Jun 30, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Detroit Tigers left fielder Riley Greene (31) celebrates his solo home run against the New York Yankees with on deck hitter Colt Keith (33) during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers (38-49) vs. Texas Rangers (44-43)
Time/Place: 8:05 p.m., Globe Life Field SB Nation Site:Lone Star Ball Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: LHP Framber Valdez (4-5, 4.05 ERA) vs. RHP Nathan Eovaldi (8-7, 3.95 ERA)
In June, Gabriel Moreno had outstanding batting. (Photo by Jeremy Chen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Brewers care about when to challenge ball/strike calls.
In spring training, they tested a system that involved green index cards that were posted in the dugout in the best situations to challenge. Apparently, MLB told them to stop posting cards.
An unique suspension.
Brewers relief pitcher Abner Uribe was suspended for one game (served on 24 June) for making a WWE gesture called a crotch chop after striking out a batter. Perhaps, he was (and always will be) the only player in the Majors to make that gesture. Will that gesture get him mentioned at the baseball Hall of Fame?
Home runs are close to the same.
This season, the Brewers and the Diamondbacks ranked in the bottom four teams for home runs (70 and 71 homers in games through 24 June).
This balance in homers contrasted sharply with total runs. The Brewers ranked in the top three teams in total runs (407), while the Diamondbacks are average. In past seasons, the Diamondbacks have ranked high in total runs scored. Perhaps they will break-out in this series. Instead of homers, small-ball will likely decide the winner of the series. The Diamondbacks will be challenged, but could play better than expected.
The Brewers are less fearsome, but the series will be challenging for Diamondbacks.
“To close things out with my three-axis framework, I think that the Brewers sacrificed some Championship Probability Distribution in 2026 in an attempt to push it higher in future years. Their full organization looks better than it did to me last year, even if the major league team isn’t quite as fearsome. I also like how they left spots for breakouts in the infield, outfield, and on the mound because of the way they moved on from good-but-not great players.” — Ben Clemens, March 2026
On the other hand, the context makes a big difference. Despite the Brewers being less fearsome, this series will be a challenge for the Diamondbacks. Two aspects of the context follow.
Last season, the Brewers made it to the NL Championship series, and lost to the Dodgers.
This season, the Brewers lead the NL Central Division, with 95.3% odds of making the playoffs.
Let’s compare the teams.
Offense. This season through 30 June, the Brewers averaged more runs scored per game (5.18 vs 4.27 runs per game).
Runners Left On Base. This season through 30 June, the Diamondbacks left fewer runners on base per game (6.61 vs 7.45).
Defense. This season through 30 June, the Diamondbacks had much better defense (28 vs 2 OAA, 28 vs 19 DRS)
Bullpens. This season through 30 June, the Diamondbacks and Brewers each had 74 shutdown performances by the bullpen.
Starting Pitcher Matchups. This season through 30 June, the Diamondbacks had the most quality starts (33 vs 27).
Brewers Players to Watch.
From 1-24 June, the league average OPS was .746. In that same stretch, the Brewers had five players with an OPS over .900. Their batting is worth watching. The players were:
Andrew Vaughn, 1.019 OPS
Chourio Jackson, 1.017 OPS
Jake Bauers, .996 OPS
Blake Perkins, .945 OPS
Gary Sanchez, .931 OPS
Diamondbacks Player to Watch.
Gabriel Moreno. From 1-24 June, he leads the Diamondbacks with an .931 OPS. After missing most of April due to injury, he is back. His batting was outstanding, especially from mid-May onward!
Pitching Matchups.
Friday, 6:45 PM MST.
Jose Cabrera vs Kyle Harrison. The statistic of interest is walks plus hits per inning (WHIP). Looking at Diamondbacks starting pitchers, Cabrera’s 1.20 WHIP has the third best (only Rodriguez’s 1.176 and Soroka’s 1.085 were better). And Cabrera’s WHIP seems sustainable because it was 1.19 in Reno. On the other hand, this season Harrison’s 1.039 is his career best. But will he regress?
Perhaps the deciding factor will be ERA. In June, Jose Cabrera started 2 games and had the better ERA (3.60 ERA vs 4.62 ERA).
This matchup is very slight advantage Diamondbacks.
Saturday, 6:40 PM MST.
Merrill Kelly vs Brandon Woodruff. Woodruff was on the injured list from 1 May to 22 June due to a shoulder injury. In June Woodruff (2 games) had the better ERA (0.00 ERA vs 7.31 ERA).
Despite being ceredited with a loss in all 5 starts in June, Kelly had more quality starts than Woodruff (2 QS vs 1 QS). In June, Merrill Kelly allowed 8 home runs. If those had not happened, his June ERA would have been a respectable 4.45.
This matchup is advantage Brewers.
Sunday, 1:10 PM MST.
Eduardo Rodriguez vs Brandon Sproat. In June, Rodriguez had the better ERA (2.02 ERA vs 3.46 ERA), and Rodriguez had more quality starts (4 QS vs 2 QS).
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 05: Pat Spencer #61 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles against the Houston Rockets in the second quarter at Chase Center on April 05, 2026 in San Francisco, California. 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 Eakin Howard/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors are bringing back a lot of the band for the 2026-27 season, but there’s one fan favorite who won’t be returning: scrappy guard Pat Spencer. According to a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania, Spencer agreed to a two-way contract with the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.
Spencer, who was a lacrosse superstar in college, spent his first three years playing for the Warriors, with his role increasing each season. He played in just six games as a rookie, then in 39 during the 2024-25 season, but while averaging just 6.4 minutes. But during this past season, Spencer appeared in 66 games and started 14, while averaging 18.6 minutes, 7.2 points, and 3.5 assists, while earning high praise from the fans and coaching staff.
It’s a little surprising to see Spencer sign a two-way deal this early in the offseason, as it seemed like there was a possibility that someone would give him a standard contract. But apparently his agents felt that wasn’t a possibility, and jumped on a chance to sign a two-way deal with a preferred team. With Phoenix having recently traded Grayson Allen, there will likely be backcourt minutes available for Spencer, who will have a chance to earn a standard contract as the season goes on, as he did late in each of the past two seasons.
Spencer, whose brother Cam plays for the Memphis Grizzlies, ends his Warriors career having appeared in 111 regular season games and eight playoff games. Since this is his fourth season in the NBA, it’s his last year having two-way contract eligibility.
CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 5: Head Coach Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls looks on during the game against the Phoenix Suns on April 5, 2026 at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After lead assistant coach and defensive guru Sean Sweeney departed San Antonio for the head coaching position with the Orlando Magic, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson was tasked with his most important hire for the second straight year. Suffice it to say, he nailed it again with the hiring of legendary college coach, NBA veteran head coach and Hall of Famer Billy Donovan, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Billy Donovan has agreed to become the lead assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs and head coach Mitch Johnson, sources tell me and @PeteThamel. After 11 seasons as a head coach in Chicago and Oklahoma City, Donovan accepts the position with the Western Conference champions. pic.twitter.com/HdhjtsQG2K
Donovan made a name for himself as the head coach at the University of Florida from 1996-2015, where he won back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007. He joined the NBA in 2015 as head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, where the made the playoffs in each of his five years there, including the conference finals his first season. He then spent the last six seasons as head coach of the Chicago Bulls, where they were mostly a bubble team under his watch. He stepped down after this season, citing “a series of thoughtful and extensive discussions with ownership regarding the future of the organization. … I believe it is in the best interest of the Bulls, to allow the new leader to build out the staff as they see fit.”
While his success levels as an NBA head coach don’t match his college days, his strengths align perfectly with what the Spurs need (and lost with Sweeney’s departure). He is known as a teacher of the game for his player development skills and helping refine basketball IQ, which is perfect with the Spurs young core. He is also known for his offensive and defensive schemes and ability to adapt them to fit the personnel, which is again exactly what the Spurs need.
With the draft and free agency going on, it was easy forget about the coaching vacancy, but this is the second straight year that Johnson has made an excellent hire for his right-hand man, and with Donovan being a veteran of the game with head coaching experience and content to take on a lesser role, he’s likely to last more than one season, while Sweeney was always on borrowed time.
The past week has been a whirlwind for the NHL, beginning with the 2026 Draft on June 26-27 and continuing with a frenzy of free agent signings and trades made across the league.
As the dust begins to settle, it's time to take a first glance at how the Rangers roster could look next season under head coach Mike Sullivan.
Forwards
Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury spent much of the past seven months expressing his desire to build a younger, faster, and more dynamic Rangers offense. Drury stuck to his word, and the blockbuster addition of Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights via trade means that the Rangers top forward line should look and play very differently next season.
Dorofeyev is physical, aggressive, and intelligent as a forechecker, gets into dangerous areas off the puck, and puts away goals by the bucketload. The 25-year-old Russian winger is a two-way star who draws plenty of attention from opposing defenses, meaning he should make life a lot easier for his projected linemates, center Mika Zibanejad and winger Alexis Lafrenière.
Elsewhere in the lineup, Will Cuylle, Noah Laba, and Gabriel Perrault are talented young players each entering the final year of their current contracts, meaning they will all be restricted free agents (RFAs) in the summer of 2027. Cuylle is out to prove that he can be more than a decent middle-six forward following two straight 20-goal seasons. Meanwhile, Laba and Perrault should see increased playing time, and with it, the opportunity to break out into reliable pieces of the forward core.
The Rangers also brought in free agents Oliver Bjorkstrand and Joe Veleno, both on one-year contracts. Bjorkstrand is a crafty winger who lost a bit of his scoring touch last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but remains a useful playmaker who can hold his own defensively. Veleno is a fourth-line center who saw his faceoff percentage and penalty kill usage reach career highs last season with the Montreal Canadiens.
The Rangers still have a good chunk of cap space to work with, close to $8 million according to Puckepedia, so don't be surprised if they're not done adding to this new-look group, as the team's depth chart looks a bit thin when it comes to bottom-six forwards.
Defensemen
The duo of Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov is one of the most dynamic and dangerous top-line defensive pairings in the NHL. The issue is that Fox played just 55 games last season due to injuries, and with Fox out of the lineup, the Rangers were a putrid 8-16-3 in 2025-26. As a result, this offseason, the team's front office looked to ensure that the Rangers have multiple defensive pairings that can provide offensive production and puck possession (rather than just one, Fox and Gavrikov).
The performance of New York's brand new second-line defensive pairing of Sean Durzi -- acquired from the Utah Mammoth in the Vincent Trocheck trade -- and Marcus Pettersson -- acquired via trade from the Vancouver Canucks -- will be a massive factor in whether the Rangers can return to the playoffs next season. Both players join the fray in the prime years of their careers, and on paper, their combined skillsets fit very nicely. Durzi is a right-handed defenseman who is a point producer for himself and his teammates with strong offensive zone passing skills. Pettersson is a left-handed defenseman who is no slouch offensively, but really excels by doing the dirty work: retrieving pucks, eating hits, blocking shots, and killing penalties.
The third-line defense for the Rangers projects to be another lefty-righty pairing in the form of Urho Vaakanainen and Braden Schneider. Vaakanainen is a no-frills defense-first defenseman who played just 34 games last season for the team, but held his own and proved that he's worthy of a full-time spot as a depth piece in the lineup moving forward. Schneider, once tipped as a surefire top-four defenseman for the present and future of the team, has seen his stock fall significantly over the past couple of seasons, and currently slots in as a talented but inconsistent bottom-line defenseman. Schneider is currently an unsigned RFA, and although the Rangers just extended Schneider with a one-year qualifying offer, it isn't certain whether he'll be wearing Ranger blue or a different team's uniform come the fall.
Fifth overall selection Albert Smits was considered by many to be the most "NHL ready" defenseman in the 2026 draft class, but the Rangers will likely be in no rush to insert the 18-year-old Latvian draftee into their lineup. Still, Smits could feature at some point in 2026-27 and should be a player worth watching for years to come.
Goaltenders
Igor Shesterkin missed 13 games due to injury in 2025-26. In the 31 games without their franchise netminder between the pipes, the Rangers went 9-20-2 (this includes games where Shesterkin was rotated out of the starting spot, a common occurrence for "workhorse" starting goalies). When healthy, the 30-year-old is one of the best goaltenders on the planet, able to turn potential losses into wins with stunning stops that demoralize the opposition.
The Rangers acquired Joonas Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins, who will compete with Dylan Garand for the role of Shesterkin's backup. Korpisalo is vastly experienced for a 32-year-old (still in his prime in goalie years), as he will enter his 12th NHL season with a proven track record as a solid backup goalie. Garand, meanwhile, made waves despite playing just three games towards the tail end of last season. In those three starts, the 24-year-old posted a .954 save percentage, saving 3.9 goals above expected as the Rangers went 2-0-1. Garand will be looking to carry over that momentum into next season.
The San Antonio Spurs were just a few wins away from an NBA title in 2026. Rumors have swirled since their defeat regarding their next moves to ensure they can get over the hump and hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy next season.
Well, they've made their first move, adding Billy Donovan to their coaching staff, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
Donovan had spent the last 11 seasons as a head coach in Oklahoma City and Chicago, but will now take a step back, operating as the Spurs' "lead assistant coach" under Mitch Johnson.
Who is Billy Donovan?
Donovan took over as head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015, nearly leading the Thunder to the NBA Finals that season, but falling in seven games to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals.
Despite losing Kevin Durant the following season, Donovan experienced solid regular season success, reaching the playoffs in each of his next four years as the head coach in OKC. Unfortunately, he never made it out of the first round of the playoffs again.
Donovan and the Thunder mutually agreed to part ways following the 2019-20 season. Donovan then joined the Chicago Bulls and helped lead them to the postseason in just his second year with the team, marking their first postseason appearance in five years. They lost in the first round, though, and have not been back to the playoffs since. In fact, since that season, Donovan's Bulls never posted a record above .500.
Has Billy Donovan ever won Coach of the Year?
No. He finished third in voting in 2020 after leading the Thunder to a 44-28 record and the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.
That said, he was named the co-recipient of the Michael H. Goldberg NBCA (National Basketball Coaches Association) Coach of the Year award for the 2019-20 season.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 1: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres strikes out during the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on July 1, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of the least-swept teams in baseball found themselves on the wrong end of history yesterday. The San Diego Padres were swept for just the third time this season after the Chicago Cubs scored 23 runs against the Friars. That total ties the Padres’ record for runs allowed in a game. It was a tough one to stomach for a team that has showed fight the last few games.
With starter Walker Buehler on the mound, it was the first pitcher that the Friar Faithful could feel confident about. Instead, Buehler disappointed and was tagged for nine runs in the blowout loss, seven coming via the long ball. It felt like the ball flew out of the yard for everybody but the Padres, who only put up three runs. They went a miserable 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
It’s been a part of a continuing trend toward mediocrity. The Friars need a win now more than ever and the schedule does not get easier from here. They’ll face the rival Los Angeles Dodgers for the second time this week, needing a turnaround to the slump San Diego has been mired in.
Taking the mound
Roki Sasaki (LAD) v. Randy Vásquez (SD)
Sasaki started for L.A. in the only Padres’ win of last week’s series. All things considered, he pitched well apart from an 0-2 mistake to Ty France that ended up in the left field seats. The righty has been serviceable for the Dodgers this year, helping to bolster a rotation struggling with injuries.
He’s also looked better lately, with a 3.99 ERA across his last 38 1/3 innings compared to a 4.88 mark this season. Sasaki’s command has gotten better lately too (1.07 WHIP) despite walking five batters in last week’s contest against San Diego.
Vásquez continues to underwhelm on the mound. He owns a 7.34 ERA in his lasts seven starts. He’s only gone 6 2/3 combined innings across his last two games, and surrendered 10 runs in those frames. It’s been rough going for the young right-hander.
Which is why it’s tough for the Padres to pin their hopes on him as a stopper. San Diego is on a five-game losing streak. They need a win any way they can get it, and Vásquez will need to pitch the game of his life in order to turn things around for the Friars.
Batter up!
Two good things happened in yesterday’s blowout loss. Sung-Mun Song hit his first MLB home run! For a player who was signed for his pop in the KBO, it’s comforting to see that first one. (Hopefully they come in bunches.) And Jake Cronenworth went 3-for-4 at the plate in his second game back. He’s now batting .429 since coming off the IL Monday (7 at-bats).
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Samad Taylor, LF
Manny Machado, 3B
Gavin Sheets, DH
Ty France, 1B
Jackson Merrill, CF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Freddy Fermin, C
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
At this point, the offense looks almost irredeemable. Almost. This is still the team that stormed back from a middling 50-49 record at the 2024 All-Star break to post the best second-half record in all of baseball (43-20). Baseball is a game that can change in the blink of an eye. It’s never over until the last out is recorded. The lineup has shown some potency. If it can add consistency to that, it could be the best in all of MLB.
Relief corps
To call it a 23-run blowout is a bit of a disservice. The Cubs scored eight runs against catcher Rodolfo Durán in their final frame. He covered two innings for the Friars to help rest their ‘pen. Even accounting for that, a 15-3 loss is still a blowout. Thanks to Durán, only Kyle Hart was called on out of the bullpen.
Thankfully, Vásquez will have some breathing room with the entire bullpen (excluding Hart) available tonight. Jason Adam, Ron Marinaccio, Yuki Matsui, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Wandy Peralta and Bradgley Rodriguez are all available to pitch out of the ‘pen. That said, San Diego doesn’t have an off day until the All-Star break. It would be nice to give the relief corps a rest after covering 10 innings in Chicago.
The pitching staff has been asked to be perfect time and again, and now that has begun to implode San Diego’s club. San Diego pitchers have surrendered 47 runs in their last six games. During the five-game losing streak, it’s 46 runs. The lineup needs to produce more to give their pitching some leeway.
EL SEGUNDO, CA - APRIL 3: Anton Watson #22 of the South Bay Lakers drives to the basket during the game against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers during the 2026 G League Playoffs Semifinals on April 3, 2026 at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After spending the full season with the G League’s South Bay Lakers, forward Anton Watson was listed on the Los Angeles Lakers Summer League roster. Watson averaged 10.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game in 2025-26.
Forward Drew Timme, who was on a two-way contract with the Los Angeles and South Bay organizations for the 2026-27 season, was not named to the roster alongside Watson.
That now makes for five Gonzaga Bulldogs alumni participating in the different NBA Summer Leagues during the month of July.
Dallas Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard
Golden State Warriors forward Graham Ike
San Antonio Spurs wing Tyon Grant-Foster
Indiana Pacers wing Jalen Warley
Los Angeles Lakers forward Anton Watson
The 2026 California Classic, a summer league taking place inside both the Golden State Warriors’ Chase Center and Sacramento Kings’ Golden 1 Center, starts on July 3 through 6.
San Antonio’s Grant-Foster will kick everything off at the Chase Center against the Miami Heat on Friday, July 3, at 5 p.m. PT on ESPN/Prime Video. The second game of the day will be Ike and Golden State’s Gold squad against Los Angeles’ Watson at 7:30 p.m. PT on ESPNU/Prime Video.
Following the California Classic, the 2026 NBA 2K27 Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada, runs from July 9 through 19.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
KANSAS CITY, MO - JUNE 14: Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Stephen Kolek (32) throws a warm up pitch before a MLB game between the Houston Astros and the Kansas City Royals on June 14, 2026, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Despite having been a fan for nearly 30 years, this is quite possibly the most painful season I’ve ever watched. I think I was shielded a bit during the aughts by my childish belief that the Royals could go on a 15-game winning streak at any moment. I used to believe that pitcher ERAs entering a game significantly influenced who likely had the upper hand. And, honestly, I simply didn’t pay as close attention because I was so much busier during the times baseball was being played and didn’t have a computer in my pocket to keep me up to date on every single play.
Few series this year have been as painful as the ones against AL East opponents. The Royals are 3-15 against AL East opponents. The series against the Orioles, where they won that third game, feels so long ago I’d almost forgotten it. Of course, they won their first two matches against Tampa Bay in Tampa, so things were feeling quite a bit better this time last week, but, these are the 2026 Royals. They’ll win 5 of 6 just so they can lose 9 of their next 10 and really drive home how disappointing all these losses are.
The good news is that Stephen Kolek will return to the mound for KC tonight. He went on the Parental Leave list last weekend ahead of the birth of his first child. Then, because she was born prematurely, he was shifted to the Family Medical Emergency List (There are a lot of lists for players to be on) earlier this week to spend more time with his family. But he’s back now, so hopefully that means good things for the health of his growing family, and it also means we don’t have to watch Mitch Spence tonight.
Jose Cuas is the one who got demoted after throwing two innings last night, which is unfortunate for him, but hopefully, he’ll be back soon.
The Rays will be using Ian Seymour, the author of the beginning of the latest disaster period. (I like to think of Griffin Jax’s victory in the third game of the series last week as the prologue.) Last time, Seymour pitched as a bulk reliever and pitched a hitless 6.2 innings. This time I guess the Rays thought they’d let him see if he could get the no-hitter by himself. I’m not betting against him.
Lineups
Salvador Perez is getting another day off after hitting into two double plays last night. Unfortunately, that means the middle third of the Royals’ lineup goes Lane Thomas, Starling Marte, and Nick Loftin. In an ideal world, none of those guys would be batting in those positions either. But the Royals stopped playing in an ideal world almost before the season started.
Also, apparently, it might mean Salvy is hurting. The Royals designated Eric Cerantola for assignment and demoted John Rave (who absolutely did not deserve it, but what can you do) to add Luke Maile back to the roster. If the Royals think they need three catchers and one of those guys is catching and leading off tonight, you don’t have to be all that good at math to know something is adding up bad for the other guy.
Of course, the Rays have Victor Mesa Jr., Chandler Simpson, and Cedric Mullins in the same spots. They wouldn’t be my first, second, or third choices to bat there either. The Royals will have to find another reason for their failures than having guys out of position in the lineup, perhaps.
Junior Caminero is still in the Rays’ lineup. I’m torn between wanting the Royals to intentionally walk him every time and just let the guy hit some more dingers because what harm can it do KC, and it would be awful to end his homer streak by intentionally walking him in every AB. Don’t forget, no baseball tomorrow because of the World Cup. Enjoy the break!
Apr 29, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) pitches during the game between the Rangers and the Yankees at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 05: Jordan Goodwin #23 of the Phoenix Suns pressures Pat Spencer #61 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 05, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I think we might be looking at what the Phoenix Suns roster might look like come opening day after the team signed former Golden State Warriors guard Pat Spencer to a two-way NBA contract, according to ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania. Suns officials completed the contract on Thursday evening with Mark Bartelstein and Ross Aroyo of Priority Sports.
Free agent guard Pat Spencer has agreed to a two-way NBA contract with the Phoenix Suns, sources tell ESPN. Spencer's role grew across three seasons in Golden State, where he averaged 7.2 points and 18.6 minutes last season. pic.twitter.com/fj6HI217GF
Spencer, who turns 30 on Saturday, had the best season of his three-year career last season, averaging 7.2 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.4 rebounds per game on 42.7% shooting from the field, 35.7% from deep, and 77.2% from the charity stripe. As a starter, his numbers ballooned to 11.4 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game on 45.1/40/60 shooting splits.
One of Spencer’s best games last season came against the Suns back in February, where he scored a career-high 20 points and was one of the Warriors’ main contributors in their fourth quarter double-digit comeback with Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler sidelined.
Every season of his career, Spencer has increased his minutes, points per game, and games played, and has built a reputation as a pesky defender, which fits right in with the physical culture that the team is building, spearheaded by Dillon Brooks. As the season went on, Spencer’s role with the Warriors continued to expand, as he averaged 10 or more points in two of the last three months of the season, including shooting 40% from downtown in the month of February, and dished out 5.4 assists per game.
After the team resigned guards Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, picked up the team option on Jamaree Bouyea’s deal, and now signed Spencer, Phoenix has fortified its guard rotation after some concerns about its depth heading into the offseason.
Spencer joins CJ Huntley and Koby Brea as the team’s other two-way players. The roster is up to 18 players, with 15 standard and three two-way deals.
The Atlanta Braves are taking on the St. Louis Cardinals looking to secure their first series win since the twentieth of June, almost two full weeks ago.
Hurston Waldrep is making his much anticipated first start of the season after making one appearance this year where he went two innings. It will be interesting to see if he will be on a strict pitch count and how long he will go if he is pitching well. He will be facing Dustin May who had a one hit shutout two starts ago but followed that up with a six earned run start where he was removed after two innings.
If the Braves can get the bats going early, they may have a shot to get a two-game winning streak going for the first time since that series win previously mentioned.
First pitch is at 7:15 EDT. Follow along in the comments.
The Senators have taken care of another piece of their goaltending puzzle, signing Leevi Merilainen to a one-year contract worth $1.1 million for the 2026-27 season.
The deal is a one-way contract, a detail that could have important implications for the Sens' roster decisions heading into training camp. He was also arbitration-eligible, but after the season he just had, that may not have gone so well for the young Finn.
Steve Staios spoke last week about what his staff likes about Samuel Ersson.
Merilainen entered last season as the undisputed backup to Linus Ullmark after showing excellent promise during a brief NHL stint in 2024-25. But that opportunity slipped away with some below-average performances early in the year.
He struggled with an 8-10-1 record, a 3.51 goals-against average and an .860 save percentage in 20 appearances.
As his confidence waned, the Senators turned to veteran James Reimer, who had signed as a free agent just before the season. Reimer stabilized the position, playing well enough to keep the backup job for the remainder of the regular season and into the playoffs, while Merilainen returned to Belleville.
With the B-Sens, Merilainen looked closer to the kind of prospect Ottawa had envisioned to start the year. He posted an 8-8-1 record in 19 games with a 2.77 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.
The Senators selected the Finnish netminder in the third round (71st overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft. He has since appeared in 34 NHL games. Meanwhile, he's compiled a 39-29-6 record, a 2.59 goals-against average, and a .911 save percentage across 84 career AHL games.
The extension also raises an interesting question: Could Ottawa carry three goaltenders on its NHL roster next season?
That approach, used by the Stanley Cup-champion Carolina Hurricanes this season, has become increasingly common around the league. It could be particularly appealing for the Senators given Linus Ullmark's history.
Ullmark has never started more than 50 games in a single NHL season. Last year also served as a reminder that his availability can't always be taken for granted. Ullmark has been injury-prone in Ottawa, and he's also been open about his mental health challenges. To get the best version of Ullmark, the Senators know they'll need to carefully monitor both his workload and overall well-being throughout the season.
Keeping Merilainen alongside Ullmark and newcomer Samuel Ersson would give head coach Travis Green plenty of flexibility while ensuring the club has experienced NHL depth if injuries arise.
But at the same time, it's probably not the best development model for the 23-year-old Merilainen.
So if the Senators decide against the notion of carrying three goaltenders, they'll face a difficult decision because nobody is waiver-exempt. Both Meriläinen and Ersson would need to clear before being assigned to Belleville.
One thing is clear. The Senators weren't prepared to lose Merilainen for nothing. By giving him a one-way contract, they've signalled they still believe he can become an NHL goaltender.
The challenge now is figuring out where he fits.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published on The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For full coverage of the Senators, check out one of the latest headlines below:
Welcome to The California Post’s weekly Dodgers recap, where baseball writers Dylan Hernández and Jack Harris review the week that was, hand out very official awards and take stock of the state of the season.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Will tempers flare in Padres rematch?
Around this time last year, the Dodgers-Padres rivalry reached its boiling point, after a flurry of hit batters amid a stretch of seven games in 10 days between the clubs led to a benches-clearing incident at Dodger Stadium.
The second-place Padres are visiting Dodger Stadium this weekend, and tempers might flare during the rivalry series against the first-place Dodgers. AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
This weekend, similar circumstances could be in place.
The teams, fresh off the Dodgers’ series win in San Diego last weekend, are again engaged in a seven-games-in-10-days stretch. And last Sunday’s finale at Petco Park saw five batters get hit –– including Fernando Tatis Jr., whose repeated plunkings last year served as kindling to the rivalry’s eventual blowup.
Granted, tempers didn’t flare then. And a key piece of last year’s hot-blooded equation — former Padres manager Mike Shildt, who confronted Dave Roberts during the June 2025 melee — is no longer in the picture.
Another key difference now: The Dodgers have pulled away in the National League West race, entering with a 12-game division lead that already feels almost insurmountable.
Still, if the Padres are going to get back into the division picture, this four-game trip to Chavez Ravine represents their best opportunity. That could enhance the stakes of the series and perhaps the emotions of a quick-turn rematch, too.
“We try to take every series with the same importance,” Roberts said on the eve of this weekend’s series. “But obviously you know winning that series would be [big]. That is the goal.”
AP Photo/Matt Krohn
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tommy Edman (.366 average, 1 home run, 8 RBIs in 12 games back from offseason ankle surgery)
After he played through — and was clearly hampered by — an ankle injury for most of last year, it was easy to forget how impactful a healthy Edman can be.
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The switch-hitting utility man has offered a quick reminder lately, however, returning to action with a flurry of production after missing the first three months of the year recovering from offseason ankle surgery.
Edman has taken his typical quality at-bats (getting on base at a .435 clip) while also flashing the kind of power he failed to maintain last year once his ankle began bothering him (two doubles, one triple and one home run that traveled 428 feet, his longest since 2021).
Of all Dodgers hitters since his return, his .971 OPS trails only Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts.
“Just a continuation of making sure I’m keeping a good approach, dictated by the situation,” Edman said after a four-hit, four-RBI game Tuesday. “I just feel like I’ve been pretty consistent this far.”
That has also been true of Edman’s switch-hitting abilities, as he’s hit better than .350 from both sides of the plate.
In Edman’s first couple seasons with the Dodgers, his left-handed swing had been noticeably weaker. But so far this year, he’s gone 10-for-27 from that side of the plate.
“I feel like this is kind of one of the rare times where both swings feel good, both from the right and left,” he said. “It’s really tough to maintain both swings over the course of the season, so just happy that I feel that way right now.”
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Emmet Sheehan (5 innings, 1 run, 5 strikeouts in win vs. Padres; 4-5, 5.08 ERA on season)
The third-year right-hander not only reaffirmed his place in the Dodgers’ starting rotation with a strong outing in San Diego last weekend, but more importantly, he might have unlocked a new pitch.
After working with assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness on a new curveball grip in a pair of between-starts bullpen sessions, Sheehan showcased the changes effectively while navigating what was arguably his best start in months.
The new version of the pitch was harder (averaging 79.3 mph compared with 76.8 mph before) and had a little less drop (5 inches fewer, to be precise, according to MLB’s Baseball Savant data).
The result was a breaking ball that was easier to keep in the zone and tougher for opposing hitters to lay off.
Even while throwing it over the plate more than 70% of the time, Sheehan got six whiffs off nine swings against the pitch (a dramatic shift from the 28% whiff rate it had been inducing this season), and only one ball was put in play against it.
“I think trying to change speeds and make them respect stuff in zone that’s not the fastball is really important,” Sheehan said.
Maybe it’s the thing that will help him turn his previously disappointing season around.
PROSPECT OF THE WEEK
Eduardo Quintero (.294 average, five home runs, 37 RBIs, .834 OPS this year in High-A Great Lakes)
The Dodgers’ reigning Minor League Player of the Year got off to a slow start following an offseason promotion to High-A, hitting just .195 in April.
Ever since then, though, Quintero has rediscovered his scorching form from last season, hitting .372 with a .941 OPS in May and .333 with a 1.011 OPS in June. Those latter stats were boosted by three home runs, including his first career grand slam earlier this week.
Eduardo Quintero (@Dodgers) launches the first grand slam of his career
(Where we speculate about potential future Dodgersacquisitions — sometimes far-fetched, sometimes not)
Sonny Gray, Red Sox (ETA: August)
Tyler Glasnow has started throwing again, but the deliberate pace of his recovery remains disconcerting. Glasnow has already missed nearly two months with back problems.
The Dodgers were fortunate to have their four best starting pitchers healthy for the postseason last year, but there’s no guarantee that will be the case again. Unless the team is comfortable with Roki Sasaki or Justin Wrobleski starting games in October, it should monitor the market for starters.
The Tigers’ Tarik Skubal is the grand prize of this trade market, but the cost for him will be extremely high. Gray, 9-1 with a 2.69 ERA, is a potential alternative. Gray’s contract includes a $30 million mutual option for next year that features a $10 million buyout. That added cost would force the Red Sox to ask for less in return since just getting his deal off the books would count as a victory for them. As far as the free-spending Dodgers are concerned, it’s just money.
