ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 22: Bo Bichette #19 of the New York Mets at bat during a game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on September 22, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mets lineup
Francisco Lindor – SS
Juan Soto – DH
Bo Bichette – 3B
Mark Vientos – 1B
Carson Benge – RF
Marcus Semien – 2B
Francisco Alvarez – C
A.J. Ewing – CF
Nick Morabito – LF
Nolan McLean – RHP
Rangers lineup
Wyatt Langford – LF
Corey Seager – SS
Josh Jung – DH
Brandon Nimmo – RF
Ezequiel Duran – 3B
Jake Burger – 1B
Nicky Lopez – 2B
Danny Jansen – C
Evan Carter – CF
Cody Bradford – LHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 8:05pm EDT TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
Erick Fedde has been the Sox’s steadiest arm lately. Tonight, they’ll need him to carry the load after Bryan Hudson’s opening stint. | (David Berding/Getty Images)
The White Sox scored 14 runs Tuesday night, so hopefully there’s still a little gas left in the tank. A little less drama on the pitching side would be nice, too. Trevor Richards and Luis Castillo combined to give up seven runs over two innings in the 14-11 victory. Yikes.
That win, paired with a Texas Rangers loss, put the Sox one step from October. If Chicago wins tonight and Texas loses again, the South Siders will clinch a playoff berth. Cleveland’s win over Boston kept the Sox one game back in the AL Central, so there’s still plenty at stake beyond punching their ticket.
Bryan Hudson will open for Chicago before handing the ball to Erick Fedde for the bulk of the innings. This will be the southpaw’s ninth appearance as an opener, a role he’s handled well all season. In 9 2/3 innings, Hudson has a 2.79 ERA and 0.72 WHIP while holding opponents to a .188 average.
Fedde has been the Sox’s most dependable arm over his past seven outings, going 2-2 with a 2.56 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. He allowed one run on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts his last time out, though he fell one out short of completing five innings.
The Sox could use some length from the veteran tonight. Skipper Will Venable had to turn to the arm barn after just four innings from Anthony Kay on Tuesday, and the Royals made sure nobody got too comfortable with Chicago’s early lead. Fedde has completed five innings in three of his last four appearances. If he can cover five or six after Hudson’s opening stint, the rest of the bullpen gets a much more manageable assignment.
Fedde’s breaking pitches rank in the 97th percentile in run value, with his sweeper in the 99th. His changeup sits in the second percentile, while his chase and whiff rates have been low. Getting ahead and leaning on that sweeper would help keep Kansas City from stringing together another long inning.
Seth Lugo starts for the Royals. The righthander is 7-9 with a 5.06 ERA and 1.46 WHIP, but things have been even rougher over his past seven starts: a 7.60 ERA and 1.81 WHIP. Houston got to him for four runs on eight hits over five innings in his last outing. That’s good news for the Pale Hose.
Lugo’s Savant numbers offer the Sox an opening. He ranks in the 11th percentile in expected ERA and the ninth in expected slugging percentage, while his four-seamer and sweeper have both struggled by run value. Chicago put up 14 runs Tuesday. Asking for a few more against Lugo doesn’t feel greedy, does it?
On the offensive side Randal Grichuk, Miguel Vargas and Brenton Doyle have each hit better than .330 over the past seven days, although Vargas is the only one of the three in tonight’s starting lineup. Kyle Teel, Andrew Benintendi and Colson Montgomery have all hit below .200 in that span. They’ll have a chance to turn things around against a pitcher who has had trouble limiting hard contact.
White Sox Lineup
The Royals don’t walk much or hit for a great deal of power, and their -105 run differential reflects a difficult season. Tuesday was a reminder that they can still score in bunches when the pitching gives them the chance. A clean opening from Hudson and a lengthy outing from Fedde would go a long way toward making this one less stressful.
Royals Lineup
First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. CDT at Kauffman Stadium. The game will air on CHSN, with radio coverage on ESPN 1000.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 21, 2026: A closeup view of the New York Yankees logo on a New Era hat prior to a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Atlanta Braves at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
If you decide to wander your eyes during a potential lull in Wednesday night’s matchup against the Rays, or if you want to kill some time waiting for the Yankees to appear in the upcoming Wild Card Series, you might find a fun surprise if you change the channel to CBS.
Yankees Assistant Director of Baseball Operations Mike Pinsky will be making an appearance as a contestant on the 51st season premiere of Survivor. For those who are unaware, the show features contestants from around the US who compete in survival challenges and mastermind social strategy to outwit, outlast, and outplay fellow competitors for 26 days until one person is left standing on a remote island with few supplies.
Pinsky will be representing the Yankees front office on the show, and he might even show off his skills to survive the first night of tribal council, where someone is at risk of getting voted off the island.
The new season airs Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, with approximately 13 episodes in a season. If you’re interested, tune in to see how far he can go!
The Atlanta Braves are taking on the Cincinnati Reds after overcoming a scare yesterday where Ronald Acuña when down when he fouled a ball off of his lower leg. Fortunately, tests came back negative.
Chris Sale is likely making his final start of the regular season in a matchup against Andrew Abbott where we see opposite types of seasons happening. Sale is having one of the best seasons of his career, firmly in line to come in second or third place in Cy Young voting, while Abbott is having the worst season of his four year career.
There is not much to gain or lose in today’s game since the Dodgers have all but secured the second seed, but it is always fun at the end of the season to see which players can pad their stats in hopes of earning some award respect.
Follow along in the comments. First pitch is at 7:15 EDT.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 20: Center fielder Petey Halpin #0 of the Cleveland Guardians misses a fly ball hit by Jonah Heim #15 of the Athletics during the eighth inning at Progressive Field on September 20, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JUNE 25: Seth Lugo #67 of the Kansas City Royals reacts after giving up a home run to Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on June 25, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There was a brief moment for just over two weeks in August when the Royals went 13-2 and looked like they were putting some things together. Since then, they have lost series to the Marlins, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Red Sox, Astros, and then got swept by the Pirates. If they lose tonight, it will be the 7th series loss in a row. Let’s hope the bullpen can find their way back to being some semblance of mediocre, a big step up from lately, and secure a win tonight.
I do like the feel of a lineup with Maikel Garcia moving Salvador Perez down a few spots for next year. If they had one more big right handed bat…
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 27: Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium on August 27, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This late in the season and with no team goal to strive for other than to gain positive momentum heading into the postseason, it’s about the little things for these two division rivals. For this particular Wednesday matchup, the biggest little thing is to follow Gerrit Cole’s work on the mound — especially in how he handles what has become a bit of a home run problem as of late, allowing a whopping eight long balls in his previous three starts.
While it is true that the Rays aren’t what one might describe as a homer-happy team, particularly on the road, it’s not as if Cole’s recent opponents sat anywhere near the top of the HR leaderboards. We’ve come a long way since Cole’s regular-season debut against the Rays, in which he deployed an approach we’ve seldom seen from him since. In that game, Cole relied on a sinker as his second most used pitch to complete six scoreless innings in the Bronx against Tampa.
It’s the third different lineup for the Yankees in as many games in this series, and while that in and of itself isn’t particularly newsworthy, one specific change will jump out. For the first time since his call-up, the Yankees will hit George Lombard Jr. in the second spot in the order — it comes as a reward for Lombard, who has hit safely in seven of his last eight starts.
A while ago we discussed here that even though it wasn’t the ideal scenario, the Yankees might easily find themselves needing to move Lombard up in the order to balance a lineup without Judge. Judge came back and got hurt again, and the Yankees are now trying out this alternative against the right-hander Mason Englert. Much like his opponent on the mound tonight, Englert has also dealt with home run woes in recent starts, allowing five in his last two.
Austin Jones worked first base at Camden Yards on Wednesday. His twin brother, Tyler, worked second. It was the first time the brothers from South Carolina had worked a major league game together. It is the first time identical twins had umpired a major league game.
The drew the opener of a Blue Jays-Orioles doubleheader. Baltimore won 4-2, and the loss knocked Toronto out of the playoff race.
The twins joined Mark Wegner's crew and were expected to umpire the nightcap as well.
The Jones started umpiring in the minors in 2014, when they worked together in the Gulf Coast League, a rookie league in Florida. They hadn't shared a professional field since then. Both spent this season at Triple-A and had been called up the the majors separately.
Austin made his big league debut on July 22, 2024, and then he was behind the plate when then Rangers ace Max Scherzer, who started the first game Wednesday for Toronto, struck out his 3,400th career hitter.
Identical twins Austin and Tyler Jones umpired their first MLB game together today in Baltimore.
They broke in together in the Minors in 2014 and haven't worked on the same field in over ten years! pic.twitter.com/ylZ3bdGbK5
They are the fourth set of brother to umpire in the majors. They join the Welkes, the Hirschbecks and the Jimenezes. Tim and Bill Welke spent four seasons on the same crew.
The Joneses grew up in Summerville, outside of Charleston. Shortly before they turned 15, a friend told them Summerville Little League needed umpires.
“One of our buddies said, ‘Hey, we’ve got like six umpires for the league this season. If you guys are interested, why don’t you start?’ At the time, we were obsessed with baseball. We couldn’t get enough of it. So, we signed up and covered all four divisions of play,” Austin told Little League.org.
They continued playing baseball through Fort Dorchester High School. Ronnie Saylor, their coach there, called them "cerebral players."
Tyler got his call less than a year after Austin, while he was in Columbus, Ohio. He drove to St. Louis and worked both games of a Cardinals-Mets doubleheader on May 4, 2025.
The Yankees lost a big piece in their bullpen this season when Fernando Cruz was placed on the IL with right elbow discomfort in late August.
It was later revealed that the 36-year-old suffered a partially torn UCL, putting the right-hander's season in jeopardy.
However, Cruz has worked to potentially be an option for the Yankees as they get ready for the postseason. Manager Aaron Boone said earlier Wednesday on Talkin' Yanks that Cruz was doing "pretty well."
Cruz told the media prior to Wednesday's game with the Rays that he had thrown a bullpen a few days ago and is getting ready to throw another one on Thursday in hopes that he can pitch this season.
"That's what we're shooting for. I mean, I'm just getting myself in a position to be healthy and those decisions... I leave that to my bosses," Cruz said. "I'm just focusing on getting healthy and getting 100 percent again, and working my way back."
Cruz said he threw all four of his pitches in his bullpen, but was being "conservative" in terms of intensity. He doesn't feel pain in his elbow outside of the normal soreness when you haven't pitched in a few weeks.
The right-hander said he's 100 percent ruling out surgery at this time, and refused to "accept" that he has a partially torn UCL a few times when speaking.
"I'm not gonna accept that," he said. "I'm not gonna say, I'm having a partial tear. I'm not gonna accept it. I had a real good inflammation, real stiffness and irritation, and people can say it's a partial tear, but in my heart, it's not a partial."
Despite the risks of a full-blown rupture, Cruz chooses to lean on his faith that he'll be able to pitch without surgery. Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka famously pitched through a partial tear and went years without getting surgery.
So there's precedent, and if Cruz could return, it could be a boost to the Yankees bullpen. Cruz was a workhorse for the team, pitching to a 3.13 ERA in 61 appearances.
However, Boone didn't want to get too ahead of himself until they get through the end of the regular season.
"I don't know [if Cruz is an option]. I don't want to speak out of turn there," Boone said. "Those are conversations as we get to the end of the weekend of who's a viable option, and who’s not."
Cruz said that in his mind, he can return in a couple of weeks, but that's not his decision. He's just getting himself ready for the chance to help the team.
"I'm just getting ready for it," Cruz said. "I'm just getting in the position to be there for my guys and perform the way I perform."
Cruz later added, "I'm gonna go through it. I'm gonna beat this."
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Michael King #34 of the San Diego Padres looks on from the mound after giving up a two-RBI single to Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning at Dodger Stadium on September 22, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This was a tough one. The San Diego Padres, despite being the hottest team in MLB, feel to the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in their series opener on Tuesday night. The Friars didn’t score a single run against L.A., and starter Michael King went just four innings after having command issues. He surrendered five runs in one of his worst starts of the season.
Still, the offense did nothing to pick him up. The Friars struck out (10) more times than they got on base (5 H, 2 BB). It was a rough night for San Diego, who failed to make up ground over the Chicago Cubs after they fell in extra innings to the Miami Marlins. After the Philadelphia Phillies won on Tuesday, the three teams moved back into a three-way tie for the top NL Wild Card spot. The Padres’ could still clinch with a win tonight over L.A. and an Arizona Diamondbacks loss.
Taking the mound
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) v. Robbie Ray (SD)
Yamamoto has had an incredible season for Los Angeles. Since debuting in 2024, the righty has yet to post an ERA over 3.00. He’s been electric since making the move from Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) to MLB. This year, Yamamoto owns a 2.51 ERA with a minuscule 0.87 WHIP through 179 innings.
It’s been even tougher to score against him lately. In his last seven starts, Yamamoto owns a 1.79 ERA with 57 strikeouts (45.1 IP). He’s worse into the seventh inning in five consecutive starts and has pitched a full seven innings in all of his last three. San Diego will need to turn the tables on Yamamoto quickly, or they’ll lose their final road series of the season before they know what hit them.
Prior to joining the Padres at the Trade Deadline, Ray had surged this season. In his age-34 campaign, the veteran lefty posted a 3.08 ERA for the San Francisco Giants before being shopped. Since joining San Diego, Ray owns a dismal 5.22 ERA in eight starts (39.2 IP).
Most of that damage came in three of his starts. In the other six, Ray has surrendered three or less runs. Command issues have plagued him lately. He’s given up 10 walks and 13 runs in his last three starts. The Padres will need a bounce back performance from the left-hander in order to clinch a playoff spot tonight.
Batter up!
The only productive batter for San Diego last night was, arguably, Luis Campusano. The backstop went 2-for-4 at the plate. That said, the Friars didn’t have many opportunities in the first place. Only two runners reached scoring position in the bullpen game. It was difficult for San Diego to find any kind of groove at the plate with the Dodgers switching pitchers ever inning.
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Dustin Harris, LF
Manny Machado, 3B
Ty France, 1B
Jackson Merrill, CF
Luis Campusano, DH
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Freddy Fermin, C
The offense has been ridiculously hot lately. Last night was the first time in exactly four weeks since San Diego was last shut out (8/25 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates). Since that day, the Padres have averaged 5.39 runs per game in what was an insane hot streak. Hopefully, that spark isn’t fully gone, but it departed a bit in Game 1 last night.
Relief corps
Thankfully, despite King’s rough start, the bullpen is not depleted for Game 2 tonight. Wandy Peralta and Griffin Canning each covered two valuable innings of work. They each surrendered a run on solo homers, striking out three batters along the way. That coverage allows San Diego to be creative tonight if Ray struggles.
Kyle Hart, Yuki Matsui, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, David Morgan, Bradgley Rodriguez and Randy Vásquez are all available tonight. It’s been reported that Jason Adam could rejoin the group ahead of Wednesday, which would mean one pitcher would need to be sent down. It’s likely that that member would be Morgan, though it could just as easily be Canning or Hart.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 7: Matthew Liberatore #52 of the St. Louis Cardinals in action during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 7, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will do battle with the Bucs again at PNC Park Wednesday night. Matthew Liberatore is the scheduled starter for the Cardinals Wednesday night while the Pirates have announced RHP Lake Bachar as their starter. First pitch is scheduled for 5:40pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv.
Sep 19, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) works out on the field prior to the game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers on Wednesday activated Shohei Ohtani off the injured list on his first day eligible to return after the minimum 15 days on the sideline with right biceps inflammation. Josue De Paula was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
The plan is for Ohtani to be the designated hitter for the remaining five games of the regular season, to get him back in the swing of things at the plate. An accumulation of injuries ate into a very productive season for the four-time MVP. Left knee inflammation prevented Ohtani from pitching after July 3, and the right biceps injury started showing signs at the plate as well.
Ohtani last homered on August 18, part of a stretch of three home runs in two days at Coors Field. On that date, Ohtani was hitting .294/.390/.558 with a 153 wRC+, leading the National League in slugging percentage and OPS, and a close second to Pete Crow-Armstrong (155) in wRC+.
But in 13 games since, Ohtani had just six hits in 49 at-bats (.122/.295/.184) with 21 strikeouts and 10 walks. The Dodgers tried avoiding the IL, giving Ohtani four days off before returning on September 7, when he was hitless in three at-bats plus a walk, but aggravated the right biceps injury on a swing. That was the last straw that finally landed Ohtani on the injured list for extended rest.
“When he’s activated, he’s going to be in the best physical place he’s been in quite some time,” manager Dave Roberts said over the weekend, than on Tuesday added, “I would say if he was a five, he’s probably an eight or nine right now.”
Ohtani on the shelf opened a door for De Paula, the Dodgers’ top prospect, to get called up directly from Double-A. The Dodgers were hesitant to give De Paula playing time in the corner outfield, sticking with Teoscar Hernández and Kyle Tucker, who have each thrived in September. But with designated hitter open, De Paula had a chance to play every day, and he seized the opportunity.
De Paula has reached base in half of his 42 plate appearances, hitting .323/.500/.581 with three doubles, a triple, and a home run in his 11 games, and he has 11 walks against only five strikeouts.
“I think Josue has done a fantastic job,” Roberts said Tuesday.
Sending De Paula down to the minors means he won’t play in any of the Dodgers’ final five regular season games, but it doesn’t prevent him from making the postseason roster. De Paula needs to be on optional assignment for at least 10 days, a clock that does not stop for teams in the postseason. Getting sent down on Wednesday means his first day eligible to return is Saturday, October 3, which is the day of Game 1 of the National League Division Series.
He’s in a battle with Dalton Rushing for the left-handed bat off the bench, and De Paula has the built-in advantages that Rushing can’t really play in the field with the partially torn UCL in his right elbow, and that Rushing has been sidelined for two and a half weeks on the injured list.
“To be quite frank, it’s going to be tougher for Dalton given the time he’s missed, and to think that you have [three] games to get back into playoff form, it’s tough to do,” Roberts said Tuesday. “It’s not a knock on him, he’s been great for us, but it’s still tough, right, Given that we talk about having the consistency of at-bats recently from Josue. But we have to have those conversations and make a decision.”
Sep 1, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Kyle Hurt (63) pitches during the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers on Wednesday activated Tarik Skubal after the minimum three days on the bereavement list, and optioned Kyle Hurt to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
In 44 games with the Dodgers this season, Hurt has a 4.14 ERA and 3.76 xERA with 58 strikeouts and 23 walks in 45 2/3 innings. The 28-year-old right-hander recorded his first career save on May 27 against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 01: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Houston Rockets during the fourth quarter in Game Six of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Toyota Center on May 01, 2026 in Houston, 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 Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to our Lakers Season Preview Series! For the next several weeks, we’ll be writing columns every weekday breaking down the biggest questions we have about every player the Lakers added this offseason. Today, we look at Austin Reaves.
Last year was a bit of a convergence season for Austin Reaves and the Lakers, where his pursuit of a new contract, his ever-expanding role and his continued upward development were all on a collision course to determine what his future on the only franchise he’d ever known would be.
The fact that Reaves thrived when he was available to play and was ultimately rewarded handsomely with a lucrative new contract that pays him (essentially) his maximum allowable salary, should not be a surprise. The Lakers see Reaves as one of their true success stories: a player plucked from the world of undrafted free agents and developed into a high level contributor. There’s institutional value that comes from that beyond what he produces on the court.
But it is that tangible improvement he’s shown every season and is baked into the story of Reaves’ NBA life that the Lakers are also paying for. Reaves went from a converted two-way contract as a rookie who only saw the court because of his hustle, connective instincts and competitive nature on defense to, in every ensuing season, adding more responsibility and production offensively to the point that, this past year, he was slotted above LeBron James in the pecking order.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – MARCH 19: Austin Reaves #15 and LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers speak during the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center on March 19, 2026 in Miami, Florida. 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 Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
That Reaves has done all this while never completely losing sight of his role-player roots is what makes him a cultural touchstone for head coach JJ Redick and a leader as the now longest tenured Laker on the roster. That his talent, particularly on offense, has placed him as the second banana to Luka Dončić is why he’s ultimately paid what he is. But it’s the complete picture of him as a player and presence off the court that made the Lakers decision to go all the way up in salary the way they did this past summer such an easy decision.
Make no mistake, though, the deal Reaves is on now is not just about the player he is, but the one the Lakers project him to be. Reaves just turned 28 and may be squarely in his prime, but the team is paying him to continue to improve, to continue to refine and smooth out the edges of his game and build on the foundation he laid down last season as someone who is able to scale up in usage and responsibility to increase his production while maintaining efficiency.
It may sound reductive, but at least part of Reaves’ job now is justifying the investment the Lakers made in him. If he does, the team will be better off and (very likely) win as a result. If he doesn’t, not only will the opposite be true, but Reaves will find himself in the crosshairs in a way that he never has been before.
That’s the reality of being on the contract he is now. The Lakers hope, though, it won’t come to that. And history says they have reason to be confident.
What is his best-case scenario?
In October and November of last season, Austin Reaves played in 16 of the Lakers’ 19 games and averaged 28.8 points, 6.8 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 52.2% from the field, 36.1% from behind the arc and 87.9% from the foul line on 7.4 attempts per night.
Of the 16 games that Austin appeared in, Luka Dončić played in 13 of them while LeBron James played in only four. That said, the Lakers went 13-3 in those contests and Reaves looked like one of the better players in the entire NBA while being discussed as an early All-Star and All-NBA candidate.
If looking for a best-case outcome for what Reaves can be this upcoming season, one only look at this stretch of the year where, without LeBron for most of the games and without Luka for a few more, Austin was clearly the team’s second option and was part of a team where every other player on the roster was put in a position to support the strengths of him and Luka.
Said another way, this stretch was about as close to the role Reaves will be asked to fill this season. Yes, the supporting cast has changed and there’s been a bit of an uptick in the usage of some of the role players with Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton all capable of being on-ball creators who can absorb possessions when needed. But, the fact remains that Austin will still be clearly slotted into the second shot creator role and will not have a third star like last season who he will not only split duties with but, based on their history as partners, will sometimes defer to in ways that minimize his own role.
So, while I can go on and on about a projection of how Reaves’ game can translate to what he’ll be asked to do this season and project the highest end of what that can be, it’s much easier to go back and watch clips from when he was put into this exact situation and looked like one of the top shot creating guards in the league.
What is his worst-case scenario?
Any worst-case outcome for Reaves almost certainly involves his health not cooperating and him missing significant chunks of the season. Which, if we’re being honest, should be at least a slight concern for the Lakers.
Last season, I do not think it’s a coincidence that in the campaign when he was asked to carry the biggest shot-creation burden of his career, he suffered two soft tissue injuries, first a calf strain in December and then an oblique strain in April. Maybe it was just bad luck, but playing the style and minutes he did last season was simply a much heavier load on his body and I think it’s only fair to wonder, when projecting him into a similar workload this year, those same rigors could end up costing him time.
And if injuries did crop back in, it’s not just that Austin’s availability would be impacted, but it’s all the ways that an injury and missing time impact a player’s rhythm, with ramp-ups and getting back into game shape or the right physical condition shaving away at your overall effectiveness on any given night. Something that would only be exacerbated without that third high-level shot creator no longer there to lean on or burden share with.
Beyond the injuries, however, there’s a chance Austin’s growth and development stagnates or, in some ways, even goes backward. Or, if that feels too strong, where certain parts of his game just do not work to the same degree they did last season. Austin is a very talented player, of course, but because he’s not an overwhelming athlete, he often needs all facets of his game to be working in unison to give him access to all the counters and misdirection that can make his game truly sing.
There’s a world, then, where multiple small things combine to lessen his game in what end up being significant ways. Let’s say he doesn’t shoot the three ball as well, especially off the dribble. Or maybe he doesn’t get as favorable a whistle. Or that his mid-range jumper doesn’t fall to the same degree it has in the past. Or maybe he doesn’t find the right chemistry in the pick and roll with Walker Kessler and their timing doesn’t quite sync up in the same ways it has with other players in the past.
If even two of these things happen for any extended stretch during the year, maybe he has a harder time getting to the rim. And when he does get there, he draws fewer fouls and it all sort of cascades to turn him into a lower-volume scorer who isn’t as efficient as he typically is. Combine this with a bigger bullseye on him and more expectations and there’s a scenario where Reaves is suddenly looked at as not the player the Lakers believed him to be, but on a huge max-level deal that is underwater in the trade market.
Now, do I envision this being likely? No, I don’t. But I also don’t think any of these things are totally out of the realm of possibility either.
What is his most likely role on the team?
There’s no question that with LeBron now gone and a remade roster to begin this new era of Lakers basketball, Reaves will take his place as the second most important player behind Dončić, both as an on-court talent whose production is needed for the team to play at its best and as a leader within the organization whose steadiness, general competitiveness, and approach to the work will serve as a standard bearer within the organization.
Further, there’s a strong likelihood that for half his minutes this year (and maybe more), he’ll be the best Laker on the court and will carry a burden and responsibility of shot creation and stewardship of the team’s entire offense that mirrors what Luka provides whenever he’s in the game. And while Austin did some of that this past season, after that first stretch of the year and a few games in March, he always had LeBron there as a release valve and someone to burden share with when Luka was not in the game.
Whether Reaves is up for this sort of challenge, particularly in the playoffs, remains to be seen. But the Lakers are betting on him being ready — and betting big. And if Austin delivers, it will simply be more proof that he’s exactly the player who they’ve continued to give more and more responsibility to since he entered the league. And to be fair to both sides, he has not let them down yet.
The Houston Rockets kicked off their 2026-2027 NBA season on Tuesday with their annual Media Day. Every season, it gives NBA fans and media a chance to see what players have improved this summer, what they’ve rehabbed from injuries, and what they expect for the upcoming season.
For the Rockets, the top topic was Fred VanVleet’s health. VanVleet missed the entire 2025-2026 season, which played a major role in the Rockets’ struggles. SB Nation asked Ime Udoka about VanVleet’s health, and the coach said he doesn’t expect the veteran point guard to play back-to-backs but is making good progress.
Media Day also gave me a chance to speak with Rocket players from last season, like Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun, as well as the new additions, like Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Media day kicks off the new season and gives everyone a chance to see the players for the first time in several months, but the more important start is training camp.
Training camp kicked off a week earlier than normal for the Rockets, as they will start their season in China with two games against the Dallas Mavericks starting October 7, with the preseason on October 15th and the Rockets’ one home preseason game on October 15. The Rockets began their training camp Wednesday at their training facility in Houston. SB Nation was out at Wednesday practice as Ime Udoka, Fred VanVleet, and Marcus Smart all spoke to the media afterward.
Houston Rockets Training Camp Day 1
The Houston Rockets kicked off day one of training camp with a full workout with all players participating. That included the player most Rockets fans were looking forward to seeing on the court: Fred VanVleet. VanVleet spoke during media day on Tuesday and also after practice Wednesday.
VanVleet spoke about being back on the court, whether he thinks he will play back-to-backs, and what he saw from the bench last season. SB Nation asked VanVleet how both he and Kevin Durant, as veterans, will help them hit the ground running despite not playing together last season.
I asked Fred even though him and Kevin did not play together last season will both of them being vets will make it a lot easier to hit the ground running this season.
“Kevin is probably maybe the greatest plug and play guy y’all find He can play in any system any court any team… pic.twitter.com/5HXMXuAiup
VanVleet also said he doesn’t see each game as a “being back” moment, since it will remain a process all season. Udoka also spoke with the media after practice about the team’s day-one emphasis, what Marcus Smart brings to the Rockets, and how having VanVleet will change their offense.
SB Nation asked Udoka about the change in offense with their veteran point guard back on the court.
“Definitely want to move Kevin around. If teams are going to try and take him out, they can pretty much do that anywhere on the court, but you can put him in some better spots to take advantage of that and avoid some blitzes.”
I asked Ime Udoka with Fred back will we be seeing less Alperen and KD at the top of the key having to initiate the offense.
“Definitely want to move Kevin around if teams are going to try and take him out they can pretty much do that anywhere on the court but you can put him in… pic.twitter.com/rEe7Gn20xZ
Marcus Smart was the last Rocket to speak after day one of training camp, and he talked about working with VanVleet, what the culture is like for the Rockets, and how he fits into that culture.
Here Marcus Smart was asked what he has noticed about the Rockets culture since joining the team.
“Perfect fit it’s a perfect fit.”
BTW Marcus is going to be an interview all star this season In the first two days he has been great. pic.twitter.com/7UjOhUYEgE
The Rockets will practice Thursday again as they continue to ramp up in preparations for their preseason opener on October 9 in Macao, China, against the Dallas Mavericks.
