India have been accused of ‘bullying’ after a controversial decision to overturn a wide in the final over saw them defeat Japan in a men’s T20 international on Tuesday.
5 Canucks Players To Watch In 2026 Pre-Season Game 2 Against The Flames
After falling on Saturday, the Vancouver Canucks return to action on Tuesday for Game 2 of the 2026 pre-season against the Calgary Flames. Vancouver will be travelling to Calgary, with game time scheduled for 6:00 pm PT. Here are five players to watch on Tuesday.
Arshdeep Bains
Where Arshdeep Bains plays this year will be an intriguing storyline to follow. The 25-year-old is most likely headed for the AHL, but would need to clear waivers to be assigned to the Abbotsford Canucks. Projected to play on a line with Aatu Räty and Matt Stienburg, Bains needs to stand out on Tuesday if he wants a shot at making the NHL roster.
Kevin Lankinen
Tuesday will be Kevin Lankinen's first start of the campaign. The 31-year-old did not have the strongest training camp, but it will be easier to judge his performance against an opposing NHL team. With Thatcher Demko's status still unknown, the Canucks will likely lean heavily on Lankinen again this year, as he is currently the team's projected night-one starter.
Victor Mancini
Victor Mancini is another player currently on the bubble to make the NHL team. The 24-year-old struggled on Saturday against the Seattle Kraken and is currently in a battle for the seventh defender slot. Mancini is expected to get plenty of ice time on Tuesday and will need to show he can be reliable in his own zone against NHL competition.
Aatu Räty
Tuesday is a big night for Räty as it will be his final game of the 2026 pre-season. Due to the new CBA rules, the 23-year-old will be ineligible to play any more games, as he has already hit his maximum of two. Projected to start the season as Vancouver's fourth-line center, Räty needs to show he can contribute at both ends of the ice.
Canucks Projected Lineup For Game 2 Of The 2026 Pre-Season Versus The Calgary FlamesThe Vancouver Canucks battle the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night. Brooks Rogowski
One prospect to keep an eye on Tuesday is Brooks Rogowski. The 2026 second-round pick had a decent training camp and is now ready to show what he can do against NHL competition. Listed at 6'7", 235 lbs, it shouldn't be hard to tell when Rogowski hits the ice during his pre-season debut.
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How A New Rule Is Impacting The Canucks' 2026 Pre-Season Lineups
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Gabe Perreault ‘Not Focused’ on Contract Extension As He Enters Final Year Of Rookie Deal
With the NHL’s new CBA changes eliminating eight-year contracts, making seven-year contracts the longest a player can re-sign with his own team, along with the salary cap increase, we saw multiple young players sign multi-year contract extensions before they were set to hit restricted free agency.
Notably absent from that group of young players was Gabe Perreault, who is set to become a restricted free agent next offseason and did not sign a contract extension with the New York Rangers.
Perreault seems to be comfortable playing the final season of his rookie deal without an extension in place.
“I’m not focused on that at all,” Perreault said about whether or not he’s still thinking about a future contract extension. “I’ll kind of let my agent handle that, and we’re just going to focus on day-by-day and having a big year. It'll take care of itself.”
When asked about contract negotiations between the Blueshirts brass and Perreault’s camp, Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury declined to go into details.
After starting the 2025-26 campaign with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League, Perreault burst onto the NHL scene in December, staying with the Rangers for the remainder of the season.
In 49 games, the 21-year-old forward recorded 12 goals, 15 assists, and 27 points while averaging 15:59 minutes.
Over the course of the season, it was evident that Perreault continued to build confidence, which allowed him to make more of an offensive impact.
“I think my game progressed a lot during the year,” Perreault said. “The details, getting more confident, making more plays, kind of knowing when to make a play, I kind of think I grew a lot in that. I grew in the details of my game defensively too and on the forecheck. Those were the big things I focused on.”
By the end of the season, the 2024 first-round pick was putting his high hockey IQ and playmaking skills on display, eventually stepping into a top-six role.
Through observing the progression of Perreault from behind the bench, Mike Sullivan feels that the game was able to slow down for him as he grew more accustomed to the NHL game.
“I think the biggest thing for Gabe was the adjustment to the speed and the pace of the NHL game and the size and strength of the players,” Sullivan said. “I think he’s adjusted to the pace of the game and I think the game has slowed down in his brain, which is one of the challenges every young player has to overcome. When they are trying to make the NHL.”
A large portion of Perreault’s success came when he played on a line with Alexis Lafrenière and Mika Zibanejad.
Last season, that line outscored opponents 14-10 at five-on-five while they had a 48.57 percent expected goal rate according to Natural Stat Trick.
Through the first few days of training camp, Sullivan has reassembled the Perreault-Zibanejad-Lafrenière line with the hopes they can emulate their previous triumph.
“I think we're all kind of smart players. We kind of think the game pretty similarly, and I think we kind of bring something a little bit different to the line,” Perreault said. “At the same time, there are similarities, and I think we clicked well. Those guys are easy to play with for me, so it went really well at the end of the year, and hopefully we can keep it going.”
Entering a contract year, it’s critical that Perreault continues to progress his game and take a big leap in his first full NHL season with the goal of earning a long-term extension and becoming a cornerstone piece for the Rangers.
“Our expectation is that he’s going to build on the season he had last year,” Sullivan said. “Our expectation is that he will build on that (last season) and grow.”
Top Scoring Griffins Scorer Included In Latest Red Wings Roster Trim
The Detroit Red Wings have already completed one-fourth of their preseason schedule, and by the end of Tuesday evening, they'll be halfway through.
Following their 1-0 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday evening, the Red Wings will be back on the ice 24 hours later against the Pittsburgh Penguins. And before their second exhibition contest, they've moved closer to finalizing their roster for the upcoming 2026-27 NHL campaign.
Multiple Detroit players hit the waiver wire, including John Leonard, who was the leading scorer for the American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins last season.
Among the other names waived by the Red Wings are forwards Dominik Shine, Sheldon Dries, Cameron Butler, and defensemen William Lagesson and Jacob Bryson.
Waivers: 9/22/26@PuckPediahttps://t.co/SEwCuzihn1pic.twitter.com/EIk19tjZc2
— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) September 22, 2026
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Leonard originally joined the Red Wings on a one-year, $775,000 contract last summer after spending the previous season with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. He later made his Detroit debut in December after leading the AHL with 19 goals through his first 20 games.
He finished the season with two goals and two assists in 11 NHL appearances while leading Grand Rapids with 32 goals and 21 assists in 46 games.
He also added a goal and four assists in eight Calder Cup Playoff games. Following the season, he was given a one-year extension worth $850,000.
Shine, a Michigan native, has spent his entire professional career with the Griffins and was named their captain prior to last season. He made his NHL debut with nine appearances in 2024-25 before scoring three goals in 18 games with Detroit last season.
He also recorded 21 goals in 40 games for Grand Rapids and was Detroit's 2026 Bill Masterton Trophy nominee.
Michigan Native Dominik Shine Nominated For 2026 Masterton Trophy The Detroit chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association has officially nominated forward Dominik Shine as the club's 2026 nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy.Having played at Western Michigan, Dries went undrafted but has NHL experience with the Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks. He signed with Detroit in 2024 and scored 23 goals and 45 points in 57 games for Grand Rapids last season. The Red Wings re-signed him to a two-year, two-way deal in February.
Butler also went undrafted and has one NHL game with Columbus, along with time in the Minnesota Wild organization. He signed a one-year, two-way deal with Detroit this offseason.
Lagesson, drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 2014, has 107 NHL games under his belt, including seven with Detroit in 2024-25. He added three goals and 18 assists in 61 games with Grand Rapids last season.
Bryson, a 2017 pick of the Buffalo Sabres, split last season between the Sabres and Winnipeg Jets before signing a one-year, $850,000 deal with Detroit. He has six goals and 45 assists in 304 NHL games.
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NBA division rivals make a deal. Who the Hawks, Hornets traded
NBA training camps are just days from opening up, but that didn’t stop a minor deal from being completed — and one between division rivals.
The Charlotte Hornets are shipping forward Dorian Finney-Smith to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for guards Buddy Hield and Ryan Nembhard, a person with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed Tuesday, Sept. 22 to USA TODAY Sports.
The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because the trade had not been publicly announced.
Finney-Smith, 33, had been known as a 3-and-D perimeter option, but he posted career lows in points (3.3 per game), rebounds (2.5), field goal percentage (33.3%) and 3-point percentage (27%) across 37 games last season for the Houston Rockets.
The Hornets had only acquired Finney-Smith in July, in a trade for cash considerations.
In exchange, Charlotte, which also plays in the Southeast Division, is getting another two players to boost its recent emphasis on shooting.
Hield, 33, is a career 39.5% 3-point shooter, but could not crack the rotation in Atlanta after the Hawks acquired him in the February deal that also brought Jonathan Kuminga to Atlanta and sent center Kristaps Porziņģis to the Golden State Warriors.
Nembhard, the younger brother of Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, was forced into a starting job at point guard for the Dallas Mavericks while star Kyrie Irving was recovering from his torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Nembhard was an undrafted rookie last season but shot 35.6% from beyond the arc. He averaged 6.6 points per game. He had similarly just been acquired in a July trade that sent 2024 No. 1 overall selection Zaccharie Risacher to the Mavericks.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA division rivals make a deal. Who the Hawks, Hornets traded
Detroit Pistons enlist DAZN as streaming platform partner
I know we are all rejoicing that we never have to listen to the awful ambient crowd noise interstitial during commercial breaks that was a key, heinous feature of the FanDuel Sports Network app. That is dead in a ditch. But what is taking its place? For those with access to free over-the-air TV, the Pistons previously announced a partnership with Detroit TV 20 and other regional affiliates throughout Michigan. Today, they announced their new streaming platform provider — DAZN.
If you’re a fan of boxing, you might already be familiar with DAZN, but the upstart sports provider has been slowly building out its portfolio for the past few years. The Pistons join other NBA teams, including the Timberwolves, Pacers, Cavaliers, Spurs, and Hornets, who have teamed with DAZN to provide a streaming platform alternative for the true cord-cutters among us.
DAZN will provide monthly an annual streaming options to watch the Pistons during the 2026-27 NBA season. Subscribers will be able to watch live and on-demand, and have access to additional pre- and post-game content.
There are monthly and annual plans. The cheapest monthly plan is $19.99 per month, while the cheapest annual plan is $119.99. Subscribers could upgrade to expanded plans of $24.99 per month and $139.99 per year, respectively, and enjoy a one-time discount at the Pistons team store, have access to alternative streams, and stream the game on more devices at once.
Atlanta reportedly to trade Buddy Hield, Ryan Nembhard to Charlotte for Dorian Finney-Smith
A Buddy Hield for Dorian Finney-Smith trade — in a variety of variations — had been simmering on the NBA back burner all summer. It appears it has finally fully cooked.
The Atlanta Hawks have agreed to trade Buddy Hield, Ryan Nembhard and cash to the Charlotte Hornets for Dorian Finney-Smith, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and confirmed by other reports.
The Hawks have been trying to get off Hield's salary — $9.7 million this season, a $10.1 million player option for next season — all summer, as well as deal with a roster crunch of too many standard contracts. This two-for-one trade, plus the waiving of Devin Carter, solves all of that.
Atlanta also gets to take a flier on Finney-Smith. The 33-year-old played just 37 games last season for the Rockets due to ankle surgery, and put up career-low numbers in the games when he did get on the court (which is why the Rockets spent three second-round picks in a salary dump trade with Charlotte earlier this summer). If he bounces back, this is a plus for the Hawks because every team could use more quality 3&D wings. As for the financial end, Finney-Smith will make $13.3 million this season and has two years, $26.7 million on the books after that, but none of that future salary is guaranteed. If they choose, Atlanta can walk away from Finney-Smith after this season.
Charlotte adds Hield, 33, who played in 51 games last season between Golden State and Atlanta, and averaged 7.6 points per game while shooting 34.9% from 3-point range (the lowest percentage of his career). Charlotte now heads into training camp with a roster crunch of its own and essentially has one spot to give between Hield, Nembhard, Pat Connaughton and Tidjane Salaün. Nembhard, who showed promise as a rookie with Dallas last season, might be the guy to go with because of his future potential.
Don't be surprised to see another trade from Charlotte to deal with that crunch.
Jared Bednar Sees NHL Potential In Avalanche Prospect Beckett Hamilton
Beckett Hamilton's first NHL preseason game was only the latest step in what has been an impressive month for the Colorado Avalanche prospect.
From development camp to his time in San Jose and, finally, his first taste of NHL competition, the 18-year-old forward has steadily given the Avalanche more reasons to be excited about what he could become.
Hamilton's latest opportunity came Sunday at Ball Arena, where the Avalanche defeated the Utah Mammoth 4-1. Playing alongside established NHL talent, including Martin Necas, Hamilton scored his first preseason goal and showed enough of his offensive skill to leave another positive impression.
Hamilton opened the scoring at 8:54 of the second period after finding himself in the right place at the right time.
Utah defenseman Maveric Lamoureux attempted to clear the puck from the zone, but Necas knocked down the pass and immediately fed Hamilton. The young forward made no mistake, lifting the puck over the goaltender to give Colorado a 1-0 lead.
It was the kind of goal that came from simply staying involved in the play and refusing to let off the gas pedal.
Hamilton may have looked overwhelmed at times by the pace, but he continued to push through it. Had he not kept battling, he likely would not have been in position to capitalize when the puck came his way.
That persistence has been a recurring theme throughout his time with the Avalanche this month.
Hamilton scored in Colorado's 7-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks' prospects on Sept. 12 before finding the net in the shootout against the Vegas Golden Knights' rookies two days later. Vegas ultimately won 6-5, leaving Colorado with a 1-0-1 record at the tournament.
New Colorado Eagles head coach Jussi Ahokas was behind the bench for those games and came away impressed with what he saw from Hamilton.
"I think he's really skilled," Ahokas said. "He finds plays. [He's] creative."
Those qualities have continued to stand out as Hamilton has moved through each stage of his first experience with the Avalanche organization. His offensive instincts have been noticeable, but so has his willingness to stay involved when things don't necessarily go his way.
That caught the attention of Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar as well.
“He’s a young kid,” Bednar told Colorado Hockey Now’s Aarif Deen and other reporters Tuesday. “He’s got top-nine potential, I think. That’s what he has. He’s a skilled player.”
Bednar also wanted Hamilton to experience the difference between playing against younger competition and trying to make plays against established NHL players.
That's why the Avalanche put him on a line with players such as Necas, who's coming off his first 100-point season in the league.
"I wanted to play with some skill and I wanted to play against other teams' top guys, so he could kind of feel like where he needs to grow and what he's got," Bednar said.
Hamilton got a firsthand look at that difference Sunday.
"You could tell in the game that everything was happening fast for him," Bednar said.
There were moments when Hamilton appeared to be processing the game rather than reacting to it.
"Sometimes it gets a little quick for him," Bednar said. "You can see him thinking and not reacting. And he was the same way in the game."
That's just a part of the process, but what carried significant weight for the Avalanche was that Hamilton continued to compete, found ways to create offense and made the most of his opportunity.
Bednar said the coaching staff, including Ahokas, was impressed with what Hamilton showed in San Jose, where he stood out as a noticeable impact player. That carried into training camp, where the young forward continued to make an impression.
"I talked to Jussi about him, and everyone raved about his rookie camp," Bednar said. "So I thought he did a nice job in practices."
Now, that first stretch with the Avalanche is over for Hamilton.
The club reassigned him Tuesday morning to the WHL's Red Deer Rebels, where he'll continue his development after making the most of his opportunity in Colorado.
Bednar said Hamilton is aware that there is still work to do before he's ready for the NHL.
"He's got a good head on his shoulders," Bednar said. "I think he's aware that he's a little ways away from getting to the NHL."
That's not necessarily a bad thing.
"It was nice to see him score in his first game," Bednar said. "We send him off back to junior on a good note and a good experience in training camp."
For Hamilton, it's an opportunity to continue growing his game and take the next step in his development. For the Avalanche, the focus remains on winning another Stanley Cup, but they may have another promising depth piece on the way.
Mets News: Mets name Andy Green their full-time manager
Since being hired as the team’s interim manager, Andy Green has continuously stated that he was not interested in having the full-time gig, citing his family as the primary reason. Thus, the expectation has been that the Mets would conduct a complete search for a new manager in the offseason. Well, that impending search has ended before it even began, as the team has given Green a three-year deal to serve as the full-time manager.
Green, the former Padres manager who had been serving as Senior Vice President of Player Development in the front office, has been in the dugout since the team fired Carlos Mendoza at the end of June following a disastrous start to the season. While the team has not exactly been world-beaters in the time since then, they have generally played better with Green in charge (to the tune of a 37-38 record), and he has earned plaudits for his handling of the media and his willingness to challenge his players. In the press release announcing the deal, Green addressed his previous reticence to accept the full-time job:
I am excited and humbled to officially be named manager of the New York Mets. When I accepted the interim role, I didn’t anticipate it becoming permanent, but the more time I spent with our players and staff, the clearer it became that this is where my passion and experience could make the greatest impact. That realization led to many conversations with my family, and together we agreed this is the right opportunity at the right time. I want to thank Steve and Alex for the love, ambition and commitment with which they lead this organization, and David for the trust he has placed in me. I believe deeply in what we can build together, and I’m honored to continue serving our players, this organization and the amazing Mets fans.
It is worth noting, of course, that Green’s job next season will be fundamentally different than the one he has been doing these past few months. We will see how he handles the pressure of managing a team that is expected to win versus one that had virtually already played itself out of the playoff race and was just navigating its way through the end of the season. Nevertheless, the 2027 team will now have some familiarity in the dugout (this presumably includes a number of the new coaches the team hired this past offseason, who will likely stick around with Green) as they look to rebound from a disappointing campaign.
Toronto bets big on Kawhi Leonard's health with reported two-year, $115 million extension
Multiple, very obvious reasons made it clear it was time for the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard to part ways, but one kind of flew under the radar: Los Angeles wasn't about to give Leonard, 35, the kind of extension he wanted.
The Toronto Raptors will.
In a deal that was expected, Leonard and the Raptors have agreed to a two-year, $115 million contract extension for the two-time Finals MVP, a deal first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN. The second year of the extension, 2028-29, is a player option, but Leonard also waived his trade kicker.
While this extension was expected, and the two sides stayed in contact all summer, it was delayed because Toronto put the trade of Leonard on hold for a couple of months. It wanted to see the outcome of the NBA’s investigation into the Clippers for circumventing the salary cap to get Leonard "no-show" endorsement deals, before signing off. Leonard got off with a slap on the wrist (a $700,000 fine), and the trade went through just more than a week ago. The extension was always likely to follow.
Leonard has said he wants to finish his career in Toronto and this contract would take him through his age 38 season. This extension kicks in for the 2027-28 season, Leonard will make $50.3 million this season in the final year of a deal signed with the Clippers (which drew a lot of attention).
This is largely a bet on Leonard's health. When he is consistently on the court, as he was last season when he played 65 games — averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game and still playing elite defense — he is a top-10 player in the league. However, in the previous eight seasons, Leonard played in 65+ games just once. He has played in Toronto before, leading the franchise to its 2019 championship, and he trusts the medical staff there, which kept him fresh that year for a playoff run.
Toronto adds Leonard to a stacked roster with another All-NBA-level player in Scottie Barnes, plus RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a group of solid role players. If Leonard stays healthy, Toronto could be a top-four seed and make some noise in the East. But it's all a bet on Leonard's health.
Mets place Christian Scott on IL, activate Devin Williams
The Mets placed one right-handed pitcher on the injured list and activated another before Tuesday night’s series-opening game in Arlington against the Texas Rangers. Christian Scott landed on the 15-day IL with left knee inflammation, ending his year, while Devin Williams returns after being sidelined with a right shoulder strain since August 8.
Scott returned from Tommy John surgery on April 23 and proceeded to put together a fine sophomore season for the Mets. In 23 starts, he posted a 3.85 ERA with 134 strikeouts and 47 walks in 110 innings pitched. As he soared past his previous career-high in innings during a professional season, the 27-year-old began to falter, as he put up a 5.30 ERA over his final seven starts. His last outing came on Saturday afternoon, when he allowed three runs in 4.2 innings in the Mets’ 10-3 win over the Phillies at Citi Field.
Williams’ first season in Queens has been a mixed bag. The Airbender-brandishing reliever struggled in mid-April, allowing eight runs while recording just six outs in a span of four appearances, but was dominant from that point through late June. He struck out 51 batters in 38.2 innings pitched with the help of a 39.0% chase rate and 34.9% whiff rate, and has successfully converted 16 of 19 save opportunities – all positive signs – yet his 4.66 ERA and 1.66 WHIP aren’t exactly what the Mets had in mind when they signed the veteran to a three-year deal last offseason.
In Williams’ absence, Kodai Senga has emerged as an interim closer of sorts, converting seven consecutive saves to begin his closing career before Pete Alonso took him deep last Tuesday night. In his most recent appearance on Sunday, Senga surrendered three runs while recording just one out against the Phillies. Senga has six games remaining (three in Texas and three in Washington) to bounce back and finish strong out of the bullpen, while Williams will get a final taste of big-league action before the offseason.
Aydar Suniev Making Early Push for Flames Roster Spot
Aydar Suniev didn’t need much time to make his presence felt this preseason.
The Calgary Flames forward has scored three goals through his first two preseason games, including a highlight-reel individual effort in the Next Gen rookie game against the Edmonton Oilers before finding the back of the net twice in Sunday’s 4-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken.
The goals against Seattle offered a good look at one of the biggest parts of Suniev’s game: his shot.
It’s also an area he spent plenty of time working on during the offseason.
“I was working on my shot all summer, just the little things, and I’m glad it’s paying off,” Suniev told reporters following Sunday’s game.
For a young player trying to make an impression, putting a couple of goals on the board early in the preseason can only help.
Suniev admitted the start has given him some added confidence, while keeping his focus on earning opportunities rather than simply chasing numbers.
“I’m trying to do what I can to help the team, but obviously work on my game too, and I’m glad to score those two goals. It helps me a lot.”
"I was working on my shot all summer ... I'm glad it's paying off."
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) September 21, 2026
Aydar Suniev's off-season fine-tuning has led him to net three goals through his first two games this month 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ubRb14zqAG
There is still plenty of work for Suniev to do before the Flames finalize their opening-night roster.
Like many young offensive players, his work away from the puck has been an area of emphasis. The coaching staff gave him specific areas to focus on during the offseason, particularly in the defensive zone.
“It was mostly defensive zone, playing without the puck,” Suniev said. “But they also wanted me to continue doing what I can do with the puck and performing in the offensive zone.”
That balance will be important as Suniev looks to turn his offensive ability into a legitimate NHL opportunity.
The Flames selected Suniev 80th overall in the third round of the 2023 NHL Draft. The Kazan, Russia product spent most of last season with the Calgary Wranglers, recording 15 goals and 23 points in 55 games during his first full professional campaign.
He has appeared in seven NHL games with Calgary and picked up his first career point with an assist against the Utah Mammoth on April 12.
Now, Suniev is entering camp with a little more experience and a clear opportunity in front of him.
The Flames still have preseason games remaining and there are only so many roster spots available, but his early production has put his name into the conversation.
Early Returns Positive for Flames Prospect Aydar SunievAydar Suniev is starting to make an impression with the Calgary Flames during his latest call-up from the AHL Wranglers.
Series Preview: Guardians at Red Sox
The playoffs are within reach and the Guardians are in the driver’s seat for the AL Central as they head into a tough place to play against a good team in the Boston Red Sox.
The Guardians are 81-75 with a +2 run differential, 21st in team wRC+ since the trade deadline at 96, eighth in baserunning runs above at 5.2, ninth in Defense at -8.2, eighth in starting pitcher ERA at 3.94 (3.93 FIP), and sixth in bullpen ERA at 3.55 (3.66 FIP).
The Red Sox are 84-72 with a +80 run differential, 16th in team wRC+ since the trade deadline at 100, 18th in baserunning runs above at -3.5, eighth in Defense at -5.4, ninth in starting pitcher ERA at 3.95 (3.74 FIP), and first in bullpen ERA at 3.09 (3.56 FIP).
One of our regular posters asked which of our hitters and pitchers have performed well at Fenway. I don’t generally consider park-specific stats as very predictive, but, for what it’s worth, Austin Hedges has a 159 wRC+ at Fenway, Jo Adell 133 wRC+, Nathaniel Lowe 128 wRC+, Steven Kwan 127 wRC+, Brayan Rocchio 120 wRC+, and Jose Ramirez 108 wRC+. If any of that makes you excited, good! Joey Cantillo has a 1.50 ERA in Fenway and Tanner Bibee 1.80 ERA. I REALLY would not read anything into pitcher stats at specific parks, but it is possible hitters may see the ball better at given stadiums.
Matchups:
Tuesday, 6:45PM ET: Messick, LHP 2.59 ERA since 8/4 vs. Tolle, LHP, 2.36 ERA since 8/4
Wednesday, 7:10PM ET: Griffin, LHP 5.79 ERA since 8/4 vs. Gray, RHP 2.55 ERA since 8/4
Thursday, 6:45PM ET: TBD vs. Suarez, LHP 3.53 ERA since 8/4
Since August 4th, the Red Sox are led by Mickey Gasper 201 wRC+, Jahmai Jones 184 wRC+, Trevor Story 137 wRC+, Wilyer Abreu at 135 wRC+, Caleb Durbin 125 wRC+, Roman Anthony 113 wRC+ and Nick Sogard 108 wRC+.
Since 8/4, the Guardians are led by Chase DeLauter 159 wRC+, Angel Martinez 157 wRC+, Steven Kwan 138 wRC+, David Fry 118 wRC+, Travis Bazzana 114 wRC+ and Jo Adell 105 wRC+.
Gotta find a way to get one to make a playoff berth likely, two to keep the division title in sight.
Mets hiring Andy Green as full-time manager
Andy Green will manage the Mets in 2027, the team announced Tuesday. The interim tag he inherited when he took over for Carlos Mendoza earlier this year is gone, with Green signing a three-year deal.
The deal represents a pivot for Green and the organization, the former because he initially said he was reluctant to manage beyond this year since it would keep him away from his family, the latter because Steve Cohen and David Stearns said they planned to conduct a search for their next manager after this season.
But people in the organization, who were careful to speak anonymously so as not to complicate his decision, said they started sensing a change in Green’s mindset in recent weeks. They speculated that as a once turbulent Mets clubhouse seemed to coalesce around him, Green started warming to the possibility of balancing a dream job and his desire to by present for his daughters’ final year of high school.
In fact, multiple people pointed out that there might be no better time for a father of seniors in high school to take a job like this: Given that a lockout is a near certainty and a shortened spring training – if not a delayed start to the season – seems likely enough to plan around, he might never encounter a baseball spring that would let him stay home longer.
Still, exactly what changed and when is still unclear, though as of earlier this month, Green had not approached Cohen or Stearns about any change in plans, according to people familiar with the situation.
But by Saturday’s celebration of Carlos Beltran – when Beltran all but declared he was not interested in a managerial job for which he seemed like an early favorite – Green’s path seemed to have cleared. The Mets decided not to subject him to the rigors of a public search before committing.
Green, 49, managed the Padres to a 274-366 record over four years from 2016-2019. He was serving as the Mets senior vice president of baseball development when they approached him about taking over for Mendoza in June.
He said then that he took the job with the understanding it would be temporary out of a sense of responsibility to the organization. He, Stearns, and Cohen maintained that approach in the months that followed, though none of them fully ruled out the possibility that something could change any one of their minds.
And while the Mets did not exactly catch fire under Green – they were 37-38 under his watch at the time of the announcement – they did seem to find a more sustainable sense of self. Carson Benge flourished. Green challenged the young starting pitchers around whom the Mets must build next year. A surprisingly effective bullpen grew from the ashes of the one the Mets dismantled at the trade deadline. Bo Bichette seemed to find new comfort and spoke glowingly of Green’s people skills. Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, well, spent the last month or two acting like two superstars working toward shared goals on perfectly good terms.
“I have a lot of respect for Andy. I think he’s been good at the role that he’s got right now. Not necessarily the role of managing, because I didn’t see his role this year as to manage. His role, right now, was to come in and bring light, bring ownership, bring respect, and bring accountability. He’s succeeded at it,” Lindor told SNY last Saturday, at which point he said he had had not spoken to Green about changing his mind.
“In-game stuff, plays and all that stuff? He’s made good moves, but I don’t judge him on those things. I don’t really care about that. He was put in here more to bring light to the players, to bring accountability, to bring respect, to bring self-awareness. And that’s what he brought into the role he’s in right now.”
That role, of course, has been molded by the fact that the Mets have been effectively, if not mathematically, out of contention since he took over. The Padres teams he managed never played under the kind of scrutiny or expectations these Mets will next year.
But Green has passed the tests he has encountered with grace, particularly with his style of communication. His news conferences have blended candor with empathy in ways that are so far landing with both players and the public.
Last week, for example, Green navigated the emotional hurricane that was Pete Alonso’s return to Citi Field without discounting his players’ frustration with fans nor scolding fans for theirs. Presented with a fan base that operates with sometimes unparalleled, but often unregulated, passion, many Mets managers before him have struggled to do the same.
“I think he’s been good. Andy has his personality, he’s great. I feel like he’s a guy who is on top of everything. He pays attention to every single detail and stuff like that. I really like that,” Soto told SNY last weekend. “He’s been open with me and talking to me about a lot of stuff.”
It is not clear how much of the current Mets coaching staff will return, though Green helped assemble the revamped staff that worked with Mendoza to start the season and some of them are under contract beyond this year. Answers to those questions, and others, will come later.
For now, the Mets have certainty in the dugout entering an important offseason – one in which Bichette will be deciding whether to opt out and free agency will likely be condensed to a November frenzy ahead of the anticipated lockout in December. And that certainty comes in the form of Green, whose previous player development role means he knows better than anyone the young players who will carry the Mets’ future.
No rest (yet?) for the regulars in first Braves game after clinch
Did you think there were going to be days off? There are no days off. At least not yet. Maybe a partial day off? We’ll see.
This is the same lineup the Braves rolled out when they last had to face a lefty (8-4 loss to the Cubs). They also used this lineup in the opener against the Cubs, which they also lost. So, maybe that fortune changes here.
The Braves have a combined four, count ‘em, four PAs against Brandon Williamson. Two are from Ha-Seong Kim (strikeout, flyout), and one each comes from Michael Harris II (a homer), and Matt Olson (a homer). Kind of bizarre that the two lefties are 1-for-1 with a homer off a southpaw but… four PAs, y’all.
The Reds’ lineup is at least moderately interesting, or as much as can be for a bad team playing out the string.
Promoted pseudo-prospect Carlos Jorge, he of the 27 career PAs and a terrible line in them, starts at leadoff. He’s joined in the outfield by another promoted prospect, Hector Rodriguez, who also hasn’t hit at all but has had some more exposure.
The Reds’ quartet from two through five in the lineup has hit well this season. Everyone else has hit terribly. That’s not too different from how the Braves have gone through the season, though. Still, JR Ritchie has a tough test and should hopefully find it easier to loop through the rest of the lineup.