What would a trip to Florida be without hitting the beach?
Social media star Olivia “Livvy” Dunne and Pirates ace boyfriend Paul Skenes made sure to check that off the list, hitting up a beach in Key Biscayne one day after the latter took the hill against the Marlins.
Dunne, the former LSU gymnast who is set to play a role in Fox’s reboot of “Baywatch,” enjoyed the water and sand in a black-and-white bikini. She also strolled the beach with the 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner.
Olivia “Livvy” Dunne is pictured in Key Biscayne, Fla. on Aug. 11, 2026. BACKGRID
The Pirates are slated to play the Marlins again at loanDepot park in Miami on Wednesday, one day after Skenes was pulled after throwing just 65 pitches and failing to exceed 96.5 mph on his fastball.
Skenes told reporters after the loss that he would have removed himself from the game if he were in manager Don Kelly’s shoes, too.
“[Kelly] walked me through everything, and it made sense,” Skenes told reporters after the 2-0 loss. “I wish I could have gone more, but it kind of is what it is. … He’s the manager, and I don’t ever argue with it. Like I said, I understand why.”
Kelly reiterated that Skenes isn’t dealing with an injury but added that “everybody is going through it” on the Pirates.
Olivia “Livvy” Dunne is pictured in a black bikini in Key Biscayne, Fla., Aug. 11, 2026. BACKGRID
Dunne and Skenes have been in the spotlight the last three years after they went public with their relationship. They’ve had plenty of red carpet moments, including at this summer’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
In the spring, Dunne explained to Jimmy Fallon on the “Tonight Show” how the star couple met at LSU.
“When I met Paul, we were just two normal college kids at LSU,” Dunne said. “I was a gymnast, he was a baseball player. I was already pursuing social media and gymnastics. Paul wasn’t Paul Skenes yet. There’s no predicting that somebody’s going to become the best pitcher in the MLB.
Olivia “Livvy” Dunne and Paul Skenes are pictured in Key Biscayne, Fla., on Aug. 11, 2026. BACKGRID
“There’s really no way, and it’s just been such a joy to watch him. And we really support each other.”
Dunne will hit the airwaves in January when the “Baywatch” reboot is expected to be released. Skenes will likely pitch again early next week against the Tigers.
A detail view of a rally towel with the Emirates NBA Cup logo. This rally towel was a giveaway during the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup championship game in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
As the NBA continues to slowly roll out the schedule for the 2026-27 regular season, some marquee games and events have already been announced. One of those is the Emirates NBA Cup, the NBA’s in season tournament. We’ve known for a while what four teams would accompany the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference’s Group A, but now we know the when and the where of the games.
The Mavericks will see the Houston Rockets before the month of November ends, as Kevin Durant will bring his squad to Dallas on October 30th. Kyrie Irving will face off against old friend Kevin Durant for the first time in a couple years, as Irving missed all of last season recovering from the ACL injury he suffered in February 2025.
The second, and final, home game of Dallas’ NBA Cup group stage will be on November 6th, as they will welcome an improved Utah Jazz group to the American Airlines Center. This game will feature two of the best players in the NBA under the age of 20, as Cooper Flagg will face off with Darryn Peterson for what will likely be the first of many encounters.
Notably, both of these games are slated for a 7:00 p.m. local time tipoff in Dallas. Neither game is on national TV. This is different from the usual 7:30 p.m. slot that Dallas has occupied for as long as my 27-year-old brain can remember.
DALLAS, TEXAS – DECEMBER 23: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks handles the ball as Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets defends during the second half at American Airlines Center on December 23, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. 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. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The two road games Dallas has in the group stage will come on Thanksgiving week. Dallas will hit the road to Denver on Tuesday, November 24th. This game will be nationally televised on NBC and Peacock, with a 9:00 p.m. CT tipoff time. Lastly, the Mavs will head to Phoenix for a Black Friday clash with the Suns. That game is slated for an 8:00 p.m. CT tip.
Dallas has only made the group stage once in the rich history of the NBA Cup, coming in 2024-25 before, well, all hell broke loose. Dallas will likely not contend for the big trophy this year, but a fun run for the in-season crown would be a nice consolation. We shall see what the future holds!
The full 2026-27 NBA regular season schedule will be released on Thursday, August 13th. Mavs Moneyball will keep you covered through all 82!
It's officially another season, another prospects ranking for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In years past, this has been a bit easier of an exercise, as there used to be a more clear-cut line between prospects with NHL upside and longshots. However, because of the work that general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas and his staff have put in during the last several years, the line is blurring a whole lot more - and there is a substantially higher volume of talent in the system.
This time around, making a top-20 list was challenging. So, a few criteria were put into place: To make our list, prospects must be under the age of 26 and have played less than 50 NHL games. This excludes names such as Ben Kindel, Filip Hallander, Oliver Okuliar, and Alexander Alexeyev.
Defenseman Finn Harding came in at No. 13, as his rapid progression after being a seventh-round pick is impressive and a developmental success story. We shift back to the forward front for No. 12 to shed more light on a guy who plays with an edge, a skillset, and a contagious energy that may just allow him to keep elevating his ceiling at the NHL level.
No. 12: RW Avery Hayes
Fist career shot, first career goal for Avery Hayes. Incredible moment for him 🏒 pic.twitter.com/iR9jSS62IN
There are very few prospects in the Penguins' organization as well-liked and well-respected as Avery Hayes, and it's certainly for good reason.
The undrafted 23-year-old forward certainly made a big impression on the big club when he made his NHL debut against the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 5, scoring two goals, with the first coming from an earned opportunity on his first NHL shot. Hayes played in 16 NHL games during the team's most important stretch of the season between late-February and early April, putting up five goals and showing signs of being an effective bottom-six player with offensive upside.
And that's not even accounting for the fabulous AHL season he had, putting up 24 goals and 39 points in 42 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS). He went a bit quiet during the Calder Cup Playoffs with just three goals and six points through 15 games, but his presence was still noticeable.
Hayes exudes a certain level of energy and confidence that seems to be contagious among his peers. He plays with an edge and sticks up for teammates, he works his tail off shift after shift, and he doesn't shy away from playing with the puck on his stick.
He's also as good as anyone in the system at creating something out of nothing.
The 5-foot-10, 180-pound right wing excels at "stickhandling in a phone booth," if you will, possessing the ability to make plays in tight spaces and force plays that don't even look like they're there. He's quick, he's agile, he's an excellent forechecker, he's able to create separation with his speed, he's good around the net, he is effective on the PK and the PP, and he has a pretty nice shot to go along with all of that.
GOAL. Avery Hayes makes it 3-0 #WBSPens late in the 2nd period.
Harrison Brunicke to Rutger McGroarty and across to Hayes for #85's team-leading 3rd of the playoffs on more brilliant puck movement on the power play.@InsideAHLHockeypic.twitter.com/TMV4DVnUp5
Hayes's journey to the NHL was certainly an unconventional one, as he went straight from playing with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL in 2022-23 to an AHL PTO then a contract with WBS. His biggest and best attribute is his work ethic, which is on display every single night in various different manners, whether that's beating opponents to loose pucks, forcing his will around the net-front, or playing with some snarl to get under his opponent's skin and rally his team.
In some ways, Hayes is a bit remniscent of veteran forward Bryan Rust, who - even if drafted, unlike Hayes - started out the first seasons of his NHL career as a fourth-liner but worked his way up the lineup through persistance and the high-energy, forecheck-heavy speed game he plays.
So, looking at it that way, it kind of makes sense why he's garnered the respect and attention of the Penguins' development staff, as his path and his work ethic set an example for others to follow.
"Avery Hayes is an incredible kid. I could talk all day about him," Penguins' director of player development Tom Kostopoulos said. "The way our organization is set up to find these players, work with them, develop them, coach them, give them opportunity, Avery Hayes is a fantastic example.
"Everyone in our organization was super happy to see [him] jump into the lineup in Buffalo and score two goals. From the way his career started and what he's done with it so far, there's a lot more for him ahead."
Hayes figures to be a candidate to make the opening night NHL roster, even with an uphill climb ahead due to the crowded forward pool expected at training camp. His game is one that should translate pretty well to the NHL level, and his ceiling once he establishes himself as an NHL player is a bit of an exciting unknown. That "unknown" is both what has him just outside the top-10 on this list and what makes him such an intriguing upside prospect.
Given his history, he may just keep raising that ceiling. If any prospect in the organization is going to take a Rust-like path and quite literally get better and more productive at the NHL level with every passing year, it's Hayes. He has the tools, the fight, and the mindset to do it, so it will be interesting to see how soon he can establish himself as a permanent fixture in the Penguins' lineup.
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 30: Bob Iger, CEO, The Walt Disney Company attends The Wallis Delivers: A Benefit Evening To Support Wildfire Recovery at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on April 30, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Things move quickly in the basketball world, but you’d struggle to find something happening as fast as the selling of the Lakers.
There wasn’t even a whiff of a rumor about the franchise being up for sale, making this one of the most shocking deals in NBA history. But was Walter quietly shopping the Lakers to billionaires for months, negotiating this high sale number?
“We were involved in pursuing the new franchise in Vegas,” Iger said during an exclusive phone call with the California Post. “And while that happened, it was suggested to us that maybe Mark Walter would be interested in selling his stake in the Lakers. And we immediately decided that given the value of the franchise and the iconic nature of the team, that we would be really smart to pursue it. The deal came together in three days. It’s that simple.”
Iger and Kushner wanted to own an NBA team. And after dealing with the apparent bidding wars happening with the Las Vegas expansion, they opted to just buy a ready-made franchise in the Lakers. From their perspective, this sale makes sense.
According to one source with knowledge of the deal who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the agreement, Kushner reached out to Walter on Friday and the deal quickly came together over the weekend.
All of this happening in such a short period of time is mind-boggling. I mean, didn’t Walter have to think about it for a while? Sure, a $2.5 billion profit in less than a year’s time is great, but were the Lakers just a vessel for him to store his money?
It just seems like a historic franchise like the Lakers should’ve been treated with more care and consideration, not flipped like they are an investment property.
And yet, here we are with new owners for the second time in barely more than a year.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 12: Brett Sullivan #26 of the Colorado Rockies gestures to the dugout after hitting a three run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the second inning at Chase Field on August 12, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Trying to avoid yet another rubber-match loss, the Colorado Rockies utilized an early offensive outburst to stave off the Arizona Diamondbacks and a bullpen meltdown in a 6-4 victory to secure a series win.
With the victory, Colorado is now 4-13 in rubber matches. This also marks the first series win in Arizona since 2022.
Feltner doesn’t falter
The last month of outings has been a mixed bag of results for Ryan Feltner, but he was able to steady the ship and deliver a solid start against the Diamondbacks.
Things started a bit shaky in the first inning after Corbin Carroll hit a one-out triple. Feltner had an opportunity to escape unscratched after Gabriel Moreno got an infield hit, setting up a double play, but Ketel Marte delivered a single to put the Diamondbacks up 1-0.
The Rockies answered back in the top of the second, and Feltner settled in, working efficiently with little traffic through the fourth inning, having allowed just two more hits in that span.
He ran into a little more traffic in the fifth inning that ran his pitch count up. Geraldo Perdomo had a one-out single and moved up to second on a savvy play where Willi Castro caught a pop-up in foul territory. Moreno followed up with an RBI double to give the Diamondbacks their second run of the game. Feltner then loaded the bases with a pair of walks before getting Nolan Arenado to ground out and end the inning.
Feltner ended up throwing 93 pitches, 59 for strikes, having allowed just two runs on seven hits over five innings of work. He only had two strikeouts while walking three, but an even split of five groundouts and five flyouts helped him mitigate the traffic. It also helped having his defense make plays like the one Carrigg made in the second inning.
He kept the game from spiraling and didn’t get rattled after the first inning, allowing the Rockies to build run support for him
Building a lead with blasts
After giving up their 10th first-inning run of the road trip, the Rockies offense went to work in the top of the second. Hunter Goodman walked to lead off the inning, followed by a single from Mickey Moniak. With two men on base, Castro delivered an RBI single up the middle to tie the game 1-1.
Merrill Kelly retired the next two batters on lineouts, but backup catcher Brett Sullivan came through with a towering fly ball that hit the foul pole in right field for a three-run home run and a 4-1 Rockies lead.
The Rockies would extend their lead in the fourth inning. Castro won an ABS challenge to draw a walk to lead off the inning. Newly recalled Zac Veen, making his first start in the outfield this season, then gave the Rockies a 6-1 lead when he barreled a low changeup from Kelly. The ball sailed 407 feet into the center field pool for a two-run home run, his second big-league home run, which also proved to be the difference maker in the score.
The offense continued to pester Kelly but wasn’t able to do more than the six runs on six hits against him as he went five innings, having allowed three walks and two strikeouts. Thankfully, he wasn’t able to induce more than one double-play ball.
The offense was rather quiet after the fourth inning despite collecting four more hits, including a pair of doubles. They had eight hits in total and struck out just six times with four walks. With runners in scoring position, Colorado went 2-for-11.
“The boys fought hard, even though it didn’t go completely our way,” manager Warren Schaffer said after the game.
Of Veen, Schaeffer added, “It just seems like he is in such a better place coming up this time.”
Bullpen stress
Despite the four-run lead entering the sixth inning, the Rockies bullpen made things far more stressful than they needed to be.
Parker Mushinski took the hill in the sixth inning and recorded just two outs after giving up a hit and issuing a pair of walks to load the bases. Juan Mejia entered the game and escaped the jam. He then started the seventh inning but walked the first two batters, forcing the Rockies to turn to Jimmy Herget.
He then issued a walk to the first batter he saw to load the bases for the third straight inning for Arizona. Max Kepler then flew out to left field, but it wasn’t deep enough to score a run, leaving the bases loaded with one out. Needing a ground ball, Herget’s command continued to waver, issuing a walk to Ildemaro Vargas to drive in a run, making it 6-3. Herget then induced a ground ball to third that the Rockies turned into a double-play to end the inning.
Brennan Bernardino then took over for the eighth inning and gave up a one-out home run to Carroll, the 100th of his young career, to put the Diamondbacks back within two runs. He dealt with more traffic but managed to escape the inning without further damage.
Thankfully, Jordan Romano was able to secure his eighth save with the Rockies, despite issuing a walk and facing the tying run at the plate, thanks to a bullet catch at first base to end the game.
The bullpen issued seven walks, but just two runs on four hits. Arizona outhit the Rockies with 11 hits and only struck out three times while securing 10 walks. However, they went 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 15 total players on base. It wasn’t pretty, but they locked down the win.
Up next
The Rockies are off tomorrow and will then kick off a three-game set in San Francisco starting Friday.
Kyle Freeland (3-10, 6.63 ERA) will make the start for Colorado while Landen Roupp (7-11, 4.22 ERA) takes the hill for the Giants.
Bob Iger, former chief executive of Disney, is a lifelong NBA fan and has regularly attended Clippers and Lakers games. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
So instead of the Dodgerfication of the Lakers, we’re getting the Disneyfication of the Lakers.
Hakuna Matata?
Yes, it’s weird and distressing, watching billionaires play catch with our ballclubs.
For the Lakers, it really could end happily ever after.
Because we’re realizing you probably shouldn’t put all your proverbial eggs — or both of a city’s most beloved sports teams — in one guy’s basket. Especially if that one guy happens to be at the center of a federal loan investigation.
And if all it took, really, to get Walter to relinquish his ownership of the Lakers was $2.5 billion more than the reported figure he paid for them, then he wasn’t the right owner for the franchise anyway.
He wasn’t actually going to spin blue into purple and gold.
And Disney did give us some pretty great stories under Iger, didn’t it?
A native New Yorker, Iger, 75, grew up a Knicks fan. But he has also long been an L.A. basketball fan — though he has identified as a Clippers supporter. (Sorry, Clips, I think you’re down a fan.)
Lakers great Magic Johnson said he’s known Iger since the Showtime era, and gushed in an interview Wednesday with The Times’ Broderick Turner: “The great thing for Laker fans is Bob Iger loves basketball, loves the Lakers and I think that we couldn’t have a better person.
“Somebody that don’t know the Lakers, the tradition, that don’t know the city, that don’t know the passion that the fans have for the Lakers here in L.A.? Then I would have been like, ‘Oh man. They gotta learn all that.’
Bob Iger, then chief executive of Disney, addresses the media during the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge media event in 2019. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
“Well there’s no learning curve for Bob.”
And Angelenos know Iger. We don’t know Kushner except for his family ties. But Iger, we do.
Walter isn’t selling the Lakers to some rich guys without any L.A. cred. He’s selling to a basketball fan whom we’ve seen courtside at Lakers games. Someone who joined us in sharing our heartbreak on social media when Kobe Bryant died in 2020, calling him “a friend and a fan of ours, full of life and taken from us too soon.”
We recognize Iger; he’s the Disney guy. We know him for his successful tenures as chief executive of that beloved company, which were highlighted by innovative storytelling, savvy investment and expansion — including into sports. We know he helped turn ESPN into a TV juggernaut.
Before the sale to Walter, the Buss family, which owned and ran the Lakers for 46 years, was having trouble keeping up in a booming NBA. Player salaries are capped, but ownership’s resources matter much in terms of creating a competitive infrastructure of coaches, basketball operations, medical and scouting staffs.
So we were looking forward to seeing sweeping improvements when Walter took control and provided the organization with a much-needed financial infusion. After all, his Dodgers have won three World Series crowns and clinched the National League West in 12 of 13 seasons since 2012, when he and his partners bought the club for a then-MLB record $2.15 billion.
But as of Wednesday morning, we were still looking.
We thought the new Lakers’ regime would get to work without a second to spare. Yeah, they added a second row of seats courtside. And laid off more than a dozen employees.
We expected they’d beef up their scouting department. But they moved the G League team from the South Bay way out to the Coachella Valley, so even the most ardent fans in L.A. will have a hard time keeping an eye on the team’s prospects.
We expected, under Walter, that the Lakers would give their basketball brain trust an obvious boost.
But they’ve only flirted with filling the job of second assistant general manager. And they failed to poach anyone from the league’s most innovative front offices like the Dodgers did when they hired Andrew Friedman. Their big get was Rohan Ramadas, from the … New Orleans Pelicans, a team that made the playoffs only twice in the last eight seasons.
Iger and Kushner can do better. They better do better.
Joshua Kushner, founder and chief executive of Thrive Capital, speaks onstage during the Big Bets panel at the Fortune Global Forum 2024. (Jemal Countess / Getty Images for Fortune Media)
I think they will.
This isn’t a fly-by-night proposition for Iger, who headed an effort by the Chargers and Raiders to build a stadium in Carson before Stan Kroenke built $5-billion SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
In 2024, Iger and his wife, Willow Bay, who is dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, acquired a controlling stake in the Angel City Football Club of the National Women’s Soccer League for $50 million, pushing its valuation to $250 million, a record for a women’s sports team.
Angel City hasn’t been winning, but they doubled the staff and wasted no time setting up a sizable new performance center at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. The WNBA’s Sparks, which Walter has owned since 2014, are still waiting for their own practice facility, which is now finally under construction in El Segundo.
“As lifelong NBA fans,” Kushner and Iger said in a statement, “we are deeply honored for the opportunity to become stewards of the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic sports franchises in the world.”
Iger knows as much as anyone about successfully stewarding an iconic brand.
Now he could be the Imagineer to bring the 17-time champion Lakers back to the happiest place on earth — the NBA’s mountaintop.
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 11: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves bats in the fourth inning during the game against the New York Mets at Truist Park on August 11, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
College Week continues at Truist tonight and because I am here with you all, I am not at the ballpark for my own alma mater’s night. But it’s always and forever up with the white and gold / go Jackets, baby. 🐝
A series finale, rubber match, and final game vs. the Mets this season is on deck. First pitch is at 7:15 pm ET.
The Sox came up one miracle short on Tuesday. Maybe Sister Mary Jo Sobieck saved one for tonight. | (Jessie Alcheh/Getty Images)
Last night was a gut punch with the Sox up 4-1 heading into the eighth, then the bullpen did its best impression of a sieve, and the Reds walked off with a 5-4 win in 10. Sean Burke deserved better — seven innings, three hits, eight punchouts, just one run — but the bats went virtually silent after the fourth and the pen coughed it up.
Tonight, the South Siders try to even the series, and we get our first look at Luis Castillo in a White Sox uni at home. He came over from Seattle at the deadline, and his Sox debut in Boston on August 6 was a mess. He surrendered five runs on six hits and a walk, was yanked after four innings, and the Sox lost a 13-inning circus, 12-11.
There will be a little extra spice tonight as Castillo gets to face his old club. He broke in with the Reds back in 2017, stuck around for five-plus years, then got shipped to Seattle in 2022. Now, at 33, he’s got a shot to stick it to his old mates and maybe, just maybe, give Chicago a start they can actually use.
Statcast shows us that Castillo’s stuff isn’t fooling many this year. He’s in the 30th percentile in strikeout rate and 40th in whiff rate, but at least he’s getting guys to chase (69th percentile). Translation: he better hit his spots, because when he misses, hitters are teeing off — exit velo, barrel rate, hard-hit rate, all ugly and south of the 30th percentile. He can’t just try to blow the Reds away. The righthander needs to get ahead, make them chase, or else.
The pitch mix? Same story. Sinker and cutter are working, but the slider and changeup are disasters sitting in the fifth and ninth percentiles in run value. Hang one of those to this Reds lineup, and it’s fireworks. Castillo needs to pound the fastball early — which still has above-average life — live on the edges, and let the Reds’ jumpiness work against them if he gets ahead.
The Reds counter with Rhett Lowder, rocking a 4-7 record, 5.26 ERA, and a 1.48 WHIP in 89 innings. He’s punched out 73, walked 39, and even if he’s been less terrible lately, his Statcast page shouldn’t exactly scare anyone in the Sox dugout.
Lowder’s whiff, chase and strikeout rates are all bottom-of-the-barrel — 15th, 17th and 20th percentile. Sox hitters should sit tight and make him throw strikes. His slider has been especially vulnerable, sitting in just the third percentile in run value, while his four-seamer and sinker have been much more effective at the 70th and 74th percentile.
The bottom line is for the Good Guys to lay off the slider. Make Lowder come into the zone, work the count and force him to throw the fastball. He gets grounders, so the Sox need to look for something they can lift instead of beating balls into the turf. He’s not a strikeout guy, so don’t bail him out by chasing.
Here’s how Will Venable will send them out against Lowder:
Chase Meidroth is back in the lineup tonight after dealing with a sore left wrist. He’s one of the team’s hottest hitters over the last seven days, slashing .357/.438/.857 with a 1.295 OPS. The infielder will be slotting in at short, and Colson Montgomery at third, with Miguel Vargas getting the day off.
This is how the Reds will line up versus Castillo:
After letting one get away yesterday, the assignment tonight is fairly straightforward. For Castillo, he needs to keep the ball out of the heart of the plate, and Chicago’s offense needs to make Lowder come into it. Let’s see if the South Siders can even this thing up.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. CDT. The game will be televised on CHSN and can be heard on ESPN Chicago 1000.
Jul 24, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryce Miller (50) comes out of the game during the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Like a child in a Victorian workhouse, we sup on the thin gruel of this game preview in dim hopes it will sustain us through another punishing day of watching the 2026 Seattle Mariners. I think I’d rather have my hand caught in a spinning jenny.
Heads up: today’s game is on ESPN. Because that’s exactly what this team needs: National Exposure.
Lineups:
Here is today’s lineup graphic with today’s load-bearing Randy Arozarena picture:
News:
LHP Gabe Speier was not available last night due to back tightness; he remains day-to-day and his availability for tonight’s game is in question.
Reinforcements for the beleaguered bullpen gets closer. Carlos Vargas made his second rehab outing for Triple-A Tacoma last night; he’s expected to make one more rehab appearance before rejoining the team.
Carlos Vargas throws a scoreless 4th inning in his 2nd rehab appearance. 1IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, K, 17 pitches, 12 strikes. Fastball topped out at 98.2mph. pic.twitter.com/pvlN3am1tH
The Mariners have claimed former UW catcher Willie MacIver on waivers from the Blue Jays. He’ll report to Tacoma. This is their second waiver claim this week; on Monday they claimed RHP Nolan Kingham off waivers from the Rangers.
Not news, particularly, but Nice, and heaven knows we all need that right now:
HOOVER, AL - MAY 21: Infielder Justin LeBron #1 of the Alabama Crimson Tide watches the ball as he starts toward first base during the SEC Baseball Tournament Quarterfinals game between Florida Gators and Alabama Crimson Tide on May 21, 2026, at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.(Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds used the 18th pick of the 2026 MLB Draft to select shortstop Justin Lebron out of the University of Alabama, a player who actually entered the 2026 season for the SEC powerhouse as a potential #1 overall pick.
Things didn’t go quite as well for him during his final season in Tuscaloosa, but he still flashed all the skills in the world you’d need to go off the board as one of the first 30 picks. The Reds chose to look past the adjustments made against him during SEC play and focus on the tools – power, speed, incredible bat speed, and the athleticism to play shortstop for the rest of his career – and their confidence in him is already showing as he makes his professional debut.
Cincinnati didn’t send the 21 year old to Daytona to begin things down in the Florida State League. Rather, they chose to begin him at High-A Dayton with the Dragons, where he made his debut on Tuesday night.
Lebron backed up their confidence with a 2-hit game, both of which came on hard-hit balls to the pull side – the second of which went for a double. He also scored a run as part of a 2 for 5 day.
He’s part of an overall infield that’s oozing with talent, as 2nd round pick Eric Becker has slotted in at 2B and Top 5 prospect Tyson Lewis is manning 3B for the Dragons. If you’re in central Ohio for the last month of the season, you should absolutely find your way to Dayton to check that group out.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 11: Will Warren #29 of the New York Yankees looks on during the game against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium on August 11, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees are doing a decent enough job putting wins on the board even if they’re not doing it with much dash. It took them until the seventh inning last night to push any runs across the board, but those four runs were enough to give the club the win over the Mariners. Now the team can lock up their third series win of the last four with a victory tonight, although hopefully one that sees a little more juice from the hitters.
Will Warren gets the ball for the Yankees, in the down cycle of a mercurial season. Over the last two months he’s run an ERA over 5.20, and the really tough bit is that when Warren’s off, he’s off. In his last 10 starts he’s completed six innings just once while failing to finish five four times, and allowing 5+ earned runs three times. The Mariners’ offensive ineptitude has been well-documented, so we have a bit of weakness vs. weakness going tonight.
Bryce Miller counters for the M’s, having a solid enough season after starting the year IL’d with an oblique injury. A 3.08 ERA/3.38 FIP in 14 games, 13 of them starts, makes for a tough assignment for the Yankees, but an elevated home run rate in one of baseball’s best home run parks catches the eye. Miller’s 1.38 HR/9 could be just the tonic this thin lineup needs.
Speaking of the lineup, Spencer Jones bats third now! George Lombard Jr. finds himself all the way down in ninth, while Ben Rice is DH’ing with Luis García Jr. playing first and cleaning up. Take note this is a national game, so we’ll see you on ESPN.
How to watch
Location: Yankee Stadium — The Bronx, NY
First pitch: 7:05 pm ET
TV broadcast: ESPN/ESPN App
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), Seattle Sports 710 AM (SEA)
CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 06: Cleveland Guardians pitcher Foster Griffin (22) leaves the field following the fourth inning of the Major League Baseball interleague game between the New York Mets and Cleveland Guardians on August 6, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Montreal Canadiens should be on the hunt for some forward help before the start of the 2026-27 season.
One specific area that the Canadiens should look to improve is at the center position. When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, Calgary Flames center Morgan Frost stands out as a very intriguing potential option for the Habs to consider.
With the Flames being in the middle of a rebuild, questions about Frost's future in Calgary have come up this off-season. The fact that he is entering the final season of his contract in 2026-27 and is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) has also played a role in him being the rumor mill.
Although Frost would not be the biggest of additions for the Canadiens, he could provide them with some help down the middle. The 27-year-old center is coming off a solid 2025-26 season with the Flames, as he scored a career-high 22 goals and posted 43 points. With numbers like these, he would have the potential to be a strong pickup for the Canadiens' middle six if acquired.
Ultimately, with the Canadiens needing some forward help, it could make sense for them take a chance on a player like Frost. There is always the chance that the 2017 first-round pick could improve his offense a bit in Montreal, too, as he would have more support around him than he does in Calgary.
Detroit Tigers center fielder Max Clark (15) looks on before taking the field for the fourth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Detroit Tigers (59-60) vs. Cleveland Guardians (58-62)
Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site:Covering the Corner Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: LHP Framber Valdez (7-7, 4.17 ERA) vs. LHP Foster Griffin (12-4, 3.31 ERA)
