Travis Head has responded in fantastic fashion in the second ODI against Zimbabwe with a record-breaking half-century.
Todd Boehly exits Chelsea diminished after having his fingers burned
The billionaire’s departure will change little day-to-day but could be significant for club’s stadium plans
Not since a doomed foray into the thorny world of the transfer market has Todd Boehly had any real influence over the day-to-day at Chelsea. The American exits football as a diminished figure four years on, along with his fellow investor Mark Walter, and the first thing to say is that little will change in the Stamford Bridge boardroom just because Boehly has left the scene.
Clearlake Capital, the US private equity firm founded by Behdad Eghbali and José E Feliciano, was already the majority owner and guiding force. The trio of Boehly, Walter and the Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss had an equal share of a 38.5% stake but have drifted into irrelevance since the BlueCo consortium bought Chelsea from Roman Abramovich for £2.5bn in 2022.
Continue reading...The bullpen, sure, but how do the Giants fix their defense?
In Buster Posey’s big interview with Tim Kawakami, he stated that the bullpen would be a point of emphasis this offseason. That group has been among the worst in the sport, but not quite negative in value, believe it or not: +0.9 fWAR, bad enough for 25th in MLB. As bad as they’ve been there, they’ve been as bad with their gloves in the field, coming in 24th place with -16.4 Defensive Runs Above Average. In fact, they lead all of Major League Baseball in errors with 102 and counting. They need better defense. How can they make that happen?
Well, this is where trading away Patrick Bailey and losing Daniel Susac to injury hurts. Bailey had been the top defender on the team three years running and even this year, with just 238.1 innings under his belt before the trade, his +5 Fielding Run Value and 4.8 Defensive Runs Above Average made him third-best. Susac’s +8 FRV and +8.7 Def in 351 innings wound up being a great swap (second-best), but here are the other two players in the top four: Luis Arraez, the team leader in defensive value this season (+9 FRV, +9.2 Def in 885.2 innings), and Matt Chapman (+5 FRV, 4.6 Def in 718.2 innings), checking in at #4. Drew Gilbert is #5 with +4 and +2.6. Casey Schmitt follows, then Christian Koss, then Jonah Cox are the next bunch of positive defenders. So, let’s just say that Susac, Chapman, Gilbert, Schmitt, Koss, and Cox aren’t the problem.
Also not the problem? Bryce Eldridge (-2.3 Def) or Rafael Devers (-7.9). Defensive measures for first basemen are typically tough because it’s considered such an easy position. Very easy to drop into negative numbers. Admittedly, Devers’ 8 errors are the third-most on the team behind Willy Adames (18) and Matt Chapman (9), but I’m going to chalk some of that up to lingering injuries and basically settling in to a new position. Still this trio makes up 34% of the team’s errors this season.
But the worst defenders on the Giants are pretty easy to identify. Willy Adames (-8.3) and Jung Hoo Lee (-10.5) both have both cost the Giants about 1 game each over the course of the season with their poor defense. They are the worst position players on the roster by far (minimum: 100 innings). The pitching group’s 17 errors is tied with Cincinnati for 2nd in MLB (or, 29th) behind only Toronto.
Now, maybe you’re a gut-trusting eye-tester when it comes to defense, and I can understand that because it’s hard to conceive of how laser tracking and computer modeling could properly value defensive contributions or the subtleties of playing in the field, but if you line up the good defending teams vs. the bad defending teams this season, an interesting pattern emerges:
With the exceptions of the Royals and Phillies, bad teams have bad defense and good teams have good defense. Though, it must be noted that the Royals have gone 38-41 over the last 3 months and the Phillies 25-15 since improving their defense significantly with the addition of Luis Arraez.
And just to underscore how important defense is, in the past 10 years, the only Giants teams with positive Defensive Runs Above Average values were:
- 2021 (+28.3) | 107-55
- 2023 (+22.6) | 79-83
- 2019 (+19.6) | 77-85
- 2024 (+8.9) | 80-82
- 2025 (+7.9) | 81-81
Not exactly the strong point I was hoping to make but you can see that the past decade of Giants Baseball, whenever it has even bothered to approach success, has had strong defense as part of the foundation.
So, how can the Giants improve? The sexy call is to figure out how to get Jung Hoo Lee off the roster. If that’s possible, sure, why not? That’s a good step in the direction of fixing the defense while getting cheaper. I’m not confident that Lee’s bat is worth keeping around, either. But it’s not that easy to trade a player like Lee. There’s the money owed to him for one thing, but it’ll be tough from a fanbase position to do it, too. He is a draw, even though he and the team are not good.
And, if Casey Schmitt hadn’t torn his meniscus, I’d think it’d be close to a no-brainer to put him at short and slide Willy Adames over to second base; but, I’m not so sure that’s in the cards now. In any case, Adames had better move in with Ron Washington this offseason and hope that he has an Arraezean renaissance in 2027. But that could still happen with him at second base. He has been bad enough there that I think trying to get Chapman to play short while sticking Schmitt at third might make more sense than giving Adames another go.
The team has increased its athleticism in the field as the season has gone along and that’s the sort of thing they’ll need to keep doing in order to improve this part of the team. On paper for next season, it’s basically Daniel Susac, Jonah Cox, and Matt Chapman as the defensive keystones. The team does have a glut of up the middle players working their way through the minors so reinforcements could be well on the way, but I’ll just go ahead and say that the Giants don’t go anywhere without better defensive play. A better defense will take the pressure off the team needing to spend big bucks on the bullpen — or even the rotation, which might be a better use of time and resources, Buster Posey.
Kenny Serwa and Thayron Liranzo power SeaWolves to the Eastern League championship series
Erie SeaWolves 5, Richmond Flying Squirrels 3 (box)
Kenny Serwa put together a whale of a start for the SeaWolves, while a game tying home run from his catcher sparked the offense as the Erie SeaWolves advanced to the Eastern League Championship series for the fifth straight season.
Things didn’t start off well for Tony Cappuccilli’s squad in this one. The Giants first round pick in July, right-hander Jackson Flora, got the ball for two innings and the SeaWolves couldn’t deal with him, striking out four times in two perfect frames. Fortunately, he’s on a strict pitch count. Once he was out of the game, lefty Jacob Bresnahan took over to flip the SeaWolves platooning. The SeaWolves got a single from Izaac Pacheco and a walk to E.J. Exposito to start the third inning. Seth Stephenson advanced them with a sac bunt, but they squandered that chance as Peyton Graham and Zyhir Hope struck out.
Meanwhile, Serwa was cruising in the early innings before trouble struck in the fourth. A one-out single and then a walk set the table for Kaeden Kent, who smoked a three-run shot to right field for a 3-0 lead.
The SeaWolves couldn’t get it going in the fifth, but credit to Cappuccilli for sticking with Serwa, who proceeded to steady the ship and cruise through seven innings with no further trouble.
Finally, in the top of the sixth, Stephenson reached and took second on an error. Graham struck out, but Hope walked, and Thayron Liranzo mashed a three-run homer to tie the game.
They didn’t stop there. Chris Meyers followed with a double. Andrew Jenkins struck out, but Luke Shliger walked. The Squirrels went back to their pen, but Marques Johnson walked Pacheco to load the bases. A passed ball scored Meyers, and it was 4-3 SeaWolves.
Serwa tossed a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth, and Stephenson walked to start the seventh. He stole second, and after Graham made on out on a comebacker to Johnson, a wild pitch got Stephenson to third, and Hope drove a ball out to center field for a sacrifice fly. 5-3 SeaWolves.
Surprisingly, Cappuccilli continued to ride his veteran knuckleballer, and it worked. He gave up a leadoff bunt single, but got a double play ball to face the minimum in the inning. Really good work from Serwa to recover from the homer and pitch deep into this one, especially as the bullpen isn’t exactly stacked with monsters.
Tanner Kohlhepp took over in the eighth, pitching around a two-out walk, and so it was up to hard-throwing sinkerballer Moises Rodriguez. The slender right-hander was 98-99 mph, but with one out, Graham booted a routine ground ball at shortstop, and after getting a fly ball for the second out, Rodriguez walked the next hitter. He bounced back, tying up Zander Darby, who hit a little swinging bunt down the first base line. Rodriguez pounced on it, flipped to Jenkins, and it was party time for the Erie SeaWolves organization.
Congrats to Greg Coleman, Greg Gania, Tony Cappuccilli and his staff and team, and the whole SeaWolves family on reaching their fifth straight Eastern League championship series.
Liranzo: 2-3, R, 3 RBI, HR, BB, K
Stephenson: 1-1, 2 R, 2 BB, SB
Meyers: 1-4, R, 2B, K
Serwa (W, 1-0): 3 ER, 4 H, BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves will have two days off until the Eastern League championhip best-of-three series gets underway on Sunday. Game 1 will be held at home at UPMC Park at 5:05 p.m. ET before heading to Reading next Tuesday.
Toledo Mud Hens 5, Louisville Bats 1 (box)
Dylan File threw a good game, and the Hens took advantage of seven walks to beat the Bats again on Thursday.
File was cruising early on and the Hens broke through in the bottom of the third. Max Burt and Trei Cruz walked with one out, and sent the Bats back to their bullpen. The new reliever walked James Outman and Max Anderson both, forcing in a run. Jace Jung lifted a sacrifice fly to right to plate Cruz, and it was 2-0 Hens.
File allowed a solo shot in the fifth, but in the bottom half, Jung doubled in Cruz to make it 3-1 Hens.
File wrapped up his day in the sixth, and in the bottom of the seventh, Cruz led off with a single. Outman grounded into a force of Cruz, but Max Anderson singled, and Jung doubled in both runners to make it 5-1.
Enmanuel de Jesus handled the seventh and eighth without much issue. Yilber Diaz walked two and struck out one in closing out the ninth. Hopefully he can get his control dialed in this offseason.
Jung: 2-3, 4 RBI, 2 2B
Cruz: 1-3, 2 R, 2 BB
Anderson: 1-3, R, RBI, BB
File (W, 7-1): 6.0 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: The Hens had won six of their last eighth, and are up 3-0 in this series heading into a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Friday in Toledo.
‘Words cannot express’: Family speaks after Wallabies legend’s son tragically dies
The rugby world is in mourning following the tragic passing of Jack Waugh, the eldest son of Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh.
Angels 5, Twins 4 (10 inn.): Broken records, and not the good kind
If two teams in the bottom of their respective divisions play a game of baseball, does it really happen? Sorry, that California air is really getting to me. Just kidding, I’m not in California.
The Minnesota Twins are there in Anaheim taking on the “Los Angeles” Angels. Stop me if you’ve heard this, but the team facing Minnesota scored a few runs in the first inning. This time it was off of starter Taj Bradley, albeit not really entirely all his fault. Stop me if you’ve heard this one, but the Twins defense kinda played a part. Bradley walked Mike Trout with one out. That’s Bradley’s fault. Then someone named Wade Meckler hit a grounder to someone named Ben Ross and the grounder ate him up and couldn’t get the out. Moisés Ballesteros brought in Trout with an RBI single. Denzer Guzman (not sure on the relation to Twins great Cristian Guzman) singled to left field and the throw in did not go directly to second base to get Ballesteros at second, but according to the radio, it should’ve and could’ve gotten him for a second out. After a strikeout of Josh Lowe, Oswald Peraza drove his hit to right field, bringing in Ballesteros. That’s a 3-0 lead after the first inning for the Angels.
After that, it was goose eggs through seven. Rookie Walbert Ureña held the Twins to four hits across his seven innings of work, striking out nine batters while walking none. Bradley settled down to turn in seven frames as well, allowing only two more hits and notching nine strikeouts, raising his K total to 199 on the year.
Minnesota batters did claw back one run in the eighth. On two consecutive pitches to lead off the inning, Walker Jenkins singled to center and Ben Ross got his first major-league hit – a double – off of bullpen arm Luke Murphy. After striking out Luke Keaschall, former Twins player-turned-manager Kurt Suzuki turned to Tayler Saucedo. Brooks Lee hit a sac fly, allowing Jenkins to tag up and touch home from third.
Ben Joyce came in for the ninth to attempt to close the door on Minnesota. Victor Caratini hit a two-out single, setting up newly-hot Jenkins. And Jenkins did a hot thing: hit a homer to tie the game. Ross did a not-hot thing and struck out to keep it a tied game at three runs apiece.
A depleted bullpen was put to work tonight for the Twins. Andrew Morris pitched a clean eighth while A. J. Minter, who pitched last night, was given the ninth. After striking out two batters, he gave up an almost-home-run double to Josh Lowe. Derek Shelton pulled him in favor of Jeff Hoffman. An intentional walk to Adam Frazier put runners on first and second and a double-steal during a Jose Siri at-bat put both runners in scoring position and took the force play off the books. But no worries, as Hoffman got Siri out on strikes to take the game into extras.
The tenth inning had Manfred Mann’s Earth Band participant Ben Ross on second base with Blake Weiman pitching for the Halos; Keaschall singled him over to third while Lee hit an RBI single to untie the baby. Kody Clemens dropped a sac bunt to move the runners to second and third. A Josh Bell pop-out and an intentional walk to pinch-hitter Ryan Jeffers brought up Royce Lewis with the bases juiced. However, he made the decision to strike out on four pitches.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one: the bullpen blew it. Yoendrys Gomez, who got tagged with the blown save yesterday, was tabbed to take the bottom of the tenth with Jose Siri joining Manfred Mann’s Earth Band at second base for the Angels. A flyout and a walk set up runners on the corners for Trout, who singled in Siri to tie the game at four runs. Kody Funderburk was brought in to face Meckler, which resulted in a single to walk-off the game, 5-4.
These two teams meet up again tomorrow – same time (838p Central), same place (Angel Stadium) – for the second game of this four-game set. Connor Prielipp (5-7, 5.24 ERA) is listed as the starter for Minnesota while Grayson Rodriguez (4-7, 6.10 ERA) goes for Anaheim.
Also, this is my last game thread and recap for the season, so I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for joining in and making this fun as always!
W: Blake Weiman (1-1)
L: Yoendrys Gomez (2-4)
STUDS
- Walker Jenkins: 3-4, game-tying HR, 2 R, 2 RBI
- Brooks Lee: 2-4, 2 RBI
duds
- Royce Lewis: 0-5, 4 K
COTG
Prester John (no relation to me, or at least I don’t think so) willed Jenkins out of his slump.
Trevor Story authors dramatic comeback in cathartic 4-3 Red Sox win
This is why we watch! Trevor Story’s season looked dead and buried both three months and three weeks ago. He’s battled injury, surgery, rehab, way too many strikeouts, and growing chatter from knuckleheads like me who have repeatedly questioned if he even belongs back in this lineup.
Well tonight, he came to the plate with the Sox down 3-1 in the eighth and on the verge of getting swept. He was facing a tough reliever in Jacob Latz, a Texas team that was 63-1 when leading after seven innings, and the weight of his team going a combined 0-17 with runners in scoring position in the series up to that point.
Then he did this:
As somebody that’s been leading the “Trevor Story is cooked ” charges, I love this so much! Nothing can humble and amaze quite like baseball, and after months of hard work, grinding behind the scenes, and having to deal with all the noise, Story smashed a 108mph line drive home run not only in the face of Latz and Texas’ playoff hopes, but also in the face of all those who have been doubting him for weeks (hand raised).
It’s just one game, and the real test doesn’t start until the 29th, but boy did this have to feel incredible for Story who hadn’t gone deep since May 13th. To do it in that moment, in his home town, and against the backdrop of everything that’s happened this year is just so perfectly baseball. It’s why we love this game so much, and why people like Story are willing to put in the work behind the scenes for months on end to get the chance to do something amazing like that.
I know some of you might not believe it after what I’ve written about him in recent weeks, but I truly am very happy for Story! He deserves all the credit tonight!
Oh, and in addition to Story’s game changing three-run homer, he followed that up by starting double plays on defense to end both the eighth and ninth:
Baseball really is the best!
Studs
Trevor Story: If I didn’t put him here, I’d have to legally resign from Over The Monster.
Wilyer Abreu: He looked a little better tonight with a sharp single in the fourth and a walk that turned into a run on Story’s three-run shot.
The bullpen: The comeback wouldn’t be complete without the pen holding it down, and with Aroldis Chapman unavailable with lat tightness, Wyatt Olds, Alec Gamboa, and Garrett Whitlock combined to go 2.2 scoreless innings.
Duds
Only one dud tonight, and that’s me given my recent stance on Story’s playing time. The crow is delicious, and I hope it remains on the menu well into October!
One other important note
Just before Story’s home run, Willson Contreras was hit in the hand by a pitch and had to leave the game. The good news is x-rays were negative, but given x-rays were also negative after Curtis Mead got hit in July, I’m not going to be celebrating this one until we get further confirmation.
Play of the game:
Was there ever any doubt it would be Story’s home run? Here’s the game changing swing one more time.
Rangers Training Camp Day 1: Key Takeaways, Line Combinations and Opening-Night Roster Clues
Day one of training camp is in the books for the New York Rangers, and after months of speculation, we got our first breadcrumbs about what the opening-night roster could look like.
Here’s all you need to know from the first day of training camp
Gabe Perreault, Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafrenière reunite:
Mike Sullivan went back to a winning formula on Thursday, reuniting Gabe Perreault, Mika Zibanejad, and Alexis Lafrenière on a line.
For a stretch late in the 2025-26 season, these three forwards found success playing alongside each other and provided the Rangers with consistent offensive production they had not gotten all year long.
Perreault is slated to take on a larger top-six role as he heads into his first NHL season and by the looks of the team’s first practice, it appears as if he’ll indeed start the season as a top-six forward.
“We thought they had pretty good chemistry, so I think just from a common sense standpoint, it would make sense to maybe see where it goes,” Sullivan said.
The case to pair Zibanejad with Pavel Dorofeyev is certainly enticing and could be explored as camp progresses, but the fact that he started training camp playing with Perreault and Lafrenière may be a sign of things to come, and Sullivan confirmed that he wants to keep the same lines and defensive pairings for at least a couple of days.
“I'd like to give them a couple of practices, maybe a couple inter-squads, and see where it goes. I think it's obvious we started there for a reason,” Sullivan said. “We'll learn along the way, and we'll figure out based on what we see, based on some of the conversations we have with the players involved, we'll get their feedback also, and then we'll try to make the best decisions for the team.”
J.T. Miller centers line with Pavel Dorofeyev and Oliver Bjorkstrand:
After thriving playing alongside Jack Eichel in Vegas, Pavel Dorofeyev opened up camp with J.T. Miller as his new center.
Miller fluctuated from the wing to center last season, but playing his natural position down the middle is more beneficial to him, and having Dorofeyev on the wing could help him recapture his offensive game.
“J.T. is a versatile guy,” Sullivan said. “I think his playmaking ability is probably undervalued. He sees the ice pretty well, I think he has an ability to distribute the puck. I think J.T. brings a physical element to the downlow-grind game that I think he can drag his linemates into a little bit, so they can create some offense in different ways.
“I think Pav is a guy that could obviously score goals, and so we wanted to see what that looks like.”
Oliver Bjorkstrand, who signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract with the Rangers this offseason, complimented Miller and Dorofeyev, as Sullivan praised Bjorkstrand’s ability to score goals.
While Dorofeyev played on the right side during Thursday’s practice, Sullivan has plans to try out Dorofeyev at both right and left wing.
“I know he can play both,” Sullivan said of Dorofeyev. “From talking to him, talking to some of his former coaches, I know he can play both sides. I think a lot of it is going to come down to what we think is the best fit based on the combinations that we put together.
“So we're going to explore different options to figure out how we can create the balance that we think is necessary to win consistently, but also to set players up for success, him included. I would anticipate probably seeing him on both sides throughout the course of the next couple of weeks.”
Will Cuylle Set To Play A Third-Line Role:
The Rangers’ third line on Thursday consisted of Will Cuylle, Noah Laba, and new addition Eeli Tolvanen, with Taylor Raddysh also filling in.
Sullivan felt that last season Cuylle played his best hockey in a third-line role playing alongside Noah Laba, and now that the Rangers have added more depth to their top-six forward unit, it gives them the ability to utilize Cuylle on the bottom six, a position that he’s better suited to thrive in.
“I thought Will Cuylle played some of his best hockey with Laba last year,” Sullivan emphasized. “When you put a guy like Will on the third line, so to speak, it creates I think, a scoring threat, a physical presence, more balance through our lineup that makes us harder to play against. You potentially get more advantageous matchups. I think there are advantages to having balance. Will Cuylle with Laba, it strengthens that top nine as opposed to that top six.”
Tolvanen signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Blueshirts late in the offseason, and he provides an element of speed and physicality to a line that is centered around those two traits.
This newly assembled line brought a strong physical presence on Thursday, specifically shown on a hit delivered by Cuylle on Lafrenière.
Joe Veleno and Tye Kartye create a speedy fourth line:
Sullivan looks to be prioritizing speed on the fourth line with a duo of Joe Veleno and Tye Kartye.
The Rangers went out and signed Veleno to a one-year, $1.2 million contract, and based on the team’s first practice, it appears as if he’s the frontrunner to land the fourth-line center role.
Kartye mostly played on the third line after being claimed off waivers in February, and he provided an instant spark to the team.
Sullivan noted the increase in speed to the bottom-six forward unit, specifically provided by Veleno and Kartye.
“I think we got faster in the bottom six in particular,” Sullivan said. “Veleno, he can really skate. We added Tye Kartye at the end of the year. Tye could really skate, he’s a dog on the bone with the puck.”
Jaroslav Chmelař and Matt Rempe rotated for that last fourth-line spot.
Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson make up the second defensive pairing:
When the Rangers acquired both Durzi and Pettersson this summer, it was widely speculated that they would be paired together.
That was the case on Thursday. Durzi and Pettersson made up the Rangers’ second pairing behind Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov.
Sullivan and Chris Drury emphasized the Rangers’ need for a puck-moving defensemen that is exactly what Durzi and Pettersson provide.
“You look at our defense core, adding Marcus Pettersson, adding Durzi. We tried them together out there today, and I thought they looked really good,” Sullivan said. “I think both of them have an ability to move the puck, go tape-to-tape, I think that is really going to help us.
“Exiting out of our end, maybe getting out a little bit cleaner. If we can get the puck in motion, if we can get the puck with speed, I think it should help us off the rush. I think these guys are good players that will make our group stronger back there.”
Alberts Šmits being given a real shot to make the NHL roster:
During Wednesday’s press conference, Sullivan made it abundantly clear that Šmits will be given a real opportunity to make the Rangers’ opening-night roster.
"Yes, he has a chance to make the team,” Sullivan said of Šmits. “We have to make sure that we do the right thing for him.”
Sullivan put his words into action, placing Šmits on the third defensive pairing alongside Braden Schneider.
If this is an indication of anything, it is that the 2026 fifth overall pick is seriously being looked at to fill a roster spot come Sept. 29 in Boston to kick off the regular season.
“I thought he had a pretty strong first day. I think the thing that jumps out at me right away is just his physical stature. He's big and strong, winning puck battles, but when he passes the puck, he snaps it hard, which I think is a very evident thing with NHL players.That’s one thing I noticed right away being on the ice with him, he snaps pucks. It's on and off his tape. We obviously had him paired with Schneids today. I thought he had a good first day. I thought he didn’t look out of place by any stretch.”
Matthew Robertson, who’s Šmits’ main competition for that third-pairing left-handed defensemen spot, was paired with Scott Morrow as alternates, but given Robertson’s role with the Rangers last season, all indications point toward him still having an edge over Šmits for now.
Rangers Open To Carrying Three Goalies To Start The Season:
The Rangers’ backup goaltending position is up for grabs, with Dylan Garand and Joonas Korpisalo competing for that spot.
The retirement of Jonathan Quick left a void for the backup spot behind Igor Shesterkin, and despite Dylan Garand making a strong impression when he was called up from the American Hockey League at the tail end of the 2025-26 campaign, the Rangers still went out of their way to acquire Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins.
While there still may be a competition between Garand and Korpisalo for the rights to backup Shesterkin, Sullivan hasn’t ruled out carrying both goalies on the roster to open up the season.
“Is that an option that is on the table for us, yes,” Sullivan said of the Rangers potentially carrying three goalies on the roster. “It's certainly not out of the realm of possibility. I think it's very manageable in the short term. I don't think it's in the best interest of the guys in the long term for obvious reasons.”
Korpisalo practiced with the Rangers’ main group, consisting mostly of NHL players on Thursday, while Garand practiced with most of the players expected to play for the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Crosby, Karlsson, Penguins' Assistant GM Spezza Give Updates On Extensions
It's no mystery that Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson are eligible to sign extensions, and each player may have a vastly different path in front of them.
But regardless of what those eventual paths are, the Penguins are not too worried about neither player being signed up to this point.
After day one of training camp Thursday, Penguins' assistant general manager Jason Spezza spoke on a variety of topics, including Crosby and Karlsson. Like general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas emphasized in the spring, Spezza said the situations for both players will sort out in due time.
"We've communicated with [Karlsson] where we're at as a team, and we want to continue to see growth. And I think he wants to see that as well. So, there's been great conversation transparency around his situation.
"We think a lot of Erik. I think he's enjoyed his time here, and we've enjoyed having him. So, those situations will play themselves out as the year goes."
As for Crosby, who is entering his 22nd season and is currently on one of the best bargain contracts in the NHL at $8.7 million average annual value?
"With Sid, I think it's a unique situation, but it's also a situation other great players at his level have gone through," Spezza said. "And, at his age, he probably wants to see how he feels. I think Sid is going to play for a long time if he continues to see things this way. Where that falls into the contract, I think it's less of a concern for us internally and, probably, for him at this point. And he probably wants to see how he feels.
"And I can understand it as a guy who played later into my career. You want to kind of see how you feel, and you want to play at a certain standard. And I think that's probably where Sid is at right now So, there's not really a concern on our end or on his at this point, and like I said with Erik, we try to be transparent with the guys and have conversations with them. And I think everyone knows Sid's situation here. So, he's gonna make sure he's feeling good before anything gets done."
Penguins' Training Camp 2026: Observations From Day 1Here are some observations from the first day of the Pittsburgh Penguins' training camp. During season ticket deliveries Tuesday, Crosby clarified the situation with his contract, saying that he's letting Dubas and agent Pat Brisson handle it. He also said that he feels good but, realistically, knowing when to hang up the skates is different for every player, and trying to project when that will be is a futile exercise.
"I wouldn't say there's a hard timeline," Crosby said to reporters covering the event. "I think it's something that I'll let them discuss. And, at this point in my career, it's hard to project how long I'm going to play for, but I think it's just something that I'll see what happens there."
Sidney Crosby full answer on a new contract #Penspic.twitter.com/bfrPTIBjJI
— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) September 15, 2026
While Crosby's contract situation with the Penguins feels certain to resolve with an extension at some point, the same is not the case for Karlsson.
When asked about his future Thursday, Karlsson offered some clarity with a dash of uncertainty woven in, specifying that extension talks have not occurred between him and the Penguins up to now. But he also implied that he's comfortable entering the season and seeing where the team is at before coming to any final determination on his future with the Penguins, who are in an interesting position organizationally.
"I think that the situation is pretty given on what it is and what it's not," Karlsson said. "I have one year left. Our team is in a weird stage, I think. So, we'll see how it goes this year."
He added: "I'm enjoying my time right now, you know? I'm 36 years old, feel really good. Got a lot of years left in me. The future is not something that I've really thought about.
He added: "I know where I'm at. I know I feel good enough that it's not something that I think I have to worry about. I'm going to stay in the present. I'm very focused on what I can control in the moment right now, and I'm looking forward to that."
'It's New For All Of Us': Penguins Presented With New Challenges In Shortened Training CampPittsburgh, like all other NHL teams, are navigating fresh pre-season rules with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
Cubs Minor League Wrap: Connor Noland dominates as Iowa beats Omaha 3-2
Iowa second baseman Hayden Cantrelle was activated off the Development List
Iowa outfielder Greg Jones went on the injured list.
The Midwest League postseason All-Star Team was announces and two South Bend Cubs were named to the team. Josiah Hartshorn was the team’s first baseman and Jackson Brockett was named as one of two relievers.
Hartshorn hit .297/.405/.560 with 18 home runs and 12 steals in 83 games for South Bend.
Brockett made 17 appearances for South Bend and was 7-2 with a 1.79 ERA and three saves in 50.1 innings. He struck out 54 and walked just 12 in that span.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs calmed the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals), 3-2.
Starter Connor Noland absolutely dominated the Storm Chasers over five innings, allowing no runs and no hits. Noland struck out six and walked two.
Jordan Wicks relieved Noland in the sixth and gave up a solo home run to the first batter he faced. Wicks’ final line was two runs on five hits over 2.2 innings. He struck out two and walked one.
Gabe Klobostis retired the side in order in the ninth inning for the save. Klobostis struck out one.
The I-Cubs managed just four hits tonight, but three of them were the first three batters of the fourth inning, which led to three runs. Catcher Owen Ayers doubled, first baseman Kevin Alcántara singles and then left fielder Chas McCormick doubled them both home. McCormick would come around to score later in the inning on a Jordan Nwogu sac fly.
Ayers went 1 for 4 with the double. Alcántara was 1 for 4. McCormick went 1 for 4 with the double.
McCormick’s two-run double.
Knoxville Smokies
The Knoxville Smokies were blasted by the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels), 13-3. The Trash Pandas win the best-of-three Division Series two games to none and the Smokies season is now over.
This game was over early as Rocket City scored two runs in the second, four in the third and three in the fourth, giving them an early 9-0 lead. Brody McCullough started and took the loss. McCullough allowed five runs on five hits over 2.1 innings. Two of the five runs were unearned. McCullough did strike out six and he walked no one.
Center fielder Kane Kepley went 2 for 3 with a walk, a double and an RBI triple in the bottom of the ninth. Kepley also scored one run.
Catcher Ariel Armas was 2 for 3 with a walk. He had an RBI single in the sixth inning.
Shortstop Karson Simas was 2 for 3 with a walk. He scored on Kepley’s triple.
Mets talk 'scary' Jared Young injury, grateful for quick paramedic response: 'It was a terrifying moment'
The result of Thursday's series opener against the Phillies wasn't on the minds of the Mets. All they could think about was the health of Jared Young.
The first baseman took a knee from Nolan McLean on a dribbler down the first base line, which left Young motionless on the ground for a few moments before he was carted away.
Interim manager Andy Green gave a positive update on Young's condition, saying he was responsive and doing well in the hospital. He underwent CT scans and the results came back negative, but the Mets skipper could not understate how he felt in that moment.
“It was really scary. Since he’s got to the hospital, he’s had a CT scan and the results have come back negative," Green said. "Still experiencing real concussion symptoms right now. Likely avoided the scariest outcome. It was a terrifying moment on the baseball field."
Green said his thoughts immediately go to Young's family and teammates.
“When you see a collision like that and you get out there quick, and there’s not much going on, those are very scary moments," Green said. "Thankful he’s showing really good signs right now and doing well at the hospital. Thankful for the paramedics and everybody that came on the field so quickly for taking care of him. Thoughts and prayers to Julia and the rest of his family."
McLean was not available to the media following the game, but Green said the young right-hander was shaken by the play.
"Knew it was a really bad collision. Still was willing to go back out the next inning," Green said of McLean. "Didn’t feel that was in his best interest at that point in time. Probably should have made a better position to not let him get the next hitter.
"He was still strong enough to do it and got back out there and did it. He’s a heck of a person. He’s a great competitor. But the humanity hit him pretty hard there too."
McLean said he was capable of pitching both mentally and physically. Once he got on the mound and took some warm-up throws, he felt good enough and struck out Garrett Stubbs to get through the sixth.
"It’s scary to see one of our brothers, one of the most respected and loved teammates that we have here, like that," Francisco Lindor said. "And then seeing another great teammate say, ‘man this is not good. I hit him with my knee.' Life is bigger than this game, for sure. Seeing him not reacting and the trainer holding his neck. It's scary. It's a scary moment. You can only think about how quick life can get out of his hands. You think about his family and everyone else here. Thoughts and prayers to him and his family...Tough moment. It's scary. Respect for Nolan to gather himself and finish the inning."
Young, 31, had become the everyday first baseman with his play this season. In 102 games this season, he slashed .268/.332/.431 (.764 OPS) and became a fixture in the lineup and in the clubhouse.
How Young's teammates speak about him and the somber atmosphere after the game show how much they respect and care for Young.
"He’s a guy who is always happy, is the same person no matter what," Lindor said of Young. "He posts up whether he’s playing or not. He’s there, he’s consistent. He’s somebody we all respect and appreciate and have love for him. He’s been a big part of our team this whole year. Probably one of the better hitters on our team. Can only imagine what he is going through right now and his family as well."
Who will be next Angels GM? Job viewed as more desirable after sale
The Los Angeles Angels remain in search of a permanent general manager after the firing of Perry Minasian on June 26.
The organization is one of three, as of Sept. 17, looking for a new lead front-office official, along with the Athletics and Houston Astros.
According to a report from Yahoo Sports, the Angels may have become a lot more desirable following the agreement that will see Arte Moreno sell the team to Stan Kroenke, who also owns the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche, among other teams. The franchise is expected to be sold for a record $4 billion.
"The Angels job just shot to the top of everybody's list," one American League general manager told Yahoo Sports. "That owner with those resources and an empty canvas — every executive not tied down is gonna want that job and should!"
With the fan base hungry to have a winner back in Anaheim and a new owner who's won championships in multiple sports at the top, the Angels could be appealing.
There had been a vocal group of fans expressing their frustration at home games, the group sitting in the upper deck shirtless, waving their shirts and asking for Moreno to sell the team. He finally did.
John Mozeliak was named the team's "Baseball Operations Consultant" and interim general manager.
Mozeliak had spent 30 years with the St. Louis Cardinals, including 18 as the head of the club's baseball operations, but he was not expected to be the full-time replacement as general manager upon his hiring.
Who could Angels consider for general manager role?
Tampa Bay Rays senior advisor Jon Daniels and Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes received the most votes as part of a Yahoo Sports survey asking 24 MLB executives to name potential general manager candidates they would have on a short list.
Dodgers' special advisor Farhan Zaidi also received a vote.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who will be next Angels GM? Job viewed as more desirable after sale
76-77 – Red Sox get the last Latz as Rangers miss chance for sweep
The Texas Rangers scored three runs but the Boston Red Sox scored four runs.
Well that one stings.
Despite the laundry list of things wrong with the club this season, the Rangers have been dang near perfect when leading late in games. Most of the reason for that is because Jacob Latz has also been dang near perfect. Tonight, with a 3-0 lead for much of the game, and a 3-1 lead in the eighth, the Rangers tried to get six outs out of Latz again after Jakob “Judas” Junis allowed two to reach to start the inning.
Latz couldn’t do what he’s done all year as he allowed a back-breaking three-run home run to local boy Trevor Story to erase Texas’ evening-long lead. That disaster caused the Rangers to miss their shot at a revitalizing sweep and a return above .500 for the first time since early August.
I guess the good news is there’s still time but Texas is back to essentially being two games behind Houston in the AL West.
Player of the Game: I suppose I’ll nominate Cody Bradford for making use of an opener before successfully piggybacking for the bulk of the evening. Bradford worked through 4 1/3 innings of scoreless ball against the AL’s top Wild Card holders. The former Baylor Bear gave up just three hits and walked one while striking out three Red Sox.
The Rangers were perhaps eyeing Nathan Eovaldi to take Bradford’s spot in the rotation, but with Eovaldi coming through with some relief heroics last night, they turned to Bradford again tonight and he did his job before the bullpen collapse.
Up Next: It’s out of the frying pan into the fire for the Rangers as they open up a series against a fellow AL playoff hopeful with RHP Kumar Rocker expected to start for Texas the opener against RHP Dylan Cease for Toronto.
The Friday night first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 7:05 pm CDT and you’ll find it on the Rangers Sports Network.
Murakami’s blast, clutch pitching push White Sox past Tigers
The White Sox (78-75) pulled through with an excellent pitching performance, as the Tigers (72-81) finished 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. As a result, despite quite a few high-leverage moments down the stretch, the South Siders prevailed by a score of 3-1.
Tigers starting pitcher Framber Valdez, 32, ran into trouble in the bottom of the first. Chase Meidroth led off for the South Siders with a tricky grounder that third baseman Kevin McGonigle did not field cleanly. Meidroth ended up with an infield single to set the stage for what turned out to be a big inning. Tommy Pham drew a four-pitch walk, so the White Sox had runners on first and second with no outs. Miguel Vargas struck out looking at a 3-2 cutter right on the upper-inside corner, and Randal Grichuk grounded into a force out. With runners at the corners and two outs, Munetaka Murakami stepped up to the plate. The first pitch from Valdez to Murakami was a sinker that caught too much of the plate, and Murakami did not miss it. Murakami has been cold since mid-August, entering this game with a .095/.252/.168 slash line from August 19 through September 16. However, Murakami changed that trend in a big way with a timely,423-foot three-run homer to center. Suddenly, the White Sox had an early 3-0 lead.
MUNE SENDS ONE 423 FEET! 😤 pic.twitter.com/r7eBANAUuB
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) September 17, 2026
Erick Fedde, 33, started on the mound for the South Siders, and overall, his evening went smoothly. Fedde got off to a fantastic start by retiring the first six batters he faced. Fedde’s third inning was not as easy, but even then, he limited the damage. Fedde hit Max Clark to open the inning, and Josh Peck singled to put two on with no outs. Javier Báez struck out, but McGonigle walked to load the bases with only one away. From there, Fedde got Gleyber Torres to hit a soft grounder to Vargas, who stepped on third for the force out. One run scored, but the White Sox still had a 3-1 lead. With runners on first and second with two outs, Fedde threw a 3-2 sweeper that was located very nicely at the knees, but Dillon Dingler hit a sharp liner toward shortstop. However, Luisangel Acuña was in the right place at the right time, and he made the catch to end the inning.
With the score still 3-1 in the top of the fifth, Fedde remained on the mound to open the inning. Fedde retired the first two batters of the inning, but the Tigers did not go down easily. Torres hit a deep drive to left that hit the middle of the wall, only a few feet from being a solo homer. However, the park held it, and Randal Grichuk made an excellent, barehanded play to quickly retrieve the ball and hold Torres to a long single.
That play by Grichuk turned out to be impactful, as Dingler hit a sharp liner to left for a double. Once again, Grichuk got it in quickly, and Torres was unable to score. Had Torres started that play on second, he surely would have scored on Dingler’s double, but instead, the Tigers had runners on second and third with two outs. At that point, Bryan Hudson replaced Fedde on the mound to face Riley Greene in a high-leverage spot. On a 2-2 pitch, Hudson got Greene to chase a low sweeper to end the threat. That closed the book on Fedde’s stat line, which was 4 2/3 innings, one run, four hits, two walks, and six strikeouts.
Spencer Torkelson led off the sixth for the Tigers, and he lined a fastball from Hudson toward the left field corner. Torkelson headed to second base, which he normally would have made it to safely, but once again, Grichuk came up big on defense. Grichuk fired a strike to second to retire Torkelson on another great play.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) September 18, 2026
In the seventh, with the score still 3-1, Jordan Hicks took over on the mound and struck out the first two batters he faced. The second of those batters was Báez, and that was his third looking strikeout of the game, the first time that has happened in his career. However, McGonigle extended the inning with a single, and Torres walked, prompting a pitching change, as Grant Taylor took over for Hicks. Dingler hit a sharp grounder, but Acuña was there to make the play and end the threat.
Taylor remained on the mound in the eighth, and he retired the first two batters of the inning before issuing a walk to Brett Callahan. That extended the inning for Clark, who hit a tricky grounder, and he narrowly beat the throw to first for an infield single. Surprisingly, though, Callahan tried advancing to third. Murakami spotted this and made an accurate throw over, but Callahan was initially ruled safe. The White Sox challenged the play, and it was about as close as it could have been, but the call was overturned. Just like that, the Tigers walked away empty-handed again.
In the eighth, the White Sox had an opportunity to pick up an insurance run when Murakami tripled down the right field line to record his first career three-bagger. Murakami had the only two extra-base hits of the game for the White Sox. Murakami also picked up the only clutch hit, as the South Siders finished 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position. After his triple, the South Siders failed to capitalize, so it was up to the bullpen to protect a two-run lead entering the ninth.
Taylor returned to the mound to open the ninth in an uncharacteristically long appearance for him. Taylor got Peck to fly out on the first pitch of the inning, but the White Sox were not out of the woods yet. Taylor initially got a friendly strike call on a 3-2 pitch to pinch-hitter Colt Keith. However, ABS showed that the pitch narrowly missed, so Keith reached base, and the potential tying run came to the plate. McGonigle hit a soft liner that landed in front of Acuña, who had an easy play at second base, even after a bobble. Since Keith had to wait and see if Acuña would make the catch, he got a late start on his journey to second. Instead, Acuña made the throw to first, which was late. That brought Torres to the plate with two on and no outs, but Taylor locked in and got a ground ball to third. Vargas tagged Keith, who unwisely ran into an out, and Vargas threw to first in time to retire Torres to wrap it up.
The White Sox are back in first place, as they have the same record as the Guardians (78-75), and the South Siders have the tiebreaker. The next game is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. CT on Friday. The probable starters are David Sandlin (5.64 ERA, 5.04 FIP, 0.1 fWAR in 30 1/3 innings) and Andrew Sears (5.40 ERA, 4.18 FIP, 0.1 fWAR in 16 2/3 innings). As usual, CHSN will televise the game, and ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM will have the radio coverage. We hope to see you then.
MVP
Munetaka Murakami (1B): 2-for-4, HR, 3B, 3 RBI, 0.23 WPA
Runners-Up
Grant Taylor (RHRP): 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 1 K, 0.21 WPA
Bryan Hudson (LHRP): 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K, 0.14 WPA
Erick Fedde (RHSP): 4 2/3 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K, 0.10 WPA
Brenton Doyle (CF): 2-for-4, stolen base, 0.02 WPA
Cold Cat
Braden Montgomery (RF): 0-for-3, K, -0.06 WPA
Runners-Up
Luisangel Acuña (SS): 0-for-3, K, -0.02 WPA
Jake Rogers (C): 0-for-3, BB, 2 K, -0.01 WPA
Miguel Vargas (3B): 0-for-3, BB, K, -0.05 WPA
Sleeping With The Fishes
The final few weeks of the baseball season usually sees fans and the teams they root for in 2 boats, 1 boat was sunk weeks if not months ago and has everyone looking forward to the future and what they can possibly get excited about in the offseason, the other boat has holes in it and the fans inside are using whatever they can to scoop out whatever water is pouring in hopes that they can stay afloat just enough to reach the finish line and make it to October and get to play postseason ball.
All fans (whether our hearts and blood pressure agree or not) would prefer to be in the second boat 10 times out of 10 and that’s exactly where the Diamondbacks find themselves as they continue to paddle their way towards a Wild Card birth, but after a series loss to the Texas Rangers that added more leaks to the Snakes boat they find themselves running out of buckets to scoop out the water that is rapidly filling up their ship.
Dead Fish
With the San Diego Padres on a winning streak that seemed like it might never end, the Diamondbacks found themselves with little to no room for error going into this 3 game series against the Miami Marlins and they would need the offense to do whatever it can to get out of the rut they seem to have been in the last few weeks.
Mondays up and down roller coaster of events that had us ready to jump head first off the 3rd deck as the Snakes entered the 9th inning down by just a run and looking like they would drop to 3.5 games back of San DIego, but the heroics of Corbin Carroll and his walk-off 2-Run blast had the indoor skydiving event postponed to another day and gave us hope that maybe Corbin and the rest of this offense found the spark they needed to get hot at just the right time and go on a run to end the season. Sadly that was not the reality that we would be treated to for the following 2 days.
The next 2 days were full of even more drama and even more of the same offensive struggles that have seemed to plague this squad and us fans for what feels like an eternity, as a heartbreaking loss in extras, a game that the Diamondbacks had nearly every opportunity to cash in and get a crucial win, to a 4-3 loss in the series finale that ended with Jordan Lawler getting thrown out on a steal attempt with Ketel Marte at the plate representing the winning run brought more misery and pain to fans in attendance and those watching at home.
Brandon and I aired out our frustrations with this teams lack of clutch hitting (yet again) and just how much this series loss has put them back in the position of begging other teams to beat the Teams ahead of them and give them as much assistance as they can ask for in getting to October and with the Dbacks having an even tougher opponent coming to town for the final homestand of the 2026 campaign, its leaving both of us with little optimism heading into their final 9 games.
“From You, 25 Years Ago”
WIsh a gut wrenching series loss to the Marlins in the rear view mirror, Brandon and I looked ahead at the matchups in store for the Snakes in their final 3 home games of the year as the Diamondbacks would be welcoming the New York Yankees into town and celebrating the 25th anniversary of the greatest fall classic that has ever been played.
The two of us both had equal levels of excitement for the festivities in store as it’s always fun to reminisce on the good times that was the 2001 World Series and getting to see so many heroes and legends from that year’s roster, our excitement for this series ended there once we looked at who would be toeing the rubber for the Evil Empire with 3 really tough right handed starters scheduled for New York in Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler (AL Cy Young favorite by the way) and Will Warren.
Brandon brought up that this teams has not only struggled to get anything going against opposing starting pitchers as of late, but right handed pitching has given them the most trouble all year as they have the 2nd worst OPS against right handed pitching in all of Major League Baseball with a .689 mark having them ahead of only the Angels and their .676 OPS.
With the Diamondbacks being a full 4 games back of San Diego heading into Friday, the snakes can not afford any more setbacks and have to do anything and everything in their power to at least win 2 of 3 from New York or even somehow sweep them, but even that might not be enough to help them with the way the Padres have been playing.