DENVER — The NHL Coaches’ Association said it is closely monitoring the situation involving Bruce Cassidy amid reports that the Vegas Golden Knights have denied multiple teams permission to speak with him about working for them.
Cassidy was fired in late March and still is under contract through next season, so anyone wishing to interview him must get permission from the Golden Knights, according to league rules.
“It is our position that coaches who remain under contract, but are no longer working for their club, should not be prevented from pursuing other employment opportunities,” the Coaches’ Association said in a statement. “It would be unprecedented at the head coaching level should multiple teams be denied permission to speak with Coach Cassidy. The situation is still unfolding, but our priority is to protect the interests of our members in this type of circumstance.”
Vegas reportedly has not allowed Pacific Division rivals Edmonton and Los Angeles to talk to Cassidy when asked since their seasons ended. Word of the Oilers’ interest in Cassidy leaked before they fired Kris Knoblauch following a first-round playoff exit.
It was not clear if teams in the Eastern Conference or elsewhere in the West sought or received permission to interview him. General manager Kelly McCrimmon confirmed teams have asked for permission to talk to Cassidy.
“We’ve been consistent that our focus currently is on the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the teams have respected that,” McCrimmon said at a news conference ahead of Game 1 of the West final at the Avalanche. “I’ve spoken with Bruce. He understands this, as well.”
Cassidy, who just turned 61, guided the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup in 2023, helped Boston reach the final in 2019 and won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in the pandemic shortened ’19-20 season. He was an assistant on Canada’s staff at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
The Montreal Canadiens are one of the four teams still playing hockey as the calendar inches closer to June. While that is quite a surprise for a team that nobody saw as a contender yet, it’s even more surprising when you factor in the fact that their top line has been neutralized throughout the first two rounds.
In 14 games, Nick Suzuki has a total of 13 points, but eight were scored on the power play, while both Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield have nine points, but only one at even strength for the captain’s wingers. What’s even more worrying is that the three first-line forwards are part of a select club of only five players on the Canadiens’ roster who have a negative differential alongside Noah Dobson and Joe Veleno. Not only are they not producing at even strength, but they are getting scored on.
Despite having four power-play goals in 14 games, Slafkovsky’s performance has been largely underwhelming. In fact, since the series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the power forward has not really looked like himself. The punch he took from Brandon Hagel or the hit that obliterated him from Max Crozier might have something to do with it. It looks like he’s playing injured, and as the Canadiens get ready to take on the well-oiled scoring machine that is the Carolina Hurricanes, they need to find a way to get their top players going.
Throughout the second round, one player looked like he was slowly finding his footing in the playoffs: Ivan Demidov. The Russian rookie has seven points in 14 games, but he has looked increasingly threatening of late; five of his points came in the last five games. He might not have gotten an assist on Alex Newhook’s series-winning goal in overtime. Still, it was his forecheck and active stick that helped the Canadiens regain puck possession and allowed Alexandre Carrier to send Newhook on his way to score the most important goal of his career thus far.
The 20-year-old rookie is also quite the playmaker and having him on Caufield’s opposite wing might be a good way to get the sniper the puck in dangerous areas more often. That could allow Caufield to finally get going at even strength in these playoffs. Caufield, Suzuki, Slafkovsky, and Demidov all had five points in three games against the Canes this season, but based on recent performance and the fact that the top line has been ineffective in these playoffs, it could be time for St-Louis to give a boost to his top line.
The first game of this third-round series will be a pivotal one. The Canes have been off for 11 days, while the Habs are just coming off an intense series against the Buffalo Sabres in which they had to dig deep. In the long run, the rest could come in handy for the Canes, but early in the series, they might need to get rid of some rust, and Montreal needs to take advantage of that.
HAGEL AND SLAFKOVSKY DROP THE GLOVES AND HAGEL DROPS SLAF WITH A SINGLE RIGHT 😱👊 pic.twitter.com/fuTEJTspLb
It's time to start handing out hardware in the NHL as the playoffs have reached the conference finals.
The Prince of Wales Trophy and Clarence S. Campbell Bowl — and more important a spot in the Stanley Cup Final — are on the line as the Montreal Canadiens take on the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals while the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche battle in the Western Conference finals.
The Canadiens and Hurricanes have taken just about opposite paths to the East finals. Carolina has played just eight games this postseason, becoming the first team to sweep its first two series since the first round went to best-of-seven in 1987. The Habs enter having played the most possible games (14), fresh off a second consecutive Game 7 win (this time in OT).
Out West it's a battle of heavyweights, with the 2022 champions (Avalanche) and 2023 champions (Golden Knights) squaring off. Will the Avalanche, the NHL's best team in 2025-26, continue their march?
USA TODAY Sports' NHL experts make their predictions for the conference finals:
Eastern Conference finals predictions: Hurricanes vs. Canadiens
Kevin Skiver: Hurricanes in 5. The Habs deserve a ton of credit for what they've done. Montreal brings its 14 playoff games so far up against Carolina's eight, with the Hurricanes having swept their first two series. It's a question of rest vs. rust, one as old as time. But the 'Canes benefit from their extended break and take down the team that has proved to be the most fun to watch this postseason.
Jace Evans: Canadiens in 6. It is perhaps ill-advised to pick against a team that has literally not lost a game yet in the playoffs, but I picked the Canadiens to reach the Stanley Cup Final before the playoffs began and I'm staying on this magic ride. They are young, but they have the skill to hang with the Hurricanes. And they appear to have the goaltending.
Mike Brehm: Hurricanes in 6. The Canadiens will be a lot tougher opponent for the Hurricanes than the Senators and Flyers, but Carolina's sweeps gave the team a chance to rest up any injuries. Montreal has played two seven-game series. A rested Hurricanes team will prevail because it will be able to continue its high-energy game.
Western Conference finals predictions: Avalanche vs. Golden Knights
Kevin Skiver: Avalanche in 6. The Golden Knights took down a few upstart teams in Utah and Anaheim, but now they run into a team that is shaping up to be as much a force of nature as its namesake. Colorado is back in the conference finals for the first time since 2022, and has cruised past the Kings and Wild. Jared Bednar's Avs get past the Golden Knights, and Vegas enters the offseason with a choice to make on John Tortorella.
Jace Evans: Avalanche in 6. When they're not preventing their former coach from interviewing with other teams or skirting league media rules, the Golden Knights are pretty good at hockey! I think the Avs are just a cut above, though. Colorado is 8-1 these playoffs and what's been most impressive is it's not just the big guns getting it done; 17 different Avalanche players have scored in their nine playoff games.
Mike Brehm: Avalanche in 6. The Golden Knights have the playoffs' leading scorer (Mitch Marner) and goal scorer (Pavel Dorofeyev), but the Avalanche have the best remaining player in Nathan MacKinnon and scoring depth throughout the lineup. Colorado has won eight of nine games with a seemingly banged-up Cale Makar limited to five points.
France's Victor Wembanyama and his San Antonio Spurs side will face the New Orleans Pelicans in a double-header in Paris and Manchester next season.
The two sides will face twice in Europe in the space of 72 hours in January 2027.
They will play first at the Accor Arena in Paris on Thursday, 14 January. Then they will take each other on again at Co-op Live in Manchester on Sunday, 17 January.
It is the first time that Manchester has played host to a regular-season NBA match.
French centre Wembanyama finished third in this season's vote for the NBA Most Valuable Player award. He is also one of the sport's most popular figures.
The Spurs are currently leading 1-0 in this season's Western Conference finals against reigning NBA champions the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Earlier this year, the first European double-header between two teams across multiple European cities took place. The Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies faced each other twice in Berlin and London in the space of three days in January.
Another double header has been scheduled to take place across Berlin and Paris in 2028.
When it was confirmed last year that Manchester would host a 2027 NBA game, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: "This is great news for the city-region and is an exciting opportunity for us to see some of the best basketball players in the world on our doorstep."
The move comes alongside the NBA's plans to launch a European NBA-run league.
"Playing games in Paris and Manchester reflects the strong momentum we're seeing for basketball and the NBA in France, the UK and across Europe," said George Aivazoglou, NBA managing director for Europe and the Middle East.
"As interest in the game continues to grow across the continent, we look forward to working with the Pelicans, the Spurs and our partners to deliver unique experiences for fans, aspiring players and the local communities."
The NBA has focused on both Paris and Manchester as part of its plans to launch an independent European league, with both cities attracting interest from investors over having franchises in an 'NBA Europe' league, which could start as early as the 2027-28 season.
2027 and 2028 NBA fixtures in Europe
Victor Wembanyama is this season's NBA Defensive Player of the Year [Getty Images]
2027
Thursday, 14 January: San Antonio Spurs v New Orleans Pelicans - Accor Arena, Paris
Sunday, 17 January: New Orleans Pelicans v San Antonio Spurs - Co-op Live, Manchester
LONDON (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans and the San Antonio Spurs will play in Paris and Manchester next year as part of the NBA’s multiyear slate of regular-season games in Europe.
The league announced on Wednesday that the teams will meet in Paris on Jan. 14 and in Manchester three days later.
The NBA revealed last year that it planned to play at least six regular-season games in Europe over three seasons.
That started with a pair of games between the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic last January, in Berlin and London. The games in the 2027-28 season will take place in Berlin and Paris.
“Playing games in Paris and Manchester reflects the strong momentum we’re seeing for basketball and the NBA in France, the UK and across Europe,” George Aivazoglou, the NBA’s managing director for Europe and the Middle East, said in a statement.
“As interest in the game continues to grow across the continent, we look forward to working with the Pelicans, the Spurs and our partners to deliver unique experiences for fans, aspiring players and the local communities.”
Next year’s Paris game will be the NBA’s 16th in France since 1991 and the league’s sixth regular-season game in Paris. Manchester has never previously hosted a regular-season game, although it will mark the 20th game featuring an NBA team in England since 1993.
When it comes to the first round of the NHL Draft next month, the Senators are in “just glad to be here” mode.
After the botched communications on their 2021 Evgenii Dadonov trade, the Senators were planning to give up a first-round pick this summer. But the NHL relented and returned it to them in mid-March, with some conditions. The biggest was that they would have to select dead last, no matter what place they finish.
Normally, that would be a cause for celebration because drafting 32nd overall means you just won the Stanley Cup.
Senators winger Drake Batherson says it would be nice if he's able to get an extension done this summer.
But the Senators’ fate this season wasn’t quite that glorious. They were swept in Round 1, scoring just five goals in the process. So there is work to be done, and another first-round pick, as late as it is, certainly cannot hurt.
It also adds at least some intrigue to the draft for Senators fans. Before the NHL's change of heart, the Senators didn't have a pick until the third round.
So let's glance at what the 32nd pick might get them.
In his past two drafts, the first of his NHL GM career, Steve Staios has opted for defencemen in Carter Yakemchuk (2024, seventh overall) and Logan Hensler (2025, 23rd overall).
As most GMs will tell you, they usually don't try to draft for need because their biggest need usually won't be filled by an 18-year-old who was just chosen 32nd overall. He’s probably 2-4 years away from the NHL, if he gets there at all. And who knows what your NHL needs will look like by then?
So, once Gary Bettman announces you're on the clock, the simplest and smartest way to handle things, at least in the early rounds, is to draft the best player available.
If you cover or cheer for a team with a top-10 pick, projecting players they might pick is a lot easier because you can probably hone in on 5-8 guys. But the deeper you go, the more things morph into a total crapshoot.
Elite Prospects not only lists the rankings of some of the top draft analysts in the game, including our own Ryan Kennedy and Tony Ferrari, but EP also puts everyone’s lists together to formulate consolidated rankings. So just for fun, and with a big tip of the cap to Elite Prospects, here are five players who might be available to the Senators.
These are the players they ranked 30-34, all based on a consensus of the experts.
30 William Håkansson (D), Luleå HF, SHL
Jan 5, 2026; St. Paul, Minnesota, USA; Sweden forward Jack Berglund (26) and defensemen William Hakansson (19) hug after defeating Czechia in the final of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship ice hockey tournament at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
At 6-foot-4 and 207 pounds, the left-shot defender is more of a shutdown defenceman, and Staios is fond of those. He played 22 games as an 18-year-old in the top Swedish men’s league this season. Håkansson also won gold with Team Sweden at the 2026 World Juniors.
31 Maddox Dagenais, C, Québec Remparts
Dagenais played for Team Canada at the U18s last month. What’s not to like about a 6-foot-4 forward who skates well, puts up a point a game in the Q, and plays a highly physical game? Oh, and his dad, Pierre, played in the NHL, and the Sens love those NHL bloodlines.
32 Liam Ruck (F), Medicine Hat Tigers
Falling right on the consensus number 32 ranking, Ruck put up 45 goals and 104 points with Medicine Hat this season. At 6 feet and 176 pounds, he can obviously produce offence, but he's also bursting with hockey IQ when he doesn't have the puck. And hey, if the Sens miss out on Liam, they can always grab his twin brother and teammate, Markus, who had 108 points for the Tigers this season. Markus is currently ranked 44th.
33 Nikita Shcherbakov (D), Salavat Yulaev Ufa
The puck-moving Shcherbakov appeared in seven KHL games this season. Based on a viewing of his highlights at the lower levels, if you can picture Thomas Chabot at 18, but now imagine him being 6-foot-5, Shcherbakov plays the game a little like that, including the lack of physical play. Despite his height, Shcherbakov is still fairly light and will need to pack on some pounds.
34 Jack Hextall, C, Youngstown Phantoms
Hextall put up 58 points in 59 games in the USHL this season. He is 6 feet, 185 pounds, skates well, and brings an excellent, quick-release shot to the table. Hextall was a member of the U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team that won the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and he tied for the team lead with seven assists.
So there they are, just for fun, the kinds of players that might be available to the Senators at 32 next month.
May 3, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (16), Athletics left fielder Tyler Soderstrom (21), and Athletics third baseman Darell Hernaiz (2) celebrate the Athletics victory over the Cleveland Guardians at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images | Scott Marshall-Imagn Images
Happy Wednesday Athletics fans!
After several consecutive losing seasons, the A’s entered 2026 with renewed expectations, aiming to finish above .500 and remain in playoff contention late in the season. Through nearly 50 games, the A’s have played like a .500 team, yet they still sit atop an underwhelming American League West in which no team has consistently separated itself from the pack. Even the Seattle Mariners, preseason favorites to win the division, entered play today below .500.
Mark Kotsay’s team has handled adversity better this season, avoiding extended losing streaks like the nine-game skid it suffered last May. The A’s have fluctuated between playing strong, winning baseball and enduring sloppy stretches marked by costly losses, but inconsistency is part of the grind of MLB’s 162-game season.
Currently, the A’s miss Jacob Wilson, who is on the injured list with a left shoulder subluxation and sprain. Wilson was heating up offensively before the injury, but his improved defense at shortstop may have been even more encouraging for the A’s. In the wake of Wilson joining fellow infielder Max Muncy on the injured list, Darell Hernáiz has received everyday playing time at shortstop. While Hernáiz can hold his own defensively, Wilson offers more consistency at the plate.
Like last season, the A’s offense was expected to lead the way this year. At the moment, however, the unit has struggled aside from outfielder Carlos Cortes, catcher Shea Langeliers and first baseman Nick Kurtz. Designated hitter Brent Rooker and outfielders Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler are all batting around the Mendoza Line, with the latter two left-handed hitters mired in prolonged slumps that kept them out of last night’s starting lineup against Angels left-hander Reid Detmers.
Kurtz has drawn 44 walks, the second-most in MLB, in large part due to his keen eye and strike-zone awareness, but also because opposing teams would rather avoid him and take their chances with the hitters behind him, including Rooker and Soderstrom. The A’s have also received limited offensive production from their backup catcher, a spot that was previously held by Austin Wynns and is now Jonah Heim’s.
Entering last night’s game, the Athletics ranked near the middle of the pack in runs scored and home runs, despite playing home games at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park. They proceeded to tag the woeful Los Angeles Angels’ pitching staff for a season-high 14 runs. That will surely boost the team’s offensive confidence. Time will tell whether last night’s offensive explosion was a breakthrough or an anomaly.
The A’s need daily contributions from their offense to offset any pitching concerns if the team wants to remain competitive this season. Wilson and Muncy will return at some point and Soderstrom and Butler have too much talent to keep playing this poorly offensively. Down on the farm, shortstop Leo De Vries remains an intriguing late-season call-up possibility, while left-handers Jamie Arnold and Gage Jump could provide reinforcements for an Athletics’ pitching staff that has been respectable this year.
Here is the Athletics‘ updated minor league transaction log. Should outfielder Denzel Clarke remain at Triple-A after his rehab assignment or return to the big-league club?
OF D.Clarke to LV on rehab IF M.Stefanic elects free agency IF-OF M.Durrington off STK IL C T.Takayoshi to STK develop list RHP Chen Zhuang to LV IL IF Alika Williams to A’s from PIT for LAN RHP Kyle Robinson OF J.Perez to CWS for LHP Jackson Nove (to STK)https://t.co/joKXkyUAPy
— Bill Moriarity – A's Farm (@AthleticsFarm) May 19, 2026
Which player do you think has the best nickname in Minor League Baseball?
The American League West has arguably been the weakest division in MLB this season, which makes it even more disappointing that the A’s have been unable to separate themselves from their division rivals.
USA - CIRCA 1987: Ty Gainey of the Houston Astros looks on circa 1987. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images) | Sporting News via Getty Images
In our 17th installment of our Legends Series we sit down with Ty Gainey, whose debut with the Astros in 1985 was brief and memorable.
Q: What do you remember about being called up in April of 1985 ?
A: It was shocking because one day I’m down in the minors and then next thing I know, Yogi comes over and tells me that I better get loose around the 6th or 7th inning because I might be used as a pinch runner or possibly even pinch hit that night. That really stuck with me because he took the time to come tell me that.
Yogi was a funny guy. My first day at the dome he told me that they put the grass down before they put the top on. I just looked at him. He was funny.
Q: When I say Houston Astrodome, what comes to mind?
A: You know, I actually tripped in center field and fell. I had toe turf or something (laughs). The turf got me, crept up on me.
Q: You only appeared in 13 games. When you look back on it, do you feel they rushed you out too quickly?
A: They changed course and decided to go with the older players before the younger ones, so I just had a courtesy glance. Keep in mind, Terry Puhl, Jose Cruz, and a lot of talented guys were there, but what really happened was Kevin Bass came along, and Hal Lanier became manager and that was the end for me.
Q: And yet your one career home run, you hit off one of the very best in Orel Hershiser. What do you remember about that?
A: I was a little nervous the first pitch he threw me but then I felt okay. I started fouling balls off. I had studied Orel from the bench, so I knew what his pitches were and what he liked to go with. I knew he was going to throw me a fastball and when he did, I drove it to left field.
Q: What was it like playing all of those years in Asia after your stint in the majors?
A: It was fun. I played with Ichiro. He was a rookie when I got there and had a 30-game hitting streak even in spring training that year. Believe it or not, some of the coaches didn’t think he was ready (laughs). He stayed there longer than he should’ve and even with that, (when he joined the Mariners) he still easily got over 200 hits that rookie season with Seattle.
SEATTLE, WA - MAY 18: Jarred Kelenic #24 of the Chicago White Sox bats during the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Monday, May 18, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Eric Hiller/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning everyone, and happy Wednesday!
The Mariner bats couldn’t string together hits at the right time in last night’s 2-1 loss to the White Sox. People will surely be arguing about Dan Wilson’s decision to leave Luis Castillo in for the ninth for weeks to come, too.
Generally speaking, are you more worried about the team’s offense or their pitching long-term? While there are some frustrating injuries to the lineup, we have multiple key arms that are underperforming. It’s hard to know which will be a sticking point for longer.
In a surprising move, the Twins optioned former top prospect Royce Lewis to the minor leagues. In the same announcement, Minnesota also placed catcher Ryan Jeffers on the injured list with a hamate bone fracture.
The Alex Verdugo experiment ended for the San Diego Padres last week when the former major leaguer underwent surgery on his injured shoulder and was released by the Friars. He had been in Arizona for extended Spring Training and then began playing with the ACL Padres. The announcement this past week indicates the end of the 2026 season for Verdugo and his attempt to resurrect his career.
Right-hander Triston McKenzie was sent to the developmental list from the El Paso Chihuahuas. McKenzie signed with the Padres in an attempt to revitalize his career, but his inability to command his pitches has led to a 14.95 ERA in 13.1 innings pitched. Left-hander Fernando Sanchez was promoted to El Paso to replace McKenzie on the roster. He had three starts for Double-A San Antonio and five relief appearances in 20 innings pitched with a 4.50 ERA.
Catcher Colton Vincent was sent from the Chihuahuas to the development list, and he was replaced by Victor Duarte, who was promoted from Lake Elsinore.
Catcher Ty Harvey was activated from his rehab with the ACL Padres and rejoined Low-A Lake Elsinore.
Outfielder Justin DeCriscio was promoted from Lake Elsinore to High-A Fort Wayne after consistently hitting over .300 with a .907 OPS. He hit 3 homers and had 18 RBI. DeCriscio was drafted in the 10th round of the 2025 draft and is 23 years old.
El Paso Chihuahuas (21-24 record, 3rd in Pacific Coast League, East)
The Chihuahuas lost their series against the Salt Lake Bees but didn’t drop in the standings.
OF/IF Nick Solak has been consistently good for El Paso this year. His .339 average leads the team, and his .442 OBP is also tops for the Chihuahuas. Outfielder Jase Bowen continues to lead in slug with a .588 average, and his 10 home runs are tops as well. Outfielder Samad Taylor has a .949 OPS with the most walks at 20 to go with a .319 average.
The newly promoted righty starter Fernando Sanchez has one start with a 2.25 ERA. RHP Evan Fitterer has eight starts in 10 game appearances with 33.1 innings pitched and a 2.43 ERA. Fitterer was a minor league free agent signed during the offseason after leaving the Marlins organization. He was originally drafted in 2019 and is 25 years old.
Right-handed reliever Ethan Routzahn has five saves for El Paso in 23 innings pitched and a 3.91 ERA. JP Sears, who had a difficult start to the season, has had two starts in May and 10 innings pitched with a 1.80 ERA. He has 13 strikeouts to six walks.
San Antonio Missions (14-25 record, last in Texas League, South)
The Missions split their series versus the Wichita Wind Surge. This team features Ethan Salas’ brother Jose, as their shortstop. This is their first time playing against each other professionally.
Infielder Carson Tucker, 24, has continued his career resurgence since joining the Padres organization. He leads the team in batting average at .352 with nine doubles and a triple. He has nine steals without being caught and boasts an .885 OPS. 1B/DH Leandro Cedeno has a .421 OBP with five doubles, a triple, four homers, and 14 RBI to give him a .528 slug and .949 OPS.
Catcher Ethan Salas has been consistent with his offense, hitting .297/.373/.508 and a .882 OPS. He has seven doubles, six homers, 21 RBI, and has nine stolen bases with one caught stealing. When not catching, Salas frequently acts as the DH for the Missions. With the newly released prospect ranking updates, Salas has moved into the top 100 at No. 52 in the MLB Pipeline list.
Right-handed pitcher Jhony Brito moved from the ACL Padres to the Missions to continue his rehab from last season’s UCL repair. He has started one game with four innings pitched and didn’t allow a run. Miguel Mendez has returned from the injured list after recovering from a neck strain and started May 12. He threw two innings with a hit and two strikeouts, no runs allowed. He has a 3.24 ERA overall in 16.2 innings pitched.
Righty Francis Peña has a 1.20 ERA in 15 innings pitched while Andrew Moore has a 1.98 ERA in 13.2 innings pitched for the Missions.
Fort Wayne TinCaps (19-20 record, 3rd in Midwest League, East)
The TinCaps split their series with the Cedar Rapids Kernels.
Outfielder Jake Cunningham has the best batting average on the team at .304, and he also leads with a .933 OPS. Newly arrived Justin DeCriscio has a .417 OBP in his five games played and is followed closely by outfielder Kasen Wells at .414. Outfielder Alex McCoy continues to slug at a high rate, even after a down May. His .563 slugging percentage is only slightly better than Cunningham at .559. McCoy still leads with seven homers and 22 RBI, and his 12 doubles are also tops on the TinCaps.
Closer Clay Edmondson has eight saves in 14 game appearances and 17 innings pitched with a 0.53 ERA. He has struck out 24 to four walks. Drafted last year in the 14th round, Edmondson made a handful of appearances after being drafted last year, but has dominated so far this season.
Righty starter Carson Montgomery has impressed in his first full season as a prospect. He was drafted in the 11th round of the 2023 draft but had Tommy John surgery and missed all of last season until a quick cameo in the Fall League. So far, he has six starts and 27 innings pitched with a 1.33 ERA and 22 strikeouts to 11 walks.
Lefty starter Kash Mayfield has a 1.52 ERA in 7 starts and 29.2 innings pitched with 35 strikeouts to 13 walks. Mayfield features a devastating changeup to complement his mid-90’s fastball. He also throws a slider but it is mostly a show pitch at this point.
Reliever Javier Chacon was promoted to Fort Wayne from Lake Elsinore and has pitched in three games and four innings with a 2.25 ERA.
Lake Elsinore Storm (23-16 record, 1st in California League, South)
The Storm went 4-2 in their series against the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and keep a strong hold on their first place status.
Outfielder Ryan Wideman has a .322/.405/.521 stat line with a .925 OPS to start the season. He leads in slug and is second in OPS for qualifying players. His 29 stolen bases in 35 attempts are tops in all of pro ball. He is tops with three homers and 29 RBI for the Storm.
Infielder Luke Cantwell leads the team in average at .325, OBP at .481, and OPS at .931 among qualifying players. Undrafted free agents Bradley Frye and Connor Westenburg have cooled off slightly but are both still hitting over .300 and have 21 and 18 RBI, respectively.
Right-handed starter Winyer Chourio has started six games in his seven appearances with 26 innings pitched and a 2.42 ERA. He has 42 strikeouts to 12 walks. The 22-year-old features a 95-mph fastball and has a .185 average against this season.
Righty Ethan Long has three saves and a 1.35 ERA in 6.2 innings as a reliever. He has assumed closer duties from Will Koger, who has a 3.60 ERA. Righty Nick Falter has a 1.82 ERA in 24.2 innings pitched in his 13 appearances with 23 strikeouts and seven walks.
ACL Padres (5-7 record, 3rd in Arizona Complex League, West)
C/1B Jhojan Downer has played in nine games and 27 at-bats with a .389 average, .593 OBP, and .444 slug. His OPS sits at 1.037. Infielder Yimy Tovar has played in 12 games with a .325/.404/.575 line and .979 OPS. IF/DH Santiago Vargas has 8 RBI with two doubles, a triple, and a home run.
Reliever Ty Adcock and lefty reliever Adler Cecil are on rehab assignments with Arizona. Cecil, 21, was drafted in 2023 in the 19th round and had Tommy John surgery during spring training of 2025. This is the start of his rehab. Adcock injured his oblique during the start of spring training after signing as a free agent during the offseason.
Padres Taiwanese pitching prospect Lan-Hong Su had his first professional start on May 16, going two innings with four strikeouts and two walks without allowing a run. Su, 19, features a mid-90’s fastball, a plus slider, a changeup, and has a new splitter in his repertoire. He started the season with blisters on his pitching hand (per MadFriars.com)
Padres prospect Michael Salina has made two starts with Arizona for 1.1 innings. He will be brought back slowly in his return from Tommy John surgery. He had four strikeouts and two walks while allowing four earned runs in those two starts.
It’s heart attack hotel with this Yankees relief corps, but the bullpen managed to survive another ninth inning comeback attempt to secure consecutive one-run victories over the Blue Jays. It’s made all the more important that they managed to win on a day when Blue Jays ace Dylan Cease was starting, Ryan McMahon and Ben Rice supplying a pair of clutch home runs.
Tampa Bay Rays (32-15) 4, Baltimore Orioles (21-28) 1
It might have gone dormant for the last two seasons, but it looks like the Tampa Bay devil magic is back in the air at the Trop. For years lauded as one of the premier pitching factories in the league the Rays are back at it again producing impact starters out of nowhere. First, they transformed 35-year-old swingman Nick Martinez into a run suppressing beast. Now, they’ve gone and metamorphosed multi-inning relief ace Griffin Jax into their latest dominant starter. He held the Orioles to a run on three hits and a walk with six strikeouts in five innings, Jax now the owner of a shiny 1.42 ERA in his last five games — all starts after performing below replacement level in a relief role in his first 11 appearances. The lone damage came on the second pitch of the game, Taylor Ward leading off the contest with a home run before Jax went on to pitch five scoreless innings.
Jax’s offense answered right back in the bottom half of the frame. Jonathan Aranda drew a two out walk and scored all the way from first on a Yandy Díaz bullet double to the wall just left of center to make it 1-1. It was all Rays from that point forward, though Orioles starter Kyle Bradish would hold them to just one further run over the next 4.1 innings. That run came in the sixth, Díaz striking again this time with a mammoth 439-foot solo shot to dead center on a center-cut hanging 1-0 slider (though Díaz would have to exit the game after getting hit on the hand by a 94 mph fastball in the eighth).
Tampa Bay wrapped up the scoring by plating a pair in the eighth. Carson Williams replaced Díaz after the hit-by-pitch and raced around to score on a Richie Palacios double. Palacios was then driven home on a bloop single from Jonny DeLuca. With the win, the Rays maintain their three game lead over the Yankees for first and go for the sweep of the Orioles tomorrow afternoon.
Other Games
Cleveland Guardians (28-22) 4, Detroit Tigers (20-29) 3
Parker Messick and Keider Montero had almost identical lines, both allowing three runs in five innings. Cleveland opened the scoring in the second, Kyle Manzardo singling to lead off, Travis Bazzana drawing a walk, Angel Martínez moving the pair into scoring position with a sac bunt and Steven Kwan plating Manzardo with a sac fly. Detroit responded in the bottom-half, Riley Greene drawing a one out walk to set up a two-run blast from Spencer Torkelson. Bazzana restored the Guardians’ lead with a two-run homer in the fourth after Manzardo drew a leadoff walk, the second home run in the MLB career of the first overall pick from 2024. Once again, the Tigers responded immediately, Greene and Hao-Yu Lee reaching on a pair of singles before an errant pickoff attempt at second from catcher Austin Hedges sailed into center allowing Greene to score the tying run. Kwan scored the go-ahead run in the seventh, leading off with a double before advancing to third on a sac bunt and scoring on a soft grounder. Detroit loaded the bases in the eighth and put a pair on in the ninth, but failed to score any either time.
Boston Red Sox (21-27) 7, Kansas City Royals (20-29) 1
This was actually a close game until the ninth when Royals reliever Eli Morgan imploded for four runs, seven of the Red Sox’s 15 hits coming in that frame alone. Ranger Suarez gave the Red Sox 4.1 innings of one-run ball whereas the Royals went with a bullpen game. Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Willson Contreras, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa all had multi-hit days for the Red Sox. Duran slugged a home run and drove in three, Contreras also drove in three, and IKF went 3-for-3.
Kumar Rocker authored easily the best outing of his big league career, though it is curious to note that it came as the bulk man after opener Tyler Alexander pitched a scoreless first. Rocker twirled 7.2 shutout innings allowing three hits and three walks against seven strikeouts, racking up 19 swings and misses including a gaudy 57-percent whiff rate on the slider. The Rockies also went with a bullpen game to the polar opposite outcome, opener Sammy Peralta and bulk guy Tanner Gordon combining to give up nine runs on 14 hits and three walks in seven innings. Joc Pederson pinch-hit for Andrew McCutchen in the second and went on to go 4-for-5. Brandon Nimmo went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Ezequiel Duran slugged a pair of doubles and drove in four.
Chicago White Sox (25-23) 2,Seattle Mariners (23-27) 1
Dan Wilson’s decision to demote Luis Castillo from the rotation and have him piggyback off of Bryce Miller’s abbreviated starts as the latter works his way back from an oblique strain backfired spectacularly. In his first ever game pitching out of the bullpen in the majors, Castillo spoiled Miller’s dominant start — 5.2 scoreless innings allowing a hit and a walk against seven strikeouts — by walking Munetaka Murakami followed by a Miguel Vargas HBP. This forced Wilson to call on closer Andrés Muñoz, who promptly yielded consecutive singles to the first two hitters he faced to turn Seattle’s 1-0 lead into a 2-1 deficit, the Mariners scoring their only run in the first on a Patrick Wisdom RBI ground out with the bases loaded.
Cabral is 6-0 with a 2.06 ERA this season | Katie Goodale / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
When guessing who we thought the most consistent pitcher for any affiliate would be this season, few, if anyone, would have guess 18th round pick Aiven Cabral would anchor the Augusta pitching staff. Even as a reliever he has been the player they can rely on for consistent innings, and so far he has recorded the win in six of his seven starts this season. Augusta had a big offensive explosion led by two hits and five stolen bases from Tate Southisene, who has 12 stolen bases in his last eight games.
(26-20) Gwinnett Stripers 4, (23-23) Charlotte Knights 5
Austin Gomber, SP: 5 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 9.00 ERA
Rolddy Munoz, RP: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 0.47 ERA
The Stripers trailed for most of this game, and Austin Gomber could not stop giving up home runs to the Charlotte Knights. A Jacob Gonzalez long ball off of the CoolRay Field berm opened up the scoring for the game in the second inning, and piece-by-piece the Knights kept putting up runs by putting balls over the wall. Gomber allowed the only non-home run run off of a Braden Montgomery double the next inning, then went right back to giving up nukes. The Knights went back-to-back off of Gomber in the next inning, the latter of those home runs full clearing the bullpen and sailing into the apartments. The fifth inning got started with another no doubt shot to right field, the fourth Knights home run of the game and a 5-0 lead that would seal the game in favor of Charlotte. The Gwinnett bullpen had loads more success than Gomber and split four scoreless frames between Javy Guerra and Rolddy Munoz, and Munoz had a strong day on the mound. He was able to throw tons of strikes and the Knights were having trouble with his slider, and though he only struck out one batter he got tons of weak contact and stayed ahead in the count.
The Stripers weren’t snoozing at the plate while Charlotte was going off, but without the aid of home runs they came up empty in the early innings. They didn’t have any extra base hits and had a couple of double play balls, so despite getting runners on base in every inning it took until the fifth for them to finally come up with some life. Luke Williams tripled to spark the first Gwinnett run of the game, and slowly they would start creeping back and play their way into the contest. Rowdy Tellez opened up in the sixth inning with a double and was advanced on a single from Brewer Hicklen, giving the Stripers their first inning with multiple hits and a big chance to rally with no outs. Brett Wisely chased the left fielder back to the warning track to give Tellez enough time to come and score on a sacrifice fly, but they failed the score further runs that inning. In the seventh they kept it rolling with doubles from Williams and Nacho Alvarez, and when Tellez snuck a single up the middle to score Alvarez from second base the Stripers found themselves with a huge chance to tie the game. An infield single would move Ben Gamel, pinch-running, up to second base with still only one out in the inning, but the rally fizzled out from there. Two fly outs failed to advance any runners further, but Gwinnett wasn’t out of time to score just yet. With two outs a single from Williams opened a glimmer of eighth inning hope, and when Jim Jarvis made an appearance and shot a double into the corner the chance grew bigger still. Alvarez was walked intentionally to load the bases, putting Gamel in the biggest spot of the game where he would strike out. In the ninth inning Aaron Schunk stood at second base after a Wisely hit, a force out, and a wild pitch, and with two outs Dashawn Keirsey Jr. was the final hope for Gwinnett. Keirsey was able to punch a line into shallow left field for a hit, but Jacob Gonzalez made a scoop off of the hop and fired home where Schunk was out by a mile on the throw to end the game.
Swing and Misses
Austin Gomber – 12
Javy Guerra – 6
Rolddy Munoz – 5
(19-20) Columbus Clingstones 1, (20-20) Pensacola Blue Wahoos 3
Jack Dashwood, SP: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 7.61 ERA
Luis Vargas, RP: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 4.44 ERA
It’s tough to find a whole lot to say about this one, where the Clingstones offense took the day off and the pitching staff even with a solid collective effort didn’t really run out any particularly interesting prospects. Columbus did hold a lead early in this game, and of course it was Lizandro Espinoza getting it done at the plate and on the bases which made that possible. Espinoza drew a walk and then stole his way around to third, putting him in position where a Luke Waddell double broke the seal with two outs in the top of the first inning. That was the high point of the game. Espinoza still had a good day, adding a hit and another stolen base in the third inning, but Columbus was stifled in the series opener and only had one hit after the third inning. In total the team struck out eight times in four innings against the Blue Wahoos bullpen, sealing a quiet loss.
After a stretch of rough outings Jack Dashwood was due for a good day on the mound, and even though he didn’t have great control he was able to fill innings effectively and keep Columbus in position to win the game. Unfortunately for him the offense had different plans, but Dashwood did his job well. Luis Vargas came in to replace Dashwood with a runner on base in the fifth inning, and a stroke of good fortune got his outing off on the right food. With a runner on second Vargas gave up a liner up the middle, but Cal Conley was shifted over made a terrific leaping play to snag the liner and save a run. Conley was able to turn that into an inning-ending unassisted double play, and Vargas found himself quickly out of a scoring chance. Vargas pitched quite well in his inning in the sixth inning. His stuff was sharp and he was locating fairly well, striking out two batters in the inning. Unfortunately for him a bloop single and an inside out grounder down the right field line turned into a run against him and charged him with a loss for the game.
Swing and Misses
Jack Dashwood – 5
Luis Vargas – 4
(22-18) Rome Emperors 0, (22-17) Hub City Spartanburgers
Colin Daniel, SP: 6.2 IP,7 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 4.66 ERA
The Emperors were flailing against Hickory starter Aidan Curry, swinging and missing 23 times and striking out nine times in six scoreless innings. Three walks drawn sort of salvaged some decency from the game, especially from Isaiah Drake and John Gil at the top of the order, but it was really not a great game at all. Drake struck out in all three of his non-walk plate appearances, and Eric Hartman added an 0-4 with two strikeouts. In addition Rome went 0-3 on stolen base attempts, capping off a lousy day. Gil did have a hit and a walk to give one of the big bats a good performance for the series opener, but Gil is still on a pretty ugly slump since his two home runs game. Gil is 3 for his last 24 with eight strikeouts, which is as bad a stretch as we’ve ever seen him have making contact.
For Colin Daniel, it had to be a frustrating day to pitch so well and not have any shot of winning. Daniel kept Hub City pounding the ball into the ground, and worked an efficient 6 2/3 innings in which he only allowed one earned run with no walks. Daniel did give up a long home run to Malcolm Moore in the sixth inning after matching Curry for the first five, but otherwise hard contact was hard for the Spartanburgers to come by. Unfortunately for Daniel an error in the seventh inning prolonged the frame long enough for Hub City to notch two more unearned runs, burying this game and settling that he would end up with a loss despite a good line. Leading into this game Riley Frey had been phenomenal out of the bullpen for Rome, posting a 1.42 ERA with one walk to 12 strikeouts and no home runs allowed. Those numbers took a major hit when he allowed four runs to Hub City in this one, pushing his ERA to 3.86 on the season.
Swing and Misses
Colin Daniel – 8
Riley Frey – 3
(22-18) Augusta GreenJackets 8, (18-22) Columbia Fireflies 1
Logan Forsythe, SP: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 4.96 ERA
Aiven Cabral, RP: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 2.06 ERA
This is the game we have been waiting for, the matchup with by far the biggest intrigue out of Tuesday’s slate. Columbia and Augusta played a tight battle throughout that was marked by dominant pitching, until suddenly the GreenJackets broke out and lapped the Fireflies in the late innings. For the second straight week Logan Forsythe was chased from the game early due to poor command and an inflated pitch count, but he managed to escape the first inning with only a single run allowed and that is where the game would stay. Jaylen Paden pitched two scoreless innings of relief before turning the ball over to Aiven Cabral, who came into this outing having earned the win for each of his past five appearances on the season. All Cabral did was put up his best performance to date, carving through the Fireflies offense to the tune of six one-hit innings and eight strikeouts. Unfortunately for Cabral the offense couldn’t come up with anything major, so for the first half of his outing he still tended to a 1-0 deficit. However the bats woke up late, obviously, and Cabral once again was the pitcher of record taking his sixth win in a row. In this span Cabral has pitched all but one game in relief, but paired with the inconsistent Forsythe he has taken on a huge onus and responded. In these six wins he has 32 innings pitches and a 1.97 ERA to go along with 29 strikeouts and only seven walks.
Tate Southisene was the man to help lead the offense, and he took advantage each of the three times he reached base in this game. Southisene had two hits and a walk and everytime he got out there he ran wild, going 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts in the game and scoring two runs. Southisene has been efficient on the basepaths on his way to 32 stolen bases already this season, and in his past eight games he is 12-for-13 on stolen base attempts. With one out in the seventh inning Southisene struck out, but even when he made an out he was able to reach on the wild pitch then advance on a walk and steal third base. This allowed him to tie the game by scoring on a Luis Guanipa ground out, and Alex Lodise followed closely behind on a Juan Mateo single to give Augusta their first lead. In the next inning he got the rally started with a stinging two-out single into center field, then stole second and third base before scoring on a swinging bunt single from Lodise. Finally in the eighth inning Augusta officially broke the game open, with a Dallas Macias home run doing major damage and ballooning the lead to 6-1. Michael Martinez’s first hit as a GreenJacket went for two, scoring a runner on a line drive into the left field corner for the fourth run of the inning. Martinez would then score on an error, capping off the big inning for Augusta.
There’s been more than a few songs written about baseball. I wrote a more expansive piece several years ago, but for this essay, I’ll just concentrate on a few selections.
There are classics like “Take me out to the ballgame” which has been a 7th inning staple for decades. Some ballparks have taken to playing “God bless America” while the Red Sox have made “Sweet Caroline” their 8th inning staple.
Most players have a walk-up song, and many relievers have a walk-in song. My favorite was Trevor Hoffman entering a game to “Hells Bells”. I mean, who doesn’t love ACDC? I’m thinking about having my kids play this at my funeral. If they won’t, I’m getting up and walking out.
The mid-1980’s were a fruitful, and cringe worthy, time for baseball songs with John Fogerty’s 1985 hit “Centerfield” and Bruce Springsteen’s 1984 “Glory Days”. Peter Paul and Mary got into the act in 1986 with their song “Right Field”. I never cared for that trio of songs, but like anything else, someone, somewhere surely liked them. An old-timer once said to me, “Kid, there’s an ass for every seat”. Yes, there is. And there’s a song for every set of ears.
One baseball song I did like was Section 36’s 1980 regional hit, “Go Joe Charboneau” a paean to Cleveland’s irrepressible rookie star. Everyone liked Joe Charboneau. How could you not like him? The guy drank beer through his nose. He did his own dental work and fixed his broken nose with a pair of pliers. Before the 1980 season, a crazed Mexican fan stabbed him with a pen knife. The blow was stopped when it hit a rib. The assailant was arrested and fined 50 peso’s, to which Charboneau replied, “that’s $2.27 for stabbing a person”. He captivated Cleveland and the baseball world by hitting home runs and doing outrageous things. He was a runaway winner of the Rookie of The Year. Then injuries and hard living took hold and by 1983, he was out of baseball.
Those really were the days, back before the internet, cable TV and the 24/7 news cycle. A time when you had to rely on various sources of information, often outdated, to hear what the latest phenom was doing. That lack of information allowed players like Fernando Valenzuela, Charboneau and Mark Fidrych to develop reputations that whetted the appetite of baseball fans anxious to get a glimpse of said player. We relied on daily newspaper box scores, radio sports reports, The Sporting News and 30 second clips on the evening news to catch a glimpse of them. If we were lucky, you’d see them in the Baseball Game of the Week. Don’t get me wrong. It’s great today, to be able to watch any game, any time of the day. It’s great to have advanced stats at your fingertips, updated with each at-bat or pitch. But it does take away from some of the suspense and the myth building. We gained something and we’ve lost something.
Another baseball hit during the 1980’s was Terry Cashman’s “Talkin’ baseball”. Cashman is a prolific writer who had several modest hits prior to Talkin’ Baseball.
I didn’t care much for the song when it first came out. One of our local radio stations, probably KSAL, would play it a couple times a day that summer, but I wrote it off as a hokey novelty song. Plus, it didn’t fit my genre, which arced more towards deafening hard rock. ACDC, Molly Hatchett, The Outlaws, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen. You get the idea.
I stumbled back upon “Talkin’ Baseball” a few weeks ago, gave it another listen to, and you know what, it’s not bad. In fact, it’s a bit of a rhyming masterpiece, how Cashman gets all the names to fit together. Writing a song is a very special skill, getting the music and lyrics to fit. I admire those who have the ability to do that. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, but I liked the song this time around.
The Royals are featured prominently in the song. George Brett gets a nice line, “and Brett is the greatest”. Dan Quisenberry gets a mention:
“I’m talkin’ baseball, like Reggie, Quisenberry
talkin’ baseball
Carew and Gaylord Perry”.
The structure of the song reminds me a bit of Dave Frishberg’s 1969 song, “Van Lingle Mungo”, in which Frishberg recites the names of various ballplayers in a rhyming fashion set to a Bossa Nova beat. Frishberg was a terrific jazz pianist whose name may ring a bell for some of you who had small children that watched Schoolhouse Rock. He wrote the children’s classic, “I’m just a bill”.
I can remember my father, a Brooklyn Dodgers fan, talking about Mungo. I thought he was pulling my leg with the name. Van Lingle Mungo?
Mungo was a flamethrowing, albeit wild, righthanded pitcher who won 120 games over a 14-year career that was worth almost 33 WAR. He was also a colorful character, who often clashed with his teammates, managers and a few disgruntled husbands.
Mungo and Frishberg appeared together on the Dick Cavett show, where Frishberg sang the song. Before the taping, Mungo asked Frishberg if there was any money in it for him. Frishberg replied with this zinger, “No, but you might make some money if you wrote a song called Dave Frishberg”. Roy Campanella is the only player mentioned in both songs.
Baseball remains a fertile ground for musicians. What are some of your favorites?
DENVER, CO - May 19: Texas Rangers pitcher Kumar Rocker (80) pitches in the second inning during a game between the Texas Rangers and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 19, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Morning, all!
Mackenzie Gore left Monday’s game against the Rockies with Kat tightness but isn’t expected to miss another start, and Wyatt Langford may start back on a hitting progression by Friday.
Kumar Rocker has over an 11.00 ERA in the first inning of games this year and the Rangers have decided to do something about it.
The decision to go with an opener Tuesday night against the Rockies paid off, with Kumar Rocker pitching 7.2 innings of shutout out ball on the way to a 10-0 win.
Nobody knows why Rocker has been having so many problems in the first inning, and maybe the opener didn’t change anything about the outcome of the game.
Skip Schumaker also went with a new lineup and saw it put up a season high 10 runs, so maybe the Rangers should try new things more often.
Rangers prospect Malcolm Moore has been lighting the South Atlantic League on fire.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 17: Oliver Dunn #45 of the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch on February 17, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Tampa Bay Rays have made a flurry of roster moves ahead of Wednesday’s series finale against the Baltimore Orioles.
Prior to Tuesday’s game, Kevin Cash advised reporters that infielder Ben Williamson was dealing with a stiff back. Then following the Rays 4-1 victory over Baltimore, the team acquired infielder Oliver Dunn from the Chicago White Sox for minor league pitcher Joe Rock.
This morning, the Rays officially activated Dunn and placed Williamson on the Injured List with a back strain. The Rays also activated starting pitcher Steven Matz and optioned Chase Solesky to Triple-A Durham.
Dunn is a 28-year old versatile defender that is capable of playing in both the infield and outfield. This season, he has primarily been a third baseman but has spent time at shortstop, left field, and second base. Over 183 plate appearances in Triple-A for the White Sox this season, Dunn was hitting .295/.393/.545 with 9 HR and 9 SB, registerin ga 132 wRC+.
Originally drafted by the New York Yankees in the 11th round of the 2019 draft, Dunn has bounced around the league having already played within the systems of the Yankees, Phillies, Brewers, and White Sox. In 2024 he made his big league debut while with Milwaukee and over parts of two seasons he hit .206/.261/.290 with 1 HR over 145 plate appearances.
Joe Rock’s tenure with the Rays comes to an end during his third season with the team. The Rays originally acquired Rock at the end of spring training in 2024 for former first round draft pick Greg Jones. Rock was primarily a starting pitcher but made his big league debut in 2025 with three relief appearances. Thus far in 2026, Rock has been a full-time reliever, and has seen a vast increase in his strikeout numbers but also a significant spike in walks.
Meanwhile, there has not been update for Yandy Diaz, who was removed from last night’s game after being hit on the fingers by a 93mph splitter.
