Melbourne’s two Big Bash League teams are set to merge, as part of Cricket Australia’s major revamp of the T20 competition.
CONFIRMED: Ashes legend’s Big Bash return locked in as new Thunder coach unveiled
The Sydney Thunder have confirmed one of the most significant off-field acquisitions in Big Bash League history, announcing former England captain Andrew Flintoff as the club’s new head coach.
Vancouver Canucks hire Manny Malhotra as head coach
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Manny Malhotra was hired as coach of the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night.
The former Canucks forward takes over for Adam Foote, fired last month after Vancouver finished last in the NHL during his only season behind the bench.
Malhotra becomes the 23rd head coach in franchise history and the latest Canucks player to be promoted by the team as it begins its rebuild.
“Manny and I have been in the battle together before, so I know firsthand what a good teacher, leader, and quality person he is,” general manager Ryan Johnson said in a statement.
The pair previously worked together in the minors with the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks.
“Manny is a great coach who has the right skill set and mentality to help players develop and get better each day,” Johnson said. “We both believe that pressure is a privilege, and learning to become a good pro takes patience, dedication and a ‘be better than yesterday’ mindset.”
Foote was fired on May 19 after the Canucks went 25-49-8 last season. Malhotra immediately emerged as a prime candidate to replace him, with Johnson saying he would sit down with the 46-year-old former NHL player and “talk about the future.”
Malhotra previously served as a development coach and an assistant coach for the Canucks, then spent four seasons as an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs before becoming Abbotsford's head coach.
There, he guided the AHL team to a Calder Cup championship during the 2024-25 campaign. The club then missed the playoffs last season as several players dealt with long-term injuries.
It was the way Malhotra led Abbotsford through a challenging year that showed exactly the kind of coach and person he is, Johnson said.
“To see that when you can rely on the foundation of the consistent environment and the coaching through the worst of times and really continue to propel players forward, even though the wins and losses aren’t there, it tells you a lot about him,” he said.
“That entire staff showed that they’re champions based off of not the year before, but of what they did last year, and what people around them took out of a pretty tough season.”
The promotion reunites Malhotra with former teammates Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who were named Vancouver’s co-presidents of hockey operations on May 14.
Malhotra, from Ontario, spent 16 seasons playing in the NHL after getting drafted by the New York Rangers in 1998.
He had 116 goals and 295 points in 991 regular-season games with Vancouver, New York, the Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes.
Malhotra took a puck to the face while playing for the Canucks in March 2011, an injury that left him with limited vision in his left eye. He missed much of the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final that year and was given a reduced role the following season.
“He loves the game and getting to know what makes his players tick, and I am very confident Manny will help us ice a competitive and hard-working team that our fans will be proud of moving forward,” Johnson said.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Challenge Cup finals show England should trust youth at World Cups
Wigan turned to young players to win their two finals on Saturday. England’s coaches should take the same approach
The new England coach, Brian McDermott, has a job on his hands. The man he replaced, Shaun Wane, must have watched the Challenge Cup final on Saturday from the padded seats at Wembley and thought he had dodged a bullet. The prospect of facing the NRL’s finest in the stifling heat of New South Wales at the World Cup later this year was a daunting thought even before we saw England players struggle at Wembley in 30-degree heat.
Just before the interval, Junior Nsemba must have set a stadium record for how long it takes to walk 20 yards and get back onside. He was clearly saving himself for an epic second-half performance. Clever lad. Nsemba was not so clever when he joined Sam Walters in dumping Bill Leyland on his head seconds before the hooter. He is fortunate to escape a ban given that Walters, who was shown red, has been handed a seven-match suspension.
Continue reading...Wembanyama and the Spurs host New York to start NBA Finals
New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. San Antonio Spurs (62-20, second in the Western Conference)
San Antonio; Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Spurs -4.5; over/under is 218.5
NBA FINALS: Spurs host first series matchup
BOTTOM LINE: The San Antonio Spurs host the New York Knicks to open the NBA Finals. San Antonio and New York tied the regular season series 1-1. The Knicks won the last regular season meeting 114-89 on Sunday, March 1 led by 25 points from Mikal Bridges, while Victor Wembanyama scored 25 points for the Spurs.
The Spurs have gone 32-8 in home games. San Antonio is 8-5 in games decided by less than 4 points.
The Knicks are 23-19 on the road. New York is seventh in the league with 45.6 rebounds per game. Karl-Anthony Towns paces the Knicks with 11.9.
The Spurs make 48.3% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.3 percentage points higher than the Knicks have allowed to their opponents (46.0%). The Knicks are shooting 47.8% from the field, 2.7% higher than the 45.1% the Spurs' opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Wembanyama is averaging 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.1 blocks for the Spurs. Stephon Castle is averaging 19.5 points over the last 10 games.
Towns is averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds for the Knicks. Jalen Brunson is averaging 27.4 points and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 51.8% over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Spurs: 6-4, averaging 116.3 points, 47.9 rebounds, 25.0 assists, 8.9 steals and 6.5 blocks per game while shooting 46.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.3 points per game.
Knicks: 10-0, averaging 123.8 points, 45.0 rebounds, 28.8 assists, 9.5 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 53.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 99.2 points.
INJURIES: Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle).
Knicks: Mitchell Robinson: day to day (finger).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Mariners use youth movement to get past Mets for seventh straight win
This spring training, there were two Mariners stories that stood out: Emerson Hancock, who showed up to camp with increased velocity and an expanded arsenal; and Cole Young, who showcased improvements on both sides of the ball. The question, as it always is in spring, was if those improvements would be sustainable.
Tonight, the calendar freshly turned to June, those two players—along with rookie Colt Emerson (who had his own spring training storyline) and not-rookies Josh Naylor and Randy Arozarena—combined to deliver the Mariners their seventh straight win, continuing to buoy the team above the .500 mark they’ve so miserably been circling most of this season, as the Mariners defeated the Mets 3-2.
It didn’t necessarily seem that this would be the case. After the Oakland series, the Mariners had lulled some people (not me) into a false sense of security in their ability to perform against left-handed pitching, something that’s been a bête noire for the team all season given the lefty-heavy nature of the roster, the injuries/ineffectiveness of their right-handed options, and the overall stop-and-start nature of an offense that was designed to do damage from top to bottom. That wasn’t the case today as the Mariners hitters struggled against Sean Manaea, making boatloads of quick, weak-contact outs. The only damage against Manaea was a left-on-left home run in the third (technically Manaea’s second inning, as the Mets used an opener because it’s apparently 2016 in the Bronx) by Colt Emerson, his second big-league barrel:
That is just…an objectively beautiful swing from Colt “the scouting reports love to lie about me” Emerson.
But one solo home run over six innings will, generally, Not Cut It, even when the person on the mound is Emerson Hancock, spinning another gem. Hancock was very good today, but not perfect, and that not-perfect caught up with him on two solo homers, both in three-ball counts: one game-tying in the fifth and one go-ahead in the sixth (and to Marcus Semien! Just his second of the year!)
But this feels like damning with faint praise for Hancock, who again was very good, showing off yet another wrinkle in his pitch mix by digging deep in his arsenal to add in his rarely-thrown curveball (he threw six today, after having thrown only 16 all year), dialing up his cutter usage against a lefty-heavy Mets lineup. The north-south movement of the curveball provides a solid counterpoint to Hancock’s more east-west arsenal, such as his cutter, which he was able to spot on both sides of the plate tonight and throw at varying velocities in seemingly any count.
“I think [the cutter] gives you an option early,” said Hancock postgame. “It gives you an option behind in the count, or even late. And I think with that pitch, all my pitches, I’m just trying to be as creative as possible, be able to have as many options as I can.”
But it looked like Hancock was on his way to being a tough-luck loser despite pitching so well – six innings, seven strikeouts, no walks and just the two homers – until the seven inning when the Mets, who have been using Manaea as a swingman, replaced him with Brooks Raley, who loves giving up home runs to Mariners like Josh Naylor loves shoes. Naylor immediately made them pay for that decision, skying a game-tying home run to right field.
The Mariners couldn’t add on after that despite a Cole Young single, so Dan Wilson went to Matt Brash in the eighth. Brash hit the first batter he faced, MJ Melendez, but Cole Young was able to bail him out on a nicely turned double play and then Matt helped himself out with a truly vicious strikeout of Marcus Semien. The only bummer about that inning was that Josh Naylor disappeared, replaced by Patrick Wisdom at first base; Dan Wilson later confirmed Naylor was removed with back spasms, felt on the home run swing, and he is day-to-day.
But back to that double play for a second: this was an inflection point in the game, with the Mets threatening against Brash, who was shaky in his last outing. Young’s heads-up play (I strenuously object to the official MLB video title for this clip which is “Mariners turn interesting double play”), where he successfully fields the ball, tags the runner, fires to first cleanly, and makes sure he doesn’t obstruct the runner, all in a matter of moments, is the kind of reflexive, instinctual play Young used to make in the minors all the time but disappeared at the big-league level in his rookie season as he struggled to get his bearings at second base. Not that this is a doubt by now but the improvements from spring training did make the trip north.
“That was a really heads-up play,” said Wilson. “I gotta believe he took a page out of Naylor’s book from the other day, too, very similar kind of play…that’s what we’ve seen at second base all year from Cole…we talk about his slow heartbeat, and that was another moment where he just did what he had to to get the double play. Huge for us.”
Young himself deflected when asked if he was indeed taking a page out of Naylor’s book, saying he wasn’t exactly sure what the rule was but he “figured it out.” How did he figure it out?
“I asked the umpire,” he said. “I honestly didn’t know, but good to know, now.”
Andrés Muñoz pitched the ninth for the Mariners, facing Luis Torrens and the top of the lineup, and it was nice to see Muñoz put together a clean 1-2-3 inning. It was less nice to see Julio go down hacking against Devin Williams in the bottom of the inning, followed by Victor Robles grounding out and Randy Arozarena also striking out hacking, sending the game to extras for the second day in a row.
Gabe Speier took the tenth to face the lefties stacked in the middle of New York’s lineup. Speier opened the inning by striking out Juan Soto in a full count, prompting the Mets to put in pinch-hitter Mark Vientos for lefty Jared Young, owner of one of the Mets’ two home runs that night. Speier struck him out. When this series is over Mets and Mariners fans might have some similar bellyaching to do about platoons. Speier followed that up by getting rookie A.J. Ewing to pop out, keeping the Mets’ Manfred Man standing at second. It was maybe the sharpest we’ve seen Speier all year, and if the upshot of the piggyback is it allows vintage Gabe Speier to re-emerge, I might have to reconsider my reservations.
The Mets called upon yet another lefty, A.J. Minter, to deal with the Mariners in the bottom of the tenth, curious given that Patrick Wisdom was leading off instead of the injured Naylor – but again, Wisdom couldn’t make the most of the platoon advantage, striking out. However, Randy Arozarena was the runner at second, and having drawn a couple of throws and generally made a pest of himself, he took off for third as Wisdom struck out, putting the winning run on base with just one out and making Cole Young’s job a little easier.
I have been sitting on these numbers for a while because the sample size is so small but we’ve gotten enough to where Young finally has over 50 plate appearances in high-leverage situations. In those situations, his slashline is .273/.396/.500. Dan Wilson has praised Young’s “slow heartbeat” multiple times this season, but it’s different when you see it in action. Young took a cutter off the plate away, and Minter went back to the same spot; he reached out and flicked a little hit into left field for the game-winner, exactly one year and one day after his debut walk-off (this one traveled just a bit further).
If the Mariners are going to keep control of the AL West while their starting catcher and biggest off-season acquisition are shelved, it’s going to need to come from contributions from players like these: a rookie sensation Emerson, a resurgent Hancock, a sophomore no-slump Young. So far, all three are proving their spring awakenings are here to stay.
Rockies 9, Angels 8: Wild ride propels Rockies to comeback win
The stats were bonkers in this one.
The Rockies drew 10 walks and added two more free passes through hit by pitches, which should lead to numerous runs. On defense, the Rockies committed four fielding errors, which should result in a loss. When it comes to pitching, Kyle Freeland gave up a grand slam to Jose Siri.
Through it all, the Rockies persisted, rallying for two comebacks — including a five-run eighth inning — to pull out a hard-to-believe win on Monday night.
With the game tied 8-8, the Rockies had to dial up another comeback in the ninth. It was small, but mighty enough to win as Kyle Karros singled, Jake McCarthy doubled and TJ Rumfield hit a sac fly to drive in the winning run.
“That was not a normal game. They gave 12 free passes. We kicked the ball a bunch tonight and threw it around sloppily, but somebody’s got to win that game,” said Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer. “I thought the boys showed incredible resilience, bouncing back multiple times, just sticking with it and throwing up really good at-bats all night long, despite the horrendous defense.”
Big hits in the 8th
After the big hits had been elusive all game, they finally came in the eighth inning for the Rockies. Sterlin Thompson and Kyle Karros led off the frame with back-to-back doubles. When Thompson scored, it cut the Angels lead to 6-4. Jake McCarthy followed with a walk and Tyler Freeman singled to score Karros to cut L.A’s lead to 6-5. That’s when Hunter Goodman handled things, hitting his 14th homer of the year and putting the Rockies up 8-6.
The Rockies hit around in the inning, which marked the 10th time this season when the Rockies scored five or more runs.
“We’ve had some good innings this year, but that was a big one,” Schaeffer said.
The Rockies seven, eight and nine hitters, Edouard Julien, Thompson and Karros, combined to draw three walks, produce four hits score three runs and drive in two. That helped McCarthy add more of a spark in the leadoff spot as the outfielder homered, doubled, scored two runs and walked twice.
“Jake was awesome,” Schaeffer said. “It makes such a difference when the bottom of the lineup gets on base like that.”
Nothing is easy
Unfortunately for the Rockies, Jaden Hill wasn’t at his best in the bottom of the eighth. The reliever gave up a leadoff walk and then a single to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. With only recording one out, Hill was pulled for Antonio Senzatela. He gave up a triple to Jorge Soler, which tied the game, but then he got out of the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Senzatela got one out on one pitch, but then gave up a single. Siri then hit a groundball to Ezequiel Tovar, who touched second and gunned the ball to first for a double play.
The Angels challenged the out on speedy Siri, but the ruling on the field was confirmed and Senzatela earned the win to improve to 5-0 (even though he also got the blown save).
It ain’t grand
Despite giving up two singles and a long fly ball to the warning track, Kyle Freeland made it through the first two innings with a clean sheet. When he gave up back-to-back singles to Donovan Walton and Jorge Soler to lead off the third, it was a sign of a rough inning to come. Even though he retired the next two batters via two lineouts, including Mike Trout, Jo Adell put the Angels on the board with an RBI single to cut the Rockies lead to 2-1.
Oswald Peraza kept the rally going with an infield hit to load the bases, which teed up a grand slam Jose Siri. In one frame, the Rockies went from up 2-0, to trailing 5-2.
Freeland bounced back in the fourth with a three-up, three-down inning that was capped off with a Trout strikeout. Outside of the satisfaction of striking out one of the best hitters in baseball, the K marked Freeland’s 986th career strikeout, which moved him into second place above Jorge De La Rosa on the all-time Colorado franchise list. He now trails only Germán Márquez’s 1,069.
Freeland finished the day with four strikeouts (987), but gave up six runs (five earned), on seven hits with one walk in 5.2 innings. As proof of the Freeland’s struggles this season, the outing dropped Freeland’s ERA from 8.08 to 8.06. However, Schaeffer was still impressed with Freeland’s outing.
“I thought Free threw the ball well. He maintained his velocity all day, put the ball where he wanted, and the changeup was really working,” said Schaeffer, who blamed the bad defense for too much of the scoring. “He competed against nine right-handers, which is hard to do. Kudos to him. He battled and got us through 5-plus with a bullpen that’s been taxed of late.”
An early road advantage
The Rockies jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when Tyler Freeman drew a walk and advanced to second on a throwing error on a failed pick off at first. Troy Johnston took advantage with a slow single up the middle to plate Freeman and put Colorado up 1-0.
McCarthy doubled to lead with a walkoff homer. The 397-foot shot to center field was his fourth of the season.
In the fifth, Thompson hit an RBI single to cut L.A.‘s lead to 5-3. Through seven innings, the three runs on four hits were all the Rockies could muster. Going into the eighth, the Rockies were 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position and had left 10 runners on base. They also had drawn eight walks and were hit by two pitches.
In other words, the Rockies had their chances, but couldn’t capitalize. It didn’t help that in the game the Rockies struck out 11 times — five recorded by Ezequiel Tovar. Schaeffer was still happy with his team’s offensive approach.
“The whole game, even though we did punch out 10 times, I thought the at-bats were excellent tonight,” Schaeffer said.
Freeman hit a foul ball off his foot late in the game and didn’t return to field in the bottom of the eighth. Schaeffer said the Rockies will know more on Tuesday about the severity of the injury.
Up next
The Rockies and Angels will be back in action Tuesday at 7:38 p.m. MDT. Tomoyuki Sugano 菅野 智之 (4-4, 4.01 ERA) will get the start for the Rockies, while LHP Grayson Rodriguez (2-1, 7.53 ERA).
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Sean Manaea earned another turn in Mets' rotation with best outing of season to this point
It was a frustrating start to the season for Sean Manaea.
The left-hander struggled to find his velocity during spring training and he ended up landing in more of a mop-up role out of the Mets’ bullpen early on.
Instead of putting his head down, Manaea keep on grinding.
He put in a ton of work with pitching coach Justin Willard, and is finally starting to see all of that paying off.
The veteran has found more success with an uptick in velocity over his past few outings, leading to him receiving an opportunity in the Mets’ starting rotation.
“You have to give him credit,” Carlos Mendoza said. “When it was hard for him he was basically the last guy out of the bullpen and he never put his head down -- you saw him doing long toss and all of the drills we put him through.
“When you see the velo now starting to come up, we know the strike-showing ability, but now the cutter and the sweeper throwing strikes -- that’s the guy that we saw in 2024.”
And that’s the guy that the Mets saw on Monday night, as well.
Manaea was absolutely spectacular serving as the bulk reliever for the first time this season, piecing together his best and longest outing to this point.
He lost a left-on-left matchup with 20-year-old Colt Emerson, allowing a solo homer to right in the bottom of the third, but otherwise cruised his way through Seattle's lineup.
The southpaw gave up just one other baserunner on a walk and struck out four over 5.0 innings.
Manaea’s velocity increased again, and he's now held his opponent to one run in three straight appearances.
“I’ve just been taking things day-by-day,” he said. “Just building each day and coming in with a plan, and slowly but surely I’ve just been feeling really good on the mound.”
It remains to be seen if it’ll be as a straight starter or bulk reliever again, but Manaea is in line to take another turn in the rotation the next time around.
Arizona Diamondbacks 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 1: Tommy & Nolan & Ketel & E-Rod
Record: 32-27. Pace: 88-74. Change on 2025: +4.
May finished in rough shape for the D-backs beating swept in Seattle. For much of tonight, it looked like June would start the same way. While Eduardo Rodriguez had kept the team in the game, the Arizona bats appeared still be circling on a luggage carousel at Sky Harbor. They had managed just one hit through five innings from Dodgers’ starter Emmet Sheehan, and it looked like the one run the visitors had scored would be enough. However, home-runs from Tommy Troy in the sixth, and Nolan Arenado in the seventh gave the D-backs a lead, and Ketel Marte added welcome insurance in the eighth, becoming the first Arizona hitter to reach double digits in home-runs for 2026.
Rodriguez started off with a crisp 12-pitch first, retiring the Dodgers in order. Corbin Carroll then doubled into the right field corner with one out in the bottom of the inning. I’m sure he was hoping for another three-bagger, but a decent carom off the fence meant Corbin stayed, wisely, at second. Neither Geraldo Perdomo nor Nolan Arenado could get him home, however. Worth noting: that was the only baseball for the Diamondbacks to touch the outfield grass all night. E-Rod had a much more stressful second inning. The first two reached, and it required some good defense by Ildemaro Vargas (below), coming home to nail the runner, before Rodriguez left the bases loaded, and the game still scoreless.
In fact, here’s probably a good place to praise the Arizona defense tonight. Vargas and Jorge Barrosa may both be unable to hit water if they fell out of a boat, but their gloves stood up in this one. Barrosa had a couple of excellent diving plays in center field. In addition to saving a run at home, Vargas started a key double-play in the eighth inning, after Shohei Ohtani had singled to put the then-tying run on base with no outs. All three plays can also be found on the reel above. It wasn’t all good. Tommy Troy whiffed on a diving catch attempt in the third inning, which helped set up the game’s opening run for LA. But he’s hardly a natural left fielder, and given subsequent events, we will forgive him.
Yes, this game was definitely one where the W goes to the pitching and defense. Rodriguez was hardly overpowering, with just three strikeouts from the 24 batters faced. But he ground his way through six innings, and stopped the Dodgers from extending the lead. One of Eduardo’s Ks was quite amusing, however. He faced Miguel Rojas, and on 1-1, threw a pitch called a strike by home-plate umpire Rob Drake. Rojas challenged, and it was overturned by the narrowest possible margin, less than 0.1”. The next pitch was another strike… until another successful Rojas challenge, by a 0.1” margin. Rodriguez threw two more strikes, the last one surviving Rojas’s third challenge of the at-bat, for a K.
As noted above, Arizona was clinically unable to deal with Sheehan’s slider through five innings. He had retired fifteen D-backs in a row, through the first out of the sixth. Then Troy atoned for his role in the Dodgers’ run, by depositing his first MLB homer into the left-field bleachers, tying the game at 1-1. It was suddenly a brand-new ballgame, with three innings left. Arenado certainly seemed to think so, chasing Sheehan from the game in the seventh, after catching a slider for his eighth home-run of the year. Then, just when we were thinking Paul Sewald would have to protect the narrowest of margins, Troy dropped down a perfect two-out bunt, and Marte lasered his 10th over the fence, for a 4-1 lead. [All three HR and the bunt above]
Rodriguez left after six innings, allowing one run on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts. That reduced his season ERA to 2.24. through a dozen starts. It’s the lowest to that point for Arizona since Patrick Corbin’s 1.98 ERA after twelve appearances in 2013. He didn’t quite get the 100th win of his career this evening, but I’d say he deserved it. The W instead went to Taylor Clarke for his scoreless seventh with a pair of strikeouts. Clarke now has an 0.36 ERA over 24.2 innings since his disastrous Opening Day outing in Los Angeles. With a little help from Vargas, Garcia faced the minimum in the 8th, and Paul Sewald completed the win, notching save #15 with a 1-2-3 ninth (and that’s the OVER officially locked in there for Place Your Bets!)
It’s not often a team will win a game while going just 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position. But the D-backs did so tonight, with another comeback victory. Not a great night for the offense, batting 5-for-29 overall, with no walks. But the home-runs were just enough, and if five hits is rarely enough to prevail, it certainly helps when your pitching holds the opposition to just one run. It was just what was needed after a very dispiriting series against the Mariners (whom, I note, walked off the Mets for their seventh win in a row tonight – so it’s not just us!). Hopefully that’ll set the tone for the rest of the series. Cardinals lost, so we’re back in sole possession of the second wild-card.
Click here for details, at Fangraphs.com
No place like home: Eduardo Rodriguez, +20%
Home is where the HRs are: Troy, +17%; Arenado, +17%; Garcia, +12%
No fixed abode: Geraldo Perdomo, -9%
Thanks to all who showed up in the GDT, gritting it out when things looked tough. 269 comments isn’t at all bad for a Monday night. We were all on top form, with a slew of Sedona Red comments, a number reaching eight or more recs. Well-played everyone. But I have to give it to ercil:
Tomorrow, it’s the same two teams, as this four-game set continues. Starting for the D-backs will be the pleasant surprise which has been Michael Soroka, with another 6:40 pm first pitch. See you there!
MLB Injury Report: Elly De La Cruz goes down with hamstring strain, lat issue delays Garrett Crochet's return
In this week’s Injury Report, Elly De La Cruz goes down with a hamstring injury. The Red Sox will have to wait a bit longer for the returns of Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony. And the Marlins could be without Eury Pérez for the next two months. All that and more as we run down some of the most relevant injury news around baseball.
⚾️ Baseball is back! MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.
Elly De La Cruz (hamstring)
De La Cruz came up hobbling as he rounded first base on a hit in the fifth inning on Sunday. He was removed from the game with right hamstring tightness. After further evaluation, the team placed the 27-year-old star shortstop on the 10-day injured list on Monday with a right hamstring strain. There’s no timetable for De La Cruz. His injury gave the Reds the opportunity to call up top prospect Edwin Arroyo, who was slashing .323/.383/.562 with 11 homers and nine steals across 250 plate appearances in Triple-A. He’s a must-add in all formats where available.
The future is now for the White Sox, who went 18-10 in May.
- ,
D.J. Short
Garrett Crochet (shoulder)
Crochet had progressed to live batting practice sessions, appearing on the verge of a rehab assignment as he works his way back from a bout of shoulder inflammation. He unfortunately has to pause his throwing progression after experiencing lat tightness. It’s not known how much longer this will delay his timeline, but a return before the end of June is probably optimistic at this point.
Roman Anthony (finger)
Crochet wasn’t the only Red Sox player to suffer a setback this week. Anthony had progressed to hitting off a tee, but came out of his session with renewed discomfort in his wrist. The 22-year-old outfielder has been on the shelf since May 4 with a right wrist sprain and a ligament sprain at the base of his ring finger. The setback certainly muddies the timeline for Anthony, but it’s hard to imagine he’s back before the end of June.
Eury Pérez (thigh)
Pérez had been pitching well last Wednesday against the Blue Jays, striking out nine batters over four innings, before he was apparently hurt while stretching before the fifth. He needed assistance getting into the clubhouse and was ruled out with a hamstring spasm. Pérez was later diagnosed with a right gracilis strain, the thigh muscle, and placed on the 15-day injured list with an estimated eight-week recovery timeline. This puts him out until late July. It’s unfortunate timing as the 23-year-old right-hander seemed to be turning a corner in his season after pitching six innings of one-run ball his last time out.
Eury Pérez exits the game after seemingly injuring himself while stretching before the bottom of the fifth. pic.twitter.com/nWOWut591Y
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 27, 2026
Munetaka Murakami (hamstring)
Murakami hustled to first to beat out a fielder’s choice in the third inning on Friday and came up grabbing his right hamstring. He was placed on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain that is expected to sideline the 26-year-old slugger for 4-6 weeks. Murakami has been excellent in his first two months in the majors, posting a .938 OPS with 20 homers, 43 runs scored, and 41 RBI across 246 plate appearances. Jacob Gonzalez was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte to fill the vacant spot on the roster. Gonzalez has some intriguing power potential himself, with 19 homers and a .317 batting average over 238 plate appearances in the minors. He’s also chipped in eight steals. He’s worth a look in deeper leagues.
Konnor Griffin (forearm)
Griffin was originally held out of the lineup last Thursday with right forearm soreness. Not considered a serious concern, Griffin returned to the lineup but was limited to designated hitter duties on Friday. He even went 2-for-4 with a stolen base. But with the return of Ryan O’Hearn over the weekend, the team opted to place Griffin on the 10-day injured list. The Pirates expect him to require just the minimum 10-day stint before he’s ready to return at shortstop. The 20-year-old phenom has really come around at the plate, hitting .306 in May after hitting .231 through April.
Hurston Waldrep (elbow)
Waldrep is working his way back from surgery in February to remove loose bodies in his right elbow. He threw two scoreless innings in a game at the Florida Complex League on Monday and was reportedly around 97 mph on his fastball in the 26-pitch outing. The 24-year-old right-hander will likely take the full month for his rehab assignment, but could join the Braves rotation at the end of June. Waldrep makes for a solid stash in most formats after posting a 2.88 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 55 strikeouts over 56 1/3 innings last season.
Maikel Garcia (hamstring)
Garcia’s status is one to watch on Tuesday. He left Saturday’s game in the seventh inning with a right hamstring injury. He appeared to be in some pain after running from first to third. The 26-year-old third baseman was held out of the lineup on Sunday and Monday as the team gives him every chance to avoid the injured list, which could still be a possibility if he’s not ready to return on Tuesday.
Corey Seager (back)
Wyatt Langford (forearm)
The Rangers could be getting some major reinforcements back by the end of the week, with both Seager and Langford starting a rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco on Tuesday. Seager has been sidelined for the last two weeks with lower back inflammation. He could need just a couple of games before he’s activated. Langford has been out of action for much longer, hitting the injured list on April 22 with a right forearm strain. He’ll need to exercise more caution in his return after suffering a setback earlier in his recovery. Langford actually got a pair of games in with Triple-A Round Rock over the weekend, but will move his rehab to Frisco on Tuesday.
Teoscar Hernández (hamstring)
Hernández departed last Wednesday’s game against the Rockies with a left hamstring strain. It was pretty evident to manager Dave Roberts that Hernández would require a stint on the injured list. The 33-year-old outfielder is due to miss about a month. Alex Call and Ryan Ward figure to platoon in left field in Hernández’s absence.
Canucks Make Coaching Move That Could Impact Blackhawks Draft
The Chicago Blackhawks have the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. There are many ways the event could go, depending on who Chicago lands. A lot of it will hinge on who goes in front of them.
One of those teams, the Vancouver Canucks, made a coaching hire that could impact how things go for the Blackhawks at the draft.
Late Monday night, the Canucks made it official: they had hired Manny Malhotra as their new head coach.
WELCOME COACH MANNY!
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) June 2, 2026
General Manager Ryan Johnson announced today that the #Canucks have hired Manny Malhotra as the 23rd Head Coach in franchise history.
DETAILS | https://t.co/JJyyPHeb09pic.twitter.com/Tbm9EHOYYP
The Vancouver Canucks' new management has stressed the importance of developing the right culture as they rebuild.
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) June 2, 2026
GM Ryan Johnson said new coach Manny Malhotra will put the proper foundation in place: https://t.co/5zQlethSlX
Of course, Malhotra played 159 games with the Vancouver Canucks during his 991-game NHL career. As a former 7th overall pick by the New York Rangers in 1998, he carved out a nice career as a bottom-six forward.
As a result of his role in the NHL, he learned how to become a winner without being one of the top guys offensively, which helped prepare him to eventually step into coaching. He will work with new GM Ryan Johnson and the newly appointed co-Presidents, Henrik and Daniel Sedin.
How does any of this impact the Chicago Blackhawks draft? Well, one of the prospects projected to go in the top five is Brantford Bulldogs center Caleb Malhotra, Manny's son.
Does hiring Manny make them think twice about taking his son, or does that make them want him more? Depending on what happens with the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks as the holders of the first two picks, it may not become known until draft night what Vancouver is thinking.
If Caleb ends up with Vancouver, that could create some awkward situations if either he or his father doesn't work out as planned. It could also be an incredible success story involving a father and son.
Connor Bedard is a true center, but they are still trying to figure out Anton Frondell and Frank Nazar positionally. Manny Malhotra would help solve that, as he is a true center coming out of major junior. If he fell to the Blackhawks, he'd be a great fit.
No matter what, Caleb Malhotra won't be in the NHL until the end of next season at the earliest. He is committed to playing at least one season at Boston University, where he will have tremendous success playing under Jay Pandolfo.
If the Leafs take Gavin McKenna, the Sharks take a defenseman (they need a high-end defender in their pipeline badly), and the Canucks end up with the younger Malhotra, that would leave the highly touted Ivar Stenberg for Chicago. The Blackhawks could also end up with one of the top-rated defensemen as well.
Either way, they are getting a great prospect that will need time developing, but this news could certainly impact which one they get.
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Mets outpitched and outhit in loss in Seattle
Hot off four straight wins to end their homestand, the Mets were once again heading to the West Coast to play some baseball. This time they were facing the Seattle Mariners, with some great starting pitching to test their lineups. Emerson Hancock was making the start for the Mariners, and Austin Warren was starting for the Mets, though he was just opening the game before Sean Manaea would get the bulk of the innings.
The start of the game was quiet for both sides. Austin Warren pitched a scoreless inning before being pulled after hitting Randy Arozarena with a pitch, and Manaea took over and finished the second inning without allowing a run. The first run allowed by Mets pitching was a solo home run to Colt Emerson to put the Mariners up by one run. Emerson Hancock took it further, throwing four hitless frames for the Mariners.
But the Mets finally got their first hit at the same time they got their first run, a solo home run from Jared Young to lead off the fifth inning and tie the game. And Marcus Semien repeated the feat in the top of the sixth, hitting another solo home run for the Mets’ second run–and hit–of the game, putting the Mets ahead by a run.
Sean Manaea made it through five innings allowing just the one run, getting pulled after the sixth inning having allowed just the one run, with a hit and walk allowed and four strikeouts, a great effort from Manaea. Brooks Raley came in to start the seventh, and he gave up a game-tying home run to Josh Naylor. He wasn’t able to make it through the whole bottom of the seventh, getting pulled after allowing a two-out single to Cole Young in favor of Luke Weaver.
Weaver got them out of the seventh and through the eighth, tallying a scoreless inning and a third, allowing no hits and striking out one. Williams led them through a perfect ninth to get them to extra innings.
The Mets were unable to get another hit after Semien’s sixth inning homerun, and it came back to bite them. After being unable to bring the extra runner into score in the top of the tenth, A.J. Minter got one out before allowing a game-winning single to end the game in the tenth.
The four game winning streak was brought to a halt, and the Mets offense went back to looking anemic. They could only muster two hits against an admittedly-great Mariners pitching staff, and their own pitching was out-duelled in that aspect. They get another crack at the Mariners on Tuesday, with Jonah Tong likely getting the bulk of the innings against Logan Gilbert (though there may be another opener for the Mets).
SB Nation GameThreads
Box scores
Win Probability Added
Big Mets winner: Sean Manaea, +19% WPA
Big Mets loser: A.J. Minter, -38% WPA
Mets pitchers: -13% WPA
Mets hitters: -37% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Marcus Semien’s sixth inning home run, +17.9% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Josh Naylor’s seventh inning home run, -24.8% WPA
Claude Lemieux, New Jersey Devils Legend and Four-Time Stanley Cup Champion, Dies at 60
On May 28th, the NHL announced the passing of New Jersey Devils legend Claude Lemieux.
A four-time Stanley Cup Champion, he spent six seasons with New Jersey.
The New Jersey Devils organization is deeply saddened by the news of the passing of former Devil Claude Lemieux.
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) May 28, 2026
A clutch player on the ice and greatly appreciated by Devils' fans off it, Claude's impact in bringing the first-ever Stanley Cup to New Jersey will forever be… pic.twitter.com/kDD9ZMAPOr
Joining the Devils in the 1990-91 season, Lemieux scored 30 goals in 78 games during his first year with the team. After five straight seasons with the team, Lemieux left for the Colorado Avalanche. Returning in 1999-00, he appeared in 70 games, recorded 38 points, and captured his fourth Stanley Cup.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement on Lemieux’s passing.
“The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Claude Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion and one of the greatest big-game players in hockey history," Bettman said.
“Lemieux forged his postseason reputation and won the Cup for the first time as a rookie in 1986, when he scored 10 goals in the Playoffs for the Montreal Canadiens. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as Playoffs MVP in 1995, scoring 13 goals in 20 postseason games with the New Jersey Devils. He also was an integral part of Cup-winning teams in Colorado, in 1996, and back with New Jersey in 2000.
“Overall, his teams reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 15 straight seasons; his 234 postseason games played rank sixth in NHL history; and his 80 career Playoff goals rank ninth. In recent years, as a player agent, he has represented some of the top stars in the NHL.
“We send our deepest condolences to Claude’s wife, Deborah, and his four children, Brendan, Claudia, Michael, and Christopher.”
Commissioner Bettman statement on the passing of Claude Lemieux. https://t.co/ce9wR6V8fppic.twitter.com/6MNnqb56yi
— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) May 28, 2026
Leading all skaters with 13 goals, Lemieux guided the Devils to their first Stanley Cup.
After the victory, he spoke with NHL.com about the keys to the Devils’ success.
“I think it’s just unbelievable,” Lemieux said to NHL.com. “I look at some of the names on this trophy and on the Stanley Cup, it’s incredible. To be a part of the team that won the first Stanley Cup for the New Jersey Devils, who would have thought it?”
The New Jersey Devils released a statement following the news of Lemieux’s passing.
"The New Jersey Devils organization is deeply saddened by the news of the passing of former Devil Claude Lemieux. Widely respected throughout the NHL, both as a trusted agent and a valued colleague, Claude leaves behind a lasting legacy within our game that he gave so much to. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this time."
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The Carolina Hurricanes overcame their kryptonite, now it’s time to finish the job
Twenty seasons and 120 playoff games after raising the Stanley Cup for the first time in 2006 — the eighth season after the franchise relocated — the Carolina Hurricanes are back competing for the best trophy in professional sports.
And it couldn’t have come at a better time, nor with a better core. The Hurricanes have tuned out the critics who said there was no chance they would get to this spot, opting instead to play their way and style en route to complete domination.
When the final horn sounded on the Carolina Hurricanes’ 6-1 win on Friday over the Montreal Canadiens to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup against the Vegas Golden Knights, there was almost a sense of relief mixed in with the joy. After seven seasons — that each seemed to have a similar disappointing ending — the wait finally paid off. Carolina’s journey with this core hasn’t always been smooth, but the patience has been worth the wait.
The way last season played out for the Canes would have been considered a success for most teams. Instead, for Carolina, it left a bitter taste.
While the Hurricanes were able to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, they were once again completely outmatched, losing to the Florida Panthers in five games. The one positive takeaway, at least, was they ended one of the worst — and strangest — playoff streaks in North American sports.
Entering last season’s ECF, the Canes had gone three straight conference finals appearances without winning a single game after being swept in 2009, 2019 and 2023. Then the Florida Panthers, who swept the Canes in 2023, went up 3-0 last season in the ECF to bring the streak to 15 consecutive conference finals games without a win — the longest by five games in NHL history.
The Hurricanes were able to snap the streak after beating the Panthers in Game 4, but their season came to an end unceremoniously in Game 5, bringing their conference finals record to a miserable 1-16 in the ECF since their Stanley Cup win in 2006.
Entering the offseason it was clear something had to be done, but to what extent was the question. After whiffing on landing a big star following the departure of both Jake Guentzel and Mikko Rantanen in previous years, many thought Carolina’s core wouldn’t be able to get over the hump.
Instead of making any premature or drastic changes, general manager Eric Tulsky got right to work in the offseason to make the Canes better. Carolina first added K’Andre Miller in a sign-and-trade with the Rangers and then doubled down by signing Nikolaj Ehlers to the ninth biggest UFA contract in total value since 2015.
After enjoying another dominant regular season this year, in which the Hurricanes finished with the second most points in the league and the best record in the Eastern Conference, the real test started in April. The doubts of whether this was the year the Canes would overcome their agonizing Eastern Conference Finals woes still hung above the franchise’s head.
Despite complete domination through the first two rounds, which resulted in an unbeaten record heading into the ECF against the Canadiens, there was a split second where it looked like the pattern would continue when the Canes were destroyed 6-2 in Game 1.
But overtime winners from Ehlers and Andrei Svechnikov gave Carolina breathing room and it was smooth sailing from there.
The coffin holding the 19 years filled with conference final misery was officially put in the ground following Carolina’s win over the Canadiens on Friday.
While it feels as if this season has already been a success, it’s far from complete. Any scenario that doesn’t end with a parade in Raleigh and another banner hung in the Lenovo Center might even be deemed a failure of sorts. It’s a simple equation that almost-championship teams never cement themselves quite like the teams that get the job done, for example the 2001-02 Hurricanes team that lost in the Stanley Cup versus the 2005-06 team that won it all.
To get to that level of immortality, the Canes will have to get through the Vegas Golden Knights, who will be without a doubt the toughest test yet.
After firing head coach Bruce Cassidy in late March, the Knights have gone 19-4-1 under new head coach John Tortorella. They just swept the Stanley Cup favorite Colorado Avalanche and are playing their best hockey of the season.
Mitch Marner, who Vegas traded for in the offseason from the Toronto Maple Leafs, has been a revelation so far this postseason. He has 21 points in 16 games to lead the Knights. Not far behind is Jack Eichel — who was a key part of Vegas’ 2023 Stanley Cup win — with 18 points.
Unlike the Senators, Flyers, or Canadiens, the Knights are experienced, physical and have the top end talent to be competitive with the Canes. They’ve also been in this position before with their Stanley Cup win in 2023, something Carolina can’t speak to. Vegas has also been the beneficiary of hot goaltending during the playoffs.
With all that being said, this is the Hurricanes’ series to take. No team has been more consistent and more dominant across the regular season and postseason.
Carolina is the only team since the NHL moved to the four best-of-7 series format in 1987 to enter the Stanley Cup with a 12-1 record. With a sweep, the Hurricanes can become the first team in NHL history to go 16-1 in the playoffs.
First the Hurricanes surmounted their Eastern Conference Final troubles.
Now, the Stanley Cup is only four wins away from coming back to Raleigh for the first time in two adversity-filled decades.
Mets manage just two hits, waste Sean Manaea's gem in 3-2 walk-off loss to Mariners
The Mets were walked off by the Seattle Mariners 3-2 on Monday night at T-Mobile Park.
Here are some takeaways...
- The Mets weren't able to get anything going against Seattle's Emerson Hancock the first time time through the order, as he retired the first 12 batters he faced and didn't have to work through a three-ball count until two outs in the fourth.
- New York was finally able to get to Hancock in the middle frames, though, as both Jared Young and Marcus Semien stayed red-hot leading off the fifth and sixth (respectively) with solo shots. Young's evened things up at one apiece, and then Semien's gave the Mets their first lead.
- Austin Warren and Sean Manaea did a tremendous job of matching Hancock. Warren retired the side in order in the first, then he hit the leadoff man in the second before Manaea took things over, and he used a routine double-play to dance his way out of a two on and one-out jam.
Colt Emerson got to Manaea for a solo homer with one out in the third, but the lefty quickly settled back into a groove, retiring the next 11 batters in order, with some help from another terrific diving play by A.J. Ewing in center.
- Manaea was outstanding his first time back in the Mets' rotation, allowing just that hit and a walk while striking out four across five innings of work. That not only match Manaea's longest outing of the season, but it was also the longest by any Mets reliever to this point on the year.
- Brooks Raley was greeted rudely after the seventh inning stretch, as he immediately served up a homer to Josh Naylor leading the inning. It was the fourth hit of the ballgame to that point -- all of which were solo homers -- and was the second long ball Raley's allowed this season.
- Luke Weaver extended his scoreless streak, retiring four batters across the seventh and eighth, then Devin Williams struck out two in a perfect ninth to push this one to the Mets' league-high 12th extra-inning game of the season.
- The Mets failed to cash in the free runner with two strikeouts and a popout in the top of the 10th, and the Mariners were sure to make them pay, ending the game on Cole Young's opposite-field walk-off single against A.J. Minter.
- New York managed just two baserunners (a HBP and the free runner) after Hancock left the ballgame, as Seattle's high-powered bullpen finished the night with four hitless innings. The free runner was the Mets' only time reaching scoring position and they struck out 12 times.
- Juan Soto went 0-for-4 with a strikeout leading off the 10th, ending his on-base streak at 15 games.
Game MVP: Cole Young
The 22-year-old reached three times and played hero in the late innings.
Highlights
JARED YOUNG!
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 2, 2026
The Mets' first hit and baserunner of the night is a home run! pic.twitter.com/UhmntN3gQ7
A.J. EWING TO THE RESCUE! pic.twitter.com/LziFIOg04f
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 2, 2026
Marcus Semien destroys one to left for the lead!
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 2, 2026
Homers on back-to-back days! pic.twitter.com/As5RmGoAbx
Juan Soto loves his psychopaths pic.twitter.com/42WQSrx49l
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 2, 2026
What's next
The Mets and Mariners continue the series on Tuesday night at 9:40 p.m. on SNY.
Jonah Tong is expected to work in bulk relief against Logan Gilbert.