LA swept the Brewers in four games on its quest to back-to-back World Series titles last year. Now, the Dodgers are looking to beat Milwaukee for a shot at a three-peat.
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) stands on first base against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning in game three of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectMilwaukee Brewers’ Sal Frelick (10) reacts after scoring on a single. AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan
“You got to keep them completely separate… they have more experience. They’re just better,” Betts said.
Betts is certainly accurate in his assessment of Milwaukee, who boasts the best record in baseball. Both the Dodgers and Brewers ended the regular season with a 100 wins, but it’s evident LA isn’t viewing the NLCS as a guaranteed win.
Milwaukee Brewers players celebrate after defeating the San Diego Padres in Game 4 of baseball’s National League Division Series Wednesday. AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan
Both teams are incredibly deep in all facets so the series is bound to come down to the little things. Whichever team is nearest perfection will like be the group representing the NL in the 2026 Fall Classic.
The NLCS is not a David and Goliath situation. It’s two juggernaut baseball teams built completely differently, but both incredibly lethal.
The Chicago Blackhawks lost Frank Nazar for the final couple of minutes in regulation of their loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday night. He was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for an illegal check to the head against forward Bo Horvat.
During the day on Friday, Frank Nazar was offered a phone hearing to determine supplemental discipline. Later on Friday, the verdict was announced. Nazar has been suspended for two games.
Chicago’s Frank Nazar has been suspended for two games for an illegal check to the head against NY Islanders’ Bo Horvat. https://t.co/2NbknT4yX8
The summary of the suspension comes down to the fact that the NHL's Department of Player Safety decided that the main point of contact was the head. Nazar's lack of a fine or suspension in his NHL career played into it being just two games, according to the official video that followed his suspension.
Nazar will now miss Saturday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes, and Tuesday night's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It's a tough set of games for the Blackhawks to be without Nazar, but it's the reality of the situation.
Now, the Hawks are without Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar. That's a large amount of offense out of their lineup. With Teuvo Teravainen likely out again as well, there is a lot of skill on the sideline.
This suspension may force the Blackhawks into a call-up. Dominic Toninato is already up, so Landon Slaggert may be on the next ride to Chicago from the Rockford IceHogs.
The morning skate on Saturday will be a greater hint at what lines look like without Nazar in the mix. What seems to be decent center depth is being tested early in the season, but they just have to tread water for a little while longer until Connor Bedard comes back.
One of Anton Frondell or Roman Kantserov is likely going to center the top line with Patrick Kane. These were going to be hard matchups anyway, and this verdict by the NHL's department of player safety just made them even harder.
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Artificial Intelligence has already infiltrated Major League Baseball.
In a recent appearance on Foul Territory, Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy discussed how teams around the league are utilizing AI to their advantage.
“I think [AI] is becoming way more and more prevalent. I’ve heard of a couple of teams starting to use AI programs,” Muncy said.
Max Muncy #13, Edwin Díaz #3, and Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate defeating the Atlanta Braves. Getty Images
“You plug in pitches and the AI program points differences on where the glove is and hand position. That’s what you have been beginning to see with first and third base coaches.”
The Dodgers don’t appear to be implementing AI into their game strategies, but as technology advances, it’s no surprise professional sports teams have begun to utilize new and improved methods.
A view of the MLB Postseason logo before the game between the San Diego Padres and the Milwaukee Brewers in game three of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectDodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) celebrates after defeating the Atlanta Braves in game four of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Tipping pitches can be especially costly in the postseason, when a team’s season is on the line. The Brewers, who the Dodgers will face in the National League Championship Series starting Sunday, managed to deduce Mason Miller’s breaking ball in Game 2 of the NLDS.
Miller blew the save after Brewers’ Sal Frelick tapped his neck at second base before Jackson Chourio laid off a slider that would have resulted in a strikeout and a Padres win.
Did Milwaukee use AI? That’s the million dollar question.
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CLEVELAND — After coming out of the bullpen Thursday night to get the final three outs, Gavin Williams will start for the Cleveland Guardians in Saturday night’s winner-take-all Game 5 of their AL Division Series against Sean Burke and the Chicago White Sox.
“Gavin wants the ball. We want him to have the ball, and it’s his game,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Friday.
Williams was the eighth Cleveland pitcher used during a 9-5 win in Game 4 at Chicago. He made his first major league relief appearance after All-Star closer Cade Smith got into trouble in the ninth inning when Miguel Vargas homered and Munetaka Murakami drew a walk.
The right-hander threw 18 pitches, allowing one hit and striking out one batter, to nail down the victory and even the best-of-five series at two games apiece.
Williams said he walked by Vogt’s office after the game and told the third-year manager he was ready to go.
“The body feels good right now. I’ve been in the training room all morning, just figuring it out. But it’s just a normal day really,” said Williams, who went 14-8 with a 3.76 ERA during the regular season and led the AL with 248 strikeouts. “I throw a ‘pen on those days and everybody knows it. So there’s nothing different. Just being able to feel the mound in a game situation is even better at that point.”
Williams struck out 11 over five-plus innings during Monday’s 4-3 loss in Game 2. He was the first pitcher in franchise history to whiff five straight batters in a postseason game. He also threw 16 pitches over 100 mph, the fourth-most by an AL pitcher in a playoff game since tracking started in 2008.
The 27-year-old Williams allowed two runs and four hits. He threw 98 pitches, 59 for strikes, but got into trouble by allowing the leadoff hitter to get aboard in the fourth, fifth and sixth. The Guardians had a 2-0 lead before the White Sox rallied with three runs in the sixth to take the lead.
This will be Williams’ sixth start and seventh appearance against the White Sox this season. He is 0-1 with a 3.76 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 11 walks.
“They’re still a hard team to pitch to. There’s nothing really to learn at this point of the season. I know what they’ve got, and they know what I’ve got,” Williams said.
Burke will be making his fifth appearance and third start against Cleveland this year. He is 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA.
The right-hander came in during the third inning of Monday’s game and earned the win. He retired 13 straight batters in one stretch while allowing one run and one hit with six strikeouts overall.
“I think I did a pretty good job of commanding all my stuff in the zone. I think that’s kind of the key with this team. You see the last couple games how they were able to piece together bigger innings when you’re not as sharp with command, or you get behind guys, you walk guys, and then this team kind of thrives,” Burke said.
It is the first time in seven games this postseason the White Sox will go with a traditional starter rather than an opener. Burke said manager Will Venable approached him on Wednesday about that scenario.
“Sean is someone that’s going to play a big role in tomorrow’s game as the bulk guy. As we kind of evaluated the set of guys that we have and that we’ll use tomorrow, it made sense to start him,” Venable said.
It will be all hands on deck for both teams, with the winner heading to Tampa Bay for Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Monday.
Chicago is 9-8 against the Guardians this year, but Cleveland was able to win its third straight AL Central title by one game over the White Sox, which gave the Guardians home-field advantage for this series.
That hasn’t mattered much to this point, though, because the road team has won all four games.
“We would obviously have loved to win Game 3 or 4. There’s been a couple of times that Vogter and I have just looked at each other and laughed because this is just how it goes with these two clubs. And I think it’s a special thing,” Venable said. “If you look at just the story of the battle that we’ve had with these guys throughout this season coming down to that last weekend for the division and then here we are with a Game 5 for a chance to go to the CS, I think it’s fitting two really good clubs that are both just very competitive, really talented, and the heart and soul of the club and identity of the club comes through, and I think it’s been cool to watch that play out in competition throughout the year.”
Ken Griffey Jr. completes a double play in what remains the most exciting moment in White Sox do-or-die history.
The White Sox have played only one max-series playoff game ever: The 6-4 loss to Oakland in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series in 2020. But there are at least three other do-or-die regular season games as well, all having a direct impact on the postseason.
As we head into a very rare beast in the White Sox universe — a do-or die game for the White Sox and their opponent as we’ll have in this year’s ALDS Game 5 — let’s look back on the others in club history.
October 6, 1908 Regular season finale Detroit Tigers 7, Chicago White Sox 0 The White Sox entered their final series of the season back at home, trailing first-place Detroit by 2 ½ games. So on the White Sox side, this was three straight do-or-die games (and, technically, their 3-2 win at Cleveland in their final road game of the year was do-or-die for the Pale Hose as well).
A 3-1 win in the Sunday opener of the series saw the White Sox strike for three in the first inning, and starter Doc White did the rest, holding Detroit to five hits in the complete-game win. The South Siders in fact struck just two hits in the game, but with no play-by-play data it’s hard to figure out how and why runs scored. Left fielder Patsy Daughterty had one of the team’s two hits, one of the two RBIs, and three steals to torment the Tigers. Despite the 15,000 capacity of the West Side Grounds, 26,000 fans were counted as in attendance for the game.
On Monday, the White Sox offense was much more robust, pounding out 11 hits in a 6-1 win that would make the season finale a nail biter for both teams. The 5-7 spots in the order (second baseman George Davis, shortstop Freddy Parent, catcher Billy Sullivan,) all had two hits apiece and drove home four of the team’s six runs. The Pale Hose staked Big Ed Walsh to a 5-0 lead by the fifth and the Chicago ace did the rest, striking out nine against one walk and four hits en route to his 40th win of the season. The White Sox were now just a half-game from a pennant and closer to first place than any day since June 24, with the title boiling down to the season’s final day.
On Tuesday, White was selected to go on two days’ rest and could face just four batters, touched for three hits and two runs with just a K to his name; next in was Walsh on one day’s rest, and he fared little better: five hits and three runs in 3 2/3 innings. Coupled with that was the death of the Chicago bats, who mustered just two singles, and desiccation of its leather, piling up SIX errors in the game.
And yes, the Chicago Cubs had clinched the National League pennant, so the baseball world was one game from a second all-Chicago World Series in three years. Detroit went on to roll over to the Cubs in the Fall Classic in just five games.
September 30, 2008 Game 163 Tiebreaker Chicago White Sox 1, Minnesota Twins 0 Nearly a century later on the dot came the second time the White Sox saw their postseason hopes come down to the final day of the season, and just like the club of 1oo years previous it took a succession of wins to even reach a do-or-die game.
The White Sox had spent the vast majority of the season in first place, although never by more than six games. Over the course of the season the rival Twins had caught them, and even passed, several times over the course of the year. But just as the White Sox were enjoying their longest stranglehold on first of the year, three weeks comprising almost all of September, the Pirhañas struck back one last time — and perhaps with a fatal blow: A 7-6 win in 10 innings at the Twinkiedome had put Minny back in first with just three games to play (the White Sox had four remaining). Making matters worse, the White Sox dropped their next two contests, at home, vs. Cleveland. In what was becoming a race to the bottom, the Twins had also lost their next two games, keeping their lead wafer-thin, at a half-game.
Minnesota had one game left to play, a Sunday finale hosting Kansas City, an easy 6-0 win. The White Sox countered with a 5-1 win over Cleveland behind Mark Buehrle, forcing a makeup of a rain-postponed game from September 13, hosting Detroit. Game 162 for the White Sox was a hairy one, as former hero Freddy García faced his former mates and largely shut them down on two hits and one walk over a scoreless five innings. But the White Sox opened the sixth with a walk and stolen base from DeWayne Wise, running García from the game. Armando Galarraga wild-pitched Wise to third, and then to home, slicing Detroit’s lead in half, at 2-1. Three straight walks had packed the sacks, and on the first pitch from reliever Gary Glover, Alexei Ramírez did this:
It was a rookie record fourth grand slam for Ramírez, who also tied Albert Belle for the most grand slams in a season by a White Sox player. It was a fatal blow for the Tigers, and the White Sox pocketed win No. 88 on the season, 8-2.
Minnesota, forced into a tiebreaker game by the pesky White Sox, came to Sox Park for a do-or-die game for both teams, and it was a classic — the very first Blackout Game. John Danks was masterful over eight innings, yielding two hits and helped by an all-time great White Sox moment, as Ken Griffey Jr. gunned down Michael Cuddyer at home plate to end the fifth inning a scoreless tie:
Two innings later, Jim Thome led off the seventh inning with one of the best combinations of high-leverage and long distance in White Sox history:
The 1-0 lead held up, and the White Sox were postseason-bound after becoming the first and only team in major league history to win three straight games against three different opponents, regardless of the time of season or circumstance.
Michael Kenny recounted the game in 2018 in his 2008 White Sox retrospective for South Side Sox. The Cheat had the in-the-moment coverage for us in 2008, but sadly those stories (written in html code boxes?) are now just comprised of a few photographs.
October 1, 2020 Game 3, AL Wild Card Series Oakland A’s 6, Chicago White Sox 4 On the heels of a late collapse during the pandemic season that saw the White Sox drop from first place to a first-round road assignment in the space of five days thanks to four losses in five games, the White Sox had rebounded nicely with a 4-1 win in Game at Oakland thanks to Lucas Giolito going six perfect innings to start the game, and seven strong. The A’s jumped on Dallas Keuchel early in Game 2 and held on for a 5-3 win, which forced the only do-or-die playoff game for both teams over the first 120 years of White Sox baseball.
In a game that saw the White Sox use nine pitchers and Oakland eight, the A’s advanced, 6-4, rallying from down 3-0 in the third.
The resulting outrage over Renteria’s pitching deployment in the game, punctuated by his hunched posture in the dugout during the game, was said to be the cause of his firing; I have long suspected Renteria was dismissed because he wasn’t willing to be demoted to bench coach to allow Tony La Russa to cosplay as a big-league manager one more time.
With only one postseason do-or-die in 126 years of White Sox baseball, a win on Saturday in Cleveland will even the ledger at 1-1. It’s a tall order, and the similarities to 2020 (relative collapse down the stretch, completely taxed arms) are daunting. But Game 5 will be played, and the game starts 0-0 and runs nine innings. Let’s see how it plays out.
(Photo illustration by Tate Rudisill / Los Angeles Times; photos by Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times, Meg Oliphant / Getty Images, Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers entered the postseason with the best rotation of any team on paper, led by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who proved to be practically superhuman in the World Series last year.
However, with Blake Snell tweaking his right groin muscle in his penultimate regular-season start, Tyler Glasnow pitching better after a rough patch in early September and Tarik Skubal experiencing his first Dodgers playoff run, some questions remained unanswered.
Then the group gave up just four runs, one from each pitcher, during their National League Division Series win over the Atlanta Braves. Their collective 1.69 ERA was second in the postseason to only the Tampa Bay Rays (1.65 ERA), who swept the Yankees in the American League Division Series.
“We locked in and did a pretty good job,” Glasnow said Friday. “All of us together are so close. We root each other on, we help each other throughout the week.”
In the Dodgers’ quest for a third straight World Series title, the rotation is going to have to serve as the backbone.
“It certainly makes life easier for the team, the bullpen, if the starters are good,” said manager Dave Roberts during a conference call. “I think we’ve got the best rotation top to bottom in baseball, and it’s nice to be able to reset the rotation and get these guys going. And obviously, it gives a chance to also minimize certain looks from our guys out of the ‘pen.”
Skubal is set to start Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. By ending the NLDS in four games, the Dodgers avoided having to pitch Skubal in a Game 5, making it simpler to line up the rotation. Skubal should be available for a potential Game 5, on regular rest.
The Dodgers were thinking about the NLCS when they decided to pitch Yamamoto in Game 3 against the Braves instead of Game 1. So, he’s lined up to pitch in Game 2 and 6 of the NLCS.
“From there, we’re just going to keep talking through it,” Roberts said.
The Dodgers have shown promising signs in other areas. They hit two home runs off Braves ace Chris Sale and forced him to hand the ball over after five innings in Game 3. The back end of the bullpen settled into a rhythm with Tanner Scott serving as the setup man and Edwin Díaz reestablishing himself as the closer.
The success, however, started with the rotation.
“They did what they had to do,” Kiké Hernández said. “They kept us in games when we weren’t scoring. Not surprised.”
The Dodgers lost Game 2 after Snell exited with two outs in the fourth inning. It was the shortest outing of any of the Dodgers’ starters, but he still held the Braves to one run.
Snell, however, was coming off a disjointed pitching schedule because of the injury. With his postseason experience, he could settle into a better rhythm as the playoffs continue.
Blake Snell delivers for the Dodgers in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves on Oct. 4 at Dodger Stadium. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Glasnow didn’t quite make it through the fifth inning in Game 4, exiting with two outs. But with runs at a premium, and more off days built into the postseason, shorter starts are common. Glasnow’s five walks drove up his pitch count, but he gave up only one hit.
In Game 1, Skubal gave the Dodgers exactly what they hoped for when they acquired him at the trade deadline. He limited the Braves to two hits over six innings.
“I’ve executed every pitch that I throw thousands of times,” Skubal said after his start. “So just trust that, trust the work that you put in. It sounds simple to try and live one pitch at a time, but I think it’s pretty difficult given [the] circumstances.”
Yamamoto raised the bar even higher: seven innings of one-run ball. His 10 strikeouts were a playoff career high.
Yamamoto also made it clear that, like last year, he would be willing to pitch out of the bullpen or on short rest if needed.
“I’m going to get myself ready for any situation,” he said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda this week. “If they want me to go out, then I go out. But for me, just those are key things for me. Postseason is just focusing on the game right in front of me.”
The Dodgers, planning on a deep run, didn’t tax their starting pitchers heavily in their first round. That gives them the option to lean on the rotation even more against the Brewers.
“We’re all kind of in the prime of our careers, and we’re all evolving and continuing to get better and grow,” Snell said last weekend. “I think the coolest part about the whole group that no one gets to see is really how much we talk about pitching. It’s very unique. It doesn’t happen everywhere. For all of us to kind of be pushing for each other to be great, it’s a really cool starting staff to be a part of.”
Roster decision
The Dodgers plan to carry a roster of 13 pitchers and 13 position players in the NLCS, Roberts said, one more pitcher and one fewer position player than last round.
In the NLDS, the Dodgers left left-handed relievers Justin Wrobleski and Jack Dreyer off the roster. They carried rookie pinch-hitter Josue De Paula and pinch-runner/utility player Hyeseong Kim.
It remains to be seen if Miguel Rojas will be part of the roster. Rojas tweaked his back in Game 3 when his feet slid out from under him in the slick grass in shallow right field as he made an on-target throw to first base. He left the game in the middle of his next at-bat, aggravating the injury on a swing. He did not play in Game 4.
“Today was encouraging,” Roberts said. “He had imaging, and a lot of it was kind of stuff that he has had prior history. So, we’ve still got a flight to get on. See how he comes in tomorrow for the workout there. So there’s nothing definitive. But I will say today was a step in the right direction. He took ground balls and took a couple rounds of [batting practice]. So that was good to see.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Rangers’ season flashed before everyone’s eyes in one swift motion.
Goalie Igor Shesterkin fell flat on the ice after scrambling to get back in the crease while the Rangers defended the Capitals’ power play during the second period Friday night at Capital One Arena.
Igor Shesterkin was helped off the ice and to the locker room after suffering an apparent injury
The star Russian netminder, who has been electric to start the season, slammed his right leg against the post while skating back into the crease to defend the play in front of him.
His leg appeared to bend back awkwardly during the sequence.
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, third from right, is helped to the bench after being injured during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Washington. AP Photo/Nick WassNew York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) leaves an NHL hockey game after he was injured during the second period against the Washington Capitals, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Washington. AP Photo/Nick Wass
Without putting any weight on his right leg, Shesterkin had to be assisted off the ice.
The Rangers were tied 1-1 with the Capitals at the time of the incident.
WASHINGTON (AP) — New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin was helped off the ice with a right leg injury Friday night after an awkward fall into his own net against the Washington Capitals.
Shesterkin came well out of his crease to challenge a shooter midway through the second period and fell as he scrambled back to the net. The 30-year-old Russian jammed his right skate into the right post as he slid back into the crease and collapsed into the net in pain.
Shesterkin stayed down for several minutes holding his right knee as he received medical attention. He did not put any weight on his right leg as he was helped off the ice by teammates.
“It's awful, you know? He's a pillar of this team. It stinks," Rangers captain J.T. Miller said following a 3-1 loss to the Capitals. "Obviously, it's young. We don't even know what's going on. But to see him leave the game is a shock to all of us. But at the same time it means we've got to step up to a man to try to get the job done.”
The team didn't provide any specific details about Shesterkin's condition.
"It's concerning, obviously," coach Mike Sullivan said after his team's four-game winning streak was snapped. “He's an elite goaltender and you never want to see anyone get hurt. Obviously, he's an important player for us.”
The 2022 Vezina Trophy winner missed a month last season with a lower-body injury, contributing to the Rangers finishing last in the Eastern Conference.
Shesterkin was off to a strong start this season with a 3-1 record and 1.76 goals-against average. Last week, he became the first Rangers goalie to score a goal when he lofted the puck the length of the ice into an empty net late in New York’s home opener against Tampa Bay at Madison Square Garden.
“We're not going to let that take the wind out of our sails,” Miller said about Shesterkin's injury. “We love the way we're playing most of the time.”
Shesterkin stopped 13 of 14 shots and left with the score tied 1-all. He was replaced by 24-year-old backup Dylan Garand, who gave up the go-ahead goal late in the second but finished with 11 saves on 12 shots.
It was the fifth NHL appearance and second this season for Garand, recalled last week from Hartford of the American Hockey League after clearing waivers. Garand made 22 saves in a 2-0 shutout at Detroit last Friday with the Rangers playing their second game in two nights.
Garand went 2-0-1 with a 1.62 goals-against average and .948 save percentage in three starts for the Rangers last season.
New York acquired veteran goaltender Joonas Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins last summer to be Shesterkin’s backup. But the 32-year-old Finn was placed on injured reserve last week and was week to week with a lower-body injury.
There was a silver lining to Australia’s shock decision to recall Nic Maddinson and promote him to the top of the order for the first Test against South Africa.
For now, though, they are hopeful that injured veteran infielder Miguel Rojas won’t have to be the casualty.
Miguel Rojas of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates defeating the Atlanta Braves in game four of the National League Division Series at Truist Park in Atlanta on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. Getty Images
However, during a video conference with reporters on Friday, Roberts said Rojas is feeling better and took “a step in the right direction” during a team workout at Dodger Stadium.
“Today was encouraging,” Roberts said. “He took ground balls and took a couple rounds of BP. So that was good to see.”
Roberts emphasized that there is “nothing definitive” yet on Rojas’ status for the best-of-seven matchup against the Brewers, with the team waiting to see how he comes through another workout on Saturday after it travels to Milwaukee ahead of Game 1.
“We’ve just got to be certain that if we do have him on [the roster], he can stay healthy,” Roberts said, wary of the possibility of having to remove Rojas from the roster mid-series because of his injury, which would leave him ineligible for a potential World Series under MLB’s playoff roster rules.
But, Roberts also noted that an MRI revealed no new injury in Rojas’ back — just “stuff that he has had prior history” with — and reiterated that he was “encouraged, again, with what I saw today.”
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, right, talks with umpire James Hoye after Miguel Rojas left the game with an unknown injury during the eighth inning in Game 3 of baseball’s National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, in Atlanta. AP Photo/Mike Stewart
If Rojas is good to go, then the Dodgers will have to trim another position player from their roster for the NLCS, with the team planning to carry 13 pitchers for the best-of-seven matchup instead of the 12 it had for the five-game divisional round.
The most likely candidate would be Hyeseong Kim, who was called up from Triple-A for the NLDS to serve as a pinch-running and defensive specialist. All the Dodgers’ other reserves (besides unused backup catcher Hunter Feduccia) made important contributions to their NLDS triumph — including rookie sensation Josue De Paula, who drew a pinch-hit walk during Wednesday’s go-ahead seventh-inning rally in Game 4.
As for the extra pitcher the Dodgers could add: Justin Wrobleski, Emmet Sheehan and Jack Dreyer would figure to be the foremost candidates.
“After we get off this call,” Roberts said Friday afternoon, “I’m gonna get with the guys and figure out what arm we’re going to add.”
Rojas initially got hurt while playing second base in Game 3 on Tuesday — in what was his second straight start for the two-time defending champions as an extra right-handed bat in their lineup against an opposing left-handed starter.
Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas throws to first base for the out against the Atlanta Braves during the fifth inning in game three of the NLDS baseball playoffs at Truist Park in Cumberland, Georgia, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He said he tweaked his back while fielding a critical ground ball that got the Dodgers out of a fifth-inning jam, then felt continued discomfort after fouling a pitch off in an eighth-inning at-bat that ultimately forced him out of the game.
Rojas was initially optimistic the issue would be minor but woke up on the morning of Game 4 feeling “sore and uncomfortable,” preventing him from partaking in any baseball activities that day.
“Tomorrow we will know a little bit more about where my back is,” he said during the team’s clubhouse celebration on Wednesday night. “Looking forward to being able to play in the next series.”
Though Rojas would likely be back in primarily a bench role for the NLCS (the Brewers have just one left-hander in their playoff rotation), his presence is nonetheless important — as a trusted right-handed bat; a defensive option at second base, third base and shortstop; and a steadying veteran presence in his 13th and likely final big-league season.
“We still have a plane flight, there’s another workout, and there’s no deadline right now; we’re not up against it,” Roberts said. “So we have time to ultimately make that decision.”
The Buffalo Sabres are off to a 2-2-0 start to the 2026-27 regular-season, and in those four games, the Sabres have the NHL’s ninth-worst offense at an average of only 2.50 goals-for per-game. Offense has proven to be an issue, and if you’re finger-pointing regarding Buffalo’s ability to generate goals, you’ll need a lot of fingers, and even more pointing.
To wit: Sabres winger Josh Doan currently has zero points in four games. Winger Zach Benson has just one point in four games, and center Josh Norris also has just one point in four games. Meanwhile,center Ryan McLeod has one point, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin has two points, as does forward Jack Quinn. So there’s an almost across-the-board issue when it comes to Buffalo’s players generating offense.
Not every one of the aforementioned Sabres has to start challenging for the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s top point-producers. But they do need at least a couple of them to start putting up points and take some of the pressure off of Buffalo’s goaltenders. The Sabres have to get solid production from up-and-down the lineup, and there’s no time like the present to start turning up their offensive game a notch or two.
Star Tage Thompson has two goals and four points, so he’s doing the job. And Owen Power is having a stellar year on offense, with four assists and five points. So they need to keep on alleviating the pressure on the rest of Buffalo’s roster. Coach Lindy Ruff probably doesn’t care where he gets his goals from, but he has to be concerned that the offense isn’t flowing the way it should be capable of.
Last season, the Sabres had the NHL’s fifth-best goals-for average at 3.45 goals-for per-game. Losing former star winger Alex Tuch and star defenseman Bowen Byram has contributed to the drop-off in offense, but not by this much. The young Sabres in Buffalo’s dressing room have to take responsibility for their early struggles generating goals.
Buffalo doesn’t have the luxury of employing an abundance of superstar players, so improvement-by-committee is the only way their offense is going to rebound. The Sabres aren’t always going to be putting up less than three goals every game – Thompson alone is capable of scoring a hat trick – but it has to be concerning that Buffalo has lost some of its mojo in the offensive zone.
If the Sabres’ offense does rebound, Buffalo’s chances to win many more games than they lose will certainly improve. And if not? Well, they'll be highly-unlikely to make it back into the post-season.
And that is going to leave Sabres fans apoplectic.
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 06: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves bats during Game Three of the National League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Slow news day, eh?
The Atlanta Braves are out, the 2026 NLCS is set and the winner-take-all Game 5 in the ALDS between the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Guardians won’t be happening until tomorrow night, so we’re getting a sneak peek at what the offseason is going to feel like. It’s not fun, now is it?
Still, come on in and hang out. If you’ve got predictions for the ALDS, drop ‘em in the comments. If you’re hunkering down in the path of Hurricane Isaias, give us a thumbs up if you’re making it through. If you’re having something fun for dinner, let us know below.
Let’s have a chill evening, folks. Here’s a random clip for you as well:
AMES, IA - OCTOBER 7: LaMelo Ball #1 and Jonathan Kuminga #24 of the Minnesota Timberwolves high five during the game against the Indiana Pacers on October 7, 2026 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. 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 David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The preseason continues on Sunday in full swing with a preview of the regular season opener. The Timberwolves will look to continue their good vibes from training camp and gain the meaningless “upper hand” against the Miami Heat before the rematch kicks off the 2026-27 regular season.
It seems interesting to schedule a preseason game against two teams that will begin their respective seasons against one another, but it will be something to watch for in this one. While the regular starters and rotation players will most likely only play the first half, if at all, tracking if either team tips their hand will be something to monitor.
Because of the offseason movement for both teams, with the Heat adding Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Timberwolves subtracting Julius Randle and Naz Reid from the mix, this is the exact type of team that Minnesota could struggle with in their attempt to reconfigure their roster to a smaller, more athletic team. The Heat boast possibly the best frontcourt in the NBA and how the Wolves choose to guard Miami from the jump will be something to follow in this matchup.
"I'm excited to put on that jersey." 🔥
Giannis will make his Heat debut vs. the Timberwolves on Wednesday, Oct. 21 on ESPN!
Joan Beringer has a large role carved out for him this season. That combined with his youth and minimal playing time last season has coalesced to be a huge talking point leading up to this season. Beringer has done exactly what you’d expect from him in the first couple of preseason games: showed flashes of huge potential while combining that with very bad stretches that come with the growing pains of acclimating to the NBA.
This goes hand in hand with Miami’s reworked strength in the frontcourt. The 19 year old will be relied upon to matchup in the first half with both of these dominant bigs. How he fares in this one will be a big part of the lead-in to game number one when it counts. Always take preseason outcomes with a massive grain of salt, but tracking Beringer against Giannis and Bam before the season opener is something to be on the lookout for.
Anthony Edwards on Joan Beringer in camp
“Everybody knows his intensity is just like no other. His attention to detail has gotten a lot better, he’s super young, super athletic. We’re trying to keep him from falling on the ground so much because he goes after every shot. Get his… pic.twitter.com/x7vwcpSwp9
These first two preseason games have been a treat for Timberwolves fans who were hoping for a reworked offense with this new look roster. Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball have done their best to continue that hype train heading straight up.
On Wednesday against the Pacers, Ant scored 19 points with four triples while LaMelo scored 14 points and added seven assists to his stat line. Though Ball did have five turnovers, it was still an extremely fun time to watch the two of them play off one another and launch treys from downtown. This was the exciting theoretical fit between them, and watching Ball operate from the top of the floor and setup the rest of his teammates is night and day compared to what Minnesota looked like for the past two seasons.
This will hopefully continue to be a big part of their identity moving forward. With the rim protection that the Miami frontcourt can provide, the Wolves’ outside shooting will be necessary to create good offense for the Timberwolves.
It will be a clash of styles, but with the looming early season regular season matchup, both teams will do their best to not show their hands. Minnesota’s outside shooting should cause Miami problems, and due to them losing a lot of their depth in the Giannis trade, the Wolves end of bench should get the better of Miami in the second half.
Bruce Brown is a solid eight-year NBA veteran who played 82 games for Denver last season but was squeezed this offseason and signed an Exhibit 9, non-guaranteed training camp contract with the Knicks (hoping to make their roster). He vented to New York reporters about the NBA's salary constraints and their impact (quote via Ian Begley of SNY.tv).
"The new CBA is good for certain players, right? Max guys, top free agents and maybe rookie extension guys. But other than that, like the middle guys, it kind of sucks for us. As you see, there's not that many people getting that full mid-level (exception) anymore – or even the tax mid-level (exception). It's tough, but that's just the way it is right now. So each time you're out there, you've just got to play your best and hope for the best."
Friday, the NBA officially pushed back on that narrative.
Recent reports asserted that the second apron is hurting “lower” and “middle” class players. That’s untrue. Since the implementation of the second apron, the number of players on team rosters has remained the same and annual salaries have increased by nearly $1.3 billion…
The NBA's point is that the water level remains the same: There are 450 NBA roster spots and the players will get 50% (roughly) of the NBA's Basketball Related Income. It's not just the middle class getting squeezed, under the old NBA CBA, the Pistons' Jalen Duren would have been a no-question max contract (maybe the 25% max, but a lot). Instead, he and the Pistons got into a protracted contract extension negotiation and took $76 million less than his max (at five years, $200 million).
As happens a lot with Adam Silver's NBA, it is lawyerly correct on the facts but can miss the bigger picture, the spirit of what the Second Apron does.
Where the second apron is hurting the league is fundamental — it's eroding fan trust and loyalty. Detroit fans want to believe in a 22-year-old All-NBA center like Duren, not worry he might bolt because the team has to play hardball to build a contender in the apron era. Knicks fans have gone from celebrating their first title in 53 years to watching New York need to lowball Karl-Anthony Towns because keeping a championship team together and below the second apron is near impossible. Fans in Boston watched the Celtics draft and develop Jaylen Brown, a guy who won a title there, who was committed to the community and invested there, but who the Celtics had to trade in hopes of retooling under the second apron around Jayson Tatum. Oklahoma City had to start losing role players to keep its core together and that's going to get worse in future years. Already people around the league are talking about if/when San Antonio might have to trade De'Aaron Fox to keep its core of Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper together.
If these fans — especially younger ones, where the league already struggles to keep engaged and watching full games — start to question their loyalty, that cuts at the foundation of the league in a way NBA Europe money can't replace.
But yes, the NBA players are still getting the same pool of money that they did before, and that pool is getting bigger.
When the Dodgers set their starting rotation for the National League Division Series, they did so with the NL Championship Series in mind.
And now that they’ve reached the NLCS, after eliminating the Braves in a four-game NLDS this past week, they have their pitching plans exactly where they want them.
For a second straight series, Tarik Skubal will once again be the team’s Game 1 starter against the Brewers on Sunday, manager Dave Roberts announced during a Friday video conference with reporters, setting up the reigning two-time Cy Young Award winner to square off with this year’s presumptive Cy Young winner in Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski.
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal celebrates after striking out Atlanta Braves’ Austin Riley during the fifth inning of Game 1 of a National League Division Series baseball game Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
The Dodgers had pushed back Yamamoto’s start in the NLDS to keep him on his normal once-per-week pitching schedule, sliding Blake Snell in as their Game 2 starter instead.
However, Yamamoto calmed the waters by outdueling Chris Sale in Game 3, producing a seven-inning, one-run gem that lowered his career postseason ERA to 2.14 (second-best in the last 100 years among pitchers with at least 10 playoff starts, behind only Madison Bumgarner).
Now, just as the team envisioned, Yamamoto will be able to start twice in the NLCS — set to go on five days of rest for Monday’s Game 2, then on five days of rest again for a potential Game 6.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates defeating the Atlanta Braves in game four of the National League Division Series at Truist Park, Wednesday, October 7, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia. Getty Images
Snell, meanwhile, seems likely to pitch in Game 3. Tyler Glasnow would be the logical Game 4 choice. Skubal could go on four days of rest for Game 5.
“I think we’ve got the best rotation top to bottom in baseball,” Roberts said. “And it’s nice to be able to reset the rotation and get these guys going.
Indeed, the Dodgers’ rotation figures to represent their biggest matchup advantage over the Brewers. In last year’s NLCS sweep against Milwaukee, a quartet of Snell, Yamamoto, Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani combined to give up just two runs in 28 ⅔ innings while combining for 35 strikeouts against the Brewers’ overmatched lineup.
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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell, left, celebrates with catcher Will Smith, pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, pitcher Tyler Glasnow, and pitcher Tarik Skubal after defeating the Atlanta Braves in game four of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Park in Cumberland, Georgia, Wednesday, October 7, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
One key to their success then: The Dodgers’ rotation peppered the Brewers’ contact-happy lineup with a heavy dose of off-speed and breaking pitches.
Snell spammed them with a flurry of changeups in a scoreless eight-inning masterpiece. Yamamoto leaned on his splitter and curveball in the first of his two complete-game performances last October. Glasnow abandoned his trademark four-seam/curveball combination for a mix of more sinkers and sliders in a 5 ⅔-inning start. Ohtani threw the kitchen sink at them with a seven-pitch arsenal in his iconic 10-strikeout, three-homer outburst in Game 4.
In those games, only Yamamoto didn’t significantly decrease his fastball usage compared to his regular-season average.
The plan worked, getting the Brewers to uncharacteristically chase more often and whiff on one-third of all their swings in the series.
Roberts was careful to note on Friday that this is a new year, and that the Brewers pose a different challenge than they did back then.
“They’ve got another year under their belt,” Roberts said. “They’re just a lot more confident.”
Still, the Dodgers will hope to replicate their pitching success once again, inserting the newly acquired Skubal in for the injury-hampered Ohtani in a starting rotation they hope can carry them to a third straight NL pennant.
