Nats pulled the plug and decided to give Sinclair a look.
Last night was a good start for the righty, who tossed a 1-2-3 inning. The former 16th round pick looked the part in his debut. All of these guys were drafted by Mike Rizzo, but took major strides with the new regime. Tolman and Sinclair added velocity, while that sinker unlocked a lot for Simpson.
We still need to see more from all of these guys, but at worst, they are quality depth. These three have proven they can get outs at this level and have good stuff. To get full time spots in the bullpen moving forward, they need to do more. However, these are all intriguing arms that the Nats can use as optionable bullpen pieces.
The process to get here has been ugly, but the Nats are finally starting to build some bullpen depth. If Paul Toboni can find a closer this offseason, I actually think the bullpen can make massive strides. These three under the radar arms can be a part of that.
Lautaro Martínez scored in the 91st minute as Inter rallied from two goals down to secure a stunning 3-2 home victory over Napoli, continuing their 100% start to their Serie A title defence.
Napoli looked to be on course for victory when Matteo Politano and Rasmus Højlund put them 2-0 up after 53 minutes, but Martínez’s first goal halved the deficit and Marcus Thuram equalised eight minutes from the end. Both sides had excellent chances to win it after that but it was Inter who took theirs when the Argentinian stabbed home the ball at the back post from a corner.
NHL27 has officially been released to those who bought the game early, and with it a whole slew of new rankings and ratings for every team in the game.
The full ratings for the New York Islanders have come out, and they are ranked in a tie for the best team in the Metropolitan Division, at a team rating of 88 overall.
That's anchored by Ilya Sorokin at 93, Matthew Schaefer at 91, Ryan Pulock, Mathew Barzal, and Bo Horvat all at 88, and Adam Pelech at 87.
The overall ratings have the Islanders jointly tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division, alongside the Washington Capitals.
The Hurricanes, who won the Stanley Cup this past Spring, led by stars Sebastian Aho and Jaccob Slavin.
Slavin and Aho both come in at 91 overall in NHL27, while other key players such as Seth Jarvis and Nikolaj Ehlers land at 89, respectively. Shayne Gostisbehere is an 87 overall.
Long Island sensation Brandon Bussi checks in at an 86 overall, a huge leap from previous years in the video game.
Logan Thompson leads the Caps with a 90 overall as one of the premier goalies in the NHL. Alexander Ovechkin and Jakub Chychrun lead the Capitals' skaters at 89 overall each.
It was already public knowledge that there was one bidder for an NBA expansion team in Seattle: One Roof Sports and Entertainment, the majority owner of the NHL's Seattle Kraken, led by Samantha Holloway.
BlackSun Private Equity, a New York-based firm that in August submitted a bid to bring the NBA back to Seattle, is working with the Tulalip Tribes to build the arena on tribal-owned land if it secures the franchise.
Those new arena plans would be in Marysville, Washington, which is about 35 miles from Seattle. The plans are not just to build an arena but also an "entertainment district" on the tribal lands. The challenge would be making the commute relatively easy and convincing people in Seattle proper to make the trip out to Marysville.
Both potential ownership groups have been eager to say they want to bring a team to stay in the Seattle area, after the previous SuperSonics were bought and moved to Oklahoma City in 2008.
The NBA is moving forward with bids for both the Seattle and Las Vegas expansion franchises, with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver saying he hopes to see a decision made by the end of the year. While the two Seattle groups have made preliminary bids, the groups vying for the Las Vegas franchise face a second deadline for a more detailed bid in mid-September. Reporting suggests the NBA wants to move forward with the Vegas bid first, which is expected to be the larger one, then choose the Seattle team second.
The NBA is reportedly looking for bids of at least $7 billion for the teams, ideally more for the Las Vegas franchise. If that money is not there, it's possible the expansion process is put on hold. Again.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 20: A detail view of the hat and glove belonging to Kyle Tucker #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers during a Spring Training game against the San Diego Padres at Camelback Ranch on March 20, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Major League Baseball on Friday announced spring training schedules for 2027, which count as the most tentative things on the baseball calendar. Amid an upcoming offseason of labor uncertainty, you can take to the bank that these spring schedules will be altered in some way as negotiations drag on.
So take this 2027 spring training schedule, but here is the original plan of games, which includes 30 games in Arizona, including 17 at Camelback Ranch, beginning Friday, February 19 against the Chicago White Sox. The Freeway Series against the Angels runs from March 21-23 with the first game at Dodger Stadium and the final two games in Anaheim.
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
The Sabres showed how much they soured on the professional prospects of Devon Levi based on their roster maneuvering to start the 2025-26 season. With starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen injured before and during training camp, the club chose instead of keeping Levi on the NHL roster to back up Alex Lyon, to claim Colten Ellis off of waivers when the St. Louis Blues attempted to send him to the AHL, and demote the waiver-exempt Levi to AHL Rochester.
Where will Connor Hellebuyck end up?
The 25-year-old was a 2019 fifth round pick of the Blues, who played four years in the QMJHL with Cape Breton, Rimouski, and Charlottetown before turning pro in 2022 with AHL Springfield and St. Louis’ ECHL affiliate. Ellis played full time in ECHL Tulsa in 2022-23, and split time between the two leagues again in 2023-24, before breaking out as a full time AHL starter in 2024-25, posting a 22-14-5 record, 2.63 GAA, and .922 save % with the Thunderbirds.
Both former GM Kevyn Adams and Kekalainen indicated that the young goaltender’s puck-handling abilities was one of the attributes they liked. Because of his inability to clear waivers, the Sabres were forced to carry three goalies on their roster, but injuries to Luukkonen and Lyon throughout the season made having Ellis there a necessity. In 16 games, he posted an 8-4-2 record, 2.90 GAA, and .903 save %.
Barring a trade for Connor Hellebuyck, it is expected that Buffalo will carry three netminders again this upcoming season, but with Lyon entering the final year of his contract, it is possible that Ellis will see more action this year in preparation of being Luukkonen's primary backup next season.
Tadej Pogacar to miss rest of season after surgery
Germany’s Marco Brenner fought off the Bahrain Victorious rider Santiago Buitrago to claim victory in stage 14 of the Vuelta a España – a first Grand Tour stage win both for the rider and his Tudor team. However, organisers later announced that 40C-plus temperatures on Sunday had caused them to shorten Sunday’s 189.7km stage from Palma del Río to Córdoba to a 110.2km stage.
In a climactic duel, Brenner tailed Buitrago into the last 500m and timed his kick superbly, gritting his teeth as he sped ahead during the ascent to Sierra de La Pandera, finishing one second ahead of the Colombian.
San Diego is a slight market favorite after winning Friday’s opener, but I prefer the New York Yankees as a short underdog behind Carlos Rodón.
The Yankees have the better overall run-prevention profile, a stronger available bullpen and more offensive upside against a Robbie Ray season that has been better by ERA than by underlying metrics.
Here are my Yankees vs. Padres prediction and MLB picks for Saturday, Sept. 5.
Who will win Yankees vs Padres today: New York Yankees (48%)
For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.
The New York Yankees are my side against the San Diego Padres. New York’s strength is pitching depth, while San Diego’s weakness is its starting staff. Yankees starters own a 3.33 ERA, compared with 4.34 for Padres starters, and available bullpens will favor the Yankees.
Carlos Rodon has averaged only 4.1 innings over his last five starts, but the Yankees can cover that risk with the better bullpen.
Robbie Ray’s 3.14 ERA is less convincing underneath: his 4.58 expected ERA ranks in the 38th percentile among qualified MLB pitchers. I suspect that his bottom 30 percentile barrel rate and hard-hit rate will loom large against a Bombers offense that has gotten going more over the last two weeks.
I’d play the Yankees to 52% for two units.
COVERS INTEL:Robbie Ray has allowed 20 home runs across 149 innings this season, creating a clear power vulnerability for the Padres.
Yankees vs Padres Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (51%)
This Under is built around matchup-specific starting pitching.
Rodon has held the current Padres to a .278 wOBA, .207 xBA and .320 xSLG across 78 career plate appearances. Ray’s overall profile is less convincing, with a his previously mentioned underlying metrics, but the Yankees have just a .182 xBAagainst him over 83 plate appearances. That is a much better matchup for Ray than his season-long numbers suggest.
Rodon’s limited workload is the biggest threat to the Under. However, the relative strength of the Yankees bullpen should be enough to keep even a flimsy Under in tact.
With both lineups facing pitchers who have suppressed this specific group of hitters, I’d play Under 7.5 runs to 53%.
Yankees vs Padres home run prediction: Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13%)
I love Jazz music on a Saturday. The left-handed matchup is not ideal on the surface, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. has hit five homers in 157 plate appearances against lefties this season.
He also brings 19 home runs, a 42.9% hard-hit rate and a 90.8-mph average exit velocity.
Ray’s primary four-seamer and slider have allowed a .426 and a 409 xwOBA.
Chris Hatfield's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 49-45, +5.28 units
Over/Under bets: 55-39, +18.44 units
Yankees vs Padres weather
Temperatures should sit in the upper 70s around first pitch, with mostly cloudy conditions and a chance of showers. There is no major wind advantage expected, so the weather does not move me off the Under.
Yankees vs Padres odds
Moneyline: Yankees 48% | Padres 52%
Run line: Yankees +1.5 | Padres -1.5
Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5
Yankees vs Padres trend
The New York Yankees have hit the Moneyline in 29 of their last 45 away games (+10.40 Units / 18% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Padres.
How to watch Yankees vs Padres and game info
Location
Petco Park, San Diego, CA
Date
Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026
First pitch
7:15 p.m. ET
TV
FOX
Yankees starting pitcher
Carlos Rodon (4-3, 3.20 ERA)
Padres starting pitcher
Robbie Ray (11-7, 3.14 ERA)
Yankees vs Padres latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Enzo Fernández started for Manchester City after Nico O’Reilly’s back injury during the warm-up and sparkled, showing why the club paid a British-record-equalling £125m for the midfielder. The winner came courtesy of Erling Haaland’s 300th goal in club football and Fernández had a key part, feeding Antoine Semenyo, whose cross from the right was crashed home.
In the second half Coventry hammered away, but their wait for a first top-flight goal since Mustapha Hadji’s second in a 3-2 defeat at Aston Villa on 5 May 2001 goes on. The visitors did not like losing, but were heartened by holding the star-studded hosts to a slender win, though the bottom line is all three of their Premier League outings on their return have been defeats.
Michael Hutchinson may have retired from professional hockey, but the former Winnipeg Jets goaltender certainly hasn't left the game behind.
Just over a month after officially calling time on an 11-season NHL career, Hutchinson has landed his first coaching role, joining the Manitoba Junior Hockey League's Selkirk Steelers as goaltending coach for the 2026-27 season.
For Hutchinson, it's another indication that his post-playing career will unfold in the same province where his NHL career truly took off.
The 36-year-old Barrie, Ont., product has made Winnipeg his permanent home after a professional career that took him across North America and eventually overseas. Now, instead of packing his bags for another training camp, Hutchinson will make the roughly 30-minute trip north of Winnipeg to work with the next generation of Manitoba goaltenders.
Photo by James Carey Lauder/USA Today
It's a fitting next step for a player whose connection to Winnipeg has long extended beyond the crease.
Hutchinson signed with the Jets organization in 2013 and eventually appeared in 102 games over parts of five seasons with the club. His breakout came in 2014-15, when he posted a 21-10-5 record, 2.38 goals-against average and .914 save percentage while helping Winnipeg qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the franchise relocated from Atlanta.
He ultimately appeared in 154 NHL games between Winnipeg, Florida, Toronto, Colorado, Columbus and Detroit before finishing his professional career with SaiPa in Finland.
But no matter where hockey took him, Winnipeg remained home. Hutchinson's wife, Jenna, co-founded Winnipeg-based Jenna Rae Cakes with her twin sister, Ashley Kosowan. The bakery has since grown from its original location into one of the city's most recognizable local brands.
The Hutchinsons also maintained their roots in Manitoba throughout Michael's hockey travels, eventually building their permanent home in Winnipeg and returning to the city following the conclusion of his playing career.
And it hasn't taken Hutchinson long to find ways to remain involved in the sport.
He launched Hutchinson Goaltending in Winnipeg, offering private and semi-private lessons, team skates, consulting and video analysis to local netminders. His new role with Selkirk now provides another opportunity to pass along knowledge accumulated through more than a decade of professional hockey.
The Steelers announced the hiring this week, pointing to Hutchinson's 154 games of NHL experience and five seasons with the Jets as reasons for their excitement in adding him to the staff.
His return to Manitoba hockey won't be limited to coaching, either. 'Hutch' is also the lone goaltender currently listed on the Winnipeg Jets roster for the 2026 Alumni Game against the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 24 at Canada Life Centre. He'll share the ice with a collection of familiar Jets 2.0 names, including Blake Wheeler, Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little, Mathieu Perreault, Paul Stastny and others.
When Hutchinson announced his retirement in July, the Jets' message to their former netminder included a telling line: they couldn't wait to see him at the Alumni Game.
It turns out fans won't have to wait until October to see Hutchinson involved in hockey again. After years spent bouncing between organizations, cities and countries in pursuit of the next opportunity between the pipes, Hutchinson has finally stopped moving. Manitoba is home.
The final game of the Cubs four-game series against the Brewers saw the Cubs eke out a series split on the back of a pitcher’s duel. Kevin Gausman and a pair of Ryans (Zeferjahn and Rolison) combined to hold the Brewers to one run while striking out 10, walking just one and surrendering five hits.
It’s exactly what you want from a bullpen on the back of a great start from Gausman, who threw seven innings, giving up the one run (it was a solo shot to Andrew Vaughn in the fourth). He gave up five hits and one walk, but stranded all of them while striking out nine. The bullpen was flawless, delivering two innings of scoreless, walkless, no nonsense or shenanigans relief. Let’s take a closer look at Gausman’s gem [VIDEO].
It was a radically different look from the pitching adventures of the prior two games, and while there is a lot of blame to go around for both of those outings today I want to zero in on the struggles Daniel Palencia has faced this season. A lot has been made of him “needing more time” to come back from injury, or whether a trip to the minors would help, but I have a sinking suspicion neither of those is the key to Palencia returning to closer form.
To be clear, there are signs that Palencia isn’t all the way recovered from injury. For starters, his four-seamer velocity is down, and while he stills throws gasolina, it’s worth noting that he’s only thrown one four-seamer over 100 miles per hour since returning from the injured list. That pitch averaged 100.3 miles per hour last July, and 99.9 miles per hour before he hit the injured list in May. Admittedly, these are tiny sample sizes, but it’s down to 99.1 miles per hour in August and 98.1 miles per hour so far in September. That is a meaningful dropoff and could explain some of the magnitude of different outcomes we’re seeing from Palencia since he’s returned from injury.
But the bigger issue for Palencia are his splits against left handed batters, and unfortunately, that’s an issue that predates 2026 as you can see from the table with his results by handedness below:
Season
Handedness
G
IP
TBF
K/9
BB/9
K/BB
HR/9
K%
BB%
K-BB%
AVG
OBP
SLG
wOBA
2023
LHH
25
11.2
50
10.80
7.71
1.40
0.77
28.00%
20.00%
8.00%
.154
.327
.308
.294
2023
RHH
26
16.2
69
10.26
2.16
4.75
1.08
27.54%
5.80%
21.74%
.254
.319
.381
.309
2024
LHH
10
5.1
29
15.19
10.13
1.50
0.00
31.03%
20.69%
10.34%
.348
.483
.435
.412
2024
RHH
10
9.1
40
6.75
5.79
1.17
0.00
17.50%
15.00%
2.50%
.182
.325
.273
.282
2025
LHH
49
23
106
11.35
5.48
2.07
1.57
27.36%
13.21%
14.15%
.242
.340
.473
.345
2025
RHH
52
29.2
109
9.71
0.61
16.00
0.30
29.36%
1.83%
27.52%
.210
.239
.267
.225
2026
LHH
24
8.2
47
10.38
6.23
1.67
4.15
21.28%
12.77%
8.51%
.415
.489
.780
.530
2026
RHH
21
12.1
45
10.22
0.73
14.00
0.00
31.11%
2.22%
28.89%
.167
.200
.214
.187
Select stats
Palencia has had pretty drastic splits against lefthanded hitters almost every season he’s pitched in MLB. 2023 is an outlier, but even last season, there were hints that lefties were seeing the ball better against Palencia. That .340 OBP and .473 SLG jump off the page relative to his results against righties. This is where wOBA is particularly interesting, because as a solid proxy for OBP with slugging incorporated, we can see that the on-base and slugging advantage lefties have against Palencia has been pretty consistent through his, admittedly young, career.
While the Cubs pitching lab surely has thoughts on how to fix this over the long-term, the Cubs postsason chances and hopes in 2026 are extremely short-term. Even with Thursday’s victory over the Brewers they’ve fallen half a game off the top Wild Card spot. That is the difference between hosting the Phillies at Wrigley or having to play Philadelphia in Citizens Bank Park. Not all home field advantages are created equally, but it’s hard for me to imagine a bigger gap than playing the Phillies at home or on the road.
Unfortunately, with the Cubs desperate for innings due to the slings and arrows their pitching staff has suffered over the course of the season, that likely moves Palencia into lower leverage situations where he doesn’t have to face lefties down the stretch. He can still help the Cubs in September and October, but it may be a different role than we all envisioned at the start of the year.
COVERS INTEL:
