Sisters to appear in New York for first time since 2022
Serena played mixed doubles with Alcaraz on Tuesday
Serena and Venus Williams are teaming up again at the US Open.
The sisters will play doubles at the tournament after receiving a wild card on Wednesday into the event they have won twice.
Continue reading...
The Red Sox are expecting reinforcements in the coming days in the form of Trevor Story, Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, and Roman Anthony. Neither Story or Anthony repeated their performance from last season when healthy early in the year, while Kiner-Falefa was a pleasant surprise, posting a 101 wRC+ in 47 games.
Their returns come at an interesting time because their replacements have been so effective. Nick Sogard has been one of the most productive players on the team for a few weeks, while Mickey Gasper continues to be a difficult out from the left side. Andruw Monasterio doesn’t grade out well defensively, but he also had a six-week stretch where he was an offensive force.
What do you expect from the bats returning to the lineup? Do you think they’ll hit the ground running, or will they struggle out of the gates. They don’t have much time to find a rhythm before the postseason begins, so the next few weeks could be crucial for not only those players, but for the players who are losing at bats at their expense. What role do you think they should play? Should Trevor Story play every day? Should Roman Anthony play left field, or stay at designated hitter? Answer these questions, talk about what you want, and as always, be good to one another.
The plan that was apparent to anyone watching the game, was Adrian Morejon would pitch a scoreless eighth inning and he would be followed by Mason Miller for a scoreless ninth. If the San Diego Padres scored in the bottom of the eighth inning, Miller would be in line for the save and if they did not, he would ensure they got an opportunity to win the game in extra innings. Everything was going according to plan until Oneil Cruz hit a two-out solo home run to right field that gave the Pittsburgh Pirates a lead and eventually a 1-0 win. The win gave the Pirates the series win as well have taken the first two of the three-game set.
It was bitter end to a game that was tied 0-0 to that point after San Diego starter Michael King and Pittsburgh starter Paul Skenes engaged in an old-fashioned pitchers duel. Both starters were dominant and allowed little traffic throughout their time on the mound. King pitched seven scoreless innings, scattering five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. Skenes pitched just as well, completing six scoreless innings allowing just three hits with no walks and four strikeouts.
Three Pittsburgh relievers, Camilo Doval, Gregory Soto and Mason Montgomery combined to cover the final three innings of the game and none of them allowed a hit to a San Diego batter. The only blemishes on the stat line for those three was a walk by Doval in the seventh and a walk by Montgomery in the ninth.
Ty France worked the two-out walk in the ninth off Montgomery and that brought Jackson Merrill to the plate with a chance to play hero. At the very least he had a chance to tie the game. Merrill was given that opportunity when Jase Bowen came on to pinch-run for France and stole second base. Merrill eventually lost the six-pitch at-bat when a swung at a ball up in the zone and missed for strike three.
Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts and Dustin Harris were the only Padres to record hits in the game. San Diego has managed just two runs in the first two games of the series and that comes after the lineup produced 21 runs in the three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins.
The Padres will have an opportunity to salvage the series in the final game against the Pirates today at 1:10 p.m.
Padres News:
Baseball News:
Hickory played a pair, with the first being a continuation of a game that was suspended last month.
In the first game, Daniel Keaney had given up six runs in 0.1 IP, walking three and striking out one, before being pulled right before the game was suspended. Geury Rodriguez struck out three in 1.1 shutout innings.
Josh Owens (I typed Jeremy at first but caught myself) was 2 for 3 with a walk. Curley Martha had a grand slam. Jay McQueen had a hit and a walk. Dewar Tovar had a hit.
In the second game, Louis Marinaro struck out two in two scoreless innings.
Paulino Santana had a hit and a walk. Marco Argudin had a triple, a walk and a stolen base. Yolfran Castillo had a hit and a walk. Seong-Jun Kim had a double and a walk. Sebastian Baquera, Daniel Flames and Curley Martha each had a hit apiece.
Hub City starter Ismael Agreda struck out six and walked one in six innings, allowing two runs. J’Briell Easley allowed a walk-off two run homer in the 11th inning
Maxton Martin was 3 for 4 with a pair of homers. Evan Morrison had a hit.
For Frisco, Thomas Ireland allowed five runs in 2.1 IP, walking four and striking out three. Joey Danielson struck out one in 0.2 scoreless.
Sebastian Walcott doubled and walked twice. Yeison Morrobel was 3 for 4 with a pair of stolen bases. Dylan Dreiling was 2 for 5. Ian Moller was 1 for 2 with a pair of walks and a stolen base.
Round Rock starter Dalton Pence threw four shutout innings, striking out two and walking two. Joe Ross allowed a run in two innings, striking out one. Marc Church walked two and allowed three runs in 0.2 IP. Emiliano Teodo struck out one and walked one in 1.1 shutout innings. Michel Otanez walked one in a scoreless inning.
Alejandro Osuna was 2 for 5 with a double. Cam Cauley had a hit. Aaron Zavala was 2 for 4 with a triple.
Morning, all!
Logan O’Hoppe was thankful to get optioned to AAA, saying it gave him a chance to reset and “find himself.”
Jack Leiter has been experiencing fatigue in later innings during his rehab outings, opening the possibility that he will be used out of the bullpen when he returns to the big league club.
Jacob deGrom threw the worst inning of his career last night, leading the Rangers to an 11-7 loss to Chicago in the game immediately following Texas’ best offensive outing of the season.
It appears that deGrom’s slider just wasn’t working, with no swings and misses on 21 thrown and only 4 being thrown for strikes.
After over a year of rehab and recovery, Jackson Jobe made his triumphant return to the mound on Saturday, August 8 against the Giants. Then he got lit up by the White Sox on August 14. His outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates on the 19th, went much better as he allowed just one earned run over 5.1 innings. Truthfully, this all feels like the young right-hander is picking up right where he left off. He’s a very talented young pitcher, but there is still developmental work ahead to finally become more consistent and start racking up the level of swing and miss that his raw ability says he should be able to produce. That is exactly where things stood at the end of May 2025, when the Tigers announced that Jobe would undergo Tommy John surgery.
That first start back showed what Jobe can do, and was impressive after nearly 15 months on the shelf. The second showed off the issues he still needs to work on, as the White Sox handled his fourseamer without too much trouble and weren’t chasing his power slider-curveball combo. The third saw him pivot more to his sinker against the Pirates, with better results.
This is all still a work in progress, as right now Jobe is still just knocking the rust off. There was plenty of work ahead of him when he was first called up in September of 2024 after skipping through Triple-A in only two starts, and while he’s made progress in the interim, the same issues with fourseam swing and miss and the ineffectiveness of his high spin breaking stuff remain intact. Ultimately, hitters are the testing ground, and improving his pitch mix will be the focus as the now 24-year-old Jobe looks to fulfill his potential and develop into a frontline starter.
On Tuesday, Jobe faced his toughest test yet against a dominant Rays lineup that strikes out less than any team in the league. Their only weakness is a minor lack of home run power, but they’re still generally middle of the pack in that department, and it may just be a trade-off they’re happy to make to put the ball in play more often. Things went reasonably well as Jobe tossed 4.1 quite inefficient innings of one-run ball. He showcased why he’s still very much a young and inexperienced work in progress who just needs steady major league time in which to work with Chris Fetter and Robin Lund and figure things out, but he also illustrated why he’s not easy to hit either.
One thing we noticed in his Jobe’s rehab work in the minors was a nice post-TJ velocity bump. That’s carried through to the major leagues so far, as Jobe is averaging 98 mph with his fourseamer, a full 1.5 mph more than in 2025. The other obvious element is a distinct drop in Jobe’s arm angle. In 2024-2025, Jobe’s arm angle was 43-44 degrees. So far this season he’s generally around 39 degrees. With a path that is a little less over the top, typically, though certainly not always, the result is less riding action and more horizontal movement. We’re seeing the former, as Jobe is down from 17.8 inches of induced vertical break to 16.5 inches. He isn’t actually getting more run on the fourseamer in concert with that change, however.
That may have precipitated the move to using his sinker more instead, or maybe lowering his arm slot was part of the plan. Mixing the two fastball types is always a good idea to help keep hitters uncomfortable. It’s probably still a little too early to tell, but for one reason or another, the fourseamer just doesn’t get many whiffs in the zone. Jobe’s clean, rhythmic mechanics don’t give him any deception, his extension is somewhat below average, and despite his high spin rate, he doesn’t often get the type of high spin efficiency ride that say, Justin Verlander always did. Using the sinker much more in the zone, and saving the fourseamer mainly to try and induce chase above the zone may be the way to go here, but one way or another, mixing the two types is usually a positive, as it’s been for Troy Melton.
Jobe’s lower arm slot may be great for his breaking stuff, however. In 2025, Jobe’s best secondary pitch was clearly his changeup, and he’s still got that pitch in his pocket for left-handers especially. Where he’s struggled, even in the minor leagues, is with his breaking stuff. Jobe has always had very high spin rates, to such a degree that his slider and curveball needed to start at the top or even above the zone, just to end up close to the bottom of the zone rather than practically in the dirt. That much break and those high sightlines gave both pitches a distinctive “pop” out of his hand that made them too easy to pick up. They move too much, too early, instead of tunneling off his two fastball types and then producing that late snap at the plate. With the lower arm slot and more velocity, Jobe may have started to crack the code finally.
On Tuesday, he was pumping curveballs in at 85 and even 87 mph, which is elite velocity even for a knuckle curve. Entering the game, Jobe had averaged 81.1 mph, 2858 rpms of spin, and 56.3 inches of drop through his first three starts. Against the Rays, he averaged 85.1 mph and 49 inches of drop after tinkering with his grip and release a bit. Typically, if you can throw your breaking balls harder, they’re going to be nastier for hitters to handle with all else being equal. And coming from a lower arm slot, with less drop, they may be less obvious out of hand.
Of course, you still have to locate them consistently, but this is a really interesting development to track. Notably his slider was also up a mile per hour. Whether this sticks or not, we’ll have to wait and see, but it’s pretty indicative of both the talent level and the fact that Jobe is still a work in progress, making adjustments and seeing what works best for him.
We’ll have to see how well this velocity surge holds up over time. Jobe knows they aren’t going to push his pitch counts right now. He can just air it out freely with minimal conservation of energy. Some of this may naturally change as Jobe fatigues during a longer start or over the course of the whole season, but there’s reason to think he’ll keep some of these gains, too.
For another change, Jobe is on the record saying he shifted from the 3B side of the mound more to the center during his rehab, which helped keep him more streamlined to the plate. Some pitchers really like the cross-bodied deception, but for a power pitcher like Jobe, an efficient, linear drive towards the batter is probably best for maximizing velocity, though it wouldn’t hurt him to have a little more of a pause or hitch in his motion to help throw hitters’ timing off a bit. It’s also possible that this more straightforward delivery helps keep him in the zone a bit more than 2025, when he was in the bottom 20 starting pitchers in ‘zone percent’. That’s not automatically a death sentence, but it does require hitters chasing, and they haven’t done that too much yet.
Still, just watching his start against the Rays, it’s easy to see why he wasn’t getting as many whiffs as he could, and it doesn’t have that much to do with the quality of his pitches. He only threw 49 of 86 pitches for strikes. The issue is still more command than raw stuff. When ahead early in a count, he struggled to spot his breaking stuff close enough to the zone to consistently force hitters to chase. There are too many pure waste pitches that let hitters back into counts rather than forcing them into swing mode against pitches they don’t really want to swing at. Jobe often got ahead and had hitters set up, only to let them back into counts. Suddenly he’s in a situation where he has to turn to the fourseamer or sinker in swing counts while needing to throw a strike. Not a great recipe for success. He has the raw stuff, and there are tweaks they can make to the movement patterns, but the far bigger element to develop is the ability to work in and out, up and down, with more precision than we’ve seen so far. For a starting pitcher, just about everything else follows from fastball command.
Most of these points were true in 2025 as well, and it’s well worth remembering that the Tigers basically skipped him through Triple-A quickly in 2024 to get him on the postseason roster. He had barely turned 22 years old at the time, and while he was certainly talented enough, he had a lot of work ahead of him to refine his stuff and approach against major league hitters. Only in 2025 did he get a normal spring training camp and then a spot in the Opening Day rotation. Jobe made some nice progress in May of 2025 after a shaky start. He’s really just now picking up where he left off, but doing so in the wake of major arm surgery and a long grueling rehab over the past year.
The potential here is outstanding, and the new curveball is exciting, but some patience is going to be required. In the wake of losing Tarik Skubal, it’s just great to have Jobe back on the mound to continue his development. The Tigers are going to need him if they’re going to get back into contention in 2027 and beyond. The explosive bump in velocity, particularly on Tuesday with his curveball, the changes to his arm slot and position on the rubber, as well as the ongoing tweaks between fourseam and sinker-based approaches, all speak to the constant tinkering still going on. There is an awful lot to like in Jackson Jobe as he finally embarks fully on his major league career. He’s just getting started.
It’s at times like this that I have to remind myself that the Cubs still hold the top wild card spot in the National League (by three games) and are still within shouting distance of first place in the NL Central.
Because now, in addition to all the other issues facing this ballclub, they appear to have a closer problem.
Jacob Webb, who was so good for two solid months, has now blown saves in his last two appearances — with two-run walk-off homers both times, that’s now two of those in the last four days.
This one ruined an excellent starting outing from Clay Holmes. And if Webb’s not going to close anymore, can the Cubs trust Daniel Palencia again in that role? Because he got hammered for three runs in his inning of work in this one.
Sigh. Here’s your recap of the second soul-crushing loss on this road trip, 5-4 to the Diamondbacks.
Holmes and D-backs starter Brandon Pfaadt matched zeroes for the first three innings. In the top of the fourth, Seiya Suzuki led off with a single and went to third on a double by Michael Busch.
One out later, Ian Happ launched his 23rd home run [VIDEO].
Happ, last 16 games: .304/.381/.625 (17-for-56) with three doubles, five home runs, 13 RBI and 11 runs scored. His season OPS is up to .755, the highest it’s been since July 28. I think that qualifies as one of Happ’s late-season hot streaks. More on Happ’s blast from BCB’s JohnW53:
Ian Happ’s home run was the Cubs’ 27th of the season with two runners on base. That is as many as they hit all of last season, and just two short of the team record of 29, set in 2017. They hit 28 in 2008.
The Cubs tacked on one more run in the sixth. Suzuki led off with a double and scored on this single by Michael Busch [VIDEO].
As noted on the Marquee broadcast, at that point the Cubs set a franchise record of scoring 30 consecutive unanswered runs: the last 19 on Sunday, seven on Monday and the four in this one. The previous record of 29 was set May 11-13, 1969, when they posted three straight shutouts: 8-0 vs. the Giants, then 2-0 and 19-0 vs. the Padres. They gave up a run in the top of the third on May 14 vs. the Padres..
Holmes continued to baffle D-backs hitters through seven. He allowed just two hits, both singles, walked two and struck out five [VIDEO].
Here’s more on Holmes’ outing [VIDEO].
More from John:
The last time back-to-back starters for the Cubs pitched at least 7.0 innings, as Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes did Monday and Tuesday, was June 6-7 of last season, at Detroit.
Ben Brown gave up two runs on five hits, walked one and struck out seven in a 3-1 loss.
Jameson Taillon gave up one run on four hits, walked one and struck out five in a 6-1 win.Both pitched 7.0, as did the last pair with back-to-back scoreless starts, on Sept. 27-28, 2024, at home vs. the Reds, in 1-0 and 3-0 wins.
Taillon allowed four hits, walked two and struck out two.
Kyle Hendricks allowed two hits, walked two and struck out two.
Ten of Holmes’ 21 outs were on ground balls. In four starts with the Cubs, Holmes now has a 1.96 ERA and 0.957 WHIP and has allowed just one home run in 23 innings. That’s looking like a really good trade.
Craig Counsell sent Palencia out for the eighth, his second appearance after returning from his rehab assignment. He’d been very good against the Mariners over the weekend. This time… not so much. With one out, he hit Jordan Lawlar in the head. Fortunately, Lawlar was okay. Then Palencia issued a walk. One out later, Gabriel Moreno doubled in two runs and Geraldo Perdomo singled in Moreno to make it 4-3. That prompted Counsell to summon Webb, who got out of the inning with a ground ball.
The Cubs didn’t score in the ninth, so Webb came back out to try to protect the one-run lead. He got a pair of outs sandwiched around a walk. Webb, who at this point had thrown 17 pitches, ran a 2-1 count on Ryan Waldschmidt, who then smashed his game-winning homer.
Sigh. Had Palencia done his job better in the eighth, Webb could have come in for a clean inning in the ninth and not had to clean up Palencia’s mess in the eighth.
Does this mean Webb shouldn’t close anymore? Well… not necessarily. Again, he was lights-out for two months. And if not Webb, then who? Palencia? Trent Thornton? Ryan Zeferjahn? I think you can see the issue here. Perhaps when Ben Brown returns — and we already know he won’t be stretched out to start — Brown should be given some closing opportunities.
That’s now two losses in four days for the Cubs in games they led after eight innings. Prior to Saturday, the Cubs were one of seven teams to not have a loss this year when leading after eight. Now they’re 60-2 in that situation. It should be noted that most teams do pretty well in that situation — as you can see here, this year 15 of the 30 teams have two or fewer losses when ahead after eight innings. Hopefully that “2” doesn’t change the rest of the year.
As noted, fortunately for the Cubs the two teams chasing them in the wild-card race besides the D-backs — the Phillies and Padres — also lost Tuesday. The Cubs remain three games ahead of Philadelphia and five games ahead of San Diego.
Here are Counsell’s postgame remarks [VIDEO].
The Cubs still have a chance at a series win and a .500 road trip Wednesday afternoon in Phoenix. Matthew Boyd will start for the Cubs and Eduardo Rodriguez goes for Arizona. Game time is 2:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network. The BCB game preview will post at 12:30 p.m. CT.
The Braves have a bunch of injured arms on their 40-man roster:
Hurston Waldrep isn’t on the major league Injured List, but is also an injured pitcher on the 40-man.
It doesn’t look like there’s any reason that Lopez won’t return, so that’s one… though you never know. No one’s even talking about Joey Wentz, so not him.
The other starters have no updates, and time is running out… so probably not them? Time is also running out for Robert Suarez, but he doesn’t need to get stretched out, at least. And then Joe Jimenez is the ultimate wild card in the sense that it seemed like his career might be over. It’d be funny if he came back and made an impact, because it would be so random.
For more non-detail, see the embedded Feed post.
What do you think happens?
The Orioles placed Samuel Basallo on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation back on July 22. At that time, Baltimore was 50-53. The Birds were only a few games removed from a seven-game win streak that had the potential to save their season. Adley Rutschman, Taylor Ward and Tyler Wells were still on the team.
Basallo returned from the IL on August 19. Plenty of things had changed in Baltimore over the last month, but one thing remained the same—The Orioles were only a few games out of the final wild card spot.
Rutschman’s departure had a profound effect on the roster and the fan base, but the move affected the injured rookie as much as anyone. Basallo shifted from a timeshare situation to being the primary option behind the dish. Baltimore made a clear investment in Basallo’s future by inking him to an eight-year extension in 2025, but it was always difficult to imagine Rutschman leaving before the end of 2027.
Rutschman’s departure had to make Basallo’s stay on the IL even more painful. Now healthy, the 22-year-old has an opportunity to make a sizable impact in his first stretch as the primary option.
Pete Alonso has been just about everything the Orioles could ask for in year one of his five-year, $155 million deal, but the majority of the offense has struggled to turn in consistent performances. The loss of Rutschman and Ward took away two of Baltimore’s best on-base guys, and Gunnar Henderson’s struggles have been felt all season.
Despite all of that, things could still click at the right time. Jackson Holliday is delivering quality at bats at the top of the order. Coby Mayo is destroying left-handed pitching. Dylan Beavers and Tyler O’Neill are making their presence known. Colton Cowser’s pop is still there, and Craig Albernaz has found a way to deploy the right hitters at the right time.
The Orioles still need more from their offense, and Basallo’s big bat can make a world of difference. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 250 lbs, Basallo provides a presence in the heart of the order. He helped steal a valuable win with a late-game homer on Saturday, and he should provide valuable protection to other players in the order.
The team has attempted to ease their franchise player back into action, but the time for that has come and gone. Carlos Narváez has earned praise for his early work with pitchers, but the bat simply isn’t there right now. Basallo provides much needed power and credibility to a lineup that needs to fire on all cylinders if the team hopes to make the playoffs.
It always felt like possessing two plus-hitting catchers was a cheat code. The Orioles forfeited that privilege when they shipped Rutschman to Boston. Narváez is capable of more than he’s shown, but he’s hitting like a backup catcher right now. Designated hitter slots are limited with Alonso entrenched at first base and Mayo emerging as a must-start against lefties. At the same time, this lineup can reach a different gear with Basallo taking the place of Narváez or Yohel Pozo.
Basallo entered last night’s game with a 110 OPS+. That number may not jump off the page, but it’s good for second on the team with Blaze Alexander sidelined and both Rutschman and Ward out of the picture.
Fortunately, multiple players are capable of performing above their season totals. Holliday slashed .368/.500/.421 in July before falling back off over the last two weeks. Henderson entered last night’s game slashing .311/.404/.533 over the last two weeks. Guys like Christian Encarnacion-Strand have stepped up, and Beavers has proven that he’s not afraid of the moment. The offense put its potential on full display with a 13-1 win last night without any help from Basallo (0-5, 4 K).
Some of that may feel like a stretch, but that only strengthens the opportunity for Basallo. The rookie became one of the best hitters on the active roster the day that he was activated. It may feel like an odd time to say this after his struggles last night, but the lineup just looks different with the big guy penciled into the heart of the order.
Basallo will not be defined by his performance if he struggles over the final month of the season, but he has the opportunity to transform the offense with a 30-game hot streak. The Orioles need several things to break right if they hope to play baseball in October, but Basallo emerging as an X-factor could provide the power surge that the team needs.
The Mets continue a three-game series against the Brewers at Citi Field on Wednesday night at 7:10 on SNY.
BREWERS | METS |
|---|---|
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.
The way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv.
In order to stream games in SNY’s regional territory, you will need to have SNY as part of your TV package (cable or streaming), or you can now purchase an in-market SNY subscription package via MLB or Amazon. Both ways will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone.
To get started on your computer, click here and then follow these steps:
MLB App access is included for FREE with SNY. To access SNY on your favorite supported Apple or Android mobile device, please follow the steps below.
For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 36 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #36.
Let's take a look.
Sean Selmser - 2001 - Selmer was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1993 NHL Draft.
Selmser played one game for the Jackets during the 2000-01 season, his only NHL game. He spent the rest of that season playing for the Syracuse Crunch and had 26 points.
He left North America in 2002 for Europe, where he would land in Scotland. From there, he played 9 of the next 10 seasons in Poland before retiring in 2012.
Donald MacLean - 2004 - MacLean was drafted by the LA Kings in the second round of the 1995 NHL Draft.
On July 17, 2002, MacLean signed as a free agent with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He would play in only four games for Columbus and had a single goal. He played most of his games with the Syracuse Crunch, where he had 68 points in 77 games.
He left North America in 2007, where he would play in Switzerland, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, and Croatia. He retired in 2011 and coached in Croatia until 2015.
Mathieu Roy - 2010 - Roy was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 2003.
On July 14, 2009, Roy signed a one-year contract with the CBJ. He would total 10 points in 31 games playing for Columbus. He also played for the Syracuse Crunch that season. On March 3, 2010, he was traded to the Florida Panthers.
He left for Europe in 2012 and landed in Germany. He also played in Poland and France before returning to North America to play in the LNAH. He retired in 2023 and went into coaching.
Jonathan Marchessault - 2013 - Marchessault was undrafted out of Cap-Rouge, Quebec.
Marchessault signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets just before the 2012-13 season and played just two games. He spent the rest of his time playing for the Springfield Falcons of the AHL, where he had 67 points in 74 games.
On March 5, 2014, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning, ending his time with Columbus. He would finally get his shot when he signed with the Florida Panthers in 2016. But after just one season, they chose to expose him in the 2017 expansion draft, where the newly formed Vegas Golden Knights would scoop him. He played the next seven seasons for Vegas, scoring 192 goals and totaling 417 points.
He left for the Nashville Predators in 2024, signing a five-year, $27.5 million contract.
Marchessault is considered "The one who got away" by many CBJ fans.
Michael Paliotta - 2016 - Paliotta was drafted in the third round of the 2011 NHL Draft.
On June 30, 2015, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets with Brandon Saad in exchange for Jeremy Morin, Marko Dano, Artem Anisimov, Corey Tropp, and a fourth-round draft pick. Paliotta would appear in just a single game for Columbus, instead spending his season with the Lake Erie Monsters.
In 2016, he was not tendered a contract and signed elsewhere. He hasn't played since the end of the 2020 season.
Jussi Jokinen - 2018 - Jokinen was drafted by the Dallas Stars in the 2001 NHL Draft.
On January 16, 2018, after a long and storied career, the LA Kings put Jokinen on waivers. The Jackets claimed him, and he would play in 14 games for the Jackets. On February 26, 2018, Jokinen and Tyler Motte were traded to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Thomas Vanek.
He returned to Europe and played another three seasons before retiring on May 18, 2021.
Justin Richards - 2023 - Richards was undrafted out of Orlando, Florida, and played four years with the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets.
Richards signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets on December 19, 2022. He played in only two games and spent all of his time playing for the Cleveland Monsters. He played in 61 games in his only season with Cleveland.
He left for Europe before the start of last season and played in the DEL. He played in Italy in 25- 26, and will play in Austria this season. Both teams play in the ICEHL.
Christian Fischer - 2025 - Fischer was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2015 NHL Draft.
Fischer came to Columbus at the trade deadline in 2025. He played in a single game for Columbus. He was scratched for the rest of the games in 2025 after coming over from the Detroit Red Wings.
Fischer announced his retirement from professional hockey to pursue a business opportunity in golf.
Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!
Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.
Let us know what you think below.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive, and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. Share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.
The Detroit Tigers are -113 home favorites for today's series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays at Comerica Park, with first pitch scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET.
While neither starter is in great form, my Rays vs. Tigers predictions back Tampa behind trade-deadline acquisition Freddy Peralta. Find out more in my MLB picks for Wednesday, August 26.
The Tampa Bay Rays are worth backing as a small underdog, even with Freddy Peralta carrying some recent risk. The right-hander owns a 5.49 FIP over his last two starts, but he has still limited opponents to a manageable 37.5% hard-hit rate.
That matters against a Detroit Tigers lineup with a 68 wRC+ over its previous six games, which helps soften Peralta’s recent volatility. Troy Melton brings similar concerns for Detroit, posting a 5.49 FIP over his last two appearances while allowing 1.80 HR/9, a 45.9% hard-hit rate, and a 10.8% barrel rate.
Tampa’s offense is not exactly rolling, but its 96 wRC+ over the last two weeks gives the Rays a slight edge.
Play this pick down to +100.
COVERS INTEL: Tory Melton has shown some vulnerability at home this season, posting a 4.43 FIP compared to a 3.40 mark on the road. Despite the lack of offensive firepower for both teams right now, I’m eyeing the Over with this total sitting at 7.5.
Detroit’s bullpen has been a major liability lately, posting a 5.65 FIP over its last 23 frames while giving up 2.35 HR/9. Tampa Bay’s pen has been better with a 3.38 xERA over the last week, but it has still had some home run trouble.
Neither starter is exactly lights out, either, with both Peralta and carrying recent FIP concerns. With the inconsistency late in games, especially from Detroit, this contest can get Over the number.
Play this pick up to -130.
Junior Caminero may not have gone deep lately, but he's still hitting .346 with loud contact numbers, and the matchup against Detroit gives him a real power path.
The youngster has a 52.2% hard-hit rate over the last week, while Melton has been giving up too much home-run damage. Detroit’s bullpen has also had serious long-ball issues, creating another route for Caminero to leave the yard.
Caminero’s power travels, too. He has clubbed 17 of his homers on the road with a .277 ISO, compared to 18 at Tropicana Field.
Play this pick down to +300.
Weather looks clean in Detroit, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures rising from 75°F to 78°F. Winds are noticeable at 14-15 mph, while rain chances sit at just 0-1%. There’s no delay concern, though the breeze could slightly affect carry if conditions are exposed.
The Rays have cashed the moneyline in 14 of their last 21 road games for +6.80 units and a 25% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Rays vs. Tigers.
| Location | Comerica Park, Detroit, Mich. |
| Date | Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026 |
| First pitch | 1:10 p.m. ET |
| TV | Rays.TV, DSN |
| Rays starting pitcher | Freddy Peralta (5-11, 5.33 ERA) |
| Tigers starting pitcher | Troy Melton (7-2, 1.60 ERA) |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
White Sox 11, Rangers 7
Milwaukee Brewers rookie Cooper Pratt learned a lesson the hard way Tuesday, Aug. 26, when he failed to run hard on a popup that dropped between three New York Mets fielders.
"You've got to be locked in if you're going to play at this level," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said in explaining his decision to remove Pratt for a pinch-runner immediately after the fifth-inning single.
Murphy said Pratt's lack of focus, coming after the 22-year-old failed to get a bunt down two innings earlier in a game the Brewers eventually lost 3-2 in 10 innings, was also a contributing factor in making the move.
Afterward a clearly upset Pratt briefly wiped away tears in a short interview with reporters.
"I've got to be better," he said. "It's stuff that can't happen. It's not winning baseball. I didn't help the team win, and it won't happen again, that's for sure.
"From not getting the bunt down to not running hard to first and turning it into a double, it won't happen again. I can promise you that."
Cooper Pratt was removed from the game after the Mets misplayed his pop-up. Here are two views. pic.twitter.com/a3LTb3ja3U
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) August 26, 2026
Pratt called his mistake "inexcusable" and said several teammates also pulled him aside to let him know, "Hey this is how we do it here."
Murphy said afterward he felt the message he was trying to send was received.
"I know who this kid is. He’s a great kid. It’s not laziness," said the two-time NL manager of the year. "You gotta have your head in the game. ... Whatever it may be, you’ve got to be locked in if you’re going to play at this level. So it was hopefully a good learning experience."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brewers manager yanks rookie mid-game for 'inexcusable' lack of hustle
Although it is nearly September, there are a good amount of players who are still unrestricted free agents. This includes former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Reilly.
Reilly still being a free agent comes after he won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes. The 33-year-old defenseman played in 42 games last season for Carolina, where he recorded one goal, nine points, and a plus-11 rating. He also posted two assists and a plus-2 rating in two playoff games for Carolina this past spring.
At this stage in his career, Reilly is more of a depth defenseman who can jump into the lineup when needed. When noting that the 33-year-old has 11 years of NHL experience and has had solid moments during his career, it would not be too surprising if he landed a PTO or a one-year deal from another NHL club with training camps starting soon.
Reilly spent three seasons with the Canadiens from 2017-18 to 2019-20, where he recorded three goals, 20 assists, 23 points, 85 blocks, and a plus-3 rating. His time with the Habs came to an end during the 2019-20 season when he was traded to the Ottawa Senators. Since his time with the Habs ended, he has had stints with the Senators, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, New York Islanders, and Hurricanes.