Pakistan have replaced head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and pace-bowling chief Umar Gul, and sent seven players home, in a dramatic response to successive Test thrashings by England.
Deni Avdija says Portland would not clear him to play in FIBA World Cup qualifiers
More than 30 NBA players have suited up for their nations this summer in FIBA World Cup qualifying matches, including about two dozen in Europe alone (a tough region to qualify from). Victor Wembanyama has put on a show, but there is also Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Rudy Gobert (France), Lauri Markkanen (Finland), Dennis Schröder (Germany) and many more.
Deni Avdija is not one of them.
Israel's best player said in a social media post that the Trail Blazers had not cleared him, via Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. In January, Avdija missed time with back tightness, and when he tried to return in February, he injured it again. He missed 16 of the Trail Blazers' 24 games through that stretch. While he did return for the team's final 18 games after the All-Star break, his minutes, scoring numbers and efficiency all dipped slightly as he still dealt with the lingering issue.
"I usually don't feel the need to explain myself, but this time it's important to me to say a few words. Anyone who knows me and my way with the Israeli national team knows what this shirt means to me. I came to the team when I was in pain. I came when I wasn't at 100%. I came during summers when maybe the 'right' thing for my personal career was to rest. I came even when I was facing a contract year, a time when any injury could change a career...
"This time, I wanted to be there just as much. But this summer I dealt with a complex back injury. An injury that those who haven't gone through it really can't understand what it demands, and the decision not to participate in this window wasn't one I made alone. Portland wasn't willing to take a risk with my health, and in the situation that arose, I simply didn't have the option to step up and play.
"I understand disappointment. I understand criticism. When you represent a country, and there are expectations of you, that's part of it, and I accept that. But one thing I'm not willing to have questioned is my commitment to the national team and my country. I don't need to tell you how much I care. I think I've proven it time and again with actions. There's nothing I want more than to be healthy, get back on the court, and wear Israel's shirt again. And until then, even when I can't be on the floor, my heart is there."
What Portland has done here is fairly common. Giannis Antetokounmpo and many others have faced it, the demands of a marathon NBA season on top of national team commitments in the summer will wear any player down. Throw in an injury, and it's not surprising we're here.
That said, Israel is struggling in World Cup qualifying, going 2-6 through eight games, with recent losses to Poland and Latvia, and now needs wins in future games to get in the door. Not having their star player for those losses has understandably frustrated fans, but it's out of Avdija's hands.
2026 Fantasy Basketball Mock Draft: Drafting from the No. 6 pick in a 16-team league
Standard fantasy basketball leagues consist of 12 teams, but there are plenty who compete in larger ones. And in those larger leagues, the task of drafting a team can get tricky. For many, that may mean reaching for a player earlier than you would in a standard league, as there's a higher likelihood that your desired target won't be available in the following round. Recently, Rotoworld writer Raphielle Johnson participated in a 16-team mock draft hosted by Menace Podmen's Steve St-Pierre.
Picking either early or late in a larger draft is preferable to being stuck in the middle, and I held the sixth pick in this mock exercise. Starting with Philadelphia guard Tyrese Maxey, the hope was to put together a team that would only punt on assists. Below are the round-by-round results and some analysis.
Round 1
Pick | Position | Player | Team |
1 | C | Victor Wembanyama | San Antonio Spurs |
2 | C | Nikola Jokić | Denver Nuggets |
3 | G | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Oklahoma City Thunder |
4 | G | Luka Dončić | Los Angeles Lakers |
5 | G | Cade Cunningham | Detroit Pistons |
6 | G | Tyrese Maxey | Philadelphia 76ers |
7 | F | Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics |
8 | G/F | Kawhi Leonard | LA Clippers |
9 | G | Anthony Edwards | Minnesota Timberwolves |
10 | G | Donovan Mitchell | Cleveland Cavaliers |
11 | F | Jalen Johnson | Atlanta Hawks |
12 | G/F | Cooper Flagg | Dallas Mavericks |
13 | G | Tyrese Haliburton | Indiana Pacers |
14 | F/C | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Miami Heat |
15 | F/C | Scottie Barnes | Toronto Raptors |
16 | G/F | Kevin Durant | Houston Rockets |
According to Hashtag Basketball, Maxey currently has an ADP of 16.9 in Yahoo! leagues, which would put him right at the first/second round turn in a 16-team league. While there is clearly concern on the part of some managers about how the additions of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown will affect his production, Maxey is well worth the risk in the middle of the first round. Having two additional offensive weapons should keep defenses from loading up too much to slow Maxey down. Also, he'll be healthy after a finger injury limited his productivity in the postseason. And the players selected immediately after him in this mock draft, Tatum and Leonard, have some health questions of their own.
Round 2
Pick | Position | Player | Team |
1 | F/C | Karl-Anthony Towns | New York Knicks |
2 | G | Amen Thompson | Houston Rockets |
3 | F/C | Anthony Davis | Washington Wizards |
4 | G | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors |
5 | G | LaMelo Ball | Minnesota Timberwolves |
6 | G | Jamal Murray | Denver Nuggets |
7 | F/C | Chet Holmgren | Oklahoma City Thunder |
8 | F/C | Austin Reaves | Los Angeles Lakers |
9 | G | Kyrie Irving | Dallas Mavericks |
10 | G | Trae Young | Washington Wizards |
11 | C | Walker Kessler | Los Angeles Lakers |
12 | G | James Harden | Cleveland Cavaliers |
13 | C | Jalen Duren | Detroit Pistons |
14 | G | Josh Giddey | Chicago Bulls |
15 | G/F | Trey Murphy | New Orleans Pelicans |
16 | F/C | Alperen Şengün | Houston Rockets |
With 76ers head coach Nick Nurse saying earlier this offseason that LeBron will initiate much of the team's offense, Maxey may take the biggest hit in assists. Also, adding quality bigs in a 16-team draft is not something that I'm willing to hesitate on. Even with him coming off a season in which he played just five games, Kessler was the second-round pick for me. Given the Lakers' lack of true big men and the defensive frailties of their starting guards, he could be in for a big debut season in Los Angeles regarding rebounds and blocks. And playing off Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves should positively impact Kessler's field goal percentage.
Round 3
Pick | Position | Player | Team |
1 | G | Jalen Brunson | New York Knicks |
2 | F | Lauri Markkanen | Utah Jazz |
3 | F/C | Jaren Jackson Jr. | Utah Jazz |
4 | F/C | Bam Adebayo | Miami Heat |
5 | C | Onyeka Okongwu | Atlanta Hawks |
6 | F/C | Evan Mobley | Cleveland Cavaliers |
7 | G | Devin Booker | Phoenix Suns |
8 | G/F | Dyson Daniels | Atlanta Hawks |
9 | G | Derrick White | Boston Celtics |
10 | F/C | Domantas Sabonis | Sacramento Kings |
11 | G | Dejounte Murray | New Orleans Pelicans |
12 | F | Paolo Banchero | Orlando Magic |
13 | G | Darius Garland | LA Clippers |
14 | F | Jalen Williams | Oklahoma City Thunder |
15 | C | Donovan Clingan | Portland Trail Blazers |
16 | F | Brandon Miller | Charlotte Hornets |
If you use an early pick on a player with injury concerns, selecting another player who can help compensate for a potential absence is key. And in a 16-team league, the pickings are likely to be slim if you find yourself counting on the waiver wire for help during the season. As a result, I went with Mobley in the third round, and his forward eligibility is a bonus. His 2025-26 numbers were similar to the prior season, with slight increases in assists and blocks. With Mobley and Kessler in the fold, I should be highly competitive in blocks every week.
Round 4
Pick | Position | Player | Team |
1 | C | Kel'el Ware | Milwaukee Bucks |
2 | G/F | Deni Avdija | Portland Trail Blazers |
3 | G/F | Jaylen Brown | Philadelphia 76ers |
4 | G | Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Atlanta Hawks |
5 | G/F | Kon Knueppel | Charlotte Hornets |
6 | F | LeBron James | Philadelphia 76ers |
7 | C | Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers |
8 | G/F | Desmond Bane | Orlando Magic |
9 | F | Jaden McDaniels | Minnesota Timberwolves |
10 | F | Franz Wagner | Orlando Magic |
11 | F/C | Pascal Siakam | Indiana Pacers |
12 | G | Tyler Herro | Milwaukee Bucks |
13 | G | Keyonte George | Utah Jazz |
14 | F | Matas Buzelis | Chicago Bulls |
15 | F | OG Anunoby | New York Knicks |
16 | G | Stephon Castle | San Antonio Spurs |
The fourth round is where many managers take a swing, hoping to land a player with significant upside. Among those selected in this mock draft, Joel Embiid would certainly qualify, as he can offer first-round value when on the court. Keyonte George, Matas Buzelis, and Stephon Castle represent fourth-round picks in this draft, where managers are betting on them to step up in a major way. I went with Siakam, betting that Tyrese Haliburton's return from an Achilles tendon rupture will give Spicy P the playmaker he needs to get back into the top-50 in fantasy basketball.
Round 5
Pick | Position | Player | Team |
1 | G | Damian Lillard | Portland Trail Blazers |
2 | G | Ryan Rollins | Milwaukee Bucks |
3 | F/C | Naz Reid | Charlotte Hornets |
4 | C | Alex Sarr | Washington Wizards |
5 | C | Myles Turner | Milwaukee Bucks |
6 | G | VJ Edgecombe | Philadelphia 76ers |
7 | C | Zach Edey | Memphis Grizzlies |
8 | F | Paul George | Boston Celtics |
9 | F | Cameron Boozer | Memphis Grizzlies |
10 | G/F | Brandon Ingram | Toronto Raptors |
11 | G | Immanuel Quickley | Toronto Raptors |
12 | C | Ivica Zubac | Indiana Pacers |
13 | F | Michael Porter Jr. | Brooklyn Nets |
14 | F | Julius Randle | Brooklyn Nets |
15 | C | Jarrett Allen | Cleveland Cavaliers |
16 | G | De'Aaron Fox | San Antonio Spurs |
If there's a 76ers player who stands to see his fantasy value take a hit with the roster changes, it may be Edgecombe. He's the youngest of the five starters, so assuming that he'll be the one asked to sacrifice early on is not a wild position to take. However, those additions could make Edgecombe a more dangerous offensive weapon due to increased opportunities to attack closeouts. Also, he averaged 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals+blocks per game as a rookie. Those are categories where Edgecombe can provide added value, regardless of how many shots he gets. I'm willing to bet that will be the case next season.
As for some of the other picks in this round, Turner was the eye-opener, given his struggles during his first season in Milwaukee. With the players acquired in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, the backcourt situation is even more jumbled, and the Bucks also received center Kel'el Ware in the deal. Maybe Turner bounces back, but I'm not convinced, especially considering his limited rebounding numbers.
Round 6
Pick | Position | Player | Team |
1 | G | Coby White | Charlotte Hornets |
2 | G | Dylan Harper | San Antonio Spurs |
3 | G | Ty Jerome | Memphis Grizzlies |
4 | G | Ja Morant | Portland Trail Blazers |
5 | F | Mikal Bridges | New York Knicks |
6 | C | Rudy Gobert | Minnesota Timberwolves |
7 | G | Payton Pritchard | Boston Celtics |
8 | F | AJ Dybantsa | Washington Wizards |
9 | G | Jalen Suggs | Orlando Magic |
10 | G/F | Norman Powell | Chicago Bulls |
11 | G/F | Ausar Thompson | Detroit Pistons |
12 | F | Caleb Wilson | Chicago Bulls |
13 | F/C | Zion Williamson | New Orleans Pelicans |
14 | C | Day'Ron Sharpe | Brooklyn Nets |
15 | G/F | Josh Hart | New York Knicks |
16 | C | Nic Claxton | Chicago Bulls |
While he does not offer much in the way of three-point production and his free-throw percentage remains poor, Thompson's ability to fill an entire stat line makes him an asset in category leagues. Last season, the Pistons wing averaged 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per game, and he made a career-best 73 appearances. I chose him in the sixth round because of his rebounds and defensive stats; I highly doubt Ausar would have been on the board in the seventh.
Round 7
Pick | Position | Player | Team |
1 | F/C | John Collins | Detroit Pistons |
2 | G | Brandin Podziemski | Golden State Warriors |
3 | G/F | Anthony Black | Orlando Magic |
4 | G | Darryn Peterson | Utah Jazz |
5 | G | Fred VanVleet | Houston Rockets |
6 | G | Ayo Dosunmu | Minnesota Timberwolves |
7 | F/C | Derik Queen | New Orleans Pelicans |
8 | C | Neemias Queta | Boston Celtics |
9 | C | Mark Williams | Phoenix Suns |
10 | F | Miles Bridges | Phoenix Suns |
11 | G/F | Andrew Wiggins | Miami Heat |
12 | C | Isaiah Hartenstein | Oklahoma City Thunder |
13 | C | Kristaps Porziņǵis | Golden State Warriors |
14 | F/C | Collin Murray-Boyles | Toronto Raptors |
15 | F | Keegan Murray | Sacramento Kings |
16 | G/F | Cedric Coward | Memphis Grizzlies |
Dosunmu's fantasy prospects looked better before the Timberwolves signed Jonathan Kuminga, as he could now be relegated to a sixth-man role. However, that's still a spot in which he can offer quality fantasy value, especially with Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles) expected to miss most of next season, if not all of it. Also, Dosunmu averaged nearly 29 minutes per game in his 24 regular-season appearances for the Timberwolves, making nine starts. As he showed last season, Ayo has top-100 potential, whether he starts or comes off the bench.
Round 8
Pick | Position | Player | Team |
1 | G/F | Zach LaVine | Sacramento Kings |
2 | F/C | Jabari Smith Jr. | Houston Rockets |
3 | G | Ajay Mitchell | Oklahoma City Thunder |
4 | G/F | Cason Wallace | Oklahoma City Thunder |
5 | G/F | Aaron Wiggins | Atlanta Hawks |
6 | F/C | Sandro Mamukelashvili | Los Angeles Lakers |
7 | C | Wendell Carter Jr. | Orlando Magic |
8 | G | Kevin Porter Jr. | Milwaukee Bucks |
9 | F | Toumani Camara | Portland Trail Blazers |
10 | F | Peyton Watson | Cleveland Cavaliers |
11 | F | Saddiq Bey | New Orleans Pelicans |
12 | F | DeMar DeRozan | Denver Nuggets |
13 | G/F | RJ Barrett | Toronto Raptors |
14 | G | Reed Sheppard | Houston Rockets |
15 | C | Jakob Poeltl | Toronto Raptors |
16 | G/F | Jalen Green | Phoenix Suns |
Was Saddiq Bey's career year simply a product of the Pelicans' many injuries? Or can he provide similar value in 2026-27 under a new head coach? I'm better on the latter, even with the rotation even more crowded due to Dejounte Murray and Herb Jones being healthy. Given their respective résumés, DeRozan would have been the safer pick, but what's the fun in that? And the Pelicans could be a team to watch at the February trade deadline, especially if they aren't in the mix for a postseason spot, because of the veterans on that roster.
Round 9
Pick | Position | Player | Team |
1 | C | Maxime Raynaud | Sacramento Kings |
2 | G/F | Grayson Allen | Charlotte Hornets |
3 | C | Jusuf Nurkić | Utah Jazz |
4 | F | Jimmy Butler III | Golden State Warriors |
5 | G | Jrue Holiday | Portland Trail Blazers |
6 | G | CJ McCollum | Atlanta Hawks |
7 | G | Andrew Nembhard | Indiana Pacers |
8 | F/C | Paul Reed | Detroit Pistons |
9 | G/F | Jaime Jaquez Jr. | Milwaukee Bucks |
10 | G | Darius Acuff Jr. | Sacramento Kings |
11 | F | Cameron Johnson | Denver Nuggets |
12 | G/F | Kyshawn George | Washington Wizards |
13 | G | Jeremiah Fears | New Orleans Pelicans |
14 | C | Moussa Diabaté | Charlotte Hornets |
15 | G/F | Quentin Grimes | Los Angeles Lakers |
16 | C | Mitchell Robinson | Boston Celtics |
McCollum may not be a "sexy" pick at this point in the draft, but I wanted proven offensive production. Once the Hawks moved him into the starting lineup, his production increased and the team played better. I expect that to remain the case in 2026-27, and McCollum has shown in the past that he has a top-100 floor when used as one of his team's primary offensive options. He averaged just over four assists per game for the Hawks last season, but that isn't a category that I was too concerned with in this build.
Round 10
Pick | Position | Player | Team |
1 | G | Egor Dëmin | Brooklyn Nets |
2 | F/C | PJ Washington | Dallas Mavericks |
3 | G | Davion Mitchell | Miami Heat |
4 | F | Dillon Brooks | Phoenix Suns |
5 | G | Collin Gillespie | Phoenix Suns |
6 | G | Daniss Jenkins | Detroit Pistons |
7 | F | Yaxel Lendeborg | Golden State Warriors |
8 | F | Julian Champagnie | San Antonio Spurs |
9 | G/F | Devin Vassell | San Antonio Spurs |
10 | C | Daniel Gafford | Dallas Mavericks |
11 | F | Ace Bailey | Utah Jazz |
12 | G | Mikel Brown Jr. | Brooklyn Nets |
13 | C | Brook Lopez | LA Clippers |
14 | G/F | Tari Eason | Houston Rockets |
15 | G | Tre Jones | Chicago Bulls |
16 | F/C | Isaiah Stewart | Memphis Grizzlies |
So, what should fantasy managers make of Ace Bailey as he goes into his second NBA season? He put up quality numbers after the All-Star break as a rookie, averaging 18.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.1 blocks and 2.8 three-pointers per game. However, much of that production came without key players on the floor, most notably Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. Add in lottery pick Darryn Peterson, and Bailey's numbers are likely to take a hit. However, the upside can't be ignored, especially if the Jazz decide to start Bailey as part of a bigger lineup.
Round 11
Pick | Position | Player | Team |
1 | G/F | Isaiah Joe | Detroit Pistons |
2 | G/F | Christian Braun | Denver Nuggets |
3 | G | Cam Spencer | Memphis Grizzlies |
4 | F | Kelly Oubre Jr. | Indiana Pacers |
5 | F | Morez Johnson Jr. | Dallas Mavericks |
6 | F/C | Bobby Portis | Miami Heat |
7 | G | Shaedon Sharpe | Portland Trail Blazers |
8 | C | Robert Williams III | Portland Trail Blazers |
9 | G | Keaton Wagler | LA Clippers |
10 | C | Deandre Ayton | Washington Wizards |
11 | F | Jonathan Kuminga | Minnesota Timberwolves |
12 | F | Rui Hachimura | LA Clippers |
13 | G | Scoot Henderson | Portland Trail Blazers |
14 | F/C | Joan Beringer | Minnesota Timberwolves |
15 | F | Gui Santos | Golden State Warriors |
16 | F | Tobias Harris | San Antonio Spurs |
Portis was a relatively safe pick; in hindsight, I wish I had considered Robert Williams III because of what he can bring as a shot-blocker, even as the backup center in Portland. However, even with the Heat adding Nick Richards to their roster, Portis is someone they're going to count on consistently to supplement the efforts of Giannis and Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt. And his three-point production has increased over the years, with Portis most recently averaging 2.0 makes per game in 2025-26 while making 45.6 percent of his attempts.
Round 12
Pick | Position | Player | Team |
1 | G | Scotty Pippen Jr. | Memphis Grizzlies |
2 | F/C | Aaron Gordon | Denver Nuggets |
3 | F/C | Draymond Green | Golden State Warriors |
4 | G | De'Anthony Melton | Golden State Warriors |
5 | G/F | Luke Kennard | Phoenix Suns |
6 | G/F | Aaron Nesmith | Indiana Pacers |
7 | G | Isaiah Collier | Utah Jazz |
8 | F/C | Kyle Filipowski | Utah Jazz |
9 | G | Jamal Shead | Toronto Raptors |
10 | F | Hannes Steinbach | Charlotte Hornets |
11 | G/F | Bennedict Mathurin | New Orleans Pelicans |
12 | C | Nikola Vučević | Orlando Magic |
13 | C | Jay Huff | Indiana Pacers |
14 | C | Khaman Maluach | Phoenix Suns |
15 | F | De'Andre Hunter | Sacramento Kings |
16 | C | Dereck Lively II | Dallas Mavericks |
It's always fun when the player you wanted to use your final pick on goes off the board one spot before you come up. That's what happened here, as I hoped to use my final pick on Charlotte's Hannes Steinbach. Even with the Hornets having Moussa Diabaté and Ryan Kalkbrenner, the rookie out of Washington is the best rebounder in this rookie class and can provide immediate value in that category.
With Steinbach off the board, I went with Mathurin, who has been a better option in points leagues than category leagues throughout his career. As noted above, the Pelicans' rotation is a bit crowded, but Mathurin is a player the team holds in high regard after signing him recently. And one could do far worse than him with their final pick in a draft.
Final Team
G Tyrese Maxey
C Walker Kessler
F/C Evan Mobley
F/C Pascal Siakam
G VJ Edgecombe
G/F Ausar Thompson
G Ayo Dosunmu
F Saddiq Bey
G CJ McCollum
F Ace Bailey
F/C Bobby Portis
G/F Bennedict Mathurin
While assists and free-throw percentage are weaknesses for this team, it has multiple strengths. Points, rebounds, steals and blocks should be strengths for this roster, and turnovers shouldn't be a major concern. The Kessler pick could determine this team's ceiling. If he can stay healthy and mesh well with the Lakers' stars, the 7-footer can be a highly valuable fantasy asset. If not, this group could be in some trouble, even with Mobley, Siakam and Portis all having center eligibility.
Kevin Durant: USA Basketball GM is 'one of my main goals'
Kevin Durant is already a USA Basketball legend. He wants to continue to contribute to the program's success after his playing career.
"One of my main goals is to be the GM of the Team USA, one of these Olympics one of these years," Durant said on the Boardroom show, which he co-founded. "I want to do that job one time."
Grant Hill is the current U.S. men's national team GM — or managing director — serving in that role since 2021.
Hill, with input from coaches, recommended the 12 players for the 2024 Olympic roster that were then submitted to the USA Basketball Board of Directors for approval. Hill also recommended head coach and assistant coach candidates to the USA Basketball board for approval.
Durant, who will be 39 come the 2028 Olympics, has repeatedly said he wants to play in a fifth Games in Los Angeles. If he makes it, he will break LeBron James' record as the oldest U.S. Olympic men's basketball player in history.
Durant already owns the Olympic men's basketball record of four gold medals, plus the most points for a American man or woman in Olympic history — 518.
He led the U.S. in points per game in 2012, 2016 and 2021 and was third in 2024 behind Stephen Curry and James.
Aston Villa v Arsenal: Premier League – live
⚽️ Premier League updates from the 8pm BST kick-off
⚽️ Email Scott and follow us on TikTok and Bluesky
Aston Villa: Suzuki, Cash, Lindelof, Barkley, McGinn, Kamara, Buendia, Jackson, Torres, Mastsen, Hemmings.
Arsenal: Raya, White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori, Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard, Saka, Tzolis, Havertz.
Continue reading...Where do things stand with Clippers, Kawhi Leonard, Aspiration investigation? League, Ballmer talking
Nearly a year ago, the NBA formally launched its investigation into whether the Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer circumvented the salary cap through a team sponsor called Aspiration.
That's a long investigation, and one that has stalled a trade to send Leonard to Toronto. While Pablo Torre and other reporters have done their part to keep the story going, the most common reaction now is, "What is going on with that? Is the NBA just trying to sweep it under the rug?"
No, although the league certainly would like this all to go away and not be a dark cloud hanging over the opening of a new season. While the investigation is technically still open, the findings from the report (done by the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz) have been turned over, and the Clippers, Ballmer and the league are talking, potentially moving toward a settlement, league sources have told NBC Sports. Here is now ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne described the situation last week in an appearance on ESPN 710 radio in Los Angeles (hat tip ClutchPoints).
"I know that the investigators have presented initial findings, but they're still making calls and putting things together. But they are having conversations with Balmer and his lawyers already. They're talking about it. I don't know if you would call it a settlement or some kind of negotiation, but that's already happening...
"The conversations have been more about this failure to supervise and the nature of the introductions that were made between the Clippers and Kawhi's people rather than direct evidence of salary cap circumvention done by Steve Ballmer. If you're doing the easy parlance, that would be the murder charge. That's a really serious charge that's very hard to prove."
What we could see is something not unlike what we have seen in far more serious cases before, such as when the government convicts a mob boss for federal income tax evasion — everyone knew that wasn't his actual biggest crime, but it's what the government could prove and lock him away for.
If the NBA wants to come hard for Ballmer he would fight, and the process would be lengthy. Under the CBA, with any punishment the league might hand down against the Clippers, Ballmer or Leonard would have to go before a neutral arbitrator, who would decide whether the punishments were appropriate. That decision could be appealed — and you can be sure Ballmer would. He has the means to drag this out for a long time, potentially moving into the court system. Also, you can be sure that if Leonard faces any punishment, the players' union will step in on his behalf and fight it.
Which is why the sides are talking, but finding a settlement has the league walking a tightrope. On one side, they would need a punishment Ballmer would accept and not fight. On the other side, if the punishment is too lenient, every other owner would say, "If that's the price to pay to get a superstar extra money to come to my team, I'm in." Much like with tampering in free agency, it would quickly become the league norm.
What are the potential punishments for the Clippers? First, a fine for Ballmer and the organization, but also a suspension for Ballmer and/or other Clippers executives. The Clippers almost certainly lost draft picks through this process, but how many and what rounds? Finally, what, if anything, is the punishment for Leonard?
While there is no official deadline for the investigation to wrap up and the announcement of charges or a settlement, the on-hold Leonard trade to Toronto kind of creates one around training camps starting in about a month. Both the Raptors and Clippers either need that trade to go through or be called off early in camp, they can't go into the season like this.
All of which means we may see some action later this month, but this also could well drag into 2027. This investigation, which started in September 2025, could drag well into the new NBA season. And it would be a talking point.
Sabres Top 40 Prospects – #9
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
Other Sabres Stories
Sabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss
9. Luke Osburn – Defense (Wisconsin – NCAA)
Osburn was the Sabres fourth-round pick at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas. The Plymouth, MI native is a product of the Compuware youth hockey system and played for Youngstown of the USHL in his draft year. After scoring 23 points for the Phantoms as a 17-year-old, the offensive-minded blueliner broke out in 2024-25, scoring 41 points (10 goals, 31 assists) in 55 games and was named the USHL’s Defenseman of the Year.
The 19-year-old impressed at the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase for Team USA and got on the radar for the 2026 IIHF WJC in Minneapolis this December, but his performance as a freshman for the University of Wisconsin pushed him over the line. He posted 21 points (6 goals, 15 assists) in 33 games for the Badgers, and had to step up into a larger role at the WJC when Cole Hutson was injured early in the tournament.
Elite Prospects says that Osburn’s “activation looks instinctive; he instantly joins the play at the right moments and stays inside passing lanes. From the point, he uses stop-starts and heel-to-heel skating to pull in defenders before slipping down the boards. In the rush, he manipulates defenders with crossovers, weight shifts, and fakes, then walks inside for a scoring chance.”
Follow Michael on X, and Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

Pakistan sack head coach and send seven players home after England Test series defeat
Sarfaraz Ahmed sacked after 194-run loss at Lord’s
White-ball coach Mike Hesson steps in
Pakistan have taken instant and dramatic action after back-to-back thrashings by England, ousting their head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and sending seven squad members home.
The tourists lost by an innings in the series opener at Headingley before going down by 194 runs at Lord’s as England took an unassailable 2-0 lead.
More details soon …
Continue reading...Lateralus Holdings' David Shuman joins the Islanders' ownership group as a limited partner
NEW YORK (AP) — David Shuman has joined the New York Islanders’ ownership group as a limited partner, subject to NHL approval.
Shuman’s venture capital firm, Lateralus Holdings, and the team announced his minority investment on Monday. The Islanders did not disclose financial terms or what percentage Shuman is getting other than to say there will be no changes to day-to-day business and hockey operations or front office leadership.
Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky serve as governor and alternate governor, with Oliver Haarmann, Dewey Shay and John Collins also listed as co-owners.
“David is one of the most passionate Islanders fans I know and an extraordinary builder of companies," Ledecky said in a statement. “That mindset will be invaluable as we continue to invest in this organization and in this community.”
In addition to founding Lateralus Holdings, Shuman serves as chairman of Oura and webAI.
“Hockey has been a constant in my life since childhood, both as a fan and a player, and the 1980 Miracle on Ice combined with the Islanders’ four consecutive Stanley Cup championships cemented a lifelong passion,” Shuman said in a statement, referring to the Islanders' glory days of the early '80s. "I’m honored to help support the Islanders’ future and their drive for a fifth Cup.”
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Series Preview: Milwaukee Brewers @ Chicago Cubs

The Milwaukee Brewers are set to begin a long stretch of games against NL Central foes, as they’ll start with four games against the Cubs at Wrigley. The Brewers, who sit at 85-52, are currently firmly in first place in the division, with an eight-game lead over the 77-60 Cubs. The Crew has won five consecutive series to build on their lead, while the Cubs have lost three straight series to the Mariners, D-backs, and Reds.
On the injury front, reliever Abner Uribe is expected to return for this series after missing the last couple of weeks with a right forearm flexor strain. Not far behind him is left-handed reliever JoJo Romero, who joined Uribe on his recent rehab assignment after an appendectomy in mid-July. Brandon Woodruff is still unexpected to return this year, though it’s possible he makes it back in a later postseason series, while Rob Zastryzny and Joel Kuhnel both have TBD returns. Brian Fitzpatrick, Quinn Priester, and Angel Zerpa are all out for the season.
Chicago is without shortstop Dansby Swanson (mid- to late September return), as well as a whole bunch of pitchers. That group includes Edward Cabrera (September), Justin Steele (potentially September, but in a relief role), Shelby Miller (potentially September), Ben Brown (September, though recently pulled off rehab assignment), Phil Maton (TBD), Hunter Harvey (TBD), Gavin Hollowll (September), Riley Martin (out for season), Cade Horton (out for season), and Porter Hodge (out for season).
Milwaukee’s offense is led by Jake Bauers, Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, William Contreras, and Garrett Mitchell, who have pretty consistently made up the top few spots in the order. Christian Yelich has slid down in the order but has played well lately, while Andrew Vaughn and Joey Ortiz have both quietly been consistent of late. Sal Frelick, Cooper Pratt, Gary Sánchez, Luis Lara, and David Hamilton all play regularly, too. As a team, Milwaukee is hitting .255/.338/.397 (.735 OPS ranks fifth), with 126 homers (last), 683 runs scored (third), and 135 steals (tied for fourth)
Pete Crow-Armstrong is turning in an MVP season, as he’s hitting .283/.377/.577 with 38 homers, 91 RBIs, 99 runs, and 32 steals. Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Alex Bregman, and Michael Busch are all regular contributors offensively, while Nico Hoerner is having a bit of a down year but is still hitting .263/.318/.356. Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya share catching duties, and Michael Conforto is also in the outfield/DH mix. Pedro Ramírez, Matt Shaw, Tyrone Taylor, and Gabriel Arias round things out. As a team, Chicago is hitting .251/.339/.428 (.767 OPS ranks first), with 187 homers (third), 725 runs scored (first), and 101 steals (10th).
On the mound, Aaron Ashby, Trevor Megill, and the soon-to-return Uribe lead the bullpen. Ashby has a 3.24 ERA and 13 wins, spanning 75 innings with 104 strikeouts. Megill leads the team with 25 saves and sports a 2.24 ERA, while Uribe has been even better with a 2.05 ERA. Chad Patrick, DL Hall, Bryse Wilson, Antonio Senzatela, and Grant Anderson (who is more than likely the odd man out upon Uribe’s return) round things out. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.37 team ERA (second), including a 3.46 starter ERA (fourth) and a 3.25 bullpen ERA (third). They’ve struck out 1,320 batters (second) across 1,225 2/3 innings.
Jacob Webb leads Chicago’s bullpen with 60 appearances, sporting a 2.87 ERA and team-high nine saves in 15 chances. Daniel Palencia has dealt with injuries and honestly hasn’t been all that good when on the field, with a 4.19 ERA over 19 1/3 innings, though he is 3-for-3 in save chances. Ryan Zeferjahn, acquired from the Angels at the deadline, has struggled with a 5.79 ERA over 9 1/3 innings, as has Caleb Thielbar (4.97 ERA). Ryan Rolison (2.79 ERA over 51 2/3 innings), Trent Thornton (3.45 ERA over 44 1/3 innings), and old friend Aaron Civale (1.54 ERA over 23 1/3 innings) have all been solid, and fellow old friend Colin Rea (4.48 ERA over 126 2/3 innings) has worked in a starter/long-relief swing role. As a staff, the Cubs have a 4.14 team ERA (14th), including a 4.32 starter ERA (18th) and a 3.90 bullpen ERA (12th). They’ve struck out 1,057 batters (26th) over 1,224 2/3 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Monday, August 31 @ 6:40 p.m.: LHP Kyle Harrison (10-3, 2.79 ERA, 3.29 FIP) vs. RHP Clay Holmes (5-6, 2.26 ERA, 3.35 FIP)
Harrison continues to impress in his first season in Milwaukee, with a 10-3 record, 2.79 ERA, 3.29 FIP, and 127 strikeouts across 103 1/3 innings. He took a no-decision in Milwaukee’s extra-innings loss to the Mets last week, working five innings with one run allowed on six hits and a walk, striking out five. Harrison has made three appearances against Chicago, totaling 13 innings with a 1.38 ERA and 22 strikeouts. That includes a pair of starts while with Milwaukee this year, spanning 12 innings with two runs allowed and 20 strikeouts.
Holmes, 33, is one of Chicago’s deadline acquisitions, coming over from the Mets. He’s made four starts in a Cubs uniform, spanning 23 innings with a 1.96 ERA, 3.69 FIP, and 10 strikeouts. The veteran right-hander went seven scoreless innings in a no-decision against the D-backs his last time out, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out five. Holmes, a former longtime Pirate, has made 18 appearances (two starts) against Milwaukee, with a 1-3 record, 5.96 ERA, and 24 strikeouts across 25 2/3 innings.
Tuesday, September 1 @ 6:40 p.m.: LHP Robert Gasser (4-5, 4.59 ERA, 4.44 FIP) vs. LHP Matthew Boyd (8-3, 3.99 ERA, 4.67 FIP)
This spot, originally Dustin May’s, has now flip-flopped with Gasser after Gasser stepped in to finish out May’s start against the Mets last week when May exited after just one pitch (he was alright and started in Sunday’s series finale against the Rangers). For the season, Gasser is 4-5 with a 4.59 ERA, 4.44 FIP, and 78 strikeouts across 82 1/3 innings. He stepped in nicely in that game against the Mets, going 5 1/3 innings with one run allowed on six hits and two walks, striking out six to earn the win. Gasser’s lone start against the Cubs came back in 2024, when he went six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts in a no-decision.
Boyd, 35, was an All-Star for the first time in his career last season, but he’s taken a slight step back while dealing with injuries in 2026. Across 17 starts this year, he’s 8-3 with a 3.99 ERA, 4.67 FIP, and 76 strikeouts over 97 frames. The left-hander has taken the loss in two of his last three starts (the third start was a no-decision in a game the Cubs would lose in extra innings), allowing 13 runs (12 earned) over 17 1/3 innings against the Cardinals, Mariners, and D-backs. Boyd has made five career starts against Milwaukee, going 2-2 with a 9.00 ERA and 19 strikeouts across 23 innings. That includes one win and one loss last season, when he allowed nine runs over 10 1/3 innings.
Wednesday, September 2 @ 6:40 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (14-5, 1.73 ERA, 2.14 FIP) vs. LHP David Peterson (7-7, 5.11 ERA, 4.05 FIP)
Misiorowski, who is now just a few weeks away from officially wrapping up what appears to be an NL Cy Young-winning season, is 14-5 this year, with a 1.73 ERA, 2.14 FIP, and 222 strikeouts over 151 innings. He hasn’t shown quite as much swing-and-miss stuff in his last few outings but he’s still keeping opposing teams off the scoreboard, as he’s totaled 18 innings with three runs allowed (1.50 ERA) and 18 strikeouts in wins against the Dodgers, Braves, and Mets. Misiorowski has made four starts against the Cubs, going 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 28 strikeouts across 20 frames. That includes a pair of wins this year, as he’s totaled 12 innings with just one run allowed and 16 strikeouts.
Peterson, who turns 31 on Thursday, is a former long-time Met who was acquired by the Cubs in late June. While his season numbers aren’t great, he’s been better with the Cubs, pitching to a 3.90 ERA, 4.31 FIP, and 46 strikeouts across 55 1/3 innings in 11 appearances (10 starts). He’s taken a no-decision in each of his last two appearances, spanning 11 innings with four runs allowed and 14 strikeouts against the Mariners and Reds. Peterson has faced Milwaukee seven times in his career (six starts), going 4-1 with a 3.44 ERA and 28 strikeouts over 34 frames. That includes a win in his Cubs debut back in June, tossing 5 2/3 innings with two runs allowed and two strikeouts.
Thursday, September 3 @ 6:15 p.m.: RHP Logan Henderson (9-2, 2.48 ERA, 3.29 FIP) vs. RHP Kevin Gausman (8-11, 4.52 ERA, 3.60 FIP)
Henderson continues to impress in his rookie season, as he’s now made 14 starts with a 9-2 record, 2.48 ERA, 3.29 FIP, and 86 strikeouts across 76 1/3 innings. He picked up his third straight win against the Rangers on Friday night, going seven innings with one run allowed (a solo homer) and allowing no other baserunners with seven strikeouts. This would mark Henderson’s first career appearance against Chicago.
Gausman, 35, is another deadline acquisition of the Cubs, joining them from the Blue Jays. The 14-year veteran has made five starts with Chicago, with a 3-1 record, 5.14 ERA, 4.08 FIP, and 29 strikeouts over 28 innings. He’s had two rough outings (five innings with five earned runs against the Reds and 4 2/3 innings with six earned runs against the Nationals) but also two solid seven-inning outings (no runs against the D-backs, two runs against the Royals), so it just depends which version shows up. Gausman has made eight career appearances (six starts) against Milwaukee, going 2-0 with a 1.99 ERA and 46 strikeouts across 40 2/3 innings. That includes a no-decision while with the Blue Jays earlier this year, when he went five frames and allowed three runs with five strikeouts.
How to Watch & Listen
Monday, August 31: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Tuesday, September 1: Brewers TV and nationally on TBS; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Wednesday, September 2: Brewers TV and nationally on MLB Network; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Thursday, September 3: Exclusively televised nationally on Fox/Fox One; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Prediction
This is a big series for both squads, and the pitching matchups tell the story. Give me a series split.
Devin Fitz-Gerald Is Finding Himself Again At Double A Harrisburg

After a blazing hot start to Devin Fitz-Gerald’s Nationals career, in which he posted a 132 wRC+ and had a May as hot as any month ever from a Nats prospect, he earned a promotion to Double A in early June, simultaneously climbing many top 100 prospect lists. The hit tool looked as advertised, but the sudden increase in power output was a welcome surprise as well, as Fitz-Gerald hit 12 home runs in 51 games at High A.
A slowdown in production is expected when any prospect moves up a level, but to say Devin Fitz-Gerald hit a wall in Double A at first would be an understatement, as from his callup on June 7th to the end of June, he posted a -1 wRC+, hitting .137 with just a .178 slugging percentage. His influx of power output he had in High A suddenly vanished, and it seemed his hit tool and approach went with it, as he was swinging at everything, struggled to draw walks, and struck out too much.
July was an improvement for Fitz-Gerald, as he swung less, leading to more walks and less strikeouts, but he still wasn’t tapping into much of the power which made him a game wrecker at High A, posting a .306 slugging percentage and 82 wRC+ on the month. Through almost two months at Double A, Fitz-Gerald was looking somewhat overmatched, causing some fans and analysts to begin to lose some faith. Others however, who understood the kind of talent they saw earlier in the year, were willing to hold the line and bet on him to figure it out.
Sure enough, August was a breakout month for Fitz-Gerald at Double A. He swung at pitches in the zone about as much as he did in June, but he chased outside the zone 13% less, and made more contact overall when he did swing. The power stroke finally returned for Fitz-Gerald as well, as he swatted 3 home runs in August, as compared to just 1 in June and July combined. Overall, Fitz-Gerald hit .310 and posted a 139 wRC+ in August, much more in line with the numbers he was posting earlier in the season.

There is still questions to be answered about Fitz-Gerald’s profile, such as if he can sustain his power numbers for longer periods of time in the upper minor leagues, but his season teaches us something important when it comes to prospect scouting as a whole: it is important to demonstrate patience with players, especially ones going through changes.
For Fitz-Gerald, that change wasn’t just a promotion to a new level, but dealing with his mother’s tragic cancer diagnosis, and having to be gone from home for months at a time to play baseball. There can be more to a players surface level numbers than meet the eye, and a bad month or two doesn’t mean he should be written off entirely.
I expect Fitz-Gerald will begin the 2027 minor league season at Double A, where hopefully Eli Willits will be next to him playing Shortstop, creating one of the most exciting middle infield prospect duos in Nationals minor league history. With another offseason to bulk and work on his swing, hopefully Fitz-Gerald can continue to add more power output to his game, as when he combines his plus hit tool with the ability to pop balls over the fence, he’s as dangerous a hitter as the Nationals have in their farm system.
Down By The Bay, Where W’s Don’t Grow

A momentum building series win over the Chicago Cubs where there was drama in all 3 games, the Diamondbacks would look to carry that momentum into their 4 game series against the struggling San Francisco Giants. The good news going into this series is the Dbacks have had the Giants number in 2026, winning 8 of the 9 games they have played, but the Giants lineup of MLB the show randomly generated names would be doing their best to play spoiler to the Dbacks and attempt to deny them from gaining any ground on the Padres or Phillies in the NL Wild Card race.
Three’s (Mid) Company
The Diamondbacks starting rotation depth has been tested multiple times throughout 2026 but more so the last month plus as the Snakes have had to rely heavily on arms like Mitch Bratt, Kohl Drake and Jose Cabrera to fill in those gaps. While the expectations were on the low end for the young arms, outside of Bratt’s 7 shutout innings against San Diego earlier this month, the results have been less than ideal as they have only gone 6 innings or longer in 2 of the 20 combined starts, both of which were by Mitch Bratt.
The fellas and I agreed that these short outings from the young arms are leading to the bullpen being used more often than most would like, which could be a recipe for disaster with only a month left to go. If this team is to complete their playoff push and sneak into October, they are going to need their starting pitching to carry the load a bit more and try to keep the big bullpen arms from being overused.
Noot Scootin’ Boogie
The lone acquisition for the Diamondbacks at the trade deadline was off to a rough start at the dish, as the three of us and many other D’Backs fans and writers were starting to get worried that Lars Nootbar would be another black hole in a lineup that at times already has too many spots, but the last 10 games from Noot Noot (.310/.355/.724 for a 1.079 OPS) has the three of us hoping that Lars has adjusted to his new team and found his footing at just the right time. Gabe, Brandon and I were all on the same page in saying that if Nootbar can at least be a .750-.780 OPS hitter the rest of the way, then that could be a big boost for this offense and provide a bit more length in the lineup.
Letting Opportunities “Split” Away
Going into the series the Diamondbacks were a full game behind the San Diego Padres for the 3rd Wild Card spot in the NL, but thanks to a lot of help from the D’Backs expansion brothers in the Tampa Bay Rays they were able to leave San Fran a half game ahead of the Pads. Normally that would have us absolutely amped up that we were able to leap frog the Padres and get back into a WIld Card spot, but the fellas and I all felt the same in saying that it felt like the Diamondbacks left a prime opportunity to leave with an even bigger lead on the table as even just 1 more win in this series would have given the Snakes a 1.5 game lead, with a sweep giving them a 2.5 game lead.
Gabe mentioned that a 2.5 game lead wouldn’t be a big enough gap to fully secure any kind of playoff spot, it would have put a lot of pressure on the Padres to make up as much ground as they could before the final series of the year when the Snakes and Padres meetup in San Diego. Brandon also pointed out that a sweep of the Giants would have kept Arizona just 3 games back of the Phillies and Cubs for that first Wild Card spot and the chance to even host a Wild Card series. A series split doesn’t technically have a winner or loser, but with the missed opportunities for the D’Backs to gane even more ground in their playoff push had us all feeling like they really came away from this 4 gamer as losers.
The Phightin Phils
The three of us turned our attention to the next series ahead of the Diamondbacks as the red hot Phillies, winners of 8 of their last 10, would be coming to Chase Field for a big 3 game set starting on Monday night. The big talking point heading into this Phillies series is the potential return of Diamondbacks 2nd Baseman Ketel Marte after the wild drama filled last few weeks became the talk of the baseball world. We all acknowledged that there will most certainly be a mixed reaction from the Snakes fans in attendance, but the hope is that the clubhouse will be ready to welcome Ketel back with open arms and be ready to focus on winning ballgames, as Ketel is a critical bat to have for this final month.
While the focus has mostly been on the Padres and the 3rd and final Wild Card spot, the D’Backs are still within striking distance of both the Phillies and the Cubs for the 1st or 2nd spot, so a series win or even a series sweep of the Phils could be the kind of juice the Snakes need to get them fired up and ready to hopefully play their best ball and finish out the regular season on a high note and with as much momentum heading into October.
Monday Stat Party: Lavender Haze

Welcome back to Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing some of the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. What unites each entry is the sense of intrigue which they aim to spark, and the unbridled love of the game’s anomalies from which they arise. Without further ado, let the stat party begin.
TUESDAY
Zac Thornton became the first Mets pitcher with at least six quality starts in their first 10 career games since Steven Matz. The only other Mets debuting since 2000 to accomplish that feat were Dillon Gee, Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Noah Syndergaard.
Carson Benge notched his 11th three-hit game of the season, overtaking the record for a Mets rookie set by Pete Alonso (10) in 2019.
Christopher Morel’s eighth-inning ground out registered a 114.6 mph exit velocity, marking the second-hardest-hit ball by a Met this season.
WEDNESDAY
Dustin May’s one-pitch start marked the shortest outing for an opposing starting pitcher in Mets franchise history. The record was previously held by Cubs right-hander Frank Castillo, who retired leadoff hitter Vince Coleman on three pitches before being relieved due to a right shoulder strain at Wrigley Field on August 10, 1991. The previous record for the shortest start in Citi Field history was held by Bartolo Colon, who threw just four pitches before exiting against the Royals on June 21, 2016, after leadoff hitter Whit Merrifield lined a ball off Colon’s right hand.
THURSDAY
Brett Baty’s 106.8 mph line out off Jacob Misiorowski was the fifth-hardest-hit batted ball anyone has mustered off Miz’s four-seam fastball over his two-year career.
Jackson Chourio became the fifth player to record four or more hits, two or more homers, and at least one stolen base in a game against the Mets, joining George Altman (May 15, 1962), Maury Wills (May 30, 1962), Steve Finley (May 30, 1999), and Ozzie Albies (June 30, 2021). Chourio also became the first home or visiting player to do it at Citi Field.
Jackson Chourio is batting .353 with 3 homers and a 1.036 OPS in eight career games at Citi Field, where he made his debut on Opening Day in 2024. That OPS ranks 12th-best among players with at least 35 plate appearances at the ballpark (Troy Tulowitzki leads the pack with a 1.368 OPS in 58 career plate appearances at Citi Field, with Brandon Lowe and Miguel Cabrera next on the list).
The Brewers are now 20-6 against the Mets in their last 26 regular-season meetings, dating back to September 21, 2022.
The Mets suffered their 12th loss of the season in which they recorded three or fewer hits, tied for the second-most such games in MLB this season behind only the Guardians (13).
FRIDAY
Nate Lavender recorded a 10th straight scoreless appearance to begin his career, tying left-hander Jack Leathersich (debuted in 2015) for the most scoreless appearances to begin a career in franchise history. Joe Smith (debuted in 2007) holds the franchise record with 17 straight.
SATURDAY
Nolan McLean’s 2.83 ERA through 35 career games is the ninth-best among Mets pitchers with a minimum of five innings per outing, behind: Jerry Koosman (2.30), Matt Harvey (2.38), Dwight Gooden (2.47), Jacob deGrom (2.56), Jon Matlack (2.64), Kodai Senga (2.74), Tom Seaver (2.76), and Noah Syndergaard (2.82).
Over his last 11 starts, McLean has tallied 66.1 innings pitchedwhile posting a 1.76 ERA. McLean is the ninth Met since 2000 to record an 11-game single-season span with an ERA below 2.00 while averaging six or more innings per outing, joining: Johan Santana, R.A. Dickey, Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz, Zack Wheeler, and Max Scherzer.
McLean recorded his 18th start of six or more innings pitched this season, tied for sixth-most in the majors. That total is already tied for third-most by a Met in a season since 2020, trailing Chris Bassitt (23 in 2022) and Max Scherzer (19 in 2022).
SUNDAY
Francisco Lindor hit his 155th home run as a Met, moving past Dave Kingman and into sixth place on the franchise’s all-time leaderboard.
A.J. Ewing racked up his 22nd stolen base of the season, tying Lee Mazzilli in 1977 for second-most by a Mets rookie behind only Mookie Wilson (24 in 1981).
Zac Thornton’s 2.93 ERA through 11 career games is the 12th-best among Mets pitchers with a minimum of five innings per outing, behind: Nolan McLean (2.23), Jim McAndrew (2.26), Tom Seaver (2.43), Matt Harvey (2.44), Steven Matz (2.52), Rob Gardner (2.59), Anthony Young (2.62), Rick Aguilera (2.74), Masato Yoshii (2.77), Nolan Ryan (2.85), and Jason Isringhausen (2.92).
Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:
The Mets have gone 11 seasons without a Gold Glove Award winner, with their last one being Juan Lagares in 2014. That marks the second-longest drought in the majors, behind only the Nationals (Adam LaRoche in 2012).
Things the Detroit Tigers should do in September

Well, barring a real miracle, the Detroit Tigers 2026 season is a lost cause. After playing themselves back into contention by the middle of August, they’ve absolutely cratered since getting swept by the Chicago White Sox. A massive payroll expansion, multiple talented rookies added to the mix, Jackson Jobe’s return from Tommy John surgery, and the ongoing brilliance of Kevin McGonigle’s AL Rookie of the Year caliber season have not been enough to overcome the hellscape that was May’s 6-22 debacle. The season is a failure and there will be plenty of accounting of blame to place when this is all said and done, but for now, there are several things the Tigers should do in September to start setting themselves up for the future.
The obvious overriding theme here, is play the kids.
For starters, the Tigers should set Gleyber Torres free. The veteran second baseman has been a stabilizing, professional presence in the lineup, and a mentor to younger players, but his physical decline has cut down his playing time in both of his two seasons with the Tigers. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where the Tigers sign him again this offseason in free agency. Even so, this has nothing to do with performance. It just makes sense to place Torres on unconditional waivers this morning, giving contending teams a chance to claim him on Monday and assume the roughly $3.5M still owed to him this season. That move would be good for Torres, who at 29 years old may not have many cracks at the postseason left in his career. More importantly for the Tigers, it opens up second base and playing time for their multitude of young players who primarily work at second and third base.
Play the kids in the infield
Hao-Yu Lee is already up, and a report from Emily Waldon indicates that infield prospect John Peck is to be promoted from Triple-A Toledo to the major leagues for his debut. Peck can play second, third, and shortstop, and overall is a pretty good defender. He’s not exactly a slam dunk defensive shortstop, but he’s good enough to hang there, and likely a plus defender everywhere else. Peck and Brett Callahan have basically moved up in lockstep, and while one is a left-handed hitting corner outfielder and the other a right-handed hitting infielder, there are plenty of similarities as both are good defenders with a nice mix of speed and power, who could both use a little more plate discipline to make them staples of the Tigers bench next season. Neither got much time at the Triple-A level, particularly Peck, but they’re both eligible in the Rule 5 draft this offseason, and the Tigers need to work with them in the big leagues, see what they’ve got, and give them each some experience to take into the offseason.
The other obvious call-up is 24-year-old second baseman Max Anderson. I’ve tended to be the low man on Anderson among prospect writers on the Tigers’ system, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t talented. The issue is that he’s pretty limited defensively, and despite good bat-to-ball skills and above average raw power, he entered the season still decidedly a free swinger who chases too much and gets himself out on pitcher’s pitches rather than being selective enough to get more pitches he can drive. On that latter score he’s made some nice progress this season in his first full look at the Triple-A level, chasing a little less and finally taking his walks. He’s earned a look at the major leagues as well. Anderson is a below average second baseman in my opinion, with decent hands but mediocre range, agility, and arm strength, and at a listed 5’11” he doesn’t really have the big frame preferred in a first baseman either, though his glove would play there. Still, he can hit, and the Tigers might as well see what they’ve got in him before the season ends.
To facilitate all this, releasing Torres is the obvious move, and one would expect that Torres would be pleased to get a crack at October baseball with another team. If he’s really not that interested and prefers to stay, that’s fine. He’s a good leader and has plenty of knowledge to pass along to younger teammates, but his playing time needs to be cut down so the Tigers can embrace the youth movement.
Experiment with the bullpen
The Tigers committed to Kenley Jansen as their closer last offseason, and while he’s been much better since June 1, it’s gone pretty poorly overall. He struggled when the Tigers really needed him in April and May, and at his best since then he’s just been okay. Jansen stands at 493 saves, and his status as one of the great relievers of all-time isn’t in doubt. Here in the waning years of his Hall of Fame caliber career, no doubt he would like to reach 500 saves and the Tigers would probably like to have something like that to celebrate, but he’s not going to get there this year anyway. He has 17 saves and 5 blown saves on the year, and it’s impossible to imagine a scenario in which he saves seven of the final 26 games.
Instead, the Tigers might as well give at least a few of those chances to lefty Drew Sommers, who has emerged as the Tigers’ best reliever in the second half. There’s no reason to cut Jansen loose, as the Tigers don’t have much in the way of compelling relief options in Toledo, but they’ve got to start thinking ahead. Sommers doesn’t really profile as a pure closer type, and high leverage work in the seventh and eighth innings really isn’t much different than closing games, but it would be good to see him get a crack at a save or two.
We’d also like to see 26-year-old right-hander Yilber Diaz recalled back to Detroit to work in the bullpen. Guys in their 30’s like Tanner Rainey aren’t part of the future Tigers bullpen, but Diaz might be if he can lock in control of his fastball-slider combination. Probably, as with veteran outfielder Corey Julks, the Tigers are just doing Rainey a bit of a solid by getting him some major league paychecks for being a good soldier stashed in Triple-A all season. Rainey’s recent velo burst is at least vaguely interesting, but he’s always had pretty good stuff, he’s 33, and he’s never thrown strikes with any consistency.
Once again, play the kids.
Turn the kids loose
The final part of this is stylistic more than anything. I’m decidedly not a big sacrifice guy, and the hit and run isn’t utilized much anymore, both because of high strikeout rates for pitchers, but also because a team like the Tigers already goes first to third well on singles. However, working on stealing bases, trying to work on bunting for base hits a little more in cases like Max Clark, who has the speed to beat them out for hits, and working on elements of situational hitting like right-handed hitters doing the other way with runners on base, would be advisable.
The Tigers aren’t just going to throw caution to the wind and make tons of outs on the basepaths. For coaches and players, no matter the circumstances, winning the day’s game is still the goal. That doesn’t mean this isn’t a good time to try and turn the younger players loose to experiment, make outs without major consequence, and try to push the limits and improve.
Modern pitchers are a lot harder to steal on than in the old days. The quick, compact deliveries utilized by most pitchers gives a lot less time in which to run, and makes reading first moves to the plate crucial. Yet just about everyone is running more than the Tigers do, and they rank last in all of baseball with just 40 stolen bases. 28 other teams have more than 50 stolen bases this season, and 17 different teams have at least doubled the Tigers’ stolen base totals. They’ve got to get a lot better at this, and with a faster, younger team, they have the personnel to run way more often now.
The only way to get good at getting perfect jumps is by trial and error. There’s really nothing to lose, so it would be nice to see A.J. Hinch turn them loose and let them make their mistakes now rather than next season when their place in the standings will hopefully matter more. Either way, the club is behind the times here, and after switching out both first and third base coaches at various points this season, it would be nice to see those changes pay some dividends in the stolen base department. After finishing 10th best in baserunning ranking in 2025, the Tigers have fallen back to 22nd this season. There is clearly more work to be done in this area.
Another element of “turn the kids loose” is moving Max Clark to the leadoff spot. This is exactly what he’s built to do. He’s a classic leadoff hitter type with the addition boon of average raw power. It made sense not to rush him into that spot when the Tigers were still hoping to reach the postseason, but there’s no reason now not to get ahead of the game in this regard. Let him settle in atop the order and get used to setting the table and the tone for the Tigers’ offense.
The season is lost, but there is always work to be done to get better. It’s hard to know how hard the Tigers will push in 2027 to get back into contention, but they have enough pieces to expect a much better season if the front office can get its act together in free agency, and perhaps pull off a useful trade or two in regard to the brewing logjams at first and second base in particular. For now, the best thing they can do is take the governor off, play more aggressively, and let their big crop of talented rookies get some mistakes out of the way and learn to play the game closer to the edge of their ability at the major league level.
Chris Sale still is elite at age 37 — and building a Hall of Fame case
Chris Sale shut out the Dodgers and threw a 100 mph fastball in the process.
You could call it turning back the clock, but that would imply the Atlanta left-hander’s best days are behind him. And that’s hardly the case.
Sale struck out 11 in a five-hitter, lowering his ERA to 2.06. Only Jacob Misiorowski’s (1.73) is better, and Sale may be the only one capable of pushing the Milwaukee ace in the Cy Young race. At the very least, Sale has a good chance to post his eighth top-five finish in a Cy Young vote. He won in 2024, his first season with the Braves.
The 1-0 win over Los Angeles was Sale’s first complete game since 2019 and included his first time reaching 100 mph on a pitch since 2018. He was with Boston then, wrapping up a stretch of seven straight years (2012-18) finishing in the top six in the Cy Young vote. But a poor 2019 was followed by Tommy John surgery, and Sale’s future looked uncertain.
Since the Red Sox traded him to Atlanta for Vaughn Grissom, however, Sale has been an elite pitcher again. He finally won that elusive Cy Young in 2024, going 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA. He was 7-5 with a 2.58 ERA in 21 games last season, and this year he’s on pace to post an ERA under 2.20 for the third time as a starter. He also did that in 2014 with the Chicago White Sox and 2018 with Boston.
The 37-year-old Sale doesn’t have as much Cy Young hardware as Justin Verlander or Max Scherzer, but if he can pitch into his 40s like they have, his Hall of Fame case could look pretty solid. His career wins above replacement total — per Baseball Reference — roughly is the same as CC Sabathia’s. And Sabathia was voted in on the first ballot.
Sale is under contract with Atlanta for next season, and the Braves have a team option for 2028.
Trivia time
Sale’s only second-place finish in the Cy Young vote came in 2017. Who beat him out?
Performance of the week
While Sale tries to prevent Misiorowski from running away with the Cy Young Award, Pete Crow-Armstrong is putting in quite a claim for the National League MVP. He hit three homers with six RBIs for the Chicago Cubs in a 17-5 win over Cincinnati. Then the following day he went deep two more times. Crow-Armstrong is up to 38 homers on the year, just two shy of Kyle Schwarber’s major league-leading total.
Comeback of the week
The Reds scored seven runs in the top of the ninth to beat San Francisco 10-9. Héctor Rodríguez led off the inning with a homer to make the score 9-4. Then a single and two walks loaded the bases for Eugenio Suárez, whose grand slam brought Cincinnati within a run with still nobody out. Jose Trevino eventually tied it with a sacrifice fly, and Tyler Stephenson’s RBI single gave the Reds the lead.
Team of the week
The Braves were baseball’s only unbeaten team this week, going 6-0. They continue to hold Philadelphia at arm’s length in the NL East, leading the division by five games after Matt Olson’s walk-off single against Colorado extended Atlanta’s winning streak to seven.
The Braves swept three straight games against the Dodgers, winning each by a run. One of them was Sale’s gem. Another came on a walk-off single by pinch-hitter Ha-Seong Kim.
Trivia answer
Cleveland’s Corey Kluber won it that year.
