Good news, Knicks fans. Jalen Brunson is good to go for the start of the regular season.
The Knicks guard told attendees at a live edition of his and teammate Josh Hart's Roommates Show, that he is healthy and ready for the regular season.
"As you guys know, I had surgery this offseason," Brunson told the crowd. "And I just wanted to tell you guys that I am fully cleared."
Brunson underwent surgery back in July after playing through a good portion of the playoffs with it. At the time, SNY's Ian Begley reported that the rehab/recovery process would take about two months.
Brunson revealed this summer -- not long after undergoing surgery -- that he suffered the injury late in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. He scored 19 points in 40 minutes in the Knicks' 109-93 win to take a 2-0 series lead -- a series they wound up sweeping.
The Knicks' unofficial captain would go through the rest of the postseason with his injured wrist en route to leading New York to its first NBA Championship in 53 years. He averaged 28 points and six assists in the postseason. His 45 points in Game 5 of the NBA Finals helped the Knicks clinch the title and earned him NBA Finals MVP.
A fully healthy Brunson will now look to go back-to-back when the season starts Oct. 5 on the road against the 76ers.
Jalen Brunson shared at The Roommates Show he’s fully cleared after his offseason wrist surgery pic.twitter.com/j4SxLycexl
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 23: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres hits a home run during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Last night’s game might not have seemed as important as it was. The San Diego Padres dropped their series opener on Tuesday night versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. Their magic number remained at two to clinch a playoff spot with five games left to play. Three of those games come against the Arizona Diamondbacks. However, it still felt all but certain that the Padres would clinch. Tuesday night gave a bit of fear that San Diego would regress.
Instead, they turned in a fantastic performance on Wednesday night, besting the rival Dodgers and forcing the rubber match in today’s finale. The offense performed well, scoring five runs. But it was the pitching staff that truly outdid themselves. The Friars’ pitchers surrendered just one run despite allowing plenty of traffic. Notably, David Morgan worked out a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning. San Diego will need more of that if they want to get anywhere in October.
Taking the mound
Tyler Glasnow (LAD) v. Nick Pivetta (SD)
Similar to Pivetta, Glasnow has spent the majority of his time on the injured list this season. However, Glasnow owns a 4.50 ERA since coming off of the IL. He pitched well in August (3.00 ERA), but his last three starts have been tough. The righty has given up four runs in two of his last three appearances.
Glasnow hasn’t faced the Friars yet this season, but he’s pitched well against them in the past. Of the hitters with 10-plus at-bats against the right-hander, none are batting above league average (.244). San Diego will need to reverse that narrative in order to win the series finale over the rival Dodgers.
Pivetta has surged since returning from the IL earlier this month. In three starts this month, the veteran right-hander owns a 1.93 ERA through 14 innings pitched. His ERA on the season has now dropped to 3.30 (30.0 IP). In those last three starts, Pivetta has surrendered a total of three runs on 11 hits and one walk.
He’s looked dominant since his return, which has been huge for the Padres. Pivetta’s strikeout numbers were initially down, with just two in his first five innings. But they’ve since bumped up (11 K’s across 14 innings). He is San Diego’s most volatile starter since his arm is relatively untested this season. It’s very possible that he crashes and burns soon, though he could continue to go on the run he’s been on.
Batter up!
Manny Machado slugged the 398th home run of his career to open the scoring on Wednesday night. He’s one away from his first 30-homer season since 2023 and could easily do so in the final four games of the year. Regardless, if he can start to get hot (especially with the coming playoffs) it would be a huge turn of fortune for San Diego.
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Dustin Harris, LF
Manny Machado, 3B
Ty France, 1B
Jackson Merrill, CF
Luis Campusano, C
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Ethan Salas, DH
Despite the Dodgers outhitting the Padres last night, San Diego made better use of their opportunities. You’d think that wouldn’t be the case with the Friars going 1-for-10 with RISP, but they still scored when it mattered. Most importantly, the Padres capitalized on Los Angeles’ mistakes. They played some great baseball, and they’ll need to continue that.
Relief corps
Starter Robbie Ray worked a grueling 3 1/3 innings before Morgan finished out the fourth inning. He surrendered just one run, but needed a whopping 84 pitches to complete the outing. After that, the ‘pen slammed the door. Yuki Matsui, Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller covered five scoreless innings. They allowed a combined total of three hits and walked two, striking out five batters.
The bullpen will be somewhat depleted today because of that. However, Jason Adam’s return bolsters the club quite a bit. To make room for Adam, Griffin Canning was optioned to Triple-A El Paso. That means the Friars will have Adam, Kyle Hart, Wandy Peralta and Randy Vásquez available. Should Pivetta stumble, the latter trio will be out in full force.
Rob Pelinka, the Lakers' general manager and president of basketball operations, addresses the media with coach JJ Redick. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The news conference Thursday began with Lakers president of operations Rob Pelinka saying he wanted to “express gratitude” to LeBron James for the eight years he spent playing for Los Angeles before departing to Philadelphia as a free agent over the summer.
It didn’t take long for Pelinka to pivot into Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and how they are now the leaders of the Lakers with James gone.
James informed the Lakers on June 30 that he had plans to play elsewhere, and thus began a new chapter for the Lakers. James, who signed with the 76ers, won an NBA championship with the Lakers in 2020. He led the Lakers to the Western Conference second round of the 2026 playoffs.
Over the course of his 23-year NBA career, James’ longest tenure had been with the Lakers.
And for that, Pelinka was thankful.
“I think before we get into the questions, it’s been a few weeks since I’ve last seen you guys. I thought it would be appropriate at the front to express gratitude for the LeBron era here,” Pelinka said. “Clearly, new team and new players, and that’s what we’re going to talk about today. But we as an organization are still grateful for the run that we had with him here. The Lakers have become — as they should — a perennial playoff team — won a championship, went to the Western Conference finals. It was a great era, and we’re grateful for it. I think it’s important to say that at the onset as we turn into a new chapter.”
Pelinka said he collaborated with Lakers coach JJ Redick to build a team around Doncic, using a three-pronged approach.
They wanted to re-sign Reaves, which the Lakers did at four years and $180 million, the largest contract ever for an undrafted player in NBA history.
They wanted to acquire a top-notch center, which the Lakers did by getting Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade deal. The Lakers sent two unprotected first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to the Jazz for Kessler and then signed him to a four-year, $130-million contract.
They wanted to add quality depth, which the Lakers did by getting Quentin Grimes, Jaden Hardy, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kevon Looney.
Pelinka said this was the “thesis” on how they wanted to build the Lakers for the 2026-27 season.
“And there were three fundamental pillars of what we wanted to accomplish in the offseason: We wanted to retain Austin Reaves. That was a really big thing for us,” Pelinka said. “We wanted to find a way to acquire a franchise center and then we wanted to develop a roster of JJ Redick dribble-pass-shoot players that were younger and add depth to our roster. That was sort of our three-prong thesis basketball-wise for the offseason, and we felt like we accomplished all those things.
“Re-signing Austin, putting together a trade to acquire Walker Kessler, and then building out our team with young players that could dribble-pass-shoot, and have brought the average age of our roster to around 26 or 27, which lines up so perfectly with building a team around Luka Doncic. That’s what we’re here to talk about today, is our offseason and the excitement heading into this year.”
Lakers top executive Rob Pelinka, with reporters in the foreground, addresses the media at the team's training facility in El Segundo on Thursday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Pelinka, who held the news conference with Redick by his side, was asked about the new Lakers ownership group of Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner, who purchased the franchise for a record $12.5 billion from Dodgers owner and Guggenheim Partners’ Mark Walter, who owned the Lakers for about a year. The deal hasn’t been finalized but is expected to be approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors.
“We have had introductory meetings with Bob and Josh, and those have been excellent,” Pelinka said. “With a pending transaction, we’re not at liberty to talk more about that under league rules. But we’ve had preliminary discussions with them that have been really, really positive. In terms of day-to-day, nothing’s changed. We’re operating with Lakers excellence.”
The biggest change is James not being with the Lakers.
After the Lakers were eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in May, James expressed interest in re-signing with the team.
Pelinka even said the Lakers wanted James to retire with the franchise.
But that didn’t happen.
“Again, we’re grateful for the LeBron era,” Pelinka said. “I think the communications with him this offseason were held diplomatically, professionally and honestly. I’m so thankful for the partnership that we had that continued up until this summer when a decision was made for him to play for another team. It was done amicably, professionally, gracefully. We looked at the whole thing with gratitude, because it’s been an incredible era for us here.”
Bob Pettit was named an All-Star in all 11 of his NBA seasons [Getty Images]
Bob Pettit, the first man to receive the NBA's MVP (most valuable player) award, has died aged 93.
Pettit won the award twice, in its first year in 1955-56 and again in 1958-59, when he topped the scoring charts in both seasons.
The Basketball Hall of Fame confirmed Pettit's death, describing him as "a true giant of the game".
He was also named an NBA All-Star in all 11 of his seasons and was the first player to reach 20,000 points.
Having starred for Louisiana State University (LSU), Pettit was signed by Milwaukee Hawks in the draft in 1954.
The team then moved to St Louis, and Pettit stayed with them for the rest of his career which included winning the NBA title in 1958 with victory over the Boston Celtics.
He reached two more finals with the Hawks in 1960 and 1961, and retired in 1965 with a career average of 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds per game.
Pettit was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971 and had his number 50 jersey retired at LSU in 1954. He was the first of their athletes to ever receive the honor.
LSU paid tribute to Pettit on their website, saying: "Pettit defined what the modern power forward should be in the NBA and set standards that have been hard to duplicate in professional basketball."
No cause of death was given.
Pettit helped the Hawks' secure an NBA title by scoring 50 points in a final in 1958 [Getty Images]He was the first LSU athlete to have a jersey number retired [Getty Images]
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 23: Ben Rice #22 of the New York Yankees celebrates hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on September 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There’s going to be some nasty weather in New York this weekend, and the Yankees have done their best to try and get ahead of it. Saturday’s showdown with the Orioles will instead be played on Friday, in a traditional single-admission doubleheader.
Game one will kick off at 4:05pm Eastern time, with the highly-anticipated twin promotion of Josh Hart’s bobblehead night and CC Sabathia’s No. 52 being retired pregame. After that first game concludes, game two will kick off about 30 minutes afterward.
Saturday's Yankees-Orioles game (Saturday, September 26) has been rescheduled due to the forecast of sustained inclement weather and will be made up tomorrow, Friday, September 25, as the first game of a single-admission doubleheader, which will begin at 4:05 p.m.
There’s no word yet on what the team plans to do for Sunday’s game, although MLB has in the past cancelled games 162 when it’s clear there will be no material impact on the standings. The Orioles currently sit just a game up on the Blue Jays though, so while both are eliminated, the league may try and fit that contest around possible inclement weather since their exact order does at least affect the draft lottery. The Yankees themselves have little to play for with the No. 4 seed locked up in the AL and a home playoff game Tuesday night.
Ticketholders are reminded that only tickets for the original September 25th game will be valid for tomorrow. Ticketholders for September 26th will likely only be able to exchange for 2027 tickets, so let’s make sure that CBA stuff gets cleared up!
As the regular season winds down and the Yankees begin to plan for the postseason, the team's roster lacks some major players. To name a few, Fernando Cruz has been on the injured list (IL) since late August, Clarke Schmidt was diagnosed with right bicep neuritis before Thursday night's matchup against the Tampa Bay Rays, and captain Aaron Judge is battling a right calf strain, which he said he hopes to beat by the beginning of the Wild Card round Monday.
But ahead of the game Thursday, manager Aaron Boone gave a cautiously optimistic update about two of New York's injured members: Trent Grisham and Giancarlo Stanton.
"I just talked to [Grisham], said he feels really good. [Giancarlo] was actually in the cage hitting when I was down there. They're going out to hit on the field right now," Boone said. "They're trending in a good way."
Grisham was placed on the 10-day IL on Sept. 6 after tweaking his hamstring, which was declared a Grade 2 strain, less than three months after injuring the same hamstring in mid-June. His first stint on the IL lasted nearly three weeks.
Prior to his injuries this season, the 29-year-old struggled both at the plate and in the field, slashing .211/.308/.395 and posting -7 defensive runs saved (DRS) and -6 outs above average (OAA), which were tied for second-worst and worst in the league, respectively, on Sept. 6. His lackluster season followed a career-best year in which he put up 34 home runs and a .812 OPS.
Stanton, on the other hand, has missed nearly the whole season. The slugger first injured his right calf April 24 running from first to second, then reinjured the same leg in June, extending his rehab process. Then, in late August, he faced another setback while running the bases, this time straining his other calf.
The five-time All-Star would offer a significant boost to New York's offense in the postseason, but when asked what kind of an impact either of the two players could have on the team's Wild Card series against the Boston Red Sox, Boone was hesitant to make anything official.
"We'll see. It's still days away, so I don't wanna put the cart before the horse," he said. "Let's just get through these next few days and see what we have."
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 30: Tyler Mahle #54 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates in the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Truist Park on August 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s the home finale for the Atlanta Braves! Will Tyler Mahle make it another great start on the mound for the Braves? Will the home team send the home fans home happy for one last time before the Postseason gets under way? Let’s get into it, shall we? Also, join us on the app — especially if you’re a Falcons fan tuning in for the latest episode of football tomfoolery, as you’ll be able to switch between The Falcoholic and Battery Power pretty easily.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 22: Freddy Peralta #51 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates with teammates in the clubhouse after defeating the New York Yankees to clinch the American League East title at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 24: Kyle Karros #12 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates with third base coach Andy González after hitting a home run in the sixth inning during the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Thursday, September 24, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
What began as a blowout deficit ended in a close loss as the Colorado Rockies’ last chance at some “LoDo Magic” fell short in a 12-8 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Rockies suffered the sweep while finishing 32-49 at Coors Field this season.
Attack of the Snakes
The first inning has been a disaster for the Rockies most of the season, but especially during their slide over the last few weeks. There was hope with Tanner Gordon on the mound, who has had strong numbers in the first inning and could buck the trend and start the team off with a solid chance in the final home game.
The Diamondbacks had other intentions.
Lars Nootbar started the game with a hot shot down the first-base line that TJ Rumfield managed to stop from going for extra bases. However, Gordon was late getting off the mound and it turned into an infield single. Gordon then walked Ketel Marte, followed by a three-run home run off the bat of Gabriel Moreno to make it 3-0.
Geraldo Perdomo then launched a ball to center field for a triple before coming in to score on a bloop single to left field by Pavin Smith for the fourth run of the inning. Nolan Arenado then followed with his 29th home run of the season, a two-run shot to make it 6-0.
Gordon finally escaped the inning, but six runs in the first brought the total number of runs allowed in the opening frame of the series to 13. The Rockies have also allowed a run in the first in 12 of their last 17 games.
The Diamondbacks kept the foot on the gas in the second inning as Nootbar singled to lead off and scored on Marte’s RBI double. Perdomo later blooped a single into shallow center field to score another run, making it 8-0 after two innings.
After a scoreless third inning, Gordon’s day would come to an end early in the fourth inning. Perdomo led off the inning with a walk, the fourth of the game and a new career high for Gordon. Smith’s then delivered an RBI double. Gordon managed to strike out Arenado, but then surrendered a single to Corbin Carroll to end his afternoon, but was still tagged for the 10th Arizona run when James McCann singled to left field off reliever Jimmy Herget.
Gordon lasted just 3.1 innings, allowing 10 runs on 12 hits with four walks and just one strikeout. The Diamondbacks were not fooled by his fastball, meaning he had to rely on his secondary pitches, which he struggled to command. When he did have to throw a fastball, Arizona made sure to square up the ball and do damage. Despite pounding the zone as usual, Gordon threw 96 pitches and induced three groundouts and five flyouts, but only had three swings and misses.
The Bullpen Fire Brigade
Having to take on another heavy workload, the bullpen did an admirable job settling down the Diamondbacks offense.
Herget picked up 2.2 innings of work and was solid enough despite giving up an RBI single to Arenado in the fifth inning and a McCann home run in the sixth inning to make it 12-1. He still managed four strikeouts against one walk while surrendering four hits, but his 49 pitches helped navigate to the later frames.
Nick Frasso and Juan Mejia then followed with scoreless seventh and eighth innings, respectively, setting the tone after the Diamondbacks had started subbing out players. Jordan Romano then took over the ninth and, despite giving up a triple, fired a clean inning.
E-Rod Domination
While the Diamondback offense had a productive day at the plate against Gordon, the Rockies offense couldn’t quite figure out Eduardo Rodriguez. The veteran left-hander breezed his way through six innings, allowing just two runs on nine hits with three strikeouts. Utilizing four grounders and seven easy flyouts, Rodriguez threw 92 pitches and stayed in the zone consistently. He had a 63% first-pitch strike rate and 12 swings and misses. His changeup was particularly effective, generating a 21% whiff rate.
The Rockies scratched across their first run in the fourth inning against Rodriguez when Rumfield singled to lead off. Cole Carrigg and Kyle Karros both singled to then load the bases. Brett Sullivan then hit into a fielder’s choice that allowed the run to score, but put runners on the corners with one out. Unfortunately, the Rockies couldn’t scratch across any other runs. The next run wouldn’t come across until the sixth inning when Karros sent a belt-high fastball into left field for his 13th home run of the season, making it 12-2 Diamondbacks.
Once Rodriguez was out of the game, the Rockies had begun a line change of their own in the seventh inning, but started to find some success against the Arizona bullpen.
Facing Dennis Santana, Zac Veen led off with a double down the line. Two batters later, Hunter Goodman delivered a one-out RBI single after a lengthy at-bat to make it 12-3.
Rumfield followed with a walk, setting the table for Carrigg to hit a three-run home run. It was his 11th of the season and got the Rockies back within six runs.
Taylor Clarke then took over the Diamondbacks in the eighth inning and ran into more trouble from the Rockies offense. Veen kicked off another rally with a towering home run to right field for his third of the season to make it 12-7.
Adael Amador then barrelled up a baseball to right for a double. After Goodman recorded the second out on a line drive, Rumfield lined a double to right to drive in another run and make it 12-8. With that double, Rumfield also tied Troy Tulowitzki for most times reaching safely in a rookie season at 243. Karros then threatened with a long fly ball that was caught shortly before the wall in left field to end the inning.
Unfortunately, the rally magic ran out as Kevin Ginkel worked a clean ninth inning to put the Rockies away. In the game, the Rockies had 17 hits, while striking out eight times against one walk. Carrigg led the way with four hits while four other hitters had two hits. They went 5-for-13 with runners in scoring position but left 10 on base.
Meanwhile, Arizona had 18 hits with seven strikeouts and five walks while going 6-for-15 with RISP. Oddly enough, they also left 10 men on base, but had three batters with three hits.
Up Next
The Rockies head off to the South Side of Chicago to take on the White Sox for the final three-game series of the season. Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之) will face off against Sean Burke.
The Yankees announced that due to the threat of inclement weather, Saturday's game against the Baltimore Orioles will be moved to Friday as part of a single-admission doubleheader.
The move also changes the organization's plan to honor CC Sabathia's number retirement ceremony. Originally scheduled for before Saturday's game, the ceremony will now take place prior to Game 1 of Friday's doubleheader.
Game 1 is scheduled for 4:05 p.m., with the second game starting no earlier than 7:05 p.m., but in the event the first game goes past that time, it'll begin 30 minutes after the final pitch.
New York is not the only team to change its weekend plans due to the incoming nor'easter. The Red Sox moved their game with the Cubs on Saturday to Friday to be a part of a doubleheader.
The Yankees have not announced their pitching plans for the three-game series with the Orioles, but Will Warren and Carlos Rodon will likely pitch two of those games.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said prior to Wednesday's win against the Rays that with their Wild Card spot locked in, they'll use the final slate of games to give regulars off days. He's also planning to give key bullpen arms rest while limiting the number of pitches his starters throw.
Saturday's Yankees-Orioles game (Saturday, September 26) has been rescheduled due to the forecast of sustained inclement weather and will be made up tomorrow, Friday, September 25, as the first game of a single-admission doubleheader, which will begin at 4:05 p.m.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 08: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium on September 08, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Team results over individual accolades is not even a discussion to be had most of the time, but specifically in a game like this, I’d be remiss not to state the importance of the latter. Since the start of the 21st century, a total of three qualified Yankees pitchers have delivered a qualified season with an ERA under 3.00, they being Max Fried, Luis Severino, and Gerrit Cole; no one has ever achieved one with an ERA under 2.00, and that is what Schlittler is on the verge of doing if he can hold off the Rays in his final regular-season start of the year.
Schlittler’s work to fill in as the one ace from start to finish of this impressive pitching staff has named him the odds-on favorite to win the AL Cy Young Award. And why stop there? Some (like Josh) might even argue he should be in the MVP consideration, helping this team navigate a mostly Aaron Judge-less season. How much stock to put into it almost doesn’t matter; just the fact that there is a reasonable argument to be made shows just how impressive this young starter has been.
When Schlittler dominated the Red Sox in a historic playoff performance last season to take the Yankees to the ALDS, most of us probably felt he couldn’t surprise us further in the near future. Yet, here we are with a season beyond everyone’s wildest dreams.
With a left-handed starter on the mound for the Rays in Ian Seymour, the Yankees lean on the platoon advantages apart from the catching position, as Austin Wells is back behind the plate to catch Schlittler. Amed Rosario gets the nod at the hot corner despite Ryan McMahon’s grand slam last night, and José Caballero receives a rare start in center. Fingers crossed that this defensive lineup gets the job done for the Yankees’ ace.
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 22: Austin Hedges #27 of the Cleveland Guardians shake hands after winning the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joe Sullivan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 24: J.P. Crawford #3 of the Seattle Mariners reacts in frustration after hitting a ground out in the eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during their game at T-Mobile Park on August 24, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. Teams are wearing special color schemed uniforms with players choosing nicknames to display for Players' Weekend. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Though the title of this article was true days, even weeks ago, with the 3-1 victory of the Texas Rangers over the New York Mets Thursday afternoon, the Seattle Mariners have officially been eliminated from the 2026 postseason race.
The shockingly disappointing club will finish 3rd in the American League West, failing to defend their division title from a year ago, ceding their crown to one of the pretenders from Texas. 74-84 at the moment, Seattle would need to win out to match their second-worst full-season record in the Jerry Dipoto era, 2017’s 78-84 mark. This will be the club’s fourth losing record (albeit one in just 60 games in 2020) against seven winning seasons in his tenure, breaking a franchise-record five-year streak above .500. The club’s only consecutive seasons of playoff appearance will remain 2000 and 2001.
Unlike most of their recent seasons, Seattle simply could not find a second gear late in the season, condemning them to watch what will likely be the first division won by a sub-.500 team in MLB history. They struggled with consistency all season long, flailing wildly on the road to a .407 winning percentage that sunk them despite a winning record at T-Mobile Park. They conspired for the worst defense in the majors by Outs Above Average and Fielding Run Value, and arguably the worst in the last decade. You probably didn’t need advanced metrics to gauge that so much as willpower not to gouge your eyes out at times, but it’s nice to see it validated. Though he continued to bring stability to the lineup when healthy, J.P. Crawford’s craterous shortstop defense pressed Seattle in several directions, none of which found fertile ground, although Crawford’s glovework at third base was more plausible. That, paired with a rogue’s gallery of rotating infielders, poor options in both outfield corners, and a backslide in range from Julio Rodríguez in center made for a season full of balls simply finding grass when they should not.
It set the pitching staff up for tough sledding, but they scattered their own caltrops as well. The entire starting rotation struggled intermittently, with health, a six-man rotation, and just downright ineffectiveness that was at times baffling to unravel. For the first time since 2021, Seattle’s pitching staff will finish with an ERA below league-average, despite the massive benefit received from playing in the anti-Coors Field of MLB half the year. After years of whipping up quality bullpen arms from the ether, the unit flagged all season despite throwing by far the fewest innings of any pen in MLB. Conversely, an M’s rotation often able to lean on extra days of rest, but tasked to work deeper accordingly, labored and crumbled, playing a major role in their road woes.
Offensively, Seattle had moments of competency, but even then became the poster children of cluster luck and its fickle nature. Cal Raleigh nursed injuries in silence and struggle before hitting the IL, with rookie Colt Emerson following suit. Josh Naylor and Rob Refsnyder seemed to do the same, limping to substandard seasons. Most depth and utility options struggled to fill in effectively, Leo Rivas, Luke Raley, Victor Robles, Weston Wilson, Connor Joe, Miles Mastrobuoni, Brock Rodden, Patrick Wisdom, and co. put up dreadful numbers and/or could not remain healthy enough to contribute effectively. While impactful when healthy, Brendan Donovan managed only 39 games in his first season outside St. Louis.
The outfield was the lone area of positivity for the M’s. Julio Rodríguez authored a disappointing year, but was a quality contributor in his down season in a way that was weatherable with a roster less craterous. Another 20-20 season and around 3 wins above replacement is solid, but put pressure on the rest of the club that was more brittle than expected. Dominic Canzone maintained his improvements from 2025, earning full-time play and hitting himself into the heart of the order.
And then, Randy Arozarena. The star of a star-crossed club. The best left fielder in franchise history will see his tenure in Seattle come to an end in all likelihood this weekend. His .279/.380/.479 line entering the final four games came with a 151 wRC+, another 25-25 campaign, and double the fWAR (5.3) of any other Mariners position player except Julio. The leadoff man for the better part of the year, if one player could be relied upon to arrive prepared, put up a competent battle at the plate, and add something to the club’s chances of victory this year, it was their quixotic left fielder. Any vision of bouncing back in 2026 is marred by the loss of their best player, and the difficulties the M’s had in adding talent this year.
No new Mariner in 2026 played in over 40 games and managed a positive fWAR. If you extend the same metric to include pitchers, it is technically false as José A. Ferrer mustered 0.1 fWAR in 72 games and 64.1 IP. If you drop it to 29 games you can acknowledge Cooper Criswell and Jhonny Pereda, scraping in a few ticks above zero. It was a dismal showing for offseason and midseason additions alike, although since a disastrous first outing Seranthony Dominguez has seemed much closer to a viable bullpen arm.
That also doesn’t quite fairly appraise the youth of the roster. Cole Young put up a clear step-forward season in his age-22 campaign, mustering a league-average bat and clear positive strides on defense. There’s more in the tank for the now-23 year old, and his compatriots in the early 20s have shown promise late, albeit with halting opportunities. Lazaro Montes has shown off his titanic power. Michael Arroyo has been immediately impactful with the bat in highly sporadic playing time. To fend off a repeat disappointment, the M’s will need them, and their largely-under-30 core to remember the frustration of this season as fuel for better things to come.
But this year will cost manager Dan Wilson his job, and maybe more. It is the most disappointing performance by a Mariners team relative to (reasonable) expectations in the franchise’s history. Next year must be better.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 30: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics and Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the game during Round One Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 30, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Celtics training camp roster is set, and it includes 21 players — and plenty of familiar faces.
The Celtics have 14 players under standard contract
The Celtics have 14 players under contract to begin the season. That includes 10 returners: Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard, Hugo Gonzalez, Luka Garza, Baylor Scheierman, Neemias Queta, Ron Harper Jr., and Jordan Walsh.
That also includes four additions: Paul George, who was acquired via trade; Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley, who were both signed via free agency; and Chris Cenac Jr., who was selected 27th overall in the draft.
The Celtics have 2 two-way players under contract
Center Amari Williams, who was drafted with the 46th pick in the 2025 draft, returns for his second consecutive year on a two-way contract. Williams spent most of last year with the Maine Celtics, but had stints in Boston as well.
Dillon Mitchell, who was the 40th pick in the 2026 draft, is also on a two-way contract after a strong Summer League in Las Vegas.
The Celtics’ third two-way spot is open to begin the year.
The Celtics have 5 Exhibit-10 players under contract
In addition to the 16 players under contract this season, the Celtics have signed five players to training camp deals, all of whom are two-way eligible and will compete for the final two-way spot. Those players are Milos Uzan, Tucker DeVries, Gabe McGlothan, Hayden Gray, and Devin Carter.
Uzan and DeVries were both on the Celtics 2026 Summer League team, while Gray was on last year’s Summer League team (and was also a member of the Maine Celtics last year).
Carter, meanwhile, was a 2024 lottery pick drafted by the Sacramento Kings, who the Celtics picked up via waivers earlier this month, while Spotrac’s Keith Smith reported that McGlothan signed his own Exhibit-10 contract on Wednesday night.
The Celtics’ training camp officially opens up on Monday, though most players have been in the building for weeks.
South Africa 297-8; Australia 230 | South Africa win by 67 runs
Captain’s blistering 60 not enough to topple hosts in Durban
Mitch Marsh could not hide his dismay at how Australia capitulated tamely in their opening ODI in South Africa, succumbing to a 67-run defeat after a succession of cheap dismissals in a sorry run chase at Durban.
Stand-in skipper Marsh himself seemed to have laid the foundations for victory with his blistering opening knock of 60, but after he had perished needlessly to the spinning wiles of Kehav Maharaj, none of his team could cement the partnerships to get them anywhere near the hosts’ 298-run target.
