Crows key forward, 36, to call time on career after one last shot at flag
‘I have treated it like my last year for the past six years,’ he says
Adelaide great Taylor Walker says he doesn’t need a premiership to be fulfilled with his AFL career – but he sure would love one. The 36-year-old decided to retire at the end of the season when he woke in an emotional state at 3am last Wednesday.
“The closer I have got to the end, it has probably become a little bit more evident that it might be this year – but I have treated it like my last year for the past six years,” Walker told reporters on Monday.
The Cincinnati Reds just got swept by a Washington Nationals club that was behind them on the periphery of the National League Wild Card standings at the outset of the series. It’s a Nats club that just spent the last two weeks selling off pieces of importance to other clubs as they prepped for the future, a club with clearly more intent on both short and long term determination to be comfortable in their own dealings than the Reds.
Cincinnati is now 5 games under .500, again. They are back in last place in the NL Central and 6.0 games out of the final Wild Card spot, again with 6 teams they’d need to leapfrog to get there with a miracle. And they are devoid of Hunter Greene, again, as he’s now out for the rest of 2026 (and likely all of 2027, too).
With any last ditch effort at postseason ball now completely in the crapper, here’s what Cincinnati Reds fans have to look forward to for the rest of the season.
Chase Burns hitting an innings limit and being shut down
The brightest of bright spots on the 2026 club has been Chase Burns, who has emerged fully as a legitimate ace and signed a long-term contract to be part of the club for a long, long time.
He’s going to hit an innings limit quite soon, though. And when he does, he’ll either be shifted to a sparingly-used reliever or shut down altogether.
Cool!
Zero top pitching prospects being called up
The Cincinnati Reds have no top pitching prospects, and certainly don’t have any in the upper minors who are knocking on the door to get late-season cameos.
So, don’t look forward to that!
Zero top hitting prospects being called-up
We’ve gotten Hector Rodriguez to the roster in the wake of Nathaniel Lowe being dealt away at the deadline, and that’s cool. He’ll hopefully play a whole lot more than Noelvi Marte and TJ Friedl for the remainder of the season, but you never know.
Edwin Arroyo and his .568 OPS will likely be back in September, but will he get a shot to play at all as the club continues to evaluate Matt McLain’s status for the fifth consecutive season?
Alfredo Duno is still at least a year away, and that’s all the Reds have atop their system at the moment. Peaks and valleys, amirite?!
Nick Krall crossing his fingers, arms, toes, legs, and eyes that Ke’Bryan Hayes figures out how to hit a lick
Krall made one of the most egregious mistakes in recent memory in taking Ke’Bryan Hayes (and the $36 million owed to him) off the ledger of the Pittsburgh Pirates a year ago, and the Reds still seem hell bent on letting him get as many PA as he can to show he’s a better hitter than literally any other professional baseball player on the planet even though he is not.
As they do their damnedest to prove that he’s not a sunk cost, expect to see Hayes in the lineup and at 3B more often than you’d like to smell your shoes for the rest of 2026.
Whether Christian Encarnacion-Strand will sock more homers for Baltimore than Hayes will for Cincinnati
CES already has 3 dingers and a 118 OPS+ for the O’s in just 16 games since being promoted to play 3B for them. Hayes, meanwhile, has somehow tripped into 4 dongs for the Reds over the course of his 2026 season.
Who ends up with more for their respective club while manning the hot corner?
Sal Stewart getting to a hundred arby-eyes
Sal Stewart is cool as hell on the baseball field and I love him for it. Hopefully he socks 35 dingers and drives in 120 runs and we all get to re-learn just what it’s like to have a certain sect of baseball fans talk about arby-eyes once more. Don’t you miss the days of that discourse?
Whether ownership decides to do something, anything to alter the miserable direction of the franchise
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MAY 14: Brice Turang #2 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates after hitting an RBI double against the San Diego Padres during the second inning at American Family Field on May 14, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Milwaukee Brewers — fresh off a solid 5-2 homestand to push them to 74-44 on the season — are headed back to the West Coast after visiting the Giants and Angels last week. This time, they’ll face two slightly more formidable opponents in the Padres and Dodgers. First up is San Diego, currently in a fight for an NL Wild Card spot alongside the Phillies and D-backs (among several others). At 62-57, the Padres have turned things on in recent weeks to put themselves firmly into the playoff race.
The Brewers have lost several position players in recent days, as shortstop Cooper Pratt hit the IL on Sunday with a hamstring strain and Joey Ortiz is considered day-to-day with neck tightness. The team also lost prospect Jett Williams, who, in his first at-bat back from injury, re-injured his hand while swinging. Outfielder Sal Frelick is also out, though he’s on his way back as he began a rehab assignment over the weekend. Pitchers Joel Kuhnel (on rehab), JoJo Romero (mid- to late August), Rob Zastryzny (TBD), Brandon Woodruff (out for season), Brian Fitzpatrick (out for season), Quinn Priester (out for season), and Angel Zerpa (out for season) are all on the IL.
San Diego’s injured list currently includes pitchers Joe Musgrove (on rehab), Nick Pivetta (exited rehab outing last week), David Morgan (on rehab), Jason Adam (late August or early September), Lucas Giolito (late August), Bryan Hoeing (out for season), and Yu Darvish (considering retirement). Outfielders Ramón Laureano (likely out for season) and Samad Taylor (close to a rehab assignment) are also out, as well as utility man Miguel Andujar (late August).
Jake Bauers leads Milwaukee with 21 homers, though Jackson Chourio’s four-homer week has him closing in with 21 on the season. Brice Turang, William Contreras, Garrett Mitchell, Andrew Vaughn, Christian Yelich, Ortiz, Luis Lara, and David Hamilton round out the regulars, with Brandon Lockridge, Gary Sánchez, and new addition Jihwan Bae serving as depth. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .253/.337/.398 (.735 OPS ranks seventh), with 109 homers (last), 585 runs (fifth), and 117 steals (fourth).
Despite an ice-cold start offensively, the Padres have turned it around a bit offensively in recent weeks. Manny Machado, who’s hitting just .212 for the year, leads the team with 23 homers, good for a .420 slugging percentage. He’s followed by Jackson Merrill (18 homers), Ty France (16 homers), Gavin Sheets (15 homers), and Fernando Tatis Jr. (11 homers). Xander Bogaerts, Luis Campusano, Freddy Fermin, Jake Cronenworth, recent former Brewer Luis Rengifo round out the regulars, with Austin Hays, Jase Bowen, and Sung-Mun Song, providing depth. As a team, the Padres are hitting .236/.313/.382 (.695 OPS ranks 25th), with 124 homers (20th), 497 runs (22nd), and 119 steals (third).
Aaron Ashby leads the Brewers with 55 appearances and 13 wins this year, as he’s also turned in a solid-but-not-great 3.56 ERA. Abner Uribe (2.05 ERA) and Trevor Megill 92.58 ERA) are once again the anchors of the bullpen, while Chad Patrick (3.32 ERA) provides long relief. With a six-man rotation, the Brewer bullpen is rounded out by DL Hall (2.60 ERA), Antonio Senzatela (7.71 ERA), and recent addition Lyon Richardson (no appearances). As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.47 team ERA (second), including a 3.46 starter ERA (third) and a 3.49 bullpen ERA (fourth). They’ve struck out 1,156 batters (second) over 1,055 2/3 innings.
Closer Mason Miller (0.91 ERA, 29-for-30 in save opportunities) anchors San Diego’s bullpen, with Adrian Morejon (2.89 ERA) also starring. Wandy Peralta (3.45 ERA), Bradgley Rodriguez (2.21 ERA), Yuki Matsui (2.40 ERA), and Jeremiah Estrada (3.55 ERA) have also been solid, with Kyle Hart (4.18 ERA) and Griffin Canning (6.65 ERA) rounding things out. As a staff, the Padres have a 4.18 team ERA (17th), including a 4.69 starter ERA (27th) and a 3.68 bullpen ERA (fifth). They’ve struck out 956 batters (20th) over 1,041 innings.
Henderson has made 10 starts for Milwaukee in year No. 2, totaling 50 innings with a 2.70 ERA, 3.09 FIP, and 62 strikeouts. He’s coming off his third consecutive winning performance, as he went six innings on 83 pitches, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out eight. The right-hander has never pitched against San Diego.
Mize, the No. 1 overall pick by the Tigers back in 2018, was acquired by the Padres at the trade deadline. While he has a solid 3.40 ERA, 2.81 FIP, and 86 strikeouts across 90 innings this season, he got roughed up in his San Diego debut last week, allowing eight runs on nine hits and three walks over just 3 1/3 innings in a loss to the D-backs. Mize has made two starts against Milwaukee, with a 1-1 record, 3.18 ERA, and eight strikeouts over 11 1/3 innings. That includes a winning performance this year, as he went six frames with one run allowed and seven strikeouts.
Tuesday, August 11 @ 8:40 p.m.: LHP Kyle Harrison (9-2, 2.84 ERA, 2.90 FIP) vs. RHP Walker Buehler (6-5, 5.07 ERA, 4.37 FIP)
Harrison, who made his return from the IL last week, has made 18 starts for Milwaukee this season, totaling 88 2/3 innings with a 2.84 ERA, 2.90 FIP, and 111 strikeouts, good for second on the team behind Jacob Misiorowski’s 204. Harrison went five scoreless innings before being pulled due to calf cramps in his return from the IL, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out 10 on 69 pitches. The left-hander has made four career starts against San Diego, with a 5.57 ERA and 20 strikeouts over 21 innings, though his best outing came as a Brewer back in May, when he went five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts to pick up the win.
Buehler, a former star with the Dodgers, has struggled since missing the entire 2023 season due to injury. He’s made 23 starts for San Diego this year, with a 5.07 ERA, 4.37 FIP, and 95 strikeouts across 108 1/3 innings pitched. The 32-year-old righty went four innings against Arizona his last time out, allowing one run on six hits and a walk while striking out three. Buehler has made three regular season appearances against Milwaukee in his career, all while with Los Angeles. In those games, he’s 1-1 with a 2.93 ERA and 21 strikeouts across 15 1/3 innings.
Wednesday, August 12 @ 3:10 p.m.: RHP Dustin May (6-7, 4.30 ERA, 3.26 FIP) vs. LHP Robbie Ray (10-7, 3.24 ERA, 4.49 FIP)
May, who was acquired at last week’s trade deadline from the Cardinals, has a 4.30 ERA, 3.26 FIP, and 111 strikeouts across 115 innings this season. He made his Brewer debut against the Pirates last week, spinning six innings with two runs allowed on three hits and three walks, striking out five en route to his first win in a Milwaukee uniform. The right-hander is a familiar foe of the Padres from his time with the Dodgers, as he’s made 15 appearances (12 starts) totaling 79 innings with a 3-5 record, 3.30 ERA, and 69 strikeouts. That includes two starts while with the Cardinals this season, totaling 15 innings with three runs allowed (two earned) and 16 strikeouts, including a complete game, one-hit, one-walk shutout in June.
Ray, another trade deadline acquisition (from the Giants), has also made one start since joining the Padres. He wet five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and five walks, striking out two in a loss. The left-hander has 23 appearances (22 starts) this season, with a 3.24 ERA, 4.49 FIP, and 109 strikeouts over 127 2/3 innings, and he also has a league-worst 62 walks issued (he led the NL with 73 a year ago). Ray has made six starts against Milwaukee, with a 3-1 record, 2.62 ERA, and 42 strikeouts over 34 1/3 innings, including a pair of no-decisions while with San Francisco last year (10 innings, five earned runs, four strikeouts).
How to Watch & Listen
Monday, August 10: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Tuesday, August 11: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Wednesday, August 12: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Prediction
The Padres have played better in recent weeks, especially on offense, but the Brewers are still the better team. Give me Milwaukee to eke out two of three.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a go-ahead, three-run homer and pinch-hitter Austin Hays connected for a two-run shot in his first at-bat with San Diego as the Padres beat the AL West-leading Houston Astros 7-2 on Sunday.
Jackson Merrill and Gavin Sheets also went deep for the Padres, who took two of three in the series and remained one game out of a National League playoff spot.
Randy Vásquez and three relievers combined on a two-hitter to help the Padres to their 12th victory in 16 games.
Vásquez (8-6) pitched five solid innings, retiring his final 10 batters after allowing Daulton Varsho’s two-run homer with two outs in the second. It was Varsho’s eighth home run this season and first since being acquired from Toronto before the trade deadline last Monday.
The Padres began their comeback in the bottom of the inning when Merrill homered to straightaway center field off Cristian Javier (1-3). It was Merrill’s 18th.
Tatis hit a 421-foot drive to the third level of the Western Metal Supply Co. brick warehouse in the left-field corner with two outs in the fourth to give San Diego a 4-2 lead. It was his 11th.
Sheets greeted reliever AJ Blubaugh with a leadoff shot to right in the sixth. It was his 15th.
Hays, signed earlier in the day, batted for Sheets in the eighth and homered to left off Bryan King. It was his second.
Vásquez held the Astros to two hits with one strikeout and no walks.
Up next
Astros: RHP Hayden Wesneski (2-0, 2.84 ERA) is scheduled to start Monday night’s series opener at San Francisco, which will counter with RHP Blade Tidwell (0-0, 3.18).
Padres: RHP Casey Mize (4-7, 3.40 ERA) makes his first home start since being acquired from Detroit last Monday when he opposes Milwaukee RHP Logan Henderson (6-1, 2.70).
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 9: Daulton Varsho #18 of the Houston Astros hits a two-run home run against the San Diego Padres during the second inning at Petco Park on August 9, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Fernando Tatis is hot and the Padres are riding the wave. In a rubber match affair on Peacock, San Diego won by a final score of 7-2. The loss means that Houston still hasn’t claimed a series at Petco since 2015.
It took Tatis until May 30th to register his first home run of the season. However, after Sunday Night, he now has 11 for the year and has hit 3 home runs in his last 5 games. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Tatis would deposit a change up from Cristian Javier (L, 1-3) into the left field stands, putting the Padres ahead by a score of 4-2, and they’d never trail again. For the night, Javier would go five innings, allow 8 hits and 4 earned runs.
One bright spot in the loss was Daulton Varsho. Varsho entered Sunday night on a 2-18 skid since joining the club at last week’s deadline. He would launch his first home run as an Astro with a two out, two-run blast in the top of the 2nd inning.
The homer brought home Taylor Trammell. That was really the only costly mistake that pitcher Randy Vasquez (W, 8-6) would make. Vasquez was pulled after just 62 pitches over the course of 5 innings.
A pair of former White Sox would do damage in later innings. In the 6th, Gavin Sheets would launch a solo shot off of AJ Blubaugh. In the 8th, Austin Hays would connect on a 2-run dinger off Bryan King, which brought in Jase Bowen, making it 7-2. The Padres would hit 4 home runs on the night. All runs were scored via the long ball for the ballgame. San Diego would retire 22 straight Astros hitters.
In terms of the rotation, Manager Joe Espada indicated that the club for the next couple of weeks would “just kind of go day to day” Hayden Wesneski will open the Giants series at Oracle Park tomorrow night. First pitch is set for 8:45 CDT. Wesneski has won his first two outings since returning from Tommy John surgery.
Odds & Ends:
All three contests in San Diego were complete sellouts. Sunday’s crowd was announced at 40,160.
Christian Walker’s 11-game hitting streak has come to an end.
Even with the loss, the Astros still maintain their division lead as the Mariners and Rangers each lost on Sunday.
Billy Amick may not be among the most highly-regarded prospects the Mets acquired in their trade deadline sell-off, but he’s certainly already making a name for himself in the organization.
The power-hitting corner infield prospect has been on an absolute tear with Binghamton since coming over from the Twins as part of the A.J. Minter deal.
Amick launched a three-run shot in the bottom of the sixth on Sunday afternoon, helping the Rumble Ponies to a weekend series sweep and their seventh consecutive victory.
The youngster also drew a walk and stole his third base of the season.
Amick has now homered five times over his first seven games with the team, driving in 13 runs and racking up an impressive 1.387 OPS over that span.
Two of those home runs came in back-to-back innings on Thursday, giving him his fifth-career multi-homer game.
Amick has struck out 11 times through 24 AB's, but he's also hitting .333 and has reached at a .429 clip.
The 23-year-old slugger they call “Billy Barrels” is now up to 28 homers on the Double-A season, which puts him among the top-10 of all minor leaguers.
While he has some flaws to his game, there’s no denying Amick has some big-time pop.
It’ll be interesting to keep an eye on how that translates as he continues to progress through the system.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 14: Hunter Goodman #15 of the Colorado Rockies speaks with Justin Wrobleski #70 of the Los Angeles Dodgers during the seventh inning of the 2026 MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers are a problem.
They’ve won three World Series since 2020, including the last two in a row, and built a roster that keeps pushing the limits of what a superteam looks like. They spend big, develop talent, maintain a deep farm system and just added Tarik Skubal for good measure.
Everyone worries about the Dodgers in October.
The NL West has been dealing with them for much longer.
LA has won 15 division titles since 2000 and 12 of the last 13, with the 107-win Giants of 2021 providing the only interruption.
Way to go, Giants!
This year, LA is 8.5 games ahead of Arizona and 24.5 games ahead of Colorado.
When you share a division with the Dodgers, you don’t get to wait until October to worry about them. You check the standings all summer and, more often than not, there they are at the top.
So let’s combine forces.
Build the NL West superteam!
Take any players currently on the Rockies, Diamondbacks, Giants or Padres, using the current FanGraphs depth charts, and build a 26-man roster.
The first goal: beat the Dodgers’ current fWAR total.
The rule: spend less than their current 26-man roster.
Spotrac lists the Dodgers’ total 2026 payroll at $312,015,118. For this exercise, we’re only counting the salaries of the 26 players currently listed on the FanGraphs depth chart.
Here’s the target:
Los AngelesDodgers
I understand the Dodgers’ injured list is basically a superteam of its own — Will Smith, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow aren’t even included here, and Shohei Ohtani can pitch. But we’re taking one exact slice in time: the 26 players on the Dodgers’ roster right now.
Using the Dodgers’ current FanGraphs depth chart for fWAR and Spotrac for 2026 payroll salary:
Starting lineup
Player
Position
fWAR
Salary
Shohei Ohtani
DH
3.6
$28,216,944
Andy Pages
CF
3.6
$800,000
Freddie Freeman
1B
3.2
$22,874,920
Max Muncy
3B
3.2
$10,000,000
Mookie Betts
SS
1.3
$25,167,520
Kyle Tucker
RF
1.0
$1,000,000
Tommy Edman
2B
0.9
$12,091,513
Teoscar Hernández
LF
0.6
$14,709,589
Hunter Feduccia
C
0.4
$782,000
–
Total:
17.8 fWAR
$115,642,486
Bench
Player
Position
fWAR
Salary
Miguel Rojas
INF
0.7
$5,500,000
Alex Call
OF
0.4
$1,600,000
Ben Rortvedt
C
0.0
$1,250,000
Enrique Hernández
INF/OF
0.0
$4,500,000
–
Total:
1.1 fWAR
$12,850,000
Rotation
Player
fWAR
Salary
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
3.3
$20,333,333
Tarik Skubal
3.0
$32,000,000
Justin Wrobleski
1.9
$790,000
Roki Sasaki
0.8
$800,000
Eric Lauer
-0.4
$4,400,000
Total:
8.6 fWAR
$58,323,333
Bullpen
Player
fWAR
Salary
Tanner Scott
1.5
$12,588,508
Alex Vesia
0.8
$3,550,000
Jack Dreyer
0.8
$810,000
Edgardo Henriquez
0.8
$790,000
Kyle Hurt
0.4
$820,000
Edwin Díaz
0.3
$17,000,000
Jonathan Hernández
-0.1
$850,000
Evan Phillips
-0.2
$6,500,000
Total
4.3 fWAR
$42,908,508
Dodgers 26-man fWAR: 31.8
Dodgers 26-man payroll salary: $229,724,327
Build 26 players from the other four NL West teams. Stay below $229.72 million and, as a first measure, get above 31.8 fWAR.
Then comes the more interesting question: Is your roster actually built to beat the Dodgers in October?
fWAR is a good checkpoint, but a short series brings matchups, bullpen leverage, defense, speed, platoon advantages and roster flexibility into the equation. A lower-fWAR player can still make sense if his skill set gives you a better chance against this particular opponent.
Team defense was the biggest strength of the fairytale 2025-26 Philadelphia Flyers, but national media isn't as willing to give them that kind of recognition just yet.
On Sunday, the NHL Network released its list of the top 20 defensemen in the NHL right now, but no Flyers players managed to appear on that list, and questionably so.
Many of the names were the top dogs you would come to expect: Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Lane Hutson, Miro Heiskanen, Rasmus Dahlin, Zach Werenski, so on and so forth.
The second half of the list, however, featured a young newcomer in Jackson LaCombe from Anaheim, Minnesota's Brock Faber, and ageing veteran Victor Hedman, who was a superstar in his day.
That day has passed, however, and miraculously, No.1 Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim was excluded from the list entirely.
Hedman, 35, is a two-time Stanley Cup champion and former Norris Trophy winner, but his inclusion ahead of the Flyers' Sanheim makes the NHL Network's list patently false.
This ranking is meant, by their own admission, to be of the best defensemen in the NHL "right now", yet Hedman, as the most egregious example, played just 33 games last season, scoring one goal and 17 points in just 33 games while averaging a career-low 18:52 of ice time.
The hulking Swede was producing at his worst offensive pace in over a decade, for his standards, while battling injury and Father Time.
As for Sanheim, the 30-year-old spearheaded the Flyers to their first playoff berth in six years, scoring a career-high 11 goals in addition to his 37 total points, averaging a whopping 24:13 a night, and finishing the season with a career-best +12 rating and a career-low 20 penalty minutes.
Sanheim's 24:13 ranked 16th in the league amongst qualifying defensemen, doing everything the Flyers asked of him at both ends of the ice while playing in every regular season game this season except for the meaningless season finale, as the Flyers had already solidified their place in the Stanley Cup playoffs with his help.
And in addition to his NHL exploits, Sanheim was also called upon to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, tallying one assist in five games and taking home a Silver Medal after a heartbreaking loss to the United States in the Gold-Medal Game.
It's harder to argue for Sanheim against the more prolific defensemen and the established superstars, but the 6-foot-4 defender not featuring at all in the ranking of the 20 best defenders in the NHL is a dubious choice at best.
Athletics' shortstop Jacob Wilson just engraved his name into Major League Baseball history books, breaking an all-time record at his position.
In the the A's 4-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, Aug. 9, Wilson extended his 2026 streak of consecutive games without an error to 71. But his errorless streak dates back further than the start of this season. Wilson has now played 111 consecutive games without an error, breaking the all-time MLB record for shortstops.
The 24-year-old surpassed former Baltimore Orioles shortstop Mike Bordick, who set the errorless record in the 2002 season in games played between April 11 and Sept. 29.
Bordick had 544 consecutive errorless chances while Wilson's streak is at 323. The A's shortstop committed his last error in a 6-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants on July 6, 2025.
J WILLY DOESN'T MISS.
Jacob Wilson now holds the record for the longest errorless streak by a shortstop in Major League history! pic.twitter.com/YpYmDh1u6C
“It’s a special day for me, but at the end of the day, we got our first series win in a long time against a great opponent,” Wilson told reporters after the game. “We’ve got to keep that ball rolling.”
On a day where Wilson etched his name into baseball history, his focus was on the team performance.
The A's snapped a 12-series losing streak which was tied for second longest in team history. Their longest streak was between May 22 and July 26, 1979 where the club lost 14-consecutive series going 0-19-1 over a 20-game stretch.
Wilson finished the game going 1-for-4.
A's Jeff McNeil reaches hits milestone
Another milestone was reached in the game, this one going to Jeff McNeil.
McNeil, 34, achieved his 1,000th career hit in the Sunday win against the Red Sox, finishing 1-for-3 at the plate.
The last player to collect his 1,000th career hit in an A's uniform is Mitch Moreland on June 14, 2021. Other recent players include Rajai Davis (May 5, 2017), Jonathan Lucroy (June 1, 2018) and Jed Lowrie (Aug. 12, 2018).
The A's next host a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays, beginning Monday, Aug. 10 at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, California. First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. PT.
Aug 9, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb (62) walks to the dugout after the top of the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
For the third consecutive series, the Giants have won the opener and lost the last two.
While quality pitching, along with some shoddy defense, couldn’t sustain itself over the entire game on Saturday, blame for Sunday’s extra inning 3-1 loss rests solely on the shoulders of San Francisco’s hitters.
After Willy Adames’s 5th inning solo shot on Friday night, the offense had laid nothing but eggs against Detroit pitchers. Jackson Jobe and Co. held them scoreless yesterday. A couple of fortunate breaks on balls in play and a throwing error helped the Giants complete their only circuit of the bases against a dominant Troy Melton (fun fact: he’s a former teammate with Casey Schmitt at SDSU). But when the game came down to the wire, the final 7 hitters from the 8th to the 10th innings did this: ground into a bases loaded double play, then strike out six times.
Over the last 21 innings of this series, the offense scored just one run.
A run that was nearly enough for Logan Webb, who stifled a hot Tigers team over 8 innings. The work was fast too. Webb pitched at a brutal pace and attacked the zone with 66% strike-percentage. From his main trio of offerings, the sweeper was Sunday’s star. He leaned on it heavily on his first trip down the order, and overall, nearly half (14 of 30) of his breaking balls went for called strikes. Clearly Detroit hitters were sitting on the change-up and sinker and Webb played coy with those main offerings, withholding them early in the count, feathering them in more and more the deeper he got into the game.
Webb’s outing was a masterclass in control and a middle finger to the present epoch of powerball throwing. He struck out only one batter, earned just 3 swings-and-misses. That miniscule whiff total doesn’t matter when you nab 24 called strikes. He’s throwing bricks anyway, they’ve got a larger surface area than a baseball so contact is easier, but boy does it suck to hit. Just ask Kevin McGonigle how his hands feel after putting this 2-2 sinker into play.
While Webb arguably won the game within the game against Melton, he did flinch first. Or rather the defense behind him flinched first. Two ground balls off the bats of Zach McKinstry and McGonigle wriggled under gloves and found their way into the outfield to put runners on the corners for their first scoring opportunity of the game. They’d squeeze out a run when Gleyber Torres rolled into a double play, and the inning ended soon after with a weak bloop out in foul territory. While first blood came in the 6th — as it did with Roupp vs. Jobe — it’s tough to pin the damage on Webb considering he allowed three ground balls and a pop up in the frame. So it goes for a man who lives and dies by the ball in play.
Webb would stick around for two more innings of work. He’d bag his lone strikeout of the day in the 7th, give up his lone extra basehit and then strand that runner at second in the 8th, keeping the game tied at one run apiece.
He, and Dylan Smith, who struck out the side in the 9th, did everything within their power to make this a winnable game for the Giants. The bats just couldn’t muster another run.
A large part of that was thanks to opposing arm, Troy Melton.
After making his season debut on May 24th, (right elbow inflammation made him miss the first couple months) right-hander Melton owns the lowest ERA among starters in the Majors. He had put together scoreless 7 IP performances in his past two starts, and going into Sunday, opponents were hitting .169 off of him with a .191 BABIP. Though he throws hard and leans on his four-seam fastball a lot, he doesn’t rely on the strikeout. He can rear back and gun it when he needs to, but similar to Webb, it’s weak contact and low walk rates that keep him out of trouble. Tunneling the cutter off his four-seamer has been a recipe for success — it also helps that he’s got a bunch of other stuff in his back pocket. He got Devers multiple times swinging over a splitter. He dropped a couple of curveballs into the zone just for fun.
Melton held the Giants scoreless for six frames. They weren’t all peaches and cream. Drew Gilbert ripped a two-out triple in the 2nd. Back-to-back lead-off singles by Adames and Devers had the Giants within shouting distance of home in the 4th. But Melton dug deep and dispatched Basabe on four pitches, buzzing him with a knee high 98 MPH four-seam for a strike three that so confused the second baseman that he challenged the call.
Gilbert, who had a solid game at the plate, scooped a 1-2 cutter out to right fielder Zach McKinstry who hosed Adames with a perfect throw.
The Giants wouldn’t get another runner on base against Melton until Devers’s next AB in the 7th when he led off the frame by flipping a cutter into shallow left field.
Off the bat, Devers watched rather than ran, thinking it’d float foul, but not only did the wind push the ball back into play, it found safe pastures between two oncoming defenders.
The single could’ve been a double, but it really should’ve been an out. Tough beans for Melton who got pulled after the hit, and credit the Giants, specifically Basabe, for making it count.
Against reliever Kyle Finnegan, Basabe would make up for Devers lack of hustle by beating out a potential double play ball. He then swiped second base and advanced to third on an overthrow by back-up catcher Valencia, setting him up to tie the game on Gilbert’s soft grounder to third.
That run was the team’s first in 18 scoreless innings, and while he wasn’t on the mound when it happened, the run snapped Melton’s streak of 19 scoreless innings pitched.
After Webb kept Detroit off the board in the 8th, the Giants appeared to have the momentum with a couple more lucky breaks on balls in play. Christian Koss’s line drive just eeked over the glove of Torres to lead off the 8th against lefty Drew Sommer. Bryce Eldridge then fought a hand-numbing fastball off his handle for an infield single. A crappy at-bat from Jung Hoo Lee, including two failed bunt attempts, was redeemed by Willy Adames working a walk to load the bases and force a runner over to third with less than two outs.
But the river of cheap hits ran dry, and Detroit’s big southpaw prevailed, getting Devers to ground into an inning-ending double play while keeping the go-ahead run off the board.
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow pitches for Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets on a minor league rehab assignment on the road against the Salt Lake Bees on Sunday, August 9, 2026.
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow made his second minor league rehab start this week, throwing 47 pitches in 2 2/3 innings on Sunday night for Triple-A Oklahoma City on the road against the Salt Lake Bees, an Angels affiliate.
Glasnow struck out two and allowed a run on one hit and one walk. The run came on a wild pitch in the first inning. Both baserunners against him stole second base, one each in the first two innings, a classic case of a rehabbing pitcher paying almost no attention to baserunners while trying to reach a specific goal.
Glasnow on Sunday averaged 95.9 mph on his 17 four-seam fastballs and induced five swinging strikes in his outing, starting on four days rest for the first time since July 23, 2025 with the Dodgers.
On Tuesday for Class-A Ontario, Glasnow needed only 16 pitches to complete two frames, and manager Dave Roberts told reporters that day at Wrigley Field in Chicago that Glasnow completed a third simulated inning in the bullpen following that first rehab start.
The plan is for Glasnow to stretch out to at least four innings before the Dodgers make a determination of his readiness to return to the major league rotation. His last start for the Dodgers was May 6, out the last three months with back spasms.
Dodgers rehabbing starting pitchers this week were matched up with other major league starters multiple times. Glasnow on Tuesday with Ontario pitched against Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove, and Nick Pivetta also pitched for Lake Elsinore later in that game as well. Blake Snell in his final rehab start on Tuesday also went up against Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who started again on Sunday against Glasnow.
Snell is slated to return to the Dodgers rotation on Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals at Dodger Stadium, after three months of his own on the injured list.
Apr 16, 2025; St. Louis, MO St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (21) is congratulated by St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Thomas Saggese (25) after Nootbar hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The trade deadline has come and gone, with minimal change. Did their opponents pass the Diamondbacks with their trades and moves?
C. Wesley Baier: I might be one of the few online pundits to have had a positive take on the trade deadline. I don’t think the Dbacks NEEDED to make a move. Skubal and Mize haven’t made a difference for the Dodgers and Padres yet. I think they’re still in a strong position to make the playoffs.
Makakilo: With the Cubs solidly in the first NL Wild Card position, the Diamondbacks are fighting for the second and third Wild Cards. At the trade deadline, the Padres, Phillies, and Pirates made more positive impact than the Diamondbacks, but the Pirates are 5 games down & look to be out of the race. The Diamondbacks will have pitchers returning from the injured list. All things considered, three teams have about-the-same chances at the last two NL Wild cards: The Diamondbacks, the Phillies, and the Padres.
Spencer: I think the Cubs got significantly better (pending health). I think the Padres did well enough considering their money isssues. I still like our chances.
Ben: I liked the moves the Cubs and Padres made to their pitching staff, but I’m less impressed by the approach the Phillies and the Pirates took. I think we all knew that Hazen was going to mostly stand pat and hope that the injured players the team has would be the final boost needed to reach the postseason. That bet might pay off eventually, but the expected news of AJ Puk being shut down for the season certainly hurt, as does Paul Seward suddenly becoming a massive liability.
ISH95: I wouldn’t say they passed, necessarily. The Padres may have, but the Cubs already were ahead of us, and honestly so were the Phillies. Personally, I think an argument could be made the Arraez trade was actually a loss for the Phillies because it moved Harper back to the outfield, but that’s neither here nor there. So no, I don’t think the road forward has changed much.
Justin: Yeah, they definitely did more and had better deadlines. It is what it is.
Are you happy with Nootbar joining the team? Will he help fill one of the many needs the team had going into the deadline?
C. Wesley Baier: Not happy it cost Sandro Santana and Daniel Eagen, but he filled a need, and it appears he brought good vibes to the clubhouse too.
Makakilo: Although he is a left-handed batter that the Dbacks needed, my initial impression was disappointment. Perhaps my impression was too hasty. Jim McLennan pointed to an X post that stated that Nootbar is better than 66% of batters in creating bases. Baseball Savant shows that he will stress opponents’ pitchers with his 87th percentile Chase rate and 73rd percentile Whiff rate. This season, his defense in left field is perhaps slightly above average (+1 OAA & -1 DRS). His last season of arbitration is 2027, which may or may not have value.
Spencer: Honestly he’s long been a player I haven’t loved and found overhyped. Early returns with him in Sedona Red have that opinion changing. I hope he fits a good niche.
Ben: Unless he can also pitch, he will likely not fill all of the holes the team had prior to the Deadline. I think he’s a solid pickup who has always oozed promise and enough team control to make it possible for him to achieve it. But he’s yet another outfielder on a team that has as many as five and maybe even six possible players roaming the grass on the roster in Carroll, Waldschmidt, Troy, Kepler, Barrosa, and eventually Gurriel Jr. Those final three are all non-tender candidates for next year, but that’s not the case for the other three. Now, it’s possible some or one of them could be flipped to shore up another area of the roster, but as it stands, it could get complicated.
ISH95: I’m not not happy. I’m just not thrilled about it either. Nootbar is exactly the kind of subverting expectations move Hazen loves to play with filling a need, so it doesn’t surprise me, but he’s just kind of there. Not much different than Max Kepler, but hasn’t been given a ban from the post season. So that’s a plus I guess?
Justin: I don’t really have an opinion. He’s a new Dback so Go Nootbar.
How much will not winning the series against the Padres come back to haunt the Diamondbacks?
C. Wesley Baier: Too early to tell. Find out in September.
Makakilo: As of the morning of 8 August, the Padres were 2 games behind the Diamondbacks. These two teams play a 3-game series at the end of September. The winner of that series will have the tiebreaker (more wins when these two teams played). Although every win is great, my optimism is at a reasonable level that the Diamondbacks will edge out the Padres for a NL Wild Card position.
Spencer: It won’t.
Ben: While splitting the series with the Padres certainly hurts, I think going 0-3 against the Cubs and Mariners (so far) will prove to be more critical than the Padres series. I’m just thankful they’ve finally been able to beat up on the Rockies – something the team has struggled to do in the past.
ISH95: Of course, we won’t know the answer to this until either the end of the season or the Diamondbacks clinch a postseason berth, but missing an opportunity to make it so going 1-2 in the final series against the Padres gives you the tie breaker is a big loss. We’ve seen how all-important those tie breakers can be, and making it harder to get one is unfortunate.
Justin: Going into that series I honestly looked at it as “4 games off their calendar” if we split. Which we did.
The Dodgers are in freefall. Is there hope that we might avoid a threepeat?
C. Wesley Baier: No hope at all, but the division might be in play now.
Makakilo: My series preview pointed to favorable pitching matchups (based on July/August performance) and that in some games the Dodgers don’t score enough runs (and look at their negative point differential in their losing streak). As I write, the Diamondbacks have won the first game of the series, which is reason to continue my optimism.
Spencer: No. Their entire team is designed to have a really good April and September-October. They are right on track.
Ben: While the odds are certainly high on the Dodgers, the oddsmakers are still favoring the field over LA, which isn’t shocking given how strong the NL is this year. We’ve all also been witnesses to the randomness that playoff baseball can be so I think there’s an excellent chance we avoid it – and thank goodness we can.
ISH95: Maybe I just grew up reading too many Gandalf the Grey speeches, but there is always hope. Anything can happen in a seven game series, and even superteams can go cold at the wrong time. At the end of the day, however, this is nothing more than a reminder that they are in fact humans, but nothing changes beyond that. They are still the team to beat, still the standard, and still probably going to win the World Series.
St. Nicklas - December 18, 2007 - Vol. 61, Issue 12 - Mike Brophy
MATS SUNDIN SWEARS he has never heard anybody say a bad word about Nicklas Lidstrom.
“I don’t know him that well, but every time he’s around the group, he’s a guy you love to have on your team,” says the Toronto Maple Leafs captain.
P-J Axelsson smiles when asked about Lidstrom’s dark side.
“No,” says the veteran Boston Bruins winger with a laugh, “I do not believe you’ll ever find anybody to say a bad word about Nicklas Lidstrom.”
Oh yeah?
Remember last season when that computer dude from Vancouver tried to get Canucks spare part Rory Fitzpatrick voted onto the starting lineup for the
Western Conference in the NHL All-Star Game? He ran a rather humorous smear campaign against some of the best defensemen in the game – Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer and, of course, Little Nicky:
“Nicklas Lidstrom…He claims to be an all-star defenseman, but the stats show otherwise. On November 3 of the year 2000, Nicklas Lidstrom was a minus-4 in a 6-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Those aren’t all-star numbers. What else is Nicklas Lidstrom hiding?”
Gotcha, Nick!
Truth is, it is next to impossible to say anything bad about the Detroit Red Wings superstar. As great a player as the 37-year-old defender is on the ice, he is every bit a wonderful person off it.
Right, Annika?
“Yes, of course he is,” says Lidstrom’s wife. “The only thing I can say is, he might be a little bit spoiled. He has a wonderful mom who does everything for everybody. He also has three sisters, so of course he was the golden boy.”
Golden boy to his family and pure gold for the Red Wings.
The European invasion, which started in the early 1970s, has brought many colorful and skilled hockey players to the NHL – from super snipers such as Jaromir Jagr, Teemu Selanne, Peter Stastny and Pavel Bure to extraordinary two-way threats such as Jari Kurri, Peter Forsberg and Sergei Fedorov to an acrobatic stopper such as Dominik Hasek. They are all worthy candidates for the title of best-ever European-raised and -trained NHLer.
Then there is Nicklas Lidstrom. Not the fastest or flashiest skater, perhaps. Not the biggest or roughest defenseman in the NHL, most definitely. But when you add up all the good things he does, from his responsible play in his own zone to the calculated offensive contributions, you have the best and most complete European player to ever skate in the NHL.
“I’ll tell you what I told Nick the last three or four times I negotiated contracts with him,” says Detroit GM Ken Holland. “If every player in the league was an unrestricted free agent and I had the first pick in the draft and my mandate was to compete for the Stanley Cup in one year, hands down my first pick is Nick Lidstrom.
“For the last 10 years we’re near the top of the league in points, he plays almost 30 minutes a game, always against the other team’s best players, he’s always one of the highest-scoring defensemen, most years we’re near the top of the league in power play, most years we’re near the top of the league in penalty-killing and most years we’re near the top of the league in goals against. He plays every critical situation. We won three Stanley Cups and five Presidents’ Trophies. We’ve been to the final four times in the last 12 seasons and he has been the one constant.”
Lidstrom’s ascent to the top of the mountain was gradual. After being chosen 53rd overall in the third round of the 1989 draft – behind defenders such as Adam Bennett, Doug Zmolek, Jason Herter, Jason Marshall, Lindsay Vallis, Jason Soules and Steve Bancroft – Lidstrom scored an impressive 11 goals and 60 points and was named to the NHL’s all-rookie team in 1991-92.
Over the years he has displayed a level of consistency that ultimately gained him recognition as not only one of the league’s most dependable performers, but one of the best all-around defensemen in the history of the game. Beginning in 1997-98, he was runner-up for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman three straight years. In the past six seasons, Lidstrom has laid claim to the award five times, third-most all-time behind Bobby Orr (eight) and Doug Harvey (seven).
He has led the Red Wings to Stanley Cups, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2002 and has been a first-team allstar eight times.
“He is so smart,” Holland says. “If somebody who didn’t really know hockey went to Joe Louis Arena and you told them they were going to see one of the best defenseman to ever play the game, they might not get it. You’re not going to see him whipping up the ice and making highlight-reel rushes. If you watch him and you really understand hockey, you’ll be overwhelmed and in awe because of his ability to pay attention to detail and his patience with the puck.”
And he plays the game fairly, too. In his 15 seasons, Lidstrom was assessed a paltry 372 penalty minutes in 1,176 games. Although he has never won the Lady Byng Trophy, given annually to the player who exhibits sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct with a high standard of playing ability, he has been a runner-up four times. A defenseman hasn’t won the honor since Red Kelly in 1954.
“He’s a good skater,” Axelsson says. “He gets himself in the right position so he doesn’t have to cheat and take penalties.”
The 6-foot-1, 193-pound Lidstrom has one career fighting major to his credit, way back in his first month in the NHL, against Buffalo’s Brad Miller on Oct. 30, 1991. Fact is, Lidstrom took a career-high 50 PIM two years ago, followed by 46 last year. Getting a little cranky in his old age?
“Not really,” he says. “They just call things a little tighter now.”
Ask Lidstrom and he’ll tell you the way he plays today is pretty much the way he has played the game all his life.
“My positional game is why I have become the player I am,” he says. “I’m not an overly physical player. I won’t run guys into the boards or knock them over. Positional play is one of the things I have worked on over the years to get better and better at. Even back when I was a kid, that was the way I played. I was good at reading plays and I developed that as my style of play.”
Lidstrom moved away from home when he was 16 to attend a school where playing hockey was part of the curriculum.
“We had five hours a week where you could replace one subject with hockey,” Lidstrom says. “All we worked on during those practices were our skills. We didn’t do any hard skating. Instead we worked on little things like developing handeye coordination. At night we would do our regular skates. I think most of the skill I have today comes from working at it back then.”
PHOENIX — Just a week ago, the Los Angeles Dodgers fought back against the belief that they automatically wrapped up their third consecutive World Series championship at the trade deadline with the acquisition of Tarik Skubal.
These days, the Dodgers are battling the idea that they’re suddenly an old, broken-down team that will have to fight for its lives just to win the NL West.
Funny what eight losses in nine games, including 15 of the last 24, can do to your perception.
"There’s no concern in here," Dodgers veteran All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman said Sunday after the Dodgers’ 4-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. "We’re a good team."
Any more questions?
The standings will show that the Dodgers (70-48) still have a comfortable 7 ½-game lead in the NL West over Arizona. They have the third-best record in the National League. And they are on pace to win 96 games, three more than a year ago, when they won their third World Series title in five years.
But yet, this is the same team that has been nothing more than mediocre for nearly two months, going 21-21 since June 19.
Is there any concern, bordering on panic?
"Well, I don’t think there’s any concern," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "We still got a really good ballclub. There’s certainly not panic.
"I think for us, it’s just finding a way to win a game, and win consistently. I think that’s the focus versus, you know, what type of emotions you’re feeling. That’s just not helpful, regardless."
The Dodgers have found all kinds of ways to lose during this ugly stretch, but of late, it’s the offense that has gone AWOL. They scored just seven runs in the three-game series at Chase Field. The Dodgers made the D-backs' rotation of Eduardo Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt and Merrill Kelly look like Atlanta's Hall of Fame trio Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz. They yielded a 1.37 ERA in the three-game series, allowing just nine hits and one homer in 19 2/3 innings.
"We're certainly not playing up to our capability ..." Roberts said. “I think this series it was very clear that we weren’t hitting the fastball, and we were exposing ourselves to the changeup with the secondary specifically.
"We have to make adjustments. I think for me, that’s sort of what I see as a group, we’re just not making adjustments."
Right fielder Kyle Tucker, who has yet to come close to living up to the expectations of his $240 million contract, and center fielder Andy Pages were the Dodgers' only offensive players who had a productive series.
Look at what their other stars did in the series:
Shohei Ohtani: 1-11, 1 RBI
Freddie Freeman: 1-12, 1 RBI
Tommy Edman: 2-12, 1 RBI
Mookie Betts: 1-for-10
Teoscar Hernandez: 1-for-11, 5 strikeouts
Max Muncy: 0-for-7, 5 strikeouts
"It’s baseball," Freeman said. "Ups and downs. We’re going through it."
The Dodgers have scored just 85 runs since the All-Star break, ranking only 23rd in runs scored.
And this weekend’s offense consisted basically only of Pages, who went 5-for-11 with a double, home run and two RBI, and Tucker, who went 3-for-11 with a triple, homer and 2 RBI.
"We’re confident in our abilities as hitters, and there’s a lot of great ones in this lineup and on this team," Tucker said. "So, it’s not always going to go our way. I mean, you can do all you can, it doesn’t mean you’re going to get a hit. But you just got to keep moving forward."
Certainly, the Dodgers should have a much-needed adrenaline boost beginning Monday, Aug. 10 with the upcoming schedule. They return to Dodger Stadium, where they’ll face the Kansas City Royals (49-70) for three games, followed by the Milwaukee Brewers (74-44), and then it’s off to Colorado (46-72), before heading home again to play the Pittsburgh Pirates (58-62).
And, oh, yeah, they’ll also have Skubal, the two-time Cy Young winner making his home debut for the Dodgers on Monday, followed by two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell, who makes his first start in three months on Tuesday, Aug. 11.
It resurrects memories when Cy Young winners Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke were in the Dodgers' rotation for three years, combining for 104 victories.
"On one side, you feel the confidence because of who you’re running out there," Roberts said. "But on the other side, it seems daunting when you look at the probables and you see these Cy Young guys back-to-back. It’s a lot to take it. It feels really good to have those two guys on our side."
Meanwhile, Ohtani, who hasn’t pitched since July 3 with an inflamed knee, is back to playing catch. It’s unknown when he will have his first bullpen session, Roberts says, but the Dodgers are hopeful he can return to the rotation in September.
The Dodgers might need reinforcements considering All-Star Justin Wrobleski's struggles since the break. He lasted just 3 ⅓ innings on Sunday, giving up six hits, four runs (three earned), three walks, three strikeouts and a homer. He is now yielding a 9.88 ERA in his last three starts, allowing nine home runs.
"I’m just not good enough right now," Wrobleski said. "It’s kind of what it comes down to. It’s really frustrating. Execution just hasn’t been as good. I got to be better.
"I’m not the type to give up. I’m ready to bear down."
So are the Dodgers ready to prove that this is simply a hiccup. There’s still six weeks to play until October. They’ve got plenty of time to get themselves right.
They still believe they’ve got the talent and burning desire to become the first National League team to win three consecutive World Series titles.
But they won’t do it if they keep playing like this.
"We’re just better than this," Roberts said. "As we always say, it’s not a try league. We’ve got to be it done. We’ve got to be better.
In the middle of the 2026 offseason, the Minnesota Wild are done adding to their roster, though training camp can and will throw wrenches into the plan.
One thing we have all seen, injuries can happen. Changes can be made before camp. Last year the Wild invited Brett Leason and Jack Johnson to training camp and had them play in preseason games under a PTO.
Neither of the two were signed.
Preseason is also a chance for some young prospects to make impressions or even first impressions for the newer guys. These three could make a splash in training camp. Whether they force their way onto the opening night roster remains to be seen, but they are three to keep watch over.
No. 3: Charlie Stramel, Center
All eyes will be on Charlie Stramel come training camp and preseason. He just signed his entry-level deal and is also coming off a season-ending injury to his ankle which happened in a playoff game for Michigan State.
Stramel, 21, was the Wild's 21st overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft. He had a breakout year for the Spartans during the 2025-26 season, where he recorded 19 goals, 25 assists and 44 points in 37 games. He was tied for ninth in points in the NCAA.
The 6-foot-3 center will start the season in the American Hockey league with the Iowa Wild, but it will be interesting to see how he does in camp. Everyone in the Wild's organization is excited to see him in action.
No. 2: Hunter Haight, Center
The 5-foot-10 forward made a splash last year and even made the team out of camp. There is no doubt he will make another push to make the team.
If anyone on the Wild's current roster gets hurt or is unavailable to play, Haight seems like the closest player ready.
Haight, 22, played in nine games last season for the Wild and recorded one goal and one assist. In 54 games with the Iowa Wild, he recorded 18 goals, 14 assists and 32 points.
In 121 AHL games with Iowa, Haight has 38 goals, 28 assists and 66 points. The Wild's 47th overall pick from the 2022 NHL Draft is entering the final year of his entry-level contract.
No. 1: Viking Gustafsson Nyberg, Defenseman
The 6-foot-6 defender was signed out of the University of Connecticut (UConn). He was signed to an ATO and reported to Iowa. He played two games and recorded one assist before he was signed to an NHL deal.
Gustafsson Nyberg, 22, recorded 11 assists, 47 shots and 26 PIM in 37 games with UConn before he turned pro.
Minnesota signed him to a contract and he played in the Wild's final two regular season games. He recorded three blocks and two hits in the final two games.
Daemon Hunt will be the Wild's seventh defenseman to start the season by big Swede is expected to apprear in some games this season and could impress the Wild in camp.
