BRONX, NY - AUGUST 12: Fernando Cruz #63 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game against the Seattle Mariners on August 12, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Borough of the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Yankees shook up their roster today, sending Fernando Cruz to the IL with right elbow discomfort and signing veteran Michael Fulmer to a major-league deal. They also recalled Elmer Rodríguez to start tonight’s game, and optioned Bradley Hanner to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The IL trip comes after a period of declining effectiveness for Cruz. The right-hander coughed up a lead in two of his last three appearances, including giving up a game-tying home run as a part of last night’s bullpen fiasco, and has a 5.17 ERA since the All-Star Break. It’s unclear how serious this ailment is, but in any case it’s obviously a major concern with the Yankees fighting for playoff position.
In steps Fulmer, somewhat shockingly. Perhaps best known around these parts for robbing beating Gary Sanchez in the 2016 AL Rookie of the Year race, Fulmer had faded into obscurity, missing the 2024 season after undergoing elbow surgery and making just six appearances in the majors since. He was last seen with the Angels, contributing 3.2 scoreless innings. He can still run his fastball above 95 mph, to go along with a sweeper, curve, and change. Maybe Matt Blake can wring something out of the 33-year-old, or, maybe he’s just here to occupy space until the Yankees can get the likes of Max Fried and Clarke Schmidt back.
Fried looks like he could be back this weekend to face Boston, but until then, the Yankees needed another starter, so up comes Rodríguez for at least one spot start. The top pitching prospect has had a slightly uneven season, looking respectable but shaky in four major league starts, and posting a sparkling 2.59 ERA in the minors but with a surprisingly poor 4.3 BB/9 rate. Hopefully, he can hold things down while the Yankees pray that their injured arms recover and return.
There is no sugarcoating it, the Atlanta Braves have been struggling on offense this month. Only three teams have scored fewer runs in the month of August and only five teams have a lower wRC+. The Braves will need to change course if they want to win their division because they have a tough remaining schedule.
Tonight could go a long way in proving the offense is not dead if they could tag tonight’s starter, Roki Sasaki, with a decent amount of runs.
There have only been four Braves players with a wRC+ above league average in the month of August, and interestingly Walt Weiss continues to bat two of them low in the lineup. Austin Riley has a wRC+ of 110 this month, and Mike Yastrzemski has a 123, yet they are nowhere near the heart of the order. It may behoove Weiss to consider shaking up the lineup and shift the hot hands up to secure more at-bats and help knock in more baserunners. Almost a full month of a struggling offense should be enough data to make a change.
The Braves are scheduled to face Roki Sasaki who has only faced five hitters on the roster in his young career and none of them in more than three at-bats. Ozzie Albies has done well having two hits to include a solo HR. Austin Riley is 1-2. Matt Olson, Sean Murphy, and Michael Harris have yet to record a hit against Sasaki in very limited action, although Olson has walked twice.
With Jim Jarvis being optioned it has taken away the daily question of who would get the start at SS. The main question these days is who is going to get the start at DH.
For some reason Riley and Yastrzemski are still low in the order despite being in the top four in wRC+ on the team over the past month. Another interesting move is that Harris has been moved down for Mauricio Dubón to hit cleanup.
The Dodgers will be coming in blind against AJ Smith-Shawver as only two of them have ever faced him. One is backup catcher Ben Rortvedt who is hitless in two at-bats, and Alex Call who has a .400 average in five at-bats.
Fortunately for Smith-Shawver and the Braves, the Dodgers have not exactly been hot offensively either this month. They are nineteenth in runs scored and twentieth in wRC+.
Turns out neither of the two players on the Dodgers that have faced Smith-Shawver will be getting the start tonight. The only difference in the lineup from last night is that Alex Call will be replaced with Teoscar Hernández in left field with Alek Thomas jumping up one spot to seventh in the order.
It is surprising to say the least that there will be a Dodgers lineup this late in the season with only three hitters with an OPS over .750.
The Yankees announced a handful of roster moves prior to Wednesday night's game against the Houston Astros, highlighted by placing reliever Fernando Cruz on the 15-day IL.
Here's the full list of moves:
• Placed Cruz on the 15-day injured list with right elbow discomfort • Optioned RHP Bradley Hanner to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre • Recalled RHP Elmer Rodríguez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre • Signed RHP Michael Fulmer to a major league contract and selected him to the active roster • Transferred RHP Kervin Castro to the 60-day injured list
Cruz allowed a game-tying two-run homer to Jeremy Peña on Tuesday night, and has had his struggles since late July. In his last 16 games, Cruz has allowed nine earned runs and five home runs in 13.2 innings, seeing his season ERA rise from 2.20 to 3.13 during that span.
The Yankees announced earlier in the day that Rodriguez would make the start on Wednesday. The 23-year-old has made four starts in the majors this season, pitching to a 4.76 ERA.
Fulmer, a former Mets first-round pick, spent his first six seasons with Detroit before bouncing around the league a bit. Most recently, he pitched in three games for the Los Angeles Angels this season without allowing a run.
With just a few days left in August, Dylan Larkin, who put in a trade request to the Detroit Red Wings in June, is still a member of the Wings. The Detroit outfit has had a tumultuous summer, including legendary center Steve Yzerman stepping away from the GM role, and the team still hasn't filled the vacancy. It certainly didn’t help that Larkin gave a list of only four teams he would be willing to be traded to: the Florida Panthers, the Minnesota Wild, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Dallas Stars.
On Tuesday, TSN’s Bryan Hayes mentioned that the Montreal Canadiens would be an ideal fit for the disgruntled center. The 30-year-old pivot would certainly fit well in the Canadiens’ salary structure. He’s got four years to go on a contract that has an $8.7 million cap hit, and in the last five years he has put up 69, 79, 69, 70 and 67 points. He’s remarkably consistent, and there’s no doubt that he could help unlock Ivan Demidov’s potential.
At 6-foot-1 and 204 pounds, Larkin isn’t small and would help increase the Canadiens’ size, but he’s not overly physical on the ice. He’s only landed 46 hits this past season and 44 the year before.
As things stand, the Canadiens have $9.7 million in cap space, so they could take on Larkin’s contract, especially if unsigned RFAs Zach Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj were part of the package put together to acquire him.
On paper, Larkin is better than the players the Canadiens currently have available to play with Demidov, but his style of play wouldn’t help correct what the Habs were missing in the playoffs. Furthermore, despite playing 11 NHL seasons, the centerman played only five playoff games, all in his rookie season. Back then, the Wings were bounced in the first round in five games by the Tampa Bay Lightning, meaning that he certainly wouldn’t bring much experience to the table on that front.
Acquiring Larkin would also mean that when Michael Hage makes the jump to the NHL, there would be a bit of congestion at center. While it wouldn’t hurt to have a veteran option when the youngster graduates, as he gets used to the NHL and craves a bigger role, Larkin's presence could hinder his progress. Unless, of course, he was included in the package to acquire Larkin, but that would only be a very temporary fix for the Canadiens since the American is already 30. If it meant sacrificing Hage, the move wouldn’t make much sense in the long term.
The main issue, though, is that Larkin hasn’t included the Canadiens on his list, and if he were to do it, could they trust that he wouldn’t be right back in the same situation next season? Is Larkin after winning, or does he want to move while remaining in America? There’s a sizeable red flag there. There’s no doubt that before even entertaining the idea of acquiring him, Kent Hughes would have to use due diligence to get to the bottom of the story. Larkin might have watched the World Cup final with Cole Caufield, but that doesn't mean he'd like to be his teammate.
The woman accusing former Los Angeles Lakers star Byron Scott of sexually assaulting her when she was 15 has settled her claims against Campbell Hall, the prestigious Southern California private school where the alleged incident occurred nearly 40 years ago.
Terms of the settlement are under seal until the completion of the civil lawsuit against Scott, according to a ruling issued in the case last week approving the agreement and obtained by USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday, August 26. The trial is set to begin on Sept. 8 in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
According to court documents previously obtained by USA TODAY Sports, the woman accuses the now 65-year-old Scott of sexual battery and false imprisonment. The original lawsuit was filed in 2022 under the California Child Victim's Act, which extended the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse survivors to file civil claims. Scott sought to keep his name out of the documents and requested to use "John Doe."
The lawsuit says in 1987 the Lakers were visiting the accuser's high school, Campbell Hall in the Studio City neighborhood of Los Angeles, where the accuser was taking summer classes, after which she "was sexually assaulted by Byron Scott in a locked janitor’s closet in the high school gymnasium." The team was at the school filming instructional basketball videos in the gym and met with the parents, students and teachers.
Campbell Hall was also named as a defendant, and the lawsuit accused the institution of negligence for not protecting the accuser. The school previously attempted to remove itself from the litigation, but a judge ruled against its motion in January. The lawsuit demanded a jury trial and $25,000 for damages, payment of attorney fees, and loss of wages to be paid by Scott and the high school.
Notable Campbell Hall alumni include director Paul Thomas Anderson, actresses Dakota and Elle Fanning and NBA players Jrue, Justin and Aaron Holiday.
Scott was 26 years old and married to his first wife, Anita, at the time of the alleged sexual assault. He has since divorced and remarried. Scott played for the Lakers from 1983 to 1993, winning three NBA championships during the "Showtime" era, and finished his career with the team in 1996-97. Scott also spent 15 seasons as an NBA head coach, most recently with the Lakers in 2015-16.
"Our client is devastated by this complaint," Scott's attorney Linda Bauermeister said in a statement in May 2025 after the lawsuit was initially filed. "Our client believed the plaintiff to be over 18 and had no idea she would claim otherwise until 35 years later. He respects girls and women, and the claims have blindsided him and his family."
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 26: Jonathan Aranda #8 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates his double against the Detroit Tigers during the sixth inning at Comerica Park on August 26, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. Jonathan Aranda scored later in the inning on a sacrifice fly ball by Liam Hicks. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In my mind, I had this game in the loss column even before first pitch.
The Rays offense looked half asleep yesterday against a lesser pitcher, and today they would be facing Troy Melton, he of the 1.86 ERA. Those of you with good memories will recall that Melton had pitched a gem against the Rays back in June, going eight innings and scattering a few hits. He’s a pitcher, Brian Anderson reminded us, who is good across the game but actually gets better second and third time through the line up, so it’s not like you can just wait until he tires out to get your offense going.
And for the Rays, Freddy Peralta had looked a little better in recent starts but you really had to squint to see the effective pitcher he’d been prior to this year.
So just based on the pitching matchup, this game had the worst win chances for the Rays of the series.
Of course, then, they won. Because you never know with baseball.
The Rays first got on the board in the second inning. Simpson singled, and DeLuca doubled him home. DeLuca got to third on a sac bunt and scored when Cedric Mullins hit a ball down the line for an RBI and what looked like a double for the speedy Mullins. Alas, though, Mullins overshot the base, and was tagged out.
The Rays got their third run in the sixth inning. Jonathan Aranda doubled, and Junior Caminero singled, to put men on the corners.
Liam Hicks seemed to get all of a pitch but it fell just short of a home run. But the park contained it, and he had to settle for a very long sac fly that scored Aranda. Rays 3, Detroit 0
Peralta got through 6 innings and wow was he good today. No runs, no walks, two harmless hits, and ten whiffs. I don’t know whether this is Rays finding tweaks or the Tigers not matching up well against him or just the randomness of baseball but whatever the explanation, more of this please. It was a really effective, efficient, keep your fielders engaged as you mow through batters kind of outing. If this version of Freddy Peralta is sustainable then I will maybe allow myself to think this team could get somewhere in the postseason (if they make it there of course, let’s not court the evil eye with overconfidence).
Maybe good pitching is contagious; after Peralta left the game the final three innings were covered by Kevin Kelly and Tyler Wells, who preserved the two-hit, no walk game. And the whole thing done in just a blink over two hours! Be still, my heart!
In sum, the Rays come away with a series win, thanks to perfect pitching, sharp defense and just enough offense
CINCINNATI, OHIO - APRIL 09: Cincinnati Reds mascot Mr. Redlegs pumps up the crowd prior to a game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park on April 09, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Terry Francona opted to shuffle his lineup for Wednesday’s series finale against the San Francisco Giants, and the Cincinnati Reds will have a new leadoff hitter in rookie Hector Rodriguez. Each of Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart have been pushed down the batting order, for whatever reason, because apparently that’s going to jump start the otherwise putrid offense.
Lefty Nick Lodolo gets the start on the day for the Reds looking to bounce back after being bonked around good by the Arizona Diamondbacks in his most recent outing. He’s got a 5.04 ERA for the season and man, would it ever be good to see him finish strong so there’s at least a modicum of optimism about the 2027 starting rotation heading into a winter of consternation.
First pitch will be thrown by Giants starter Logan Webb at 3:45 PM ET.
Aug 26, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers in the second inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
On Wednesday afternoon the Detroit Tigers looked to continue their recent success and extend their winning streak to… well, two games is still a streak, right? Unfortunately, they were stymied by some return-to-form pitching and just enough offence from the best team in the American League as they lost 3-0. Also, it’s really, really tough to win a game when you can only eke-out two singles in an entire game.
Making his 12th start of the year for the Tigers was Troy Melton, and he has been sensational so far. His previous two starts have been a little shaky, though, surrendering three runs apiece in each and not going as deep into games as he had been in late July and early August. But overall his WHIP was a touch above 1 and his ERA was below 2 coming into today’s start, and I can’t wait to see how he continues to develop and refine his craft.
Freddy Peralta, the longtime Milwaukee Brewer, started for the Rays. He came to Tampa at the trade deadline after a disappointing first half with the Mets, who had traded for him in January. His previous five seasons in Milwaukee were very good, with an ERA typically in the mid-3’s, more than ten strikeouts per nine innings, and severely limiting home-run power. But this season the walks were up, the whiffs were down, and especially since coming to the Rays, his home-run rate has skyrocketed. He’d have a great game today, however.
In the top of the first Melton had a bit of trouble settling down, as has been the case this year: with one out he clipped Jonathan Aranda with a pitch and Junior Caminero followed with a single. But a ground ball to Spencer Torkelson at first base resulted in an inning-ending 3-6-1 double play, with Melton covering first.
The Rays got on the board in the second: the speedy Chandler Simpson’s grounder ticked off Melton’s glove for an infield single, and Jonny DeLuca’s double scored him all the way from first. A bunt pushed DeLuca up to third, and Cedric Mullins’ single scored him to make it 2-0.
Both Peralta and Melton then started mowing down batters, one after another, with Melton featuring lots of ground-ball outs and a boatload of different pitches. But a leadoff double and a single, at 101 and 110 mph off the bat respectively, put runners at the corners for the Rays in the top of the sixth. A fly ball to right, probably knocked down a bit by the wind, served as a sacrifice fly to put the visitors up 3-0. Melton got a lineout and groundout to limit the damage, though.
Here’s a nice sliding catch by Max Clark. (Look, this game was a little light on highlights.)
Meanwhile, Peralta allowed only his second baserunner in the bottom of the sixth, with a Brett Callahan single with two out. Did the Rays fix him? Perhaps.
Analyst Lance Brozdowski had thoughts last week, and some of this came to fruition today.
The Rays are trying some things with Freddy Peralta.
No more windup, and his four-seam extension jumped to 6.9' yesterday, his highest mark of the season.
Changeup usage is also up against lefties. Results aren't there yet, but they clearly had some ideas on how to fix him. pic.twitter.com/z5qjqXqo7Y
Peralta departed after six innings for tough sidearmer Kevin Kelly, who continued to be tough to the Tigers. Melton had a nice, easy seventh inning, after which his day was done with the following line: 7 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 4 K. Tyler Kinley made his Tigers debut after being cut loose from Atlanta and signed by the Tigers, getting a popout and a pair of groundouts.
Kyle Finnegan came in for the eighth and looked pretty good, allowing a single but getting the next three batters.
Tyler Wells, a tall, tough righty, came in for the bottom of the ninth and got the Tigers to meekly go 1-2-3 to end the game.
The Tigers have a day off on Thursday and then welcome Tarik Skubal and the Dodgers to town for a three-game weekend series. Skubal is scheduled to pitch Friday night, and that is going to be absolute bedlam down at the ol’ ball yard.
With his second-inning single, Dillon Dingler got a hit in his fourth consecutive game. That might not sound like much, but it’s been a rough go of it lately: before this modest streak began, he was 2-for-45 in his previous 11 games.
Rays pitchers walked exactly one (1) Tiger this entire series: Colt Keith, in the eighth inning on Monday night.
There’s a YouTube channel that has posted old All-Star games, and I watched a bit of the 1975 one here. The number of truly great players in this game is fantastic, of course, but what struck me was Jim Kaat’s lack-of-a-windup. The link points to the start of his appearance in the game, and it is… well, I’ll just let you watch it. Joe Morgan is completely befuddled, and Johnny Bench’s smile of confusion tells you all you need to know.
Antoine Lavoisier was born on this day in 1743 in France. He was one of the most important chemists of history, discovering the element oxygen and proving that it was a key component of combustion. He also helped to build the metric system, which is the superior system of measurement, no matter what nutter says otherwise. Alas, in the wake of the French Revolution, and with his prominent status as part of the prior ruling-class, he met his fate at the guillotine’s blade in 1794.
The Florida Panthers weren't always a team fans turned their televisions on to watch, but after three Stanley Cup Final appearances, including two victories, the Panthers are a team to watch.
Heading into the 2026-27 season, the Panthers will have 15 nationally televised games on either ESPN or TNT, the NHL announced on Wednesday.
Overall, the Panthers have five games on ESPN, six on TNT, three on ESPN+, and one on ABC. This is the fourth consecutive season the Panthers have been featured in double-digit national games, according to the Panthers' press release.
Here is the breakdown and schedule.
Sep. 29, 2026, Panthers at Hurricanes, 5 pm ET, ESPN
Oct. 6, 2026, Panthers at Kings, 10:30 pm ET, ESPN
Nov. 4, 2026, Panthers vs. Blackhawks, 7:30 pm ET, TNT
Nov. 10, 2026, Panthers Blue Jackets, 7:30 pm ET, ESPN+
Nov. 12, 2026, Panthers vs. Red Wings, 7:30pm ET, ESPN+
Dec. 10, 2026, Panthers vs. Penguins, 7 ET, ESPN
Dec. 15, 2026, Panthers at Bruins, 7 pm ET, TNT
Jan. 14, 2027, Panthers at Wild, 9:30 pm ET, ESPN
Jan. 27, 2027, Panthers at Rangers, 7:30 pm ET, TNT
Feb. 16, 2027, Panthers at Lightning, 7:30 pm ET, ESPN+
Feb. 24, 2027, Panthers at Golden Knights, 9:30 pm ET, TNT
March 4, 2027, Panthers vs. Penguins, 8:30 pm ET, ESPN
March 23, 2027, Panthers at Lightning, 7 pm ET, TNT
April 3, 2027, Panthers at Rangers, 12:30 pm ET, ABC
April 4, 2027, Panthers at Devils, 4:30 pm ET, TNT
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Florida State pitcher John Abraham (19) is the starter against Florida, March 10, 2026, at Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville, Florida. [Cyndi Chambers/ Gainesville Sun] 2026 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Excitement is at a high in Tallahassee during the last week of August. School is back in session, Florida State football kicks off this weekend, and the annoyance of move-in is over. The start of the school year also marks an important day for the FSU athletic department, as rosters can be officially announced with student-athletes enrolled in classes.
On Tuesday, head coach Link Jarrett and FSU baseball released its 2027 fall ball roster, with six weeks until the Noles hit the road to take on Auburn in a scrimmage in Pensacola.
The Seminoles will bring eight freshmen to campus after their top two high school prospects, Kaden Waechter and Landon Thome, signed with their pro clubs after being selected in the MLB Draft in July. Jarrett also added eight college transfers and five players from the JUCO ranks to supplement the rest of his returning roster.
Not listed on FSU’s roster, but reported by Brett Nevitt, is the addition of AJ Nessler, a LHH outfielder from Pitt. Nevitt reported that Nessler is one of a few athletes who benefited from a court ruling in California that allowed class of 2022 players an extra year of eligibility. Nessler, a graduate of, where else but, Jesuit High School in Tampa, slashed .304/.417/.468 in 2026 while playing in 59 games for the Panthers.
Florida State baseball’s entire fall ball roster, courtesy of Seminoles.com, can be found below:
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 21: Logan Webb #62 of the San Francisco Giants pitches at Fenway Park on August 21, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants wrap up this series against the Cincinnati Reds this afternoon from Oracle Park.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Logan Webb, who enters today’s game with a 3.75 ERA, 3.33 FIP, with 112 strikeouts to 35 walks in 141.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 6-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Friday, in which he allowed five runs on six hits with two strikeouts and three walks in two and two thirds innings.
He’ll be facing off against Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo, who enters today’s game with a 5.04 ERA, 5.40 FIP, with 59 strikeouts to 31 walks in 75 innings pitched. His last start was in the Reds’ 9-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks last Friday, in which he allowed six runs on 10 hits with two strikeouts and two walks in three and a third innings.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 19: The sneakers worn by Cason Wallace #22 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the game against the Charlotte Hornets during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 19, 2025 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 21: Bubba Chandler #36 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on August 21, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are eyeing a sweep as they take on the San Diego Padres in the series finale on a Wednesday afternoon inside Petco Park.
The Pirates have had a flair for the dramatics in the first two games of the series. In Monday’s opener, the Pirates took it to 12 innings and pulled out a 3-2 win thanks to an RBI single from Nick Gonzales, who was serving as the designated hitter and leadoff man during the contest.
Last night, Paul Skenes looked like himself, pitching six scoreless innings and giving up just three hits in the 1-0 victory. The Pirates didn’t get on the board until the ninth inning, when Oneil Cruz launched a homer into right field off of Padres All-Star closer Mason Miller, who hadn’t given up a home run in over a year. Mason Montgomery closed it out for his sixth save of the season as the Pirates raised the jolly roger.
Now Bubba Chandler (6-8, 4.38 ERA) gets the ball against Padres starter Randy Vasquez (9-6, 4.19 ERA) to give the Pirates their first sweep since the Milwaukee Brewers visited PNC Park from July 11-12.
Location: Petco Park, San Diego, CA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Bubba Chandler (6-8, 4.38 ERA) vs. Randy Vasquez (9-6, 4.19 ERA)
BD community, this is your gameday thread for today’s game against the San Diego Padres. Chime off in the comments section below.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 24: Bryan Reynolds #10 grounds Esmerlyn Valdez San Diego Padres into a double play as Xander Bogaerts #2 of the San Diego Padres throws to first base during the inning of a game at Petco Park on August 24, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pittsburgh Pirates (65-69) at San Diego Padres (71-62), August 26, 2026, 1:10 p.m. PST
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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 25: Starting pitcher Adrian Houser #12 of the San Francisco Giants leaves the field in the top of the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park on August 25, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the second day in a row, the San Francisco Giants have placed a starting pitched on the Injured List with a potentially devastating injury. On Tuesday, it was lefty Carson Whisenhunt, who left Monday’s start with elbow discomfort and is now headed for Tommy John surgery. And on Wednesday, it was righty Adrian Houser, who left Tuesday’s game with elbow discomfort and will now hope for better news than his teammate.
The Giants officially placed Houser on the 15-Day Injured List with a right forearm strain. Taking his place on the roster is right-handed reliever Braxton Roxby, who had his contract purchased from AAA Sacramento. To make space on the 40-man roster for Roxby, the Giants moved Whisenhunt to the 60-Day IL.
The hope is that Houser, who is under contract for next year, has avoided a catastrophic injury. He sounded fairly optimistic after the game, which is a good sign. We’ll have to wait and see.
Houser said he believes his forearm tightness is similar to a flexor-tendon strain that cost him five weeks in 2022, but this is "not near as bad." He's hopeful an MRI tomorrow confirms he's just got a minor issue.
As for Roxby, this will be his chance to make his MLB debut. The 27-year old was an undrafted free agent following the truncated 2020 draft, and came to the Giants in the Taylor Rogers trade before the 2025 season. He has just a 4.11 ERA and a 4.92 FIP with Sacramento this season, but has been pitching very well over the last month or two.
He’s a four-pitch pitcher, who this year has relied fairly heavily on a slider, sinker, and cutter, with his four-seam fastball — which averages 94.6 mph — being used quite a bit less frequently than that trio. The fastball and slider have really stymied AAA hitters this year, while the cutter has been hit fairly hard and the sinker has been demolished. It will be interesting to see what pitch mix the Giants have him throw.
Either way, it’s exciting to welcome another player to the big leagues. And hopefully good news awaits Houser on the injury front.
